Dedicated to the first follower Saki-san Kawaii, first favourite Mikado X Goddess and first reviewer idea. getthe.

And other crazy Followers and Favourites and Reviewers. (50 in one week? Y'all are crazy.)

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Kishimoto Masashi.


Repentance
/ rɪˈpentəns / · noun

The activity of reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs.


When she opened her eyes to wind brutally slapping her face, her first reaction was to flail.

For a moment, she genuinely questioned what she was seeing because it felt surreal to her as she took in the expansive scenery that was hindered by clouds. I'm never trying time-travelling again, she concluded in horror.

"KURAMA!" Naruto finally screamed, her voice unheard due to the whistling air. "WE'RE FUCKING FALLING, 'TTEBANE!"

The jinchūriki struggled to unseal the beast in her stomach against the persistent air resistance, her arms weak and chakra coils abused. The wind worked against her and flapped her clothes viciously, stinging her eyes and prickling her skin like she was a pincushion. The velocity increased as she hurtled closer and closer to the ground and now was not the time to appreciate the clouds Shikamaru always stared at, because in the name of Hokage, she was going to die.

'Shut up kit, I know!' the fox snarled back at his host's dramatics and lung capacity. She shrieked again, the decibel echoing in their mindscape and it made him wince. He clapped his hands together frantically as he gathered the chakra that was not invested into protecting her body from the whiplash, trying to focus on giving his chakra proper form. If she hadn't been adamant about shouldering the entire cost of transport, perhaps the situation wouldn't have been as bad as it was now.

'We can't pull off a full transformation, but two tails will do,' ordered the Kyuubi, manifesting himself as her cloak without her command. Internally, he prayed to the Sage of Six Paths that it was enough as he pushed for a third tail, dread filling the pair as they descended closer to the ground.

They looked like a bright red comet plummeting rapidly, lighting up the dark skies with its fiery color as if it was a harbinger of death. The figure of a deformed fox blurred with its speed into a singular line, becoming faster and faster as it was enshrouded with heat, blasting into an empty clearing with an intense boom that shook the ground.

Both entities simultaneously groaned when they collided into the earth, although the human's was more akin to a gurgled scream and she nearly blacked out. Dozens of lacerations mutilated her still inked body and she felt some of her bones break, sharp pain converging on every muscle and bone in her frame. She convulsed violently under the stimulation, her synapses firing as she let out another guttural moan, the red chakra running amok in her system as it tried to repair the damage of the fall. Her lungs felt like they were on fire as she exhaled the hot air, her hands digging into the ground for a steady hold while the ancient mended her with its blistering power that she could not filter in her weakness. Smoke danced across her tender skin at where it healed, melding her broken bones rapidly with proportional pain and her teeth grinded against one another to produce an ear-shivering sound, trying to hold back another involuntary protest.

She was panting heavily when the majority of the red chakra receded back to her stomach, delirious from the pain as her vision of the world spun around her. Parts of the ink on her body faded from her end of her limbs in leisurely slow pace while she tried to recollect herself, the painful memory of now phantom wounds still discernible to her.

"Did we make it?" Naruto croaked hoarsely as she sat up, holding her pounding head. Another wave of pain shot through her veins and she groaned, her back hunching further forward and her hair in utter disarray.

Kurama squinted his eyes slightly. 'We definitely returned to the past,' he deduced immediately through his host's blurry vision, 'but the timeframe is unknown to me. It seems that the contraption used the chakra we stored as the anchor to gauge the time we would travel back to down to the very last drop.'

"Were there any complications?"

'That's the peculiar part, kit,' assessed the Kyuubi. 'The effects of the time travelling have yet to take hold of you because of the damnable seal. When you used your creation, you became its core and it "suspended" the time in you,' he air-quoted, gesturing at her inked body, 'and until the marks wear off, we won't know the true repercussions of our actions.'

"Do you think that death is a possibility?" The fox nodded reluctantly.

She checked another question off her list, blowing her hair out of her face. There was still daylight, but her world was still bleak. "How many days do you think I have?"

'At worst, four is your minimum. But if you can control your chakra usage, I would say nine.'

The kunoichi struggled to her feet. "And why is it related my chakra usage?" she choked out while her limbs screamed for more time to recover. She trembled as she tried to grip onto her knees for support, attempting to adjust her body to the ache.

'Chakra was the fuel of the seal,' reminded Kurama, his voice laced with concern. 'Naturally, the same train of thought applies to you. Right now, you should think of yourself as a storage rather than a replenishment, and the moment your current chakra runs out, the side-effects will happen.'

"So if I don't use my chakra at all, my time here will be unlimited?" Naruto theorized.

The Bijuu shook his head again. 'You mistake the concept of chakra, kit. Chakra is energy itself – it is something that you use consciously or subconsciously – and everyone has some of it, no matter how little. It can never be destroyed but it is always converted and used. No matter how hard you try to get around it, your days are inevitably numbered.'

'It is quite absurd for you to think that you can restrict your chakra usage though,' he added in an afterthought.

Her eyebrows scrunched when she looked at the fading ink on her palms, clenching it into a fist tightly as if she was trying to still the time that was literally slipping out of her hands. "Is it wrong to want more time, ttebane?" asked Naruto wearily. "I was hoping that I would have more, although I am well and aware that I might even have none."

'It is not wrong to want more time to change things around, kit. There were no conditions or rules to the discourse we attempt to uptake and perhaps the greatest atonement is the little time we have. It is in human nature to be selfish,' retorted Kurama in a matter-of-factly tone before it became one of provocation. 'And this is the withheld consequences that your actions have wrought. Are you regretting this already, Naruto?'

The jinchūriki's blue eyes hardened, "No."

After giving her clipped reply, she promptly pulled out a storage scroll and nicked her thumb to unseal it with her blood. A brush coated finely with chakra ink and a piece of aged parchment appeared in her grasp and she started to draw an elaborate seal. With practiced hands, she drew the needed symbols with finesse, her brush strokes flowing like smooth water – as if her previous altercation never happened - and reached completion within minutes. Naruto lifted her ruined jumpsuit and pasted the seal on her lower back, breathing deeply as she coaxed her chakra into her recent creation. Her imaginings became reality just as her seal glowed, her inked, sun-kissed skin becoming alabaster and unmarred and her blonde hair decolorizing into black. Cerulean blue changed for vermillion red, the new color dyeing from the pupils to the edge of the iris, transforming the knuckle-headed kunoichi to one with a seemingly elegant disposition.

The Kyuubi couldn't help but comment, 'Who was your muse for this appearance?'

The lady brushed her fingers through her black tresses before she admitted one name: "Hinata." She became silent as she recalled the Hyūga heiress who had built a quiet confidence behind her shy demeanor, snippets of the strength that she wielded in her fist and lilac eyes mounting onto her mind before it reached a grim expiry of nothingness.

'Black was a common color for many,' deliberated Kurama.

Naruto quirked her lips at her partner's contemplation, shaking her head slightly before she observed her surroundings once more. "If geography and coordinates still apply," she spoke her thoughts aloud, "then we should be bordering Konohagakure no Sato." Her nose sniffed the air, ignoring the smell of her own blood, "and it would be in that direction."

She frowned when her senses picked up even more than that, a faint apprehension looming like a cloud. She hoped that she was wrong although her senses never lied because she knew the scents of bloodied events like these like it was yesterday. Blood and Metal, she surmised unwillingly as she knelt on the ground to feel for vibrations, extending her own sensing abilities further with the tailed beast working in symbiosis.

"Could it be…?" Naruto murmured, one hand gripping onto the wrist of her other hand that was placed flatly on the ground. She dreaded the answer that she already knew, but she asked her partner anyway.

'It is,' confirmed Kurama grimly. 'It had slipped my mind to check but it seems like my other half dwells in a healthy living vessel rather than the Shinigami's stomach.' The fox wrinkled at the bitter memory, 'If we want to support the theory that this is the Third Shinobi War based off all the activities, then my only possible jailor would have to be Uzumaki Kushina.'

Naruto shivered at the prospect. "So my mother is alive?"

'Unless you have another mother that gave birth to you, then yes.' She rolled her eyes at the beast's sarcasm. Apparently, time travel wasn't enough to knock out his antagonism.

"If the fight is still in Yusagakure no Sato, it means that the Kannabi Bridge is not destroyed," Naruto recalled as she broke into a sprint. Her mind was running through the plans she formulated given the timeline and information she could scavenge before stopping at a specific point. "That would mean that Akatsuki was still peace-loving—"her red eyes softened at thought of all the people that had previously impacted her life – "and my father and his team are still alive."

The intended Nanadaime Hokage paused for a moment and looked back the direction of her home longingly. Emotions flickered across her expressions before it settled on determination and she turned back her head.

We have much to do…

Seeing Konoha would have to wait.

If there was one unchanging constant whether it was the past, present or future, it was that Amegakure no Sato was weeping when she arrived at its outskirts.

The blonde kunoichi would have paused to admire the tragic beauty of the village that was still half-standing from the perilous, ugly war, but the rude welcoming committee decided to ruin her plans with a much anticipated ambush. She couldn't help but sigh loudly when they flanked her shortly after she entered the borders, wondering what she had done to offend the world – Oh right, I committed taboo.

She looked up the dark skies as if she was willing the rain to baptize her for her mistakes. She was tired from all the running, her bones were still aching but apparently that was not enough suffering for her.

Is it that difficult to take pity on a poor girl that looks like a beggar? Naruto lamented internally, turning to look at her tattered and soaked outfit in shame like the lecherous and uncomfortable stares of Iwa-nin were none of her concern.

'You ran to Ame at high speeds fitting for a ninja of your caliber and you're still wearing your "Kill Me, I'm Orange" jumpsuit,' stated the Kyuubi calmly as if he speaking to an idiot. 'You don't act like a beggar—'he paused for effect—'and I don't think they actually care.'

And as if to prove the Bijuu's point, the Iwa-nin decided that he had the jurisdiction to interrogate. "Who are you and who are you affiliated with?" he ordered harshly.

"None of your goddamn business, 'ttebane," retorted Naruto tartly, her posture still loose as she spared them a fleeting look to analyze them. Mid-Chūnin, Low Jōnin at best, she quickly deferred, feeling slightly disappointed at the results of her conjecture. She almost giggled at their glaring weaknesses that made them child's play to her.

They encircled her tighter at her reply, their stances threatening and ready to strike. The focus of the men on her left and right constantly flickered between her and their leader, waiting for their signal to pounce. She resisted rolling her eyes. How obvious could they get?

While Naruto disregarded them, the beast in her growled at their audacity in gesture, making her eyes flare into an involuntary crimson and narrowing her pupils into slits. Like a huntress incarnate, she airily spoke. "The better question to ask, perhaps," She cheered gleefully before her voice became feral, "is what business an Iwakagure Shinobi has in the lands of Amegakure no Sato."

She knew her sentence was ironic but she couldn't find the heart to care. The jinchūriki reviled in the fear that was omnipresent in her initiators' fluctuating chakra. It was never her intent to participate directly in the Third Shinobi War that she had no part of, considering the fact that she wasn't even born then, but an Uzumaki never backed down from an outright challenge of power. She really would have chosen to ignore them if they didn't confront her but they were clearly begging for their deaths.

Before they could speak, Naruto interjected once more, a pleasant yet sinister smile apparent on her face. "But pleasantries are often dry, don't you think?"

In a swirl of leaves she disappeared from their sight, and in the next, she was behind one of them who held a tanto, hand augmented by wind chakra and chopping down at his neck. Unfazed by the blood that blossomed in the cold rain, she grabbed the tanto from his dead grasp and finished off the two unexacting Shinobi. Seamless actions were what she offered to their provocation, finishing them off faster than they could actually blink.

She stared at the three dead bodies that unceremoniously fell before her feet, disenchanted. They looked distasteful in the rain, their blood quickly diluted and washed off by the falling water.

'They were foolish to challenge what they do not understand,' was her tailed beast's bored commentary. She agreed.

"And who said you need strength in numbers?" Naruto asked rhetorically, swinging her borrowed tanto. "The second coming of the Yellow Flash is enough," she bragged, flinging her blonde-now-black hair behind her shoulder before giving a theatrical bow to her lifeless audience.

'Your idiocy still astounds me,' he informed bluntly while rolling his eyes in amusement. 'But corpses aside, I've taken the liberty to search for the triune that you were seeking while you were otherwise occupied.'

She raised her eyebrows at him, prodding him to continue.

'They're a few miles ahead.'

Naruto hummed in acknowledgement and picked up the scabbard that was abandoned on the ground and sheathed her tanto, running towards her renewed destination. As much as she would like to body flicker rapidly or use her own adapted Hiraishin, it was a conscious decision to preserve her chakra as much as possible which felt odd to the jinchūriki who boasted large reserves and could afford to be wasteful.

Her run was uneventful other than the fresh corpses that were littered on the way, some deaths more gruesome than others. It confirmed what she already knew about war in general – although she would argue that the one she lived through was far worse – it was painful, disgusting and the culmination of brutal stupidity from humans who prided themselves in intelligence. She never understood why anyone would want to do it, even if it was out of blind loyalty to the village, because the moment the fight begun, any participant had already lost. It was sacrificing good people pointlessly for worthless ambitions, staining soil and ruining infrastructure, gaining absolutely nothing from battle other than the status of war-mongering and cruel.

But perhaps, she digressed, sinking into a melancholic mood, the worst part is that I am so desensitized to the deaths.

She was so used to the mangled bodies, some that she even held in her arms, so used to the various death throes and the essence of war. She lived and breathed in the toxic, wasteful atmosphere for years, so much so that she didn't even remember some of the people she had once killed. Her preaching with blood-stained hands was a ridiculous notion, and suddenly, the kunoichi missed the naivety she possessed when she committed her first kill. When she actually felt guilty about a singular death, that she actually showed the humanity she was bred to have.

"We're Shinobi. We kill, we steal, and we lie to survive. That's just how it is," it was a simple line but defining of her career, she realized, when her sensei said it to her after her first kill. It was something that was reiterated to her but it never really registered until that day. Her first kill wasn't particularly the easiest or the simplest because she walked straight into a bloodbath, having to kill dozens of bandits and unable to stop in fear of her life. It was a chaotic 'kill or be killed' situation and her actions didn't really sink in until she stood in the middle of corpses and her supply of projectiles in her pouch were empty. The poor silver-haired scarecrow was tasked to hold back her hair as she puked out her contents from dinner. He offered her aged wisdom, one that sounded so tired with a hint of remorse, as if he wished that things could have been different.

Naruto smiled sadly, her mood plunging even further as she forced down the old memories of her sensei. The loud clashing of metal and the screams of agony snapped her back to her reverie, her eyes immediately searching out for the three unique shades of hair. She cocked her head slightly in puzzlement when she saw only red and blue angling themselves to protect the entrance to a building with the ginger nowhere in sight.

She was comforted by the fact that her relative still retained his classic Uzumaki hair which meant that Yahiko was still alive. Not for long, her mind whispered hauntingly.

Pursing her lips at the morbid thought, she shook her head before jumping into the fray, her jump propelled by her affinity. She screamed for attention with her choice of clothes as she landed behind the assailants of the pair that she wished to protect, slashing at them with quick efficiency. The jinchūriki spared the frozen Akatsuki members a semblance of a wary smile to make her loyalties known before her lips thinned into a grim line. There was a lot of work to do, she admitted exhaustedly as she embedded a kunai in another of Hanzo's cronies.

Talking and suspicions will have to come later.

Her other temporary allies found it difficult to accept her sudden presence while others merely went along with it. On several occasions, some of them nearly wounded her with their weapons and Ninjutsu, although she took it all in her stride. She never retaliated back, easily discriminating friend from foe and engaged in a session of merciless, one-sided slaughter of their common enemy. Her old war cries and obnoxious declarations morphed into silent and systematic killing, utterly detached from the act and doing the deed simply because she had to. Taking neither pride nor shame, emotional attachments be damned, she worked like a machine, her mind blank as she made quick work of the other sycophants.

Dodge the sword that is swinging overhead. Cut off his arm. Shove him towards the enemy on the side – kami who taught them how to throw – take the shuriken from the ground and throw it back.

It was instinctual; a second nature to her. Push the sword between both ribs. End their pain quickly. Stamp the head that is on the ground – oh wait, that's his arm, try again. It was repeating the same actions again and again, and the time she did stop was when everything went silent.

When the fighting finally ceased, she gazed impassively at the pile of bodies along with the other Akatsuki members, her grip on her bloodied tanto trembling, finding it difficult to drop the weapon. Her red eyes looked dull and emotionless as the black-cloaked individuals approached her cautiously, unsure whether to call her their savior or a demon. Some were hypnotized by her lethal performance she gave as she danced across the battlefield, dispatching them with agile speed and clean precision, like swirling wind amidst torrential waters. Some feared and admired the same prowess, grappling onto their weapons for security, prepared to counter at a moment's defiance.

Those that wielded such power and grace, they realized, were often more dangerous with their intent and layered deceit. Everything about the kunoichi before them reeked of veteran – her suppressed bloodlust, her simplistic movements and the lack of chakra usage. It shrieked experience and a sense of foreboding as they crept closer, not wanting to be the target of her wrath.

Naruto said nothing as the adrenaline in her veins cooled, observing the crowd that was gathering around her with fewer reservations. She pushed her tanto to the ground by its hilt and raked her fingers through her matted hair, pondering on how she could convince them that she was non-hostile in nature. Instead of trying to win over the common followers, she redirected her gaze towards the pair who clearly ranked higher on the hierarchy, her vermillion eyes nudging them to speak.

The blue-haired leader stepped forward to speak at her prompt, offering her hand tentatively. Her angelic voice cut through the cold air, easing the tension by the declaration of statuses. "On behalf of all the Akatsuki members, thank you for helping us. May I ask for your name?"

A heart-warming grin enveloped Naruto's face as she bounded over to Konan for a hug in lieu of a handshake, her dispassionate facade of a warrior replaced with her old bubbly self. "No need for formalities," she chided lightly into her ear, feeling the lady freeze up from her proximity of her voice in her sudden embrace. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I've wanted to speak to you for a really long time, Konan."

"Do I know you?" asked Konan in confusion, her arms awkwardly hanging by her side. Her red-haired companion seemed shocked by Naruto's gesture, choosing to stand there stiffly along with the rest of organization rather than save his companion from her dilemma, wondering if they invited a lunatic into their midst.

His Rinnegan spun as he subconsciously scrutinized the guest, frowning when he noticed a muddled, thin red coating sticking to her skin, making her true details obscure. Curious, he noted dubiously, his senses heightened against the foreign subject. Not many could evade his exalted eyes; and he was certain that they had never met her before. Even if Konan had met her before, she would have brought up such a distinctive person in the passing but even then, the familiarity and friendliness that the black-haired kunoichi exhibited didn't seem like a lie either.

"You don't," conceded Naruto softly, proving his train of thought. "But you will," she amended in determination, giving Konan another squeeze before she let go.

Her red eyes flickered towards him, and for a moment, he swore she saw through his soul. Her doleful gaze knew everything about him, even the parts that he had yet to discover or acknowledge. It was filled with utmost sincerity that it made him regret his doubts, baffling him as the unbidden grin remained on her face.

She crossed her arms behind her back and leaned towards him, peering closer without judgment. "I haven't forgotten you either, Uzumaki Nagato," she informed with merriment.

How did she— his eyes widened, turning to share a look with Konan. She shrugged helplessly in equal puzzlement, already resigned to following whatever the enigmatic kunoichi planned.

Wanting to take some attention off, the Uzumaki queried hastily, "What are your intentions, Naruto-san?"

What business does a Kage level Shinobi have here? And which village is foolish enough to allow her to be alone in the times of war? He had wanted to add, but restrained himself because it would be impolite to question her lack of affiliations when she helped them.

The said ninja twirled a strand of soaked hair, ominous intent flashing as her grin thinned. "Well for starters," Naruto quipped, tugging at the ends of her hair, "I would like a bit of your time as repayment." Her short beat of silence was shadowed by a clap of thunder, and her gaze sharpened at the pair accordingly, "Alone."

Definitely curious, he decided, a shiver going down his spine.

Water dripped from the ends of her hair and trailed off her limbs as she stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching the droplets of water stain the wooden flooring. She looked like a drenched rat in an organized room, a particular sorry excuse of neglect as she tried to wring out water from her torn jumpsuit. She frowned at the tears, I actually like this one.

'How tragic,' he commented sarcastically, although he would be glad to see the jumpsuit burn. 'Perhaps you should cry a river about it,' he suggested helpfully.

She scowled. 'Just because you didn't like the jumpsuit doesn't mean that I didn't.' He snorted and rolled his eyes. 'And it wasn't my fault,' she argued for her sordid appearance, chalking it up to her violent entrance.

'Sure.' The fox laughed at her misery, 'Are you going to blame the contraption for knocking out your common sense and old lessons about packing as well?'

She gave him a stink eye at his fledging humor before sighing. Well, my hindsight was 20/20.

The jinchūriki fidgeted in her seat when the coarse material of the couch touched the exposed parts of her skin, her soaked, tattered ensemble hardly providing her any comfort. Discarding her self-consciousness for open curiosity, she focused on surveying the room instead. Her legs swung back and forth while she took in the warm feeling that the house brought, surprisingly humble for the leaders of a growing organization.

A faint nostalgic scent hit her nose when she inhaled deeply, causing her to smile bittersweetly when she realized the mark that her Ero-sennin left on the trio as well. The flip in and flip out cards on the installed shelf near the door – and their instinctual habit to use it – did not go unnoticed by her. His practices were deeply embedded in the Ame Orphans and she could see the imperceptible influence of Jiraiya everywhere around the house that he once resided. She choked back a giggle that almost slipped past her lips when she saw the familiar drawing of a toad on the cards, something that was so characteristic of only one gallant man.

I could probably find a toad suit in the house if I tried hard enough, she mused.

Her musings were cut short when a folded fabric intercepted her vision, startling her slightly before she accepted it graciously. Naruto wrapped the blanket around her shoulder, cozying up against it and allowing it to absorb moisture from her cold skin.

Her host settled three cups of steaming hot tea down on the table before she sat on the opposite couch next to her red-haired companion. "Shall we begin our business proper?" Konan proposed.

"Sure," Naruto replied, her back straightening subconsciously. "But before I voice my true intentions—"she reached towards her lower back to deactivate the Henge seal – "will you allow a dying woman to tell you her story?"

Her feigned appearance melted away like snow in turbid heat and was replaced by blonde hair and inked, tan skin. The lines seemed more alive while it halted slightly above her wrists, its spirals still complicated such that it almost hid her exotic birthmarks. Her smile was like jagged glass as she revealed herself; her outward expression incongruous with the true emotions that was in turmoil inside. I'm running on borrowed time. The kunoichi's lids were purposefully crinkled shut to pull off false happiness, a trick she learnt from a certain scarecrow because sometimes she felt like the only way she could project her old self was through carefully constructed acts.

"Just who are you?" whispered Nagato, his Uzumaki blood screaming at the ingenious and terrifying designs that decorated her surface. He felt compelled to study the conception that stained her skin, eager to seal away the abomination that she created and wary to know her story as to why it forced her down this road. This road of taboo that only madmen dared to tread, because his exalted eyes informed him the treacherous nature of the opus that she embodied.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," she repeated sincerely, although she knew that it wasn't what the pair wanted to hear. She took the initiative to stretch her hand out towards her relative this time, "And there are some things better left untold, and some, that are better shown."

She conjured tangible chakra in her palms that weaved around her fingers like a breeze before she sent it flying towards the direction of the inconspicuous privacy seals that were pasted on the walls. And throughout the entire process, her outstretched hand never wavered. "And all I ask of you is for your time."

The said man chose to respond by placing his hand in hers, cold fingers slipping across heated skin to grasp her properly. He sucked in a breath when an entire sequence of images hit him, information of every facet flooding his mind from the most basic senses to the full worldview through her eyes and her memory.

She apologized in her head for burdening him with the thought of his own future, dredging up the memories from the time she landed in the middle of the Konoha he leveled with his power, concaving the ground into an empty gorge, making the old structures obsolete.

One by one, she laid them bare in front of him, refusing to censor that the actions that had yet to come to existence. She showed him the fight that she engaged him in viciously for the home that he destroyed. She made him see the bodies he carelessly used because he could, treating them like rag dolls and tools in pursuit of his own twisted ideals. The helplessness she felt when she was nailed with chakra manipulators and watching the Hyuga Heiress save her when she trained so hard so she would never feel like that again, and the loud thuds of her body slamming into the ground with a flick of his finger.

Naruto made him feel the anger and sadness that overwhelmed her that day, allowing her darkness to overcome her, and the bloodied hatred that got her absolutely nowhere. She was so angry at everything that she almost gave in to the beast and allowed him to go on a rampage, which would have led to even greater destruction. She told him the greatest lessons that their teacher wanted to impart on them and it was to let go of the hate – to end the vicious cycle that they were perpetually trapped in when they sought for vengeance – because that was the only way they could finally try and understand each other's pain. She gave him a view of how low and gaunt he sunk for the sake of accomplishment, and his faithful partner that stayed next to him even till the end, no matter his appearance or status. She thanked him for his sacrifice to bring those that were lost back to life and ultimately – she showed him hope, the light at the end of the dark tunnel, something that was worth fighting for.

"Is this my fate?" he asked emotionlessly, finality edging his tone when the viewing diminished to black.

"It was, 'ttebane," Naruto said with much poignancy. "But it doesn't have to be," she squeezed his hand reassuringly. Konan looked at the conversing pair with uncertainty, sparing a glance at her exhausted friend.

"It's fine to trust her," confirmed Nagato, retracting his hand from her grasp. "She means no harm and her intentions are benevolent." Or else she would never have returned. He added as an afterthought, wondering how much internal strength the woman before him possessed.

"Can I have your promise that Konan will not be harmed?"

"I never back out from my words," the time-traveler swore, her blue eyes cool like the frigid sea. "I will ensure her safety but her decisions will not be held accountable by me."

He nodded in acquiesce. "What is you intend to have me do?" he questioned.

Naruto folded her hands on her lap, her gaze intense. "Memory is a dangerous thing, Nagato. It can be a blessing but more often than not," she sighed, "it is a curse. And while I have willingly shown you, I cannot allow you to change the course of events."

His body acted up slightly in protest. "Why can't you let me change it?"

"Because I'm running on limited time," she elaborated, gesturing at the ink that receded to her wrists. "If I let you change everything, it could breed even more calamity. Your participation in the entire plot is necessary due to your Rinnegan – that doesn't actually belong to you, in case you weren't aware – and I aim to minimize the damage."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Even if it meant sacrificing those that people all over again?"

"Even if it meant that." Naruto's gaze became even more resolute. "I've considered this many times, Nagato." Her eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. "I would rather lose the same people again –"a lump formed in her throat as she recalled the previous deaths – "than pursue an idealistic world where I might end up saving none. If it is to persuade you, my only guarantee is that you and Konan will be alive when the arc ends."

"You must understand I can't let things change," she pleaded. "Your final involvement is the last trigger before the new war and I don't ever want to see it end the same way," she rasped, voice full of contempt. The pair's faces visibly paled at her declaration. The prospect of another war when they were currently caught in the middle of one was a terrible thought.

Konan swallowed audibly. "Another war you say?"

Her fists clenched at the remembrance of the cataclysm, "Yes."

"Is it unpreventable?" Her sorrowful eyes gave them their answer.

"Then I never had a choice to begin with, did I?" Nagato said in resignation. He didn't even try to change her mind, knowing that she would never take 'no' for an answer. She didn't come back to be rejected and from her taut posture, she was willing to make him submit to her by force if necessary. His relative had the grace of adorning a thin, apologetic smile of her own.

May as well save myself some pain and go along with it, especially if it's for the better good.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"Give me an hour or so and some of your blood," she requested simply, tossing to him an empty ink bottle. "I'll also need some space for the seal layout and your undivided cooperation."

The Uzumaki obeyed despondently as he snatched the bottle from the air, twirling a kunai in his other hand. He slashed his open palm lightly and allowed the crimson to pool, not allowing a single drop to spill over as he poured it into the container. She smiled appreciatively when he threw the corked bottle back at her before she followed Konan into an empty room.

And as if she was a woman possessed once more, she started moving the moment she was left to her own devices. The kunoichi pulled out a blue scroll and unfurled it, her fingers swiping over several portions of the open scroll. Papers fell on the floor in a uniformed manner, every piece perfectly aligned with no gaps in between.

Her trusty brush appeared in her grasp just as she threw the scroll to the corner with a soft thud, her shoes and jacket treated similarly when she decided that it was a hindrance to her art. She measured the entire width and length she could use, the blank canvas already filled with innumerous details in her mind and the end goal completely in her sight. In the quietness that was unlike the knuckle-headed Shinobi, she worked with an almost fanatical intensity, her arms constantly in motion as she drew out her plans. With every segment, she improved the seal array, running through the process of trial and error and adding further ramifications to the gnarly seal.

The old standard became her own as she added her distinctions, even procuring vials of blood from another scroll at some point and added it to the seal. Deep in her extreme concentration, she didn't even notice when the pair entered the room and settled themselves down in a corner to watch, eyes wide with inexplicable fascination as they watched her work.

It was exquisite; the Akatsuki members concluded as they watched the master design the intricate seal painstakingly, her brush strokes only pausing to dip her apparatus in ink. Her Fūinjutsu made her physical prowess pale when it came to delicacy and unique art, to the extent it was almost magical to see the smooth lines develop from capricious hands. The world was blind and dead to her as she immersed herself in her craft, slowly working her way out from the core.

This was the element of the Uzumaki; surrounded by paper and ink, wholly content with the propensity to create. No matter normal goods of preservation or deadly ones that brought about ruin, they were feared for their ingenuity. And with their extended life expectancy from their powerful blood and lineage, they possessed the time and health to become a virtuoso.

"Do you understand what she is making?" whispered Konan in awe, her voice low as if she was afraid that she might distract the specialist.

"It's a memory seal at its basis," Nagato responded. "But the extra details that she incorporates that truly matters."

They sunk back into pleasurable silence for what must have been hours, strangely never tiring from watching their guest work. They stiffened when she rose from her hunched position like a feline, her back arching as she stretched her limbs outward. Audible sounds of bone popping reverberated around the room as she held the position for a moment before she refocused on the pair.

"Good timing," Naruto greeted, unaware of their presence previously.

Her stained fingers beckoned the future leader of Akatsuki forward, and he followed as if he was in a trance. He settled before her in the empty space of her seal, staring back at cerulean blues that were engulfed by a spectrum of negative emotions. Nagato wondered if doing this would ease her heart as his gaze flickered towards her exposed limbs, studying the ink that barely moved.

She shadowed him from the light that hung overhead, and now his vision was concentrated at her chest. He gazed up instinctively with mauve cheeks to look at her bare throat, his head shifting upwards to her touch as she brushed away the locks of red hair that covered his forehead. It felt weirdly comforting to be in her caress like he was under her steady protection, his mundane problems suddenly inconsequential under her nurturing. She painted a simple symbol on his temple, allowing the blood to dry under the aid of her own heated chakra before she placed her chapped lips against the mark.

"This will only hurt a little if you do not try to fight it," she murmured, replacing her lips with a thumb, pressing down on the symbol. Her other hand formed a series of half-seals proficiently. But this pain will be temporary compared to what you have to face later, she mourned woefully. Figure flaming with chakra as she empowered the seal, her regret was secondary in the entire process. But nonetheless, she still apologized. I'm so sorry that you still have to suffer.

'I hope you understand what you intend to undertake,' the Kyuubi deplored after hours of silence, dragging her into the mindscape for an impromptu conversation. His host remained silent at his need for dialogue, her fist enclosed as her eyes refused to rise from the tiled grounds.

'You are going to burn out the time you have with this seal, kit,' he began, trying to make her see sense. 'You are attempting to power this seal for two odd decades until the infernal event comes to pass,' he bemoaned. 'You are giving up the chance to see them for the last time. Are you going to allow yourself waste away without seeing the village that you swore to protect even once?'

'I don't have time to think otherwise, 'ttebane.' her voice broke grievously. 'Pain's invasion is an important event. It sent baa-chan into a coma and elevated Danzo into power. It damaged us from the roots and if we can stop it, we can have a better fighting chance against Madara. It would mean keeping Nagato out of his grasp and Jiraiya alive-'

'You could have stopped Akatsuki from rising, that you cannot deny,' interjected the Kyuubi sharply. 'You still can.' He knew her plans and the multitude of ways that the event could go but she always managed to stupefy him to silence by choosing the worst given the time she had.

'And then to what end?' she thundered back with equal ferocity. 'Allow an even more dangerous organization to rise to do Madara's bidding? Or should we stick to what we know? We handled the organization well previously, they can do it again.'

'I know that we are capable of dealing with the Akatsuki in due time. The village while hardheaded, is not weak. But you lie to yourself when you pretend that the deaths of mortals like Sarutobi Asuma don't weigh on your mind heavily,' he accused blithely. The intended Nanadaime Hokage flinched as she recalled Yuuhi Kurenai raising their child fatherless – the same child that died later in the war when Madara decided to spare no village.

He continued to dig deeper into her wounds. 'You regret each death more with each passing day and you blame yourself for your powerlessness and how everything could have been better. You feel as if this suicidal ploy is not enough and you intend to show your bogus repentance by denying yourself the euphoria of seeing your family again despite being on death's door.'

'The seal doesn't need that much chakra to power it for a long period of time,' she argued weakly.

'And what if it does?' he questioned back scathingly, his eyes crimson as he glared at her. 'While it is large under my influence, it does not mean that you have the capacity to use it so sparingly. Your current limits are based off what you had when you first arrived to this timeline and your reserves were scant at best. This will kill you and you subconsciously know that as well.'

'It'll be fine,' Naruto spoke with uncertainty as if she was trying to convince herself more than the beast. 'It'll be fine,' she repeated, her voice wavering.

The interaction in reality only happened for a few short seconds, long enough for the seal to start working as it should. Shakily, she delved into Nagato's mind and sealed away specific parts of his memory, careful to not retard his senses. The man groaned audibly underneath her touch as his forehead glowed, falling into deep unconsciousness to save himself.

Taking three cleansing breaths before she proceeded with the next step, she drew the words from paper and into his mind, keying specific chakra signatures as its switch. The next segment of the seal came soon after without pause and she watched with labored breaths as the ink on her surface started crawling up her arms and below her mesh armor unseen. She felt the slow drain from her system as she invested her energy to preserve the seal, counting up the seconds to years as a faint itch rose beneath her skin.

'That is enough, Naruto. You need to stop.'

The itch beneath her skin became a tad bit worse. Naruto ignored the warning, determined to make the seal last a few more years just in case.

The beast growled at her defiance and forcefully detached her from the seal. The loss of connection made her jolt back from Nagato as if she was burned, her hands trembling with blistering red against her own free will.

'I have given you my counsel and yet you refuse to listen.' his voice was earth-shattering in her mind, 'While the previous incidents had its own sound logic, what you run on now is impertinence and foolishness at its extreme. If you are so interested in repentance, I will grant you what you seek.' hissed the Kyuubi icily and left her to silence.

Her vision blurred momentarily when he left her to bear the consequences on her own, her exertion and fatigue claiming the fringes of her mind. Her chest heaved while she coped with the strain; her head swooned from the oncoming pain.

"Naruto-san," Konan called out in alarm, catching the frail specialist who nearly fell backwards. "Are you okay?"

The said kunoichi forced a smile on her pale lips. "I'm okay," she reassured hoarsely, clasping her mouth with her hand to stop the bile from rising up her throat. She swallowed back the rancid taste before she spoke again, answering to the double meaning in the blue-haired kunoichi's question. "Nagato will come around soon, rest assured. Everything went as planned, 'ttebane!"

Her false cheer did not convince her acquaintance who continued to rub her back in soothing circles, uncaring about the heat that she was emitting.

"I need to go before Nagato wakes up."

Despite her declaration, Naruto permitted her body a few minutes to recover its equilibrium before she raised herself to her feet with Konan shadowing her cautiously, walking slowly towards the personal effects she tossed sloppily to the side. Noticing that her jacket was mended and folded neatly on the ground, she picked her jacket and slipped it on, her cerulean eyes full of gratitude as she gazed at her hostess.

"It would be best if you don't remember me either, Konan," stated the blonde lady seriously.

She shook her head demurely in response. "I'm not the one that knows more than she should have, Naruto-san. As long as I don't bring this meeting up, I think I'll be fine. Do you need an escort out of the village?"

"I'd be better off on my own," she said dryly before cringing at the formal address. "And calling me Naruto is enough."

"Naruto-chan," Konan allowed. "Will we be meeting you in the future then?" she asked tentatively albeit hopefully.

Naruto paused at her honest query, slightly surprised that she would even ask. "Probably not," she finally admitted after much contemplation. "This will probably be the last that you will see of me."

The reminder that her time was limited brought up a sudden compulsion in her that she desperately tried to turn a blind eye to since the time she arrived, and she bowed her head deeply at Konan impulsively, her hair falling over her shoulders. "I'm so sorry," were the first words that slipped from her lips. "I'm so sorry," the time-traveler attempted to convey her broken sincerity in her voice. "For making you face the difficult times that you will face in your future." For making you lose the person you love. For making you watch your friend descend into darkness. She grieved."It's my fault for not helping you better."

Naruto couldn't face the grey eyes that actually understood her vague words despite the fact that she had never shown the Akatsuki leader her recollections. She couldn't help the guilt that wrenched her heart painfully at the thought that she was going to allow history to repeat itself for her selfishness to stay true to the plot, terrified to diverge in fear an undesirable aftermath.

Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto blamed herself more than anyone else because she knew that there were different solutions which she denied. She knew the truth of the ancient's words more than she would care to admit, knowing that she purposely inflicted onto herself to feel something rather than nothing at all. But the one who had to pay the most ultimately wasn't her, but the clueless Konan who was loyal and stood by it all.

Unable to help herself, she fled the house at her fastest pace, not even offering a farewell to the lady who looked so lost at her hasty disappearance, wondering if she had wronged her in any way.

Konan left the door unlocked, just in case.

Gears can be removed,

But this one remains;

With a small crank,

It begins (again).


Question of the Chapter: Should soldiers be held accountable for following the orders of their commander?