At last, this shit-show of a wait is over. Maybe, if I'd published a chapter last night, Britain wouldn't have left the EU? Bullshit prophecies like that are always fun to make up.
Review response time!
1. OneLunchMan: Oh, I agree, Danzo is easily the scummiest character in the series just because he's the one who fucked up so much for so many other people. Still, he does have a certain honor about him regarding Konoha and its people...sometimes. Also, a confession: unfortunately, my PC can't run Overwatch, so I'm relegated to only getting to play it when I go to visit my girlfriend (a 650 mile/10 hour & 30 minute road trip) because for some reason I spend money on her and not myself. Like a fucking sucker. HOWEVER, as soon as I have a rig that can play, (because I don't want to get stuck with a console version of the game, you feel me?) you'll be the first to know.
I almost wish I wasn't so nice to her, but god, she just gets the happiest look on her face whenever I do anything that's either kind or unprompted and that makes my stupidity worth something.
2. Drake Vallion: Would...would you believe that I didn't think about that consequence until after you said something? I forgot how family trees worked. I'm ridiculous. Either way, yes. And as far as dropping off the map; don't worry about it, man, I know that life or side projects get in the way of things like reading fic. I hope you'll be able to at least stick around and read, though!
Speaking of dropping off the map, has anyone heard from draven32? He hasn't reviewed in a few chapters and I'm curious.
3. Noahendless: Well, canonically, it would only make sense that they exchange eyes; Itachi's status as a high-powered nukenin mandates that only similarly strong opponents are coming after him in an attempt to kill him, which necessitates that he'll need to use the Mangekyou in order to survive. Following logic, this means that Itachi's eyesight is already extremely weak by the time he appears after the end of the Chunin Exams, and it would stand to reason that he'd be nearly blind by the time he died; enough that a ruthless Itachi would have been able to use the Izanagi to circumvent death and take Sasuke's eyes.
As for the other part of that...I don't know. I have some pretty mixed feelings about what happened at the end of the series, and I feel like Kishimoto did that in order to meet a chapter length so that he'd be able to end on exactly 700 chapters. I don't particularly care about the whole reincarnation bit except as symbolism, nothing actually concrete. It would be just as easy to say, "they're just like the Rikudo Sennin's sons," rather than, "they're reincarnations of the Rikudo Sennin's sons." You feel me?
4. Lord Bedhead: Yeah, I enjoy subtlety. Overt writing is much easier, but small nuances that get fully revealed and understood later have always felt much more fulfilling to me. Sai was...a decision made to flesh out his character just as much as those of Orochimaru and Tsunade. I try to make my writing enthralling by way of more than just fight scenes, so thanks for that compliment!
5. Aaeru: If it makes you feel any better, FE1/3 have ports on the Nintendo DS (FE11/12) and you can get ROMs for them much more easily than for the originals. If you're going to play Genealogy of the Holy War, though, you may as well play Thracia 776 (its sister game) as well. Those two are the most challenging Fire Emblem games, by a fairly wide margin. Personally, I found Genealogy more difficult, but that's probably because I botched my pairings in the first generation...oops.
I actually like Sai, as a character. I like him more than I like Sasuke, for whom he's the obvious replacement. If you haven't, I'd recommend that you go check out Kenchi618's The Sealed Kunai, which is a pretty legendary fic as far as I'm concerned. It's right up there with LD 1449's Lost Soul as a fic that everybody in the Naruto community needs to read at some point.
Besides...unlike Tobi, Sai is a good boy. He never makes the same mistake twice...except for when he calls Ino beautiful. Oops. Sorry, Mephistbrophles, you brought that one on yourself.
As for politics: I've said it before, I'm a student of the game. I was raised in a collegiate debate environment on issues of internal and foreign policy...taught me how to be really, really effective at shutting people down verbally. At some point, I'm a bit hopeful that political intrigue might actually take center stage in this fic's plot, but we'll have to see where that goes because I'm flying by the seat of my pants here.
4. SaKreD4LIFE: Nagato's an interesting man. I added something to this chapter once I saw your review; maybe it will shed a little bit of light on the subject for you.
Let's get this trainwreck moving.
"Taicho, we're being tailed." Sai said.
"Two people, one male and one female." Neji said.
They were heading toward Kusa no Kuni, and Naruto was now mildly worried. While it could be nothing, as foreign ninja were often shadowed by shinobi from the nation they were inside, Naruto had had a few too many experiences with ninja who operated in pairs. And, if he was unlucky, then the same one would come after him as he always had.
"Hinata, Sasuke, does anything feel off about their chakra? Anything aggressive?"
While Hinata's Byakugan couldn't see quite as far as Neji's, she could feel the, "intention," of the chakra, whether it was about to be used for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, or for healing. The only catch was that she wasn't able to distinguish when neutral chakra was being used, in situations like tree-climbing or water-walking. Sasuke, on the other hand, had manifested a trait in his Sharingan that was somewhat similar to the Hyuuga; he could see chakra, though not the tenketsu, and determine its elemental affinity.
"They're not channeling anything except to travel." Hinata said.
"I can't feel anything." Sasuke said. "Of course, I can't see them, either, so..."
"Yeah, we get it. Everyone, be on high alert."
"Like we aren't already." Tayuya grumbled.
"Slow down, let them catch us. Then we can determine if we should fight them or not."
"Who exactly would you be fighting, Naruto?"
There it was, that damningly calm voice that told Naruto he was out of his depth. To his side and ahead of him, tree-running backwards, was Itachi.
"Son of a bitch...forget a month, I don't even get two weeks before your ass comes to track me down again. What is this to you, a sport? For fuck's sake."
"I feel a little jealous, Itachi-kun." A woman's voice came from behind their group. "You put all this time and effort into searching for a target for a hunt that's been called off, instead of spending it playing with me?"
"Your idea of, 'playing,' isn't exactly what I normally have in mind. Those toys aren't for children, and that collar should go on a dog."
"But, Itachi-kun...no, Itachi Goshujin-sama..."
"Okay, that's enough of that shit." Tayuya growled. "I'm not gonna fuckin' sit through some BDSM-fueled lovers' spat."
She stopped running, and all eight other ninja followed her example.
"Do you, either of you, mind telling us what you're doing?" Sakura asked. "The odds are against you, I suggest you play nice."
"Don't-" Naruto didn't get to finish his warning.
Of course, Itachi was a wanted criminal in every nation of the world. It was practically Sakura's job to stay aware of who and what remained in Konoha's Bingo Book, and Itachi's bounty was leveled at sixteen and a half billion ryo; enough that no sane person would go after him, because the promise of money was worth far less than the amount of skill it would take to bring down Konoha's most dangerous nukenin.
Still, it had been poor judgement on her part to speak so brazenly, as though the enemy's numerical advantage would ever mean anything to Itachi. The Uchiha renegade could count on one hand the ninja he wouldn't want to face in battle; none of them stood before him now. Sakura's words served as nothing but false bravado and an empty threat.
"Was that a challenge?" There was a new, dark tone to Itachi's voice.
The medicine that he'd begun taking to counteract his illness, at Maya's behest, had a side effect; it enhanced his aggression, leading the normally calm Uchiha to greater acts of ferocity. That was why he was always on edge around Tobi, why he had very nearly come to blows with the masked man.
And here he was, being accosted by a fourteen-year-old girl who had barely been a Chunin for a week.
"Itachi-kun, please...it's not like they'd be difficult for you. After all, the Kyuubi is the strongest among them, and I very clearly remember you ragdolling him across Kumogakure's entrance."
"At least he would be able to survive against me." Itachi countered. "That's not something I could say about the rest of them."
"Brother." Sasuke stepped forward. "Why are you here?"
"Because I was ordered to be. You've grown, Sasuke."
Sakura collapsed.
"She looked at my ring, and I cast a Genjutsu. Don't worry, she's not dead."
"You sound upset by that." Sai noted.
"I don't enjoy killing, but I hate teenage girls who act superior to other people. Regardless of her role, if she continues to act like that as the Hokage's apprentice, then she's a liability."
"You still haven't answered the question directly, Itachi." Naruto said. "Why are you here?"
"To join you." The masked woman said. "I am Maya, and I am Itachi-kun's...mmm, partner in the Akatsuki."
"Join?" Neji asked. "One S-ranked nukenin, and someone who we have no frame of reference for except those Sharingan, join us?"
"We were ordered by our leader to eliminate Orochimaru." Maya said, not trusting Itachi to continue talking without further enraging himself. "He told us there was a team from Konoha near the edge of Kusa, and to join up with them."
"Oh, for shit's sake." Naruto groaned. "This is a political nightmare. Holy rice-a-roni, do you even get how fucked we are with that kind of bullshit? Like, the literal second we walk within a hundred miles of civilization, we are going to be struck down by a righteous fucking hand of god. We are-"
"Going to be fine." Itachi interrupted him. "Your task is to destroy Orochimaru's hidden bases. Ours is to kill the man. Therefore, logic dictates that we work together."
"Itachi...look. You're a good man. Fucking crazy, but you haven't killed me at any of the five times we've met, so you're okay with me. But the world is fucking balls-to-the-wall on your ass."
"Naruto, I think the rest of us would like an explanation of what's going on here." Neji said.
"Oh, that's right, you two weren't at the Chunin Exams in Suna, you wouldn't...okay. So, there's an organization called the Akatsuki who are hunting down Jinchuriki. I'm a Jinchuriki, and Itachi is part of the Akatsuki. But, due to information that I'm not at liberty to disclose, Itachi is actually still loyal to Konoha, though that fact is only known to us. He's on our side, but he has to make it look like he's not, except now he's been allowed to look like he is because his leader thinks that he's not. Am I making sense?"
"You're making my brain hurt, piss-for-brains." Tayuya said.
"Is that because of his hair?" Maya asked, raising a finger as though she'd just solved a deep mystery of the universe.
"I'm almost sad that you're my enemy. I like you." The redhead pouted.
"I am whatever Itachi-kun wants me to be." The masked kunoichi said suggestively. "He's still loyal to Konoha, so I will be too. I'm on your side."
"Well, you know what, fuck it. Fine, you're in. What do you know about Orochimaru that we don't?" Naruto said.
"Well, for starters, his name means, 'big snake,' and-" Maya was cut off by an exasperated sigh from Naruto.
"This is how it feels to deal with your bullshit, honey. God, I need Tenten here so we can mock you together and call you 'onii-chan.'" Tayuya said.
"You know your relationship is fucked up when insults are a term of endearment, and pet names are used sarcastically." Naruto gave a quick laugh after his words. "She's not serious about that."
"She's serious about taking a ride on your dick-mobile, that leads to the phallus palace, overlooking pound town."
"Taicho, why is your sister a degenerate brother-fucker? It's common knowledge that Hinata-san and Neji-san are-"
"NOT BY CHOICE!" Hinata shouted, startling everyone into silence. "Do you think that I w-want that? Do you think that they care what I want, even if my father tells them so? They just don't want to admit that Neji-onii shouldn't be allowed in the Branch House! They want his power in the Main House, but because my father was the elder brother..."
"I will carry out my duty as a shinobi of Konoha and a member of the Hyuuga clan." Neji said. "That is my fate."
"Neji...take off your headband. I'm going to look at your Aiganchou seal." Naruto said.
"Is that an order from my commanding officer?"
"No. It's a request from your friend."
"You know his true intentions, yes?"
"Of course, Konan."
The Kami no Tenshi stood beside Nagato, inside of his tower in Ame. This was his supreme command center, from which he could control the Rikudo Pein with relative impunity. Though there was a certain distance requirement, it was easily a small price to pay for the sheer range that he possessed with that control.
"But...you continue to keep him in our organization, even though his goal is entirely separate from ours?"
Nagato sighed, shaking his head, though the motion wasn't meant as a response to her question.
"I do, but it's because I trust him to see his mission through. Rather, I have faith in his ideals."
"You do?"
"Of course. While Konoha itself is a place that the world, and I along with it, have prejudiced ourselves against...it would be wrong to think that all of Konoha's shinobi are bad people. Just as Jiraiya-sensei took us from our war-torn homes and gave us the power to stand on our own, Danzo ripped the soul of the Akatsuki out after he killed Yahiko. Jiraiya-sensei's next student, the Yondaime Hokage, refused to engage battle in our nation out of respect for his master's presence here after the Second War ended. Just as I trust Orochimaru to be loyal only to himself, I trust Itachi to act in his nation's best interest."
Nagato paused briefly before speaking again.
"I've known about his...disloyalty...for a long time now. Just like I know, 'Maya,' lied to protect him, and the same way I know that your trip to Suna was just a cover to have an extended visit with Jiraiya-sensei."
Konan blushed, looking away.
"It's okay, Konan. You're only human, after all."
"And you're not?" She asked, her tone one of worry.
"Whether I am, or not, is not for me to decide. Our people need something, someone, to believe in. Hanzo kept this nation united through force of charisma, and his sheer strength. Blood and fear, however, are not the ways to run an effective ninja village. The ninja must trust their leader, and the leader must trust the ninja who serve the village. Respect, compassion, and teamwork are necessary to make units cohesive in and out of battle. The only thing that the five largest villages have done wrong is allow for their rulership to pass from a military dictatorship to some farce of a democracy."
"The lessons Jiraiya-sensei taught us." Konan noted. "But why repeat them, after so long? Have you had a change of heart?"
"Absolutely not." Nagato nearly laughed.
"Then what is it?"
"At the moment? I'm imagining what Orochimaru will do when he comes face-to-face with the first man who made him fear for his life."
"Holy...Neji, do you have any idea about what they did to your seal?"
Inside the boundaries of the Aiganchou seal, and around it, seal-markings made in poor penmanship were on prominent display. Through all his study of Fuinjutsu under Jiraiya and Oboro, as well as some experimentation of his own, Naruto had a hint about what the additional seals were meant to do...and it was nothing pretty. Even so, he had to admire that someone with such bad handwriting had managed to create so many complex seals in such a confined space; the seals didn't show when Neji wore his headband.
Of particular interest were clusters of marks that Naruto knew to mean, "obedience," and, "control," obviously meant as further measures of enslavement for the unruly Hyuuga genius.
"I know that before, I was much more...angry. Violent, even, towards the clan elders. They didn't wish for such a liability in the clan, so they threatened to make Hanabi-sama the clan heir and brand Hinata-sama with the Aiganchou if I didn't comply to have my own seal modified."
"That's not a decision they can make!" Hinata protested. "My father would kill them himself if they ever tried to...tried to..."
"It would be an enormous blow to their image, to do something like that." Itachi spoke up. "Though the Uchiha clan is no longer there to compete with them over which is the strongest family in Konoha, they benefit greatly from high status in the public eye. They wouldn't risk losing that."
"What are you saying?" Neji asked.
"I'm saying..." Naruto gave a pointed look to Tayuya at that point, who began a pointed Genjutsu made to knock Neji out. "...it's time for me to fix what went wrong."
Neji collapsed in unconsciousness, though Hinata caught him before he could hit the ground.
"Sai, exactly how much Fuinjutsu do you know?"
"Enough that the two of us will be able to counter and reverse the effects of these seals."
"Sounds good to me." Naruto said. "That reversal in particular...I wonder if we could make it so that whoever tries to use the Aiganchou against him will have its effects rebounded?"
"Sealing is the closest thing that we have to the magic that filled the world before the gods died. If you can think it up, Taicho, then you can make a seal that brings those thoughts to reality."
Naruto had never heard it put quite like that, but the idea made sense.
"The rest of you...Sai and I are going to need a little bit of time to work. Go do, uh...something. I don't know. Talk. I know I'm the most proficient here at running my mouth, but if they're going to be joining us then you might as well get familiar with them."
"I hate you." Sasuke said.
"You have every right to. You could even try to kill me now, if you felt like you could."
Sasuke's Mangekyou came to life, the inverted color scheme throwing Itachi off almost as much as the revelation that his younger brother possessed it. The two Uchiha were on their own, separated from the women of the group; it was the first one-on-one time that they'd had since Sasuke was eight years old, before the Uchiha clan had been slaughtered by their prodigal son.
"I hate you because you lied to me, Itachi. Not because you killed everyone. I hate you because my drive for vengeance almost made me defect from Konoha and join Orochimaru in order to gain the power to kill you."
"And? Do you not want justice? Do you not want revenge?"
"Not against you." Sasuke's glare was piercing, as though he could see through all the deceptions that Itachi had taken careful years to lay down around himself.
"Then who would you avenge yourself upon, if not the killer?"
"You're just a ninja. You followed orders. The true guilty party is the one who ordered the strike in the first place...Danzo."
Itachi's face hardened, his own Mangekyou matching Sasuke's.
"I won't be able to guarantee your safety if you move against him. His agents, his skills...he is more powerful than he seems, politically or otherwise. He does not have the problems that other elderly ninja do: his chakra supply is plentiful, and he has turned himself into a perversion of nature. Furthermore, his death...it would not help Konoha in any way. Danzo is a terrible man, a cruel and cynical tyrant, but every breath he takes is for Konoha's survival. If you attack him, you're not likely to survive. Not as you are now."
"Well then, brother, it sounds like you and I are going to do some training. Some very extensive training. I may have forgiven you for all the things you've done, but I'm not forgetting. If you really want to make it up to me, then you owe me this."
Itachi sighed. He knew that Sasuke was right.
Besides, if they were going to go up against Orochimaru at some point in the relatively near future, Sasuke would need to be able to avoid dying at the end of the White Snake's Kusanagi blade.
It was a bit harder to be loyal to a corpse than to a living person, after all.