Disclaimer: The rights to Naruto are not mine, but with only a modest donation of $199.99 a month, I will one day be able to acquire enough money to purchase the rights to Kishimoto and give him an offer he cannot refuse. Your generous contribution will be greatly rewarded in time with a 'shout-out' in a small author's note on the pen-ultimate chapter. Now, let's make this a reality and give me all your money, so we can ensure that the rights to Naruto are passed down! ... XD
Author's Note: I'm not gonna lie, sorta surprised I got this chapter out when I did. Not that I expected it to take longer for me to update, but geez some of this chapter took a lot out of me to post it. I'll elaborate more in an author's note at the end! But anyway, hiiii, I'm back again, now onward to the chapter! :)
'Ahhh.' Yagura sighed in contentment as he took in a whiff of the kitchen.
The Sanbi jinchūriki had finished preparing everything; eggs, sausages, sardines, tofu natto, and bananas were all plated in individual plates all around the dining room table and coffee had finished brewing. Yagura placed cups by the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. He took a sip as a smile developed on his face.
"Heavenly." He noted, shaking his head. "It's been way too long since I've actually-"
"The hell is all this? You cooked all this?"
Yagura blinked as he set down his coffee cup and looked towards the entrance. Killer Bee was standing by the entrance, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed at all the plates. Yagura smiled as he gestured forward.
"Morning, Bee-san. Yes, everything is finished." He said with a chuckle. "Come, have a seat and I'll prepare you a cup of coffee. All I ask is that you wait for the others to arrive before you start to eat."
Bee walked in wordlessly and took a seat at the table. Yagura brought him a cup of coffee, which the Hachibi jinchūriki took a sip from. A small smile developed on his lips as he quickly downed the cup.
"I normally don't like drinks bitter and tough, but man, that coffee's good stuff." Bee said, his smile widening into a smirk.
"Thank you." Yagura's chuckling grew louder: "I've always been fond of coffee. It's not a traditional drink to the Elemental Nations, but I think it's rather refreshing."
"I'll say; it's more than okay!" Bee stated. A snort than escaped his lips: "Most coffee I drink is too hot. Yours is the right temperature in that pot."
"It's appropriate temperature." Yagura nodded his head. A thought entered his head, which immediately caused him to start to sweat: "I shudder to imagine what brew Han-san or Rōshi-san would produce."
The two jinchūriki laughed in response for a moment at the thought of the two Iwa jinchūriki preparing coffee. A few seconds passed as the two grew quiet for a moment as Bee's eyes softened on the Kirigakure shinobi.
"You seem like you're doing better. Good job, trendsetter." He said with a smile.
"Did I seem like I wasn't doing well?" Yagura asked.
Bee's smile dropped slightly as his eyes narrowed on the Sanbi jinchūriki from behind his sunglasses. Yagura could feel the intensity of Bee's expression, which caused him to tense slightly.
"… When we fist bumped when you first arrived, you and I shared our emotions." Bee explained. Yagura's eyes narrowed, noticing Bee's switch in speech pattern. "So, I experienced your genuine feelings then. That includes the darkness in your heart."
"Oh." Yagura's eyes moved downward slightly as he recalled his fight with his 'inner darkness'. "My apologies about that, then."
Bee shook his head as his smile returned: "Nothing to apologize about. I said you seemed better right now, and you do. You got a really nice smile, Kamui."
Yagura's eye twitched slightly at the sound of 'his name'. Bee's eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could even react, the Yondaime Mizukage's expression turned to normal again and his smile returned: "I appreciate that, Bee-san."
The two were quiet for a moment. Yagura started to drink from his own coffee cup while Bee proceeded to stare at his own empty cup. A few seconds passed by before Bee finally looked up and stared intently at the Sanbi jinchūriki.
"You seem like you're doing better, but just want to let you know; if you want to talk about anything, you can talk with me." He stated.
"Hmm?" Yagura's eyebrow raised slightly.
"Just in case you're feeling down. Cause trust me, I know those emotions don't go away forever. They flare up from time-to-time." Killer Bee said with a light chuckle.
"Do you get them too, then?" Yagura asked.
"Well, yeah. I think all of us jinchūriki went through the same crap growing up." Bee noted, adjusting his sunglasses. "But I have a feeling you've been through worse. I could feel it."
"You could feel it, huh?" The Sanbi jinchūriki noted before he shook his head, a small snort escaping his lips: "You are awfully good at reading another person's character, hmm?"
"Bee's the best when it comes to reading another. When compared to my judgment, there is no other." Bee stated confidently, beating his chest. Yagura chuckled in response. The Hachibi jinchūriki's expression then softened again: "So yeah. Feel free to talk if you want. I'm good at keeping secrets."
"Good at keeping secrets, huh?" Yagura rubbed his chin slightly: "How good are you, if I may ask?
"Bee's got another mansion hidden in Yu no Kuni. Not even my bro knows, or else he'd kill me." Bee said, rolling his eyes. "He'd say I was shirking on my duty. Well that man has never experienced freedom's beauty. He can't confine me, no matter how he may try. For there's only one Killer Bee, and this Bee's gotta fly!"
Yagura blinked in response before another snort escaped his lips: 'Able to keep a secret from the Raikage, huh?'
"Yagura, you know this man's genuine. Even I could tell that when you two fist bumped."Isobu spoke in his head: "If he promises to be quiet, he'll be quiet. Talk with him. It would do you some good."
The Yondaime Mizukage was silent for a moment, taking his bijū's advice in mind. After a few more seconds, he looked Bee directly in the eye.
"How good are you with S-Ranked secrets?" He asked, his eyes narrowing: "One that would involve 'being killed' if it were to ever be leaked, no matter the circumstances."
"Bee tells no secret. If you got a big one, I'll keep it top secret!" Bee replied with a grin.
"Bee, you just rhymed secret with secret-" Gyūki shook his head: "Never mind, there's no point correcting you."
"… Very well. I'll hold you to that edict." Yagura said, sighing. He then brought his hands together: "Then, please me a favor when we're by ourselves, Bee. 'Kamui' is a fake name. Please address me by my real name: Karatachi Yagura."
"Yag-" Bee's eyes widened as the words died on his lips: "You're the Yondaime Mizukage?"
Yagura nodded his head as a sigh escaped his lips. He then explained everything to Bee. He told him about the 'Masked Man' who called himself Uchiha Madara. He talked about how the man took control of his body and his consciousness, leading him into dividing Kirigakure and Mizu no Kuni, creating the bloodiest Civil War known to the Elemental Nations. He then talked about being in limbo, simply in a state of unconsciousness while a 'shell' of who he was destroy everything he loved, until the end of the Civil War when Mei, Naruto, and Utakata finally took down his 'false self' and removed Uchiha Madara's influence.
Bee, for his part, was quiet as he simply absorbed the information. After Yagura finished his explanation, the two jinchūriki remained still. Yagura brought his hands together while Bee continued to simply stare at him behind his sunglasses.
Silence filled the air between the two before Bee finally pulled himself out of his chair and walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a wine bottle. He then walked grabbed two cups and placed them down, one in front of him and one of Yagura.
"That's fucked up." Bee stated as he took the cork out of the bottle.
"… Heh." Yagura snorted again, shaking his head: "That's… I suppose that's accurate, even if that's a rather vulgar and succinct way of putting it."
"It's the truth. That's the most messed up shit I've heard." Bee said, frowning: "I'm sorry."
"It's fine-" Yagura's words died on his lips as he noticed Bee pouring him a wine glass: "I appreciate the offer, Bee-san, but I'm not much of a drinker, especially at this hour."
"I'm not giving you an option." Bee shook his head as he finished pouring Yagura's drink. He then poured a glass of his own: "Because after hearing your story, I need a drink, so I know you need one too."
Yagura was about to protest, but the way the Hachibi jinchūriki was glaring at him told him that resistance was pointless. With a sigh, he nodded his head. The two jinchūriki then proceeded to take their drink at the same time, chugging their wine instantly.
"Ah." Yagura grumbled, taking in a deep breath: "That's strong."
"Yup. I brought out the strong stuff." Bee nodded his head. "I'll pour you another glass if you ever need."
"I'm pretty sure that's not necessary." Yagura replied, snorting again: "Once was fine, thank you very much."
"Fine." Bee said as he poured himself a second glass. After pouring, he turned his attention back to Yagura as a smile developed on his lips: "But you don't have to worry. Your secret is safe with me, Yagura."
"I appreciate that." Yagura smiled back at him.
"And you got a bro for life here in Kumo, if you ever need someone to talk to. Or someone to unwind with." Bee declared as he drank his wine cup once again, drinking it all in one swig. Bee's smile widened: "The one and only Killer Bee's got your back, and you better not forget that or else prepare for a whack!"
"Heh." Yagura's snorts turned into loud, genuine laughter as his smile widened: "I appreciate you, Bee. Thank you."
The two men sat together, waiting for the remaining jinchūriki to come down for breakfast as they discussed with one another their lives, getting to know one another better.
"Another day in the training room, another day to let your talent bloom!" Bee declared as he and Yugito led their fellow jinchūriki into the technicolored training room behind the Nibi Statue.
Upon entering, once again, the group scattered, turning to their own corners of the room.
'Is there anything else you want to work on today, Kurama?' Naruto asked.
The Kyūbi nodded his head: "Yes, I would like to show you-"
"Naruto, do you have a second?"
The Uzumaki turned his attention away from the fox in his head to see Yagura approaching him, wearing the Sanbi Chakra Shroud. Naruto nodded his head as he smiled back.
"Yeah, what's up Kamui-san?" He asked.
"Would you be willing to experiment with me for a second? I wish to try a technique out." Yagura admitted. "I have been attempting this with my own water clones, but I wish to see how effective this would be on someone else."
"Uh, sure. I'd be willing to help." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head: "Do you need the original me or could I use clones for this?"
"The original you shall suffice. This won't harm you." Yagura replied with a chuckle as he made a hand sign: "Water Style: Coral of Isobu!"
Before Naruto could even react, the ground underneath his feet opened up and a large chunk of blue coral began to rise. The Uzumaki tried to jump away, but the coral made contact with his skin. Upon impact, the coral began to develop further and surround his body.
"This feels like your coral from when we fought last time-" Naruto's eyes widened as a sensation began to rush through his body.
The Uzumaki felt his chakra rushing out of his body at an alarming rate. He quickly entered his Bijū Form, surrounding himself in his Chakra Shroud, and knocked the coral off his body. Upon the removal of the coral, the 'draining' feeling left his body.
"Your coral now drains chakra, huh?" Naruto asked.
"Correct." Yagura nodded his head as he gestured towards the blue coral of his chakra shroud that were present on his arms and legs: "Thank you for the boost, Naruto-san. If we were to fight, I'd be able add your chakra to my arsenal."
"D-Damn." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That probably makes you hell to fight against."
"I'd be curious to spar against it if you got the time, Kamui-san."
Both Naruto and Yagura turned their attention towards Utakata, who was also channeling his chakra shroud.
"Oi, Utakata!" Naruto called out, waving at the jinchūriki. "Do you have anything cool you've been working on?"
"Suppose so." Utakata chuckled as his skin of his 'chakra shroud' changed color, turning into a dark purple. "I can adjust the pH in my body at will, being as acidic or alkali as necessary. I can also adjust my soap bubble ninjutsu accordingly, and even a little beyond that." A smirk developed on his lips: "Care for a demonstration?"
Naruto continued to rub at the back of his head: "Uh, that smirk doesn't look like you're giving us much of a choice-"
"Alkali Bath!"
The ground underneath Yagura's and Naruto's feet began to change color; instead of appearing technicolor, it changed into a solid, dark purple coloration.
Immediately upon changing color, Naruto's and Yagura's feet began to burn heavily.
"Ahhh!" Naruto hissed.
Both the Sanbi and Kyūbi jinchūriki jumped to a safe patch of land. They both looked at their feet and noticed burn marks that had developed.
"So you can affect the pH of the immediate environment, hmm?" Yagura noted.
Utakata nodded his head: "To a degree. You just saw that I can't change the pH of all the ground. But I can definitely affect it."
Yagura was quiet for a moment as he continued to stare at his feet. A few seconds passed before he looked upward at Utakata, his eyes narrowed as a grin developed on his face.
"I think I will take you up on that spar." He stated. "I'm curious to see exactly how I fare against you.'
Both the Sanbi and Rokubi jinchūriki started to walk off towards a portion of the room by themselves where they would be able to fight freely. Naruto watched them walk off and was about to follow when a loud voice boomed into his ear.
"You can watch them fight later. For now, focus on your own training!" Kurama hissed. "We still have to work on your Tailed Beast Shockwave!"
A frown developed on Naruto's face, but the Uzumaki nodded his head: "I know."
With a grumble, he walked off to his own corner to begin practice on another jutsu that Kurama felt was necessary that he know.
"That hit the spot." Kiba said with a content sigh. Akamaru barked in agreement, causing him to turn his head to face Sakura: "Right Sakura? Food here in Kumo isn't half bad, huh?"
"Hmm?" Sakura blinked in response. "What sorry?"
Kiba frowned. He and Sakura both agreed to get lunch together to kill some time, but after leaving the apartment complex the Konoha shinobi were staying at, Sakura had been relatively quiet and to herself. It seemed to grow worse-and-worse throughout the day, to the point that she was now seemingly starting to space out.
"What's up?" Kiba asked.
"Uh, nothing's up." Sakura said, rubbing the back of her head. "Just-"
"Don't lie to me." Kiba interrupted, his frown deepening. "Come on Sakura; what's up?"
Sakura frowned back in response before she gestured around towards the streets of Kumogakure. Kiba turned his attention and noticed the Kumogakure shinobi walking down the streets alongside them, glaring at them. He then turned his head back towards Sakura.
"You bothered by these guys? Just ignore them." Kiba suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "They can't do shit to us."
"Yeah, I know they can't. It's just… I mean, it's not a good feeling, Kiba." Sakura said, frowning. "Just having people just look at us like we are scum, just because of where we're from."
"I mean, yeah." Kiba sighed. "But I mean, there's no point to just focusing on it. The people in Kumo probably won't ever like us, so there's no point to be upset over it."
"I… guess, yeah." Sakura's frown seemingly deepened. "Doesn't make it anymore comfortable, though."
"Yeah, sucks doesn't it?"
Both Kiba and Sakura tensed-up at the sound of a new voice. They turned their heads to the left as they saw two shinobi walk-up to them. The first was a kunoichi with white hair and blue eyes. She wore a dark brown sleeveless shirt with mesh armor visible that went to her wrists and tight grey pants. She also wore the Iwagakure forehead protector around her neck. Standing right behind her was a familiar face to the two Konoha chūnin.
"You…" Kiba's eyes widened for a moment before his facial expression turned into a more neutral form: "It's been a while, Kurogane Risho."
Akamaru started to growl in response. Risho's eyes moved to the dog for a moment before they focused back on the Inuzuka.
"Suppose it has." He said.
Sakura frowned in response. While she knew that Kiba's hatred for Iwagakure had lightened in the past few years, and she knew that Risho and Kiba had made some attempt to fix the bad blood at Naruto's fourteenth birthday party, the two still had history that made any interaction between the two uncomfortable to witness.
"Sorry to butt in. You guys were speaking loudly, and well… we can kinda relate to the conversation." The kunoichi spoke-up, rubbing the back of her head. A small smile developed on her lips: "I'm Gake Aoi, by the way. I'm one of Risho-sensei's genin!"
"Haruno Sakura." Sakura said her name, smiling in response.
"Inuzuka Kiba. And this is Akamaru." Kiba stated, gesturing towards his partner. Akamaru barked in response. He then turned his head to Risho. "So you're a sensei, huh? That mean you made jōnin?"
"I've been jōnin for about a year now." Risho said with a shrug. His eyes then narrowed: "Are you not jōnin yet?"
"No." Kiba admitted, gritting his teeth. "But I can get the promotion anytime I-"
"Aoi-chan, right?" Sakura interrupted her teammate, turning her attention to Risho's student: "You said you can relate?"
"Yeah." The kunoichi nodded her head, her smile turning into a frown. "I mean, they've been glaring like that at us too. Especially now." She shook her head: "There are rumors that there was an Iwa jōnin that went into the second exam that was trying to kill Kumo genin team. And ever since then, the glares have only gotten worse."
"Is that so?" Kiba muttered before turning to face Risho: "Well, did someone go in?"
Risho scowled in response: "Amazing, it's been three years and you still possess such a fine-level of stupidity that you make Roto appear to be a genius in comparison." Kiba scowled back, but Risho continued to speak before he could get another word-in: "Of course Iwa didn't! What kind of leader do you think Kurotsuchi would be, ordering something like that!"
"Ah!" Sakura's eyes widened for a moment: "I remember hearing about that! Your teammate is the new Tsuchikage, right?"
"Yup." Risho nodded his head, his scowl turning back to a smirk: "And not a shinobi in Iwa that deserves it more."
Aoi nodded her head, her smile returning to her face: "Kurotsuchi-sama becoming the Godaime Tsuchikage at such a young age is nothing short of inspirational. She's everything I aspire to be as a kunoichi!" The genin then focused her eyes on Sakura: "Sakura-san, yes? Do you mind if I ask you some questions about your abilities?"
"Me?" Sakura blinked in surprise: "Why?"
"Well, I've been curious to see what a Konoha elite kunoichi is like." Aoi admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly: "And our villages are allies now, so I don't think it'd be a bad thing to ask, right?"
"I…" Sakura was quiet for a moment, a small blush in embarrassment on her cheeks. A second passed before she chuckled in response and clapped her hands together: "Well, I don't know if I'd call myself elite, but I'll answer what you want to know."
With those words, the two Iwa and Konoha shinobi started to walk off together. Sakura and Aoi led the group as Aoi began to bombarde the pink-haired girl with various questions about her training regiment and her fighting style while Sakura did her best to answer the questions in an appropriate manner while maintaining her own secrets.
Kiba, Akamaru, and Risho walked behind the two, quietly watching the two kunoichi speak. A few minutes of their conversation passed by before the two guys spoke to one another.
"Your student seems like a good kid." Kiba noted.
Risho nodded his head: "Aoi's the one I'd be most expecting to get promoted, if this were a standard chūnin exams."
"I mean, I can't say anything about her fighting style." Kiba shrugged his shoulders. "But I know that Sakura's kinda been feeling down about all the bad looks we've been getting today, so I know she appreciates all these questions as a distraction. So yeah, she's a good kid."
"Ah." Risho nodded his head again. "Yeah, she is."
Silence passed by once as the two continued their walk. Thirty seconds passed before Risho spoke-up once more.
"You know, I get it probably more than Aoi does." Risho stated, sighing: "The attitude of the Kumo civilians reminds me of back in Konoha during those exams three years ago."
"Really?" Kiba asked, frowning. Akamaru whined in response.
"Yup." Risho nodded his head again: "Not that I cared at the time – that was back when I hated your village, so I wasn't any better – but I still noticed the attitude. And it did somewhat hurt."
Kiba was quiet for a moment as he turned to look at Risho. The Iwa jōnin was staring forward, focusing on the two kunoichi ahead of them instead.
"I'm sorry." Kiba admitted. "About my behavior back then."
"… My behavior back then wasn't any better. Especially to you." Risho shook his head. "There's no need to apologize to me."
"Well, I did." Kiba shrugged his shoulders. "So, take it!"
"… Heh." Risho smirked in response: "Fine. I will." He turned his head to face Kiba directly as his smirk softened into a smile: "Thanks. And I'm sorry too."
Kiba smirked in response as the two guys fell into silence again. This silence, though, was an infinitely more comfortable once as the two shinobi had finally reached a mutual peace between one another.
Dosu walked through the streets of Konoha, flipping through pages in a clipboard he was holding. His eyes briefly looked away from the papers to the sky, noting the slight red tint that was starting to form in the sky.
'Just one more task, then I'll be done for the day to. To do… something.' Dosu frowned slightly. 'Perhaps Ibiki-taichou will be willing to go out for drinks.'
The tokubetsu jōnin shook his head as he focused on his walk, going down the streets. A few minutes passed by until he arrived at his destination: the Yamanaka Clan Compound. Dosu walked through the courtyard until he reached a specific house on the property. Dosu fidgeted with the files in his hand before he walked up to the door of the house and knocked on it. A few seconds passed by before the door opened.
"Good afternoon, Fū-san." Dosu bowed his head. "I trust you have been doing well yes."
"I have been, yes." Yamanaka Fū nodded his head.
Yamanaka Fū – while credited for his role in helping undermine Danzō before he could escape and having passed his psyche exam – was still an active ROOT agent for years in regards to criminal behavior and his overall mental state. As a result, Jiraiya had assigned him to daily T&I Interrogation sessions – both in the T&I Offices and at home – designed to help better evaluate his state of being and better integrate him back into Konoha society.
Constant daily meetings with T&I Department shinobi could be a taxing experience for most, but Yamanaka Fū had been beyond accommodating to any questions or interaction, helping reveal the names of all current ROOT agents that Danzō had remain in Konoha, as well as answer questions about some of Danzō's 'missions' that had gone without notice. When his time was finished, he would go down historically as having the most simple and relaxed sessions in the department's history, to the point that even Morino Ibiki enjoyed his presence.
"Are your parents out?" Dosu asked with a chuckle.
"Yes. They know the times of our meetings." Fū said, shrugging his shoulders. "So they figured that they'll leave today instead of you escorting me to another part of the house."
"Understood." Dosu nodded his head. "How are you adjusting to life back at home, anyway?"
"It is fine, although I am more so here for their sake." Fū, again, shrugged his shoulders. "I'm accustomed to living on my own now, so I'll probably find a place again in the near future."
"That's probably for the best." A smile developed on Dosu's face: "But it's nice you are staying with them for now. They probably really appreciate just having their son back."
Fū nodded his head, his mouth twitching slightly into a small smile: "They've communicated that, yes."
Dosu immediately brought his clipboard upward and made a note on it: 'Still appears a bit emotionally stunted, but he's getting expressive once more. This is good.'
"So, beyond the general 'psychology banter', what would you like to discuss with me today?" Fū asked, crossing his arms: "I feel as if I have exhausted all my knowledge on Danzō's actions and perspective."
"Want to get down to business right away? Very well." Dosu chuckled once again. He cleared his throat before his eyes narrowed slightly: "I was hoping to ask a few questions on Shigaraki Tanuki and Tsumiki Kido."
"They still have not been caught, I am assuming?" 'Yamafū' asked. Dosu nodded his head, which caused the auburn-haired man to shake his head: "Those two were rather difficult to get a hold of back in the organization."
"Do you have any inclination of where they could possibly go? Or any of their next actions?" Dosu asked.
"I have given the names of all ROOT hideouts in other parts of the world, although I doubt they would have stayed at any of them for long. I believe they would assume the locations were compromised." Fū answered. "Kido might be more difficult to find. He is a man that prioritizes his survival above all else. It was that very belief that Danzō used to recruit him into the organization." He then brought his right hand to his face: "There is a non-zero chance he may have simply went into hiding in some civilian village and intends on laying down low for the rest of his life. He's probably aware that Konoha is hunting him down and will do his best to lay low."
"I see." Dosu nodded his head as he wrote down on his file. "And for Tanuki?"
"… Tanuki should be a more pressing matter, in my opinion." Fū replied.
Dosu's eyebrow rose in response: "How so?"
"In a fight, I would say Kido is stronger. He would pose more of a danger in that environment. But Tanuki…" Fū frowned in response. "He's different than most ROOT agents. As I am sure you are well aware of at this point, ROOT agents are trained in a way to reduce our own personality and emotional responses in order to make us the ideal shinobi. Shigaraki Tanuki, while having been trained similarly, is a bit emotionally different due to his research."
"Research." Dosu closed his eyes, recalling information he had been briefed about Nue. "You mean that chimera?"
"Somewhat." Fū's frown deepened: "But I am more so referring to his studies into Negative Emotion."
"Negative Emotion?" Dosu repeated.
"Yes." Fū nodded his head: "How much do you know about the Shodai's wife, Uzumaki Mito?"
"I have heard stories, but not much." Dosu admitted.
"While Mito was well-regarded as a shinobi that could keep up with her husband and the Nidaime, she was most infamous for having the ability 'negative emotion sensing'. She could sense the hostility in the people around her, which made her an ideal companion for political missions. She was able to distinguish even the slightest bit of darkness from a person and help either her husband, the Nidaime, and the Sandaime by identifying threats before they could do anything." Fū explained. "Tanuki heard the stories of her ability to sense negative emotions and began an experiment. Although his research was incomplete, the result he noticed was that negative emotions were a fine way to augment one's jutsu."
Dosu was quiet as he continued to write down Fū's report. Once he finished writing, Fū continued to speak.
"I was never familiar with the end result of his research, or how exactly 'negative emotions' impact one's jutsu. Tanuki was rather paranoid and secretive about his research, especially with other ROOT researchers around that he was convinced would steal his ideas to make themselves look good to Danzō. But what I do know is that, after beginning his research, Tanuki began to change. He started to get aggressive."
"Aggressive?" Dosu repeated the word with a frown.
Fū nodded his head: "His research was starting to affect his mindset. He would get agitated rather easily and, when tasked on assassination missions, he would destroy the target's body unless specifically instructed not to. That is why I think he should be the priority target between him and Kido." The Yamanaka then shook his for a moment: "After all, I imagine he'll want revenge for Danzō. I could envision him trying to invade the village at some point. Or even worse." His eyes narrowed slightly: "After all, Tanuki is aware of the planned Kumogakure Invasion."
Dosu was quiet for a moment as he processed the information. A few seconds passed by before he finally started to write down on his file before looking back up at the Yamanaka.
"We'll try and get this information to Hokage-sama as quickly as we can. If there's a chance that man is going to be in Kumo, he'll need to know." Dosu said. His eyes then narrowed again on the Yamanaka: "Do you have any more information you could report about Tanuki?"
'Yamafū' nodded his head as he began to share the last bits of information he know on his former, fellow ROOT agent.
As the sun began to set over Hi no Kuni, Kabuto looked outside of the cave he was resting in, towards the direction of Konohagakure.
'That was rather useful data. I think I have the range mapped out.' Kabuto noted, adjusting his glasses. 'About the length of a full country the size of Hi no Kuni. The Edo Tensei has even more potential than I realized. The amount of 'space' it allows me to cover is unbelievable.'
A few seconds passed by before Kabuto made a hand sign, causing a coffin to rise once again. In an instant, Orochimaru appeared. The Sannin turned his head towards his summoner and scowled.
"This is not for more data, this time. You are wanting me to infiltrate Konoha, yes?" He asked. Kabuto nodded his head: "And the goal is to get you DNA samples for every Uchiha shinobi that has passed since the Second Shinobi World War?" Orochimaru asked. Kabuto nodded his head again, which caused Orochimaru to chuckle: "And all of this is to simply confirm who 'Tobi' is?"
"Well, I also do want to increase the number of Edo Tensei summons I have. An army of undead Uchiha does sound rather appealing to me." Kabuto admitted.
Orochimaru's eyebrow rose slightly: "Are you aware of the numbers of shinobi we are talking about? Do you know you know how many sacrifices you are going to need for that many Edo Tensei?"
"Oh I'm aware. And I have that covered." Kabuto noted, adjusting his glasses once again.
"Heh." Orochimaru chuckled once again, louder this time. "You are more sadistic than I remember. If nothing else, you have indeed become more interesting, Kabuto." Kabuto did not reply immediately, which prompted Orochimaru to speak once more: "Before you let me loose and send me off on our mission, may I ask a favor from you, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked.
Kabuto's eyes narrowed: "What?"
"I am going to assume you intend on summoning me for the invasion on Kumogakure, yes?" Orochimaru asked. Kabuto nodded his head, which caused Orochimaru to grin: "Would you so kindly give me another chance to fight my darling Anko-chan again?"
"Why her?" Kabuto's eyes narrowed: "Was she not too much of a problem for you in the Lighting Memorial?"
Orochimaru's grin fell slightly before it widened once more, wider than it had been: "I believe I could take her on, but if you wish me to fight someone else, then how about Sasuke-kun? I trust he will be there and I would love the opportunity to see him again."
"You wish to fight either Anko or Sasuke?" A frown developed on his summoner's face: "Why?"
"It is simply the preference of someone who used to be alive, wanting to see the fruits of my research one last time." Orochimaru replied, chuckling: "Surely you understand that feeling, yes?"
Kabuto did not reply for a moment. He closed his eyes, as if considering the request.
"… I will see." He replied before gesturing with his right hand: "Now, focus on your objective."
With those words, Orochimaru's body moved on its own accord and hurried off towards Konoha.
As the sunset began to set over Shimagame Island, Utakata and Hotaru walked out into a clearing in the forests around Killer Bee's Mansion. The two walked into the center of the clearing. Utakata's eyes were focused intently on his student while Hotaru took in a deep breath as her right hand went to her pocket.
"Whenever you're ready, Hotaru." Utakata said.
Hotaru nodded her head as she took in another deep breath. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pipe, similar to Utakata's. She then brought it to her lips.
"Water Style: Bubbles Technique: Drift!"
Hotaru blew into the pipe as a singular bubble started to form. The bubble quickly expanded and surrounded her body. A few seconds passed by before the bubble began to lift her off the ground.
"Good. Good." Utakata nodded his head: "Now, move on from there."
Hotaru took in another deep breath before she blew on the pipe once more, breathing out a barrage of smaller bubbles that flew out into the sky. She then quickly pocketed her pipe and made three hand signs.
"Water Style: Water Spikes!"
Immediately, the bubbles Hotaru released had both expanded and changed shape, turning into massive spikes of water that fell downward into the ground.
"Heh." Utakata smirked as he began to clap. "Good work, Hotaru. I am impressed."
"I… I did it?" Hotaru mumbled to herself before she grinned, jumping up-and-down inside her bubble: "I did it! I finally managed to-"
As a result of her jumping, the bubble around her body popped. Hotaru's eyes widened as she began to freefall to the ground. A yelp escaped her lips as she brought her arms together, bracing for impact.
Instead of hitting the ground, though, Utakata took a step forward and caught the blonde in his arms.
"U-Utakata-sensei?" Hotaru nearly squeaked as a blush developed on her face.
"Hotaru, I understand the excitement, but don't squirm so much in your bubble." Utakata said, chuckling as he shook his head. "Unless you want your bubble to pop and you want a gravity-induced trip to the ground, of course. Then by all means, keep jumping around."
"M-M-My bad." She shook her head quickly. "Y-You can let me down now, p-please."
"Ah." Utakata's eyes widened as he set the girl down, who got to her feet. The jinchūriki proceeded to rub the back of his head slightly as he looked away: "Sorry. I did not mean to make you feel awkward."
"N-No, it's fine. I, um… appreciated you catching me." Hotaru replied, smiling.
Utakata's cheeks reddened in response. The two remained quiet for a moment before he cleared his throat as his cheeks turned to a normal complexion.
"I feel confident in saying that you are capable of using my bubbles variation of water release. You'd be a very annoying for most of your enemies now." He noted.
"Hell yeah I will be!" Hotaru grinned in response as she pumped her fist upward: "I can't wait to fight in the invasion alongside you all."
"Technically, you should be far away from the specific fight I'll be in." Utakata shook his head, chuckling.
"I… yeah, I guess." Hotaru admitted. Her eyes steeled, however, as her fists tightened: "But this isn't like back in the Kirigakure Civil War, where I stayed in that village away from the action. I don't want to be in the background while your risk your life again, Utakata-sensei. Even if the fight I am involved in isn't as dangerous, I want to be able to help!"
"You'll be doing more than just helping." Utakata noted, his smirk relaxing into a more gentle smile: "Kumo will be lucky to have you helping."
Hotaru smiled back. The two fell into another comfortable silence for a moment. A minute passed by before Utakata took in a deep breath.
'I suppose now is a good time to bring up those concerns about our future.' He told himself, recalling his encounter with 'Dark Utakata'. "Hotaru, I would like to hear your opinion on-"
"Oi, there you are Utakata! I've been looking for you!"
'… Really?' Utakata's eyes twitched at the sound of the voice. 'You come now?'
Both Utakata and Hotaru turned their heads as Naruto rushed over towards them, grinning at them. A sigh escaped the Rokubi jinchūriki's face as he pushed his questions for Hotaru – along with his annoyance at Naruto – to the side.
"Good evening, Naruto. Do you need something?" He asked.
"Yeah." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly: "I was wondering if you could help me out with some training."
"You're still training?" Hotaru blinked in response: "Didn't you all do your special bijū training already today?"
"Yeah." Naruto nodded his head. He then tilted his head slightly: "But isn't he training now too? What's weird about that?"
"Technically, I'm not training myself. I'm assisting with Hotaru's training." Utakata replied. Naruto nodded his head in understanding: "Regardless, what type of training do you require help with?"
"Well, I know you have that bubble technique you use to fly into the sky." Naruto noted as he began to grin. "I'm trying to do something with my wind release and was wondering if you could help me figure out exactly how to do this!"
"You need my help with flying?" Utakata's eyes widened for a moment: "Wouldn't Fū be better for this, however? I would consider her a more proficient flyer."
"Yeah, but she uses wings to fly. That inherently makes it different." Naruto noted as he shook his head: "The bubble thing you use is entirely chakra related, right? The technique I'm trying to make is the same way."
"Ooh, that would actually give me someone good to practice with!" Hotaru noted as she eyed her fellow blond. "Maybe even see who can fly the fastest or who can maintain being in the air the longest!"
"… Well, water elemental chakra and wind elemental chakra are inherently different. I'm not certain how much help I'll be able to be." Utakata said, shrugging his shoulders. A smirk developed on his lips. "However, you would end up giving Hotaru someone to practice with. I would be willing to try and help you!"
"Hell yeah!" Naruto exclaimed.
With those words, the Uzumaki proceeded to join Utakata and Hotaru in their training session.
"Agrh!" A Konoha jōnin choked on his blood as a sword pierced his chest. "In… In…"
The jōnin's eyes were starting to close. He was dying; he knew that. The other guards stationed to guard the Konoha Cemetery were dead and he was about to join them.
'Must… alert… anyone… 'The shinobi, in his dying moments, ran through three hands signs and slammed his palms on the ground just as his body connected with it. 'Ninja… Art… Chakra… Burst… Jutsu…'
Just as the man's eyes closed and he succumbed to his injuries, a small blast of chakra escaped his palms and filled the area around, creating a booming noise that sounded throughout the cemetery.
"A last attempt to alert someone? If only you had more chakra in your final moments to use, perhaps someone could have heard you." Orochimaru chuckled
With all the guards now dead, Orochimaru pulled out the sword – the Kusanagi – from the final shinobi's chest and swallowed it whole once again. He then turned his attention to the cemetery around him, stepping past the corpses as he made his way into the area.
"My, my. It really has been a long time since I stepped foot here." The Sannin noted with a scowl.
The Konoha cemetery was a modest and almost all-encompassing cemetery that featured many of the citizens of Konoha: shinobi and civilian alike. The gravesites of some of Konoha's most famous shinobi of all time – from Hatake Sakumo and Katō Dan – were present, and they appeared almost identical to the graves as the civilians around them. Every grave there was exactly the same, just as death was an identical experience for everyone there.
'… Hmmm…' Orochimaru's eyes immediately gravitated towards one grave in particular, noting the names inscribed on the tombstone. '… I see that despite my betrayal of the village, my parents gravesite was left undisturbed.'
His parents' death was scarring to the Sannin; it exposed him to the reality of what would befall him and everyone around him later in life. This trauma was only developed more-and-more over his shinobi career and reached its peak during the Second Shinobi World War, where he saw many of his allies die – including Tsunade's lover, Dan. It all took a drastic toll on his psyche and gave him an obsession with the concept of immortality, which served as a starting point to his general research.
… The irony of entering this cemetery as an Edo Tensei was not lost on him. It only caused his scowl to deepen.
'Some twisted sense of humor of yours, Kabuto, to bring me here-' Orochimaru's thoughts were interrupted as his body started to move on its own accord. His scowl deepened: 'I suppose I do need to get on with my task. The likelihood of that chakra burst actually alerting anyone of my presence in miniscule, but it's not zero.'
Orochimaru's body continued to move until he reached the first gravestone of an Uchiha shinobi. He looked down and read the name 'Uchiha Kagami'. He then quickly made a hand sign, unearth the grave, and took a sample from the corpse, before moving on. He then moved to the gravestone for the next Uchiha, 'Uchiha Setsuna', before repeating the process.
"Hmm?" Dosu's eyebrow rose.
The tokubetsu jōnin was on his way back home after having gone out with Ibiki for a drink when he felt a slight noise, accompanied with a feeling of chakra.
The sound was quiet and sounded rather weak. Most people would not have heard the noise. However, Dosu, a shinobi who uses sound-based ninjutsu and renown for his level of hearing, was able to register it somewhat: it was definitely a 'boom' akin an explosion tag getting detonated or some jutsu being used.
'Is something going on?' He questioned.
Dosu closed his eyes for a moment as he concentrated on the source of that noise. On instinct, the man started to walk towards it, trying to identify its source.
"Alright, that should be all the relevant Uchiha." Orochimaru noted as he started to walk towards the exit. "Now, time to return-"
His body moved on its own once more, moving towards a different tombstone in the cemetery. A scowl developed on his face as he recognized the name of 'Hatake Sakumo'.
'Ah, so now that you have your necessary DNA for your research, you intend on just adding more bodies to your arsenal.' Orochimaru noted. 'Very well. Not like I have a choice in this.'
Orochimaru quickly collected the necessary sample from Sakumo's body before moving onto the next corpse of interest. Just as he was about to start digging up the body, a loud sound started to ring in his head.
'What?' Orochimaru's eye widened as he fell to his knees, hissing slightly: 'Sound?'
"Earth Style: Ground Imprisonment!"
Before Orochimaru could pull himself up, the ground underneath his feet began to change shape, forming a circular prison that encased his body, except for his face. He tried to pull himself out, but the ringing noise in his ear was still too disorientating for him to overcome the earth jutsu.
'This jutsu…' Orochimaru grit his teeth as he tried to ignore the ringing sound blaring in his ears. 'Who is there?'
As if answering his question, Kinuta Dosu walked into view, the melody gauntlets still vibrating while he maintained a hand sign. The former Oto shinobi's visible eye was narrowed on Orochimaru.
"Y-You…" Orochimaru seethed as he studied the man, collecting his thoughts. "Y-You are…"
"… I had heard strange noises coming from the cemetery on the way home." Dosu spoke-up, shaking his head: "To think it would be you who broke in." He took in a deep breath before a scowl developed on his face: "It's been a while, Orochimaru."
'That voice…' Orochimaru took in a deep breath, channeling his chakra into his ears as he finally managed to zone out the overwhelming noise piercing his ear canals. He then looked over at the Konoha shinobi in front of him. An image of a boy – one covered in bandages – entered his mind: "Ah, is that you Dosu-kun?"
Dosu scowled at the sound of his former master's voice: "What are you doing here, Orochimaru? Why has Kabuto summoned you here?'
"It really is you, isn't it?" A slight scowl developed on Orochimaru's face: "You look nothing like how I remember you. You are not wearing the bandages on your face anymore. You can really make out the fine details of your burn scars, hmm?" A chuckle then escaped his lips: "Such horrid looking scars."
"I'm not ashamed of my scars anymore. Time has passed, Orochimaru. Things have changed since your death." Dosu shook his head, his eye narrowing further: "Now, answer my question; why are you here?" His eyes moved to the dug-up graves: "How many DNA samples have you received for your 'master'?"
Orochimaru, for a moment, scowled in response. The scowl was quickly replaced with a smirk as another chuckle escaped his lips.
"Are you sure you should be wasting your time asking me these questions, Dosu-kun?" He asked. "It might be more prudent for you to be focusing on trying to survive."
Upon finishing his sentence, the 'earth prison' about Orochimaru's body ruptured, causing stone and dirt to scatter. Dosu's eyes widened as he tensed-up, getting into position to defend.
Orochimaru held out his right hand, causing a pair of 'shadow snake hands' to rush from his sleeve directly at Dosu. The Konoha shinobi jumped out of the way before he slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Crushing Sound Waves!"
Sound waves rushed through the ground towards Orochimaru's position, causing the ground itself to crack. Orochimaru's smirk widened as he quickly disappeared with the shunshin before reappearing behind Dosu. His neck extended as he tried to bite down on Dosu's neck, but the tokubetsu jōnin jumped back in time, avoiding the attack.
"Good reflexes. You have indeed gotten stronger." Orochimaru noted as a scowl developed on his face: "By the way, I noticed that earth style jutsu you just used was also the final jutsu Sarutobi-sensei used against me on that fateful day." He then held up his right hand once again. "Was that your intention to remind me of my death, or was that entirely coincidental? I assume it is the latter, since I doubt you were aware of how I died."
"That-" Dosu's words died on his lips as Orochimaru unleashed another barrage of shadow snake hands. This time, however, one of the snakes managed to bite down on his shoulder: "AGH!"
He quickly fell to his knees. Orochimaru chuckled as he started to walk closer to him.
"I suppose your intention is meaningless. You are not nearly as capable as my former sensei, so I do not have to worry about having to overpower your jutsu. You are weak, after all." Orochimaru noted as a malicious grin developed on his face as he licked his lips: "I suppose that I am lucky getting the chance to fight you like, however. I was made aware of how your betrayal leaked back the information that ruined my invasion." Orochimaru opened his mouth as he pulled out Kusanagi once again: "You played a role in my own death, so it is fitting that I return the favor, hmm?"
"Weak…" Dosu repeated the word with a hiss as he pulled himself off the ground, a scowl on his face: "The only time I was weak when I allowed myself to be manipulated by you!"
"Manipulated?" Orochimaru repeated the word with another chuckle: "You were an orphan when I met you years ago, Dosu-kun. I offered you an opportunity to improve your life and power, and you took it. There was no manipulation involved; I gave you everything I promised."
"You intended for me to throw my life away on your behalf!" Dosu stated, his hands tightening into fists: "You wished for me to be your pawn, only for you to throw me away when you were done with me!"
"If you were meant to be more than a 'pawn', then you would have proved it to me." Orochimaru replied before disappearing in another flicker.
Dosu quickly turned around in time to see Orochimaru right behind, gripping the Kusanagi. The Sannin attempted to stab him in the heart, but Dosu blocked with one of his melody gauntlets. The impact of Orochimaru's sword caused a crack to develop on the right gauntlet, but the resulting impact created a massive sonic boom that knocked Orochimaru away from Dosu.
"Hmm…" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed on the melody gauntlets for a moment before turning back to meet Dosu's eye. "Heh. Hahahahaha." His grin widened as his grip on Kusanagi tightened: "And despite your own aversion to being 'my pawn', I see you are still using the same melody gauntlets I designed for you. Using the same sound-based ninjutsu I taught you." He shook his head for a moment before he charged forward again: "You really are one pathetic child, Dosu-kun!"
As Orochimaru rushed at Dosu once again, the tokubetsu jōnin jumped to his side, making sure the braces on his ankles collided with the ground. Upon contact, another barrage of sound waves rushed through the battlefield at Orochimaru, knocking him back slightly.
"My fighting style is not a sign of weakness. These may be techniques I learned under your tutelage in Otogakure, but they have been modified. They are now my techniques." Dosu replied, shaking his head. "And they are how you will be defeated."
"Defeated you say?" Orochimaru repeated the word with another chuckle: "Even if I assumed we were on a similar level, recall that I am an Edo Tensei." His grin returned as he threw the Kusanagi directly at Dosu's face: "Unlike you, I cannot be 'killed' by conventional methods! You have no hope to defeat me!" Another chuckle escaped his lips: "If anything, I can afford to be careless, knowing that I'll never truly be defeated. You, on the other hand, need to be on your toes, otherwise one fatal mistake will be the end of it all for you!"
Dosu side-stepped, narrowly avoiding the blade as it flew past him. Orochimaru then opened his mouth, breathing out a stream of fire from it. Dosu managed to jump away, avoiding the flames. Just as he landed back on the ground, the Kusanagi sword proceeded to fly backwards, directly at Dosu's body.
'He can control that blade like that?' Dosu bit his lip hard as he brought his melody gauntlets forward as a shield.
The Kusanagi connected with Dosu's right melody gauntlet once again, causing the tool to completely break apart. The result of the gauntlet's destruction, however, created another sonic boom that sounded throughout the cemetery. The resulting sound blast managed to stagger Orochimaru, causing him to fall to his knees.
Dosu's eye narrowed as he charged forward at his former master, gripping his left arm tightly. He attempted to punch Orochimaru in the face, but the Sannin managed to block his fist.
Upon impact, the left melody gauntlet started to vibrate, releasing sound waves directly into Orochimaru's ears. He hissed in pain as he momentarily lost balance. Dosu took advantage and proceeded to kick at Orochimaru's head with all of his might, the brace on his ankle making direct contact.
"Sound Clashing Impact!"
Dosu's 'sound brace' immediately released a sonic boom into Orochimaru's head, creating an explosion with a loud booming sound that reverberated throughout the cemetery. Dust scattered everywhere. Dosu's eye remained attentive as he listened carefully for any sign of movement. A few seconds passed by as the dust began to scatter, revealing the headless body of Orochimaru laying on the ground, his head having been destroyed.
"It…" Dosu took a sigh in relief. "He's-"
Before he could fully recuperate, the Edo Tensei proceeded to pull itself off the ground as it raised its left hand, creating a series of 'shadow snake hands' that surrounded Dosu's body. The tokubetsu jōnin's eye widened, but he was unable to jump away in time and was pulled in closer.
"U-Urk!" Dosu hissed.
Within seconds, dust started to come together at Orochimaru's neck, forming back into his head. The Sannin chuckled as he tightened his snakes' grip on Dosu, causing the former Oto shinobi to choke.
"Were you not listening to me earlier, Dosu? No matter how impressive that technique you just used was, you cannot kill me. There is no reason for me to take you seriously." Orochimaru noted, his laughing growing louder. "You, however, can die and I think I will take great pleasure in cutting you down." A malicious grin developed on his face as he licked his lips: "Consciousness is a weird feeling in the afterlife, but I must say, that you are easily my greatest regret, Dosu. One I still think about quite often."
"D-D-Damn you…" Dosu managed to hiss
"You should consider it an honor to be such a focal point in my memory after death." Orochimaru noted as he walked closer to the man: "I am not too familiar with the other pawns I had working under me, such as your teammates during the Chūnin Exams, but I can never forget the face and name of the brat who ended up leaking the plan-"
"K-Kin." Dosu spat out, interrupting Orochimaru. The Sannin scowled in response: "And Z-Zaku. Tsuchi Kin and Abumi Zaku. They had names. They weren't pawns. Don't you d-dare forget them-" His words died on his lips as Orochimaru tightened the snakes' grip on him once more, causing him to choke out blood. "AGCK!"
"Did I hit a nerve, by chance? Bringing up those two?" Orochimaru chuckled as he held onto the Kusanagi with his right hand. "Perhaps after I kill you, I can take your body and Kabuto can revive you alongside your former teammates. Let you have a conversation with them once more-"
Orochimaru's sentence was cut-off as he sensed the presence of more shinobi rapidly approaching. The Sannin jumped backwards, canceling his 'shadow snake hands' jutsu as kunai with sealing tags attached to them rained down. The 'Edo Tensei' summon jumped back just in time to avoid the attack as a group of ANBU operatives jumped down.
'I made sure I was careful getting into this cemetery. How did I get caught-' Orochimaru's eyes narrowed on Dosu: "You…"
A smirk developed on Dosu's face: "The interesting thing about my fighting style and sound-based ninjutsu is how useful it is, beyond simply fighting. Being able to alert any ANBU operative nearby of our battle, for example."
Orochimaru grit his teeth in response as his eyes moved from Dosu to the ANBU agents around him. He counted ten ANBU total and he noticed all of them were gripping kunai with sealing tags.
'Interesting. This may prove to be dangerous for me. Well, Kabuto, what is your response? How are you going to have me fight?'
Within seconds, a coffin rose up from the ground directly behind Orochimaru's body. The coffin opened-up.
'… Oh. You intend on having me retreat.' Was Orochimaru's last conscious thought before he was sucked back into the coffin, which promptly shut.
"You're not getting away!" Dosu growled as he slammed his left gauntlet into the ground.
A massive sound wave rushed through the ground, aimed directly at the coffin. The ANBU operatives all threw their kunai directly at the coffin's door. Before any attack could connect, however, the coffin sank into the earth, as if it had never been there.
"Dammit…" Dosu grit his teeth slightly. 'He got away…'
"Was the retreat really necessary?" Orochimaru asked.
Kabuto chuckled in response, but his attention was focused mostly on his research. The 'Edo Tensei' had emptied the bag Kabuto had prepared for him upon being reanimated, revealing the various containers of DNA samples: samples that Kabuto was already quick to label and organize.
'I would have preferred having him give it to me in person, but this also confirms to me that anything an 'Edo Tensei' possesses upon reanimation can be reobtained upon resummoning them. This shall be useful to know for later.' Kabuto noted, a grin developing on his face. 'I don't even have to do any graverobbing myself. With this, I can simply have my summons do everything for me.'
"Lost in thought, I see?" Orochimaru spoke-up. Kabuto blinked, focusing back on the Sannin. "Are you going to begin your testing right away, I assume?"
"In a moment. I first need to meet with some contacts of mine to get the necessary sacrifices for the 'Edo Tensei' summons." Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses. "Thankfully, I only need to sacrifice one person for each summon in general. I won't have to worry about having to get more sacrifices when I resummon all of these Uchiha shinobi as part of my little 'Edo Tensei' army."
"You really are going to have an Army of the Undead, huh?" Orochimaru noted, chuckling slightly: "I must confess, that despite my irritation with the set-up of our relationship, you are more intriguing than ever, Kabuto. I look forward to seeing where your plans take you."
Kabuto nodded his head before snapping his fingers. Within an instant, Orochimaru was sucked back into his coffin once more, leaving the Akatsuki member alone once more.
'I'll send a message to Etoro and Metoro and take some of their captives.' Kabuto mentally noted, his hands tightening into fists: 'By tomorrow, I should know who you really are, Tobi.'
"Hey boss! We think you should hear about this."
Tobi opened his eyes, his meditation disturbed as the ground in front of him opened up, revealing Zetsu. The plant-like creature took a few steps forward before bowing.
"What do you have to report, Zetsu?" Tobi asked.
"It concerns Itachi." 'White Zetsu' noted before 'Black Zetsu' continued to speak, a scowl appearing on his face: "He has separated from Kisame. He's now lingering closer to Kumogakure."
"Hmm." Tobi hummed to himself, bringing his right hand to his chin. A grin developed on his face underneath the mask: 'Checkmate. We may finally be able to get the confirmation about whether or not he betrayed us.'
"I'll meet up with Kisame." Tobi noted as he pulled himself off the ground. "For Itachi's sake, he better not be meeting with anyone in the next few days."
'Zetsu' only chuckled in response as the creature sank back into the ground. Tobi followed suit, disappearing from the area entirely.
Quick Note:
1: The Edo Tensei, from my understanding, has no known range limitation in canon, but I decided to somewhat balance it out a little bit by at least somewhat putting a range cap about the size of Hi no Kuni. I know that's still a ridiculously large distance to cover, but just for my own sake, I don't like the idea of Kabuto being able to participate in an invasion in Kumogakure with Edo Tenseis while being safely near Iwagakure, for example. It's still not really a 'nerf' per say, since the amount of distance he could be is still astronomically large, but it's something I just wanted to clarify as to 'why' I brought the point up earlier. That's all :P
Author's Note: Hey, Chapter 115 is done! ... finally :/
Yeah from a personal aspect, I'm not particularly satisfied with this chapter. Words do not describe how 'difficult' it was to write the Orochimaru/Dosu altercation. I have zero clue why; it was something I had been looking forward to a while. Hell, I even made a point to keep Dosu in Konoha and not in Kumo alongside the rest of the main/supporting Konoha cast just to have this fight! I was going to do this regardless and... I don't know why it wasn't flowing for me. I'm kinda worried it comes across half-assed (I know the fight's beginning and ending definitely might have that vibe to it) ... but blah. I needed to get this chapter out, before I end up going through another 'year long hiatus' the way i went through when the Sunagakure arc was going on.
It's been kinda a crummy time since my last update on here. Again, I mentioned that car accident in my last author's update. I also just haven't been dealing with COVID shit in general and how it relates to work at Universal. Theme park work during a pandemic is... not fun. Probably the best, most inoffesive way I can put that. XD Tried to get another job to get out of it, but so far everything hasn't really gone my way in the interview phases. I know that put a major downer on my plans and motivation in life in general, which by association messed with my writing motivation.
But meh, I'm back. I'm going to try and get back into more consistent updates! At the very least, I need to get this arc done before 2020 ends, so I'm gonna do my best to reach that personal goal! :)
I'm rambling and kinda feeling whiny at the moment. I'm sorry for the wait and sorry that this chapter probably won't read like my best work, but I'll do my best moving forward again! I got big plans and i'm VERY excited to show them off when I can! So... I'll leave it all that and see you all when 116 is finished. Until then :)
