Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Naruto, but that's okay. Who needs millions upon millions of dollars and a financial property that is adored by many people all over the world with a thriving/surviving fanfiction community despite being finished almost over a decade ago? Not me, that's who! :) I am content and happy to be working for just barely over minimum wage struggling to survive financially with no creative works to my name despite trying my whole life to get one published! :D

... :"D


Sasuke was still.

He, Jiraiya, Masakado, and Susumu rushed over to Tsunade, who promptly woke up Shizune and got to work on treating Tayuya and Itachi. While she began to treat them, Susumu went out and retrieved Ē, who was accompanied by Darui and Mabui. The group of shinobi were still as they waited outside of Tsunade's room, waiting for any verdict.

Sasuke could register that Jiraiya and Masakado were filling in the Kumo shinobi about the events, but the younger Uchiha could not hear them. His mind was too preoccupied on the cold feeling of Itachi's body in his hands.

Itachi's lifeless body.

'Maybe… Tsunade-sama can revive him…' His eyes narrowed as tears fell freely. 'She's… she's the best damn medic… please…'

After two hours of waiting, Tsunade and Shizune finally walked out of the room with solemn looks on their faces.

'No…' Sasuke's body started to shake.

"Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya said her name with a sigh.

"… I'll start with the good news; Uzumaki Tayuya survived. Barely." Tsunade said with a sigh. "However, she's in a coma. She's going to be out of commission for a while."

"A coma?" Susumu repeated the word, his heart dropping.

"Tayuya was physically close to death, but before she was knocked out, she was put under a lethal genjutsu." Shizune elaborated.

"We already disrupted her chakra flow and canceled it, but putting someone in a deep genjutsu while she was in that physical shape has done a lot of damage that her body needs to recover from." Tsunade explained. "She will wake up, but I would say she's going to be out for at least two weeks."

"So, after the invasion." Mabui noted.

"Tayuya…" Masakado's hands started to shake for a second before they tightened into fists: "GODDAMMIT!"

"… And my brother?" Sasuke spoke-up quietly, his voice shaking. "He… he passed, didn't he?"

"… Yes." Shizune said.

'He… He's gone…' Sasuke's mind repeated. 'My brother's dead.'

His childhood dream, his long term ambition, had finally been filled: Uchiha Itachi was dead. And Sasuke had never been more miserable in his entire life.

"… We actually had a hard time determining what killed him." Tsunade admitted, bringing her hands together: "His physical condition was horrible and his chakra had been completely spent, but when we were doing our autopsy, we noticed traces of some sort of disease in his blood." Her eyes narrowed: "We'll be doing an investigation further on it."

"Itachi, I didn't punch you that hard." Sasuke's narrowed suspiciously on him. "Why are you coughing up so much blood like that? Are you okay?"

"I'm sick, but taking medicine." The elder brother answered. "I'm fine."

The younger brother crossed his arms: "Itachi, you've been lying to me my whole life. Don't lie to me now."

Itachi looked him in the eye, nodding his head: "I'm not."

"He fucking lied again…" Sasuke's legs started to shake until he fell to his knees: "Itachi… ITACHI!"

Sasuke brought his hands to his face, his Sharingan activating on instinct. More-and-more tears started to fall as his sobbing grew louder-and-louder.

'This kid… I remember that feeling…' Darui's eyes focused on Sasuke for a moment.

"To think your source was Uchiha Itachi… I understand your hesitation on disclosing that, now." Ē commented, his eyes moving to Jiraiya. "Your village just lost probably one of its greatest assets. You have my condolences."

"… More than an asset. We lost a good man. One far better than me." Jiraiya said, shaking his head as he looked over to Sasuke: 'Dammit, Itachi… self-sacrificing to the end.'

"Not to be insensitive, but there are some difficult questions should be asked." Mabui spoke-up, clearing her throat. Jiraiya, Ē, Tsunade, and Masakado turned their attention to her. "The meeting between Uchiha Itachi and Uzumaki Tayuya was compromised. Was any information received."

"… Yes." Masakado spoke-up as he pulled a scroll out of his pocket.

He proceeded to hand it to Jiraiya, who took it without saying a word.

"We'll have to discuss the contents of that scroll tomorrow, alongside the other Kage." Ē said, crossing his arms. "I'd order for us to have it tonight, but it'll take a little bit of time to bring the Kazekage here from Shimagame Island."

"Understood." Jiraiya nodded his head in agreement.

The Hokage's eyes then moved over to Sasuke for a brief moment before moving to Tsunade. His old teammate caught the look she was giving him before nodding her head.

'We'll make arrangements for the surgery, then.' He told himself, looking back towards Sasuke. He crossed his arms as a sigh escaped his mouth: "It's been a long day, and it sounds like it's going to be an even longer day tomorrow. We all should retire for the evening."

"Indeed." Ē nodded his head: "I'll send someone to get you once the Kazekage has arrived, Jiraiya, so we can begin our meeting."

With those words, the group started to slowly separate from one another, returning to their rooms while Tsunade, Shizune, and Mabui planned to get Tayuya brought to a hospital to receive around-the-clock treatment. After a few seconds, only Sasuke and Darui remained outside the door to Tsunade's room.

Darui was about to simply the leave the hallway and follow the Raikage out until he noticed Sasuke sit down on the ground. The Uchiha's tears seemed to finally dry up and the boy simply stared at the door to Tsunade's room.

"… You can ask her, you know?" Darui spoke-up. Sasuke did not turn towards him, and made no indication that he was listening. Nevertheless, Darui cleared his throat and continued to speak: "It's in your right to see your brother. Just knock and ask if you can pay your respects."

"… Tsunade-sama said they needed to do more research on his illness." Sasuke spoke softly, his voice devoid emotion until the end of his sentence, where he spat out the world 'illness'. "I'm not going to impose."

"I doubt they'll be working on it overnight. Your Hokage was right; she's probably just going to go to sleep." Darui noted. "So, just go ahead and ask. I can tell you want to."

Sasuke, again, remained still on the ground, only staring at the door. Seconds quickly turned to minutes as Darui waited for the young Uchiha to do anything. After five minutes of waiting, a sigh escaped his lips as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry for overstepping." He said, bowing his head slightly: "I'm sure you have your reasons."

"Reasons…" Sasuke repeated the word before his hands tightened: "I don't even know what to say to him… to his corpse!"

Sasuke slams his open fist into the floor of the hallway hard, a scowl forming on his face as his tears returned.

"Itachi… I spent all of my life hating him for what he did to my family, devoting my life to the solitary action of killing him, only for him to come back into my life and reveal it was all a lie. And after all of that, what happens?" Sasuke began to grind his teeth as he slammed his fist into the floor once again: "I get two conversations with him – the 'real' him and not the crazy murderer I thought he was – just for him to die in front of me! And I wasn't able to do shit to save him!"

Darui's eyes narrowed on the boy: "Sasuke-san-"

"Reasons?" Sasuke interrupted, repeating the word again once more as he pulled himself off the ground. "What reasons do I have to even visit his corpse? To curse him out for his lies? He can't hear me! To talk? I can't talk to him anymore! To apologize about not being able to do anything? That won't change shit! To cry?" Sasuke rubbed at his eyes, trying to wipe away his tears, but more-and-more continued to fall: "I'M ALREADY CRYING AND I'M FUCKING SICK OF IT-"

Darui reached out and placed his right hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The Uchiha's ranting stopped as he stared at the man intently.

For a brief second, he did not see the 'right-hand' of the Raikage; instead, he saw the image of Itachi, smiling at him.

"Itachi…" Sasuke mumbled to himself as he rubbed his eyes.

In an instant, the image was gone and he was now face-to-face with Darui once more. Sasuke's body began to shake as he reached out and pulled Darui into a tight hug, which the man reciprocated.

"Itachi… ITACHI!" Sasuke shouted his brother's name for a moment before he started to sob.

Darui, again, said nothing as he simply let the younger Uchiha cry. Sasuke's sobs slowly started to lighten. After a full minute, he finally quieted and his tears finally dried up. He then finally broke his hug with Darui and looked down.

"That… was unprofessional of me." Sasuke said, shaking his head: "My apologies."

"Nothing to be sorry about." Darui said. "Sometimes, it's best to let your problems out."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose slightly: "Even to a complete stranger?"

"Sometimes it's better that way." Darui replied as he brought his hands together behind his head: "You don't have any baggage with a dull guy like me, so maybe it's easier to come clear about how you're feeling with me."

Sasuke was silent for a moment as he simply stared at the Kumo ninja for a moment before he shook his head.

"You didn't have to listen to me, though." He mumbled, crossing his arms: "Why bother?"

"… Well, let's just say you're not the only 'little brother' who lost a brother to Akatsuki." Darui admitted, sighing. Sasuke's eyes widened as Darui let out a bitter chuckle: "Although at least you can tell yourself your brother died fighting against him. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with the realization that if Nasumareta was still alive, he'd probably be invading alongside the rest of them."

Sasuke was silent for a moment as he stared at the 'right-hand' of the Raikage. Darui was quiet for a moment, seemingly expecting the Uchiha to comment back, before he sighed and brought his hands to the pockets of his pants.

"I know you're conflicted about a lot of things right now and going through shit. If you ever need to keep talking, let me know." He said, letting a small smile develop on his lips as he turned around. "Take care, kid."

With those words, Darui walked-off, leaving Sasuke alone. The Uchiha's eyes focused on the Kumo ninja for a moment until he was finally gone before he turned his head back to the door to Tsunade's room.

He stood still outside for a moment before he took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.


"You really sure you want to practice this late at night?" Kurama asked, raising an eyebrow as his container left Bee's Mansion. "Matatabi's jinchūriki is going to be pissed at you if she catches you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Naruto replied, rolling his eyes: "But I got to keep working, dammit!"

The blond made his way to an open clearing in the forest behind Bee's mansion. He took in a deep breath before he clapped his hands together, channeling Kurama's chakra. Within seconds, he entered his Bijū Form as the chakra cloak formed around his body. He took in a deep breath as he began to channel wind-release chakra through his chakra network before releasing out of his body.

"Wind Style: Drift!"

Naruto's body began to fly into the air. He started to move around rapidly through the air, propelling himself in various directions, seemingly stretching.

'It's becoming easier-and-easier. Soon, it'll be second nature. Thanks, Utakata and Hotaru.' A small smile developed on Naruto's face before he shook his head and clapped his hands together: "Scorch Style: Super Steam Kill!"

Naruto took in a deep breath before he finally released the channeled chakra. Three spiraling reddish-pink orbs of fire surrounded his body, spinning like a ring. They followed him through the air as he continued to move around midair.

After a few seconds, Naruto made a sweeping gesture towards the ground. The three orbs launched themselves into the earth and immediately ignited, creating three flames. The flames then quickly started to spread, connecting with one another and forming a ring of fire.

'I'm doing it. I'm really doing it!' Naruto grinned as he snapped his finger. Immediately, the flames dissipated. In the clearing where his fire had connected, the ground had been reduced to ash, with no sign of any grass or dirt present. His grin grew wider: "Hell yeah!"

"Impressive."

Naruto's eyes widened as he proceeded to fly back towards the ground, where he came face-to-face with Gaara and Han.

"H-Hey, what's up guys?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head. "Y-Y-You're not going to tell Yugito that I'm up, right?"

"Why would we?" Han asked with a chuckle: "We are up too, aren't we?"

"Although admittedly, we weren't training." Gaara noted. "Han-san and I were discussing some things over tea when we noticed you walk out of the mansion."

"Gotcha-" Naruto's eyes widened for a second as he stared at the Kazekage: "Wait, Gaara, you can drink Han-nii's tea?"

"… The flavor is excellent, even if the temperature is an acquired sensation." Gaara confessed with a frown as he crossed his arms: "I had to wait an hour for it too cool down, and even then, I still believe it should be cooler."

"My apologies." Han bowed his head: "I assure you, I was trying to not overheat your cup."

"Heh. Sounds about right." Naruto chuckled as he brought his hands behind his head, dropping his Bijū Form: "You get used to it! I actually kinda like Han-nii's tea as it's made now!"

"The tolerance you must have built on your tongue is commendable." Gaara noted as his eyes narrowed on Naruto: "You started experimenting with Scorch Release today, right? And you've mastered it?"

"Mastered? That's overselling it." Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders: "I've just been going at it for a while. Can finally use it in combat, but I definitely got a lot to do with it still." A sigh escaped his lips: "That famous Scorch Release user from your village…"

As Naruto's words stared to drag on, Gaara spoke-up: "Pakura?"

"Yeah, her!" Naruto nodded his head: "My version probably does not compare to hers at all. She'd kick my ass with Scorch Release." A scowl then developed on his lips as the image of a silver-haired Akatsuki member entered his mind: "… And probably Kabuto, too."

Gaara shook his head: "Pakura was born with Scorch Release, and Kabuto has had more time to develop his Scorch Release. You'll be on their level, given time."

"Yeah, but that's the thing; how much time do we really have?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Han asked, his eyebrow raising.

Naruto was quiet for a moment as both Gaara and Han stared at him. A sigh escaped his lips as he crossed his arms.

"I don't know, okay? I just have a bad feeling I guess, y'know?" Naruto admitted, sighing. "Not a hopeless one or anything; just a bad feeling."

"Any particular reason you feel that way?" Han asked.

"I… don't know." Naruto admitted. "I just… I dunno. I just feel like shit's happening. Like something just happened. I don't know why I feel that, but I do. And I feel like a lot more shit could happen if this doesn't go exactly right." His hands tightened into fists: "So I want to make sure that we're at our best, ready to face it."

"Hmm." Han crossed his arms: "I'll confess that I'm anxious myself at the thought of facing off against someone with the Rinnegan or fighting against Uchiha Madara. But at the same time, I feel hopeful." A smile developed on his face behind his mask as he chuckled: "I've finally been able to face the Gobi – face Kokuō – after everything that has happened, so all I can do is hope that if I had the strength for that, I have the strength to face Akatsuki."

"That's a sentiment I agree with." Gaara nodded his head: "Especially since all of us jinchūriki will be together."

"Together…" Naruto repeated the word with a chuckle: "Akatsuki's really not going to know what hit them, huh?"

"I'm sure they're expecting the two Kumo jinchūriki, myself, and you. They should not be expecting all five of us." Gaara noted: "As long as we have that element of surprise, we should fare well, I believe."

"… Yeah, you're right-"

Naruto's words were interrupted at the sound of footsteps. The trio turned their heads in time to see Yugito and Motoi approaching them.

"You're all up." Yugito noted, crossing her arms: "Hopefully not exhausting yourself at night, hmm?"

"N-N-No, of course not!" Naruto shook his head, chuckling uneasily. "Wh-Why would we?"

"Kazekage-sama and I were having a nice discussion about history over tea when we saw Naruto leave for a walk. We decided to accompany him." Han spoke-up with a chuckle.

Yugito's eyes narrowed in suspicion on Naruto before turning his head towards Han, nodding her head in approval. Motoi took a step forward, his eyes meeting Gaara's.

"Forgive the interruption, but Kazekage-sama, I must ask you come back to Kumo with me." He stated. "The other Kage require your presence for a meeting tomorrow morning."

"Another meeting?" Gaara crossed his arms as he closed. "Very well."

Gaara bade farewell to Naruto and Han as he followed Yugito and Motoi towards the dock to leave the Island Turtle once again. Both Naruto and Han watched their retreating figures with a concerned look on their faces.

"I believed he already had a meeting with the other Kage not too long ago. It's not particularly wise for the Kazekage to be traveling this much, in case he were to get spotted here." Han noted, crossing his arms. "Whatever he is being summoned for must be important."

Naruto did not reply, only looking up from the retreating figure of Gaara to the moon in the sky.

'I don't know why, but I feel like something bad just happened.' He bit down on his lip as his hands tightened: 'Everything better be okay…'


As the sun began to rise over Umi no Kuni, Kabuto decided to leave the Konjiki Brother's establishment and head on over to a familiar sight to him: one of Orochimaru's lab and base on Jiro Island. It did not take him long to arrive at the lab, but upon arrival, he was disappointed.

The laboratory was falling apart. As Kabuto walked through the corridors of the building, he noticed pillars knocked over and parts of the ceiling caved in; it was honestly a miracle that the whole building had not collapsed on itself. Beakers and equipment were scattered throughout the hallways and the rooms in a disorganized fashion.

'Amachi must have abandoned this place.' Kabuto noted, sighing. 'Pity. Seems he took all of his research too and just left this place to rot.'

Amachi was one of Orochimaru's loyal followers and was tasked with the upkeep of the laboratory. A remarkably boring, but earnest man, Amachi was always eager to share his research with Orochimaru and was always trying to find better ways to assist him. He was a passionate researcher, although underfunded; Orochimaru did find Amachi's research subjects to be rather dull and never gave his work as much attention as the man most likely wanted.

'Perhaps he left even before Orochimaru-sama passed. This place does look like it's been abandoned for longer than just three years-' Kabuto's words died on his lips as he heard the faint sound of footsteps. He tensed up as reached for his side: 'It appears I misspoke.'

The footsteps grew louder-and-louder. Kabuto turned around in the hallway in time to see a young fish-human hybrid rushing towards him. The creature had green skin with fins on its head and its arms, as well as visible scales. It also wore a blue sleeveless blouse and brown shorts, and despite its fish-like appendages, appeared to have a build to an athletic human woman.

'Is that thing a human?' Kabuto's eyes widened. He then noticed the creature take in a deep breath, which caused him to fall to his knees and place his hands on the ground.

"Water Style: Great Cannon Ball Jutsu!"

"Mud Style: Muddy Water Wall!"

The creature opened its mouth, releasing a massive stream of water from her mouth just as a wall of mud rose up from the ground, blocking the water entirely. Kabuto then made a pushing gesture, causing the wall to move forward before collapsing on the body of the creature and hardening, encasing it in mud.

'What the hell is this?' Kabuto's eyes narrowed on the mud: 'I need to study it-'

His thoughts were interrupted as the mud started to crack. His eyes widened as the creature proceeded to break through its prison. It then closed the distance between itself and Kabuto, slamming one of its fins into him and pushing him against the wall. He winced in response.

"Who are you?" The creature demanded, its voice sounding feminine. "What are you doing here?"

"Simply investigating. Nothing more." Kabuto replied calmly, his eyes narrowed.

"You made a mistake coming here. The locals know not to step foot in here." She hissed in response: "Leave. Now!"

"And why should I do that?" Kabuto asked, a smirk developing on his face.

"I'll kill you." She stated.

"Will you, now?" Kabuto asked with a chuckle. "Mud Style: Mud Doll!"

Kabuto's body proceeded to fall apart, revealing itself to be made entirely of mud. The fish-like woman's eyes widened as the mud completely surrounded her body, encasing her from the neck down.

The silver-haired Akatsuki member appeared from the ground of the hallway directly behind her. He then made a hand sign, causing crystal-like structures to form from the ground and provide an extra layer of entrapment around the woman's body. She scowled as she tried to break through her bindings, but her efforts were not working properly.

"You're pretty strong, I will say. Mud Release is a very defensive kekkei genkai and the Mud Wall in particular should be near impenetrable." He stated. "However, the combined efforts of Mud and Crystal Release are going to leave you immobile. You won't be breaking out anytime soon."

"Ugh… Hngggh…" She growled as she continued to struggle. A few seconds passed by before she finally looked Kabuto in the eye, glaring at him: "Barging into my home like this, restraining me like some fucking animal… who do you think you are?"

"In my defense, you attacked me first." Kabuto replied as he adjusted his glasses. "Anyway, I am a former associate of the man who used to run this facility." He noticed the scowl on the woman's face deepen: "I assume you know who Amachi is, I take it."

"I'm well aware of that monster. He's the one who turned me into this hideous creature!" She growled in response. The scowl on her face was turned into a twisted grin: "Oh, but he paid the capital price for that mistake. I killed him. I tore him apart bit-by-bit and then fed his body to the sharks! And I'll do the same to you if you don't let me out!"

Kabuto's eyes widened in response at her words for a moment: 'Amachi's dead, huh?' He shrugged his shoulders; that explanation did check-out with the state of the laboratory. Perhaps the general dilapidated state was the result of an altercation between him and the woman in front of him.

"You said he turned you into this creature?" Kabuto asked, tilting his head: "What exactly are you?"

"What's it to you?" She snarled in response as she started to struggle once again: "I'm not saying anything to anyone who is an 'associate' of that monster!"

"'Associate' may have been a strong word." Kabuto admitted, shaking his head: "We only served the same master. I promise you; I am no monster like him. I mean you no harm!" A smile then developed on his face: "In fact, maybe I can help you."

"Help?" Her eyes went red for a moment as she started to thrash around more in her entrapment even more. "Amachi promised to help me! He said that if I helped take down ships and give him gold to fund his research, he'd cure me! He lied to me and tried to kill me to dissect me! WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU WOULD HELP ME?"

With a loud growl, both the mud and crystal encasings started to crack. Kabuto's eyes widened once again as he stared at the woman in front of him.

'She's going to break out of Crystal Release, too? How strong is this woman?' He wondered. He bit down on his lip, resisting the urge to smirk: 'Amachi, whatever experiment you performed on her may have led to your demise, but your work was truly a success with this one.'

Kabuto had made up his mind about what he was going to do; the only thing left to do was convince her.

"If you are worried about me killing you instead of helping you, trust me; you don't have to worry about that." Kabuto stated, his smile growing wider.

As he finished his sentence, the woman managed to destroy her crystal-and-mud bindings, freeing herself. Before she could act on her newfound freedom, however, Kabuto rushed at her this time, his arms changing shape to resemble large bones. He slammed the bones into neck and stomach, forcing her against the wall. She choked up blood in response.

"Trust me, you are strong, but I am stronger. I can kill you right now if I wanted to." Kabuto noted. He held onto his grip on her for a few seconds, causing her to choke more, before he finally let go, causing her to fall to her knees, gasping for air: "However, I don't actually want to kill you. I promise you; I'm no enemy unless you make me your enemy."

The woman stayed still on the ground for a moment, breathing in heavily. Her eyes were focused intently on Kabuto, conveying multiple emotions that he recognized. Fear. Hope. Anger. Distrust.

… But buried underneath these superficial emotions was an emotion he used to be very familiar with: emptiness. A sad, miserable emptiness of a sad miserable creature that had nothing going for them in life.

'She's… looking at me… the way I looked at Orochimaru-sama after Mom's death…' Kabuto shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside: 'No, not right now.'

"My name is Yakushi Kabuto." He offered, smiling as he held out a hand to her. "I'm sorry if me mentioning Amachi triggered you in any way. I promise, I will do you no harm. I just simply wish to talk and understand, and potentially help.

The fish-like woman was still for a moment, staring intently at Kabuto's hand. He could see the hesitation in her eyes. Despite the hesitation, however, she slowly reached out and took his hand.

It was rough. Scaly. If it wasn't for the Shikotsumyaku of the Kaguya Clan running in his DNA, he thought that even touching her hand probably would have cut his skin.

"… My name is Isaribi." She said softly, looking down. "You… have a point, Kabuto-san. If you wish to kill me, I think you have a high probability of succeeding. I suppose I have nothing to lose if you wish to try and help… very well."

"You don't have to worry about anything, Isaribi-san." Kabuto declared as he adjusted his glasses: "Now, let's talk."


"Kakashi, we need to talk." Jiraiya stated.

The Hokage stood outside the door to Hatake Kakashi's room for only a few seconds before the door opened.

"Good morning, Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi said, smiling behind his mask. "What brings you here at four in the morning?"

"I already said it; we need to talk." Jiraiya replied as he walked inside Kakashi's room.

Before Kakashi could say anything, Jiraiya placed a silencing sealing tag on the door to Kakashi's room. He then activated the seal. Kakashi's demeanor immediately switched, becoming more serious.

"Did something happen, Hokage-sama?" He asked.

"Uchiha Itachi died last night in an altercation with 'Uchiha Madara'." Jiraiya stated. "Sasuke was there during that fight."

"… I see." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed on the Hokage: "Is Sasuke alright?"

"Physically, he's fine. Tsunade and Shizune tended to him for a moment, but he wasn't as severely injured as he was in his fight with Danzō." Jiraiya said, sighing: "Mentally, though… he's pretty bad off."

"As expected." Kakashi said, sighing. "The pain of losing someone you're close to is infinitely worse when you witness it right in front of you…" His eye then widened as a thought occurred to him: "Did his Sharingan evolve?"

"Yes." Jiraiya nodded his head in response: "I've already arranged for Tsunade to remove Itachi's eyes from his corpse. We'll perform the surgery soon to make sure Sasuke gets them." Jiraiya could see the confusion in Kakashi's face, which caused him to elaborate: "It was a request of Itachi's from a while back. Overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan can lead to vision deterioration amongst other things – as I'm sure you are already aware of – but transplanting the

Mangekyō Sharingan of a blood relative can apparently mitigate those effects entirely and restore the vision."

"… Ah." Kakashi brought his hand to his chin: "So, in theory, Sasuke will have access to the Mangekyō Sharingan with none of the side-effects?"

"Correct." Jiraiya nodded.

"Is Sasuke aware about this surgery?" Kakashi asked.

"Not yet." Jiraiya shook his head: "He wasn't in the right place to talk last night. We will let him know today." He then eyed the jōnin in front of him: "Unless you desire to tell him."

"It might be better." Kakashi sighed as he brought his hands to his pocket: "I can definitely relate with what he is feeling, so hopefully I'll be able to help him cope."

"That is actually something else I have to discuss with you, Kakashi." Jiraiya said softly. He took in a deep breath before continuing: "Itachi had one final bit of information to give before passing; he revealed the name of the man who is currently 'acting' as Uchiha Madara."

"So the Madara you mentioned was only a namesake?" Kakashi noted. "Who is acting under his name, then?"

"…" Jiraiya bit down on his lip for a moment before finally saying the name: "Uchiha Obito."

Kakashi's eyes widened in response.

Jiraiya stood still, waiting for the jōnin to respond. Nothing came out, however, as Kakashi continued to stare at him in silence.

"Itachi found out through his usage of Tsukuyomi." Jiraiya said, frowning. "He… He apparently survived that day on Kannabi Bridge. I'm sorry."

"… Obito… he…" Kakashi shook his head for a moment: "I… Forgive me, Hokage-sama. But I don't think I can believe that. I… I was there. I saw him die."

"Did you really, though?" Jiraiya asked. "From my recollection, Obito was crushed by the boulders and you never got to actually check for a body." Kakashi was about to open his mouth, but Jiraiya continued: "In addition, this 'Madara' figure uses a dōjutsu technique from his Sharingan that allows him to manipulate space-time. It resembles your Kamui." Kakashi's eye widened further: "Each Sharingan tends to have their own unique dōjutsu abilities. For his eye to have the same unique ability yours has…"

"It… has to be from the… same pair." Kakashi finished the sentence as he brought his hand to his chin: "Obito… this can't be true…"

A few seconds passed by before Jiraiya finally turned away, heading towards the door to the room.

"I have to attend a meeting with the other Kage to discuss the other information Itachi gave. I just… wanted to tell you about Obito as fast as possible." Jiraiya said, sighing. "I'm sorry to have dropped news like that on you, Kakashi. From my experience with Orochimaru… I understand how much this news must hurt.

With those words, Jiraiya walked off, leaving Kakashi to himself.

The silver-haired man stayed rooted in his spot as his hand went up to his forehead protector, over the Sharingan eye that was hidden underneath it.

'Obito… you can't actually be alive… can you?'


As the sun rose over Kumogakure, the five Kage gathered together once again, taking their seats and leaving their respective hats on the table. The same ten advisors – Tsunade and Shikaku for Jiraiya, Darui and Mabui for Ē, Aō and Zabuza for Mei, Roto and Nendo for Kurotsuchi, and Chiyo and Kankurō for Gaara – flanked their sides, standing at attention.

The Kage did not waste a second to discuss, as Jiraiya and Ē quickly explained the situation to the others.

"So, Uchiha Itachi was your mole and he died giving information, hmm?" Mei noted, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Correct." Jiraiya nodded his head as he pulled out Itachi's scroll. "Both Ē and I have already looked at its contents. We have a firm idea of what the Akatsuki's plan of attack is going to be."

Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed: "Care to enlighten us, then?"

"Akatsuki's plan is to attack during the final match of the Third Exams." Ē explained. "They have different waves of their organization attacking different sections of Kumo – the gates, the civilian quarters, the Kumogakure shinobi academy, the tower we're at right now, and other major places – as a distraction to their main objective, which is acquiring the jinchūriki."

"Per Itachi's notes, Akatsuki is unaware of all the jinchūriki being here." Jiraiya continued. "They only assume Yugito, Bee, Gaara, and Naruto are here; Yugito and Bee for obvious reasons," Jiraiya's eyes then moved to Gaara, "you're assumed to be here since a team from Sunagakure qualified, and Naruto is already known to be here based on an altercation he had earlier in his time here."

"So, the other five have not been leaked yet?" Kurotsuchi asked, a small smirk on her lips: "They'll be able to take them by surprise, then."

"As of right now, their team that will engage the jinchūriki is set to be Akatsuki's leader, Pain, alongside Akatsuki agents Konan and Hoshigaki Kisame." Ē stated. Mei stiffened at the mention of Kisame. "Itachi was also supposed to be amongst these numbers. That plan has obviously changed."

'Konan's alive too…' Jiraiya bit down on his lip as an image of a young blue-haired girl, smiling in the rain while holding up an origami rose, entered his mind. '… And what about Yahiko?'

"Kisame will be involved, huh?" Mei noted, her eyes narrowing: 'Yagura-kun, so you're going to be the one to face that traitor. You better not let that asshole escape!' She shook her head as she brought her hands together: "We can probably assume that they'll change around their rotation. They'll most likely want another Akatsuki agent to fill in Itachi's empty space."

"They might shuffle around their entire formation in general." Shikaku spoke-up. "They're aware their plan got leaked. We should assume all of this information is going to be changed up."

"So, is it any worth even discussing the information in there anyway?" Roto asked.

"Of course! Even if they are compromised plans and will be changed, they still reveal much about the assets of the enemy." Chiyo scolded, looking towards the Iwa shinobi with a disdainful look: "Hmph. The youth of Iwa doesn't appear to be very intelligent if you don't see the benefit of discussing these plans. I worry about your village's future."

A scowl developed on his face: "Hey, what the hell-"

His words died on his lips as Kurotsuchi held out a hand directly in front of him and looked towards him. He locked eyes with his former teammate before gulping slightly and standing back at attention, keeping quiet.

"Speaking of assets, we can confirm something you hypothesized from the last meeting, Mizukage." Ē spoke-up, drawing everyone's attention: "Pain is definitely in control of Amegakure, as many of their shinobi are participating in the invasion, disguised as shinobi from our villages."

"Guess that means he killed Hanzō, then." Mei noted, shaking her head.

"The fact that someone like Hanzō could get killed off so quietly and not have that leaked out to the rest of the world…" Tsunade shook her head as she turned to look at Jiraiya: "When we fought that man alongside Orochimaru, we were nearly slaughtered, and news of that fight spread like wildfire just because we managed to survive it. I can't even imagine how strong their new leader is if he not only overpowered Hanzō, but actually kept news about it quiet."

'Dammit, Nagato…' Jiraiya took in a deep breath. 'I should have checked on Ame long ago. This all could have been avoided…'

"Any major Amegakure shinobi we should be aware of?" Kankurō asked.

"Amegakure probably produces individual shinobi at a caliber equal to the major shinobi village." Nendo noted, bringing his hand to his chin: "I'm sure there's a few that need to be watched out for."

"The only two I feel we really need to be aware of are the ones Itachi listed as 'leading' the Amegakure shinobi." Ē stated. "Someone named Ajisai is leading the Amegakure shinobi that will be disguised as Kirigakure shinobi. And another shinobi named Rokushō Aoi will be leading the shinobi disguised as Konoha shinobi."

"Rokushō Aoi?" Shikaku repeated the name, a scowl on his face: "He's going to be involved in this?"

"Do you know him, Nara-san?" Aō asked.

The Nara Clan head nodded his head: "He's a missing ninja from our village. He stole the Nidaime Hokage's sword, the Raijin no Ken – or Sword of the Thunder God – before making his escape. He's been a high priority target in our Bingo Books for nearly a decade now."

"He'll be disguised as a Konoha shinobi. Bah. A man like him has no right even pretending to be on our village's shinobi again." Jiraiya scowled: "He'll die. And we'll take back our sword."

"The Raijin no Ken, huh?" Zabuza mumbled, smirking behind the bandages over his face: "It's supposed to be similar to the Kiba blades that are passed down in Kirigakure. I'd be curious to see how the blades interact in a fight."

"We can discuss those hypotheticals in a little bit." Ē said as a scowl developed on his face: "In addition to Amegakure shinobi, Itachi also provided a lost of some of the missing ninja that will be aiding in Akatsuki's fight. The only two variables we still have that are unknown are Oyashiro's numbers and the amount of Edo Tensei Yakushi Kabuto will summon."

"We should assume high-profile targets. We already discussed him bringing back deceased Akatsuki agents." Gaara said. "Although you were able to obtain Itachi's corpse, we can assume Kabuto might have necessary DNA samples to summon him. We can count him as a possible opponent."

"In addition, there's Hanzō, now that we have the confirmation that Pain is controlling Amegakure." Mei added. "No doubt that the Akatsuki has access to his body, as well as the bodies of his followers. I'm certain he will be amongst their numbers."

'There's also a chance that Kabuto could obtain samples of some of Kumogakure's famous shinobi while he's still here." Kurotsuchi noted. "He's summoned Mū-sama in the past."

"He also summoned my father when he entered Sunagakure." Gaara added. His eyes then moved towards Ē. "I think it's reasonable to assume a previous Raikage might be summoned."

"… I would imagine if he were to have any previous Raikage, it would be my father." Ē stated.

"Based on feats alone, the Sandaime Raikage would be terrifying to see." Aō stated. "His death is legendary, having taken down 10,000 enemies alongside him."

The room grew quiet for a moment as the Kage and their advisors thought intently about the information discussed. A few seconds passed before Kurotsuchi cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her.

"So, we got an idea of what we're working with. We can assume things will be done differently now or certain things will get added, but we have some idea." She said. "So, let's discuss how we'll respond."

And with those words, the room became lively as each Kage and their advisors tried to design the most optimal battle plan to defeat the Akatsuki.


'Let me try something…' Naruto told himself as he walked into a corner of the Bijū Training Room, away from the other jinchūriki training. He closed his eyes as he activated his Bijū Form before his eyes narrowed and he tossed three shuriken. As the shuriken flew through the air, he made a hand sign: "Scorch Style!"

After a second passed by, the shuriken were ignited and covered in pinkish-red flames. The speed of their movement magnified and they left a trace of flames that remained in the air as they continued to fly forward.

A grin developed on Naruto's face as he nodded his head: "The applications of this our amazing! I feel like thanks to Scorch Release, I'm going to be even more powerful than ever!"

"You mean thanks to my power! After all, that's the only reason you're able to use the damn abilities." Kurama snorted in his head: "And it's not just this you can do. Remember the other abilities I gave you, dammit!"

"I haven't forgotten." Naruto chuckled in response: "Still, though, this feels good. It's giving me even more-"

Before Naruto could finish his sentence, a blue flame forward at his flame-enhanced shuriken. Upon contact, a giant explosion was sent through the area with a shockwave that knocked Naruto off his feet.

"Wh-What the hell?" He gasped.

A few seconds passed by before the explosion finally subsided. Blue flames were now scattered on the ground, but there was no sign of Naruto's pinkish-red flames at all. His eyes widened for a moment before he turned his head towards the source of the blue flames: Nii Yugito, who was encased in her own chakra cloak.

"Hmm. I have to admit, I was just trying to show off and was expecting my fire to just simply overpower yours. The combined explosion was a bit of a surprise." She noted with a smirk as she looked over at her fellow blond: "Perhaps you and I have an interesting combo jutsu we could do together."

"That's…" He shook his head, his eyes widening as he stared at the blue flames once again: "How'd your fire overpower mine so easily?"

"Your flames from Scorch Release are hotter than a normal fire release, but on any average day, always bet on 'blue flames' being the hottest." Yugito noted, her smirk widening: "Using Matatabi's chakra, all of my firepower is able to create the chemical reaction for the highest recorded temperature flames."

"Really, huh?" Naruto rubbed his chin slightly in thought: "That's really cool, actually.'

"I suppose, but again, I wasn't expecting that reaction." Yugito noted. "It must be because of Scorch Release's wind component that generated that explosion. The natural gas in your Scorch Release must have caused an even further reaction when my flames connected." Her smirk widened into a grin: "What say you and I experiment a little more together."

"Fine with me." Naruto nodded his head: "We need to get ourselves ready!"

Yugito gestured for Naruto to follow her deeper into the training room. As the two walked further in, away from the other jinchūriki, Naruto turned to the Nibi jinchūriki.

"Hey, Yugito, you aren't concerned about this invasion, are you?" He asked.

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

"Like, that it's going to go well?" Naruto clarified, frowning. "That nothing bad is going to happen, y'know?"

"… I mean, I think we're going to succeed, if that's what you're asking." Yugito said, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at her fellow blond: "Are you worried that we're going to lose."

Naruto shook his head: "No, I feel like we're getting really strong. And I feel like we have what it takes to take them down all at once! It's just… I don't know." He sighed: "I'm worried about a lot of the others. Like my friends. And the people of Kumo. I'm worried that a lot of people are going to die."

"That…" Yugito frowned in response: "That's just a reality of invasion and war. No matter who is fighting, good people are going to die that didn't deserve to." Her eyebrow then rose slightly: "This isn't your first experience with this kind of thing, right?"

The Uzumaki shook his head again: "No, but my other times were different. The Suna-Oto invasion was a complete surprise to me cause I didn't know about it, so I didn't think anything about it other than just being in survival mode, y'know? And the Kirigakure invasion… I guess because the situation in Kiri was so bad, I didn't think anything about it. Or maybe I wasn't that thoughtful back then. But this?" He sighed: "I guess I'm just worried about the people that the Akatsuki are going to kill."

"You can't be worrying about that stuff for too long." Yugito replied, shaking her head: "If that's a concern for you, I'd recommend leaving the career when you're done with this."

"It's not a concern." He scowled in response: "It's just something that doesn't sit well with me, to think about much."

"Again, you can't be worrying about that. Death is inevitable part of life, and war is a major catalyst for more death." Yugito replied, sighing: "That's how it's always been in history. That's how it always will be, too."

Naruto's scowl was replaced with a frown: "… And you think nothing will change?"

"I mean, nothing has changed in over how many years in human history?" Yugito asked. Naruto was quiet for a moment, which prompted her to continue: "There's just no avoiding that conflict will always exist."

The two were quiet for a moment as Naruto stared at the ground. His hands tightened into fists as he shook his head.

"I mean, you are right. That's just how it's going to be. And one day we'll probably have a Fourth Shinobi World War. And then a Fifth. And hell, I may be alive to see both of them." He stated, his eyes narrowing: "But I swear, when I'm Hokage, I'm going to make sure my village does not suffer any more wartime casualties!"

"… Unrealistic." Yugito shook her head, frowning. "Even if you somehow were involved in every battle in a war, you couldn't make that guarantee."

"I know it sounds unrealistic, but I have to aim for that goal." Naruto said, shaking his head: "I'll keep my village safe and try to keep as much peace as I possibly can! I have to do my part to make sure that as many innocent people can survive!"

Yugito was silent as she stared at Naruto. She observed the determination in his face and body language before a small smile developed on her face. She shook her head, letting out a small chuckle.

"You are really naïve, kid, but I wish you the best creating that world." She said.

"I'm not naïve; I'm an idealist." He replied, crossing his arms.

"I know. I know." Yugito replied, her smile growing a little wider: "Come on. Let's go work on a combination jutsu. Let's see how big of an explosion my fire and your scorch release can make together!"

Naruto nodded his head as they continued further into the chamber. As they walked further inside, the fox called out to Naruto in his mind.

"She is right that you are too idealistic, Naruto." Kurama noted.

'… Probably.' He nodded his head, his determined expression remaining on his face. 'But I just have to hope that I can make a difference. Even if I fail… I have to think I have the ability to keep my village and the people safe in order to provide that extra motivation!'

"… I suppose that makes sense." The Kyūbi said, nodding his head: "Although, I'm surprised you are so stressed right now. Is there any particular reason for your nerves about people dying?"

'… I don't know. It's just a feeling that something happened back in Kumo. Or maybe something almost happened.' Naruto noted as he began to grit his teeth: 'I can't shake that feeling. But whatever; I'm just using it to motivate me. I need to keep true to myself and use that to make me as strong as possible!'

Kurama did not reply to Naruto, allowing Naruto to focus his attention solely on Yugito, who was prepared to start working on a jutsu together.


After stopping by Tsunade's room and saying a few quiet words to Itachi's corpse, Sasuke hurried off to his own room, where he laid down on his bed and rested. Sleep never came to him, but hours quickly passed by as the Uchiha remained still.

His eyes occasionally moved back-and-forth from the door to his room to the window. Before he knew it, the sun was starting to set. Sasuke's eyes focused on the light of the sun shining into his bedroom before a sigh escaped his lips as he finally got out of bed.

"I should eat." He told himself.

Sasuke was slow to get himself bathed and dressed for the day; he was still sore and injured from his fight with Tobi and Kisame, and he simply could not find the energy to pick up his own pace. After what felt like forever, he was finally ready to leave his apartment and get some food.

As he opened the door to the hallway, he was greeted by Kakashi, who looked as if he was about to knock.

"Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke nodded his head.

"Ah, perfect timing I suppose." Kakashi noted. "Care for a walk, Sasuke?"

"I was going to get breakfast." He replied.

"At this hour?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke gave no response, which earned a nod from Kakashi: "Let me join you, if you mind."

Sasuke nodded his head. The former student-and-teacher walked off together out of their apartment complex and hurried into the streets of Kumo. The two walked down alleyways, making sure nobody was nearby, before they started to talk.

"I know what you're going to talk to me about." Sasuke said as he pocketed his hands: "Were Kiba and Sakura informed about Itachi too?"

"Not yet." Kakashi shook his head: "I can tell them for you if you wish, but I thought I would give you the opportunity to talk to them." He rubbed the back of his head: "They were very concerned about you after you left our meeting yesterday."

"… I can imagine." Sasuke sighed. "I'll speak to them tomorrow. I just need today to be over, and then I'll be ready."

"Ready to talk?" Kakashi asked.

"… Ready to live again, I guess." Sasuke sighed once again, digging his hands deeper into his pockets: "I can't recall the last time I've felt this empty. Not even in the aftermath of massacre of my clan." He shook his head: "I felt rage and sadness back then. Today, though?" He bit down on his lip: "I… spoke to Itachi this morning and got out of all my sadness. And I can tell I have rage; I cannot wait to get my revenge against these Akatsuki scum and pay them back for robbing me of my last family! But right now, I feel nothing."

"Nothing, huh…" Kakashi mumbled, rubbing his chin underneath his mask. "Well, you're speaking to someone who can relate to that."

"Is this about your teammates and your sensei?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi tensed-up slightly in response, causing Sasuke's eyebrow to rise. 'I've never seen him react like that…'

Nevertheless, he pushed the thought out of his head as Kakashi nodded his head: "That's correct. And in the aftermath of their deaths, I fell into depression, and looked for as many suicidal missions as I could take." A forced chuckle escaped his lips: "Depression is more than just sadness, you know? It's also a feeling of emptiness. An overwhelming emptiness that takes away all motivation to do anything. Even something as simple as eating just feels too much to do."

Sasuke stood still for a moment. Kakashi stopped in his place as the two looked at one-another.

"How… do you cope with yours?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders: "We're not really in the profession that allows us to 'cope'." A small smile developed on his lips underneath his mask: "But the way I see it, on days where the emptiness inside starts acting up, making it through the day can be enough. Tomorrow is a new day, after all, and maybe it'll be better."

"Maybe?" Sasuke repeated the word, frowning.

"Maybe." Kakashi nodded his head: "But life will always go on. And odds are, that in those sets of days, there will be easier ones that you can enjoy with no strings attached. And that pushes me forward, even in my emptiest of days." His smile behind his mask grew wider for a moment: "Well, that and you and your teammates."

Sasuke's frown faded as his eyes widened for a moment. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head as he looked down on his student.

"This might seem a bit much right now, but I wanted to just reassure you based off what I had previously said yesterday. I consider you a part of my 'pack', so to speak. And that's why I want to ask again." Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll: "You don't have to sign right now, but would you be interested in becoming a Dog Summoner?"

"I…" Sasuke mumbled in response for a moment. His eyes reddened for a moment, but no tears fell. After a second, a smile developed on his face as he nodded his head: "I would be honored to sign it. Right now."

Kakashi smiled in response as he laid the scroll down on the ground and unraveled it. Sasuke bit down on his thumb, coating it in blood, as he found an open space on the scroll, directly underneath Kiba's and Sakura's signatures.

'A part of your pack, huh…' Sasuke told himself as he started to write out his name in blood. 'I'd like that… a lot…'

After a few seconds, Sasuke finished his name. Kakashi rolled the scroll back-up and looked his student – and now, fellow Dog Summoner – in the eye.

"Know that you always have me in your life, Sasuke. Sakura and Kiba, too." Kakashi stated.

"I… know." Sasuke nodded his head.

"There's a few more things I think we should talk about. For starters, there's something I know Jiraiya-sama is going to ask of you soon." Kakashi stated. Sasuke's head tilted, but before he could say anything, his stomach rumbled. A scowl developed on his face as Kakashi chuckled: "But first, let's get some food, alright?"

"… Right." Sasuke nodded his head.

With those words, the two were off once again. Kakashi's eyes focused on Sasuke as they moved. While it was subtle, the difference was there; Sasuke was in a lighter mood. He was nowhere near feeling better – and he most likely never would be fully – but he could tell that, at least for the moment, he was feeling something more than 'emptiness'. And that was all that matters.

'Truth be told, Sasuke, I definitely relate more to your feelings than I think you're even aware of right now…' Kakashi internally sighed as he recalled his conversation with Jiraiya earlier that morning: 'Obito… is all of that really true?'

Kakashi did his best to push those thoughts away as he focused his attention back on his student, who needed him.


Isaribi, to Kabuto's surprise, was very patient with him and his research.

Based on how she tried to attack him the moment she saw him, as well as the story she confided in him – about being kidnapped Amachi, and then being gaslit by the man to commit various crimes with the promise of a 'cure' being dangled in front of her – he expected her to be resistant of any research done on her. Despite that, she willingly accompanied him back to the Konjiki Establishment on the main island of Umi no Kuni and willingly allowed for blood samples and for Kabuto to research her condition.

'Amachi had no idea the gold he struck with this.' Kabuto noted, shaking his head. 'This Kaima Form… he apparently intended to create the 'perfect underwater shinobi', capable of controlling the water routes of a given country. It goes well beyond that; I have never seen someone's chakra network with such a strong affinity for water.'

His eyes closed as he recalled giving Isaribi a chakra affinity paper as a test. Someone with a water affinity should merely dampen the paper. Instead, when Isaribi channeled her chakra into it, the paper imploded as water was launched around the room.

'This affinity for water is unlike any I've ever seen. It probably compares to Kisame's control of it, or even the Nidaime Hokage's…' Kabuto shook his head, chuckling. 'Imagine if Isaribi had children and passed this down. This Kaima Form could be a revolutionary kekkei genkai, producing shinobi with water affinities stronger than ever.'

Hours passed by as Kabuto continued to research and study her condition. Isaribi remained ever patient, allowing him to take more blood samples and study the scales on her body. As the sun began to set over the village, Kabuto finally concluded for the day and stood in front of Isaribi.

"Well, I can tell you some good news." He stated. "Although your DNA has been overwhelmed by this Kaima Form, your human genetic information is still present in it. It might take a few days, but I believe it would be possible to revert your physical appearance and turn you back into a normal human."

Isaribi's eyes widened and her body started to shake: "You… Y-You mean it? You're not lying, are y-you?"

"I'm telling the truth." Kabuto said, smiling. "You're actually talking to a specialist in this particular field. I can definitely experiment with your DNA and revert the physical appearance on a superficial level.'

"That's-" She paused for a moment as his words registered in her mind: "Superficial level?"

"Well… I guess I should elaborate on that. It is impossible to remove the Kaima Form entirely from your DNA. If you channel your chakra in certain ways, it should form again." Kabuto explained. Her eyes started to lower slightly, which earned a chuckle from him: "Don't be disheartened, though. Actually, this is probably a better ideal for you."

"Better ideal?" Isaribi asked, tilting her head slightly: "How so?"

"Your base 'human' form will be the normal for you, but if you ever needed, you'd be able to use your Kaima Form for combat or for swimming or whatever benefits you need." He elaborated. "Consider it a 'best of both worlds' situation. You'd be able to use the benefits of the form whenever necessary without dealing with any societal discrimination that comes from having the form up at every moment."

"Best of both worlds…" She repeated, closing her eyes: "I… suppose that's fitting. While I wanted to go back to being a normal person again, I have become used to this power. If I lost it again, I'd go back to being the same weak-willed little girl that Amachi abused…" She then turned to Kabuto: "Do you think you'd be able to perform this experiment for you?"

"Not right now, but I would be able to." Kabuto said. "As I said, this would require a few days worth of experimentation, and unfortunately, I don't have the time right now. I'm needed for an assignment."

"But you could do it after?" Isaribi asked. Kabuto nodded his head, which caused her eyes to start to water: "That… That would be…"

Instead of finishing her sentence, Isaribi closed the distance between herself and Kabuto and hugged him tightly. Kabuto's eyes widened in response as he simply stood there, allowing the young woman to hug him.

"Thank you… thank you so much…" She mumbled, smiling as she cried into his chest.

Kabuto said nothing and remained still as she hugged him. After a few seconds, she finally broke the hug and Kabuto's body demeanor started to relax.

'That's the first time anyone's touched me like that since Nonō…' He adjusted his glasses slightly, his right index finger staying on the brim for a moment.

"Are you alright, Kabuto-san?" Isaribi asked, pulling him away from his thoughts. Her eyes widened: "You're bleeding! My apologies!"

"Hmm?" Kabuto blinked as he turned attention to his skin.

As Isaribi had stated, Kabuto was now bleeding. His eyes then moved over to the fish-looking woman, whose scales were now tinted red from his blood.

'Weird. I didn't even feel that.' He shook his head as he and Isaribi locked eyes: "No, it's fine. Just got lost in thought for a moment. It didn't hurt at all." He chuckled slightly: "Anyway, no need to thank me Isaribi-san. It'll be a pleasure to help you once I finish my assignments."

"Is this assignment you need any help with?" She asked. "I would be more than willing to help you out."

"There's no need." Kabuto shook his head once more. "You can stay here with the Konjiki Brothers. They control this whole establishment, so you can trust your stay here will be safe-"

"I understand that, but I wish to help you." Isaribi replied, shaking her own head as she looked at the man in front of her with a determined look: "You're the first person in god knows how long to treat me like a person. I want to help you." A smile developed on her face: "Consider it an advanced payment. I'll help you out in exchange for the help you give me."

"… Are you certain?" Kabuto asked, his eyes narrowing: "The assignment I am working on is not for the faint of heart."

"If you're asking if I am willing to kill or something, I am more than willing." Isaribi replied, her smile twisting into a smirk somewhat: "I've come to realize that most humans are judgmental creatures who are far too cruel to people who are 'different'. I'd have no qualms killing whoever as long as there is a purpose."

Kabuto was silent for a moment as he eyed Isaribi. He could tell she was telling the truth. Even if he was not the expert in deception that he considered himself to be, Isaribi was a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve. He could tell she was rather poor at being deceptive; what she said was what she meant. In her eyes, he could see a determined young woman who was willing to do anything to pay back a debt. He could also see the same look that she had when she rushed at him to attack him in Amachi's laboratory.

'She definitely could help in some way… Plus I'm certain she would agree with Akatsuki's endgame goal… Plus, superficially speaking, maybe I will get the chance to do some more experimentation on her. In addition to helping her, I can get access to her Kaima Form and incorporate it into my DNA…' Kabuto nodded his head as he held out his hand: "Very well, then. You can accompany me back to Kumogakure. You and I have a deal."

Her twisted smirk turned back into a gentle smile as she took his head: "You won't regret this, I promise."


"Urgh… Rin…" 'Tobi' grumbled as he stirred from his rest.

The Uchiha turned his head around, taking note of the cave he was staying in. He pulled himself off the ground, up from the makeshift bed he had created, just in time to see Zetsu rise-up from the ground in front of him.

"You alright, Boss?" 'White Zetsu' asked.

"As 'alright' as I can be." He said, rubbing his head slightly: "Damn that Itachi…"

He knew that Itachi would be an annoying opponent to fight; that was why he had brought Kisame in the first place. He was not prepared for his fellow clansman to actually land the Tsukuyomi on him, however!

'Damn memories. Rin… Kakashi…' Obito bit down on his lip, pushing those thoughts aside for a moment as he focused on Zetsu: "How long have I been out? Where's Kisame?"

"You don't remember much, do you? You went to sleep shortly after getting back here." 'Black Zetsu' spoke. "Kisame is outside, training."

Obito's eyes narrowed for a moment: "Did Kisame mention anything about me after I knocked out?"

"No." 'Zetsu shook its head. 'White Zetsu' then started to speak: "He just talked about you getting knocked out by Itachi's Tsukuyomi and how you needed to rest. He mentioned also being annoyed that the Hokage showed up. He really wanted to kill the other two opponents you were facing."

'So, he didn't hear them say my real name. Either that, or it didn't register in his mind.' Obito sighed in relief for a moment. He shook his head for a moment as he crossed his arms: "We'll need to arrange a meeting soon. We'll need to change-up our plan slightly."

"Is it still wise to even go through with it?" 'Black Zetsu' asked. "If it's been compromised-"

"We're behind schedule!" Obito shook his head, his hands tightening into fists: "We need to get the nine bijū already so we can form the Ten-Tails and initiate the Infinite Tsukuyomi! And…" An image of Rin's face appeared in his mind once more. He shook his head. 'Goddamn you, Itachi, for making me hear her voice like that once more… for making me see her again like that…' He grit his teeth for a second before finally speaking again: "No, we've wasted way too long as is. We need to move on with the next stage of our plan now. We'll rush collecting the remaining jinchūriki, starting with the four we know are going to be here!"

"Whatever you say, Boss!" 'White Zetsu' stated. 'Black Zetsu' nodded his head. "We'll communicate with the rest of the members to get ready for a meeting."

With those words, Zetsu sunk back into the earth, leaving Obito alone. The Uchiha took in a deep breath as his hands went to his mask once more, running alongside the spirals on it.

'Nothing has changed. We will capture all jinchūriki and continue with the plan. We will get back on schedule.' He told himself.


As the sun rose over Kumo for another day, Tsunade finished her preparations for the operating room in Kumogakure's Hospital. She then made a hand gesture towards Shizune, who nodded her head and walked out of the room.

A minute later, Shizune returned with Sasuke, wearing a patient's gown, following right behind her. Sasuke walked over to the operating table and laid down on the table.

"I assume you are ready." She told him.

"Yes." Sasuke nodded his head, his eyes narrowing.

Sasuke had been ready the moment he heard about the surgery from Kakashi. He immediately made the arrangements with Jiraiya and Tsunade and could not sleep, thinking about it.

"Giving heads-up; this will hurt." Tsunade noted. "And it'll take you a little bit of time to become accustomed to them."

"I'm aware. I don't care." Sasuke shook his head: "Let's do this."

Tsunade nodded her head. As she took a step closer to Sasuke, the Uchiha thought of his brother one more time as he shook his head.

'Itachi… I will use these eyes and do all that I can to get revenge for you.' Sasuke told himself.

With those thoughts on his mind, Sasuke was put under as Tsunade began the surgery to transfer his eyes for Itachi's.


Quick Notes:

1: Isaribi's Kaima Form being active all the time in a much-more advanced way than it was in the Kaima Filler Arc is the result of just more time and more experiments having been done to her. I think it seems like a natural progression since, in her arc, she already had scales that she could not simply get rid of. More experimentation and 'time' are also the justifications I am using for her to come across stronger than she probably appeared to be in the filler arc. Namely cause I feel like the concept of the Kaima Form had a lot of potential than was allowed to be shown in a five episode filler arc in Part 1. So... yeah. That's all :P

2: ... Well not all. I wanted to explain something about Isaribi, and it's namely that I've been looking forward to including her in this story. The idea for a use for her came to me during my year-long hiatus in 2017, which is a shame because if I had thought about her earlier, I would have been able to include her since the beginning of Shippuden! But no, I missed my one easy window to introduce her earlier into the story, and then it got harder and harder with Kabuto doing more errands... suppose I could have done something prior to the Kumo Invasion, but meh, this felt like the easiest time.

I'm getting distracted from the point i'm trying to make: filler characters like Isaribi and Yakumo. I find them VERY underused in Naruto fanfiction. Obviously so, since some writers don't bother with any of the filler at all. But usually when I see characters like them featured in stories, I usually see them in contexts that relate to Naruto Uzumaki. As in, they're usually there to be harem add-ons (cause yeah, it's always the girl filler characters), but occasionally they're there to just follow through the same shit they went through in their filler arc with no changes whatsoever. And that's... well, that's boring. I wanted to explore a little 'darker' twist and show off some of what these characters are capable of and different niches they could fit into a fanfic-verse. I'm very excited to explore her character (and Yakumo's, as I also mentioned) and just give a characterization I usually don't see of them. ... Which to some degree, is just a characterization at all!

... Seriously, I should rant about on my actual profile... HEY! PERSON WHO IS STORYBOARDING THEIR FANFIC RIGHT NOW! YES YOU! INCLUDE SOME OF THE FILLER CHARACTERS AND DO SOMETHING INTERESTING WITH THEM!


Author's Note: Hey! Chapter 118 is done! :) I feel like this chapter near the end came out rushed, so I'd really like to hear if it did. A part of my brain really just wants to get this and the next chapter out of the way so I CAN FINALLY GET TO THE KUMO EXAMS ROUND THREE HOLY SHIT!

Yeah, that's a thing. 119 is going to be the last chapter before the Third Round starts. Meaning shit is about to get real and I am s about it! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

... Yeah. That's mostly all I have to say right now! I still feel kinda rusty getting back to writing after getting out of a major depressive episode at the end of 2020, but I'm glad to be stretching my writing muscles and my brain and I'm glad that, at the very least, progress is being made! :)

Anyway... hope all of you are doing well. And still hoping that 2021 is a kickass year for all of us! Not much else to say, but I am working on chapter 119 ASAP and will hopefully have it for you soon! I'll see you all when it's ready. Until then :)