.

Then from on high, somewhere in the distance

There's a voice that calls

Remember who you are

If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow

So be strong tonight

Remember who you are.

Kaiya wanted to go home.

She wanted to go home, take a nice, long bath, eat about six bowls of Ichiraku ramen, and then hit the sack. At her current level of exhaustion, she could sleep for at least three days straight.

Damn…as if this bastard wasn't fast enough before. Kaiya gritted her teeth, doing everything she could to avoid getting hit by her father's Sage-enhanced wind blasts as they uprooted trees and created fissures in the ground the size of her apartment.

"Come on, Kaiya, get it together!" Yasuo called, landing his foot into her ribs. She let out a breath of pain as blood shot out of her mouth like water from a faucet. The bad news: Kodo made the kick about five times more powerful than normal. The slightly less bad news: since Kaiya was in Kodo as well, it didn't do as much damage as it could have.

But still, it hurt like hell.

Kaiya gritted her teeth as she shoved her way through brush and debris that she'd collided with moments earlier. Her face was scratched and grimy, covered in dirt and dried blood. Cursing under her breath, she heaved deeply, seething with anger and fatigue. She still didn't have a great handle on Sage Mode yet; her father was exaggerating when he'd called her a master before. In fact, she'd barely managed to complete her training before being sent back from Ookami Valley. Looking back at it, she was overconfident in her abilities, comparing herself to her father now. How long did it take for him to become this strong? Will…will I ever reach this level of power?

If she survived this fight, she thought, maybe.

"Ok, that's it!" she shouted, clenching her fists. "No more Mister Nice Guy from now on. Now I mean business!" She used the back of her hand to wipe away the blood dripping down her chin, ignoring the smears already dried on her cheeks. Her clothes were tattered and torn, her hair in even more of a mess than it was before. Her eyes were wild and desperate, like a cornered animal looking its predator in the face. Her lungs felt like they were evaporating; the rest of her organs felt like they had been rearranged inside of her body. She felt like crap—well, even worse than that, to be honest. The only reason she was still standing was because she was in Kodo. If she released it anytime soon, without giving Jin's chakra enough time to heal her wounds, she'd probably die.

I have lava-style, and Dad's wind-style won't be enough to stop it. However, since he has no limits on chakra, he can create that hurricane jutsu as many times as he wants. And if I get hit with that while he's in Kodo, it doesn't matter if I'm using Sage Mode too…it'll be over for me at that point.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn't seal him either, so that meant that she really had no way to defeat him entirely. Her biggest hope was that she could keep him down long enough to reach Sasuke, or at least another group of comrades. Otherwise, she feared she wouldn't live to see twilight.

A laugh echoed in her mind. "Hn, how pathetic," Jin scoffed, staring down at Kaiya in her subconscious. Her eyes lowered in frustration behind his tails of fire. "To think that you went through all that gruesome training, all that trouble, just to end up dead—by the hands of your own father." She wanted to argue with him, but he didn't give her the chance. "You expect to beat Tobi and all of the tailed beasts he's acquired, along with Kabuto, at your current level? When did your resolve become so weak, Kaiya? Is it because deep down, you don't want to destroy your beloved father, your idol? Or is it because you're ashamed he's seen you reduced to such a pitiful waste of his time and trust? Or perhaps you're just not strong enough."

Kaiya clenched her fists as her arms shook. "I…I—"

"Silence, you fool." Kaiya had never been afraid of a bird before, but Jin, who usually hid behind his own flames, emerged to show her his full body, which he'd only done once before. She immediately shut her mouth, sweat dripping down her brow. "I will share no soul with a coward, Kaiya Umachi. Master Zen showed you how to use your fear as a weapon. So use it! If we are to die here, it will not be because we were too afraid to show our true strength. Remember what your master taught you, Kaiya. Do not let your mind be weakened by piercing thoughts!" Her eyes widened.

"To master Kodo, you must have no doubts; you must not falter, or you will be destroyed. You cannot rely on the strength of Jin to carry you; you must rely on your own. You must push past the thoughts of giving up, the thoughts of not being good enough, the thoughts of letting your fear consume you."

Kaiya's body froze as she remembered her grandfather's words. So much had happened since then, she'd almost forgotten them. But thanks to Jin…

Behind Kaiya, Yasuo materialized out of the shadows of the fallen trees she had been buried in, his fist reared back, ready to take her out. He didn't make a sound.

However, Kaiya had sensed him from the beginning. Using her Ground Vision, it was easy to tell his whereabouts, even while he was shadow hopping. She smirked, moving into a 'Settling Bridge' pose. "Deing Kiu!" Making a fist with her right hand, she held her arm out in front of her vertically; with her left, she held out her index finger, tucking the rest of them in as she held her arm at her side. Yasuo's eyebrows furrowed. What is she…? His eyes widened suddenly as he recognized her stance. It was one his father used often.

Punching the air with her right arm and swiping with her left, Kaiya watched as Yasuo, helpless while he was in midair, was shot in the chest with a rock as sharp as a sword, straight from underneath him; at the same time, a slab of rock from the left knocked him aside, sending him flying several meters away.

Breathing heavily, Kaiya ran after him, ignoring the aching pain from having used Kodo for too long. Can't give in to the pain, she told herself, wincing. I have to finish this. I can't die here! While he was still in motion, missing an arm, she spun around and kicked him in the ribs, sending him flying back-first into another tree. Splinters flew everywhere, though the trunk remained intact. Before he could recover, she jumped into the air with her fist reared back. Yasuo's eyes widened.

"I'm going to show you just how hard I can punch, Dad!" she declared, letting out a war cry. "Aaaaahh!" Yasuo shadow-hopped just before Kaiya's fist made contact. Her hit shattered the tree into shards of woods and leaves. Yasuo appeared behind her as his arm finished reforming. He whistled, amazed. Though Kaiya was obviously exhausted, she chuckled. "Not bad, huh?" Yasuo shook his head.

"I've only seen Tsunade with more raw power than that," he admitted, pride swelling in his chest, despite the fact that he was being controlled. "Tell me…just now, what came over you?" Kaiya stood up straight and faced her father, breathing harder than she had since training with the wolves. She wiped sweat from her brow, studying her opponent for a moment before answering.

"You could say Jin knocked some sense into me." She shrugged, though it took great effort. "He reminded me not to just remember Zen's physical training, but his mental training too. Gramps is a pretty wise guy, ya know." Yasuo nodded.

"Yeah, I know."

"My entire life, I've relied on someone else to save me." Kaiya's eyes lowered to the ground, then lifted back up to her father. Yasuo resisted the Edo Tensei's control long enough to hear her out. "Deep down, I didn't believe in myself, even though I put up a good front. Even up till now, I've been lying to myself and everyone else, pretending that I was stronger than I really am. I haven't even used most of my training, because I haven't believed I was strong enough to.

"However, fighting you here alone, I realize that I've expected other people to rescue me; I've always counted on that. But I know that this time, I'm going to have to defeat you on my own. And right now, I'm going to have to do it without even Jin's help. When I trained with the Old Man, he said that I couldn't have any doubts in myself. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, since he probably gave you a similar speech when you trained with him." Yasuo nodded. "Anyway, it's nothing but the fact that I'm ready to put everything on the line to defeat you. Not just to survive, but because I believe in my own strength. I'm not relying on anyone anymore, and I'm not going to be held back by my fear. I can do this. I will do this!" Kaiya pressed her thumb against her chest, her face set in a determination that she hadn't had before. Yasuo grinned.

"Well then…prove it!" He jumped at her again.

Kaiya had exhausted just about all her strength. She didn't know how much time had passed since the battle started, but she did know that she had never fought so hard in her life. But Yasuo, though he'd taken a few good hits, sustained no lasting damage, thanks to the damned Edo Tensei. She'd even punched a hole straight through his chest, but it did nothing to slow him down. Once I get out of here, I'm going to find Kabuto and kick his ass, she thought, her limbs trembling. The only reason she was still standing was because of her Sage Mode. She knew that once she released it, she would collapse, so it took everything within her to make sure she didn't.

"Kaiya…I say it's time we end this. It'll take a lot of your chakra, but you'll need to use that combo." Kaiya's eyes widened at Jin's suggestion. Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned.

Seriously? she thought heatedly, her muscles aching like they'd been dipped in lava. She could barely lift them at this point. That combination of attacks is only possible because of nature energy, but at this point, I'd almost be committing suicide if I used it. You heard Gramps tell me that if I used it in a time like this, my life force—

"I know the stakes, Kaiya," her Legend assured her, sounding grim. "I know this is a lot to ask—for both of us. But if you don't immobilize him soon, you're going to die anyway. Shortening your life is better than losing it all together, isn't it?" Kaiya closed her eyes for a moment.

Yeah. You're right. She sighed. I hate it when you're right.

Kaiya reopened her eyes and stared at her father, who waited for her to make another move. She'd noticed that he managed to stop moving whenever she did, meaning that he somehow found a way to control the Edo Tensei—at least a little. Even so, he didn't hold back when he attacked, regardless of that fact.

"Ok, Dad, we've been at this long enough. It's time for me to end this. And I mean really end it." She made hand signs, letting out a deep breath. It's been quite a while since I've used this technique. Tiger. Horse. Monkey. Tiger. Sheep. Tiger. Dragon. Dog. Dragon. Serpent. Rooster. Hare. "Fire Style: Pillars of Hades!"

Yasuo's eyes widened as seven pillars of flames burst from the ground, like they came straight from hell itself. He stared at them in awe, thankful that he couldn't feel the immense heat coming from the blazes. He was even more surprised and impressed when the flames began circulating around them slowly, closing in. Kaiya sucked in heavy breaths as sweat poured down her face in waves. This heat is unbearable…man, I really hate this jutsu. But she wasn't done yet.

"Fire Style: Fortress Inferno!" All seven pillars of fire, which had closed in on Kaiya and her father, morphed into one, constricting into a tight sphere of flames surrounding them; it reached about thirty feet high and wide, even reaching underground. It resembled Yoshi's and Haru's Lightning Barrier.

What's she planning to do, I wonder? Yasuo's eyebrows furrowed as he prepared for a counter…although to be honest, he had no idea how he was going to counter whatever was coming.

"There's nowhere to run, Dad," Kaiya said, resting a hand on the hilt of her sword. "Neither one of us can shadow hop out of here, so don't even think about it." Yasuo frowned in question. "Since I can't seal you, I'm going to have to completely destroy that body your soul is tethered to by using Jin's flames." Kaiya pulled Kurokaji from its sheath, holding it up in the air. She glared at her father through silver pupils, her eyes lowering slightly. "Longsword of the Remnant Flame."

Yasuo clenched his fists, preparing to defend himself. He wasn't sure how he was going to do that, even with his Hurricane jutsu. He knew well enough that the blaze surrounding him was no ordinary fire—it was the fire of the phoenix: flames mixed with Jin's chakra, making them more powerful and harder to dispose of. Ordinary methods weren't going to douse them out. In fact, the only one who could make them disappear was Kaiya.

Spiraling down from above her, flames were absorbed into Kurokaji, charring the blade. However, much to Yasuo's surprise, the sphere of fire surrounding them didn't disappear; it only became smaller. Kaiya stared at her father, a dark, serious look in her eyes. He glared back. "When I cut you, Father, that body of yours will be reduced to nothing but ash," Kaiya explained, taking a step forward. Yasuo didn't move a muscle. "Not even the Edo Tensei can revive you, since there'll be nothing holding your soul to this world. So, tell me, before you're sent back to the afterlife, whether or not I've satisfied you. Am I worthy of carrying your mantle?"

He let out a brief sigh. "Kaiya…truly, you are strong. But it's not the power of your jutsu or your fists that have convinced me of that—it's the power of your heart and your will to keep fighting, even when the odds are against you. That, my daughter, is the reason I have passed the torch holding my Will of Fire to you." Kaiya stopped, three feet away from him. Tears were in her eyes as she held her sword up with both hands.

"It means a lot to hear you say that," she told him shakily. "All I've ever wanted was to become a shinobi that you and Mom could be proud of. This moment has made all of my struggles and pain worth it." Yasuo nodded.

"One last piece of advice before I go." She paused. "The path stained with light—the path I walked, and also the path that you must continue on—holds some difficult forks in the road that you must take. One of those difficult forks is to either walk down the path of vengeance…or forgiveness." Kaiya gave her father a quizzical look.

"Forgiveness?" she repeated. He nodded. She figured he was speaking about a certain person or incident, but she never would've guessed what her father said next:

"You must find it in your heart to forgive Orochimaru." Her jaw almost hit the ground. She took a few steps back in shock.

"F-forgive that bastard?!" she all but shouted, gritting her teeth. "Dad, are you insane?! He ripped our family apart! He imprisoned Mom and enslaved my siblings—not to mention that he killed you in cold blood. And you expect me to—"

"It's harder to forgive someone than to hate them, isn't it?" Yasuo interrupted. Kaiya blinked in question. Yasuo reminisced about his sensei and hero, the man he aspired to be when he was a child. He sighed when Kaiya didn't say anything. "To be honest, Kaiya, I hated Orochimaru. I've hated him for a long time, and even in the afterlife I cursed his name. However, returning to the world of the living, my eyes have been opened. At my death, when I passed on my Will of Fire to you, I unknowingly passed on my hatred as well. Orochimaru is the only person I've ever hated, and I have given you that burden. But you deserve to be free from it. Do not let the darkness of hatred snuff out your light. Hatred, anger, vengeance…it does nothing but kill you slowly."

Kaiya's confused and angry expression morphed into one of somberness. Her arms lowered slightly as she stared at the ground below her. The flames seemed distant all of a sudden.

"You know, Jin said something similar to me once." She smirked sadly. "I guess he was right after all. And I seriously hate it when he's right." She chuckled, raising her sword once more. "Goodbye, Father. Even though you almost killed me, I'm glad we were able to meet again." Yasuo grinned.

"Hn. You've grown up well, Kaiya. My soul can now be at peace knowing that I've left everything in your hands. Take care of your mother from now on, will you? And don't forget that I love you." Tears slid down Kaiya's dirty, scratched cheeks as she slashed her flaming sword downward.

"I love you, too."

Naruto's eyes widened when he sensed someone approaching the battle. His eyes lowered. Hmm? He turned around as Kaiya landed beside him on the battlefield, just as he defeated Tobi and his six Jinchuriki Paths. Her hair was tied back in a bun with a black ribbon, a katana strapped to her back; she was wearing the same thing as when they were separated: her ANBU uniform. Despite having been captured, she didn't have a scratch on her. She smirked.

"I'm a little late…sorry to keep you waiting. Miss me?" Naruto's eyebrows knit together in confusion, and he crossed his arms.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, irritated. "And why are you—" Kaiya shot him a dark glare, warning him to finish his sentence at his own risk. Sweat dripped down his brow, and he shut his mouth begrudgingly, even though he really wasn't intimidated.

"I'm here for a good reason, so don't get testy," she assured him, crossing her arms. "I'm here to help." Kakashi and Guy shared a look, wondering what was up with the best friends' strange interaction. So she managed to escape after she was captured? Kakashi wondered. She doesn't even seem bothered by it at all. Naruto studied Kaiya quietly for several moments, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded.

"Yeah, ok," he decided, placing a hand on his hip. He pointed at her with his free hand. "But you've got a lot of explaining to do when this is over! I won't settle for any vague answers, either." Kaiya chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry, kid. This is only temporary. I want the same thing you do, you know… Now, let's deal with the asshole in front of us and worry about this later." Her eyes narrowed as she turned to the masked Tobi before them, who was grinning underneath his guise. I'm going to find out who you really are, you bastard. And then, I'm going to kill you.

Itachi was explaining to Sasuke how he trapped Kabuto in the Izanami, and why. When he was finished, he turned toward the entrance of the cave (that he made earlier), a smile appearing on his face. "Well, well…it's about time you got here." Sasuke frowned, his gaze following Itachi's. His eyes widened slightly when someone morphed out of a shadow of one of the remnants of the cave's ceiling.

"Looks like you guys handled things well enough without me." Kaiya stepped out of the shadows and into the dim light of the cave. Well, it's more appropriate to say she stumbled out. Sasuke blinked when he caught a glimpse of her appearance: Her face was covered in dirt, scratches, and dried blood, as were her arms; her hair was even more unruly before, and parts of it were scorched or unevenly cut, as if a kunai had gone through it; her clothes were tattered and torn, ripped in several different places; her flak jacket was in ruins. She looked terrible, like she was hanging on her last legs.

Kaiya finally released Sage Mode. As soon as she did, her knees buckled and she fell forward. Before Sasuke could move to catch her, Itachi was already there, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. Kaiya smirked, despite her condition, breathing heavily as she fought to gain her composure. Itachi chuckled lightly.

"I knew you would win," he said, setting her down a ceiling fragment next to Sasuke. "Though you look a lot worse than I imagined you would." Sasuke turned to her with an indecipherable countenance. He remembered what his brother told him earlier, when he asked about hearing Jin inside his head.

"Sasuke…you're wearing that necklace, aren't you? Even so, for you to somehow hear her Legend, even when she isn't near, it means that you two are connected on a deep level, by a soul tie…"

So that must mean that Kaiya was right before, when she told him about her experience with the Waterfall of Truth: "It's complicated to explain, but to make a long story short, the connections I feel with the both of you aren't just my imagination. We really are connected—through our souls. I know it sounds completely ridiculous, but…I can feel it clearly. Please tell me you can, too."

Kaiya said nothing as she studied the situation: Kabuto was in some sort of genjutsu a few feet in front of them; half of the cave they were in was destroyed; and Itachi's left eye was a milky white, almost like he was blind. Her eyes lowered. "You guys had a rough time yourselves, it seems like," she noted. "But then again…you're in a far better condition than me." She laughed, regretting it almost immediately as she placed her hands lightly on her broken ribs.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Jin asked Sasuke, making his eyebrows furrow in annoyance. "You can feel her pain. You've finally decided to stop denying it."

Tch. Sasuke didn't know how Kaiya put up with another voice in her head 24/7.

"Where's Amaya?" Itachi asked. "She was with you before, wasn't she? She sealed your siblings." Kaiya nodded, lowering her eyes.

"Yeah. Dad decided the fight should just be between him and me, so she went to help in another battle somewhere. I doubt I'll find her anytime soon. Besides, I told her I had to catch up to Sasuke, so I know she won't be waiting for me." Kaiya glanced up at the said Uchiha, showing him a small grin. "Although, I didn't think you'd be here with him, Itachi." She only sensed him when she was fighting her father while in Kodo. She could also sense Kabuto, and then later, she could sense all three of them in the same vicinity, so she knew just where to find them when her own battle was over.

Sasuke met Kaiya's gaze, though he was almost reluctant to do so. He knew about Kaiya's mother arriving to save her, only because Kabuto had mentioned it earlier. Truthfully, it was the only reason he was able to take her off his mind and focus on his own fight. But he'd never imagined she would leave her own child to fight against an almost undefeatable opponent. Still…she must have believed in Kaiya's strength, as he did—which was the only reason he left her to fight her reanimated family in the first place.

His hard countenance softened as he rested a hand on her shoulder. Kaiya's cheeks flushed at the contact, and she looked away coyly. She seemed to understand his feelings at that moment, without him having to say a word: I'm glad you're alright. Itachi grinned at the interaction.

"Sasuke, look at me," he instructed his younger brother. The latter did as he was told. Kaiya also turned to him in question. "I want you to find what I didn't have." His eyes averted to Kaiya for a brief moment. "Well, in actuality, it looks like you already have." He smiled at the two embarrassed teenagers. "Don't say that I'm perfect." He turned around to face Kabuto, taking a step forward. "Now I will stop the Edo Tensei."

Sasuke and Kaiya figured that when Itachi released the Reanimation Jutsu, he would return to the afterlife as well. Sasuke didn't like the fact that he was willing to protect Konoha, even from beyond the grave. He lifted his hand off of Kaiya and began to argue with Itachi. Kaiya shakily stood to her feet, wanting to calm him down, but she realized she couldn't, at this point—nor should she. It wasn't her place to step into a family affair such as this one. Besides, she didn't want to see him go, either. Itachi looked back at his younger brother calmly.

"I'm not the one who can change you," he told him. Naruto's face flashed before his mind. Then, he directed his gaze to Kaiya, who blinked in question. "So, the very least that I can do is put a stop to this technique, in order so that I won't make light of what's been entrusted to Naruto." He chuckled. "Well, I suppose I should include Kaiya in that as well." Kaiya's cheeks turned a light shade of red.

Once Itachi learned the seals to release the jutsu, he made Kabuto make them. Sasuke released his Sharingan, a sad expression on his face. "I guess anything I say now will be pointless. I followed you so that I could confirm what Danzo and Tobi told me, but…that wasn't the only reason. When I'm with you I remember the way it used to be. I remember time spent with the brother that I looked up to…that I loved." His eyes lowered to the ground. Kaiya looked at him softly, and even though this was a somber moment, she was happy that he was expressing what was truly in his heart, for once. It gave her hope that he could do the same with her.

"…The more I'm able to hate Konoha for the suffering they put you through," Sasuke continued, his eyebrows creasing. "In fact, it's becoming even stronger than it was before. I do understand what you want me to do. It's probably because you're my older brother that you feel the need to put me on the right path. But it's probably because I'm your younger brother that I'll never stop, no matter what you say. As you exist to protect the Leaf…I'll exist to destroy it. Naruto, and not even Kaiya, can stop me. Goodbye."

Itachi looked back at Sasuke as Kabuto made the last of the seals. Kaiya couldn't read the expression on his face…then again, she hardly ever could. A faint light emitted around the older Uchiha's body, and she knew that meant that his soul was returning to the afterlife. Tears filled her eyes, despite her efforts to keep them contained. Itachi smiled at her and began walking towards them slowly.

"There's still time… Sasuke, before I go, I will tell you what you wanted to know. There's no reason to lie to you anymore. And also…" He glanced at Kaiya for a moment, making her lift an eyebrow. "There's something I must discuss with the both of you." He looked Sasuke in the eye, and Kaiya could tell that he was using genjutsu to reveal everything to Sasuke that had been kept from him from the beginning. He'd done the same for her, before his death. It only took one second.

Sasuke and Itachi had their moment, and then he took Kaiya's left hand in his, turning to her. "Kaiya…I loved you like my little sister," he began, showing her a genuine smile. "I was proud to take care of you, the daughter of my late sensei and mentor. To be honest, I already said everything I needed to back then, when I told you the truth before my death."

"From the beginning, you and Sasuke were so much alike…so when I left, I knew I could count on you to take care of each other in my place…in the end, the bond that connects you two is still there, no matter how much the two of you deny it. I'm unsure of the path my brother will take in the future, but I'm asking that you and Naruto help guide him back to the right one."

His grin widened. "However…there is something I didn't say, because I wanted to say it to you and Sasuke together." The two teens shared a confused look, then returned their gazes back to Itachi. "Kaiya, I made you promise to take care of Sasuke when I left you, because I knew that you would keep your word. No matter what happened between then and now, the important thing is that you're committed to that promise." Her eyes lowered.

"You two share a special bond, one that cannot be broken easily, and one that has survived the test of time and darkness," he continued, tightening his grip on her hand. She looked up at him in question. "I'm sure not even Death itself can tear the two of you apart." Kaiya's eyes widened. Does he know about my prophecy somehow? But that's impossible…he's been dead this entire time. "Don't let the flame in your hearts go out. Use each other to keep it going." He smiled, turning to Sasuke, who was watching the exchange quietly, standing next to Kaiya. Itachi took his right hand in his. Before either one of them could say anything, he placed Kaiya's hand in Sasuke's, making the both of them blush furiously.

"When two people endure hardships together, they become stronger—and so does their bond." He didn't say it directly, but they both knew what he meant: And so does their love. Once he joined Sasuke and Kaiya together, he turned back to his brother, a smile still on his face. "Take care of each other." He rested his forehead on Sasuke's, just like Sasuke often did with Kaiya. "And Sasuke…you don't have to forgive me. No matter what you decide to do from now on…I will love you always."

If I could change the world overnight, there'd be no such thing as goodbye

You'd be standing right where you were

And we'd get the chance we deserve.