Chapter 57
Tanned fingers slowly removed the bandages, careful of the red hair. Honey brown eyes were focused on her patient even as the last bandages fell away.
"Hold still." The Senju murmured as her green glowing hands hovered over Nagato's eyes once more. "Just a final check before you open them."
"Hai." The Uzumaki held still as he felt her chakra moving within him.
"Hm." Tsunade mused aloud, recalling her chakra. "Everything seems to have healed properly. Lower your head and place a hand over your eyes. When you are ready, open them in the darkness of your hands before slowly pulling them away. When you are ready again, you may remove them completely but at your own pace."
Nagato followed the Medic's instructions word for word. What felt like minutes was only moments. Soon he was looking up into the honey brown eyes of Senju Tsunade. It felt odd not being able to see her chakra, yet everything was still so clear.
Tsunade was just in awe of familiar but not familiar blue eyes looking at her through another face. She could still clearly remember the conversation she'd had with Minashi weeks ago.
Tsunade blinked rapidly at what she'd just heard from the tiny form of her cousin/ best friend.
"You want me to do what?"
"Remove both my eyes and store them away. Speaking of which, we'll need a special fluid to hold them. I know what ingredients you'll need since I watched you and your apprentice make it before."
Tsunade just narrowed her eyes and flared her chakra angrily. Minashi twitched and looked to the Medic standing before her in the hospital bed.
"You are still recovering from already donating your left eye to the Hatake brat only days ago,-"
"Kakashi-"
"I know his name, don't interrupt me." The elder blonde growled. Minashi's mouth snapped shut.
"Now you want me to remove both of them? Why?"
Minashi looked at Tsunade dryly. "Done?"
"Answer me."
"We will need a pair of eyes in the future. We will need a pair of Compatible eyes in the future. Mine are the closest things. You can lie to everyone else and say an organ donor from the war gave them up."
"Again...Why? Or should I be asking who?"
"An Uzumaki will be needing my eyes. I will be safe guarding his old ones."
Tsunade just continued to stare at the teenage blonde before her. "You aren't going to tell me more, are you?"
"No. Regrowing an eye for Kakashi sparked an option and idea for something that we will be dealing with in the near future. This is a better solution then anything else I'd been able to come up with. My team has a few days off anyways. I can have shadow clones and Blood Clones running around for me so I can heal without anyone knowing I'm recovering from eye surgery again."
Tsunade let out a long sigh and sat in the stool beside the Uzumaki's bed. Today was supposed to be her discharge day. Instead, it seemed she would be keeping this room a bit longer.
"They won't be Bijuu eyes again right?"
"No. That was my gift to Kakashi, Kyuubi enhanced vision."
"And this other Uzumaki?"
"Will benefit from my own good eyesight. It's not Kyuubi vision or Sharingan, but it's pretty damn good."
Tsunade's eyes rolled to the ceiling. "Fine. How long will it take for you to regrow your eyes?"
"Kurama pushed it back in Kusa because of what we were being chased by. It hurt like a mother fucker too." The smaller blonde began to ramble.
"Minashi-" Tsunade growled out impatient.
"Not rushed? A day, maybe two, to not chakra exhaust ourselves. Kurama needs time and focus."
"Fine, but I'm going to be monitoring their growth this time. I've already had to fix a few things that did not grow back properly in your left eye."
Minashi was silent but her lip was twitching.
"What?" The Senju huffed.
"Kurama says to get off his back. We were in the middle of fleeing for our lives with three baby ninja all with injuries. He did what he could."
Tsunade felt her body relax with the fondly spoken words, even if the Fox didn't mean it to come out that way. Minashi was just looking so peaceful at what he must have also told her.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." The Senju waved off. "Alright, I'll go have my schedule cleared. You in the meantime get that solution ingredients written down."
"Hai." Minashi nodded and Tsunade left to plan for voluntary eye surgery. She wondered if the Fox would also be able to change the blue pigmentation of Minashi's eyes before they were removed...or if they could work together doing it. There was no need to keep them the same blue and let the secret out of the bag.
Tsunade looked at blue eyes that were similar to Minashi's own. Yet, instead of the clear cerulean that she and Minato were known for, these had been darkened to a mix of Cobalt with flecks of the lighter cerulean.
"Okay, they look like they've healed properly. How do they feel to you?"
The Uzumaki's new eyes scanned all over Tsunade's face before moving to the medic tent the Senju had made into a mini hospital. Not like anyone would tell the Legendary Medic 'no' when she took over their own medical tent.
"Different," Nagato admitted "but almost natural. Is that strange?"
"Considering the donor, no." Tsunade mumbled in whisper to herself. Nagato looked at her strangely after reading her lips. "Normally yes, but the solution and work I did to the eyes, no. I already expected they would feel natural; that was the goal. The only thing you will have to get used to is not sending chakra to them like you would the Rinnegan."
"I rarely did to start with. Only when in untrusting company."
Tsunade shook her head negative. "Incorrect, the Rinnegan requires Chakra just to have them at all. Feel your chakra. There should be a noticeable difference in your supply level now."
Startled at the news, Nagato did as instructed. Closing his new eyes, he focused inward to where his reserves always warmly sat. He sucked in a startled breath when he saw how much larger his reserves were. Snapping his eyes open he met the Senju's knowing ones.
"Uzumaki's are legendary for their massive reserves. Even as only a quarter Uzumaki myself, I had the largest reserves of the Senju clan along with all of my aunts, uncles, and their children. The rest of the Senju clan still had larger than standard reserves, but nothing compared to my immediate family."
"Will this affect my Control?" The redhead worried. Their 'meeting' with Hanzo was only two weeks away.
"I'm not quite sure. Chakra Control and Uzumaki do not belong in the same sentence." Tsunade teased in good humor. Nagato pouted up at her, he's always prided himself on having better control than Yahiko.
"I guess I know what I'll be doing for the next two weeks then." He sighed, standing from the exam table.
"Then I suggest talking to Kushina or Kitsune. Both are well versed in practicing Chakra Control for their larger reserves."
Nagato nodded before pausing and frowning as a memory of two days ago filled his head. "You...Orochimaru-san, and Sensei were not shocked by my reaction to what I was shown by Kitsune." He implied watching her.
Tsunade just stared. "Kitsune will build her allies as she needs them. We three are some of those allies."
"Does Kushina-san and Namikaze-san know?"
"No." The Senju glanced at the privacy barrier, knowing it was there on the inside of the tent, but still double checking. "They are too close to her."
"I saw Namikaze. He was helping his Son and Daughter with the Kyuubi." He said softly.
"Yes, and that is why he will never know of her origins if she has anything to say about it. You would also be wise to keep it from getting out. She is protecting them by keeping them in the dark."
Nagato nodded. "I understand."
"Good, now get out of here. I need to see to some of your shinobi who have been stupid in their preparations for Hanzo."
The redhead nodded and quickly left the Medic's tent. Everyone of the rebellion had learned in only two days to have a respectful fear of the Legendary Medic.
Two sets of feline slit violet eyes stared at each other from across the clearing. Slowly, like circling predators, they moved in a way to never remove their eyes off their respective targets. Kitsune's clawed fingers twitched. Kushina's own clawed fingers responded in a similar twitch.
With an unspoken signal, both Kunoichi launched forward. Kushina made the first swipe, fingers together and claw like nails acting like a sharp knife of their own. Kitsune, with ease of decades practice, blocked the swipe and made a jab with her own knife like claws. The Uzumaki blocked with her second hand, Kitsune dropped and swept the ground, Kushina leapt over the elder Sage. But Kitsune had already bent back, avoiding the second round of swipes the Uzumaki made mid-air. Falling into a bridge, Kitsune kicked off the ground and shot her feet at the younger Sage, knocking her back. Twisting with her landing, the elder sage waited in a crouch for half a second to launch at the redhead who'd recovered from her stumble. Their spar continued as Kushina tried again and again to get even a hit on her senpai. Claws came within millimeters of skin, kicks just barely missed heads or body parts, blocks diverted what couldn't be dodged completely.
"They're really going at it." Yahiko murmured to his companion. Brown eyes met the cerulean blue of the Yellow Flash.
"Kushina is still technically her student in the Sage Arts." the Namikaze shrugged. "Just as even though I'm a full sage, I will always be a student of Jiraiya's in the Art."
The young leader hummed and looked around to the rest of the Shinobi and Kunoichi watching the spar. It had already been a few days since Nagato's eyes had been healed. The Rebellion leader could already see the benefit of having the six sages aiding his comrades. Morales were so high because of them.
Tsunade had been training medics and healing their injured. Jiraiya had been spying on Hanzo with Orochimaru and bringing in even more data than any of their own infiltrators could. They were even going the extra miles to teach the Rebellion shinobi a few things on spying.
Then there was Namikaze, Uzumaki, and Kitsune. All three had been working on training all of the shinobi. Physical training, Ninjutsu training, taijutsu training, and weaponry.
When their students were exhausted they would then do this little display. Yahiko's own eyes could barely keep up with how fast the two Sage Kunoichi were moving.
All of a sudden, a hand gripped his shirt and he felt a rush of vertigo. Stumbling, Yahiko looked to his companion to see Minato looking back to where they had been. The Orange haired man followed his gaze and blinked at the sight of Kushina-san in a trench like grove. As the redhead stood up, Murder was in her eyes.
Seven Golden Chains appeared from her back. Yahiko's eyes widened.
"Oh? She's gotten serious." Minato drawled, completely used to these types of spars between Kushina and her close friends.
"Those are the Adamantine Chains Uzumaki-san spoke of?"
"Hai~" Minato chuckled as Kushina rushed forward, Katana and chains blazing. Kitsune had already pulled out her own Katana and was dancing around the chains all while defending against Kushina. Minato could tell that the Ravenette was only 'winning' because Kushina had lost her Sage mode. Enabling Kitsune to have the upper hand in speed.
"How much longer will they go on for?" Konan asked, joining them. "They started before I joined Senju-sama's lessons two hours ago."
"They're Uzumakis." Minato and Yahiko answered in tandem. It had been the same question the younger asked, and the elder Shinobi answered with an hour ago.
"So?" Konan prompted.
Yahiko shrugged and looked to the Blonde standing beside him.
"Are they needed for something?" Minato questioned back.
"Well, sensei and Orochimaru-sama are due back from their latest trip into the village any minute now."
Minato nodded and went completely still with eyes shut. Yahiko and Konan shared questioning looks.
A few minutes later Minato's eyelids turned orange and snapped open to reveal golden toad-like eyes.
"Sensei and Orochimaru-san are ten minutes out. I'll stop the spar." Just as the blonde finished his last word, he was already gone.
Quickly the two Ame-nin snapped their gazes where the two Kunoichi had been battling. There in between the two katana wielding kunoichi, was the yellow flash. Tri-prong kunais holding both swords back.
They saw his lips moving as he talked to the kunoichi. They saw the two women glance at each other. Yahiko and Konan both expected the sparring women to back off. What they didn't expect was for them to grin practically in unison. Minato saw the grins and let out a sigh.
A golden chain shot for his waist, while Kitsune spun with so much speed, she was just a blur. Her kick went for his head.
"Troublesome women." Minato muttered appearing off to the side of the sparring ring where he'd thrown a kunai. "Come on!" he hissed when he felt more of his girlfriend's chains chasing him from underground and above. Kitsune didn't let him get far. Even without her version of the Hiraishin, she could almost match him for speed without it when she was in Sage mode. Dodging Chains, two katanas from both respective kunoichi, the blonde had to also dodge when Kitsune decided to pull out a tanto from one of her many hidden seals. Both the Namikaze's hands were busy dodging the weapons and chains.
Minato's breathing rapidly became ragged as he had to dodge more and more with the Hiraishin. Kushina and Kitsune had moved from attaching him individually, to attacking him in unspoken planned assaults. It was fucking annoying.
Yet calm settled over his mind with ease. Focused Golden eyes continued to analyze their fighting even as he defended, dodged, and deflected. He kept at his top speed, he kept light on his feet, he held strong when blocking Kitsune's heavy swings. His remaining Senjutsu strengthened his body, and quickened his reactions. All he had to do was find a hole in their teamwork attacks and then he could- THERE! He threw his kunai and moved just as it reached Kitsune's neck. Appearing with it against her skin, he was prepared for victory. Well, until something wrapped around his ankle and yanked him to his stomach. He'd even tried to Hiraishin away as soon as he'd felt it touch him. But his jutsu had failed him.
Blinking, face down in the dirt, the stunned blonde just laid there a moment. His mind moved rapidly through the fight. Where had he gone wrong? He'd kept an eye on all seven of those annoying chains. He'd kept an eye on Kushina herself. He'd been able to hold Kitsune back. He didn't know where he went wrong.
Letting out a long sigh, he shifted and rested his chin on his palm, elbow in the ground. With a slightly peeved pout, he spotted the two Kunoichi smirking at him.
"Alright, how'd you do it? Even Shikaku can't catch me yet."
Kushina, his lovely and beautiful girlfriend just smiled and gave him the peace sign. Raising a brow he looked her over again before looking at his ankle. There was the chain he could still feel. Looking back to his girl, he eyed her again, but closer.
There wasn't nothing that he hadn't already accounted for since their last spaaarr…..The blonde's mind trailed off when that sneaky woman lifted her right foot and with it he felt his body slide as the chain appeared from the ground under her foot.
The blonde blinked once...twice...looked between the Eighth chain his girlfriend could make and to his ankle again.
"Well shit." He grunted. "When did you get that? And how long have you been able to send them out of other parts of your body?"
"Last year, and figured it out six months ago when I was thinking of a way to trap Kitsune-senpai. She does a lot of aerial stunts, so I needed a way to catch her in those few seconds she's on the ground."
"Got it. Now, why can't I use my chakra?"
"Sealing Chains love." Kushina smirked. "Kitsune-senpai helped me create a seal to place on my skin. Wherever that seal is, if I make a chain pass through it, the seal will stick to it like an extension of the Seal."
"Your imouto has been coming to me for advice on her Fuuin-taijutsu. It was a theory we talked about but failed for the Taijutsu, but worked well enough for Kushina's chains." Kitsune added with twinkling eyes.
The blonde huffed and shook his head fondly at his Girlfriend. "Well, i'd say it works. Now, can you let me go?"
Kushina's grin just grew. "Oh...I don't know. I've never caught you in my chains before Mi~na~to~, Are you sure you don't want to see what else I can do with them?"
Minato used every last piece of his ANBU training, his war face, and pride of a man's composure, to NOT turn as red as his girlfriend's hair. He's been teased for years, he was immune to the teasing damn it.
"Kushina does have excellent control over all eight of them." Kitsune added smirking like the Vixen she was. "She's even told me of how pretty her golden chains would look against your Golden Skin Minato-kun."
Minato bit the inside of his cheeks. He was Ex-ANBU Captain, he led many missions and battles during the Third War. He survived having Konoha's Super Pervert as a sensei.
He. Would. Not. Brea-
"Or would you prefer to see Kushina all wrapped up in her own chains?" Kitsune teased, pulling said kunoichi against her own body. One hand around her throat in a gentle hold, the other pulling a chain around her waist. Kushina topped it off with that sultry look she'd always give him when she would climb into his lap naked.
Namikaze Minato's brain broke. Cerulean eyes glazed over. A trickle of blood dripped from his nose.
Kushina and Kitsune burst out laughing, the former inadvertently releasing her boyfriend from the sealing chain. That freedom was all Minato needed. Mind completely ignoring the fact that he needed to debrief his sensei, he only had one thing on his mind. He molded the needed chakra, latched onto Kushina's seal, and then pulled them both to the seal in their tent.
Abruptly Kitsune was alone with the lingering crowd. Blue eyes looked to where the blonde once was to see him gone. The Kunoichi smirked, impressed.
"Uhh…." Yahiko called from the sidelines. "Where did they go?" He asked while trying to discreetly wipe the last smudges of blood from beneath his nose. The Rebellion leader was also keeping his eyes from straying down where his crush and best friend was standing. He chose the Fox Sage to focus on, yet that wasn't much better with the knowing smirk on her face.
"Some place private obviously." Konan answered, shocking Yahiko and startling a laugh out of Kitsune.
"True!" The remaining Sage laughed as she walked to them. "So Jiraiya and Orochimaru are closing in quickly." She glanced at Konan. "Did Tsunade say anything about joining us for their debrief?"
"No, she said she has another class to teach."
The elder Kunoichi nodded. "Then let's head to the office. Jiraiya and Orochimaru can meet us there. They'll fill her in and I'll fill in Kushina and Minato later. Where is Nagato?"
"Training his control." Yahiko sighed as he walked beside Kitsune towards the cave that was their Main office and War room. "He's determined to get it back to where it used to be. The Rinnegan's drainage had actually helped him control the smaller portion of chakra he had. Now with access to it all, he's having trouble controlling it all."
"Uzumaki's biggest battle is always chakra control. Has he gone to Kushina for help yet?"
Yahiko went quiet.
"Nagato is unsure how to talk to Kushina." Konan whispered from the orange haired shinobi's other side. "She knows him, but he feels guilty for not being able to remember her."
The Raven groaned. "Really? He was a baby!"
"But she's family. Supposedly close family, and he can't even remember her. We're orphans and we always dreamed of having family out there." Yahiko said eyes aimed towards where he knew his best friend was training.
"Every Orphan dreams of family." Kitsune hummed in complete understanding. "I'm aware. I'm an Orphan myself."
The two younger shinobi barely paused in their steps, but it was enough for Kitsune to enter the barrier of the office first. They quickly followed.
"You're an orphan too?" Yahiko repeated. Blue eyes looked up from the conference table.
"Yes, My parents died the day I was born. They were protecting myself and my twin brother and our small village."
Yahiko stared at her silently for a few minutes, even as Konan helped her organize the table for their next meeting.
"Who?" The orange haired man asked minutes later.
"Doesn't matter." Kitsune responded back.
"Yes it does."
Konan stopped when she realized Kitsune had also paused in her sorting of their intel notes. Sharp cerulean eyes looked into brown eyes filled with old pain.
"Why did you let Konoha help you?" Kitsune asked.
"Because as much as Nagato, Konan, and I do not like it, You are the strongest Nation. We need your help. When sensei arrived we knew it was just because of his own guilt that you all were helping." Yahiko stated, not holding anything back. He needed to know who this woman really was...what type of shinobi she was….how could she continue to fight for so long and get so strong.
Additionally, the Young leader knew that the Konoha Shinobi were doing good for their people, he still couldn't understand WHY they were sharing their knowledge so easily with the rebellion shinobi. It doesn't mean that his old anger at the Konoha nin that killed his family, Konan's own, and Nagato's right in front of him, went away. If this kunoichi before him held the same past pain...How did she deal with it? How can she still smile?
Kitsune took a breath and let it out. Looking down at the notes from Jiraiya and Orochimaru's previous runs into the village, the Kunoichi gathered her thoughts.
"Hatred only breeds more Hatred." Kitsune answered. "I watched my best friend walk down the path of an avenger. I watched how it drove him insane as the darkness consumed his heart. Even after killing the man that killed his family, he only felt hollow. When I finally met the man that killed my parents, I could see that he had been walking a similar path. How could I hate a man that was already drowning? I tried to talk to him instead."
Kitsune felt Jiraiya and Orochimaru joining them in the sealed office.
"Did it work?" Konan asked softly.
"No… I didn't have enough time. The man he considered a best friend and prior teammate ended up killing him first." Kitsune said looking down. "He came to me when things had settled down. This man, that thought his best friend dead, had killed their sensei, my parents, and done so much more damage to our friends. He'd finally killed him, but he felt so hollow. Something broke in him that I could never repair." Kitsune trailed off. "Not that I was much help. The same man had killed my brother. I was mourning for his loss to care that his murderer was dead."
Silence encompassed the room. Kitsune let out a sigh and grabbed a seat. "I think if I had had enough time, i could have reminded him that hatred and revenge would always be weak to the bonds people created with their precious people. He could have been spared and my mate wouldn't have had to kill a man he once loved like a brother."
"Before we had faced that man, my brother and I fought a man that believed everyone should feel their pain. He tried to kill everyone in our rebuilt village. He injured many. He almost killed my lover and my brother's lover. We were so…. Angry." Kitsune trailed off. "We were finally able to confront him. Another enemy that had hurt and killed some of our friends. We wanted to kill him. Then we remembered where that path of hatred led. Nothing but insanity and dark loneliness."
"What did you do?" Yahiko asked so softly it was barely heard. Not even Orochimaru and Jiraiya would dare interrupt the time traveler. They were just as enraptured as the two younger nin.
"We forgave him." Kitsune looked at the younger leader. "Hatred only breeds more hatred. The cycle of hatred is stubborn and hard to break. I've been trying all my life to find a solution. I carry my brother's Will and Determination to break it. I share that desire with all who I believe strong enough to aid me. All I know is the first step to breaking the cycle is to forgive. The second thing I've learned is to never give up. The third will happen on it's own; sharing the desire to end the cycle."
Pregnant silence gripped the room as Kitsune and Yahiko held gazes.
"What will you do Yahiko?" Jiraiya asked.
The orange haired youth glanced at his Sensei, he could see the same desires and strengths that kitsune talked about. His own sensei wanted to break the cycle. He briefly remembered the Toad Sage teaching them about the cycle, but it had been so long ago. Was he really strong enough to stand against Hatred?
The Rebellion leader was startled when a small soft hand touched his own, helping it to unclench.
"You are not alone." Konan whispered. "Whatever you decide, you know Nagato and I will both follow you. You are our family."
Brown held beautiful sunset orange eyes. Looking down at their clasped hands, he squeezed her smaller one, confirming that it was really there. Konan's face didn't reveal anything, but when her hand returned the squeeze, Yahiko saw her eyes soften.
"We are students of the Toad Sage." Yahiko announced. "We are Allies with Konoha. We will continue on this path we have chosen because this path leads to peace and forgiveness."
When the Orange haired Shinobi looked up, there was a Leader looking back at the Three Sages.
"We will stand with our sensei's teachings, our Allies beliefs, and fight to break the Cycle of Hatred. We will stand together to protect what is most precious to us and free our people."
Kitsune smirked proud of the Young Leader before them. "Now," She said with excitement clear in her voice and face "You are strong enough to face Hanzo and win."
Yahiko's eyes widened before he grinned predatorily. "Hai!"
Violet eyes narrowed on the young man that had been avoiding her. She watched as Nagato tried once more to walk across the pool of water someone had made. The younger Uzumaki made it about four steps before he sunk to his waist.
"You're rushing it." Kushina called out, startling the young man. Nagato flailed and landed on his bottom, splashing himself all over again. Wet red hair covered his face but it didn't cover up the blush that was rising up his face. Kushina gave a small fond smile before making her way over to him, and even onto the water. Crouching down she held out a hand for her baby cousin. Wide blue eyes looked up at her startled.
"Ready for some help?"
She was a little worried when he didn't respond. Kushina was about to ask if he was alright when he bowed his head almost to the top of the water.
"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed.
Violet eyes blinked startled as a nervous chuckle left her. "Sorry? What is there to be sorry about-"
"I don't remember you. I-i've been trying! I've been looking through all my memories, but i can't...I can't remember anything before Ame."
Kushina's entire form relaxed. With gentle hands she helped her baby cousin up to his feet and then up onto the surface of the water. Her own chakra guiding his own to stay on the water's surface; the same way she'd been taught and the same way she'd taught her Imouto.
"I'm not expecting you to Nagato-kun." Kushina whispered. "I've talked to Minato and Kitsune-sama. They both believe that Madara would have wiped your memories of anything but your parents names and faces to keep his existence a secret. So i wasn't expecting you to remember. Plus, you were just a baby."
Keeping those new blue eyes on her own violet, Kushina slowly recalled her own chakra and let Nagato's take its place as they walked in a slow circle.
"I will accept your apology for the fact that you have been avoiding me since finding out." She eyed him with a little repremaning tone in her voice.
He flinched but nodded. "I...Just didn't know how to talk to you."
"Hm, well, how about once you finish water walking we spar instead. I've learned you can learn much about people in a spar." She grinned.
"But my control is still horrible." He mumbled.
"Is it?" Kushina smiled and pointed down. Blue eyes snapped down to see that he was indeed in the middle of the small pond. He looked up at his beaming cousin and couldn't help laugh as he gave a matching grin. "Now, let's spar!" Kushina rushed for him. Nagato ducked with a startled yelp before laughing and getting into the spar eagerly.