Chapter 2: Rain
Kakashi had knocked several times on the door of a small apartment. A young woman with short black hair and dark onyx eyes opened the door to the young masked boy. She wondered why Kakashi was in her house. Kakashi then looked towards the floor and presented the young woman with a container. Inside the container was a preservative fluid holding Sharingan eyes. The woman, with trembling hands, grabbed the container from Kakashi's guilt-ridden hands and held onto it for several seconds before closing the door. Kakashi turned away from the door, and as he was about to walk away he heard the faint sounds of a woman sobbing. 'A shinobi must never show emotions, huh? Obito would have loved to punch the person that made that rule, right?' Kakashi thought as he continued to listen to the woman's weeping.
The worst part about being a jounin was your duty to relay the death of your teammates to their family and loved ones. He went to Rin's house to deliver the terrible news, and her mother broke down right in front him. He did not watch her as a puddle started to form from all of the tears she was shedding. Obito's mom still had the pride of a shinobi, so she did not cry in front of Kakashi. Yet, he knew that she was torn with the death of her son. Why did Kakashi ever believe that shinobi were emotionless tools designed to complete specific tasks? All shinobi were human, and humans are emotional. It's ridiculous to believe that someone would be willing to kill their own hearts, unless they took pleasure from killing.
Kakashi never wanted to do this again. He never wants to relay the news of the death of people he cared about.
Graveyard, Konohagakure no Sato
Every morning, before receiving missions from the Hokage, Kakashi would pay respects to the Memorial Stone near Training Grounds 7. Inscribed on the stone were the names "Nohara Rin" and "Uchiha Obito." They were considered heroes of the village that valiantly gave their lives to protect Konoha from its enemies, but Kakashi knew better. Kakashi should have gone with Obito; maybe Obito would still be alive today. Maybe Obito would have come late to practice, and Kakashi probably would have scolded him on his habitual tardiness. Maybe Rin would have been laughing as she listened to Obito bicker and complain about "getting lost on the road to life." None of that even matters now. Like Minato said, "What's past is prologue." It was time to start a new chapter in Kakashi's life, but how he was going to go about doing that, he had no idea.
Upon successful completion of his mission objective, both Minato and Kakashi were hailed with the title "Elite Jounin."It was not an official rank, but the prestige of the title demonstrated your abilities in combat. Sandaime Hokage even expressed his interest in allowing Minato to succeed him as the Yondaime Hokage, after annihilating an entire enemy platoon by himself. Despite all the praise he gained from single-handedly destroying Kannabi Bridge, and despite the fact that the Hatake family name was no longer disgraced through his actions, Kakashi did not feel like a hero. He watched Pakkun die while he could do nothing. He allowed Obito to walk to his death. He was unable to save Rin from the horrendous genjutsu torture and rape she underwent before she was killed. He was too weak, even though he was a jounin. Minato tried to tell him that these things happened, and that by overcoming he will ultimately grow stronger. Kakashi knew exactly what Minato was talking about, but he could not help but feel distraught at his inability to save the lives of those closest to him.
Kakashi began to take A- and S- rank solo missions, hoping that one of them would deliver the final blow he could not deliver to himself. After his father's suicide, killing himself was not an option. Kakashi just wanted to die, but he was too skilled as a shinobi to be taken down easily. He participated heavily in campaigns against Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi World War, and his name became as infamous as the Yellow Flash. Rumors were circulating about the rise of a "White Fang," and Kakashi's bingo book entry had warning labels that stated "FLEE ON SIGHT." Kakashi did not want to be known as the "White Fang." He felt that he was desecrating the memory of his father by merely existing, and as such did not deserve that title.
The grey clouds began to gather around Konoha, and a downpour of rain shortly pelted Kakashi's gravity defy hair. Kakashi felt that the rain was fitting for such a day like this. It also rained the day Rin and Obito's bodies were buried. Obito's mom did not want her son's Sharingan to be buried with him, as she kept it to remember his ideals and lifestyle. Minato was there, as well as his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. Team 7 had always been close with Kushina, who often participated in training sessions with the kids. Minato was not crying; he shed his tears long ago. But Kushina was sobbing uncontrollably. She knew how much the kids meant to Minato, and they had died far too early in their lives.
Supporting Kushina was Uchiha Mikoto. Obito was a cousin to Mikoto, one that she enjoyed very much due to his charisma and outgoing personality. She still found it hard to believe that Obito had actually died. He was so adamant about proving his worth, and he died before getting the chance to do so. Kakashi did not want to make contact with any Uchiha during the funeral. He was so guilt-ridden from their deaths that he would have been okay with a flash mob pummeling him to his early demise. Despite Kakashi's desire to join his friends in the afterlife, subconsciously he knew that he had to remain alive. How else could he fulfill Obito's ambitions?
An umbrella protected Kakashi from the deluge of rain, snapping him back into reality. He turned to see who was sheltering him, when his eyes made contact with Minato's. Sometimes, Minato would come over to the Memorial Stone as well, to support Kakashi as he prayed for the well-being of Rin and Obito's spirits. He was always smiling, always reassuring Kakashi that things will get better. However, today he was very serious.
"Hey Kakashi," Minato had said.
"Sensei," Kakashi replied before turning his gaze at the memorial stone yet again.
"Still aren't gonna get over your guilt, huh?"
Kakashi said nothing. He was unsure how to truly respect the deaths of his closest friends. Drowning himself in self-pity was the only effective method in his mind.
Minato shifted a bit before placing his hands on Kakashi's shoulder. It was rough and firm, but surprisingly gentle at the same time. It was something his father used to do when Kakashi was a child.
"You know Kakashi, it never rains forever." Minato said. "At the end of a storm, you can always expect the sun to shine brightly, or the moon to illuminate the oceans and seas."
Kakashi took those words to heart. It was some of the most profound words ever uttered to him in his life. It was also very fitting, considering that it was raining today.
"It's okay to remember Rin and Obito." Minato said. "But you cannot let their sacrifice hinder you from becoming a better person. On that topic, I have something important to tell you."
That caught Kakashi's attention. He stopped staring at the memorial site to turn towards his sensei.
"I've decided that to take up the Sandaime's offer. I will take up the mantle of Yondaime Hokage to protect the village I so love."
Kakashi was wide-eyed. His sensei was going to become Hokage. What did that mean to him? Will he be alone again? Did Minato move on from Obito and Rin's death faster than Kakashi did?
"That being said, I was hoping you will assist me when I do become Hokage." He smiled at Kakashi, which lifted his own worries. "Kakashi, we've come a long way since the War ended. I've watched you grow and mature into the shinobi you are today. I've seen you take the emotions you've rediscovered and use them to lead yourself towards a better future. Your commitment to remembering the fallen has made you into a better shinobi then you ever were as a heartless machine. I need such a man like you by my side, to help me make the difficult choices that a leader must make. You are the only one I can trust." Minato scratched the back of his head, as if he just remembered something. "Well you, Kushina, and Jiraiya-sensei anyways. Don't let Kushina know I totally forgot to include her in my circle of trust."
Somewhere in the Namikaze residence, a stunning red-haired woman sneezed, accidently dropping the pot of hot water on her shirt. There goes her ramen for the day…and here comes a trip to Konoha General.
Kakashi stared in awe at his sensei's decision. Choosing to become Hokage, to guide this village towards a better tomorrow is an honor to be bestowed on anyone.
"You know, since the founding of our village many years ago, we've been dragged from war to war, in a seemingly unending conflict. There is so much hate between us as countries, and us as shinobi. I should know; the amount of people I've killed boosted the amount of hate I received by leaps and bounds. It's like a curse. A curse of hatred."
Minato looked at young Kakashi as he listened attentively. He placed his left hand on Kakashi and stared up at the pouring rain. He stretched his right hand towards the sky, as if trying to grab the droplets of rain. Closing his open palm into a fist, Minato made the vow that Kakashi will remember for the rest of his life.
"I will break this curse." Minato said with absolution. "If there is such thing as peace, I will find it!" Looking back at Kakashi, who just stared amazed at his sensei's conviction, he concluded his vow. "I won't give up! Kakashi, will you help me find that dream? Will you help me find true peace?
Kakashi straightened himself up and stood valiantly. Placing his right hand over his heart, Kakashi made his pledge. "I will. I swear on the names of Rin and Obito that, if peace truly exist in this world, I will be with you when you find it."
"Thank you…"
Outskirts of Amegakure no Sato
Konan was filling out logistical paperwork detailing the final assault on Amegakure. This civil war has raged well over a year, and both sides had suffered heavy casualties. The most horrendous of casualties was Nagato's disillusionment with the idea of peace. Ever since Yahiko threw himself at Nagato's kunai, Nagato changed completely. Nagato was no longer the kind-hearted boy that longed for a world without war. Though his desire remains strong, he has given into his fate, and believes there is no true path to peace. Nagato believes now that war is forever, and that the only way to end it is by killing everything. Nagato took Yahiko's greatest dream and molded it into his own: become a god. Only as a god will Nagato bring about his divine judgment against supporters of perpetual warfare.
Konan knew that this was not the way to go about it. But she had been heartbroken by Yahiko's sacrifice. A sacrifice made in vain, as Hanzō still tried to kill everyone anyways. She believed in Nagato and Yahiko's ideals of peace, but with Yahiko's death there was no one else to turn to. So she swore to become her God's Angel. She will be the sword that her god uses to smite the damned from this world. In order to begin this holy purge, they must first kill Hanzō and relinquish control of Amegakure from his tyrannical hands.
Despite the apparent good they were doing and the widespread support of their insurrection, Konan was not so sure she really believed what she was doing was just. It seemed to be that Nagato was driven by revenge over the betterment of the world. He used to be such an idealist. He used to vehemently believe in the concept of peace. Now, that is all that peace is to Nagato: a concept. An unattainable, impossible concept. Sometimes, Konan finds herself wishing for the days when Yahiko was alive and Nagato truly believed. His entire life was ruined single-handedly by Konohagakure no Sato. Once Amegakure was liberated from his hands, Nagato would surely set his sights on the hypocritical village next.
As Konan walked around the campsite, she took her time to observe the faces of the many shinobi gathered in the resistance. Many of them were orphans, between the ages of 13 to 18. These orphans were driven by a single concept: revenge. There was plenty of missing-nin who cared solely about money. Very few of the shinobi gathered actually desired to free their village from the tyranny of Hanzō, without achieving a personal vendetta. Yet, she must stop Hanzō, no matter what the cost.
Soon, a torrent of rain poured down on the campsite. It was not natural rain, as Konan knew it. Nagato was merely using the Ukojizai no Jutsu as a regular check up to see if there were any potential spies in the site. Nagato performed the Jutsu every day at noon, and once again in midnight. It would rain for 2 hours before Nagato dissipated the rain. He infused his own chakra into the rain, allowing him to sense any and all shinobi in the rain. Rain that reacts unfamiliarly with a shinobi's chakra is deemed a threat, and Nagato immediately responds to the threat by unleashing the Deva Path. A threat must have been located, as Konan met with the Deva Path while walking around the headquarters.
"Pain." Konan called out to the Deva Path. Nagato learned that after summoning the Gedō Mazō, he was unable to travel far from Amegakure. The chakra rods embedded on his back allowed him to utilize the chakra of the Gedō Mazō whenever he needs too, but at the cost of his maneuverability. Nagato also discovered that he can transfer his power to anything that is embedded with the unique chakra rod. He pierced the corpse of Yahiko with snippets of the chakra rod, and used his body as the avatar of "Pain," the Deva Path of the Rinnegan.
"Konan," Pain responded. "An intruder has been located at the Southern sector of the encampment. I'm moving to engage."
"Allow me to assist you." Konan pleaded. She was a remarkable kunoichi with her ability to manipulate paper and transform her own body into thousands of sheets. Yet, Nagato always placed her in the rear. Konan was a high ranking officer in Nagato's insurrection, and Nagato did not want to lose her. She knew that was not the case, however. Nagato became paranoid at the thought that Hanzō may attempt to kidnap her again. So he keeps her away from any and all skirmishes and battles, allow the Deva Path to fight their battles for them. Konan gets frustrated at Nagato's paranoia and wishes she can engage in confrontations more often than Nagato would let her.
"You know I cannot do that, Konan. You are much too valuable for the army to lose, so you cannot engage the enemy." Pain retorted.
"How many enemies have intruded in the Southern sector?" Konan asked.
"…1…" Pain responded.
"If it's one enemy, I can handle myself." Konan said.
"Still…"
"How long are you going to keep me on a leash?" Konan asked. "We were the ones who founded Akatsuki. We've been fighting this rebellion for years, and you were never like this when Yahiko was around." Pain tensed up at the mention of Yahiko. It was still a sour point for him; he never really finished mourning the loss of his best friend and inspiration. "Yahiko was always confidant in my skills. He believed in me, as did you at one point. Yet all you can do now is hold me back!"
"Konan, I just…I…" Pain stuttered.
"You what? Nagato, we aren't children anymore. We fought to survive our whole lives! There are no excuses you can give to hold me back!" Konan was angry. She really wanted Nagato to acknowledge her as a shinobi in her own right. By deny her the chance to prove her worth he's effectively not trusting her to be able to hold her own.
"No Konan, that's not it." Pain replied. "It's just that I…I don't want to lose you too. You're the only one I have left." Konan figured as much. It was the primary reason behind Nagato's paranoia.
She placed here hand on Pain's cheek. For a second, she visualized Yahiko's face, without all of the piercings and the Rinnegan. She saw his bold eyes, and his wonderful smile. Konan blushed at thinking such thoughts and then turned away from Pain before speaking her mind. "Nagato…I know you don't want to lose me…but I don't want to lose you either. I know that you are safe and sound inside of the cave, but every time I see Yahi…Pain fight, it only makes me want to protect you more. Please, don't hold me back anymore."
"Konan…I…"
"Awww, isn't this touching!" a voice suddenly said, alerting Pain and Yahiko to its presence. They were so preoccupied with their talk that they almost forgot the intruder. Apparently, the intruder ended up seeking them out anyways.
"Who are you?" Pain asked, holding out his left hand. Konan transformed into thousands of paper and had her arms ready for combat as well.
"I told you to wait for them to finish their conversation." The intruder had said. The intruder was a very ominous looking…thing. Half of its body was covered in absolute blackness, with the exception of its right eye. The other half of its body was more human-like, but still was colored pure white. The most bizarre aspect of the thing was that its head seemed to be in the center of a Venus flytrap. It could not be easily distinguished between, man, beast, and plant.
"Oh, relax you. It's gonna be fine. Presuming we don't get killed of course." The thing responded. Pain and Konan found it odd that the intruder was talking to itself. As if the intruder was not creepy enough.
"Can you not feel the tension coming from those two?" The thing said to itself. "I would not be surprised if we were killed several minutes from now."
"Stop being such a pessimist, you." The thing said yet again. This one-sided exchange was beginning to get on Pain's nerves.
"Enough of this idle banter!" Pain shouted. "Explain yourself immediately, before I decide to end your lives right here on the spot."
"My apologies, but you are not the one we wish to speak to." The oddity said, confusing Pain and Konan. "You may have the Rinnegan, but you are not the same person from my memories. You are not Nagato."
The statement shocked both Pain and Konan. No one outside the original members of Akatsuki is supposed to have knowledge of Nagato's existence. Pain was the avatar he used to present himself, and he always used Pain wherever he went.
"How do you know Nagato?" asked Konan. "Explain now!"
"Woah, chill out pretty lady!" The plant thing said. "We're getting there!"
Konan did not know whether to blush or be disgusted at the compliment the creature just gave her.
"Our name is Zetsu. We are two separate entities, inhabiting the same body. You can call me Black Zetsu."
"And you can call me White Zetsu!"
"Can it, I'm trying to speak seriously over here."
"Aw, but I was only trying to introduce myself…"
Pain and Konan cannot truly believe the exchange that was occurring right in front of their eyes. They rubbed their eyes a bit to see if they were just hallucinating the entire scene.
"Enough of that. We have much to discuss, and we need to speak to Nagato."
"How can we trust you?" Pain asked, still in disbelief with the creature known as Zetsu. "For all we know, you could be a potential assassin from Hanzō. Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
"Does this Hanzō person know that you are a descendent of the Uzumaki clan?" Black Zetsu asked.
"I'm…I'm what…?" Pain asked, shocked at the sudden revelation.
Konan, too, was stunned at the sudden news. She always assumed that Nagato was a civilian orphan that was blessed with the Rinnegan. She couldn't have possibly thought that Nagato would be a member of such a prestigious clan. The Uzumaki were rumored to have been annihilated along with their village, Uzushiogakure. Yet, here Nagato was, being told that he was a member of an extinct clan.
"Uh, if I were you, I'd probably listen to him. I think he knows more about you than you know about yourself." White Zetsu said.
Pain was silent for a couple of minutes. This revelation was very sudden, and difficult to actually believe. He needed to know more, so he couldn't trust Zetsu at all.
"Give me proof." Pain said. "Prove to me that I am an Uzumaki, as you proclaim."
"I do not have proof of my claim." Black Zetsu said. "However, I can tell you that the Nagato I remember shares characteristics prominent in the Uzumaki. Nagato has long, smooth red hair. He also has unrivaled chakra reserves. You do not have red hair, you have orange. Yet, you also possess the Rinnegan. I can only assume that you are one of the Six Paths. Only a Senju or an Uzumaki have enough chakra to transfer his will over to a new body as one of the Six Paths."
There was no doubt in Pain's mind now. Zetsu was telling the truth. Not only did he know exactly what Nagato looked like, but he also accurately detailed the powers of the Rinnegan. Nobody, save for Konan, knew the true powers of the Rinnegan. Hanzō was the sole survivor of the Nagato's attack, but the only thing he should know is that Nagato has the ability to summon the Gedō Mazō. Hanzō should not know anything about the Deva Path. But this enigma standing right before him was telling him things even he did not know. He brought Konan a little distance away from Zetsu to discuss his thoughts with her.
"Nagato, I don't think we should trust this…thing." Konan said, speaking her honest opinion.
"I don't trust Zetsu either. But he's managed to bring up points that we cannot refute." Pain responded. "He knows what I look like, despite us never having met before. He even knows some secrets of the Rinnegan. Did you hear him? He said 'Six Paths.' I only know about the Deva Path. He knows more about the Rinnegan than I do."
"He could still be a well-informed spy from Amegakure," Konan refuted. "He could be of the same organization that Danzō leads."
Danzō…Pain never wanted to hear that name again. Danzō had conspired with Hanzō to form the ambush that lead to the death of Yahiko. He will definitely pay for his betrayal. He and Konoha will burn for what they have done to Nagato. Pain turned to see Zetsu. Black Zetsu was seemingly punching White Zetsu in the face for a joke he made that went sour. No. They could not have possibly been in leagues with Danzō. They have too many emotions to be a part of the infamous "Root" Organization.
"Konan…I'm going to take my chances." Pain said to Konan. Konan wanted to argue, but there was nothing she can do about it. Once Nagato made a decision, she could do nothing to change his mind. If anything remained the same during and after Yahiko's death, it was Nagato's stubbornness. 'Maybe that is a character trait inherited by all Uzumaki…' Konan thought with a silent giggle.
"Zetsu." Pain said, gathering the attention of Black and White Zetsu. "I'll trust you for now. I am going to have Konan keep an eye on you as she escorts you to my real body. If you do anything remotely suspicious, she will kill you on the spot. Am I understood?"
"Crystal!" White Zetsu said enthusiastically.
"Understood." Black Zetsu said in a serious tone.
Pain finally turned to Konan. "Konan, I trust you with my life. I realize that I have been holding you back, and only now do I understand that that was a liability. I respect you and your power, and I should not have let my fears dictate my actions. I hope that you can forgive me."
"Nagato…" Konan said.
"Sooooooooooo," White Zetsu said. "Does this mean that you guys are going steady?"
Konan slapped White Zetsu in the face. Since his face was pure white, it left a very visible handprint.
"Idiot…"
Root Headquarters, Konohagakure no Sato
Danzō fought the urge to sneeze. Someone must be talking about him, somewhere in this world. Yet, that matters very little at this point in time. Right now, he is in an important meeting with one of the most powerful shinobi in the world.
"…Have you completed work on the 'research' yet?" Danzō asked his guest.
"Not yet. I've managed to get my hands on samples of the Shodai Hokage's DNA and am currently implementing it on the group you so…generously…supplied me…ku ku ku." The man chuckled in such a dark way. He could not help but stick his tongue out as he laughed at the utter irony of his experimentation. Trying to recreate the Mokuton kekkei genkai of the Shodai Hokage by using villagers he sought to protect…how the mighty has fallen.
"Regardless, you do have samples of the Shodai's cells. It should not be an issue for you to transfuse them into my arm." Danzō had said. After many years of research, he found out that the effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan can be boosted through integration of Senju cells. Normally, this call for a mating between Uchiha and Senju, but Danzō and his "compatriot" were using other methods to utilize this fusion.
Danzō was no Uchiha. He was no Senju. He was born as a member of the Shimura clan, one of the many clans that were incorporated into Konohagakure during its early days. While the Shimura were a proud and powerful clan, with the inclusion of the Sarutobi clan, they were pushed into obscurity. Shimura and Sarutobi were always rivals, and this was mimicked by the lives of Danzō and Hiruzen. The Nidaime Hokage selected Hiruzen to be the Sandaime Hokage, which further added to the bitter feud between Shimura and Sarutobi.
Yet, Hiruzen was kind. He chose Danzō to be his shadow. He chose Danzō to do all of the immoral, reprehensible acts that a Hokage would do, while he was the light of Konoha. Hiruzen was the shining beacon of hope that guided Konoha to a brighter tomorrow, while Danzō was the shadow of despair that engulfed all those that need gravitate from the light.
With unchecked power and prestige, Danzō went on to form Root, an organization built to take children, break them, and remold them into emotionless killing machines that serve only Danzō's will. Danzō's will was the betterment of the village, but Hiruzen did not agree with Danzō's dark methods. Root was officially disbanded at the end of the Second Shinobi World War, but Danzō merely moved it into the shadows, where he lurked.
Using Root, Danzō was able to get his hands on several Sharingan eyes from "willing" Uchiha donators. Danzō had learned from ancient scrolls written by the Shodai himself that only the Senju and Uchiha can freely control Bijuu. A Senju could control Bijuu using the special necklace that used to belong to the Shodai, Senju Hashirama. However, the necklace is long gone from Konoha, taken with Tsunade after her lover's tragic death several years ago. So he must focus on using the Sharingan for controlling the Bijuu. However, it takes a massive strain of chakra for a non-Uchiha to utilize the Sharingan. The only way to augment this disadvantage was if the non-Uchiha had Senju DNA coursing through them.
Danzō was not planning on transfusing the Sharingan into his arm until he had managed to have Senju DNA flowing through his veins. That's the primary reason why he was working with this snake. Anything for the benefit of the village. Anything.
"You have to be patient, old man." The slithering snake told Danzō. "I don't have much time left in this village anyways. Sensei's going to find out what I've done here. I've made necessary preparations for my departure of Konoha. I'm sure some people aren't going to miss me…ku ku ku…" The snake smirked at Danzō, chuckling at his own joke yet again.
"That's exactly why I need you to infuse Hashirama's cells into me." Danzō said. "I don't care whether or not the experiments work."
"Hmph," The snake retorted. "You're no fun. I can't guarantee that you'll survive this process then. Even if you do, Hashirama's cells will be unstable. Unless you have a large amount of chakra to control the cells, the Mokuton will go berserk and consume your body whole. I highly recommend not fighting anyone…ever…ku ku ku."
The maniacal scientist injected Danzō's right arm with a strange green fluid. Danzō's arm started to mutate horrendously, forming grotesque spirals all over his biceps and forearms. On Danzō's shoulder a disgusting face was materializing: the face of the Shodai Hokage. This was an entirely painful process, and Danzō was screaming in agony throughout the whole ordeal.
Danzō was not able to control his chakra well during the entire tribulation, and as a result Hashirama's cells started to malfunction. Mokuton was being released at sporadic rates, threatening to consume Danzō's entire body. Danzō grabbed onto his right arm, trying to focus all of his chakra onto that specific location. Breathing heavily, he succeeded in halting the dysfunctional mutation of Mokuton from his arms, and returned it to its normal (yet surreal) appearance.
"Ku ku ku…I told you that you need to control it with all of your chakra." The snake said. "I've seen plenty of patients who transformed completely into trees. So far, my experiments have yielded a 100% mortality rate. None of my patients just had the right DNA configuration to successfully implement the cells into their bodies without forming abominable replicas of Hashirama. Well, just be glad you haven't died…yet, old man…"
"Is it possible you can create a device to evenly fluctuate the flow of chakra inside my body?" Danzō asked. He needed to utilize the Senju cells with the Uchiha Sharingan he planned to infuse later in his life, but if his arm is going to haywire like that, then he is going to have to postpone his plans for much later.
"Why it's completely possible for me to complete such an apparatus." The pale snake told Danzō. "But…it's going to cost you extra."
"What more do you want?" Danzō asked, fearing the worst.
"Oh, it's nothing big." The conniving man said. "I just merely ask for a stake in the stockpile of Sharingan you are so tightly holding on to."
"You know well that I cannot allow you to obtain the Sharingan." Danzō told the man, his worst fears realized.
"Very well then," The man responded coldly. "I will leave you to figuring out how to control Hashirama's cells on your own…ku ku ku…"
"If you come back to Konoha, we will be forced to kill you. So I don't want toyou're your conspiratorial face here ever again…Orochimaru…" Danzō warned the man known as Orochimaru.
"Don't worry about me…I'm sure that we will meet again one day…" Orochimaru said, chuckling deviously. "…when I come to burn this place to the ground." Orochimaru body's turned into mud and splattered all over the floor. Danzō waited several minutes, checking to see if there were any signs of a lingering presence. When he could find nobody, he held his hands in a sign, calling forth two members of Root.
"Fu reporting, Danzō-sama." The blond young man named Fu said.
"Torune here, Danzō-sama." The black haired man with the goggles said.
"Fu, Torune, as you can see, I have recently been infused with cells from the Shodai." Danzō told his two loyal subjects. "However, this arm is proving difficult to control through normal means. Right now, I am focusing approximately 95% of my chakra into regulating the erratic cells. I cannot stress myself to doing menial tasks, so I will need you to act accordingly."
"What will you command us to do, Danzō-sama?" Torune asked.
"Torune, I need you to analyze the rate in which the cells absorb my chakra with you kikaichū. Fu, I want you to create a device using the information that Torune gathers that can assist me in monitoring and maintaining my chakra flow."
"By your will, Danzō-sama." Fu said.
Danzō strolled for a short while. It was increasingly difficult to do simple tasks like walk with the cells of the Shodai leeching every ounce of energy from his body. Danzō was thinking about his discussion with Orochimaru and how Orochimaru refused to help him build a chakra regulation apparatus for his arm. Danzō would rather not allocate his Root resources into creating something he deemed trivial, but it was not like Danzō had much of a choice in this matter. His demands were far too detrimental for the village, and Danzō had to act accordingly. He would rather die before allowing the snake to have his hands on a Sharingan.
With one aspect of his plan coming to fruition, Danzō began to make plans for his next move. Root operatives stationed all over the Water Country have provided him with updates on the movements of the Sanbi. Its previous Jinchuuriki could not control the power of the demonic turtle and abruptly released it on a poor, unsuspecting village. Of course, the Sandaime Mizukage was working diligently to cover up Kirigakure's blunder, but with Root spies stationed in the highest echelons of all 5 of the Shinobi Nations, information of value does not go unnoticed by Danzō.
Regrettably, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was the wife of the new Yondaime Hokage. She was far too powerful politically for Danzō to get his hands on her. He would have to resort to something less, but nonetheless just as strong. All for the betterment of Konoha, after all.
Cavern Tunnel Systems, Outskirts of Konohagakure no Sato
Orochimaru was observing the conditions of the 100 research subjects he had injected with Hashirama's cells. If any of them bore any fruit, they would be the ideal vessel for Orochimaru's next body transfer. He could imagine all of the power he would obtain with the Mokuton kekkei genkai. That would be a boon towards his plans against Konohagakure.
In truth, he was somewhat bitter with his sensei's decision for the Yondaime Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that Orochimaru desired the title "Hokage" more than anything else in his life. Well, that was an understatement. Orochimaru actually desired knowledge of all of the world's jutsu. Becoming Hokage would have been a ticket to obtaining research samples and subjects without alerting public eye. Who would ever suspect the Hokage as the malefactor behind the horrendous, immoral human experimentations?
If anything, Orochimaru felt betrayed by his sensei's decisions. Yes, Orochimaru may have come out to be far darker than Tsunade and Jiraiya, but that did not mean that he was holistically evil. Yes, his experiments may not be ethical and just, but that did not mean they were not for the good of the village. The village was the only thing Orochimaru had for a home, and it was ostracizing him for his interests and habits. He can no longer have any of it. Minato can have the title of Yondaime Hokage. Orochimaru is just going to burn the village to the ground in the end.
Unfortunately for Danzō, Orochimaru's plans were coming to fruition. Just before visiting Danzō to inject…defective Hashirama cells into his arm, Orochimaru made a quick stop to the Uchiha Estate.
(Flashback, Uchiha Clan Compound, Konohagakure no Sato)
Orochimaru has had a difficult time, procuring an Uchiha research sample during his time in the village. The Uchiha were very wary of their children, never letting them out of their sights in the slightest. The Sharingan was a very valuable asset to the Uchiha, and they were paranoid about letting someone take the Sharingan from their kids. There were rumors of finding abandoned Uchiha corpses with their eyes missing. There was no evidence as to who the perpetrator was, as the crime scene was wiped clean of any and all interaction. This incident has placed the compound on high alert, and Uchiha were not allowed to leave unless they were in groups of three or more.
The rumors referred to the Sharingan that Danzō had acquired. Presumably, Danzō set his Root agents to ambush and attack unsuspecting Uchiha for their Sharingan. It could only have been the work of Root agents; they clean their work so thoroughly and precise, it would seem to have been an accidental death.
The incident of course placed dents on Orochimaru's plans. It was rather unfortunate that the old war hawk made his move before Orochimaru did. Yet, Orochimaru always had contingencies. His was in the form of Hatake Kakashi, who returned to Konoha with the remains of Uchiha Obito's Sharingan. This was supposed to be an A-rank secret, but Orochimaru had eyes and ears everywhere, even within Root itself. Kakashi had returned the remains to Obito's mother, Uchiha Yata. She was in a state of shock after learning the news of her son's death, so she was easy pickings for Orochimaru.
Yata herself was an uninspiring Uchiha housewife. She did not awaken the Sharingan, and therefore was not very useful for combat, despite her rank as a chuunin. She was the loving spouse of Uchiha Kagami, one of the Nidaime's closest confidants and student, and the mother of Obito and Shisui, the latter of which was a rising prodigy. Although Shisui's brother was feeble at best, Shisui was a sponge when it came to learning new techniques and abilities. He was able to awaken his own Sharingan at the age of 5, shortly after his father's premature demise in battle during the Third Shinobi World War. At the age of 7, Shisui was already a full fledge genin with a matured Sharingan. Shisui was just as prodigious as Kakashi, and would definitely go places in the future.
He was not home for the evening, which was good for Orochimaru. The less people around, the less suspicious he would seem. By the time the Uchiha found out about what occurred in the house, it would be too late, as Orochimaru would have fled the village.
Orochimaru knocked on the door. There was no need to go about subtly. He would enter, commit the deed, gain what he was looking for, and leave without anyone noticing. A young woman opened the door.
"Orochimaru-sama…" the young woman said. Every self-respecting shinobi recognized the faces of the legendary Sannin. Even Tsunade, who left the village after the death of her loved one, was easily recognizable by any shinobi. "…what do you want?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, Yata-chan," Orochimaru said with a snicker. "I'm merely here to express my condolences for your loss."
"How did you-" She asked before Orochimaru interrupted her.
"I was a forerunner for the title of Yondaime Hokage, after all. That sort of information was easily at my disposal." Orochimaru explained. What he did not tell Yata was that he already knew about her possession of Obito's Sharingan. Orochimaru smirked at the thought. This was going to be easier than he thought. "May I come in? I hope that my presence can be a sort of comfort for your hardships."
Yata relented. It was an honor for one of the Sannin to grace her with his presence. She did not suspect Orochimaru of any wrong doing, and his words seemed sincere.
Orochimaru took a seat on the couch. It was rather comfortable and malleable, changing its shape to fit his sitting posture. Luxuries such as this can only be obtained by a man that worked with someone as powerful as the Nidaime.
"Once again, I express my deepest sympathies for your loss." Orochimaru said. "First, it was your husband, and then it was your eldest son. The war has taken everything you ever held dear in your life."
Yata looked down in her despair. She grabbed a nearby family photo depicting her, Kagami, and her two sons. Obito crossed his arms in a serious manner, with his goggles over his eyes. He was trying to look cool for the photo, so he wasn't smiling, but Yata could sense the positivity he radiated from his stance. Shisui had a large grin on his face as he held both of his hands in victory signs. He was the splitting image of his father, who had a calm smile and gentle eyes. His right hand was atop of Shisui's head, messing up Shisui's wild hair. His left hand was around the waist of his beloved Yata, who relaxed her head on her husband's shoulder.
Tears began to well up in Yata's eyes as she remembered the peaceful days before the war. Obito had a passion so intense that even his father couldn't help but admire it. He was the positive energy of the family, even if he was not very skilled. His father's death did not shake him too badly, as he vowed to become Hokage in memory of his deceased role model.
Then Kakashi came to inform her that Obito had died in combat. All of his hopes, his dreams, his inspiration and desires, all of it vanished along with him in his death. What made the loss even more agonizing was when Kakashi presented her with his eyes, glowing red with the awakened Sharingan. Obito finally did it, only to be cut down and his dreams reaching an abrupt halt.
Orochimaru placed his hands over her shoulders. He needed to play the supportive role well, as much as he detested such frail human interaction. Yata stopped sobbing on Orochimaru's chest when she felt something that was out of place. While embracing her husband and children, she could feel warmth that was inviting and serene. Orochimaru did not exude that warmth. He felt…cold. Like a snake leaving the shade of a tree. This icy feeling made her uneasy, and she stood and walked to the door.
"Thank you very much, Orochimaru-sama, for your thoughts." Yata said. "But I think you should leave. I will be fine on my own." As she reached for the doorknob, her body suddenly twitched forward. There was shooting pain racing towards her brain, and she took some time to understand what had occurred. She looked down, and saw a sword through her abdomen. She struggled to turn around, drooling blood from her mouth, to see Orochimaru with a sword extending from his own mouth.
After a swift movement, Orochimaru retracted the sword back into his own mouth. "I was serious when I said I wanted to offer my condolences, Yata-chan." He chuckled a bit as he saw Yata's expression of horror. "I was more than willing to allow you to join your husband and child in the next life. Consider this an act of mercy from my part. I could be doing worse things with you…ku ku ku."
Yata wanted to scream, but he mouth was covered by Orochimaru. Surprisingly, he was gentle with his restraint, taking some sort of sick satisfaction with his own actions. "Shh, Yata-chan." Orochimaru said in a soothing tone that completely contradicted the severity of his actions. "The pain will only last an instant. Soon, you'll join your beloved husband and son…" Tears streamed down her face as she resigned to her fate. Flashbacks of her life played as she remembered her time with her children. Why did life treat her so coldly? What had she done to deserve this?
Her body went to a slump. After some time holding her, Orochimaru checked to see if the Uchiha housewife was truly dead. Once he confirmed it, he erased all traces of his being in the residence. He wiped all surfaces he touched, eliminating all fingerprints and DNA residue. The Uchiha were the primary force in Konoha's Military Police, so their forensics team would be thorough. Although Orochimaru was going to leave the village, he did not want to reveal his plans to Konoha just yet.
He did a quick sweep of the house trying to locate the whereabouts of Obito's Sharingan. Inside of Obito's room, behind his bed, was a recently installed safe. Orochimaru carefully removed the lock of the safe to find a vial containing liquid preservative and a pair of glowing, crimson eyes. Orochimaru smirked.
(Flashback Over)
Orochimaru continued to observe the result of his experiments. Slowly, many of the children were succumbing to the chaotic tendencies of Hashirama's cells. Many were displaying signs similar to that of Danzō, growing Hashirama's face in random parts of their bodies. Considering that many of these subjects were children, they did not have developed chakra reserves to handle the parasitical cells. Many were consumed wholly by the power of Hashirama. Others were transformed into trees and other plant life.
Orochimaru watched in sorrow as these children failed to adapt and control the Mokuton. What a pity. The subject that had the best control over Hashirama's kekkei genkai would have surely been the next vessel for Orochimaru's transfer. Such a shame.
BOOM! Orochimaru's thoughts were interrupted by an explosion near the cave entrance. 'So it's begun.' Orochimaru thought. He licked his lips in anticipation. A good fight would be the perfect warm up before he can go about with his plans.
The door to his underground bunker was breached violently. Two ANBU captains, Bird and Dog, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, immediately rushed into the laboratory, where Orochimaru had waited for them. The sight of the laboratory visibly unnerved the ANBU agents. There were deceased corpses hanging around, bound by their limbs on the wall. Some of the corpses were deformed. Some were missing limbs; others had extra, grotesque appendages growing from their navel area or thighs. The sight of a three armed female hanging from her legs just utterly revolted the captains. The only people that were unmoved by the atrocities of the room were Hiruzen, who was completely focused on ending his greatest failure, and Orochimaru, who was desensitized by the experiments he performed.
Orochimaru stopped observing the children he injected with the Shodai's cells. Many of the kids began to cough blood, sprouting trees from their appendages, or even becoming trees themselves. Orochimaru was saddened by this sight; he was hoping at least one of them would be alive for his tests to be a success. No matter. There were more guinea pigs to be acquired outside of Konoha.
"Orochimaru…" Hiruzen said, breaking the silence in the room. His voice was filled with disdain towards the snake Sannin. He knew that Orochimaru had become power-hungry over the years, and that was what led him to choose Minato over his protégé. Yet, he never expected him to fall so low. He honestly did not want to believe the ANBU reports of Orochimaru over the last couple of months. Here was irrefutable evidence that Orochimaru was indeed performing unethical, immoral, and inhumane acts of atrocious human experimentation. As his greatest failure, Hiruzen's last act as the Sandaime Hokage would be to end the monstrosity that was his former pupil.
"Hehehe…it looks like you finally found me…" Orochimaru said sarcastically. "How unfortunate…I laid so many booby traps…enough that I'd thought I'd be safe. So I was really surprise…ku ku ku…" Of course he was not surprised. He was tipped off earlier, and was fully anticipating their raid.
"Recently, a bunch of ninja from genin to chuunin, and even some of the ANBU have gone missing." Dog ANBU explained. "And there are reports of your strange behavior as well…"
"Orochimaru-sama," Bird ANBU began. "Why would you of all shinobi do a thing like this?"
"Haha, shall I kill you as well?" Orochimaru responded. "I could use another guinea pig for this recent experiment of mine."
Bird ANBU trembled at Orochimaru's threat. The worst feeling was that Orochimaru actually has the power to back up his boasts.
"Speak! What are you doing here?" Hiruzen asked Orochimaru.
"Ku ku ku…Isn't it obvious?" Orochimaru snickered. "I've been working on developing a new jutsu!" Orochimaru proceeded to chuckle maniacally.
"Orochimaru…" Dog ANBU began. "You…you've been experimenting on human beings for that purpose…" Dog ANBU was obviously revolted at the idea of Orochimaru sick, insane human experimentation for the simple-minded purpose of creating a new jutsu.
"It's as I thought…" Hiruzen said in contemplation. "Kinjutsu, huh? What on earth did you hope to achieve?"
Orochimaru held his arms wide. "Everything there is!"
"Everything, you say?!" Hiruzen said in disbelief.
"I want to obtain all the jutsu and gain a true understanding of everything in this world…" Orochimaru clarified. "The first person to mix blue and yellow named the new color that was created green." He began to walk around the room, placing the two ANBU on high alert. "I only want to do the same thing. If blue is the chakra, then yellow is the seal and green is the jutsu. Just as there is no end to the variety of colors, there are so many thousands…tens of thousands of jutsu in the world as well."
Orochimaru stopped his pacing and faced his master, who had a cold sweat listening to the diabolical monologue of his former student. "But, in order to obtain every possible jutsu and truth, it would require an eternity, you see…Only the one who understands everything after spending such time on this can be fittingly called the 'Ultimate Being.'"
Orochimaru crossed his arms. It seemed to Hiruzen that he was nearing the end of his rant. "For me, the lifespan of the body is too short, too fragile. Even if you were to be called Hokage, when you die everything ends there."
"Orochimaru…this jutsu you are experimenting on here, it can't be…" Hiruzen asked, troubled.
"Yes, it's what you think…" The silence in the room was palpable, the suspense killing the ANBU captains. "The 'Spell of Immortality!'" He announced with such gleeful vigor.
Orochimaru was answered with a silence that awkwardly permeated in the room. He couldn't tell from the masks, but he knew that the two feeble minded ANBU were looking at him like some sort of psychopath. Let them think what they want; they couldn't possibly understand the beauty of knowledge.
"Are you going to kill me?" Orochimaru finally asked with a smirk in his face. Hiruzen did not reply, as he was performing the hand signs for Kuchiyose no Jutsu. Slamming his palm on the ground, the room was filled with chakra smoke as a large monkey poofed into existence. The monkey had thick sideburns that extended all the way down to his chin, and was wearing the hitai-ate for Konoha. His white hair was calf length and he was wearing a camouflage fur coat over traditional Shinobi attire.
"Enma, please assist me in finishing off this rogue." Hiruzen said with conviction.
"Are you certain, Hiruzen?" Enma asked. "He is your student, after all."
"Look around you, old friend. Orochimaru may have been a student of mine, but his actions must be punished. It is my duty as his sensei to kill him myself." Hiruzen said. "Transform, Enma!"
Enma transformed into the Kongou Nyoi, the legendary Adamantine Staff. Hiruzen grabbed hold of Enma and twirled him around before holding him behind his back.
"Can you do it?" Orochimaru questioned, holding both of his hands in a seal. "Sarutobi-sensei! Fuuton: Shippu Bakufū no Jutsu!" Suddenly, both of the ANBU captains were knocked out of their feet by a massive blast of wind. Hiruzen and Enma managed to stand their ground, despite Hiruzen's age. But Orochimaru disappeared in a shunshin, stunning the former Hokage.
Both of the ANBU were rising from the gale force blast. They looked around to find any trace of the Snake Sennin. Orochimaru rematerialized behind the Bird ANBU and grabbed his head. With a quick motion, Orochimaru snapped the neck of the unsuspecting ANBU, killing him instantly.
"BIRD!" Dog ANBU shouted, rushing at Orochimaru with his sword unsheathed.
"Dog, hold your ground!" Hiruzen said, but it was too late. Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, and a snake lurched out from his esophagus. The snake, in turn, opened its mouth, and a sword was rapidly thrusting into Dog's right shoulder.
"Gah!" Dog screamed in pain. Orochimaru would have slashed towards his heart, but Hiruzen was quick to act and swiped at Orochimaru with Enma. Orochimaru retracted the blade back into his mouth in blinding speed and managed to dodge the large staff.
"Sen'eijashu!" Slamming his hand in the ground, a swarm of snakes appeared from Orochimaru sleeves, rushing at his former sensei. Hiruzen smashed Enma down on the floor and started revolving quickly. Whatever snake tried to attack Hiruzen was brushed aside with each rotation. After gaining some momentum, Hiruzen threw Enma at Orochimaru and subsequently performed a sequence of hand signs.
"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Normally this tactic would not work, but Hiruzen mastered it in such a way that any weapon he threw could be replicated mid-trajectory, including Enma. 20 massive staffs were flying at the shocked Orochimaru, who could not dodge the onslaught. One of the staffs impaled the snake Sennin in the face, and Orochimaru's deceased corpse dropped to the ground.
Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief, but his face quickly mortified when Orochimaru dissolved into mud. He reappeared behind Hiruzen and tried to bite Hiruzen in the neck, but Hiruzen anticipated the maneuver and spun around rapidly, diverting the attack to his gauntlet on his forearm.
While Hiruzen was distracted, Orochimaru took the opportunity to smash a hook to his face. Hiruzen was knocked back a couple of paces, but he did not have enough time to recover as Orochimaru was once again extending his sword from inside his body.
'Damn it!' Hiruzen thought in frustration. He quickly maneuvered to grab Enma from his lodge in the wall, and moved to dodge the extensive blade. With every movement of Orochimaru's head, the blade followed, and Hiruzen was forced to move away to avoid being cut to ribbons.
Hiruzen slid under the sword. While Orochimaru tried to move his head downwards to meet the brash Hokage, Hiruzen held tightly to Enma and extended the staff. The staff's extension boosted the force of his kick, and he delivered devastating damage to Orochimaru's midsection. Orochimaru was clutching his stomach in pain, but he was genuinely smiling throughout this battle.
"Excellent, excellent!" Orochimaru yelled in pleasure. "Just what I expect of my old sensei! But now I will be pulling off the kiddie gloves, Sarutobi-sensei…ku ku ku."
Hiruzen wondered what Orochimaru meant by that when Dog ANBU yelled out to him.
"Behind you Hokage-sama!" Hiruzen turned to see the reanimated corpse of his former Bird ANBU suddenly grappling him. He was absolutely shocked at the predicament.
"Orochimaru! What…what have you done?!" Hiruzen screamed, outraged at this whole turn of events.
"Just a jutsu I derived from your sensei's Kinjutsu. I call it Shikon no Jutsu…ku ku ku…" Orochimaru said gleefully watching the struggling Hiruzen. He pulled out the sword from within his mouth and held it like a katana. He stabbed Hiruzen in the appendix, knowing that it was a useless organ, but the pain the wound would cause will hurt nonetheless. After all, Hiruzen was far beneath him. He did not deserve to die by Orochimaru's hands…yet anyways.
The Dog ANBU decided now would be the best opportunity to slash at Orochimaru. Orochimaru anticipate the assault and retaliated by punching the foolish Black Op in the face, breaking his mask in the process.
"Now, now, don't be too hasty there Kakashi-kun." Orochimaru playful teased as the mask began to crack, revealing a 14 year old boy cover in another face mask. "I need you to be alive to send Minato-kun my warmest departures. Don't go running blindly to your own death now…ku ku ku…"
Hiruzen couldn't believe the predicament. It was as if Orochimaru was playing with him all this time. Enma reverted back to his monkey form, unable to assist much further in the battle. Hiruzen was let go as the corpse lost its animation and fell towards the ground.
"Wish I could stick around and play some more, Sarutobi-sensei, but I have plans to come to fruition. Don't you worry your old mug however, I will be back. And I will kill you next time, just you wait…ku ku ku…" With that last statement, Orochimaru dashed outside of his laboratory, leaving two confused and angered shinobi and a dead ANBU in his wakes.
"Damn it!" Hiruzen cursed. "I never expected him to be this powerful after the Second Shinobi World War!"
"Orochimaru's power is indeed staggering, Hokage-sama." Kakashi commented. "We know he'll be coming back, so we need to grow stronger to accommodate the extensive gap. I know I will."
"We'll need to send teams of our most talented hunter-nin after the scoundrel." Hiruzen replied. "I apologize for my lack of ability, old friend." He told Enma.
"Think nothing of it, Hiruzen. Just be glad you live to fight another day. Leave the rest to Minato-san. I'm sure he'll be able to handle it."
"No, I must be the one to rectify my situation." Hiruzen responded.
"But, old friend, you are indeed growing older and older. You are not like the Tsuchikage; your abilities wane with the passage of time!" Enma countered.
"Still Enma, you can't expect me to-"
"Hokage-sama, you must come quickly!" Kakashi shouted, interrupting Enma and Hiruzen's conversation.
"What is it, Kakashi-san?" Hiruzen asked rushing to Kakashi's side.
"One of the victims is still alive! We must give him medical treatment immediately!"
Hokage Tower, Konohagakure no Sato
"That is indeed an unfortunate turn of events." Minato said, after listening to the mission debriefing of Kakashi and Hiruzen. "We need to inform Bird ANBU's family of his demise. Kakashi, would you do me the favor?"
"With all due respect, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said to Minato. "After what happened with…Obito and Rin…I just feel too uncomfortable delivering such messages." It's true. He had to fight the urge to cry uncontrollably after informing Obito's mom. It was too much for him to handle on his own.
"Hokage-sama," Hiruzen said, feeling awkward at having to finally address somebody else "Hokage-sama" after many, many years. "If it will not be too much trouble, I would like to be the one to inform Bird ANBU's family of his death."
"Are you certain, Sarutobi-sama?" Minato asked. "I mean, it was already too much for you to take on this mission. I think you deserve a well-earned rest."
"Nonsense, Hokage-sama." Hiruzen said, lifting a palm in the air. Despite his retirement, he still displayed the calm and serenity of his prime. "I was their commanding officer during this mission, so I must be the one to deliver the unfortunate news. Such is the way of a leader. Just wait, Minato-kun, you'll be doing that a lot more often in the future." He was referring to writing and signing death reports and certificates.
"Yeah, I can hardly wait Sarutobi-sama" Minato replied sarcastically.
The room was filled with a light chuckle at Minato's little joke. It was nice way to unwind after that botched mission.
"Well now, if you do not have anything else to report, Sarutobi-sama, you are free to leave." Minato said. "I need to discuss another mission with Kakashi. I hope your retirement goes well."
"Thank you very much, Minato-kun," Hiruzen said, casually referring to Minato for his heartfelt comments. "I wish you the best of luck in the future, and don't grow old too quickly!" With that, Hiruzen left the room, leaving only Kakashi and the Yondaime Hokage.
"Now then, before we get into business, I have an urgent announcement to make." Minato said, with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"I wonder what could it be, Hokage-sama." Kakashi asked.
"Now, no need to be too formal, Kakashi." Minato said. "When we are surrounded by people we like, you can call me whatever you feel like. I'm still getting used to this whole 'Hokage-sama' thing. It was really weird hearing it from Sarutobi-sama, and I don't want hear it all that often from you, Kakashi."
"Is 'sensei' better?" Kakashi asked.
"Whatever floats your boat." Minato shrugged. "Now then, the information I am about to give you is an S-rank secret. You are, under no circumstances to reveal it to anybody or anything, understood?"
"Loud and clear."
"Very well then." Minato said. "In light of the ill-fated news relating to the escape of Orochimaru, I am very, very proud to announce that I am going to be a father."
Kakashi was stunned silent. Minato-sensei, the happy-go-lucky, laidback and optimistic teacher is going to be a father.
"Wow sensei, that's fantastic!" Kakashi said. "When did you find out?"
"Just this morning actually." Minato said. "Kushina was very, very excited when she discovered it."
"Rin would be too…" Kakashi stated the fact, but got very solemn afterwards.
"Kakashi…" Minato said. It seemed that Kakashi was still dwelling on the past. It's going to take time for him to fully recover from the incident. "Kakashi…I want you to be my child's godfather."
"Wha…?" Kakashi asked in bewilderment. "I…I…that's too much, sensei!"
"Yes, if this is your response, I wonder what Jiraiya-sensei would be like when I break the news and ask him the million ryo question." Minato joked. "If not a godfather, I would at least like you to be a mentor to my child."
"It would be a great honor, Minato-sensei!" Kakashi said while bowing deeply.
"I can already see it now…" Minato said. "Wait, no…Kakashi, if my child starts wearing a mask because of you…"
Minato's killing intent spiked, causing Kakashi to flinch back. But seeing it as another joke, Kakashi chuckled nervously.
"With that tidbit out of the way, I have your next assignment." Minato said, getting serious all of a sudden.
"I am ready to receive whatever assignment you bring to me."
"You are aware of the current conflict going on in Amegakure, correct?" Minato asked.
"The civil war between the rebellion group 'Akatsuki' and the Ame government, led by Hanzō?" Kakashi asked. "Yeah, ANBU has many case files on that current conflict."
"Yes, well, Intelligence has reason to suspect that a member of the Konoha Council has conspired with Hanzō in the assassination of the leader of 'Akatsuki,' a person by the name of 'Yahiko.' We have eyewitness reports of ominous shinobi in masks were heading for the border between The Land of Fire and the Land of Storms."
"You want me to confirm if these reports are accurate?" Kakashi asked.
"Not precisely." Minato said. "Even if you do confirm their accuracy, there is nothing we can actually do about it, since it's been over a year since the death of Yahiko, following the end of the Third Shinobi World War. What I need you to do is-"
The door to the room was slammed open and abruptly. "Hokage-sama! We have very crucial news to report!"
"What is it, chuunin?" Minato asked the disrespectful chuunin. "I'm in the middle of an important mission briefing."
"Hokage-sama, its Uchiha Shisui!" The chuunin exclaimed. "He's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Hey y'all!
Welcome to the second chapter of Redemption. This is by far, the toughest chapter I had ever had to write, EVER. Before we can get into the spin of things, time to check on Update 1 stats: 3 Reviews, 5 Followers, 6 Favorites, and 165 Views. Thanks a lot to everyone that showed interest in the First chapter, but things are going to get better from here on in.
So, Like I said before, this chapter was one of the most difficult to write in my life. The reason being was that canon interfered IMMENSELY when coming up with the plot behind this chapter. Originally, Yahiko was supposed to be alive, because Zetsu was supposed to have took his place in death. Zetsu's death would have triggered the rise of the Gedou Mazou, and Hanzou's army would have been decimated. Zetsu's final words would have been "Revive Madara," and Yahiko, as indebted to Zetsu, would have urged Nagato to revive Madara.
Now, the problem with this plot was that Yahiko dies at the end of the Third Shinobi World War. Black Zetsu's creation in this story is near the end of the Third Shinobi World War. In canon, Obito (disguised as Madara: FUCKING SPOILERS) and Zetsu meet up with the Ame Orphans before they form Akatsuki. Well, in my story, Obito's fucking dead. No meeting with the Ame Orphans before Yahiko's demise. So I had to scrap the entire plot and reform from the beginning. Then I had the thought: If Zetsu met with Nagato after Yahiko's death, and suddenly revealed the secrets of the Rinnegan, Nagato would be more inclined to listen! Just like in canon. So Zetsu is going with Nagato after all. Will Madara get rezzed? Stay tune to find out.
Danzou was more of a bitch. Orochimaru definitely assisted him in gaining Senju's cells in his arm. According to canon, Orochimaru implanted the Sharingan into Danzou during his stay in Konoha. Yet, if that were the case, why in the name of all the fucks did Orochimaru no swipe one from Danzou's unknowning mug? So I changed it up a bit and made it so that Orochimaru only injected the cells in exchange for the 100 research samples. Makes sense, totally fits, and works with the new plot I have in mind.
Oh, and Orochimaru has Obito's Sharingan. muhahahaha...MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I hoped you guys like Yata. I also hope you guys like the fact that Shisui is now Obito's brother. Canon did not specify on relations other than Shisui's father Kagami, so I have more leeway to creating this shit as I go. Now, I have the perfect explanation for how Shisui obtains his Mangekyou. Gotta love cliffhangers.
I hoped you enjoyed the battle at the end. Orochimaru was merely playing around with Hiruzen. I did not have much to work with since, in the manga, the battle is just a splat of blood and everyone is on the floor, so I wanted to extend and elaborate on the confrontation. Also, this battle is not supposed to happen for another 3 years. Yet, in canon, Orochimaru says to Hiruzen "It's been more than 10 years..." Suck it Kishimoto! 1310 so I made the battle happen in the exact same year as Minato's rise to power. Thank goodness for a generalized timeline without specific dates and times.
Finally, the universe that I have envisioned is coming to fruition. I can see the future (and its not death, Zabuza) and I am looking forward to releasing the next chapter in what seems to be an epic coming your way.
I plan to change the title of this story soon. Expect a new title in the next update.
Apologies for missing the deadline, but I was working on Finding Conviction and Redemption at the same time. I focused on one over the other.
Once again. If interested in editing my works, please PM me and we talk like Russians.
No questions for now, but thanks for reading!
See ya again next Monday for True Paths to Power and next Wednesday for Finding Conviction. The next chapter for Redemption will be released on June 1, 2013.
-Blackrazgriz 5/16/2013 3:03PM EST
NOTE: Corrected Nohara Rin's spelling (7/4/2013 4:09PM EST)