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Savage Kill: you're a good guesser ;)
Funny how we both end up here, but everything seems alright
I wonder what would happen if we went back and put up a fight
'Cause once upon a time you were my everything
It's clear to see that time hasn't changed a thing.
Goodbye, Itachi. Thank you.
The light brightened around Itachi as the jutsu broke and his soul was freed from the body it was tethered to. Sasuke and Kaiya both stared in awe as he continued to smile, his soul lifting and disappearing above the cave ceiling. Kaiya could tell Sasuke was in deep thought, as he continued to stare at the ceiling, as if Itachi's spirit might somehow return the way it left. What am I? he wondered, his eyes drifting to Kaiya, then down to where their hands were still joined together. She blushed, having forgotten they were holding hands. She started to pull away, surprised that he'd held on to her for this long.
Before her hand was completely free from his, his grip tightened, shocking her. She paused, letting him take her hand and press it against his chest firmly, where she could feel his heartbeat. Her cheeks darkened as her eyes averted to the ground. "Sasuke, what are you…?" She stiffened when she realized what he was doing. I can feel…
"Kaiya, I need to tell you something…something I should've said a long time ago." At that moment, she looked up at him, just as he was leaning towards her. Her own heartbeat became quicker, her lips trembling as Sasuke's inched closer. In the end, maybe he really does… Just before their lips touched, there was a rumbling up above them. Kaiya and Sasuke's eyes widened as they glanced at the ceiling, jumping out of the way before part of it caved in on them. Sasuke still held on to Kaiya's hand, watching as Suigetsu and Jugo burst through, landing in front of them. When Sasuke realized who it was, he immediately let go of his hold on Kaiya, taking a step forward. Kaiya clenched her hand into a fist, resting it at her side. She frowned at the two intruders. Damn you guys, she thought, pouting.
"Found you!" Suigetsu smirked, eyeing the two teens across from him. He elbowed Jugo in the ribs lightly. "Hey, Jugo…looks like we interrupted something here. You don't suppose this is Sasuke's girlfriend, do you?"
Jugo frowned and turned to Sasuke for the answer. The latter, along with Kaiya, both blushed as they declared, "No," in unison. Suigetsu's grin widened.
"Well, in that case…" He moseyed on up to Kaiya, resting an arm around her shoulder, pushing Sasuke aside. She stiffened, while Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "My name is Suigetsu. What's yours?"
"Kaiya," she muttered, frowning. An annoyed tick appeared in the corner of her forehead. Does he not see how disgusting I look right now? Honestly, what is this guy's problem?
"What do you say you come with us and help take over the world, huh? Someone like you—" Kaiya elbowed Suigetsu in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He stumbled backwards, tripping over a few pieces of rubble on the ground, doing a back somersault and landing upside-down against a bigger chunk of rock, bottom up. Jugo tried to hide his chuckle behind his hand. "O-ouch…" He chuckled painfully. "Wow, this girl really packs a punch. I like that in a woman. Heheh—ugh."
Sasuke groaned, rolling his eyes as he turned to Jugo, sitting down on one of the rocks. Kaiya joined him, since her knees were beginning to shake again. "What business do you have with me now?" he asked the older male, who had hoisted an unconscious Anko up on his shoulders. "Why did you two come looking for me?" Suigetsu began to explain, standing up to his feet unsteadily as he dusted himself off. Jugo pointed out the fact that Madara was still around, despite the fact that Itachi released the Edo Tensei. Kaiya's eyes lowered dangerously.
"Madara…as in the Madara Uchiha?" she clarified, clenching her fists. "You're certain of that?" Jugo nodded. At his confirmation, Kaiya gritted her teeth and jumped to her feet, wincing in pain as her legs gave out from under her. "Ugh!" Sasuke quickly caught her, holding her against him as she fought to regain her composure. "Tch." She squeezed her eyes shut, cursing under her breath. I knew that bastard Tobi wasn't the real Madara…damn it. If that's the case, then we're in bigger trouble than I thought. If Tobi wasn't enough of a problem, facing the real Madara Uchiha will be a catastrophe.
"Kaiya, you need to sit down," Sasuke demanded, setting her back in her previous position on the rubble. "You haven't regained your strength yet." Normally, she would argue with him, but this time she had to admit he was right—she didn't have the strength to stand for more than a few seconds. Suigetsu got on to Jugo for interrupting him, handing Sasuke a scroll he supposedly found in Orochimaru's lair. Sasuke read it, but Kaiya didn't dare do the same. "This is it…the one who knows everything…" Kaiya frowned in question as she watched him stand to his feet again. "There's someone I need to meet." She blinked. What in the world is on that scroll? she wondered.
"Sasuke, who are you talking about?" she queried, forcing herself to her feet again. He steadied her when she began toppling over.
"Orochimaru," he replied darkly, making her scowl. Orochimaru? But he's…
…
Naruto stood alongside Kaiya, Kakashi, and Guy as Tobi stood above them, mounted on the Gedo Statue. "The ten-tails has been revived!" Tobi declared, as the live Gedo Statue behind him roared.
"Tch. We're screwed, if that thing is completely revived," Kaiya noted, once the nine-tails explained things to them. "To think that things have gone this far…" I've got to stop the Uchihas before they win this war, she thought, a determined frown on her face. It will no doubt cost me my life, but then…I already knew that, didn't I?
"This world no longer needs heroes like hope or the future!" Tobi droned on. "If the ten-tails is revived, even if it is incomplete, I'll be able to use Infinite Tsukuyomi…and then reality will end. All that will exist is a single never ending dream!" Kaiya scoffed, pointing at the man in the mask that stood before them.
"Tch. Shut your pie hole already!" she shouted angrily, gritting her teeth. Tobi stared at her, his eyes lowering. Is that…? "I'm tired of you idiots acting all high and mighty, like you're the ones who should decide the fate of humanity! People like you, who can't move on from great sorrow, and who believe that the entire world should suffer with you…" Kaiya's eyebrows twitched in irritation. "I really can't stand guys like you! Don't bring the rest of the world down with you, just because life dealt you a hard one. Get over it, and get over yourself! You're gonna die, regardless." She showed him a toothy smirk. "Heh. And I might just be the one to kill you, you know."
Tobi didn't respond to her. Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. Strange…just now, Kaiya didn't sound much like herself. Did something happen while she was taken prisoner, or is it something else? Naruto stood beside his best friend, giving her a dark glare that he then directed towards their enemy.
"All kids look up to heroes! And I'm gonna be Hokage and surpass all the previous generations! That's my dream…you idiot!" He grinned.
"Individuality makes people blind to the truth," Tobi retorted, crossing his arms. Kaiya rolled her eyes. Naruto attacked, but it didn't work. However, after a couple of tries, he managed to break Tobi's mask, shocking and impressing Kaiya at the same time. Her eyes widened as she smiled. Heh. This kid is a real piece of work, but he's good.
But her smile quickly faded when she saw the face of the man behind the mask.
"…Obito…?"
…
This bastard is insane. Sweat slid down Kaiya's brow anxiously as Sasuke used Anko and Kabuto to resurrect her archenemy. "Sasuke…" He turned to her, a contemplative frown on his face. He wasn't angry with her, it seemed, but he was urging her silently not to oppose him. To her, it appeared that whatever he needed Orochimaru to do, he couldn't accomplish alone or with anyone else. He didn't want to bring him back either, but he wanted to know something important. Kaiya felt in her heart that Sasuke was searching for something; he needed answers, and Orochimaru was the key he needed to open the door to those answers.
She didn't bother finishing her sentence. Instead, she just sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm going along with this," she mumbled, rolling her eyes. Sasuke suppressed a thankful smile and went back to his work. It was all Kaiya could do to keep her composure when Orochimaru appeared out of the mouth of a snake protruding from Anko's curse mark. She wanted to throw up, but she knew it wasn't the time for it. Orochimaru slithered out, grinning as he expressed his surprise at the people who resurrected him. At that moment, she remembered her father's last words to her.
"One last piece of advice before I go. 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… You must find it in your heart to forgive Orochimaru."
"F-forgive that bastard?! 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? 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."
"Hmm. I'm surprised most of all to see you here, Kaiya," Orochimaru noted, a small grin on his ghastly, pale face. "Unless, of course, you stuck around to try and kill me, since Sasuke beat you to it last time." Her eyebrows furrowed. Don't give me any ideas, you piece of crap, she thought heatedly. Scoffing, she crossed her arms, though it took great effort to do so. She tried to hide it. Not yet. I can't forgive him yet.
"Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm still here. If the real Madara really is out there, despite the Edo Tensei being released, then that means I'm needed elsewhere. I hope the rest of you have fun on your little journey, but if you'll excuse me…" She took a step towards the opening in the cave Itachi made when he first entered. Before she could take another, a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. She tensed, clenching her fist and preparing to strike, thinking that it was Orochimaru. However, that wasn't the case.
"Come with us." Kaiya's eyes narrowed as she looked back at Sasuke, whose surprisingly gentle features beckoned her to grant his request. She frowned.
"Why would I—"
"When I left the village, you said you would follow me anywhere, right? You still feel the same as back then, don't you?" he asked.
"I'm willing to follow you anywhere if you ask me to, no matter where it is."
"If you want to follow me into the darkness, then you can. I won't push you away this time."
Kaiya closed her eyes. "Damn…you got me there." She groaned, shaking her head as she crossed her arms. She was beginning to regain some of her strength, little as it may be. Sighing, she opened her eyes again and stared at Sasuke, studying him for a moment before she nodded. "I guess someone's gotta keep an eye on you, huh?" She smirked; Sasuke lightly squeezed her shoulder before releasing his hold on her. "And as for you—" She averted her attention to Orochimaru, who was silently watching the exchange with the others. He blinked, a wide grin appearing on his face. Kaiya lifted her arm and pointed to him, a serious countenance on her tired face. "I don't want any funny business from you. Take one step out of line, and I'll kill you where you stand. You won't even have any time to express your regrets for your menial, pathetic life. Got it?"
Orochimaru's grin widened. "Hn. Well, when you say a thing like that, it makes it hard not to understand." He chuckled lightly, making her frown. After taking his chakra from the incapacitated Kabuto, Orochimaru agreed to collaborate with Sasuke, asking that they all follow him.
"Where are we going?" Sasuke wondered. Orochimaru chuckled again.
"To a place the two of you know well." Kaiya and Sasuke shared a look, before they exited the cave through the hole in the ceiling, made by Suigetsu and Jugo earlier.
…
Now we're in for it. Madara Uchiha—the real Madara Uchiha—made a rather grand entrance as he took his place next to Obito. Kaiya scoffed, gritting her teeth. So now that the masked man has been revealed to be Obito Uchiha, rather than Madara Uchiha…Madara actually makes an appearance. Damn it, what a mess. In that case, there was nothing the four of them could do at this point. But knowing the resilience of the Leaf—specifically Naruto Uzumaki—that wouldn't stop them from trying.
Naruto tried using a tailed beast bomb in Rasengan form, but with Madara's fan he only turned it against him in a huge explosion. Kaiya shielded herself from the blast. "Tch!" The force was so great, her hair came undone, sprawling around her shoulders loosely in a wild mess.
"I'll deal with the eight- and nine-tails," Madara said, his voice cold and arrogant. "You deal with those others, Obito." Kaiya pulled out the katana strapped to her back. The blade was bronze, the hilt made of iron. She glanced at the two adults next to her. I know what's going to happen…Kakashi is going to get distracted trying to understand the situation with Obito…but it doesn't look like that bastard gives a damn about explaining anything. That puts him at a great risk, and he'll no doubt also be a distraction for Naruto, who won't be able to focus while a comrade is in a deep depression and unable to fight, which means that I'm going to have to put out more effort than I intended…jeez. This is more trouble than its worth.
…
Kaiya felt it, just like the others. They were outside the Leaf Village now, but the chakra was so distinct, it was hard to miss. Even for a no-talent sensory type like her, it couldn't be missed. Then again, she could feel him anywhere, because they had a special bond. Still…it feels different somehow.
"Hurry up and lead the way, Orochimaru," Sasuke urged, turning and walking ahead. Kaiya couldn't help but grin; the look on Orochimaru's face told her he was thinking the same thing. She took a few steps, then stopped. The group turned around in question.
"Kaiya…?" Sasuke said, his eyebrows furrowing. Orochimaru grinned.
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" he wondered. Kaiya's eyebrow twitched as she crossed her arms. He'd explained the contents of the scroll—and how he would use it—on the way to their destination. If she never thought Orochimaru was a crazy bastard before, his plan changed that completely. Even though she was creeped out, she had to admit that she was curious of how everything was going to play out. There was no way she was backing out now.
"Not one bit." Her expression changed from annoyed to amused. "Heh. It's just that I'm back home and all, and I look like I just went through my garbage disposal…" She held out her arms to show them what used to be her ANBU uniform. She looked as if she'd been mauled by wild animals, or better yet, like she'd just run through a line of kunai. "And don't even get me started on my hair." She frowned for a moment, running her fingers through her unruly mane; she could only get them so far before they got stuck in the tangles. Sighing, she shrugged. "What I'd really like is a hot bath and a nap, but I know I can't afford to relax at a time like this." She turned to Sasuke.
"So, is there any way I can make a quick trip to my apartment for some new clothes? And by the way…I don't think it's a good idea to be out in the open like this with you guys. People might think I'm a traitor and all…it'll cause quite a stir, ya see? Suigetsu here's got the right idea, so I'll be back with some cloaks while I'm at it." Sasuke studied Kaiya for a moment before turning to Orochimaru, who nodded.
"I'm afraid she's right, after all," he agreed, chuckling. "Besides, she really does look a mess." Kaiya frowned, irked. Sasuke looked back at her, giving her a curt nod. Her frown faded; she grinned.
"Be back soon." She disappeared in a flash, returning five minutes later under the guise of a black cloak. She also had three more tucked neatly under her arm. Her face and arms had been washed, and her hair was brushed and pulled back in a long braid, like she'd worn before; her headband was in its rightful place on her forehead, her wild bangs covering the Leaf symbol partially. She was wearing a black tank top and dark, grey pants underneath her cloak. Suigetsu grinned. Hmm…she's even cuter when she's cleaned up, he thought, tapping his chin. If Sasuke doesn't take this girl, I will for sure.
She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Ugh, I can't tell you how good it feels to wear clothes that aren't ripped to shreds!" She stretched briefly before tossing the cloaks to the others. "Here. No more delays." They continued on their way to wherever this Uzumaki shrine was. Whoever this one who knows everything was, Kaiya hoped they were friendly. She was getting a little antsy, so she didn't inquire about their identity before, but she already knew they weren't your average shinobi. Or perhaps it wasn't a shinobi at all. Maybe it was some kind of animal, like Shiro. Whatever the case, Kaiya didn't want to admit it, but she was anxious.
And then there's always the chance that Orochimaru is leading us into a trap…
She tried not to think that way, but honestly, it was hard not to. He'd been her enemy for the past ten years, doing whatever he could to capture her and harvest her powers. Not to mention that he wanted Sasuke's body. Why would things be any different this time around? Was he really intent on helping Sasuke, without any kind of compensation?
When they arrived at the location, Kaiya frowned. She was expecting something more extravagant than a rundown building that would've looked better if Pain had gotten ahold of it. She was at least expecting the place to have an entire roof. She turned to Orochimaru with a raised brow. "Well, I at least hope their home decorator was fired," she murmured, following the boys inside. She cringed when she saw the creepy masks hanging up on the wall, drifting closer to Sasuke. "Seriously…who the hell decorated this place?" Sasuke glanced at her, rolling his eyes.
Still annoying, he thought, his eyebrows creasing in a mixture of irritation and amusement.
The masks virtually all looked the same to Kaiya; she didn't understand what the big deal was about the minor differences. Nonetheless, Orochimaru took a few moments to choose one, and then they made their way into the village, to a second location. Kaiya had no idea where they were going, and she was starting to wish she'd read the scroll after all. Keeping close to Sasuke the entire time, she glanced at him to notice his curious expression. Suppressing a smile, she watched as he jumped onto a water tower to observe the entirety of the village. Naturally, she joined him.
He removed his hood. "This place has changed a lot," he noted, glancing at her briefly, before turning back to the view. She nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed, her countenance somber as she realized what this must mean for him. "I noticed it too, when I came back. But you know, the two of us…we've changed too, huh? But even now I wonder just how much." Sasuke turned to look at Kaiya again; this time his gaze lingered. She met his stare, and they stayed that way for several seconds.
"…"
Suigetsu frowned as he glanced up at the two. "Hmm. I'm starting to think they really are dating." Jugo nodded. Orochimaru chuckled.
When Sasuke was finished gazing out at Konoha, he led them to the Uchiha Estate on the edge of the village. It was in shambles, thanks to Pain's attack. It'd been quite some time since then—a few months, maybe—but it felt like years to Kaiya. She remembered her time staking the Uchiha Estate long ago, back when Sasuke abandoned the Leaf. It was once a beautiful place, hollow as it was, but now it was trashed beyond recognition. She hated that.
Sasuke led them to a secret shrine (she was getting tired of secret, creepy places), where they stood before a giant stone with words carved onto them—but the words weren't any that she knew. Kaiya frowned as she tried to decipher the message before her. What the hell? This doesn't appear to be any common language…or maybe it's so ancient that it's unknown to most people. She glanced at Sasuke as he pulled off his cloak. Her eyes narrowed. Or maybe…is it possible that this tablet can only be read by the Uchiha? It's in their secret shrine, after all.
Whatever the case, it didn't matter. Sasuke helped her undo her cloak, tossing it aside with his. He obviously knew the gist of what was about to happen, because he didn't seem nervous at all. She, on the other hand, was doing all she could not to pass out from apprehension. Even though Orochimaru explained it in stride, she had no idea what it was going to look like, or even if it was going to turn out exactly as he planned. Hell—she didn't even know who they were going to bring out. She just hoped Sasuke wouldn't get hurt.
"Kaiya, stay back," Sasuke instructed, holding out his arm to keep her at bay. With sweat dripping down her brow, she nodded, biting her lip as she watched everything unfold. Her eyes widened in shock—and amazement—when the past Hokage were resurrected right before her very eyes.
Holy. Crap.
…
"No way…" Kaiya's eyes widened when she caught sight of Tsuki, Kioko's trainer and Tori Taka's daughter, arrive on the battlefield. Usagi and Kioko were with her. Kaiya ran up to her, even in the midst of the chaos that was going on around them, and pointed to the older lady. "Hey, you…old hag!" she shouted heatedly. "Shouldn't you be in a nursing home somewhere, instead of out here in the middle of a war?! Did the Grim Reaper give you the wrong directions to the afterlife when you died of old age?" Tsuki turned to the teenager in question, her light, blue eyes glaring a hole through the younger girl's soul. Some of the people around her ran for cover.
"Excuse me?!" she growled, waving a fist in the air angrily. She grabbed Kaiya by the flak jacket and pulled her closer. "Do I know you, brat? Who are you callin' hag, huh? Wanna piece o' me?!" A sweat drop slid down the back of Naruto's head. What in the world is Kaiya doing…?
"Heh." Kaiya grinned, despite her seemingly desperate situation. "I knew that would get your attention." Tsuki frowned in question, her grip on Kaiya's vest tightening. "The name's Kaiya Umachi, Kioko's old teammate, but you don't have to concern yourself with me. I was just voicing what I figured Kuro-sensei would say in a situation like this." Tsuki's eyes widened slightly, and she pushed Kaiya backwards with so much force it was hard for her to catch her balance. Tsuki scoffed, crossing her arms.
"I see…so that bastard actually told someone the truth after all, eh?" she said, her lips curling into a scowl. "And to think, here I was thinking he was embarrassed for people to know that I'm his mother." Usagi and Kioko glanced at each other fearfully. Kaiya frowned—it appeared they already knew. Well, Tsuki was with Kioko this entire time, after all; as for Usagi, she was her granddaughter, so it was understandable that she should know by now as well.
"Actually, Zen told me," she corrected, dusting herself off. She matched Tsuki's expression, glowering back at her. "So tell me something…just what the hell does a woman like you see in a demon like Orochimaru?" Tsuki's eyes widened, and her face went slack. Usagi and Kioko paled, sweat pouring down their foreheads.
"Hey, asshole," Kioko whispered, her body stiff, afraid to move. "I haven't seen you in three years, and the first thing I hear you say is that you want to die here?" Kaiya frowned, giving her former teammate a quizzical look.
"Hn. As if someone her age could do anything to me. Besides, it's an honest question, one I've always wanted to know the answer to. And you know what else? While you're at it, why don't you tell me why you sold your son's soul, and allowed your daughter to be slaughtered with a clan that she wasn't even a part of!"
Usagi's and Kioko's jaw dropped. Naruto and Kakashi, who had no idea what was going on, listened on in horror as Kaiya—or whoever the hell she was at the moment—ranted about things that made no sense to them. After a minute or two listening to Kaiya drone on, Tsuki clenched her fists and charged, picking Kaiya up and slamming her into the ground, making a crater that stretched half a kilometer wide. It made such a fuss that even Madara and Obito turned to see what was going on. Tsuki gritted her teeth, grasping Kaiya's neck firmly. She was so angry, she couldn't even speak.
Despite her airway being cut off, Kaiya managed a grin. "Well, what's the matter? I didn't strike a nerve, did I? I'm waiting for answers," she taunted, fighting for air.
"And why the hell do you want to know so badly?" Tsuki questioned through clenched teeth. "Why do you even care? I know about you, Kaiya Umachi. Orochimaru is your archenemy…he took away your family and killed your father; and then he took away the man you loved. Am I right?" Her clutch constricted. Kaiya gagged. "So then why do you care so much about the son of that man? Shouldn't you hate him too? He kept the truth from you all this time, didn't he? And you're worried about someone like me?" She scoffed.
"Do you…do you think that I'm proud of my decisions? Do you think that I wanted to turn away from my son, who had become a monster, because I couldn't face the shame of not being able to help him? Do you think that I don't lie awake every night and shed tears for my daughter, who fell in love with an Uchiha, and thus she was slaughtered along with them? Do you think I could ever forgive myself for my terrible mistake of falling in love with a man who turned out to be a demon? Huh?!"
Kaiya's eyes widened, her conscience going in and out, as cold tears hit her face from above. She glanced up to see that Tsuki was crying, with a death grip still on her esophagus. All of a sudden, her eyes softened.
I've never…seen her cry before…
The sixteen-year-old reached up and took hold of Tsuki's wrist desperately, begging her silently to let her go. After a few seconds of quiet contemplation, she released her hold. Tears were still falling down her cheeks. She bowed her head.
"Are you happy now?" she asked, her voice heavy and sullen. "Did I satisfy your curiosity?" Kaiya's eyes narrowed. She couldn't say she was proud of the stunt she just pulled—because she wasn't. Once again, her anger had gotten the best of her. Even with all of her years of training to subdue her emotions, the one time she was faced with this woman after so long, she managed to let it all go to hell.
"You…" Kaiya forced herself to her feet, staring at the ground. "So you really care about them—your children?" she wondered, her expression somber. Tsuki's own expression softened, only slightly.
"Of course I do! I'm sure Seishi will tell you that I abandoned him and his sister because I was selfish. He probably thought I hated them, because of who their father was. But the truth is, I never once regretted my children. I've always loved them. I just didn't know how to show it without making myself look like the monster."
Kioko pouted. Tsuki-sensei…
"Heh, Seishi, huh? I haven't heard that name in quite a while." Kaiya managed to show a small smirk, dusting herself off. Tsuki frowned in question. "I suppose it's time I ended this charade. The truth is, I wanted to hear all of that from you, because—" Kaiya's sentence was cut short, just as a wooden pole shot towards them at lightning speed. Madara scoffed, his arms crossed.
"I've grown tired of their conversation," he muttered. "It's time to shut them up." Obito's eyes narrowed.
"Heh. You sure you want to kill your own great-granddaughter?" he asked playfully. "Although, as Naruto's close friend, her death would spark the greatest outrage of all, don't you think? Even more so than before." Madara frowned, his Rinnegan searching Kaiya thoroughly.
"Didn't you say Kaiya has the phoenix? Then how can this person—"
Tsuki managed to punch the pole head-on, shattering it to splinters. Those around her who've never seen her in battle were amazed.
"Ooh, it's power like the Fifth Hokage!" someone shouted. Tsuki smirked. That's because I learned from watching her.
Kaiya's eyes widened. Such strength…even a hag like her, who doesn't even bother changing her appearance like the Fifth, is capable of so much.
But they were so caught up in the moment that they didn't notice a second pole right behind the first. Tsuki's eyes widened as she came face-to-face with death, her life flashing before her eyes. And what a menial life it's been, she thought, wishing she could apologize to her son at least once before she died. Seishi, I wish…I wish I had searched for you all those years ago. Maybe then…maybe then I wouldn't have died with this much regret. She closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate, as blood soared into the sky and everyone around her fell silent.
But the end never came…at least not for her.
Tsuki opened her eyes only to be struck speechless, her body frozen stiff. Kaiya was standing in front of her, holding a fragment of the pole in her hands; however, a significantly large piece still managed to pierce her through the chest. Tsuki swallowed a lump in her throat. "Why, kid…why did you just—"
"I suppose it's what my master…would've wanted," she coughed, blood splattering all over the ground. Nobody moved. "I think he…would've wanted to save you…even if you are…an old hag who should've died…eons ago." She chuckled, blood pouring out of her mouth like water from a fountain. Her knees buckled as her legs gave out from under her. Tsuki caught her and laid her on the ground, after removing the wood fragment from her sternum. She gritted her teeth and began a medical procedure that everyone knew was hopeless. It'd happened earlier with Neji.
"Stay with me, Kaiya! Stay with me!" But she could feel her consciousness slip with every passing moment. So this is end, huh? And that little brat isn't even here. Tch. Why do I even bother with this kid?
"K-Kaiya…" Kioko stammered, tears filling her eyes. Usagi looked away, a solemn expression on her face. Kakashi turned to see Naruto's expression. Surprisingly, the blonde appeared calm, though he held a contemplative look on his face. He stared at Kaiya, and at a tearful Tsuki trying to save her, but Kakashi couldn't actually tell what he was thinking. Was my hunch correct? Naruto may have noticed it too, which would explain his reaction. Otherwise, he would've run to her side, and then attacked our enemy with blind rage. This was all getting a little too complicated, to be honest: Madara turning out to be Obito, and the real Madara appearing out of nowhere; Kaiya, who may not actually be Kaiya, dying before their eyes…
Which begged the question, who was in her place now? And where was the real one?
Put to rest what you thought of me
While I clean this slate with the hands of uncertainty.
