All right, question and answer time! I think there has been some misunderstanding regarding Sakura and co. First, Sakura isn't a seals master. She is a medic, which is the sole reason alone why she is involved with the birth in the first place. The only seals master among the trio is Shikamaru who had been dragged into learning under Jiraiya with Sayo before his death. Neji isn't a seals master, but he had moderate knowledge in seals thanks to his Bird Caged Seal. Does that answer your question?

Warnings: Slight Konoha bashing. Dark fic. Violence. Blood. Gory scenes. Lemon scenes

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter Twenty: Search for Repentance

Rehabilitation Room
Tsukigakure no sato

"Damn." Uchiha Seina cursed to herself – in fact, the first word that she had probably spoken in about fifty years, as she tripped and fell to the ground once more for what seemed like the fiftieth time for the past hour.

A sheet of sweat had been covering her entire body by now, as she gritted her teeth and grasped the bars to pull herself up – a kind of tool that helps a person to relearn how to walk again.

Seina stumbled over a little as she placed both feet on the carpeted ground once more, happy with herself that she didn't fall over again. But what minuscule happiness that Seina could've had only lasted a mere moment. When she took another step forwards shakily, this moment ceased to exist.

Seina fell like a couple of dominoes, this time bumping her head against the bars as she went down. Seina let out every single curse that she knew, and maybe a few that she had made up on the spot, as she rubbed the bump on her head, and attempted to get up again.

Meanwhile, outside the rehabilitation room which had a one-way mirror to allow those outside to look into the room, but not vice-versa, Uchiha Sayo watched all of this occur in despair. When Seina had first begun her rehabilitation training, she had offered to help Seina with the process, but was turned down time and time again, not that Sayo was surprised. Seina had always been very stubborn, just like nearly all Uchihas, and she hated admitting that she needs help with anything.

Furthermore, Seina is probably still trying to process everything that Madara and Sayo have told her nearly two weeks ago – about everything that have happened ever since her coma, and the fact that she has been in a deep coma for nearly fifty or so years.

The only thing that Seina had allowed Sayo to help her with is when Sayo had offered to help her cut her hair so that it now just fell a little below her shoulder blades. Sayo and Madara have then both started bringing Seina some solid food to get her strength back up so that she will be at least strong enough to attempt rehabilitation.

But even Sayo couldn't deny that something had changed with their once strong friendship. And she isn't surprised. Seina has been in a coma for over fifty years, whilst from her own point of view, it has only bee a few days since her battle with Senju Hashirama. Then she suddenly woke up only to find out that over fifty years have passed since that day, and that nearly everyone that she knew is already dead. Even her son and husband have both passed away. And she also woke up only to find out that everything that the Uchiha clan and she have fought for had all came to naught when the clan had willingly submitted themselves under the rule of their most hated enemy and rival – the Senju clan. She woke up only to find that the world has changed tremendously from when she had last remembered it, and for some strange unexplained reason, she found that she can't truly die of old age now.

Sayo knew Seina well enough to know that she had best leave her alone for a few days to let her get her bearings back, and for her to sort her own thoughts out by herself. Finally, as she watched Seina fell down again, Sayo couldn't stand by and watch this anymore. She quickly strode towards the door of the rehabilitation room and opened it, walking towards Seina just as she is attempting to pull herself up. Sayo then grabbed Seina by the arm, and pulled her to her feet.

Seina grabbed hold of the bars and glanced at Sayo before looking away once again. "I said that I don't need any help!" she snapped. "I'm not that weak to actually need your help to walk!"

Sayo blinked as she heard and recognised the emotions in Seina's voice as embarrassment and fury as well as frustration. Embarrassment that she couldn't even do something as simple as walk. Fury and frustration over the fact that so many things have changed from when she had last remembered it.

Sayo was silent for several moments before looking at Seina. Before the latter can attempt to walk again, Sayo grabbed Seina by her shoulder, and forcibly turned her around, making sure to grab her arm so that she wouldn't fall over again. Seina was surprised when she turned to look straight into Sayo's eyes. She had never seen such an expression in Sayo's eyes before. Not even when several bodies of their clan members were brought back during a particular fierce battle with the Senju clan had Sayo had such a look on her face.

She is a ninja as well, just like Seina herself, Izuna and Madara. Just like everyone in the clan. When she had chosen to be a ninja, she had long accepted the fact that deaths and sacrifices are something that is bound to happen in their line of work. That is why Seina had chosen to be a medic-nin in the first place, and why Sayo had chosen to be a tactician.

The simple fact alone that they have both seen and witnessed for themselves the sacrifices of so many lives, both comrade and enemy. Humans are cruel, that is true. But ninjas can be even crueller. And as tactician and medic, both Sayo and Seina knew this most of all. Human nature only proves that people can only realise the true value of what is most precious to them when they've lost it. Sayo can't speak for Seina, but that is the reason why she had chosen to be a tactician. It is simply that small simple desire to prevent more loss of life.

Sayo's eyes were both furious and saddened as she looked at Seina, having the eyes of someone who had seen several wars and battles, and had taken as many lives as many as she had saved.

"Damn it, Seina, just listen to me!" Sayo snapped, and this took Seina aback. This is the first time that she had seen or even heard Sayo cursing or even coming close to losing both her patience and temper. Of the four of them, Sayo is the most patient of their lot. She has to be – she is a tactician after all, and to be a tactician means lots of waiting as their enemy makes their move before she makes her next move. "Look, I can't say that I understand what you're going through now, as I still had Madara with me, and I've actually seen how the world had changed with my own eyes. But I'll be damned if I lose you too. I didn't wait for over fifty years for you to awaken only for you to immediately kick the bucket immediately after doing so!" Sayo said harshly. "I promised Izuna that I'd protect you. I couldn't save him. But the least that I could do is to make sure that you live at least!"

There was a very long silence after that, and Seina turned her head away. "If this is what I had to face after waking up, I wished that I had never woken up," she muttered. "It would have been better if you had just killed me whilst I'm still asleep. At the very least, I can at least see Izuna and Haru again where I'm going."

"That thought crossed my mind before." Sayo stated, and Seina turned back to face her. "But later, I decided that I can't do it. I want you to see with your own eyes just how much the shinobi world has changed. I want you to see with your own eyes just how much your son had done for the clan, and how much it had flourished since then. I want you to see with your own eyes this world that isn't wrecked with battles and wars eternally any longer. But more than anything, I want to see you open your eyes again and continue living, no matter how hard it is. That is the Seina that I knew!" Sayo loosened her grip on Seina's shoulder. "You can hate me. You can hate Madara. I wouldn't blame you for it. We are partially to blame for Izuna's death after all. But I can't let you hate yourself or even let you give up on yourself! Too many lives have been lost. I can't let you become another one."

Seina was silent for a long time. "…I'm sorry," she said at last. "It's just… The world that I woke up in is different from the one that I went to sleep in. I might as well be just dreaming for all I know. I…"

"I know," said Sayo with a sigh. "But at least get your strength back. We're going to need your help to deal with Raven's Gate."

Seina stared. "Raven's Gate?"

Sayo slapped her forehead inwardly. She had forgotten that Seina is already in a coma when those guys have attacked back then. She wouldn't know who they are. The redhead then sighed, preparing herself for a long story.

'This is going to take awhile…'

After the brief 'talk' with Seina, Sayo then walked down the hallways of the hospital, taking a route that she is quite familiar with by now, her mind too preoccupied with thoughts of Seina to even acknowledge the bows of respect that the passing doctors, nurses and medics were giving to the wife of their village leader.

Finally, Sayo's feet took her into the restricted section of the hospital where only the most serious emergency cases were referred to, or even the care for enemies. Two members of MOON – the equivalent of the ANBU in Konoha were standing guard at the entrance, and they both nodded to Sayo respectfully as she strode in.

The restricted section was extremely silent, and only the most skilled of doctors and medic-nins were allowed entry in, due to the sensitivity of some cases. Finally, Sayo stood before a cream coloured door with the silver plaque on it with the red words '609' inscribed across it, and pushed the door opened, entering the room.

One doctor and one medic-nin were both present in the room, alongside a nurse who was writing something in a clipboard – standard procedure for every patient in the restricted section of the hospital. All three looked up as Sayo entered, and they bowed respectfully to her.

"Sayo-sama." The doctor greeted as he examined the slumbering patient currently on the bed, with bandages covering half of his body, along with bandages concealing the right side of his face – in a fashion similar to Danzo after he had lost his eye in a battle during his youth.

"How is it going?" Sayo asked.

"Well, the seal that you've placed on him to keep him unconscious for the past six months or so had been working so far," said the medic-nin, glancing up at Sayo even as her hand glowed with green healing chakra. "It is going to take a long process to reset and re-grow all the crushed bones on his right side, and an even longer process to reconstruct his missing right eye from the structure and DNA that we've taken from his left eye."

Sayo sighed. "I really have to thank Shin for this," she muttered beneath her breath. "If he hadn't been passing through the forest, and sensed the faint lingering chakra in that collapsed cave, this boy would have died even without anyone realising that he's still alive in there."

"Our medical knowledge in Tsuki are considerably more advanced than anywhere else, thanks to Sayo-sama," said the nurse. "We can probably take the seal off him in another year or so once all his bones are back to normal, and his eye had completely re-grown itself."

Sayo nodded silently, not taking her eyes off of the slumbering twelve-year-old asleep on the bed, with bandages covering the entire right side of his body and face. If it were any other village, this boy would have already died before the first day. Similar to Konoha, Tsuki uses seals in most of their emergency treatments, though theirs are more advanced, as Sayo is always adding more methods and ways to their medical registry and books, and Madara had also placed it as a regulation that all medical personnel are to attend lectures and training sessions every three months to brush up on their skills.

Even Senju Tsunade who had now gained quite a reputation for herself as the world's foremost medical specialist would probably drool at all the medical facilities, methods and treatments that they have in Tsuki. And it also helps that a great number of medical herbs and plants grew in Tsuki no kuni. Several of the other villages often did trading or purchasing of those herbs and plants from them, though Madara controlled that aspect quite strictly so as not to damage the ecosystem.

Sayo barely noticed when the three in the room with her excused themselves politely, stating that they have other patients to see. The redhead walked nearer to the bed until she is standing on the side of the bed, studying the slumbering child's face. He looked so innocent and so relaxed in this vulnerable state, and Sayo's lips twitched slightly as he kind of reminded her of Madara when he is asleep.

"You sure had the devil's luck in you." Sayo muttered. "If Shin hadn't been passing by, no one would have realised that you are in there, and that you could still have been saved. But never did I expect that Shin would have saved another Uchiha." Sayo then smiled and walked towards the door, ready to head out on her next mission to the now destroyed land of Ice in search of a rare ice flower that is said to have amazing healing properties. "I would love to hear everything about the Uchiha clan from you once you've woken up, Uchiha Obito."

XXXXXX

ANBU Roots' Headquarters
Konohagakure no sato

Shimura Danzo had always prided himself on his emotional self-control.

That had been the first thing that his teacher had drilled into his head; that no matter what he is feeling, he must never wear his emotions on his sleeve. That is one of the reasons why Sarutobi and his two other teammates have never won against him in poker even once during their youth.

But right now, Danzo found his ever eternal composure cracking as he stared at his 'kouhai' with a look on his face like Orochimaru had just grown two new heads.

Danzo groaned to himself, palming his face, and Orochimaru grinned sheepishly, scratching at his cheek with one finger idly. "I must say that you're either crazy or you had just gone nuts, or maybe even both." Danzo stated bluntly. "Orochimaru, I understand that you miss Sayo-sensei, and wanted to see her again, given the fact that she had practically raised you before I had taken over for her. But you don't have to pass yourself off as a missing-nin just to locate sensei!"

Orochimaru's face turned solemn at that. "Shimura-sempai, you and I both know that practically the ENTIRE village, sans for the Uchiha clan and perhaps Jiraiya believed that Sayo-sensei and Madara-sama are traitors. High profile ones, given the fact that they've killed the Shodaime himself. If I tell Sarutobi-sensei that I wanted to look for one of the two most notorious 'traitors' in Leaf history, do you honestly think that he'll let me go? And even if I said nothing about it, he'll find it suspicious why I suddenly wished to leave the village when I rarely leave sans for missions, that is. I much preferred spending time in my lab than leaving the village."

There was a long silence before Danzo sighed. "I can't make you change your mind, can I?" he stated more than questioned, and Orochimaru shook his head. "It is true that I have lots of ways to make you out to be a notorious missing-nin, but do you realise just how many people that you'll hurt by doing this? Anko-chan, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Hizuren. And maybe even Itachi-kun."

"Something just doesn't feel right to me." Orochimaru admitted. "Sensei's appearance back then at the camp during the war. Then nearly two months ago during the Kyuubi attack. I don't know all the details, but Jiraiya told me what Minato had told him. He said that a strange man released the Kyuubi from Kushina, and if it weren't for the high medic skill of Hanesawa as well as the sealing ability of Kaiga, Kushina would have been dead! Then that strange nin who had forced the Kyuubi back to Hell by whatever unknown method that he or she had used. That person had probably saved lots of lives that night, maybe even Konoha itself. I am worried. Something is afoot."

Danzo was silent for a long time before he sighed. "I understand," he said at last. "I'll fulfil your request. But Sayo-sensei wouldn't be happy. She told me to look after you. And you hadn't seen her when she is angry, Orochimaru."

"Well, then that's just too bad for her."

XXXXXX

Unknown Location
Kori no kuni

"This is it…" Sayo muttered to herself as she bent down and carefully dug around the snow covered ground around the flower that she is searching for, placing it in a special chakra enforced container that she had brought with her so that the flower doesn't wilt.

The land of Ice had been destroyed some thirty or forty years back during the First Great Ninja War, and there have been several rumours about this place ever since. But what most people didn't know is that the land of Ice is a goldmine for rare minerals and even rare flowers that held amazing healing properties. And it is a rare flower with healing properties that Sayo is in search of now, hoping to study it carefully and see if the properties of this flower can help Seina and Obito in any way. And if it is even possible to reproduce this flower in Tsuki no kuni.

Sayo then pushed the coat sleeve of her left forearm upwards, revealing several strange looking black seals that looked rather like tattoos in the forms of swirls, lines and even patterns. Each 'line' or 'pattern' is actually a representation of a single seal. Among those seals are storage seals; even fuuin jutsu for some of her favourite techniques so that she doesn't have to form the handseals to perform that jutsu; and even summon seals for her summon wolves.

With a sigh, Sayo focused some chakra onto an 'empty' storage seal, and with a 'poof', the container that contains the ice flower vanished. Sayo then straightened herself up. "Well, let's go home," she muttered.

But before the redhead could even open up a portal to transport herself back to Tsuki, her eyes widened and she spun around towards the direction where she could see several snow mountains, and by the looks of things, a blizzard is also starting to pick up. She could sense a faint chakra signature in that direction, and while Sayo would usually ignore such a thing, she didn't this time as she recognised that chakra signature.

"Orochimaru?"

XXXXXX

Orochimaru shivered violently as a particularly violent wind blew past him, wrapping his arms around his torso to try to keep warm, to no avail. All he had on is his jounin uniform which is more suited for a warm climate like Fire Country, not a freaking cold climate like the land of Ice that seems as if a blizzard is about to rain down on his head soon!

The snake summoner had no idea how he had even gotten here in the first place as well. Danzo had done his job a little too thoroughly, and he had ended up getting chased by nearly half the population of ANBUs and jounins in the village, with his best friend and teammate in their midst, before he utilised his shunshin no jutsu, adding as much chakra into it as possible, trying to take himself out of Fire Country, and the next thing that he knew is that he had ended up in the land of Ice.

His muscles are starting to lose their feeling, and Orochimaru could barely feel his nose or even his ears – a bad sign, as that probably meant that he is slowly developing frostbite.

"…so cold…" Orochimaru slurred, wrapping his arms around his torso, but to no avail. "…so cold… Sensei…" A faint image of a smiling redhead appeared in his mind, stretching her hand out to him – just like the time when he had first followed her when his village was destroyed by bandits. "…Sayo-sensei… Where are you? I want to see you… Sensei…" Orochimaru almost sounded like the scared little boy that he had been when Sayo had first brought him to the Leaf village. The snake summoner then fell face-first onto the snow-covered ground, his legs numbing out. "…Sensei…"

As darkness slowly overtakes his mind, Orochimaru could have sworn that he heard a faint crunching sound of snow beneath boots…

Orochimaru awakened again to a feeling of warmth and bliss, and for a moment, he wondered why until he realised that at least three thick blankets were covering his frame, and the faint cackle of flames reaches his ears. He then opened his eyes blearily only to see the ceiling of what seemed like a cave, with shadows dancing on the ceiling and walls.

"You're finally up," said a voice, and Orochimaru turned only to see a redhead that he is fairly familiar with sitting atop an overturned crate, poking at the fire in front of her with a stick, several roasted fishes and birds roasting over the fire. "You gave me quite a scare when I found you. I thought that I would be too late. Frostbite had literally set in every inch of your body, and it took me over three hours to thaw you out. And what the hell do you think that you are doing, coming into the land of Ice with such thin clothing on? Eh, Orochimaru?" Uchiha Sayo glanced at Orochimaru disapprovingly. "I didn't teach you to be so reckless. Shinobis are devious. Shinobis are cunning. And shinobis are subtle. Kindly explain to me just how such reckless actions are wise?"

Orochimaru stared at Sayo for a long time without speaking as he sat up, uncomfortably realising the fact that he only had on a pair of pants and nothing else, his clothes hanging over a makeshift clothesline above his head. "S-Sensei?"

Sayo smiled gently at Orochimaru. "It's been a long time, Orochimaru," she said. "And you're as reckless as ever. Though you've grown. I've been hearing your name mentioned in various places." She then got up and squatted down in front of Orochimaru, placing one head on the top of his head and looking him in the eye like how she always had when he was a kid. "But like always, you're such a cry-baby." She muttered, wiping away the tears pooling around his eyes with her thumb. "It looks cute when you're a cute brat, but kind of weird now that you're a grown-up, Orochimaru. Stop crying. Ninjas don't cry at the slightest thing."

Orochimaru smiled weakly at Sayo. "As always, sensei is as harsh as always," he muttered. "I had never believed that you're dead. But sensei, why did you leave?"

Sayo flinched before she closed her eyes and opening them again. "Well, we have our reasons," she said at last. She then looked at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, will you hear me out? I need your help with something."

XXXXXX

ANBU Roots' Headquarters
Konohagakure no sato

Shimura Danzo is slowly dozing off in his chair as he looked through the reports of the new recruits for Roots when a light tapping at his window caused him to jerk awake with a light start. The Roots' commander then turned towards his window only to see an eagle tapping at the window with its beak, a scroll tied to the tube around its right leg.

"Huh? A message?" Danzo frowned as he got up and let the eagle in, untying the scroll from its leg before watching the eagle flew off. "Doesn't seem to be Konoha's. We use pigeons for bird messengers, not eagles."

Danzo then shrugged slightly before checking the scroll carefully for any booby traps and whatnot. He is the Roots' commander after all, not everyone wanted him to live to a ripe old age. Finally, Danzo opened the scroll when it doesn't seem to have any traps, and his eyes widened slightly when he recognised that elegant handwriting immediately.

'Danzo,

Looks like I've taught you a little too well. You actually succeed in making Orochimaru out to be a missing-nin of the highest order so that no one would be able to guess that he had gone searching for Madara and me.

Don't worry, he's with me now. Though I'll be asking him to do a little job for me. I won't tell you where we are right now as there is no telling if this letter will fall in the wrong hands. But first things first, Orochimaru told me everything that had happened ever since I've left the village.

I'm proud of you, Danzo. You did everything that you could to protect the village and the people within, even nearly crippling yourself when doing so. Never believe what others would say, as long as you yourself knew that your conscience is clear, and that you've done nothing to make others believe otherwise.

From the start, ANBU Roots is an underground organisation of Konoha to deal with all the messiest and darkest missions that would never see the light of day. Do not care what the council would say otherwise. Even they must know that Konoha needs the continued existence of Roots.

Onto more important matters: a storm is coming, Danzo. Be prepared for it. Watch over the Uchiha clan as well. I've been hearing disturbing news and rumours about them from both Orochimaru and the outside. And with the Kyuubi attack, the council is sure to be suspicious of them, since the last known person who can control the bijuus apart from Senju Hashirama is Madara.

Destroy this letter once you've finished reading it, and take care of yourself.

-Sayo'

A/N: Next chapter: the Uchiha massacre! And about Seina, yes, I know that I've made her a little too angsty, but do put yourself in her shoes. She woke up only to find out that over fifty years had passed. Her husband and son are both dead, as is nearly everyone that she knew. The world that she knew has changed tremendously. And she can't even do the most basic things like walk. Yeah, if I'm her, I'll also probably snap.

Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!