Disclaimer: Holy shit, it's 2020. A fucking new decade is happening. It's also another decade I don't own the rights to Naruto or anything. Another sad failure. Sadface. Maybe 2030 will be the deadline for when I can own some cool shit...

Author's Note: Hey before I get started, i just want to make a note that I've noticed that the website here is having some troubles with PMs. Namely, I never got any new email notifications about receiving them.

I'm someone who does not check this website too often when I'm not posting, which is part of the reason I usually get so behind with responding back in general. But this made it worse; I saw a MASSIVE inbox that's going to take a bit to respond to. So... um... be patient with me! I promise to get to everything soon :)

Anyway, no more interruptions; onward to the chapter!

"Finally, we arrived!"

After days of travel, Kabuto and Hidan had arrived at a small rundown building in Tetsu no Kuni. The building was made of black-painted bricks and had a gold symbol – one that resembled the upside-down triangle on Hidan's pendant – planted on the singular door to the building. There were piles of bricks and stones on the ground and some parts of the building looked as if, if knocked with enough force, would fall apart.

As Kabuto and Hidan walked closer to the building, Kabuto could smell the scent of blood – both fresh and dried-up. While a frown developed on his face, Hidan took in a deep breath, savoring the scent as a grin developed on his face

"It has been so long since I stepped foot on a holy site. This is long overdue." He said with a sigh.

"How… holy is this 'spot', if you do not mind me asking?" Kabuto asked, his eyes focusing on the door.

"There are four temples such as these across the world. These are the last known spots where Jashin-sama was reported seen." Hidan explained. "This, here, was an offering site."

Kabuto's eyes widened momentarily: "Jashin walked the earth?"

"Of course he did, heretic!" Hidan hissed. "This whole earth belongs to Jashin-sama! After this world came into existence and humans started to bring havoc to it and destroy it, Jashin-sama arrived to punish them for their wickedness." He then closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin, as he began to quote: "'For if humanity wished for destruction, then destruction shall come. And Jashin will show these mortals what destruction entails and what death brings'."

"Ah." Kabuto adjusted his glasses slightly, turning to face Hidan: "So, your religion is centered on punishing sinners who have destroyed the earth?"

"It goes a little further than that." Hidan shook his head, bringing his pendant to his lips and kissing it. "Jashin-sama, when he brought destruction to humans, realized that humanity was truly ignorant about the extent of their actions and were ignorant about what it means to be alive and dead. He noticed that so many could easily bring death to others but were so afraid of death themselves. So, he advocated to educate humans by removing their fear of death by killing them so they can experience death firsthand." A smile developed on his lips as he kissed his pendant: "Truly, Jashin-sama is a righteous God."

'That makes no sense. None of that makes sense.' Kabuto bit his lip hard. 'But don't say anything. Hidan's still a loyal one to have. Keep nice, keep respectful.'

The two walked up to the door. Hidan channeled chakra into his hand and knocked on the door. Kabuto's eyebrow rose slightly.

"If this ground is holy enough, should I go somewhere while you're here?" He asked.

Hidan turned his head to face his partner, chuckling: "Nah. The Temple of Jashin is open to all, even blasphemers such as yourself." A smirk then developed on his lips: "I'd be careful, though, inside. You never know who might try and sacrifice you, Kabuto."

'Oh. So temple-goers here may try and kill me. Fun.' A sigh escaped Kabuto's lips as he forced a chuckle: "Well, I guess I could use the opportunity to try and practice my new kekkei genkai."

Before Hidan could reply, the door to the temple opened, revealing an elderly woman with ivory-colored skin, white hair and blue eyes. She wore black pants with red stripes down the side and wore a dark red poncho over a black long-sleeve shirt. On the front of the poncho was the upside-down triangle, printed on it in a similar golden color to the door of the building.

"I knew I recognized that chakra signature. Hidan-sama, it is an honor to have you here once more." The woman bowed.

"Ikiryō-sama, the honor is all mine to be in the presence of such a devout follower of Jashin-sama." Hidan bowed his head.

The woman, Ikiryō, smiled back as she turned her head to Kabuto. The smile turned malicious as she quickly flickered, using the shunshin to appear directly behind Kabuto: "Is this young man an offering for Jashin-sama?"

Before Kabuto could respond, Ikiryō stabbed at him with a sharp katana. Using the Shikotsumyaku, Kabuto's bone structure hardened and prevented the sword from impaling him. He winced, though, as the very tip of the blade managed to pierce his bone defenses and draw some blood.

"Unfortunately, no. Ikiryō-sama, this is my partner in that 'organization' I was recruited for." Hidan explained. He then turned to his partner, chuckling: "Kabuto, meet Ikiryō, a high priestess of Jashin!"

"So this young man isn't a sacrifice to our Lord? Shame." Ikiryō frowned, pulling the sword away and placed it back in its sheath, hidden by her poncho. "My blade only drew the tiniest bits of blood. I assume he would make a fun sacrifice to take down."

Kabuto's eyes narrowed on the elderly lady: 'I know my defenses are not as good as a standard Kaguya, but still; to pierce the bones of the Shikotsumyaku…' He adjusted his glasses slightly: 'We're in Tetsu no Kuni, so she must have been a former samurai before finding 'Jashin'. I'll have to find out more about her.'

"I'll bring a sacrifice for us to offer." Hidan spoke-up, smiling. "But for now, I've come to worship Jashin-sama! And I'd like to try to learn more of His sacred techniques."

Ikiryō turned back towards her fellow Jashinite, smiling back at him: "I will escort you, once again to His scared chambers. I hope you may find this enlightening!" She then turned her head towards Kabuto: "You are welcomed inside the temple, as a partner of Hidan's, but I ask that you do not wander off into any sacred rooms. Please, remain in our central prayer room. I will eventually come around to escort you to a room to sleep in."

"I can do that." Kabuto nodded his head. "Please let me know-"

Hidan and Ikiryō walked into the building, ignoring Kabuto's words altogether. The glasses-wearing shinobi still for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips and he pocketed his hands: 'They're not listening to me, are they? Sounds about right.'

After a few moments, Kabuto walked through the doors, entering the temple himself. His eyes then began to move around the area.

If the outside appeared dilapidated, the inside looked completely destroyed. There were hundreds of piles of scattered bricks and clothes all over the floor. The floor had tiles of some sort, but there was so much scattered debris that Kabuto could not even guess at what color they were.

The smell of blood was even stronger inside. Kabuto was a hundred percent positive that, at the very least, three freshly-killed corpses must have been scattered amongst the debris of the temple floor. Kabuto took a step forward through the room before he tensed up and jumped backward, just narrowly avoiding a kunai.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kabuto turned his head to see a bald man with a black beard, wearing traditional black-and-red robes with the same upside-down triangle drawn on it.

"I am an associate of Hidan's-" Kabuto started but the man tossed another kunai at him, shutting Kabuto up.

"It doesn't matter who you are, heathen!" The man hissed as he reached for another kunai. "I'm Warui, a follower of Jashin-sama, and you are going to be my next sacrifice to Him!"

'Well… Hidan did warn me this was going to happen.' Kabuto sighed as he clapped his hands together, channeling Explosive Release chakra into his hands: 'Might as well make the most of it. Let's start practicing!'

"Well, time to get started with another day of training." Naruto said, stretching as he pulled himself away from the dining table.

After washing his dishes from breakfast, Naruto walked out of the kitchen. As he walked through the corridors of the Uzumaki Clan living quarters, one of the doors opened. Tayuya walked out, fully dressed for travel with a satchel over her shoulders.

"Morning." She said with a yawn. "You're up early."

"Well, yeah. I got to be up early for all the training I have to get done." Naruto explained, with a chuckle. His eyes then focused on her attire: "Are you leaving Konoha already Tayuya-nee?"

"Yup." She nodded her head. "I'll be out of here by the time I get done with breakfast."

A frown developed on his face: "Usually you stay in the village for at least a week before going back on a mission."

"Yeah, but I don't have that luxury right now." Tayuya said, sighing. "I got to get my ass to Kaminari no Kuni and meet with Itachi one more time. See if he has anything last minute to report."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto sighed. "Are you going to be staying in Kumo as well in the fight against Akatsuki?"

Tayuya nodded her head: "Yup."

"What do you think Itachi's gonna do? Will he help?" Naruto asked.

"I mean…" Tayuya sighed. "It kinda depends. If it looks like we can destroy all of Akatsuki, I'll bet he'll turn sides and help us finish it off. But if it looks like they'll live, he might need to still 'fight with them'." She crossed her arms. "He's in a dream situation. We shouldn't be able to have a person like him in the position he is to get information in the first place. If it looks like Akatsuki will survive past Kumo, then he's gonna have to maintain that position. We can't risk losing a spy in the organization and he knows that."

"Gotcha." Naruto nodded his head. He then held out his hand towards his cousin. "You'll be safe though, alright?"

"I will. Promise." Tayuya replied, smiling.

The two Uzumaki shared a tight hug with one another for a moment. When they broke apart, Naruto waved goodbye to Tayuya as he rushed out of the compound to meet up with his team. Tayuya, now alone, walked down the hallways towards the kitchen to get something to eat before she left on her travels.

"So, you're leaving for Kumo, huh?"

Tayuya stopped as another door in the hallway opened and Masakado walked out.

"Old men like you should be sleeping at this hour, you know that?" Tayuya said, chuckling.

Masakado snorted in response: "Old men like me would be asleep if you young brats could have a quiet conversation for once. Both you and Naruto are so damn loud."

"Or maybe your ears are just too sensitive." Tayuya rolled her eyes.

"Bah." Masakado shook his head. His eyes then narrowed on his fellow Uzumaki. "Tayuya, can I borrow you for a moment?"

Tayuya's eyebrow rose slightly, but she nodded her head. Masakado proceeded to walk towards the building exit as Tayuya followed behind.

Masakado stopped walking when the two arrived in the courtyard in an open patch of ground. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a kunai.

"See, this is something I should have done a while ago. But I know that Old Monkey Hiruzen just passed and I'm not going to let myself wait any longer." Masakado said as he stabbed his thumb with the kunai. "I think the legacy of the Uzumaki needs to officially continue and it needs you to help with it."

"What… do you mean by that?" Tayuya asked.

Masakado, now with blood on his thumb, started to do hand signs: "Summoning Jutsu!"

A poof of smoke appeared throughout the clearing. When it faded away, a large grey mole appeared next to Masakado's side, dressed in black mesh armor and wearing a spiral mask that covered his face.

"Tayuya, meet Choropū, my oldest friend." Masakado said, his hand touching the mole's right shoulder: "He once was the Mole Summoning Clan's Boss but now has retired to being the keeper of the summoning scroll, as well as my personal confidant."

"I am pleased to finally meet you, Tayuya-sama." The mole, Choropū, said while bowing his head: "It is an honor to be in the presence of another Uzumaki."

"Choropū…" Tayuya repeated the name, her eyes focusing on the mole: "I've heard the name. You fought Jiraiya back in Uzushio, right?"

"I did." The mole nodded his head. "I follow Masakado-sama's orders and that was his given orders. I fight against all threats to Uzushio and the Uzumaki Legacy."

"A brief history lesson, Tayuya." Masakado spoke, crossing his arms: "Uzushiogakure, a village hidden by whirlpools, had the Mole Summoning Clan to thank for producing the natural whirlpools around our village. Their clan was strong enough to be able to dig even through the depths of waters, were able to create the torrential waters around our village. And in exchange, we simply allowed the Moles to run freely throughout our village, giving them a connection outside Ōi Cavern, their natural home, and taught them how to use fūinjutsu."

"A difficult task, I must admit, as our species has rather poor eyesight." Choropū admitted. "However, the benefits are apparent. As such, our Clan and the Uzumaki Clan are connected by history."

"You… didn't need to share any of that. I knew about moles creating the whirlpools. They are regarded as some of the most deadly summons known throughout history if you allow them to even have slight control of the battlefield." Tayuya noted. Her eyes then widened as she focused on the grey mole in front of her. "And… are you… asking me to…"

Choropū nodded his head: "Yes, this is long overdue. A majority of the Uzumaki Clan were given in our summoning contract. A good portion of our clan perished as well in the Fall of Uzushiogakure, but enough of us are still alive. And we are ready to serve the next generation of Uzumaki."

"I would share the contract with Naruto as well, but of course Jiraiya already beat me with the fucking toads…" Masakado shook his head, focusing back on Tayuya. "But yes. It is time that the Uzumaki Clan gained a new summoner." A smile developed on his lips: "And I can't think of anyone better or more committed to the Uzumaki legacy than you, Tayuya."

Choropū reached into an opening in his mesh armor and pulled out a scroll. He then extended it outward towards Tayuya.

"Consider this our promise to you, and the next generation of Uzumaki that claim Konoha as your home." The mole declared.

Tayuya was still for a moment. Her eyes stared back at Choropū for a moment before they focused on the scroll. Tears fell down her eyes as a grin developed on her face.

"And in return… I'll be the best fucking summoner your clan has EVER had!" Tayuya declared sharply as she bit down on her thumb.

Quickly, Tayuya signed her name in her blood, cementing the relationship between the Uzumaki and Mole Clan once again.

'Someone's here already?' Naruto's eyebrow rose slightly.

As he arrived at the training ground, he came face-to-face with a man with short brown hair and a well-groomed beard with green eyes. The man wore a dark green robe yukata with a white sash along the waist. As Naruto walked up to the man, the man frowned.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I presume?" The man questioned. Naruto nodded his head. "The name is Inoue Hideki. I help run the store 'Inoue Fabrics' with my wife."

"Ah." Naruto's eyes widened in recollection. "You are Katsumi's dad."

"I am. And that is precisely why I wanted to speak with you." Hideki stated, frowning. "You need to reevaluate your training methods."

Naruto bit down on his lip, resisting the urge to scowl. He took a breath in before he stared back at the man with a neutral expression on his face: "And what do you mean by that?"

"Four in the morning is ludicrously early in the morning for her to be training." Hideki explained. "It's-"

"Circumstantially, it makes the most sense right now." Naruto interrupted, crossing his arms. "Also, a shinobi should be ready for anything at any given time of the day. She already has her forehead protector; she is capable of waking up for a four o'clock training session."

Hideki's frown deepened: "But you're doing this to her after getting back from a week-long excursion out of the village-"

"Mission." Naruto interrupted again, shaking his head. "I believe the word you're looking for is 'mission'."

"… Mission." Hideki took in a deep breath, seemingly trying to compose himself: "Do you not realize how you are affecting her home life? And her ability to see and help her family?"

Naruto held out his fist in front of him, then extended his thumb out: "First, missions are a part of a shinobi lifestyle. Just the way you have to go to your shop, shinobi are expected to go on missions. You need to get used to it." He then extended his index finger: "Second, she still has plenty of time in the day to see you and help out if she wanted to, which ties into…" Naruto raised his middle finger: "Third – you don't seem to respect your daughter's life, so why are you expecting her to want to spend time with you?"

"Excuse me?" Hideki's eyes narrowed: "I allowed my daughter to enter the academy and-"

"Never gave her any time to actually work on her training. You actively discouraged it." Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders.

The shopkeeper began to grit his teeth: "That's might presumptuous to say, Uzumaki-san."

"Her words; not mine." Naruto, again, shrugged his shoulders: "But I'm not changing our entire team's training schedule just because you do not approve of it. If you want your daughter to help out more around with your shop or with your family, you should ask her when she's off-duty with me."

Hideki was quiet for a moment as he stared at Naruto intently. He shook his head before he pocketed his hands and turned his back.

"You shinobi turn your back on your civilian counterparts, as if you're better than them." He muttered. "You've been a bad influence on my daughter, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto scowled. Making a hand sign, Naruto disappeared with the shunshin, appearing directly in front of the man. Hideki's eyes widened as he took a step back, but Naruto stepped forward until he was in his face.

"Look, I'm used to people blaming me for shit that's not my fault. And judging by your age, I assume you know why people would do that. Again, I'm used to it and don't give a fuck. I know a lot of it is from ignorance, so I'm not gonna lose sleep over people just not understanding things." Naruto stated, his eyes narrowing. "This, though, I'll draw the line on. Katsumi is feeling distant from your family and it's not her fault. She does not feel like you or her mom approve of her lifestyle and that's causing her a lot of distress. And so if she is distant and you want something to change, then you need to do something about it!"

Hideki was quiet and breathing heavily, his forehead starting to accumulate sweat. Naruto's glare intensified before he shook his head and moved forward, brushing his shoulder against Hideki, pushing him to the side slightly.

"I really don't give a fuck if you hate me for being a 'bad influence' or whatever. But don't blame your family problems on me. Own your own fucking problems." Naruto said, not looking back at the man. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got a team to train soon."

As Naruto continued forward to his spot at the training ground, he heard Hideki's footsteps grow louder, as if he was running away. Naruto sighed as he pocketed his hands.

'Your dad's an asshole, Katsumi. Hopefully your family gets its shit together for your sake.' Naruto sighed.

'Four in the morning and still no escort to a room.' Kabuto sighed, yawning.

Kabuto looked down at the body of the Jashinite formally known as Warui. It did not take much work for Kabuto to kill the man. He appeared to have Hidan's sense of violence and aggression without any other common sense or immortality to compensate, making him a rather easy kill.

'He was not immortal. Clearly faith alone or base understanding of 'Jashin' techniques is not enough.' Kabuto noted, adjusting his glasses. 'I'd love to compare any blood or DNA traces to Hidan's and see what gives him his unique abilities. See if there's some type of cellular component.'

Bending down on the ground, Kabuto pulled out a scalpel and began to cut open the man's body in better detail.

Seconds turned to minutes, which turned to hours. Within moments, Kabuto had vials of blood samples of the man as well as his body completely open for inspection.

"Shit, you look like you've been busy."

Kabuto looked up from Warui's body for the first time since his dissection began. He saw Hidan leaving a door and walking towards him, an amused look on his face. Hidan was not wearing a shirt and his body was completely covered in blood, which caused Kabuto raise an eyebrow.

"Only moderately. This gentleman here was eager to die." Kabuto noted, chuckling.

"He was a true Jashinite. Someone who pursued a kill, even if it meant his own death." Hidan said, whistling in approval. He looked at the body and scowled at the vials of blood laying next to them: "Sacrilege! The fuck do you think you're doing in a sacred temple. Any blood spilled here belongs to Jashin only; not to your science bullshit."

"Ah. My apologies." Kabuto pulled out a sealing scroll and quickly sealed the body inside. "Was doing a little research to kill the time. I did not mean to offend."

Hidan's eyes widened for a moment as he stared at his partner. His scowl faded away and was replaced with a genuine smile.

"Gotta admit, for a heretic, you are a cool guy Kabuto." Hidan said as he walked towards his partner. "Despite your blasphemy, you at least try to be respectful. More than Kakuzu ever did."

A smile developed on Kabuto's face: "Your religion is important to you."

"Damn right it is!" Hidan nodded his head as he reached for his pendant and kissed it.

Kabuto's eyes focused on the pendant. He adjusted his glasses once again before turning upward to Hidan's face once again.

"If I may, what drew you to Jashinism?" He asked.

"Jashin spoke to me." Hidan answered with a shrug. "And I listened."

"But why is it so important to you?" Kabuto continued.

Hidan was silent for a moment. He kissed his pendant once again before he looked Kabuto in the eyes.

"You know I'm from Yugakure right? Back when that shithole was around." Hidan said. He nodded his head. "I was an orphan in that village. Never had a dad and my mom died from some disease when I was four. I had no future really, so when I turned seven, I enrolled in the shinobi academy." He crossed his arms and sighed: "The goal was to either live a successful long life as a ninja or simply die on a mission. And I was fine with both."

"You were?" Kabuto's eyebrow rose: "Most children do not covet death."

"Well what other choice did I have? I had no family and was stealing shit to pay for food all throughout my academy days." Hidan scoffed. "Well I became a genin real quick. Then chūnin. Then jōnin. And then real quickly, I became one of the top shinobi in the damn village." Hidan's scowl deepened: "And then the village leader decided our village should be a fucking tourist trap!"

Kabuto nodded his head. He knew about this; Yugakure – the Village Hidden in Hot Springs – disbanded its shinobi forces, opened its village to the public, and became a popular tourist destination for its hot springs and resorts. It proved financially beneficial to the village and to Yu no Kuni as a whole, as Yugakure was not known for producing quality shinobi.

"Can you believe that shit?" Hidan snarled. "Nearly the entire fucking village was okay with that. It… really fucking pissed me off. Cause being a shinobi was the only path someone like me had here! I didn't have a family or some trade I could fall back on; if I were born ten years later, I'd fucking die penniless and homeless in some 'tourist destination'." Hidan's hands tightened into fists: "FUCK THEM AND EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT BULLSHIT! THAT IS WHY I MURDERED ALL OF THEM! AND I HOPE THEY ARE ALL BURNING IN HELL!"

Kabuto, again, nodded his head in recognition. The other notable consequence of the disbandment of Yugakure's shinobi force was the most infamous shinobi in Yugakure – his partner Hidan – going rogue and slaughtering Yugakure's leaders, from the village head down the chain of command. His actions forced the village to go into chaos to discover new leadership and resulted in Hidan becoming the only shinobi from the village to get ranked 'S-Rank' in the Bingo Books.

"… So after you left Yugakure a missing ninja, you found Jashin?" Kabuto asked.

Hidan nodded his head. He took in a deep breath as he calmed himself down: "I was lost and felt hopeless again. I robbed and slaughtered indiscriminately just to survive as I moved around the countries." A smile developed on his face as he looked around the building: "Until I wandered over to Tetsu no Kuni."

"Until he discovered our sacred temple."

Kabuto and Hidan turned around back to the chamber doors to see Ikiryō walking towards the two men.

"Pardon the interruption." She said.

"I don't mind." Hidan shrugged his shoulders, grinning at the elderly High Priestess. "Hell, you're right. That day I tried to rob you and this sacred temple ended up being the most important day of my life. It was the start of my rebirth."

"Indeed." Ikiryō chuckled. "I tried to sacrifice you to Jashin-sama; little did I know I would have found the most devoted follower of His in all of my years." Her eyes then moved to Kabuto. "I hope we did not bore you while we were praying."

"Oh, not at all. I found ways to entertain myself." Kabuto said.

"Good." Ikiryō nodded her head before she gestured to the right. "Hidan-sama is going to stay here for another day so that way he can develop spiritually and learn more of Jashin-sama's techniques. Allow me to show you to living quarters for the night."

"That would be most appreciated." Kabuto said, bowing.

"'Most appreciated'." Ikiryō repeated, chuckling. "You seem like a sweet man, Kabuto-san. You are more than welcome to stay here whenever you desire." Her gentle smile seemed to widen: "Perhaps you'll receive a vision from Jashin-sama while you stay here."

Ikiryō gestured forward to the two men to follow her as she walked towards a door and opened it, revealing a hallway with red-painted walls. Kabuto and Hidan followed behind.

"Well, I appear to have gotten on her good side." Kabuto said, chuckling.

"She's fond of men she can't immediately kill." Hidan replied. He gripped onto his pendant as he looked at Kabuto curiously: "She's right, you know? Maybe Jashin-sama will speak to you while you're here." Kabuto adjusted his glasses momentarily, which caused Hidan to roll his eyes: "Unless you all this is bullshit, don't you?"

"I don't think it's 'bullshit'." Kabuto stated, sighing. "It's just… well, based off my past, I have trouble believing in any god. Even a righteous god of punishment and destruction like Jashin."

"Hmmm…" Hidan frowned in response.

The two Akatsuki members were silent as Ikiryō showed them to their rooms. As the High Priestess walked away, Kabuto opened his door and prepared to go to sleep. Hidan reached out to him, placing his hand on his shoulder and bringing Kabuto to a stop.

"You know my life story already. Why don't I learn yours?" Hidan asked.

"You want to learn?" Kabuto asked, laughing slightly. "I must admit, it's kinda boring."

"Try me, bitch." Hidan rolled his eyes. The two men were silent for a moment as Hidan smiled at him. "Look, you've been respectful to me and it's the first time I've met a guy outside of the Jashin faith that gave a shit about me, so I owe you the same. So, tell me. What 'tragic background' do you got that makes it so hard to even acknowledge Jashin-sama's existence?"

"Don't patronize me." Kabuto replied, elbowing his partner.

"I'm not, heretic." Hidan replied with a snort. A grin then developed on his face: "Hear that? That's the sound of me being patronizing. Would you prefer that, heretic?"

"No." Kabuto chuckled in response. He then stared at Hidan for a moment before he adjusted his glasses and took a seat down by his doorway. "Very well, then. We'll talk. I guess… I'll start with my time at the Konoha Orphanage. My biological parents, I believe, are dead but I don't know for certain. I woke up there with no memory of who I was, and did not even know my name…"

Hidan took a seat next to his door and he began to listen patiently as Kabuto began to share his story.

"Alright, we're almost done!" Naruto said, grinning down at his exhausted students. "Last up for us is group training! Then we'll be done for the day and you all can go back to sleep."

"'Go back to sleep' he says." Katsumi mumbled. "As if 'sleep' works that way."

"It kinda does. Otherwise you weren't that tired." Naruto chuckled.

"Trust me, we're very tired. Very. Very." Kanji said, his words growing longer-and-longer: "Verrrrryyyyy."

"Well, then let's hurry then so you all can see if you'll be able to sleep." Naruto said, shaking his head. He then made a hand sign, creating two shadow clones: "Hanabi, you're with me. Kanji and Katsumi, you two are with the clones."

Kanji and Katsumi both nodded their heads in understanding. After a deal of effort, they pull themselves off the ground and are escorted to opposite corners of the training ground. Hanabi slowly pulls herself off the ground. She yawns before turning to look at Naruto with a serious, determined expression.

"You ready to start?" Naruto asked as he pulled out a kunai from his pocket.

Hanabi nodded her head. She then looked down at her own shoulder to the sleeping snake around her neck: "Should I wake up Hebihiro?"

"You don't need to if he needs rest. We won't be working on anything that needs him." Naruto shook his head as he started to toss his kunai into the air. "So, you looked at those scrolls I gave you a while back about medical ninjutsu?" She nodded her head just as Naruto caught the kunai. He tossed it into the air. "How do you feel about the subject? Does it make sense?"

"I actually like the theory a lot. I studied it a lot and understand it and I'm able to do the mystical palm technique." Hanabi answered, smiling. "Although I haven't actually practiced actually healing anything, but I know I can make an appointment to start practicing on fish-"

Naruto caught his kunai a second time and then stabbed his left arm.

"NARUTO-SENSEI?" Hanabi shouted, her eyes widening.

"Huh?" Hebihiro's eyes opened as the little snake started to stir slightly: "What's going on?"

Naruto did not immediately reply; instead, he deepened his own stab wound, causing more blood to fall. Naruto's face tensed as the jinchūriki then brought the kunai down his arm, making his wound grow deeper. Hanabi continued to shout in confusion, but Naruto did not listen for a few seconds until he pulled the kunai out of his arm.

"D-Damn. I d-don't know why I expected th-this to hurt th-that much…" Naruto mumbled, forcing a laugh out of himself. "W-Well, Hanabi. L-Let's work on your medical ninjutsu. Heal this please!"

"Naruto-sensei, what the f…" Hanabi bit her lip as she rushed to her sensei's side: "What's wrong with you?"

"Were you g-going to curse?" Naruto asked, grinning despite the pain.

"N-No, I wasn't! It's just… ugh, never mind!" Hanabi shook her head. "Naruto-sensei, you can't be serious? I can't treat that! Medics are supposed to start with treating fish and birds; not actual human wounds! I could really mess something up!"

"Y-You're forgetting I'm a jinchūriki, though." Naruto replied, tapping his chest with his right hand. "My natural healing power will heal the wound soon. I can actually prevent it from working, but if you end up not doing the job, my own healing will heal it!"

"You're serious…" Hanabi frowned as she made hand signs before bringing her hands outwards. "I can't believe you actually did this…"

Within a moment, Hanabi's hands were coated in green chakra. She activated her Byakugan and looked down at Naruto's wound. Her frown deepened.

"Geez, the wound is deep, Naruto-sensei. I really don't think it's wise to have me try to treat this." Hanabi said.

"Well, you get experience through practice." Naruto answered. "It's important and will give you an edge up both in the exam and for what's going to happen after. It's really important that you really start working on your medical ninjutsu, so please. Try and heal it!"

"… Okay." Hanabi took in a deep breath as she brought her hands down, directly above Naruto's wound.

Within a few seconds, Naruto started to tense up slightly: 'Shit this burns!'

"I'm… not sure I'm doing it right…" Hanabi's frown deepened as she moved her hands upward, her hands glowing an even brighter green color: "Let me try this."

Naruto's eyes widened again: 'D-Dammit, this fucking burns! What the hell?'

Naruto bit down on his lip, resisting the urge to shout as Hanabi began experimenting with the Mystical Palm, trying to heal Naruto's wound.

"So, what do you wanna work on Clone-sensei?" Kanji asked the Naruto clone as the two reached their corner of the training ground.

"Clone-sensei?" A grin developed on the shadow clone: "Hell yeah, I like that! Fuck the original Naruto; I'm the real sensei here!" He then looked at the genin and reached into his pocket. "Anyway, Kanji, I have a couple of things I could work with you on, but I wanted to ask if you would consider learning fūinjutsu."

"Fūinjutsu?" Kanji's eyebrows rose slightly: "Didn't your Clan Head ask me that one time? I don't think I'm suited for that kind of thing."

"Actually, I think you are." Naruto's clone replied, pulling out a blank scroll and a pen. "You're a lot more of an analytical person than you let on. I don't think you'd have a hard time making seals exact. Plus fūinjutsu is an incredibly powerful art that will help differentiate your fighting style. There is a lot of potential with it that I think would appeal to you as a tactician."

"Hmmm…" The Yamanaka brought his right hand to his chin in thought.

"Remember it's not just offensive benefits fūinjutsu can bring. You'd be able to make barrier seals and traps and other things." The clone added.

Kanji's mind flashed back to the trip in Shimogakure and the interrogation of his brother. He remembered the seal Danzō had placed on Fū's tongue that prevented him from saying anything incriminating that would result in the loss of his ability to speak, if it did not kill him.

'It would be useful… and give me more options…' Kanji nodded his head.

"I can definitely work on other things and still plan on it. I do have some more lighting style techniques I researched for you that I think you'd be interested. And I know that, as a Yamanaka, you should also be focusing on your clan's secret techniques and learning more things you can do to other people's minds. But I just wanted to give you the opportunity." The clone said.

"… No, I see what you mean." Kanji nodded his head. He brought his hands to the back of his head and smiled. "If you think I'm suited for it, then let's give it a shot."

"Great!" 'Naruto' grinned as he held out the scroll to Kanji and the pen. "I'm going to show you some of the basics in a moment, but the first thing we're going to work on is your penmanship. I just need to see if you can reproduce kanji both correctly and rapidly."

"You're asking 'Kanji' if he can draw 'Kanji'?" The Yamanaka asked, grinning, as he took the scroll and pen. "I thought fūinjutsu was about drawing words and symbols; not drawing people. But we'll see if I can seal the deal I guess and do it!"

"Hehehehe." The clone snorted. "Funny. But let's get to work, alright?"

Kanji nodded his head as he began the first steps to learning fūinjutsu.

"Hey, uh… Naruto-sensei?" Katsumi spoke-up, eyes looking down as she and the clone escorting her reached their corner of the training ground. "I'm sorry, by the way?"

"Huh? About what?" Naruto's clone asked.

"… I saw my Dad on my way to the training ground." She mumbled, pocketing her hands. "And I can't imagine he'd be out here for any other reason than to bother you."

"Ah. Yeah. That." He sighed in response. "Nothing to be sorry, though. I'm sorry you have to deal with that asshole."

"He…" Katsumi sighed. "He's not really that bad, honestly. Like, he's a good father overall and cares about his family. It's just… he has some preconceptions about shinobi."

"And that's something he has to break out of. That's not right." The clone stated.

"… I know." His student sighed.

"Don't feel bad, though. We ended up talking, yeah, but I think he understood in the end. Or at the least, he won't be bothering you about it too much." Naruto's clone said. "I hope, at least."

"I'd… like that." Katsumi said, forcing a smile to her face. "But anyway, sorry for getting you off track. What did you want to work on today?"

"I actually really want to work on developing your fighting style more, Katsumi." The clone said, his eyes narrowing on her. "The original me had to work with Hanabi today because of what he wanted to work on with her, but the original is probably going to be working with you a bit more than usual. Because his idea is probably making you 'the muscle' of this team."

"Hmm?" Katsumi's eyebrow rose.

"Both Kanji and Hanabi can fight, but Kanji slots more into a strategist role and Hanabi is learning medical ninjutsu, so it'd be in all of your benefits if she isn't the front-line person either. That leaves you." The clone elaborated. A grin then developed on his lips. "Which admittedly, I was the 'muscle' of my team as Shikamaru slotted into the 'strategist' role while Hinata-chan kept a distance as a long distance fighter. So I think I can help you get stronger and more resilient if you need to be the front line for you team."

"Of course." Katsumi nodded her head, gripping her hands together. "I'll be up for anything! What would you like me to work on?"

"I have three techniques I'd like you to work on." The clone replied as he reached into his pocket and tossed three scrolls at his student. "Hopefully we'll be able to get all of them somewhat down before the exams start."

The kunoichi grabbed all three and then glanced over at the titles: "Earth Style: Earth Clone Jutsu. Earth Style: Earth Dragon. Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullets."

"You're an Earth type, so you'll have an easier time with those types of jutsu. I especially want you to learn how to make Earth Clones, since I more than anyone understand the benefits of having clones. I mean, look who you are talking to?" Naruto's shadow clone chuckled. "The wind style jutsu will be a bit harder, but I want you to have a wind style technique for the Chūnin Exams. Since it's going to be in Kumo, you'll probably be fighting a bunch of lightning users who naturally counter your earth techniques. So, I'd like you to know their counter!"

"Understood." Katsumi nodded her head. She pocketed the Earth Dragon scroll and Drilling Air Bullets scroll. She then opened up the Earth Clones scroll. "It'd probably be best to start with this one, right?"

"Yup." He nodded his head, grinning. "Let's get to work and show you how to turn yourself into a one-woman army!"

"Welcome back to Ryūchi Cave, Anko-chan and Hinata-chan." The White Snake Sage greeted as the two women made their way to her throne. She breathed out a large poof of smoke forward. "Are you two ready to resume training?"

"Resume? We barely started-" Anko's words died on her lips as she and Hinata both inhaled the smoke and started choking. A few seconds passed before their breathing relaxed and she continued: "All we did was take in nature energy and try and stabilize it."

"Which that in of itself is a daunting task for the average human. But you two definitely appear to be somewhat special." The Sage noted, smiling. "Let's get to work, then. And we'll start by teaching you how to channel the natural energy of our cave." Her eyes narrowed on the two humans: "You two still have the neck bites, yes?"

"Yes." Hinata admitted, frowning as she showed her neck off to the snake, still possessing the marks of a scar.

"This thing isn't permanent, is it?" Anko asked, frowning.

"It is not, but it is still there right now to make this next step easier for you." The White Snake Sage answered. "If you would not mind channeling chakra from the point of that injury?"

Both Anko and Hinata nodded their heads as they began channeling chakra from the chakra point closest to their wound.

Three seconds passed by before Hinata and Anko felt a pressure on their faces. There was no pain, but they could feel it; as if someone had placed a hand against them. Both Hinata and Anko moved their hands to their faces to see what was happening when they felt the ridges of scales.

"What the…" Hinata mumbled as her hand rubbed the surface of her cheek. She felt scale after scale as her hand went down. Her eyes widened: "Where… when… what is this?"

"Holy shit…" Anko mumbled to herself, rubbing the scales.

"Human bodies have difficulties funneling nature energy into their bodies, so I left a loose bit of my own chakra in your bodies when I bit you two yesterday. It is manifesting as the scales on your face right now and it is, at this very moment, absorbing the nature energy around us." The White Snake Sage answered.

"Damn…" Anko continued to run her finger down her scales. Her eyes widened as the scale actually cut into her finger slightly, drawing blood. A grin developed on her face: "This shit's sharp! This is cool as hell!"

"Um…" Hinata began to frown. "These 'scales' aren't permanent addition to our bodies, right?"

"No, that would be impossible." The White Snake Sage replied, chuckling. "It is only present because you are in what it is colloquially known as 'Sage Mode', or a preemptive state of it at least. It'll go away when you stop trying to channel the chakra."

"Oh. Okay." Immediately, Hinata stopped channeling chakra and the scales vanished. Hinata quickly rubbed her hands on her cheeks, affirming their disappearance. She sighed in in relief. "Are there any other changes we should be aware about?

"Well, that depends on how adept you are at integrating nature energy into your body. And hell, the scales are only there right now as a 'crutch' for you all when you are beginning. If you're skilled at it, the a few minor scales and your eye coloration should be the only changes." The White Snake Sage answered, chuckling. "If you are sloppy with its integration, you may develop more scales and a tail."

Hinata's eyes widened: "A t-tail?"

"That'd be cool as hell!" Anko exclaimed, chuckling. "Maybe I'll mess this shit up on purpose!"

"Anko-sensei?" Hinata immediately turned her head to former sensei in surprise.

"What?" Anko shrugged her shoulders. "It'd give me some utility in my fighting style. I could use my tail to sweep people off my feet. Plus I think it would just look cool!"

As Hinata stared at her sensei, trying to understand her excitement, she noticed that her sensei's eye color had changed to yellow and her eyes appeared to be more slitted, like a snake's. An image of Orochimaru appeared in her head, but she shook if away. 'No, Anko-sensei likes her look. Mentioning him will only upset her.'

"You can do that if you wish, Anko-chan, but I advise being cautious. If you were 'too sloppy', the nature energy may simply overwhelm your human body as a whole and simply turn you into a snake." The Snake warned.

"Ah. True." Anko rubbed the back of her head for a moment as she turned her attention back to the sage. "So, what should our first step be?"

"It is as I said, channel the nature energy. Practice that." The White Snake Sage replied. "Once you two are able to do it effectively, then I can start working on the intricacies and techniques of Sage Mode."

"… If I may ask, did my eye color change as well?" Hinata asked. "Like Anko-sensei's?"

"Of course, child." The White Snake Sage replied. "That is a change consistent amongst all sages, even if you have mastered the art."

A brief image appeared in Hinata's head of the third current Snake Sage. A scowl developed on her face as she thought of Kabuto. She then shook her head again as she channeled the chakra once more. In an instant, Hinata's scales returned. She then activated her Byakugan.

"What do my eyes look like-" Hinata's voice died as she noticed the world around her: "Whoa!"

Hinata could see nature energy all around her so clearly. She had previously activated her dōjutsu in Ryūchi Cave before, but she had never seen the air around them so filled before.

Every Hyūga saw 'chakra' somewhat differently, but Hinata had always seen chakra as a blue-color with a calming presence. All chakra had this similar feeling with the exception of the chakra of jinchūriki. A jinchūriki's chakra was colored 'red' to her and was powerful and aggressive – so much so that she could see it without the Byakugan.

'Nature Energy' as she was seeing it felt nothing like either types. Nature Energy was colored green to her and had this strong feeling of warmth attached to it. Seeing it around the whole area felt inviting to her, as if she was one with it.

"I… wow…" She mumbled to herself.

"Hinata-chan?" The White Snake Sage's eyes narrowed. "You appear confused."

"I… sorry. I'm just seeing it all… the nature energy… with my Byakugan." Hinata mumbled, half-paying attention to the snake. She shook her head, pulling away from it to better focus. "Sorry, I guess I've never seen it before."

"You Hyūga possess that Byakugan dōjutsu, right? Your eyes always should have been able to see nature energy, but it's not something that your human mind really knows how to distinguish until exposed to it. I suppose having the chakra active is allowing you to finally recognize it." The White Snake Sage replied, chuckling. "How intriguing."

'Wow… This is incredible…' Hinata smiled.

"Anyway, that's enough of this talk already. Let's see you two actually start to channel nature energy for yourself, now that you've had a taste of the chakra." The Snake declared.

"Of course!" Both Hinata and Anko bowed their heads.

With those words, the two snake summoners began their training.

'Time for another day…' Naruto stretched lightly as he stepped foot on Mt. Myōboku.

The Uzumaki moved through the forests. A few minutes of peaceful strolling passed by before he reached a large central lake that appeared to be a mixture of water and oil that had two rivers flowing into it; one with natural spring water and the other with oil.

Standing directly in front of the lake were Fukasaku and Shima, as Naruto had predicted. What he had not predicted, though, was to see them standing on top of his godfather's shoulders.

"What's up Naruto?" Jiraiya grinned at the sight of the blond. "How's training with your brats going?"

"It's going well, but Ero-sennin?" Naruto tilted his head slightly. "What are you doing here?"

He snorted in response: "What, I'm not a toad summoner as well? I have every right to be here too."

"Don't you got important Hokage things to be doing?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders: "I got Tsunade-hime doing some paperwork for me while I get caught up on my Sage Mode training."

Shima shook her head: "Something you should have gotten her to do a while ago. But at least you're finally making progress. Couples more sessions and maybe you'll be able to enter Sage Mode without needing Pa or me."

"Naruto-chan, we thought ta show ya somethin' that Jiraiya-chan actually can show ya well as well." Fukasaku said.

Naruto's eyebrows rose: "Show me what?"

"Oil-based techniques." Jiraiya declared, clapping his hands. "Sage Art"

Jiraiya opened his mouth and spat out a deluge of oil. Naruto jumped back as the oil landed directly at the spot he was standing in, creating a puddle on the ground.

"Good reflexes." Jiraiya said, chuckling.

"Thanks." Naruto replied. His eyes focused on the oil puddle Jiraiya created towards the oil river. "Oil-based techniques, though? Pa, didn't you say the oil from the mountain can't be taken down from the mountain."

"Good ta see ya were listenin'." Fukasaku chuckled on top of Jiraiya's shoulder. "Well, ya are right that the oil here can't be brought anywhere. It'll evaporate the moment it leaves the mountain. But that don't mean ya can't use oil in general."

"The Toad Summoning clan has a history using oil-based techniques and using oil as a weapon." Jiraiya added. "Now, perhaps somewhere in the Elemental Nations there exists some type of 'Oil Release' kekkei genkai, but we don't know about it and we don't need it. Because we can show you how to convert nature energy into oil."

"How?" Naruto questioned, his eyebrows raising. "You're basically saying I'm going to convert nature energy into this?"

"Ya just invented that Water Bomb Parade senjutsu technique, Naruto-chan, by using senjutsu as a tool to augment ya water style chakra. Well, if ya didn't use water chakra, ya would still have senjutsu chakra. And ya can mold it the same way ya can mold regular chakra." Fukasaku explained.

"Okay…" Naruto crossed his arms. "I mean, I get that. But like how do I go about this?"

"Converting it into oil." Shima answered simply. "It's easier to 'do' then to 'explain'. What will probably help with that is if you get a grip on manipulating the oil here and seeing how it feels to work with it."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. He walked up to the oil river and looked down on it. He saw the ebb and flow of the river, as if it were one of water. With a deep breath, he clapped his hands together. A few minutes passed by as he entered Sage Mode. Breaking his hands apart, Naruto clapped them together once again.

Immediately, the oil river started to bubble slightly. A huff escaped his lips.

"That was it?" Naruto groaned.

"What will help with this is to consider oil like water." Shima advised.

"That won't help, Ma. Oil and water ain't nothin' alike." Fukasaku shook his head.

"I know that, but they're still both liquids and it's probably the closest to oil he's ever worked with!" Shima shouted back.

'Not helping…' Naruto rolled his eyes. He then looked towards his godfather.

"Remember; oil is less dense than water. You have a tendency to overuse chakra and force when you are trying something out for the first time – I still remember when you were trying to learn the Rasengan." Jiraiya noted. "Oil is a peculiar liquid. It won't require the same force, but it will require you to be more precise. And if it's still weird to manipulate it here, that's totally fine."

"Jiraiya-chan is right there." Fukasaku spoke-up. "Ya won't have natural oil rivers or lakes to manipulate in the Elemental Nations. Ya gotta make your own oil, so all ya really need to do right now is get used ta how oil feels and how the nature chakra in it feels so that way ya can convert it into it."

Naruto nodded his head. He then took another look at the oil river in front of him.

'Think of the uses. Being able to make and use oil would make any fire jutsu I know so much more deadly. And it'll be great for setting up traps…' Naruto told himself as his eyes narrowed. 'Focus Naruto! Get used to how this stuff feels!'

As Naruto began to focus on the river, Jiraiya opened his mouth and spat out another deluge of oil. This time, however, Naruto did not jump out of the way and the oil completely coated his body.

"Wh-Whoa!" He shouted.

Jiraiya had hit him with enough force that the blond tipped over and fell into the oil river. It took a few seconds before he pulled himself up himself out of the river, oil completely covering his clothes and oil dripping from his hair.

"Jiraiya-chan, that was cruel." Shima frowned.

"What?" Jiraiya grinned in response. "I was just heling him get used to how oil felt. It's all to help him out, after all-"

"FUCK YOU ERO-SENNIN!"

Shikkotsu Forest – home of the Slug Summoning Clan – was a murky forest that was covered with mist. Grass that was still wet with dew, mushrooms, and shrugs all adorned the forest floor while the trees stretched into the skies seemingly endlessly. Along the branches and on the ground, multiple slugs – small and large, and of different colors and patterns alike – made their way through the forest floor peacefully.

Near the northern portion of the forest was a small clearing with a collection of rock formations scattered on the ground. One of the rocks appeared to resemble a large slug while the others were placed in seemingly random patterns.

The clearing was empty with no slugs in the area. Then, a poof of smoke filled the area. Shikamaru appeared in the area, coughing exponentially. Next to his side was the slug summon, Sando.

"That… sucked…" Shikamaru wheezed as the smoke started to fade. "Remind me… again… to never travel this way…"

"If you intend on seriously pursuing Sage Mode training, then I recommend you get used to it. You'll be back here and there's no way you will ever find this forest without being reverse summoned." Sando said, chuckling slightly. "Now, please wait here for a moment while I alert Katsuyu-sama about your presence. She is who you are going to want to speak with."

Before Shikamaru could reply, Sando jumped off, leaving him alone. The Nara remained coughing for a moment until he finally adjusted to the air around him and the smoke had completely dissipated. It was then that he took in the environment around him.

The forest was quiet. The only noise he could hear was the sound of some bugs in the area buzzing and chirping. The trees around the clearing blocked out the sun, but the area itself was not particularly dark.

"Strange…" He mumbled to himself. "This forest feels… peaceful."

Instinctively, the Nara laid down on the ground. The ground was lightly muddy, but not enough that it made him feel uncomfortable. It was soft. A smile developed on his face.

'The mist… heh, from this angle, it looks almost like clouds.' He said, his eyes slowly closing. 'I could… get used… to this…'

Just as Shikamaru had closed his eyes, he could feel a 'presence' approaching him. With a sigh, he opened his eyes to look at the new arrival. His eyes widened and his mind was now completely alert.

"K-K-Katsuyu-sama?" Shikamaru stuttered out.

Shikamaru had summoned the Boss Slug prior, and he knew that her size depended on what 'percentage' of her body the summoner was capable of summoning in that moment, but he had never seen her like this before. Katsuyu's height was over eighty feet and was equally as wide. Shikamaru could not see the top of her head to look her in the eye.

Just as Shikamaru was staring at the giant slug, a small portion of the slug popped off, creating a single, tiny Katsuyu slug that crawled over to him.

"Shikamaru-kun, it is an honor to have you here in our humble home. I hope you find Shikkotsu Forest pleasing." Katsuyu greeted.

"I… do… it's, um, very relaxing." Shikamaru replied, his eyes still glued to the giant slug. "Katsuyu-sama… is this your normal size?"

"it is." She answered.

'Imagine summoning her like this…' Shikamaru shook his head. 'She'd crush a whole village!'

"Shikamaru-kun, please do not gawk." Katsuyu requested, the tiny slug shaking her head. "It is impolite to stare at a woman like that."

"Ah. R-Right. Sorry." Shikamaru shook his head, forcing his attention to Katsuyu's smaller form. "I just… I guess I'm still a little surprised, is all."

"It is understandable." The Boss Slug replied. "Regardless, Shikamaru-kun, I just spoke with one of my clansmen, Sando-san. He told me you had summoned him and questioned him about senjutsu training?"

"I did." Shikamaru nodded his head. "I have spoken with a few friends of mine who have started to study senjutsu myself and wanted to see if the Slug Clan had any methods for it."

"We do." Katsuyu replied, chuckling slightly. "I do find it a bit ironic that you are asking me about this considering Tsunade-sama has never once questioned me about training in senjutsu despite knowing about it."

"Tsunade-sama is aware of it?" Shikamaru asked, tilting his head slightly. "And she's not interested in it?"

"She is too focused on her healing arts. It's a shame, because I do feel like she would make an excellent sage…" Katsuyu's voice trailed off for a second before she shook her head. "But that is irrelevant. Yes, our clan has a method for teaching senjutsu. I trust if you are asking about this you already understand a bit about nature energy in general, yes?"

"I did some research last night, yes." Shikamaru nodded his head.

"Then you know already about the augmentation it would give to your physical abilities and your jutsu." Katsuyu noted. "Being a Slug Sage, though, would give you a bit more benefits though. But we can discuss those when they are relevant. For now, I would like to just verify that you wish to pursue training seriously."

Shikamaru nodded his head: "If you are willing to have me as a student, I would be."

"Why do you wish to learn?" The slug asked.

An image of Naruto, Hinata, and Anko crossed into his head in a fight with the Akatsuki. A second image appeared of Kurotsuchi and Ōnoki both fighting against Suzumebachi. A third image then reappeared of the Village of Kibō in Mizu no Kuni. He saw Karitoriki laughing as he killed all five of those innocent prisoners.

Shikamaru's fists tightened as he looked at the slug intently: "I need to make sure I'm able to keep my friends and family safe, no matter what."

"You are aware that this training does come with risks, yes? That if you failed in the beginning stages of the training and the nature energy overwhelmed your body, you would turn into a slug. You know all of this and still intend on pursuing?" Katsuyu pressed.

Shikamaru nodded his head: "I will succeed. And do everything in my power to grow stronger."

A smile developed on Katsuyu's face as she nodded her head back: "Very well. Let's begin this then and make a routine out of this. We will begin with you going up to this stone statue right here."

"That one?" Shikamaru pointed to the stone formation resembling a slug. Katsuyu nodded once again, prompting the Nara to walk forward. "Alright."

"That statue is special as it is connected to the nature energy in Shikkotsu Forest itself. Touching it will expose your body to nature energy and it will rapidly enter your body." Katsuyu explained. "This will be your first task. Maintain position and keep touching the statue for at least one consecutive hour before we can move on. We must first build up your body's natural ability to incorporate nature energy into you without it consuming you." Her eyes then narrowed slightly: "Remember what I warned, though; you will turn into a slug yourself if you fail and let the nature energy overcome you. I will not warn you when too much is 'too much'. That is your responsibility to judge it. So please, Shikamaru-kun, do not overstep yourself here unless you intend on becoming a permanent resident here in Shikkotsu Forest."

"I don't intend on it." Shikamaru replied as he stared intently at the statue. "… Let's get this started, then."

With a sigh, Shikamaru reached out and touched the statue.

A rush of energy rushed through his body, nearly toppling him over. Nature Energy quickly integrated itself into his body. It was a strong, warm, almost overpowering feeling.

As quickly as he put his hand on the statue, Shikamaru took his hand off. Just as he was taking his hand off, he noticed that dark green splotches were developing on his hands. He stared at them for a moment as they started to fade away slightly.

"Your appearance will become distorted slightly when using what we call 'Sage Mode', but it will not be too severe of changes." Katsuyu explained. Shikamaru nodded his head. "You were quick to take your hand off. Are you second guessing this training?"

"No…" Shikamaru shook his head. "I just wasn't expecting the feeling. It felt… like nothing I have ever felt before."

"It is somewhat intoxicating, isn't it?" Katsuyu questioned. Shikamaru nodded his head. "Nature Energy is something you humans normally are not exposed to, so I understand that. It is definitely a warm, rush of energy compared to what you are used to."

"It is." Shikamaru mumbled, staring at the state. 'The trick, though, is making sure I balance it and not 'succumb' to it.'

Shikamaru, with a deep breath, reached forward and grabbed the statue once again.

'Senjutsu training takes so much time, I'm almost late!' Anko cursed at herself.

The jōnin ran down the streets of Konoha. After completing her senjutsu training for the day, she and Hinata returned to the village at 5:00 in the evening. It was then that Anko remembered something; Kurenai had requested to meet with her for dinner at 5:30 and to discuss something.

She returned to her apartment, changed and got ready as fast as she could, and then ran out the door through the streets of Konoha, nearly shoving people out of her way. She continued to rush until she reached her destination: a small bar near the gates of Konoha.

Upon arriving, Anko saw Kurenai sitting down at a table for two. Her fellow jōnin was sitting down, eating from a small bowl of takowasa, when she noticed Anko's presence. She waved, chuckling slightly.

"Running late, Anko? Is this a new habit?" Kurenai asked.

"I lost track of time cause of training. Bite me!" Anko rolled her eyes. She then eyed her friend in better detail and noticed the slightly larger-than-normal stomach. A grin developed on her face: "I heard the news, by the way. Congrats!"

"Thank you." Kurenai smiled in response, her hand instinctively going to her stomach. "It feels somewhat surreal. Asuma and I have been trying for a while to have this child. Sure enough, when we stop focusing on 'trying', it finally happened."

"Sounds about right." Anko chuckled. Her eyes then noticed a glass of water by Kurenai's side. A sympathetic glint appeared in her eyes: "Oh yeah, now that you're knocked up, you got to stop drinking for a bit, don't you?"

"Don't remind me. I'm already missing sake." Kurenai sighed. "So you'll have to drink for me for the next couple of months."

Anko's grin grew: "No need to fucking tell me twice!"

A waited walked by their table and took care of Anko's order before he walked off. When he left, Kurenai brought her hands together.

"I want to catch up, Anko, because it's been a little bit since we had a chance to talk, but I want to get the most important thing out of the way first. Then we can have a more relaxing conversation." Kurenai said. Anko nodded her head in understanding. "Well, then let me explain. Due to my pregnancy, I am not able to perform my jōnin-sensei duties to the best of my abilities."

"Oh yeah. You're a jōnin-sensei now." Anko rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I don't think I've met your students yet."

"That's… somewhat convenient for what I'm going to ask you." Kurenai took a sip from her water cup before she looked at her friend in the eyes: "My students are going to the Chūnin Exams in Kumo this year and I need them to have a sensei replacement for me. I was hoping you would be willing to take my place."

"A sensei replacement?" Anko's eyes widened.

Kurenai nodded her head: "I can train my students here just fine, but on the path to Kumo, if something were to happen, I would not be as useful in combat as I normally would be and I do not wish to do anything that could harm my child." She sighed: "I realize I'm asking a bit of you, but-"

"Not really." Anko shook her head. "I'd be down to help you out. However…"

'… How do I tell Kurenai about what's going to happen in Kumo?' Anko bit her lip slightly. 'Is that still classified? I can't just-'

"I am already aware of the planned Akatsuki attack in Kumo." Kurenai spoke-up, interrupting Anko's thoughts. The 'Seven Swordsman' member's eyes widened in response: "Is that what you were going to bring up with me?"

"How do you know about that?" She asked. "I thought Hokage-sama was trying to keep that info under wraps unless you already knew about it."

"He told me and Ebisu. As well as any genin squads that he felt were qualified and would pass a 'normal' Chūnin Exams." Kurenai answered. "He seemed interested in our teams going but wanted us to be aware of the risk before we committed to letting out students go. After all, it's putting them in danger."

"… But Konoha does need teams to go." Anko noted, frowning.

"Precisely." Kurenai sighed. "I trust my students are capable and will be fine in the exam itself. But I worry about the aftermath with this invasion."

"Do your students know? About this?" Anko asked.

Her friend shook her head: "No, they will only receive clearance to the information at the time of the exam. They know I am debating about whether to send them or not, but they believe it is simply due to a combination of the exams in being Kumogakure and my pregnancy."

"Gotcha."

Silence filled between the two friends for a moment as the waiter came by and set a bottle of sake on the table. Anko immediately chugged from the bottle while Kurenai took another sip of her water.

"… I'll be frank." Kurenai said. "You and Asuma are the only two I would trust to look after my students. I would ask Asuma fist, but I know he's still hurting from what happened to Sandaime-sama and I do not wish to bother him. So… it'd just be you."

"Do you even feel comfortable sending your students?" Anko asked.

Kurenai nodded her head: "If you took them, yes. Otherwise, no."

"… Well, that's some pressure to put on me." Anko said, a forced chuckle escaping her lips.

"My apologies. But I wanted to be honest about it." Kurenai replied.

"… Well, I intended on going to Kumo and helping out with this shitshow. This gives me an excuse. And I'd be down to do you a favor like this." Anko said, taking another sip of her sake bottle. "I'll keep your brats safe. Promise."

Kurenai smiled in response: "Thank you Anko."

The two friends were quiet. Anko finished off her sake bottle just as the waiter brought a plate of shrimp tempura and another bottle of sake. She took another sip of the drink before looking at her best friend.

"Alright, so if I'm gonna do this, though, I need to know your students. What are they like?" She asked.

"Well, we can arrange a meeting really soon." Kurenai said, chuckling. "As for how they are, my squad consists of Aburame Tsunemasa, Rangaku Yūna, and Uzuki Kazuo. They are an eclectic-"

"Did you just say 'Uzuki Kazuo'?" Anko asked, her eyes widening. "As in Yūgao's little brother? He's old enough to be a genin?"

Kurenai nodded her head: "He is."

"Well shit." Anko whistled in approval. "Alright, sorry for interrupting, keep going. What's your team like?"

Kurenai chuckled as she began to describe her genin team and their strengths and personalities.

The next day came quickly. As Naruto and his genin squad finished up their training and walked their own ways, Naruto went deep into the forests around Konoha. He waited until he reached a large clearing where a small shack was present. Naruto frowned in response.

'Isn't this where I met with that Mizuki asshole years ago?' Naruto shook his head: 'Whatever. Waste of time thinking about him. Let's move on.'

Naruto bit his thumb and made hand signs. In a poof of smoke, Fukasaku appeared in the clearing. The elder toad nodded at the blond.

"Morning, Naruto-chan. Ya ready to begin for another day of trainin?" The toad asked.

"Yup." Naruto nodded his head. His eyebrow then rose: "Is there any reason you wanted me to summon you here as opposed to training on Mt. Myōboku?"

"I wanna see ya make oil without usin the nature energy of my mountain." Fukasaku replied, banging his stick on the ground. "This is the environment ya are gonna use it in, after all."

"Makes sense." Naruto nodded his head as he clapped his hands.

Two minutes passed by before Naruto's eyes changed and he entered Sage Mode. Fukasaku's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Naruto-chan, do you have a plan for how you plan on entering into Sage Mode faster?" The toad asked.

"Um… I had an idea that I could have my clones do it for me." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Because I get transferred the experiences of theirs when they dispel. I think I could have one or two clones channeling nature energy for me and then they'll dispel, transferring it back to me."

"That sounds like a fine idea but ya need to than protect ya clones. What if they were attacked before they finished?" Fukasaku asked.

"I… hmmm…" Naruto frowned in response. "I think my thought was to have them be at a safe distance away, but I guess that's not a guarantee safeguard, huh?"

"No. Ya need to figure out a way. I'm sure ya can, though." The toad said before shaking his head. "But enough of that. Let's get back ta business."

"Right!" Naruto nodded his head as he looked forward.

Channeling senjutsu chakra into his mouth, Naruto began to remember the feel of the oil he had manipulated at Mt. Myōboku. He remembered its texture and its density. He took in a deep breath as he manifested the energy in his mouth into the same shape and form.

A moment passed before Naruto opened his mouth and spat out, releasing out a large oil bullet from his mouth. The bullet collided with the wooden shack in the clearing, coating it with oil.

Naruto's eyes widened for a moment as he stared at his work. He watched the oil drip from the wood, creating puddles all around the ground, as a grin developed on his face.

"First try! Hell yeah!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Fukasaku admitted, smirking at the blond. "Next, let's show ya some other things ya can do with it. Ya have access ta one of the most versatile tools in all the Toad Summoning Clan's arsenal. Let's see what ya can end up making with it."

Naruto nodded his head again, his grin widening.

As the day came to an end, Team Three met up at the Uzumaki Clan Estate kitchen for dinner. Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Anko were sitting down at the table of the clan compound while Masakado was at a stove top, cooking.

"You can manipulate oil?" Anko asked, her eyes widening. She then shook her head: "Wait, you can create oil?"

"Yup." Naruto nodded his head. "Something the Toad Clan is apparently capable of doing!"

"You know how much that would help me? If I could make my oil? On top of my Flare Aura?" Anko asked. "Do you think anyone's capable of doing that shit with senjutsu?"

"Uh… I don't think so?" Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know for sure, but I think every Animal Summoning Clan has different abilities? Old Toad Fukasaku said that it's something the toads can do, so I don't think a Snake Sage would be able to."

"Ah. Damn." Anko sighed, leaning back into her chair.

"I'm sure the Snake Clan has other secrets to it that are just as cool and useful!" Naruto said.

"I'm sure." Hinata nodded her head, sighing. "But it's taking a bit longer for us. We are just in the process of mastering channeling natural energy and converting it into senjutsu chakra. We have some benefits to our taijutsu and ninjutsu, but we haven't mastered it enough for the White Snake Sage to start working with us better."

"Pisses me off." Anko grunted. "We can channel nature energy just fine. She's just being a nitpicky ass!"

"Hey, if it's any consolation, you're ahead of me in progress." Shikamaru sighed. "I can only channel nature energy using the Slug Statue in Shikkotsu Forest. I'm having problems with channeling it on my own."

"Yeah, but you just started. You'll get there." Hinata said.

"Yeah, but it's taking time." Shikamaru replied, frowning.

"Fucking hell, you all sound so focused on your training. You all need a break." Masakado spoke-up.

The four members of Team Three looked up as the Elder Uzumaki brought forth five bowls of rice with salmon mixed in with it. He placed four of the bowls in front of everyone and then sat down with his fifth and started to eat.

"What do you mean by that Masakado-jī-san?" Naruto asked. "A break? We can't afford to take one. The Kumo exams are-"

"Coming up. I know, I know. They're here in… what, ten days? Less than that?" Masakado asked. He received a nod from all four: "I'm not saying to relax every day, but you're all about to burn the fuck out soon if you don't rest at least for a day."

"I… I mean, I suppose you're right." Hinata admitted. "But it does not feel wise to rest much right now."

"Eh. You're all adults. Do what you will." Masakado shrugged his shoulders as he took a bite of his salmon-rice before continuing. "I just know that when I worked every single day straight for twenty-five years trying to create time travel and only made slight advancement in my studies after twenty-three years. And looking back, it's probably cause I burnt myself the fuck out."

Team Three was silent for a moment; the only noise in the kitchen was Masakado eating his meal. After nearly a minute of silence, Naruto nodded his head.

"You're right, Jī-san." He admitted. "Maybe we need a break. Just one day."

"Wouldn't hurt at least, I guess." Shikamaru admitted, leaning back into his chair. "I do think I've had even the slightest bit of rest since my time in Iwa, so I could use some type of mental break."

"Well, what do you all want to do then?" Hinata asked. "I'm sure we could find something fun to do that would give all of us a chance to rest."

Naruto's eyes lit-up: "We could-"

"An all you can eat thing at Ichiraku's is not a break, Naruto-kun." Hinata said, giggling.

"Huh?" The blond blinked in surprise. "How the hell did you even know that thought crossed my mind? That's not fair!"

"You're predictable." Shikamaru answered, smirking.

"Simple was the word I'd use." Anko added, chuckling.

"I was going to say it's just because I know you so well." Hinata said, giggling. "But I guess I could use either Shikamaru-kun's or Anko-sensei's answers."

"Hmph." Naruto huffed, dramatically. "You're all so mean!"

The table started to laugh amongst one another as Team Seven started to dig into their meals. Masakado watched the group enjoying their meal and conversation as a smile developed on his lips.

'Try and get the rest you all can.' He said, his eyes picking up a small sad tint to them. 'You never know when the last time you'll have the opportunity to relax together, after all, so it's important to make the most of the time you have while you have it.'

The rest of the night was filled with a much more relaxed environment for conversation; something everyone in Team Three appreciated and greatly needed.

"Hidan, for the fourth time, where are you taking me?" Kabuto demanded.

Hidan rolled his eyes: "Oh for fuck's sake, why the hell do you science people have to question every goddamn thing? Just wait a minute more and you'll see!"

Kabuto sighed. Nighttime had covered the Jashin Temple in Tetsu no Kuni and Kabuto was about to call it a night when Hidan stormed into his bedroom and demanded that he come with him. The two Akatsuki members were now walking in the woods behind the temple, walking on a black-painted brick road that was coated with fresh blood, as if someone had been killed there that morning.

Kabuto's eyes wandered down the environment, making notes of branching roads that seemed to go off the main track: "Where do those other paths go?"

"Some go to ritual sites. Others go to small shrines for private prayer." Hidan answered. He then pointed to a path to their right: "That one goes to a small village about a kilometer away for the faithful."

"Really? Is there a village for just Jashinites?" Kabuto asked, chuckling slightly: "What's its population?"

"A hundred and forty-seven-" Hidan shook his head, cutting himself off. "Nah, a hundred forty-six. I counted Mori Tenshi-sama, who was sacrificed early this morning for the monthly offering?"

"Monthly offering?" Kabuto's eyes widened: "You all sacrifice fellow Jashinites?"

"Of course." Hidan nodded his head. "We have an important ritual once a month. At every Jashin temple, one member of the church needs to be offered to Jashin-sama as an acknowledgment that we are still human and are not exempt from His holy slaughter."

"I… see." Kabuto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That's rather interesting."

"It's an honor to be chosen. Those who offer themselves up to Jashin-sama are martyrs of our faith and showcase a complete understanding and appreciation for the faith. They prove that they had no faith and willingly bring themselves into Jashin-sama's army of the undead." Hidan declared. He brought his medallion to his lips and kissed it, smiling: "When I grow old, and after having sacrificed over a million souls to Jashin-sama, I want to martyr myself to Him in such a fashion."

'You are blessed with immortality and you desire a death to appease your god?' Kabuto adjusted his glasses, doing his best to hide his confusion. 'I don't get it and I don't think I ever will. That is just… deranged fanaticism.'

After another minute of walking, Kabuto and Hidan reached their destination; a cemetery. A large statue stood at the front that depicted Jashin, crafted from diamond and rubies. Behind the ornate statue was a series of humble graves, all marked with a simple tombstone that read the name of the person buried and showcased the insignia of Jashin.

"This… this is where I wanted to show you." Hidan said, placing his hand on his heart and bowing his head slightly. "This is a place for martyrs of the faith."

"Such as the Tenshi person you were just speaking of?" Kabuto asked, noticing a gravesite that appeared fresh.

Hidan nodded his head: "Those who die on behalf of Jashin are honored here. We are in the presence of men and women greater than us. Please, be respectful."

Kabuto nodded his head. Hidan led his partner through the rows of graves until they reached the very last row.

One grave was dug up and a coffin was on display and opened. Inside was a corpse that had not been taken care of in the slightest. The corpse was of an androgynous-looking man with brown skin and silver hair. His body was covered in blood and many holes were still present throughout his skin.

"This… This is Ameyuki. He was a martyr of the faith. He was also a friend of mine. A neighbor even." Hidan said, bowing his head slightly: "I killed him after a duel to decide who would be an offering to Jashin-sama. He was deemed to be a martyr by the high priests, despite being a recent convert, for having used his last breath to massacre an entire village and offer up their souls to Jashin-sama." Hidan placed his hand on the coffin and bent down, kissing it: "May you be well in heaven, preparing to fight by Jashin-sama's side, Ameyuki."

"Ameyuki?" Kabuto's eyes widened as he focused on the corpse in front of him: "This man wouldn't happen to have been in the Bingo Book, would he?"

"He was." Hidan nodded his head. He then looked over at Kabuto: "Well, do what you want with his corpse."

"Excuse me?" Kabuto's eyes widened as he faced his partner.

"Whatever the fuck you call your experiments where you integrate a kekkei genkai into your bloodstream." Hidan elaborated, frowning. "Ameyuki had the kekkei genkai 'Mud Release'. Wouldn't you be able to use that?"

"Mud Release?" Kabuto repeated, his eyes turning back to the corpse. He walked over to the body, touching it. 'I've never even heard of Mud Release before. What does it do? What's it capable of? There are already Earth and Water style ninjutsu that are capable of using mud in their techniques; what makes this kekkei genkai different?'

As curiosity filled Kabuto's mind, the former right-hand of Orochimaru turned back to Hidan: "Did you not just lecture me about doing experiments on holy lands?"

"I did, so please fucking move the body somewhere else when you do it." Hidan replied, crossing his arms. "And return it back for fuck's sake when you finish!"

"I can do that. I always return the bodies." Kabuto chuckled slightly. "I'm surprised you are giving me this opportunity, Hidan. I am very grateful for it."

"Think nothing of it. I just…" Hidan sighed as a smile developed on his lips: "Look, you're an infidel and will never fully understand my religion and I'll never fully understand your viewpoint. But I appreciated you telling me about your life last night and I get it. And just as important as it is to me to be the most faithful person in the service of Jashin-sama, I know how important it is for you to reach your goal for your research."

"I…" Kabuto smiled in response – a genuine smile on the researcher's face – as he held out his hand to his partner. "I don't know what to say."

"How about a thank you?" Hidan replied, grinning as he shook his hand. "You can start there!"

"Thank you." Kabuto repeated, his smile growing. "Thank you so much."

For the first time in his life since the Konoha Orphanage with Nonō, Kabuto felt a genuine connection with someone not borne out of loyalty or servitude. He felt a real bond developing between himself and Hidan; one he intended to honor.

As Hidan started to walk back, Kabuto pulled out Ameyuki's corpse and started to walk off deeper into the forest to begin his research. He had a new kekkei genkai to start researching, studying, and experimenting with.

Amegakure – the Village Hidden in the Rain – lived up to its namesake; the entire village was covered in a downpour that had no end in sight. This never-ending rain covered the moonlight in the sky, nearly covering the village in darkness from the outside. Only street lights, signs, and illuminating seal tags provided the only light throughout the village.

On top of a large building in the village were three individuals, all dressed in Akatsuki garb.

"Are you certain of this?" Pain asked.

Tobi nodded his head: "Kisame has reported of Itachi's odd movements. I feel confident; he is the mole who leaked back about Kakuzu's and Hidan's attack on Taki." The man scowled behind his mask. "The only concern I have is that, per Kisame, Itachi did not leave his side at all when we ordered the attack on Taki and from the time we received Hidan's update."

"Perhaps Itachi is not a mole?" Konan suggested. "Perhaps we have no mole and the Konoha shinobi interfered out of coincidence."

"'Coincidence'. That would be a convenient truth, but it is possible." Tobi admitted. "I am going to be observing Itachi in close detail these next couple of weeks and see if he meets with anyone. It is imperative to make sure our operation in Kumo does not get compromised. We are behind schedule already and further setbacks are only going to make it more difficult."

"We are leaving for Kumo soon." Pain stated, crossing his arms.

"Make sure to find a good place to hide your original body. Remember that Kumo has some exceptional sensor shinobi." Tobi noted. "We'll all meet up at the rendezvous point in the time before the Third Exam."

With those words, Tobi vanished, disappearing in a spinning circle through space-and-time, leaving Pain and Konan behind.

The Masked Man entered a dimension parallel to the rest of the world; a spaced called 'Kamui'. Upon stepping foot in the space, Tobi heard a loud shout.

"NUE!"

"What?" Tobi's eyes narrowed behind his mask.

Within minutes, the masked man reached the origin of the noise and found a scattered array of mismatched body parts that appeared to belong to different animals that all appeared to be struggling to move. The main source of noise was coming from a head that was shaped like a monkey's head.

The head immediately recognized Tobi's presence and glared at him: "NUE!"

"What is this?" Tobi nearly demanded. "When did this get here?"

"NUE!" The creature roared back.

'And why is it's chakra feel similar and twisted…' As the shock started to fade, a curiosity quickly replaced it: 'Perhaps this thing could be of some use.'

Tobi walked forward towards the creature's body, preparing to investigate.

Quick Notes:

1: 'Warui', the Jashin failthful that Kabuto killed in the temple off-screen is actually a reference to the aborted Jashin-temple arc. Warui (whose name in Japanese is literally the adjective for bad/evil) was supposed to be an entrant to the faith from Kaminari no Kuni that would have been fought and killed in that mission. He was never intended to be a strong shinobi, as I had plans for Naruto/Hinata/Shikamaru to defeat him without their sensei's help back during their genin days, which is why I sorta just killed him off-screen. But his inclusion was an homage to the arc that never was. This chapter, in general, gave me the opportunity to explore some of the latent ideas I have for Jashinism in general, so that was exciting to at least be able to use elements I had planned on exploring but never was able to! :)

2: Ameyuki and 'Mud Release' are real; they are featured in Akatsuki Hiden. As I have made no secret in using the material from the books as a way to expand on my fanfic, I wanted to use the same here. Mud Release was something I've been especially interested in, because it is another kekkei genkai that requires 'Earth' and 'Water' nature chakras, which I find fascinating that another kekkei genkai exists with the same combination as 'Wood Release'. But it almost makes sense, since Wood Release is considered 'special' by the canon. But yes, I just wanted to clarify that both the kekkei genkai and the deceased character are actually real characters and not original content.

Author's Note: YO! CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED IS HERE WHAT THE HELL

That was surreal to even type. I can't believe that I have now updated this story a hundred times. It's just... so odd to me. In a good way. I feel proud of all the progress I have been able to make on the progress of this story and I feel so lucky and honored to have all of you along the way with me. I hope this chapter was good and worth the wait :)

And I hope everyone here is having a great 2020 so far! For me, the last two months of 2019 tried really hard to kick my ass! I had a busy, rough, draining November and December, but I have high hopes that this year will be better and will be consistently better.

But we'll see I guess. I could ramble a bit longer, but I really need to sleep and my mind is demanding I post this chapter ASAP after making you all wait so long again :( I hope everyone is doing great though and I PROMISE CHAPTER 101 WILL BE MUCH SOONER! But I'll have it up the moment I get it done! Until then :)