Naruto Gaiden: The Will of Black Fire

by SynysterSketch

Set in the age of the 7th Hokage, a young girl enters Konoha under suspicious circumstances. Despite the world enjoying a time of peace under Naruto's guiding hand, malicious forces linger within the shadows. How will this child overcome her vices and embrace her infamous lineage? View the world through Akua's cursed eyes of hatred as she enters the fray of the History of Shinobi!

10. Chunin Exams Part 5

Here it is, the last installment of the Chunin Exams arc. This chapter has quite a few revelations so I suggest reading carefully.

Enjoy.

Ch 10

Chunin Exams Part 5

Normally, the vibrant forests directly around Konoha were a biome teeming with life. During this time of year, however, it did not exactly live up to those expectations. Rather, it garnered a different reverence. Each tree and every plant below their heights possessed their own fresh, thick blanket of snow. White was now the defining feature of the entire landscape. The ridges of tree bark were laced with the soft crystals, and they had a frosty tint to their bodies. Even roots nestled deeply into ground felt a slight chill, the surface packed high with at least twelve inches of the frozen rain. The precipitation spread far and wide, and as the brisk winter winds pulled through the trees, white crystal mists danced from the snowy surfaces. Blessing the people of Konoha this year, they would have the white Rinne Festival that they so desired. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but it didn't seem to stir Karin Uzumaki's emotion's much.

The red-haired woman minded her own business as usual, commuting through the winter terrain. The forest paths, unlike the deeper interiors, were paved away so that it was easier to travel. She didn't have to drag her feet through a foot of snow. The white ground still crunched underneath the soles of her sandals, though. Karin sported a tan trench coat that extended to her hips with a belt that buckled at her waist. Underneath her black shorts were black stockings along her legs to seal in warmth. Her regular heeled shinobi sandals were her choice of footwear. Corresponding with the season, she had a black, wool scarf that was wrapped around her neck and tucked into her coat. Her crimson hair strands were tucked beneath the scarf as well. The last accessory she carried was her satchel, the one she had brought all the way from Kusagakure. Where she was headed was quite a mystery up until now, but there were people who were aware of her whereabouts.

Karin was on her way to the location she consistently travelled to whenever she had business outside of Konoha and had been going there ever since she had arrived within the city. Her original reason for wanting to go also changed almost as soon as she arrived. Moreover, every time she went, there was someone that decided to follow her. Able to detect them with her finely tuned sensory ability, the individual's presence kept a safe distance from her during the trip, but always seemed to halt when she arrived. They didn't have any intention of following her further, but they consistently made sure that she travelled back to Konoha as well. This time, they steadily approached her as she walked along the trail and were getting a little too close.

Karin came to an abrupt stop. Four golden chakra chains with a glimmering ethereal glow rattled from her back and converged toward a single direction within the forest, slamming through the crystalline structures of frozen branches and releasing a flurry of white powder. The next moment, her chains reeled back with someone entangled. Their body was slammed into the ground and dragged back through the carnage and a couple feet of snow before Karin spoke. "One of Naruto's ANBU, huh… and he's a kid, I'm not impressed."

"You're a very harsh individual, Uzumaki-san," the boy greeted, lifting his face from the cold surface, "now I see why Hokage-sama instructed me to keep my distance." He had a very reverent, and polite demeanor about him, one that Karin wasn't expecting for one of the Black Ops.

"Yea, yea, who are you, and why did you think you could follow me without my noticing?"

"With all do respect, ma'am, if didn't want you to know I was there, you wouldn't know."

"Is that so, little boy?" And with that, even though she was staring directly at him, the boy's presence completely vanished. His chakra was no longer detectable, as if it had just been swept away by a gust of wind. Karin's eyes narrowed. "The chakra suppression jutsu huh."

"My name is Hishiro. Like you've already noticed, I've been assigned to monitor you. However, it's not as a babysitter, but as a bodyguard for when you leave the village."

"And what makes Naruto think I need that?"

"Hokage-sama is a very caring and cautious person. He won't take any chances when it comes to protecting people. You also have an entire country after your head, I wouldn't be so carefree, ma'am."

Karin folded her arms. He was right after all. "Pft, whatever. Is there something that you want? I have somewhere to be."

Hishiro used his legs to maneuver himself from his flat position against the ground and stand on his feet. The chains bound his arms to his body and wrapped tightly from his shoulders to his hips. Only part of his outfit could be seen. He wore black combat-shinobi pants and sandals that clung to his legs, wrapping all the way up to his calves to match. Underneath the glowing chains seemed to be the standard gray flak jacket that ANBU shinobi used to wear, they'd recently switched to a new style. On top of that was a worn out red scarf that brandished it's split ends behind him. His mask covered only half of his face, extending down to his nose, and had a shinier finish than the old porcelain masks. Lastly, he had black hair tied into a short ponytail with flecks of snow caught in it. Bangs framed his face and curtained where his forehead would show. "Yes, I have a message to deliver to you."

"What is it?"

"It's your daughter. She's been through some sort of trauma recently via the Chunin Exams she was taking part in. Hokage-sama is heading there tomorrow morning and insisted that you be aware and visit her."

The cold finally got to her. Karin was frozen in place aside from her trembling pupils. The chains unravelled and released Hishiro, receding into her back. Her fist clenched and shut her eyes, "Tsk, damn it Akua." Karin sighed and opened her eyes to gaze into the dim blue sky. "Alright. Tell him I'll be there."

"Excellent! I'm sure he'd be happy to hear. But I must continue to escort you first."

"Oh boy…" she rolled her eyes.

Karin arrived at her destination. Hishiro, like usual, kept his distance from the area while she entered. She found herself shrouded by shadow as she became displaced from the light, traveling deeper into the cave entrance. The woman stopped before a sealed steel door. To the right was a glass panel on the wall, framed by the same metal material, where she placed her palm. A horizontal bar of digital blue scanned down the contours of her hand and a match was made. The mechanisms unlocked and the heavy, reinforced steel door slid to the left. Karin stepped in and continued down the hall as it returned to shut behind her.

The walls beyond the door were of a more standard, rectangular construction design rather than the natural cave structure. Every meter, there was a snake-styled torch light that illuminated the ominous compound. Karin's pace produced an echo with each step that she took. Soon, she arrived at the end of the hall and turned left. Walking another minute, she approached an open doorway to her left. She entered, knowing exactly where she wanted to go in this quiet labyrinth. The woman sighed and dropped her satchel onto the floor as soon as she stepped in. The floor had a very pale, gray-lavender tiling, and the walls were an orange rectangular stone-tile pattern. To the right as one would walk in was shelves and cupboards of different shapes and sizes, all filled with notebooks, textbooks, jars of chemicals and other substances. Further along that wall was a desk with a short, rolling stool with a black cushioned seat. The desk had its own set of drawers, a file cabinet underneath it towards its right end and a trash can next to it. The desktop had lab papers, petri-dishes, and chemical bottles along with a unique syringe next to a high-powered microscope. There were shelves above the desk with empty and filled beakers, with liquid substances of varying colors. To the left was a lone mattress to sleep on with a more casual drawer sitting next to it. There was a table with experimental equipment on the side that clung to the wall and circled around to connect to the desk on the far end of the room. Groups of wires ran down the far wall behind the desk to power the room. It was quite the experimental laboratory, but a small one at that.

Karin sat on the stool and rolled herself over to the other desk. There, she faced the lab computer. The Uzumaki woman hunched over with her left elbow on the desk and reached to turn on the monitor. The bright screen light flashed on, able to further lighten the dark. When the programs started to open, and the computer became fully operational, she went straight to work.

The individual that stood in the doorway knew that she didn't like to be disturbed while she was at work, but proceeded to do so anyway. "You know, Orochimaru," Karin called without turning to look, "I don't like when people barge in unannounced."

"Oh my, you're as perceptive as ever," the infamous sannin said in his regular sly tone, "I couldn't help but be a little delighted to see you after so long."

"You're here for something obviously, what is it?" Karin asked, clicking her mouse several times then rolling around to her closest shelf to retrieve a certain notebook.

"I'm simply curious. Your return to the Land of Fire a few weeks ago was so sudden and I've been so busy I keep forgetting to ask you whether or not you still planned to k—"

"Why does any of that matter to you anymore, Orochimaru?" Karin scribbled in her notebook at the computer desk.

"Your conflict still interests me, is all." He was leaned up against the frame of the doorway now.

Karin hesitated before she answered his question, "No, I don't. I've had a change of heart recently and the work I've been doing here have also strayed from those original plans."

"Was it the little girl?"

Karin glared at the serpentine-featured man, "…How did you…"

"You're not that difficult a person for me to dissect, Karin."—Orochimaru smiled—"I had a feeling you would change your mind. You always had that sort of soft spot no matter how much you tried to cover it up."

"You disgust me."

Orochimaru chuckled, "So what are you going to do now? You've made it all the way out here, yet you have Kusagakure on your tail. Suigetsu has informed me you've been here quite a few times recently as well. Care to tell?"

Karin turned back to face her computer, "I'm going to undo the damage I've potentially done to her."

"Oh…I see. You think it's possible? It didn't seem as such through the notes you provided me."

"Of course it is…there has to be…" The woman tightened her grip on her pen. "There's still plenty that even you don't know."

"And what will you do about the other one?"

"Find him, of course," Karin replied.

Orochimaru was satisfied with their conversation, exemplified by his calm expression and the grin on upon his face. It was true that there was indeed information that he wasn't aware of, but that was not critical for him at the moment. He chuckled again, "Well Karin, I will leave you to your work. The best of wishes extend out to you in your endeavours." The man turned away from Karin, waving as he exited the doorway.

"Wait," Karin called, "You said you were interested in my conflict. You would let me go through with that original plan for that reason alone?"

"Just consider me a bystander in that situation," he said before disappearing around the doorway. His unclear response ticked Karin off, but such an enigmatic response was to be expected from the likes of Orochimaru. She could never understand what was going through his head. Perhaps no one could except for himself.

---

"Say, 'ah' for me."

Akua complied without a sound, opening her mouth and allowing Sakura to examine her throat. It was clear of damage and or obstruction. The light flashed inside of it was shut off. That was the beginning of the girl's morning treatment. Akua had been bedridden ever since she completed the second exams after only 24 hours. The remaining two days were spent in the infirmary of the Thunder Gate Tower. There she received a congratulatory remark on her success during the test along with information about the final portion of the entire Chunin Exams. Each of the 15 contestants that remained would be given exactly one month to prepare for the tournament to be held on January 31st. Due to the turmoil that Akua faced and the uneven number of contestants, she was pardoned from the first round at the end of the bracket. The next pair of days were spent in Kumogakure's largest hospital. It was here that Akua received advanced treatment for her debilitating injuries, none of which were fatal.

Akua suffered from a minor concussion due to direct trauma to the head via the temple. The girl had a discolored bruise on her left temple as proof, hidden by her black hair. She had bruises on her cheeks as well as a slightly swollen bottom lip. Bandages were wrapped around her stomach underneath the turquoise hospital gown she wore to cover up the tears in her skin. Two bruised disks ached towards the center of her back, and her entire left leg under the knee was set in a solid cast. Sakura was her primary physician, as she was a more experienced and effective medical ninja than anyone within that hospital. However, her expertise wasn't enough to pull Akua through. She needed the entire month to fully recuperate.

The rest of Sakura's treatment of her student consisted of assessing the current magnitude of her concussion, providing Mystic Palm therapy to bruises, and an extensive procedure of medical ninjutsu to accelerate to repairing of her tibia and fibula. Sakura excelled in Akua's physical condition, but there was little that she alone could do about the psychological and emotional damage that the child endured. The girl, ever since that dreadful Friday afternoon about four days prior, had spoken only six consecutive words: I want to see my mother. There was no communication between the nurses or Sakura other than that sentence. Her meals were hardly touched, and if so, eaten in silence. Akua spent her two days in the hospital so far staring into her palms which she had open on her lap. Despite how much the caretakers stressed her need to sleep, she payed little attention to them and hadn't shut her eyes since the end of the second exam. The heavy bags of insomnia were prominent.

Sakura was worried for the child's condition. Even though she tried her best to heal, in reality, it was not doing much. It was like Akua's body rejected her, or that she didn't want to be treated at all. The pink haired woman ended the medical ninjutsu treatment. "…Does your leg feel any better?" she asked.

No response.

Sakura sighed in defeat. She reached over to her belongings and got ready to leave the girl in peace. It was clear that Akua wanted to be left alone. One could only wonder what happened to her out in that wilderness, and it was a stab in Sakura's chest that her own student wasn't willing to open up to her. This caused her to question her ability and effectiveness as a jonin squad leader. Was she able to do this any longer? In her mind, it was not Akua who had failed Team 5, it was herself. Although this had been their third run of the exam in team history under her supervision, each of them were drastically unsuccessful. Usagi and Yashiro in the past, along with their old partner, barely escaped those exams with their lives. Sakura was aware that it might be too much for the two, especially now with the rift in her team, but she wanted to believe in them. She wanted to trust in their abilities, but that trust and nonchalance lead to their tragic deaths. Sakura wished desperately for someone to tell her it wasn't her fault, but she knew that even if that were the case, she would still feel responsible for their lives. She was the one that would have to inform the parents that their children would not come home to them. Nothing could prepare her for that. Such were the thoughts that plagued the woman's mind as she checked Akua's IV fluid. After making sure everything was in place for her departure, she reached into her bag. "…I know that…I'm probably the last person that you want to talk to, and to be honest as your sensei, I don't even know what I would say to you. It's pitiful and awful of me that I don't even know the slightest thing about you to help…"—She withdrew her hand from the bag—"but I did find this in your room at our hotel, I thought that you would want it…" It was Akua's necklace, gifted to her by Boruto.

Akua turned her head, her neck was stiff, almost stuck in place. Her eyes drifted down to the amethyst jewel that sparkled even though it was shrouded by her shadow. The accessory was held out to her for her taking, but all she did was stare. It seemed to Sakura that she wasn't even going to accept that from her. Just as she began to place the necklace on Akua's bedside table, she caught something in the corner of her eyes. It was a tear. The girl hadn't taken her eye off the object, and because if it, fluid shed from her right eyelid. It was the first emotional response she had displayed in four days. Sakura was astounded at the effect the necklace had, even more so because Akua moved her arm to reach for it. This was the only voluntary motion anyone had seen from her during that same period of time. When Sakura lowered the jewel into her palm, the girl flinched from the initial contact, as if the birthstone stung her skin. The tears continued to stream from her right eye. Akua reach her palm out a second time. Her sensei was slower this time, able to fully transfer the necklace into her grasp. The young girl's timid fingers closed around it then clenched. The grasped jewel was pulled to her heart and she hung her concussed head over it. The droplets broke over her clenched fist and her body jolted as she wept.

---

Every female nurse and patient that was in the hallway stopped everything that they were doing and ogled the man that marched through it. He was combined by a pair of Konoha ANBU Black Ops shinobi that walked at either side next to him as bodyguards, although it was highly unnecessary for him. There were the few young women that drooled at his appearance and status. The short, spiky blonde hair and deep ocean blue eyes that the man possessed were unmistakeable. The white, collared cape, trimmed with a red flame design at the edges, fluttered behind him while he approached his destination. Everyone seemed to clear the path for the individual, not wanting to get in his way. Most were confused as to why he was there in the first place. Nevertheless, they still were honored to be blessed with his presence that day. The man drew nearer to his intended location when a woman a few doors down the hall exited one of them on the left. She seemed surprised and immediately excited afterwards to see him there. Her cherry blossom locks bounced as she greeted him, "Naruto!"

The Seventh Hokage was baffled by her informal acknowledgement and fell to a whisper, "Sakura…you can't call me that here." The embarrassment was apparent in his facial expression. "This this still counts as work, ya know," he whined.

"Oh please, you could be the king of the world and you'll still be the same old goofy kid to me, Naruto," she smiled, punching the man. The woman laughed as he flailed and rubbed his left his left arm. He was as wimpy as she remembered him. He was only like this around his close friends though.

"Hmph!" He collected himself, "Is this Akua's room?"

Sakura's mood shifted. It transitioned from amusement to fret, but then gentle reassurance as she closed and reopened her eyes. "Yes, she's in there right now sound asleep. DON'T wake her up…I was finally able to get her to go to sleep at a few days. She's really beat up…"

"Tsk! Damn it…I can't believe this happened, it can't be true right…your team…"

Sakura looked to the floor, unable to look her friend in the eyes, "It is… I take full res—"

"Don't you dare," he interrupted, placing both hands firmly on her shoulders. She was forced to face him now, his irises demanding undivided attention. "This isn't your fault. If anything, it's mine for authorizing their participation."

"Look…I knew you'd try to put the blame on yourself, but there's no use in that, Naruto." She donned that fake smile, the one that disgusted him all those years ago. It shattered his attempt at relief.

"But Sakura…"

She removed his hands from her shoulder. "Thank you for letting me be a leader, but I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for it." She stepped around the Hokage and his anbu.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

"I'll see you later, Naruto," she replied, continuing down the hallway without looking back. She didn't want him to see the tears she cried.

Naruto reached his hand out to her, but lowered it before it was completely extended. He watched as she disappeared down the hall and sighed.

The Hokage found himself sitting in a chair perpendicular to the the side of Akua's bed within her room. His ANBU guards were outside, keeping watch at the door. The girl was sound asleep before him, resting peacefully. He noticed the bright, crystalline-violet gleam of her pendant. It was quite the jewel, reminding him of the necklace that the Fifth Hokage entrusted him with. He was envious of the child since he no longer had it. It was the first time that he'd seen her wear it. The thought ran through his mind, perhaps she'd obtained it while she was here? Maybe, but he had a better inquiry that developed afterwards with a devious grin. Naruto pulled out his cellphone and began to text. He sent a message to his wife and asked if they'd arrived yet. About a minute later she replied that they would be at the hospital within an hour. Boruto and Himawari were with her. He was most interested about Boruto making the trip. He couldn't wait to tease his son. It was his way of distracting the boy. Boruto was annoyed that he had travelled ahead of them with his own personal convoy. The truth was that Naruto was in Kumogakure for a meeting with the Raikage. Though, he would have visited Akua anyway had he not been required to attend the meeting. He could tell that his own son was growing impatient with due to his work. It was just another problem on his desk that he had to deal with.

Naruto witnessed the young girl stir. The sensing of his strong presence cut her slumber short to only three hours and it was almost noon. The Hokage became worried when she started to move her limbs. He knew he wasn't supposed to wake her. The man tried to hush her back to sleep, but it was too late. Her heavy eyelids revealed her violet eyes. Naruto just sat back and waited for the inevitable. "H-Hokage-sama…" she uttered groggily. He deduced that she wasn't expecting him to be in her hospital room. It was all a shock for her. The girl's head shifted against her pillow to the right so that she could look at him.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," he apologized, scratching the back of his head.

"Why did you come…surely you have more important things to attend to than to come all the way out here just for me." She turned her head all the way around to the left, flustered that he was present before her.

"Still as sharp as ever huh?" he praised, "you're half right, I did have something to do, but I wouldn't consider it more important than making sure you were safe, ya know. Even if I didn't have other business here, I would have came. Someone's gotta keep an eye on you."

"I don't deserve this," she disclaimed, using the back of her right palm to rub at her hidden face.

"It's my duty as Hokage to ensure the wellbeing of all citizens of Konoha and the Land of Fire. So, will you let me help you?"

Akua pivoted her head again to see him, then stared into the ceiling. Naruto took that as a sign on compliance with his wishes. He was getting somewhere unlike the others before him. The slight nod of her head solidified this.

"I'll start with this, what sort of help have you received so far?"

"Sakura-Sensei has been tending to my injuries since that day. I refused to let any of the other nurses touch me. They also tried to send in a psychotherapist but I also refused to talk to anyone. I shut myself away…"—she touched the gem over her heart—"…but sensei made me feel better for a little bit."

"Is that necklace the reason..?"

"Yea…I suppose so. Sensei brought it to me earlier."

"So she's the one that got it for you?"

"No, that was actually Boruto…he gave it to me before I left, it was his gift to me for the Rinne Festival."

"Oh…"—the corners of his mouth curled—"that's very sweet of him, Akua. Ya know, I think it's a sign. I can tell he's fond of you. He's probably dying to see you right now too."

"No…I can't…he-he'll hate me…"

"What do you mean? There's no way…"

"I'm… a murderer."

Naruto was horrified by the way her eyes widened and froze in place. The room fell chill for a moment before Akua's solid, aimless stare into nothing broke down. Uncontrollable rivers of tear fluid flooded her ducts and poured onto her cheeks. The girl turned her entire body to the left while she quietly sobbed so Naruto didn't have to see her in such a pitiful state.

"Akua…what happened during those exams..?"

"My team…murdered. It was kusagakure…they're disguised as Ame…the genesis… Tanoshimi… Yoshimu-… Yashiro… U-Usagi…" she rambled on.

"Wait, slow down," he insisted, trying to piece together her words, sifting through things he didn't know and things that he already knew. "Genesis and Kusagakure involved in this…Akua I need you to be a bit clearer for me, will ya?"

The girl's sobbing stopped. She shifted to her back again and fixed her gaze on the rotating ceiling fan. "Yashiro and Usagi were killed. Genesis ninja…Kenji, Yoshimura, and Tanoshimi. It was them." Akua pressed down on a button that was located on the module next to her bed. Her index finger applied pressure and the top end of the mattress inclined until it was at 45 degree angle of her liking. She sighed, staring down into her covered lap, "Boruto made me promise that I wouldn't kill anyone… I told him that I'd never killed anyone before and that I would never do it… but I…"

"You what…"

"I killed him, Yoshimura," she started with the beginnings of a devilish smirk growing, "he murdered Yashiro… and he led Usagi to her death. I blacked out… and when I came to, he was dead. Then I remembered. It was me. I pierced his wretched heart with Raikiri…"—her head hung and her bangs shadowed her eyes—"…The other two got away but…Yoshimura was still alive at that point." The smirk was prominent now. "So I went over… and repaid what him for what he did… I buried my sword into his skull in cold blood." Akua was staring into her right palm now. It was the one she used to impale Yoshimura. Her smirk faded, and she turned her head to see Naruto. He witnessed the several deep, blending crimsons of her Sharingan for the first time. They were eyes filled with trauma and agony. There was a single tear that trickled down from the corner of her right eye to the middle of her cheek. Nevertheless, despite the perils that gave her eyes such an appearance, it was beautiful all the same for all the wrong reasons. In fact, Naruto would say that the potent beauty Sasuke's own eyes paled in comparison.

"A-Akua…" he called out, worried for her composure.

"Hokage-sama…I…hate myself. The guilt inside… is tearing me in two. I know that I betrayed Boruto's trust…but on the other hand, I feel guilty because"—her were solid and trembled—"when I killed him…when I finally felt his life vanish… Hokage-sama, tell me why."

"Tell you what..?"

"Tell me why… why did it feel good?"

Naruto gulped down. His stomach churned. He didn't know the answer to that question and he was appalled that she would ever ask that. It was the last thing he expected from her. The room fell silent after her question. All they could do was look at each other until Akua's Sharingan faded and she turned back to face her lap.

"…May I ask you something else," she managed to break the mute spell.

Naruto didn't respond to her. He was still fixated on her early question, and it bounced around within his mind, haunting to no end. "She said…she felt good…" he asked himself, "But why, I don't understand…" He scavenged his brain for the ideal, fairytale answer, but frankly there was none. The reality was too vivid. When he heard about what happened to Team 5, he had a feeling that Akua would not be the same afterwards. It was a dark speculation, but he did not intend for it to be true. Now he could see that her psyche was damaged. There was a screw that was coming undone.

Akua continued, "Back at my birthday party, I saw you outside with my mom. You were both talking, and I could tell by the expression on your face that she told you something unpleasant. What did she tell you?"

Naruto frowned and his eyebrows lowered in clear frustration. "I think that your mother should be the one to tell you that," he replied, shutting his eyes and let out a breath while he leaned back into his chair.

"Will she be here?"

Naruto nodded.

"And my father. Will he be coming to see me?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't able to get a hold of him. I apologize," said the Hokage, hanging his head.

"I see. Thank you for trying at least," she responded, her tone soft and solemn. It was at that moment when the sound of knob mechanisms clicked and the room door pushed open. Both individuals in the room hand their eyes focused on the entrance to see who interrupted them. Much to both of their expectations, in stepped a red-haired Uzumaki woman with her signature, dark brown glasses.

---

At just about half an hour past noon, Akua's eyes followed her mother as she entered. The groggy effects of travel were taking their toll on the woman. Karin glanced at the Hokage for a moment then turned her attention to her injured daughter. She stepped to Akua's bedside, pulled a chair underneath herself and sat down. Naruto vaulted himself up from his seat and decided leave them alone, tiptoeing out of the room. The young girl watched the door shut, then turned to the hallway window to see a familiar, young blonde boy. Karin noticed that her daughter's attention was divided, thus turning around to see what she was looking at. There was a boy outside that seemed to be bickering with the Hokage, as if demanding to enter. Both females wished to be alone however, especially Akua, who didn't think she was prepared to face him yet. Akua caught a glimpse of Boruto's eyes before he was pulled out of her view. It made her guilt stifle the beating of her heart. Alas, it was just the two females eye to eye.

Karin leaned from her chair and reached forward with her left hand. Her fingers glided through Akua's immaculate, raven-black hair and her palm caressed her rough, bruised cheek. The worry, fret and pain etched into the woman's face brought tears to her own eyes that fell underneath her glasses. It was the most motherly expression Akua had ever seen. "I don't think you understand how much my heart aches to see you like this," she started, "to see you so beaten up… to know that I'm the one responsible for your pain… to know that if I had made better decisions, you and your brother could have lived a happier life in Konoha… to know that if not for me, you friends would still be here. There are plenty of things in this life that I regret, but my children are not one of them."

"M-Mom—"

Within a moment Akua found herself being weighted down by the embrace of her mother. The woman's arms were wrapped around her neck, and her forehead was buried in her shoulder. Even in a hospital bed, Akua couldn't feel more comfortable. The girl raised her arms around her mother and returned her affection, overwhelmed by the amount of love that she was absorbing. "I'm not keeping any secrets from you anymore, if there's anything that you wish to know, I will answer." Karin sat back into her chair and pulled it closer to her daughter's side.

"Mom, please don't carry that burden all by yourself. Let me share it if not take it all upon my own shoulders. I deserve it."

"No, you don't, not from the moment you were born, you didn't deserve the hell I put you through, and continue to put you through."

"What do you mean…continue?"

Karin exhaled, but never took away her eye contact. "The item I stole from Kusagakure…"—Karin's palm slided down towards that same cold area in between the right side of Akua's neck and shoulder—"…that night when I pulled you from your bed, I placed it within you. Have you felt it yet?"

Akua's being froze when images from the past supplemented her memory. In that moment, her consciousness zoomed into her psyche where she was immediately chased out by the cold, wailing screams of whatever resided. She was now self-aware of her stiffness. The tiny veins in her sclerae were visible now. She couldn't see anything until she felt herself blink, and found her mother awaiting her answer.

"Is that what… how did you…" She was at a loss of words.

Karin reached into her bag and withdrew a relatively large syringe with a capsule of about eight inches in length and two inches in diameter. A long, four inch needle topped it off, the likes of which made Akua shiver. "A few days after the Fourth Great Shinobi War, when everyone was released from the confines of a powerful genjutsu called the Infinite Tsukuyomi, there were shinobi from different nations that surveyed the area and collected corpses. But there was one nation there for a different purpose. Kusagakure was in search of Madara Uchiha's body, something that they viewed as valuable, a way to get a foothold in the ninja world. They were unsuccessful in that venture, the discovered something that was probably more priceless. It was an odd, black substance whose composition was a mystery."

Akua swallowed her anxiety as her mother told her story.

"They decided to take it back to their country to discover what it is they'd found. Eventually, it was deduced that the wild, belligerent black mass that they had kept in a Kusagakure lab was a piece of a being called Black Zetsu. This being is said to have 'orchestrated the history of shinobi' for 1000 years, like a puppeteer. He caused the war, and a piece of him seemed to have escaped demise during the final, decisive battle. Since Naruto was cited to be the one who disposed of him, it's possible that a piece of Black Zetsu escaped upon him."

The girl was steadily trying to comprehend everything.

"Once they realized what they had found, the knew they hit some sort of jackpot. They denied any sort of connection with the continued existence of Black Zetsu and kept their possession of him secret. However, through my connections to the city, I was able to figure out he was there. I spent a few years after the war in an attempt to break through their lies and decipher what it was they were trying to do. I learned that they wanted to use his essence, reverse engineer his chakra-based makeup, and synthesis some sort of weapon for the use of the country. It most likely for the purpose of mass production, and then marketing to other nations in order to gain monetary and military power. However, at that time, they were severely above themselves. They didn't have the technology to do so. It was around the time before the moon crisis when they began to develop 'chakra-tech'. This innovation was what sparked the technological revolution, but they don't get much credit for it.

"Chakra-tech…moon… what was the moon crisis?"

"The moon threatened to crash into the earth about a decade ago. However it was stopped by the Seventh Hokage, who was still a regular shinobi at the time, and a group of his friends."

"If that happened that long ago… how did I… what does this Black Zetsu have to do with me… why does it have anything to do with me…"

Karin tilted her head down to the point where light from the window on Akua's left refracted off the lense of her glasses and obscured the view of her eyes. "I…I was basically a self appointed, undercover agent in Kusagakure. I didn't actually live there at the time. But, before the crisis of the moon… I was with your father. He was on some sort of hiatus from Konoha to repent for his past sins. We were friends, and we were young, so we went out one night just to relax. We had a few drinks, and he told me that he loved me… I didn't realize that it was just his liquor talking at the time even though I was fairly sober(it takes a lot to intoxicate an Uzumaki). And that night I let him do what he wanted, something I felt that I deserved after wanting to be by his side for so long. But none of it was real. He didn't acknowledge me afterwards, or what he had done. We went back to how we were before that night. Little did I know, just one night was all it would take. I wasn't even aware until about seven-eight weeks after that day, I was able to sense two heartbeats other than mine. I didn't know how to feel. I was afraid at first, but then I became glad. It was the happiest moment of my life to date, knowing that I was pregnant with you and your brother. In my mind I thought, finally a reason for Sasuke to see me as more than just some acquaintance. I had high hopes and I tried to contact several times but I couldn't. He was nowhere to be found and I didn't want anyone to know I was carrying twins. So I isolated myself until you were both born."

By knowing the course of current events—the fact that she has a half sister—Akua could predict where her mother was going with the story, but it was still quite confusing.

"A couple months after your first birthday, I learned that Sasuke returned to Konoha. I wanted to see him immediately. I left you both with one of my close friends and travelled to meet him, just as elated as when I realized I was pregnant. I discovered that he was on a mission with a pregnant woman named Sakura."

Akua noticed her mother's fist clench. The memories were bringing back buried feelings.

"I joined them, oblivious to what was going on. Eventually that woman went into labor. We couldn't leave her behind of course, so we took a detour to a secret…location outside of Konoha," she steered around telling her about Orochimaru, she didn't want the possibility of Akua associating with him. "I helped the woman give birth to a baby girl. The look on her face reminded me of myself. But within that atmosphere of happinesses, despite how close in proximity I was to the two people in that room, I realized how far away I was. That child was Sarada. Their daughter. I don't think there are words to describe the intensity… the magnitude of my heartache, the betrayal, the hate, the anger that I felt. And I kept it all sealed away with a smile, as if I was happy for them too. But in reality, I despised them. I despised Sasuke for having his way with me and tossing me aside, marrying that woman, starting a family with her while I sat at home with you two. And I didn't say a thing to him. He didn't deserve to know about you two. Because in time, I thought that it wouldn't matter. I forgave him when he left me for dead, almost killing me in cold blood before the war. But at that point I had enough. And I decided that I was going to kill him."

"…Is that why I am the way I am now…" Akua muttered, with her quivering lip.

"Yes," Karin voiced her guilt, "my plan was to use you both as tools for my revenge. I moved into Kusagakure with you two around the time an organization called Ethuriel became associated with them. They were the ones who brought the Genesis Program to the country, and I immediately allowed them to draft you and Senshi. I needed you two to be as strong as possible if you were going to kill Sasuke, and I knew I couldn't do it myself. But I needed something that would tip the scales. Therefore, I devoted myself to the weaponization of Black Zetsu. I joined the scientists involved and helped develop breakthrough technology that allowed us to make full use of his origin abilities."

"If that was you plan…why did you leave?"

"Kusagakure was becoming dangerous and Ethuriel's motives were surfacing. They were targeting individuals of the specific Ōtsutsuki descent for whatever reason. That included me and you two, Uzumaki and Uchiha. I tried my best for years to hide our identities but they eventually became suspicious of us. Therefore, I devised a plan for our escape. I raided the secret, underground labs, collected all existing prototype versions of the weaponized Zetsu, which we called Yabune's Serum or Solution Z. Then disposed of all research notes, experimental materials, and erased all traces of the weapon. I didn't leave a single thing behind for them. By the time they discovered what I had done, I had already put all of the serum in this syringe"—she held it up—"found your dorm in the Genesis compound, and desperately injected it into your body without considering the consequences or side effects. As for Senshi, I left him because of what I told you before and now regret. It was because you two reminded me so much of that man… especially him. At that time in my life I was confused as to what you were to me…"

Karin wiped her eyes with the ends of her palms, displacing the glasses along her face during the process. Akua read her composure, it was in rapid deterioration. The fluid in her eyes came in an abundance that she couldn't keep from showing. This wasn't the image of a scornful woman bent on revenge, it was that of a confused, lachrymose woman who was trying to make up for past errors, repent for her sins and receive forgiveness. Regardless of her suffering her mother was responsible for, there was never a place in her heart that loathed the woman. Even after those words, even after learning she use to be nothing more than a valuable commodity to a scheme vengeance, she couldn't bring herself to it. She was her only family in this world other than Senshi. "Mom I…I don't want our relationship to be one of hate… I've already lost too much too soon, and I can't bare to lose anymore. I couldn't hate you even if I tried, I don't have that capacity. It's ingrained into my heart, you gave me life and my love is how I'll repay that debt, even if you hate me yourself."

"I don't think I'll ever deserve be your mother… but it warms my heart that you considered me one all this time. If you hated me forever, I would still love you. I know now that I always did. It's why I'm trying my best to undo what I did to you. It's why I've been away from Konoha most of the time. I have to continue my research on this serum if I'm going to get it out of you. Right now, no one knows how to handle this technology. Konoha can't help us, so it's up to me. Naruto does know about this though, he is the only one I've entrusted that information to."

"So you think there's a way to… cure me of this Serum Z… whatever it's called?"

"I will work endlessly and tirelessly to fix you, just as I will do everything in my power to locate Senshi."

Akua rubbed the right side of her neck, "Thank you, mom"—although faint, she smiled—"I really hope you're able to come up with something soon though. I had an outburst during the exam…"

"…R-Really?"

"Yes, I passed out for a moment, and found myself in some other world, like I was inside my own head. And I think he spoke to me…he convinced me to give in. Afterwards when I came to… Tanoshimi and Kenji were gone. And Yoshimura…I…"

"Did you—"

"Yes," Akua said in a firm tone. She was aware that her own mother wasn't expecting that from her.

"I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I'm fine," she didn't mention how she really felt about it, "…it was necessary. My hesitation and weakness was the cause of my teammates death's."

"That's not a healthy way to view things, Akua…"

"I don't no how else to…I have to get stronger. Don't let them take me out of this exam. I'll make a full recovery, I have to fight."

Her mother was taken aback by her sudden burst of combat-lust. Were these the effects of the serum or her own conscious intentions? Karin needed to study it more if she was going to fix this, but she couldn't let her daughter go out of control if she was prone to outbursts. "Alright," Karin agreed, "I won't let them, but you have to promise me that you'll block out the temptations of the serum. I don't know how it's developing or what will happen to you if you continue relying on it."

"Yes, I understand," Akua nodded, "I didn't like the feeling of it anyway. It felt like my heart was being squeezed…"

"Tell me more, this might help me with my research," her mother asked, interested in the characteristics of the serum.

"Hm, well I felt something outside my body. It was like I was being absorbed by something, shiny pitch-black ink or paste. And when I got engulfed I regained slight awareness of where I was, but it was like my body moved on its own. There was also a surge of a foreign chakra into my body as well, I have no idea what it was. After that, I beat down the Genesis, and now Yoshimura is dead. The other two are still alive. That's all I remember."

"Foreign chakra, could it be?" Karin pondered. She was already starting to draw some conclusions. She rubbed her chin in deep thought. "I know what to do. Here, take my hand."

Akua complied, although quite puzzled. She started to put forward her right hand at first then hesitated. That was a tainted hand to her. She reached over with her left hand instead to grab hold of her mother's. Within a second there was cool, tingling surge of chakra. The contact between the hands of the two females was its conduit. Akua felt the clearing of her mind, a calming that washed all the tensions of the past few events away and the cold sensation that lingered in her neck vanished. "What did you do to me?" asked Akua, surprised that such a weight lifted from her chest and the fogs in her mind cleared.

"I made it so that you shouldn't hear those voices anymore. I hear the third portion of the exam will have spectators, and it will be broadcasted. I can't have you using that power anymore. Also, if you used your Sharingan, I'm prohibiting that too. I don't want anyone in our business yet, it will draw too much attention."

"Oh…are you worried about Sakura Sensei and how she might react? I don't think I ever asked, how do you feel about her?"

Karin rolled up her left sleeve while she spoke, "Personally, I don't know her that well. She did save my life once though. It was when Sasuke had almost killed me. That whole situation was quite hazy, but I knew then that she loved him. And probably a lot longer and more than I ever did. I don't any grudges against her either,"—she relaxed her left arm now and faced her daughter—"I don't want to be miserable anymore. Even though I didn't mean it back then, I did help them out once after Sarada was born. I couldn't cut them off for some reason. I'm the reason why Sarada has her glasses now you know, haha, she doesn't remember who I am though, most likely. Maybe in the future we can be better acquainted. You should try to get along with Sarada too."

"But what about Sasuke? Are you still…"

"I understand now that there will never be anything between us. I know that he's happy with Sakura. It was selfish of me to ever think about killing him, but now there are no feelings. All I need are my children. That's how it should've been a long time ago." Karin held out her bare left forearm to her daughter. "Maybe one day you'll get to meet him."

"…Maybe," Akua just managed to get the word out. "But what's this for?" she gestured to her mother's arm.

"Take a bite and absorb my chakra. It'll heal all your injuries much faster than any regular medical ninjutsu. You plan on fighting don't you?"

Akua nodded, reluctantly taking her mother's arm and closing her jaw over it. "Mufing's appining…" she mumbled with her mouth closed.

"You've gotta bite harder, pierce the skin, I'll be alright."

Akua did as she was told. Her teeth sunk into Karin's skin, but instead of drawing blood, Akua was overwhelmed by another surge of her mother's chakra. The chakra didn't have a specific taste, it was as if she was drinking water while she absorbed it. Energy circulated through her veins and her heart pumped blood with fresh, chakra-fed nutrients. There was an ocean emerald aura that the young Uchiha girl could see and feel around her own body. Her chakra was reacting to that of her mother's which created a synergistic effect, amplifying the potence of the ability. The broken blood vessels in Akua's cheek linked together, repairing their capillary pathways and absorbing the discoloration within her skin. Her bottom lip shrunk from its swelling and closed its split. The advanced cellular regeneration continued down along her body to her legs. The bones in her tibia and fibula of her left leg experience rapid repair, fusing together the fragmented pieces and shifting painlessly in their correct positions. When Akua felt the completion of her rejuvenation, her jaw unhinged and her lips peeled away. The aura of chakra disperse and a bite mark was left Karin's skin. A spell of exhaustion struck the woman. The depletion of a large reserve of her chakra resulted in the exposure of the true condition of her skin. After the bite mark Akua left, several others appear all around it. "Mom…" the girl worried.

"You should be all healed now," she claimed, slouching back into her chair, "Don't mind me, I just need to catch my breath."

"You're really amazing, you know," Akua grinned.

Karin giggled, "Oh please… You should get some rest now before you start training again. I have a feeling you'll see the Genesis kids again and you need to be prepared. I'll be there for the exam, but for now I'm going to head back to Konoha to research what you told me, okay?"

Akua closed her eyes with a gently grace and nodded her head, the grin still present. It would be an honor for her mother to watch her fight. Now she wanted to impress as well as avenge her friends. That thought gave rise to another realization. Boruto and his family would be there, including all the other people back in Konoha watching the broadcast. The entire ninja world would probably be watching the battles. She couldn't let anyone down.

Karin leaned into her daughter and planted a large mwah on Akua's right cheek. The sudden affection forced a slight blush to color her cheeks. "Oh, by the way, Akua, I forgot to ask you," Karin mentioned, leaning back into her seat and pointing towards the girl's chest. "Where did you get that necklace? It's so beautiful..!"

The blush from Karin's kiss burned into a crimson that filled Akua's entire face to the brim. The redhaired woman didn't expect such a reaction, she was only asking a simple question in her mind. "I… I got it myself," Akua looked away.

"No way, it was Boruto, wasn't it," Karin teased. Her head reeled back from the force of the fluffy pillow that was thrown into her face.

---

The shattering of glass lifted the silence from a lightless candlelit room. Fragments of material scattered across the floor and a metal tray paddled along its perimeter with an obnoxious scrapping until it fell flat. Among the porcelain were the pieces of a flat plate, a bowl and a cup along with the chunks of rice, grilled tuna and splattered water that once filled them. The nurse attendant, whose hands the tray was in, was trembling in cold fear. Her knees wobbled as she stumbled back to retrieve a broom, dustpan and towels. "M-M-My… my ap-apo-apologies, L-Lady Ryūketsu," she stammered, kneeling down to clean up the mess. She wasn't doing a great job however. The contents on the floor continued to be pushed around like the woman's bones were rattling in her arms.

"Get out of my sight," the white-haired teenaged girl growled. The woman immediately scooped as much of the food and glass from the floor as she could, swept the towel over the floor a few times then hustled out of the room without saying a word. "Tsk..!" The girl's left fist whipped out in a fit of rage and bore a crater into the wall. Cracks streamed up to the ceiling and a rumbling shook the complex.

"Now, now," said a familiar voice, "no need to scare off my servants and damage this lovely place here, we're guests, Tanoshimi."

"Shut up, Misuto," she spat back. Her hair tossed when she turned her head to view his entering of the shadow cloaked room.

"You don't like the sun do you. Nice window here and some nice light there," he let out a sarcastic sigh. He was really upset that he wasn't able to show off the elegance of his feudal-style robes and haori.

"Don't patronize me."

"Please, Ms. Tanoshimi, won't you be a bit more kind? I came all the way out from Amegakure after all. Leaders like myself don't travel for just anyone."

"And why are you here?"

"Well to check up on you of course. You have my brand on that forehead protector of yours, you can't make me look bad now."

She spit at the floor below her bed. She was sitting up, but hunched over a few inches at the same time. The sheets her clenched in her hands and covering her legs. The sweat of stress and frustration beaded down the side of her head. The candlelight illuminated the glossy coating of her skin, and portions of her gray tank top under her arms, around her abdomen and around the circumference of her breasts were visible.

"I can see you're quite upset. Did the mission not go well?"

"What do you fucking think?"

"I think your rag tag band of misfits got their asses kicked is all."

"GRRAH!" Tanoshimi roared, now whipping her right arm out. Within the heat of the scream a solid substance extended out and fired through the wall across the room. Force generated a gust of indoor wind that sent papers, medicine bottles and other miscellaneous objects to either side of the room. Misuto had his head tilted to the right, avoiding the elongated blood manifestation by a quarter of an inch.

"You should control that temper of yours," he mocked, the silver strands of his hair fluttering back down to frame his face. "But if you think that my interpretation is incorrect, amuse me," he smirked.

"We killed two of them… the irrelevant trash she was with. And we were going to capture her too… but something happened."

"Is this what you were mentioning?"

"Yes," she grunted, "She's the reason I'm sitting here right now. I saw it with my own eyes, and I could feel it. That surge of power… her body was absorbing massive amounts of natural energy. It caught me off guard… that piece of dogshit… Akua… how dare she reduce me to unconsciousness. Bedridden. UNacceptable." Her grinding teeth calmed and were hidden by her relaxed lips. Then the split into a smirk, a smirk that turned into a chuckle, then hysterical laughter. He head flung behind, her neck fully exposed as her face was directed to the ceiling. "..Aahh. I'll tear her apart."

"Natural energy, hmm… perhaps Karin doesn't have the weapon at all. Do you lot even know what you're looking for?"

"Of course not… I don't give a shit about Kusagakure's business. We're just there because of Hideyoshi's money. This is just a courtesy, getting back his stolen

merchandise…disgusting slob."

"Karin is useless for you now. That weapon… it is no longer an object, it is that girl. Im sure of it." Misuto tossed a tag onto Tanoshimi's bed before turning to exit the room. "You should use that as well if you get in a bind. It'll seal up that chakra for you. You should thank your big brother Ginzen." The sixteen year old boy and Amegakure Lord stepped out of the room and was about to close the door, but popped back in, "Also you should eat the food I send in for you, if you want to recover by the time of that exam that is. Cya later, you tater." He just escaped the makeshift spear that darted into the door.

---

Akua spent the rest of her month in preparation for that one, final test. Her mother waited until she went back to sleep before she left. Later that night was spent with Boruto and his family in their hotel room as they experienced the new year, 1143. Akua was reluctant to see him but their encounter was inevitable. She kept the details of what she did in the Cloudburst Isles to herself. She didn't want him to look at her any differently. The more time she spent with him, the more she came to value their friendship and the more she cared about what he thought about her. His presence was able to calm her soul more than anything and she couldn't imagine not having that with her. Overall the days after her release from the hospital were comforting. Boruto was on a break from the Academy, so he was able to stay the entire month until the day of the tournament. With that being the situation, he spent each day helping Akua prepare as well as trying to sooth Akua's emotional pains. He was aware of what happened to her friends, and she could tell that he was trying his best to be of use to her. None of their training was intensive, she didn't want to hurt the boy, but she never gave him the upper hand either. Boruto understood her level of skill far exceeded his own in every aspect of jutsu. It did not discourage him however, it only made him want to get stronger. He had to if he was going to surpass his father.

January 31st approached after one long month. The final portion of the Chunin Exams were to be held at the Kumogakure Colosseum, a complex with a seating capacity of one hundred thousand. Reporters estimated that another ten million people were watching at home. It was one of the most anticipated events of the new year. At around 10:00 am that morning, people began to fill the stadium and take their seats. The complex was circular in structure, as was many of the massive seating event buildings. Its exterior was modeled with towering, corinthian stone columns all along the perimeter. The interior was one massive hallway that wrapped around the circumference of the building. That was where all restrooms, concession stands, and merchandise stores were located. It was also how one found their seat. Even if you arrived early, the building was crowded to the brim with eager spectators brushing past each other so they could watch a bunch of genin fight and potentially kill each other. That was the appeal of attending.

About 20 meters deep beneath the colosseum, was where the participants waited. Each had their own personal locker room awaiting them. Akua sat in silence within her room despite the commotion she could hear up above. The sound filtering through the earth was the collective chanting and roaring of the crowd combined with the shuffling and movement of their feet. The Uchiha girl wasn't dressed fully yet. She was in a chair next to where her chest-style locker was located. Her body was leaned over with her forearms against her thighs and her fingers interlocked. Hair fell to cover her face from the side as she hung her head in a deep, motionless pondering. She didn't need to rush either, her first match wouldn't be until the second round. Instead, she used this time to set her thoughts straight, focus on the mission at hand, one that she had imposed on herself. Boruto and the Hokage were sitting in the stands right now. Millions of people would be watching her. Her mother would be watching her. To anyone else, that pressure would have been unbearable, yet here this girl was, as calm as she'd ever been in her entire life.

"Akua," she heard a voice call her name from afar. She knew exactly who it was the moment the sound touched her ears.

The girl's eyes switched from her hands to the one standing in the doorway of her locker room, "Yes, Sensei?"

"May I come in?"

The girl nodded to her sensei and went back to her original position. Sakura stepped into the room and leaned up against the locker next to Akua's with her left wrist held by her right hand behind her back. Her minty emerald eyes stared blank into her own painted toenails, exposed due to her sandaled boots.

"Are you nervous?"

"No not really, why?" Akua spoke without facing her teacher.

"I just wanted to gauge your feelings, really. I also wanted to let you know that you didn't have to go through with this."

"What do you mean, Sensei?" Being baffled now drew her attention.

"The Konoha council decided that they didn't want to put you through anymore unnecessary dangers. They believe you already proved your capabilities in the second exam and have decided to promote you to Chunin."

The Uchiha's eyes widened at the revelation. The goal in which she travelled to Kumogakure in the first place was now complete. She should have been content, but her success was at the expense of the lives of her teammates. It was more than just becoming a chunin now. Her eyelids relaxed and she anchored her head back down towards her hands. "I'm sorry Sensei, but I can't forfeit now, not this late in the game. I have to see this all the way through. I must face that girl this time with clear mind. I might never get that chance again."

Sakura sighed a breath of slight content, "You're an amazing girl, you know that, Akua? Your determination… it's… heh, I'm sure those two would be proud of you."

"I hope so, and I hope that they're watching over me. This is for them too." Akua showed her sensei the small smile she wore.

"Well, since you're a chunin now, there is something I wanted to tell you."

"Hm?"

"You'll be considered a true, matured ninja from now on. You won't need the supervision of a jonin sensei anymore, which means that you won't need me. With that being said, I planned on resigning my position as a squad leader…it just wasn't cut out for me and I can see that now. I wanted to get your thoughts on it..."

Akua's smile transitioned into a frown. Her lips were parted, a natural reaction to the feelings Sakura was conveying to her. She reached into the chest of her locker and tugged at a black, elastic material. Light washed over the thin steel plate that was fastened against it as if it had a chrome finish. The insignia engraved in the center was always visible though. Twin blotches of violet made a blurry reflection as it was stared into. She began to question herself of what it really meant. "Do you feel that it's the best for you, Sensei?"

"I…I don't know…"

There was an enormous, cheering roar of the ground that they heard that instant. The announcer began to speak. The first round was almost over. Akua slipped on her mid-calf sandals and adjusted the clips. She had a new top that she pulled onto herself. It was a dark navy blue, button up blouse that was a slight, loose fit. The sleeves were rolled up and clipped, only extending far enough to cover her elbows. The collar was folded over, cutting down into a v-neck style that exposed a bit of her chest. She wore a new, combat material tank top under it though, dyed in carbon. The headband was adjusted over her forehead and she brought her from underneath it. The flawless raven locks had grown another half inch during that month. Akua rose from her seat and pulled the sheath of her ninjato from the hook it hung from. "I'll support any decision you make, Sensei. To be honest, I think that you should. Sarada needs someone waiting for her to come home. You don't need to worry about me." Akua made her way to the the doorway as she finished her sentence. Sakura's eyes followed her as she moved, widening while she spoke. "Do it for that reason. Not for guilt"—she turned her head to the left to look over her shoulder—"I'm the only one who needs to bare it."

It seemed now that Sakura was convinced. Akua wouldn't let her shoulder all the blame on her own. "You remind me a lot of the Seventh when he was younger…" the woman reminisced. But from behind, Akua reminded her of a person she hadn't seen in awhile. That thought was pushed out of her mind. "Akua, thank you."

Akua's smile reappeared, although not as large and contagious as Boruto's, it still forced Sakura to deliver her own.

The Uchiha girl turned and proceeded down the hallway, the click of each step she took echoing throughout. The smile vanished the moment Sakura was unable to see it. She possessed a straight, almost distraught expression now. "Why do I still feel this way…" she thought. Not a single part of her heart trembled when she spoke to Sakura. Not even those kind words could shake the indifference she felt deep down. Sakura was her Sensei, but even after the previous, tragic events, she felt no more closer than she'd ever been. One side of her knew that Sakura was a benevolent person, yet at the same time, all of her current problems could be traced back to her. Sasuke's decision to choose her instead. As long as Akua's identity remained a secret, that would never change.

Akua's first match was shortly after that conversation. The announcer voiced himself into the mic. The sound boomed throughout the entire complex. The girl's name was called. The decibels Akua experienced as she approached intensified. The crowd went hectic as the name of the Kumogakure native was revealed. Judging by the excitement of the audience, he was already awaiting his opponent. It was like a tunnel with light at the end before the Uchiha. She was still calm however while she passed through it and entered the sun. She was an outsider, a foreigner, and immediately showered with the hate and disapproval from radical fans. "BOO!" some of the yelled. "GO BACK TO KONOHA!" others growled. "KUMO, KUMO, KUMO!" they chanted. None of it was heard. Akua simply walked at her side of the field. Her sheath strap was wrapped and clipped around her waist as she stopped, the weapon oriented horizontally above her tool pouch.

"On the left, we have Kumogakure's own, Yurui!" The audience went wild. He was one of the best genin that Kumogakure had to offer. There were also rumors surrounding who his parents were. "On the right, we have Akua from Konoha!" The noise died down then amplified with their verbal assaults once more. "Begin!"

With that word, Yurui began to charge, drawing his two tanto blades while gnawing at his gum. His first three steps garnered a thunderous cheer from the crowd of thousands. But no one realized that Akua was already in the boy's face. All he saw was the glimmering beauty of the girl's violet eyes before a sharp pain split across his chest. He was still awestruck by the time he realized what had happened to him and when he snapped out of his daze, he proceeded to swing the blade in his right hand across his body. But there was no one there to be found. An elbow grinded into his spine, and he found himself forced to the dirt, flying a few meters to the right before landing against his side. Four seconds had passed. Akua put down her left leg. The blood stained kunai in her hand was tossed over to Yurui as he rolled over on his back. "Here," she said, "you can have this back." The knife clanked against the floor until it came to a halt next to Yurui's kunai holster. His eyes were wide with disbelief. "That wound in your chest isn't deep enough to kill you if you get it looked at." The girl turned around and walked towards the exit without saying another word. The boy could no longer maintain his consciousness. It was the first time during the tournament that the crowd fell to complete silence.

"The…the winner is A-Akua!" the proctor announced reluctantly. The crowd was in an uproar of amusement. A girl who they'd never seen before in the tournament had stolen the show. The boo's and slurs turned to applause and cheer. Naruto, who was located in a VIP section with his family was astonished at the dominance displayed in such a short amount of time. It was also the first time he'd actually seen Akua in live action. Everything she did was reminiscent of her father, even her cool, nonchalant demeanor. Boruto wasn't expecting anything less. Akua was in her combat mode now, something he'd already experienced and gotten used to. Himawari, of course, was elated by the way Akua triumphed and Hinata, who was next to her, clapped with joy. Karin was also stationed within the VIP box, but stood in the back against the wall. The grin that couldn't help but show itself on her face conveyed how proud she was of her daughter. Killer Bee was the other attendant. His mouth was gaping at the way Yurui had just been defeated.

"Naruto, ya buffoon! What have you been feedin' that girl, don't anyone think she a lil' strong too soon? Yea!" he complained with his lyrical rhythms.

"Please Bee," Darui, the Raikage intervened, "The Seventh can't help that he raises such exceptionally skilled shinobi."

The Hokage scratched the back of his head with a wide smile to hide his guilt, knowing full well that Akua wasn't entirely a product of Konoha.

---

As there were less participants now, the second round went by in haste after Akua's match. She wasn't the only individual drawing attention to herself, however. There was another with an innate combat ability that rivalled and probably even exceeded her own. She was a demon in a young teenaged girl's clothing. The waist-length white hair that she possessed glowed in the brilliance of the high noon sun. With the last battle of the semi-finals, her opponent collapsed at her feet. Every opponent she faced was now eligible for a nap six feet underground. And this was the third. It was not against the rules, however. The match was not over until one could no longer continue, whether that meant unconsciousness or worse. This girl took full advantage of that. People such as Naruto were disgusted by the way she acted. There was no need to take the battle to such extremes as that girl did and he felt that she should be removed. However, this was not his Chunin exams and there was little he could do to change that. Unease filled his stomach now, especially since the final match was upon them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcing proctor began, "now marks the beginning of the end…" His suspense baited the audience into hellish exuberance. "With the final match, we have on the left, Tanoshimi Ryūketsu!" The girl stepped from the tunnel as her named was called. Due to her actions, the audience was split between cheering with joy and berating her with hatred. None of it mattered to her though. Her interest lied not with the masses of individuals which she considered mindless heathens. It was with the raven-haired girl that approached from the other end. "And on the right, Akua!" The spectators jumped out of their seats upon her arrival. Throughout the course of the tournament, she'd gained charismatic luster through her style of fighting. Almost everyone was on her side now, rooting for her to win.

It was the third true confrontation these females had since the start of the Chunin Exams. Since then, knowledge on several knew things had been acquired on each side. Their last encounter could be attributed to that. It did not end in Tanoshimi's favor, though. Both females eyed each other down. Akua's chin sunk in livid anger and anticipation. She now understood how Usagi felt when she saw Yoshimura appear. The lust to destroy someone who had wronged you, mercilessly torn away a part of your being, it was unbearable. The Uchiha stared into a cold, icy platinum that at the same time boiled with a disdain that would have strangled anyone else under a grip of fear.

"Begin!"

When the announcer finished his last syllable, all other sounds were shut out by the two females. It was like they were deaf to the world except for the sound of their inner movements and the beating of their own hearts. There were no words. The only exchange between them were the pounding blows of their fists. The battle had already begun; a barbaric display on both ends while at the same time, an aesthetic beauty to those who appreciated the thrill of two skilled ninja at each other's necks.

Knuckles tore at the skin of soft cheeks. Fists burrowed into tough stomachs. Ribs and torsos were rattled by the blunt forces of whipping shins and driving heels. Forearms and shins were beaten against in defense of devastating blows and palms were a bruised crimson from absorbing the shocks of impact. The two females battled on a level that exceeded anything ever before seen during a Chunin exam. The fluidity of their movements. The grace of the their demeanor and the flawlessness of their attacks. All the while containing a component of savagery that every individual in the stadium could detect. It was no longer just a simple tournament match to them, those vibes were dead and gone five minutes into the two beating into each other. The audience fell into silence once more, choked by the emotion that exuded it's powerful aura throughout the arena. They were trying to kill each other.

Blood trickled down the left side of Akua's forehead as she moved. Her body swiftly evaded a left hook by Tanoshimi, the likes of which created a gust of skin rippling wind. The Uchiha pushed its momentum out of the way with her left hand and sweep-kicked the Ryūketsu's feet right from underneath her. Tanoshimi was acrobatic enough to use that to her advantage, back flipping around her center of mass to come to a landing handstand. Akua, at the same time, planted the foot she used to sweep and twirled counterclockwise about that axis while swiping her left leg around. In the instant of her handstand, Tanoshimi curled her torso and brought her legs in. The entirety of Akua's striking left calf had its spinning roundhouse stopped against Tanoshimi's inverted shin tuck. White hair flashed as its owner sprung from her position, landed back on her feet, and ducked under Akua's inbound follow up with her right leg.

When Akua came about, she was rocked in the diaphragm by Tanoshimi's two fists. An uppercut tiger-palm fired into Akua's chin, whipping her neck back and shutting her jaw against her teeth. The last strike was a return to her torso, a crushing blow that sent the back of Tanoshimi's knuckles through a horizontal bee-line into the Uchiha's stomach. The impact echoed even to the farthest spectator in the crowd. Akua staggered back and spit the taste of iron from her mouth. Then fresh blood sprayed from her left shoulder. A jagged garnet blade with the texture of metal had dragged through it. Upon the second swipe, it was met by the grinding steel of a ninjato. Akua had drawn her weapon in a parrying defense. The clash of steel clinked and clanked throughout the arena and golden sparks flew in different directions. Their swordplay took them all around the dirt they battled in. It had Tanoshimi falling back at certain times, and Akua doing the same.

The two combatants came to a grating clash, each pushing against each other's blades of choice in a vertical stalemate. Here they were able to examine each other again, peer deep into each other's eyes, and respark the urge within two to lay the other in the dirt. Akua flashed a grin. At that moment, bright azure crackles of chakra chirped to life within her hand. The lightning release the girl generated screamed to life and was channeled through the length of her ninjato. The properties of Tanoshimi's sword, as it was made from her own blood, fell victim to this strategy. The lightning was drawn against her sword due to its high iron content and conducted through her body. The white-haired girl screeched in agony while she was electrocuted and the smell of her burning flesh filled her nose. Her heart skipped several beats under the abnormal electrical discharge and her nerve tips were fried on end. The lightning against Akua's ninjato had also enhanced its cutting ability, allowing her to cleave through the entirety of Tanoshimi's blood sword, and slash down across the teenager's torso. The splatter of blood wasn't able to be of use to Tanoshimi since she was already being propelled by Akua's side kick. The Uchiha's left heel ripped forward and snapped back, bending her opponent's body over her heel and across the arena. The Ryūketsu jutted out from the force of the kick, bouncing in and out of the dirt several times before crashing into the stonewall barrier of the colosseum. She fell into the ground, the debris from the crater she bore with her body following.

Tanoshimi was quick to rise to her feet. The slash that her body suffered had torn a rip in her crop-top that cut down the valley of her breasts at angle. The article of clothing was still in tact, but smeared with a mess of garnet. The liquid pulled from Tanoshimi's chest to manifest another weapon. The girl launched from the edge of the arena towards the one that knelt about 60 meters away at the center. Akua forced herself up and met her opponent half way. The two blitzed past the other in a clash that sent their weapons flying out of their grasps. Skidding to a mutual stop and athletically changing direction to face one another, both casted similar hand seals and witnessed the other's incoming breath of flame. BOOM! The two destructive forces of inferno collided and mergeg into an explosive sphere of fire. The flames engulfed both shinobi, but Tanoshimi's fire release packed a larger punch. Akua was set spiralling out of the aftermath as a torched body of flesh, thudding into the ground 30 meters away and continued rolling another 15 before coming to a sliding, dusty halt. Her clothing was seared and tarnished. Third degree burns destroyed her ivory skin. Tanoshimi was also thrown around, but only rolled once until she was able to skid the rest of the way on her feet.

Exhaustion was clearly setting in. Tanoshimi hunched over, gasping for her lungs to fill with enough air. The jacket that was tied around her waist crumbled to a crisp. Burn marks were visible along her skin, but not to the extent of Akua's. Now the Uchiha was struggling. Her muscles wouldn't allow her to move, every part of her body was in a stinging pain. Blisters had popped open in her broiled skin and drained with blood. Part of her face on the right suffered minor skin damage as well. The girl couldn't seem to find any oxygen either. Her limbs were unresponsive. "Get up," she said to herself. "Get up!" she screamed. Her nails dug through the dirt until her palms pressed against the ground. The girl's knees bent and wobbled as she tried to support her upper body. Eventually she would manage to stumble to her feet, swaying and staggering forward, just as she did in the Isles. She refused to let her body tell her what to do. A kunai was drawn and she began her limping charge. Tanoshimi was repulsed by her resolve, so much so that she couldn't bare to see any longer. The Ryūketsu opened her palms and curled her fingers in. A surge of chakra ignited at each of her fingertips, developing into a palm of vibrant, focused energy. The nature of the girl dyed the chakra red, and when Akua approached tirelessly with her kunai, she was stopped. Tanoshimi's chakra-packed left fist was buried in Akua's stomach. Then the right. The two blows shook the feet of each spectator. The last double palm strike was it. Akua's body had ran into a wall and blasted back from the expelling of a cannon-fist of chakra. Everything went black.

Akua landed on her back, but her body kept moving, rolling her over onto her stomach. Her arms were limp at her sides and head was flat in the ground, facing the left. "Akua?" the announcer called.

No response.

"Akua?" he tried again.

Nothing.

After a count of ten, the match had to be called. "Winner! Tanoshimi!"

Only a few hundred people even made a sound. All the other thousands, as well as the millions watching at home were more worried about the young girl in the ground. Did she fall victim to Tanoshimi's trail of destruction? The audience fell into another spell of silence. The Ryūketsu wasn't going to let her victory be on a whim, though. She stomped over to the unresponsive girl despite the lecture of the announcer, and morphed another collection of blood into a pointed weapon. The teen lifted her arm, intending to spear the helpless female, but her arm never came down. She was staring into the orange and black pattern of a shirt, cloaked underneath a fluttering white cape with red flame designs. He had appeared before her instantaneously and a small dust wave of dirt expanded around them. A bandaged hand had her wrist clenched. The vice grip that the individual held her in caused the girl to drop the makeshift spear. Platinum eyes met the serious blue irises of a man who had had enough of her actions. "This fight, is over," the Seventh Hokage reminded her.

"Tsk…" she scoffed, knowing well enough that the situation that she was in currently was not a fight she could win. Still, she wasn't afraid to show the Seventh her same disrespectful, nasty glare. The girl wrenched her arm from his grasp, backed away then turned to exit the arena. She had won the tournament, but departed utterly unsatisfied.

Karin was the second person who had appeared in the arena, traveling with the Seventh to stop the conflict from going any further. Her first instinct was to rush to her child. The woman slid to a kneel and pulled her daughter into her lap. "Akua, Akua darling…" she called. She shook the girl in her arms. One of the child's fingers twitched. Her chakra became a bit more detectable now. "Can you hear me?"

"Mom..?" Akua replied in a weak, patchy voice.

"Yes dear, you're going to be okay, alright? I'm sorry I even let this match go this far…here." Karin rolled up her left sleeve and held out her arm for her daughter to bite. The girl sunk her teeth enough once more draw chakra from her mother's body. The burn marks on her skin were clearing away and the wounds she suffered, including her shoulder, were sealed. Karin swallowed the pain for as long as required so that her child could recover.

"…I failed…I'm sorry, mom, I couldn't do it…" she said as she pulled away from Karin's arm. A tear streamed down from the corner of her eye and around her face. "Their deaths… they were in vain… because I couldn't…"

"No, they weren't in vain, Akua. Your friends, they sacrificed themselves in order for you to continue for them. The only way their deaths would be in vain is if you quit and lose your will to live. So, you can't get discouraged now. There's someone waiting for you to find him, after all."

Akua's heart was warmed by the smile that she looked up into. Her eyelids gradually shut and pinched, squeezing out every last tear. The girl nodded her head in compliance with her mother's statement. She leaned up on her own, attempted to stand, but fell back. Karin was able to catch her from her angle, but someone else was. Falling back into that person's arms instead of the floor, Akua turned her head to see who had caught her. And there was her favorite, bright smile.

"I know you like fighting and all, Ku-chan, but you did well enough. You're amazing ya know? Now come on, let's go home, eheheh," the boy giggled.

Naruto and Karin glanced at each other as they watched their children, then turned their attention back to them. The audience erupted in jubilee after realizing that the girl would be alright. Tanoshimi, on the other hand, had already disappeared.

Akua wore an identical smile to Boruto's, "Hm, alright you idiot."

---

The chilling February breeze back in Konoha called for extra layers of clothing. Snow still painted the ground with its frosty white crystals. It was still quite early in the evening, but at this time of year the sun went to rest sooner. It's rays started to wash away from the cemetery that one lone girl resided within. Everyone else seemed to have went their separate ways since the service was over, but she decided to stay a while longer. A gust carried through the field, causing the girl's black coat to billow and the violet scarf that matched her eyes to brandish itself behind her. The girl knelt down and placed two forehead protectors. They rested in front of two gravestones that were side by side. Also in her possession were two medium sized bouquets of flowers. By the grave inscribed Yashiro Hyūga, sunflowers were neatly placed. By the grave inscribed Usagi Shimura, tulips complemented it. Afterwards the girl took her leave. Tomorrow was another day that she had to live to keep them alive. That, and it was getting quite cold with the sun's departure.

That concludes the Chunin Exam's Arc, I hope you guys enjoyed. I also, I can finally say that the drawings will be done by tomorrow. I've been having trouble lately with illness as well as exams but it will be here.

As a heads up, the next 2 chapters or so will be a mini arc encompassing Akua's adventure as a chunin before the next major arc begins. And it will begin on quite the note. Stay tuned to find out what happens next!

I enjoy your feedback! Review/Fav/Follow!