Kana imagined that, when Itachi died, she would be an emotional wreck. She had assumed that she would be curled up in bed, nearly drowning in the tears that would fill her pillow until it was sodden heavy in weight. She figured that she would spend weeks wallowing in her grief, crying until she choked on her own saliva, just like when he left the village all those years ago.

Silver-white eyes glowed dimly in her reflection, just bright enough to symbolize that Kana's chakra network was active.

Though, in reality, it most likely had something to do with the fact that Kana didn't feel anything. There wasn't the sensation of numbness, or the feeling of an aching hole in her chest where her heart had been, like books and shinobi dealing with grief had described. Instead, it felt as if… As if a void had opened up in her chest that removed every ounce of emotion until there was nothing but vacuity in its place. Like someone had used a rusted spoon to scoop out all of her insides so that only the shell of her scarred body remained.

Taking care of Itachi's corpse had been a miserable act requested by the man that she knew would soon be leading their dwindling organization. Kana had removed his eyes so that his younger brother could use them in the future, like a present bought long in advance for Christmas. When she buried him, she took the time to carefully braid his hair into elegant pleats that curled over his thin, bony chest. Kana removed his cloak and hitai ate before disrobing him completely so he could be buried in proper funeral attire which had been purchased just hours earlier.

An old bracelet made of plastic beads, decorated with the Shimi and Uchiha clan insignias, adorned his sickly pale wrist as he was placed in his final resting place, a place where no one would ever be able to find.

Kana liked to think that the trinket of their happiest days together would bring him comfort in his eternal solitude.

Kisame was gone. Where he was, she had no idea. She only knew that Obito, in a sense, finally revealed that he wasn't the simple, stupid Tobi that the organization had become familiar with, but the mastermind that had approached him in the dead of night so many years before.

The three white rings of jagged, uneven dashes were all that remained of his presence.

Try as she might, she couldn't blame him for leaving without a goodbye. When everything about their friendship, if you could call it a friendship, revolved around the existence of a singular third party, there wasn't much to maintain when the life of that person was so abruptly snuffed out.

Sasuke slipped in and out of consciousness as the worst of his wounds healed – Obito had made it clear that he wanted the teenager to heal on his own, as opposed to being immediately brought to full health, just in case he struck out at them in his grief. Once he had been patched up and removed from the dangerous edge of death Kana made sure to stay out of his sight, only checking in on him once he was fast asleep. She couldn't face him.

Oh, well. He was gone now, anyways – snatched up by that Uzumaki girl and the rest of the ragtag team that he formed.

She didn't hate him. Itachi had ultimately been killed by a heart attack, a direct result of putting too much strain on the long-since weakened muscle. This was what he had wanted, anyways, and Itachi's wish had always been Kana's command.

Pulling the Akatsuki cloak over her bare shoulders and fastening the snaps made Kana realize that she could hardly feel the sensation of the fabric brushing over her skin; maybe some part of her brain that acknowledged all feeling had just been obliterated in a form of short-circuiting.

The halls of the compound Obito resided in were carved into a small mountain and were dark and cool as she stepped out of the room that had been designated as hers. Yuki, who had been waiting patiently with a medical text the size of her own head, jumped up from the floor to fall into step just as their routine demanded: Get up with the sun to begin studying, follow Kana for training, eat, train more, eat, study while Kana managed an Akatsuki assignment until the sun went down.

Today, however, there would be no lessons.

"You will train on your own today," she said quietly as they turned a corner, "Work on your endurance."

The young girl frowned and radiated disappointment but didn't offer any protest per the strict rules she had learned to live with. Kana knew she would rather spend their morning sparring; it something that she had come to genuinely enjoy as her taijutsu improved and looked forward to their matches. Unfortunately, since raising and training Yuki was something that Kana had to do on her own now that Itachi and Kisame were no longer in the picture, she wasn't able to indulge the child as often as she would like.

"I will be working with Madara for a few days. Go to him if you have something important to ask, but don't bother him," her voice rang in the narrow space of the stairwell, "Use your alone time wisely. You will be tested on your progress once we are finished."

There was a small flash of light at the mention of the Uchiha has Yuki grew uncomfortable, 'He makes me nervous… The monsters, too.'

This wasn't particularly surprising – Kana could feel the child's anxiety spike whenever she saw one of the Zetsu prowling about the hideout, presumably searching for Obito to relay new intel, and whenever Obito was close enough for his chakra signature to be overwhelming. Yuki could feel the menacing aura he had about him but it was his weird, muddled chakra that left her feeling unsettled.

Kana stopped and abruptly turned on her heel so that she was eye level with the child, "Good. He could kill either of us, and will if he thinks we're no longer useful."

Another bright flash from Yuki's eyes, 'But isn't he on our side?'

"We're working together to achieve the same goal," she corrected, "But he isn't like the others. He isn't our friend, or our comrade. He's dangerous…" Kana realized how cold her voice had become when she saw goosebumps appear on the exposed flesh of the girl's arms while her small hands fiercely wrung the hem of her shirt anxiously.

She slapped at her wrists and narrowed her eyes, "I told you to get a handle on your emotions instead of letting them bleed all over the place. If I were an enemy I could use that against you – body language can be what gets you killed in a battle. Do you understand? This is why you wear your mask."

Yuki stiffened, 'I'm sorry, master.'

"It's my fault. I was too distracted to be as strict as I should have," Kana stepped back and gestured towards the door in a silent command, "If Madara and the Zetsu frighten you, use your time here to teach yourself to control your body language."

As the kunoichi began to make her way down the stairs she felt a sharp tug on her cloak. Twisting to look over her shoulder she saw Yuki peering up at her with flickering, uncertain eyes.

Before she could ask what the hell she was doing, Kana heard, 'Are… Are we..?'

Oh.

She frowned and reached out with two fingers to poke the child's forehead, "I will take care of you."

There was an empty disappointment in Yuki's thoughts that mixed into her small feeling of relief, but there was also the understanding that the chance of her getting anything more of a response was slim. She allowed her hand to slip away from the Akatsuki cloak, and turned to pass through the entryway that would take her to the large area used for training.

Judging by the way there seemed to be a constant hope for acknowledgement in the back of her mind, Kabuto must have peppered Yuki with attention during her time with the Sound shinobi – if it wasn't him, someone else sure as hell did. Kana almost felt bad for her.

Almost.

Guilt or no guilt, she wondered if maybe she should at least make an attempt to pander to the child's needs. It could prove to be beneficial in the sense that it could boost her morale which, in turn, could increase her reliability as a weapon in the field...

It'd be tough to find the right balance, though. Where did one draw the line between a master-apprentice relationship and a caring one?

Had she the frame of mind, Kana would have scoffed at herself for immediately wishing Kakashi was around to provide advice. It would be a miracle within itself if he didn't attempt to strike her down on sight.

The halls echoed with her footsteps, quiet as they were, as she closed the distance between herself and the small laboratory that was easily as disturbing as the one Danzo had in the Root compound. Dozens upon dozens of eyeballs floating in individual compartments full of preservative fluids made up just one wall of the high-ceiling room. It made Kana feel like she was being watched by Obito's fallen kin, each one judging her as shrewdly as they did Kakashi for wielding the Sharingan.

Tucked away in a corner was an unrecognizable specimen that looked as if it may have once bore resemblance to Black Zetsu, but had long since been warped into something more akin to a black blob with tentacles protruding from all angles. Perpendicular to the black being was a man with white flesh and light purple, almost grey, hair that would probably fall around his shoulders if it didn't float in the same viscous fluid that maintained the molecular structure of Obito's Sharingan collection. His eyes were closed and his body was mostly curled in on itself but Kana could still see the five tomoe tattooed down his spine due to his lack of covering. He was alive in the sense that his soul had yet to depart to the Pure Land, though she could tell that it had been a long time since he had been put into that chamber.

The center of the room was clearly the laboratory's main attraction. There was an assortment of high-grade homogeneous lights hanging from the ceiling that provided ample light for the stone slab that could only be recognized as an operating table, if the small metal carts littered with various medical tools were of any indication. Scalpels, needles in sterile packaging, an IV drip, a number of medications, bandages, electrocardiography and electroencephalography machines decorated the carts that were meticulously placed around the table, as well as a gurney that was directly parallel to it.

To anyone else the sight would have probably been intimidating, especially the sight of the four machines full of different fluids with thick plastic tubes connected to their bases. Kana had no doubt in her mind that this was probably going to be an excruciating experience but was riding on the assumption that Obito wouldn't screw her over, if only for the sake of the success of his own plans. If he wanted her dead then he would have made it so by this point.

"Punctual as ever," a familiar voice called with the clang of a metal door being shut.

Kana's only response was to begin unsnapping the cloak that hung loosely from her frame. She had done a good job at gaining back most of her lost weight, as well as rebuilding some of the muscle that had long since melted away, but Konan's frame was still large enough for the gifted fabric to nearly swallow her body whole.

Having become accustomed to her silence by this point, or the intermittent curt responses that came as needed, Obito made his way over to the center of the laboratory where the operating table was and gestured for her to lie down with flourish.

A part of her wondered if he was going to be the one performing the procedure. As far as Kana knew he didn't have any experience as a doctor but, on the other hand, he was someone that had been presumably crushed to death as a child and had an entire wall full of Sharingan…

Either way, she found herself stepping out of the cloak that pooled at her feet before climbing onto the table with a little hop. The stone was cold and bit at her naked flesh as she positioned herself so that she was lying directly beneath the array of harsh surgical lightheads that burned her sensitive eyes.

"There will be no complications with the use of anesthesia, I presume?" another voice asked whilst tearing open the package containing a peripheral needle, "This will be extremely unpleasant for you, otherwise."

Out of everything that could go wrong, Kana had to admit that a violent reaction to anesthesia wasn't on that had crossed her mind. She shook her head and closed her eyes against the too-bright florescent bulbs, listening to the faint sounds of steel tools clinking against one another as they were jostled when Obito pulled a cart closer to him. There was the brief sting of the needle puncturing the flesh of her inner elbow and, subsequently, one of the purple veins just beneath it.

"I want you to attack the girl," she said quietly as she felt cool conductive gel being dabbed lightly along her forehead and temples, "Don't break anything. I just want to make sure she's been listening."

"Throwing her to the wolf at such a young age," another voice purred while placing electrodes over the gel, "You're ruthless."

Kana's eyes snapped open to see Kabuto Yakushi's face come into view, one hand raised as he snapped a fresh pair of latex gloves over his hands.

"What the fuck."

He forced a smile that masked obvious irritation while powering on a monitor, "Why good morning, Kageri," he chirped, "I'm beginning to think you dislike me, as vulgar as you are." Kabuto turned to a nearby aluminum tray with a sigh that she knew was just for show.

Swirling eyes shifted over to Obito, who had finished setting up the IV by this point, to deliver an accusing stare. Even if she had just been wondering about his abilities in the medical field, that didn't mean she wanted Orochimaru's former lackey handling the procedure; he was just as twisted as his old master was.

"Kabuto has years of experience as a doctor, as well as gene splicing," the Uchiha explained nonchalantly, "He wishes to obtain enough trust to form an alliance. This is one way he can do so."

So… Kana was being used as a bargaining chip? Her eyes drifted back to the Sound-nin's face, which looked like he had violently merged with a snake if the scaled texture of his skin and the reptilian eyes were anything to go by. Did he absorb Orochimaru? If he did, he did a pretty rough job at it…

"Tell me, how does one such as yourself maintain such a sickly complexion despite being outdoors so frequently?"

Kana stared intently at the doctor's face as he marked four points on her chest with more conductive gel, "How does an expert in DNA grafting manage to make himself look like a shitty Orochimaru knockoff?"

Kabuto's tone was obviously irritated as he covered the gel points with electrodes, "Must you insist on using such an unpleasant tone with me? I'd appreciate it if you put a little more faith in me – I truly do wish to help you, Kageri."

Had she the frame of mind Kana would have frowned. Was he trying to win points by using her given name? If anything, she should give him credit for trying this long; it wasn't as if Kana had made things any easier for him. Despite the teasing dramatic flair on his part, she was beginning to feel as if his attempts at gaining her trust were genuine as the look of disappointment continued to flash behind his confident demeanor.

"Quit acting as if I'm more than just a test subject for you to play doctor on," she said flatly, letting her eyes close to shield her retinas from the rough lighting, "You have nothing to gain from me."

"Oh, quite the contrary," he purred, "I have much to gain just in research, alone, from you. I've never been so fortunate to have the opportunity to work on such a magnificent specimen. I would gladly endure your crass mouth if it meant I could learn more about two beautifully rare creatures such as yourselves."

Two?

"When we are finished, you will be a most exquisite creature to behold," Obito agreed.

The heart monitor skipped a beep.

Yuki!

Before she could think too deeply into the matter, the anesthesia finally made its way into her system and knocked her out.

Yuki liked her master.

It had been a couple of months since she had been taken from Kabuto - or more, she wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that it already felt so long since their meeting, and her hair had grown from her shoulders to the bottom of her sternum.

Kabuto and Lord Orochimaru used to only let her outside every now and then to prevent a vitamin deficiency, or when it was her birthday. Most of the time, though, Yuki spent her days in the dimly-lit facility with the other people. Her new master let her outside. She took her through rainy forests and arid mountains and taught her how to swim. The sun hurt her eyes and sometimes burned her skin but it didn't bother her because, for the first time, Yuki was free.

It wasn't easy. More often than not she was falling asleep with her entire body aching with a new bandage. Her days were usually spent training in ninjutsu and taijutsu, or studying until she fell asleep, and Master Kana never smiled or rewarded her for her efforts no matter how hard she worked.

She never did much of anything in terms of conversation, really. Her master never told stories or talked about her interests, though Yuki imagined that she must have really liked Kisame; she used to snuggle with him and it was the only time she didn't look sad. Similarly, she never asked about what foods Yuki liked or asked about her past, and always shrugged her off when she asked about something not directly related to training. She always looked sad around Itachi, though. She was never given the specifics but Yuki knew that he was really sick before he died; he was always throwing up or shivering under blankets when Kana wasn't using medical ninjutsu to fight his disease.

Yuki was sad when he died, even if she didn't get to know him very well. Itachi always nice and shared his dango with her.

There were moments that made the struggle worth it, however. Every now and then Yuki would regain consciousness long enough to feel her master massaging her sore legs or tending to a particularly deep wound, or simply braiding her hair while singing quietly. Yuki always made sure to keep her eyes shut and feign sleep as to not ruin the moment, but savored the rare displays of tenderness as they came.

Moments such as those were what make Yuki know that her master cared, and that was all she needed. It felt more genuine than they way Kabuto always tried to appeal to her without allowing her any fun.

That was why Yuki sat by her master as she slept even as her sprained shoulder throbbed angrily. She knew it had been a test; her master wanted to make sure that she was strong. That was why Madara had dislocated her hip while she was eating her donburi. Yuki wondered if she passed as her eyes carefully watched her master's sleeping face.

Whatever happened the day she went into the bottom level with Madara, it was causing enough changes that the child found herself feeling genuinely fearful for her life. Her hair was no longer black, but a pale lavender that was closer to white than any other color on the spectrum, as well as her eyebrows and lashes. And, even though Yuki had carefully healed all of the incisions and abrasions caused by whatever multitude of surgeries she had apparently gone under, her master slept fitfully and groaned as if she were in extreme pain.

Every couple of hours someone would come in with a clipboard to look at the different machines and poke at her body before writing things down. It was usually Kabuto more often than Madara, who only stopped in maybe twice a day.

Seeing her former instructor had been a large surprise, to say the least. However, it wasn't as much of a surprise as when Yuki caught a glimpse of her master's eyes when they were pried open for inspection.

They weren't glowing anymore like they used to, when they nearly identical to her own in every way. Instead they seemed to alternate between different hues, red, purple and black, but never white and, when she had snuck a peek when no one was around, there was a strange ring-like pattern with same tomoe that Yuki had seen in Itachi's eyes when he used his Sharingan.

The young girl knew that her master wore goggles near-constantly to hide her eyes, so it was possible that this wasn't a new occurrence, but it still left her feeling worried.

When she asked Kabuto, he only gave her one of his knowing smiles that used to make her chest feel warm, but now only made her realize that it was more of a subtle sneer. Madara always wore that strange one-eyed mask so she couldn't see his facial expression, though he simply told her to be patient and wait for Kageri to wake up.

Yuki didn't know who Kageri was. Was that her master's name? Was there someone else? Why was Kabuto there? What was happening?

There were so many questions; she hoped her master would answer them when she woke up.

Beep.

There was some sort of whooshing sound.

Beep.

Wind was rushing against her face.

Beep.

No… Not wind. Any shinobi that had spent time in the hospital knew the distinctive smell and flavor of oxygen.

Beep.

'My chest hurts…'

Beep.

Kana tried to lift her hand but it felt like her entire body was made of lead. The most she could manage was twitch her hand, but she could still feel the bite of something cold press against her skin, as well as the smooth material of something draped over her body.

Beep, beep.

Even in her dazed state, she knew that she was still in the cold laboratory that was cut out of stone. Someone had covered her with a sheet.

Beep, beep, beep.

Pain.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

It hurt.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

Everything hurt.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

It hurt. It hurt. Ithurt. Ithurtithurtithurt.

Beebeebeebeebeebebeebeebeep.

"… Woke… Anesthesia… Fight…"

Beebeebeebeebeebeebeebeebeebeebeep.

"Heart can't… Put…"

There were bodies around her. Kana knew their voices. She didn't care. Her body felt as if it was being shredded to pieces and lit on fire. Years ago, she didn't think it was possible, but this was exponentially worse than the pain of the curse mark during its manifesting period.

Her mind went foggy, and Kana fell back into a dreamless sleep.

Note: Imma be dicking around with some canon for a bit. It's not going to be sacrilegious (People who die, still die, and vice versa) but I needed to make the whole Kabuto-wants-to-be-frans-with-Madara thing happen a little faster than canon allowed. I want her to get back to the Leaf soon and that just wasn't going to happen if I waited for Obito's big reveal of the White Zetsu army and Kabuto's Impure World nonsense.

I also have been getting a lot of questions from people who figured out the alien thing. No, Kana isn't gonna have rainbow eyes. This is something I had planned and (mostly) written ages ago when I started to think about exploiting Kishimoto's insistence on providing next to no information on the aliens and their inherent abilities.