Author's Note: I hope you all guys had a Merry Christmas. Enjoy the last chapter of 2018:
Chapter 66:
Cats and Foxes, Part I
or
Old Quarrels, New Disputes
…
It was a sunny morning in Konoha. Most people, both ninjas and civilians, were now flooding the streets as they headed towards their day jobs. Jiraiya, however, had been almost an hour in his office. Not working, mind you; working on his next novel. He used the clones for that.
Three days had passed since Kurenai and Asuma's wedding. The morning after the wedding, the newlywed couple left for their honeymoon to a resort in the Land of Hot Springs, the same one Jiraiya and Tsunade had gone for their own honeymoon many years ago. Going by Jiraiya's own experiences with the place, he knew Asuma and Kurenai would have a great time.
They weren't the only ones who left that morning. The Assault and Animal Squads, as well as Fu, returned to Takigakure to help finish the reconstruction efforts. According to the reports, they wouldn't take more than two weeks until they were done. Naruto had faith that nothing terrible would happen while he and his friends were away. And until that point, Jiraiya was sharing his adopted son's optimism.
Somebody knocked at the door.
"Oh come on, I wasn't supposed to have any meetings until ten!" Jiraiya groaned as he quickly hid the draft of his next novel. "Who's there?"
"It's me, Jiraiya. We have an urgent message from Kumo addressed to you," Jiraiya immediately recognized the voice of his sensei and predecessor.
That got Jiraiya's attention. Messages from Kumo were hardly good news. What would the Raikage want now? "Come in! Bring that message!"
Sarutobi entered the office and handed Jiraiya a scroll with Kumo's seal on it. Unfurling the scroll, the white haired Hokage read its contents, and the more he read, the more his face paled. He furled the scroll again and slammed it against the table.
"It is bad?" Hiruzen asked, with a bit of worry in his voice.
"ANBU!" Jiraiya yelled. Four ANBU wearing different animal masks suddenly appeared before him. "Bring Shizune's Medical Squad here, now!" he barked. "Bring me Rin Nohara as well!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" the ANBU said, aware of the urgency of the situation, vanishing in an instant.
"I take it is bad," the Hokage-turned-advisor concluded. "Let's hope it's not a repeat of the Hyuga Affair..."
"Not exactly the same, but it can be even worse," Jiraiya said, and to prove his point, he handed the message to Hiruzen.
After reading it, the former Hokage echoed his student's reaction. "This isn't bad... but catastrophic..."
Jiraiya slumped into his chair, and let out a tired sigh. "Of all the times for Naruto not to be in the village..."
…
A few minutes later, Shizune and her three students stood in front of the Hokage and Sarutobi. According to the ANBU, they were at their usual training spot, ready to begin their morning routine.
"Thank goodness they were in the village, or else it would have been a catastrophe," Jiraiya thought. Even if it would have preferred Naruto, the Medical Squad would work as well. Hell, it could work even better. "Good morning to you four. Sorry for calling you with such haste, but there's an emergency. Konoha has to undertake a mission that only you four can accomplish."
"What is it, Hokage-sama?" Shizune asked.
"You see, a few minutes ago we received a message from Kumogakure," Jiraiya said, as he handed the message to Shizune. As the young Jounin read it, Jiraiya continued talking. "The message says that a Kumo border outpost and a nearby village have been attacked and destroyed. The few survivors claim it was the Nine Tails who did it."
"What? That's stupid! The Nine Tails is sealed inside Naruto-niisan!" Karin protested. "And he doesn't know how to control his power to its fullest."
"And even if he was, Naruto has been in Takigakure for the past days! If that wasn't the case, Kakashi-sensei would have send a message," Sakura added.
"What you said is true. However, we're contemplating another possibility. Sensei, why don't you tell them?" Jiraiya said, as both his and everybody else's eyes rested on the old man.
Hiruzen cleared his throat before speaking. "You see, I was there when Minato sealed the Nine Tails inside his son. I was unable to help, or even see it closer due the barrier erected by Kushina prior their deaths. Something I and a few others saw, and what most people don't know, is that Minato only sealed half the Kyuubi inside his son."
There was a collective gasp. Those present opened their mouths to ask questions, but Jiraiya raised a hand, and wordlessly ordered them to remain silent and let Hiruzen finish his tale.
"You see, I presume he did it because Naruto was a newborn baby, and he wouldn't be able to contain the whole fox himself. So using the Reaper Death Seal, he sealed half of the Nine Tails' chakra within himself, before sealing the other half within Naruto," Hiruzen said.
"But... if that's true, then the Nine Tails' other half should be within the Reaper's stomach, right? If I remember correctly, that's how that jutsu works, right?" Sasuke asked.
Both Jiraiya and Hiruzen nodded.
"Then there's no way the other half of the beast should have been able to escape the Reaper," Shizune said.
"Again, that's true. But remember that almost three years ago, when Orochimaru attacked Konoha, he used Impure World Resurrection to bring Minato back to life as an undead puppet," Hiruzen replied. "Such thing wouldn't have been possible since his soul wouldn't be accessible. Yet he somehow managed to bypass that."
"And by doing so, he also rescued the other half of the Kyuubi's chakra, since it was bound to Minato's soul," Jiraiya continued.
"But you told me that you defeated the reanimated Minato, right?" Shizune asked.
"Yes. And by doing so, his soul returned to the afterlife, where it belongs," Jiraiya said.
"But...the Nine Tails, like every other Tailed Beast, it's immortal," Sakura said in realization. "And even if you manage to destroy one, they will simply be reborn again."
"Yes," Jiraiya confirmed.
"So, the Nine Tails' other half has been resurrected, and decided to attack the Land of Lightning?" Karin asked.
"Here's the thing. If it happened as you suggested, the ninjas in the border outpost would have seen the beast coming. But according to the few witnesses, the Nine Tails suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and attacked without warning," Jiraiya said.
"Which is exactly what happened when the Nine Tails attacked Konoha sixteen years ago," Hiruzen revealed. "This led us to believe that somebody had put the Nine Tails under their control and used it to destroy Konoha, which we later found was Obito Uchiha, believed to be dead back then."
"Wait, if Akatsuki got their hands on the Nine Tails, why did they use it to attack Kumo? Why don't they seal it with the others?" Shizune asked.
"We don't know. My guess is that they want to lure Naruto out into the open with it, so they can have both halves," Jiraiya said.
"If that was the case, why attack the Land of Lightning? Why not the Land of Fire?" Sakura asked.
"The Land of Lightning is hostile territory. We might not be at war, but we aren't friends nor allies either," Hiruzen pointed out.
"Clever bastards," Sasuke grumbled.
"Yes. We do suspect that this might a trap from either Akatsuki or Kumo –do not rule out such possibility– so Jiraiya and I decided not to recall Naruto for the time being," Hiruzen said.
"Still, given what we know, we can't afford to just hope it's a trap and that the Kyuubi's other half isn't roaming the world free. That's why I gathered your team. Sasuke, with your Mangekyou Sharingan, you'll be able to subdue the beast and put it under your control. Karin's Chakra Chains can be of help as well. Once you rendered it docile, Shizune will seal it. The best solution would be to bring the Fox to Konoha and seal it inside Naruto as well, but having a Tailed Beast released like that, even under Sasuke's mind control, would be too risky so you'll have to seal it immediately," Jiraiya explained, as his eyes rested on Karin.
The redhead was starting to feel uncomfortable. Not only Jiraiya, but Hiruzen also has his eyes fixed on her, looking at her with a mix of pity and fear. "Um...Hokage-sama? Sarutobi-sama? Why are you looking at me like that? You're not planning to-"
"Karin, the Nine Tails is a special kind of beast. Its chakra it's too intense, and the host needs to have a special kind of chakra powerful enough to contain it without letting the fox harm its host. So far, only the Uzumaki Clan fit those criteria," Hiruzen said, his eyes reflecting sadness. "Sorry, Karin, but we have no other options. You have to be the container of the other half of the Kyuubi."
Karin's legs suddenly felt very weak, threatening to make her fall, while her stomach churn.
"No...no..." she said, almost in a whisper.
"Listen Karin, I know I'm asking you a lot, but there is no other options. You're the best candidate to-" Jiraiya began.
"NO!" Karin shouted. "You...you can't make me do it! You can't! No, I won't do it!" The panic-stricken redhead said before she fled the office.
"I'll go talk to her," Sakura said, as she rushed after her teammate.
Jiraiya sighed again. "I knew this was going to be a massive headache..."
Then, an tiger masked ANBU appeared, followed by a certain brown haired teenage girl.
"Hokage-sama, here's Rin Nohara, as you requested," the ANBU stated.
…
Unlike Karin, Sakura wasn't a sensor, but after looking a bit around the tower, jumping from one roof to another, she quickly saw her red headed teammate slumped on a bench, looking miserable. Not without a good reason, Sakura was forced to admit. Rehearsing what she should say, the pinkette landed besides the Uzumaki girl.
"Karin! There you are," Sakura said.
"Leave me alone," Karin cried, not bothering to look at Sakura.
"Karin, listen-"
"No, shut up!" Karin snapped. "Don't even open your mouth! Do you have any idea of what the Hokage asked me to do!?"
Sakura bit her lip. Karin had all the right to be both angry and scared, so she had to choose her words carefully.
"Listen Karin, I can't even imagine what is it to be asked to do such a thing," Sakura decided not to pretend she could empathize with her plight. "But if Hokage-sama asked you to do this, it's because there's nobody else who can do it."
"Bullshit!" Karin angrily replied. "I know for a fact that Tsunade-sama has Uzumaki blood in her! Why didn't he asked her to be her vessel? Or one of their biological children? They're Chunin, just like I am!"
"You know it's not the same. Those children already have a target in their backs because of their blood limits. It would be unfair to make them carry an even bigger burden," Sakura replied, not needing to remind her friend of that rescue mission.
"You know, before arriving here, I spent all of my childhood running away from some unseen enemy," Karin began. She removed her glasses, and wiped the tears coming from her eyes. "Always alert if somebody looked at us funny. Never staying in the same place more than a week. Living on the road. And when we arrived at Konoha, I thought that I finally got away from that. Curse my Uzumaki blood! No matter where I go, it always ruins my life!"
Sakura bit her lip, and forced herself to remain silent. She spent the next few minutes wordlessly comforting the crying redhead by gently patting her back.
"I know you must feel scared but... look at Naruto," Sakura pointed out. "He's been a jinchuuriki all his life, and he turned out pretty good, don't you think so?"
"Y-Yes..." Karin forced herself to admit. She didn't realize that Sakura left out all the situations in which the Kyuubi made Naruto's life more difficult, either directly or indirectly, but Sakura was sure it would be for the better.
"And you have all of us to support you if such thing happens," Sakura said.
"If?" Karin repeated.
"You heard Hokage-sama. We don't know for sure if it's the other half of the Kyuubi. It may just be a farce of Kumo or Akatsuki in order to draw Naruto into hostile territory," Sakura confidently said.
"And what if you're wrong?" Karin asked.
"Like I just said, we will be there to help and support you whenever you need. And not just us, but I'm sure Neji, Naruto and the rest of your family will," Sakura stated. She then grabbed both of Karin's hands. "If you feel you can't do it, think in them, think in all the people you love, and love you. Think that you will do this to protect them to keep them safe, just like Naruto has been doing all his life."
Karin spend a few moments silent, slowly absorbing Sakura's words. After the pinkette released her hands, she put her glasses back on.
"What you said doesn't make me any less scared. Not at all," Karin began, then her face reflected an expression of determination. She closed her hand into a fist. "But you are right. It will be horribly irresponsible to leave half the Nine Tails like that. And if there's nobody else who can carry this burden...then I will."
Sakura smiled, and nodded. "That's the spirit! Come on, we need to go back to the Hokage Tower."
"No need for that," Shizune's voice said. Sakura and Karin turned around, and saw Shizune, Sasuke and much to their surprise, Rin Nohara walking towards them. "We already heard everything we need to know shortly before you left. Are you feeling better, Karin?"
"Not much," the redhead replied. "But I will do this if I have to."
"Don't worry, it's not near as bad as it may think. Look at Naruto," Shizune said, trying to ease the redhead with a smile. "And Hokage-sama plans to give you a huge compensation for this."
"I doubt any compensation can make up for me becoming a jinchuriki, but I'll make sure I enjoy it," Karin deadpanned.
"So, are you ready to go? Hokage-sama said that this mission was urgent and wanted us to leave immediately," Rin chimed in.
Sakura and Karin looked at their fellow medic-nin a bit confused.
"Hokage-sama assigned Rin as backup for this mission," Shizune explained, before Sakura or Karin had a chance to answer.
"No offense to Rin, but how is an additional medic going to help with out mission?" Sakura asked.
"I have special abilities that will be helpful in case we face the Nine Tails," Rin explained. "You'll see what I mean when the moment comes," the brown haired girl said enigmatically.
"Anyway, enough talking. As Hokage-sama said, this mission is an urgent one. I want you to meet me in the village's north gate in half an hour, understood?" Shizune asked.
"Yes ma'am!" the four other Konoha ninja obediently replied, before they went they scattered.
…
Less than an hour later, Shizune's Medical Squad was already on their way to the Land of Lightning. According to Jiraiya, they were set to meet a squad of Kumogakure that had been dispatched to investigate the incident as well. Said squad was expecting Naruto Uzumaki to be among them, so things would get tense when they saw that it wasn't be the case.
"So, what do you think? Did Obito really got control of that second half of the Nine Tails, or it's just a trick of Kumo? I'm partial to the latter," Sakura said, before the others had time to answer. "I did some research on Kumo, and the whole incident with Hinata wasn't the first time they tried to abduct one of our ninjas."
"Really? What did they try before?" Sasuke asked.
"They managed to kidnap Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mom," Sakura replied.
"Ah yes, Jiraiya-sama told us about that," Shizune stated. "Everybody thought that there would be no way to get her back with the head start the kidnappers had, but Minato-sama managed to both track them and single handedly defeated the kidnappers. Many believe that that was the beginning of their romance."
"Indeed," Sakura nodded. "And as Naruto told us, his mother used to be the previous jinchuuriki before him, so it wouldn't be the first time they showed interest in the Nine Tails."
"It could also be because of her Uzumaki heritage," Rin piped in.
This got Karin's attention. "Uh, elaborate please?"
"Being an Uzumaki yourself, you know that your clan has some rather nifty perks, such as longevity, powerful chakra, and knack for fuinjutsu," Rin explained. "It's possible that besides the Kyubi, they also wanted Kushina-san to start their own branch of the Uzumaki Clan in Kumo."
Karin groaned in an exaggerated manner as she rolled her eyes. "Great, so if they find out I'm an Uzumaki, they'll want to get my hands on me. Great, just great. This mission keeps getting better," the redhead deadpanned.
"Listen, nobody's going to get kidnapped on my watch, got it?" Shizune energetically assured. "Our team is pretty powerful, so if they want to hurt one of us, we'll put them through a world of pain."
"If you said so..." Karin dejectedly replied, obviously unconvinced.
"You know, you should pray it's a trick from Kumo, given that the alternative is to fight an Akatsuki-controlled Kyuubi that we will need to seal inside you," Sasuke pointed out.
"Don't remind me," Karin groaned.
The Uchiha's expression then hardened as he continued talking. "I'm personally hoping for the latter option. Of the Akatsuki, Obito's the only one who can control the Tailed Beasts, meaning that he will be there. With how much powerful I've became over the past years, I'm ready to settle the score. He will pay for the Uchiha Insurrection and making me almost kill Naruto."
Rin's face turned contrite the moment Sasuke mentioned her former teammate. No matter how many times he heard all the evil deeds Obito had done, she was unable to reconcile them with the memory of the energetic, nice and clumsy boy she used to know.
"Guys, if we end up facing Obito..." Rin began, her voice quavering a little. "Do you think there's a chance we might be able to turn him back to our side?"
A deafening silence followed her question. A knot formed into the brown haired girls' stomach, made worse by the hateful glare Sasuke shot at her, before looking forward, and grunting.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that..." Rin regretfully said.
"It's natural that you did. Obito was your teammate and friend, and you hate to see what he has become," Shizune replied, her tone being that of understanding. "However, Obito has committed multiple heinous crimes against Konoha and its inhabitants. We have proof that it was him the one responsible behind the Nine Tails' attack sixteen years ago that claimed the life of your sensei and his wife, as well as his participation on the Uchiha Insurrection and aiding Orochimaru in the invasion of Konoha.
"Even if Obito truly repented, his crimes are too grave for them to atone. Many criminals have been executed for much less than that. I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but the sooner you accept this, the sooner you'll be able to move on," Shizune explained.
"I...it's okay," Rin forced herself to admit. "Like I said, it was dumb of me to ask that. Obito might had brought me back to life, but he killed lots of other people as well."
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Sakura asked. "There's a big chance that we might end up fighting him. If it's the case and you are not mentally prepared to face him again-"
"No, no! I'm fine! I can do this!" Rin insisted, as her eyes glinted with determination. "I need to do this!"
"Are you sure?" A skeptical Sasuke asked.
"Yes. When I came back, memories of my death stopped me from being a ninja. Then, I decided to face my fears and join the mission to Kirigakure, the very same village responsible of my demise. And after that...I felt I was able to leave that behind. If I'm to leave the old Obito behind, I need to face what he has become."
"That's very brave of you, Rin," Sakura praised.
"As lovable as your intentions are, you should be careful. He didn't try anything during these past years, but seeing you in the open away from the village, he might try to abduct you and lock you up out of his fear of losing you again," Shizune advised.
"Don't worry, I'm aware of that," Rin replied, nodding.
"If what you say it's true, maybe we could use that to our advantage," Sasuke suggested.
"Sasuke-kun! I don't know what are you thinking, but we aren't going to do something that puts Rin in danger!" Sakura angrily chastised her boyfriend.
"I didn't say anything about putting her in danger. But if his presence makes Obito lose focus..." the Uchiha replied. "Shouldn't we take advantage of that?"
"We'll see when the time comes," Shizune said, putting an end to the discussion. "Like Sakura said, we won't take any actions that endangers any of the members of this squad, got it?"
"Tch, whatever," Sasuke growled, as he continued his travel forward.
…
Moon, Toneri's Palace
"Your tea, Pain-sama, Konan-sama," a pale black haired child with creepy white eyes and an unreadable expression said as he placed the two cups on the small table between the two of them. The two Akatsuki were convinced that that kid wasn't human, or even alive to begin with. Though that wasn't relevant for them now.
Pain and Konan did their best to ignore the extremely luxurious and finely decorated living room they were now in. Having known nothing but the pain of war and misery, it was rather irksome to see firsthand the opulent lifestyle other people were lucky enough to have. Even then, they had to kept their grievances to themselves for the time being.
"So, Toneri Otsutsuki," Pain began, ignoring the tea brought to him. "While I can see that you have a lot to offer to our organization in terms of resources, I'd like to know better why are you interested in joining us."
"Your skepticism is reasonable, Pain-sama," Toneri said with a smile, taking a sip from his own cup of tea. "But the answer is simple. We both want a better world, one that reflects the true wishes of the Sage of the Six Paths. Isn't that enough?"
"In theory, it should be. But experience taught me that the jump from theory to practice isn't as clean as we always expect," Pain replied. "I'll be frank. Prior to Obito introducing you to us, we knew nothing about you. We didn't even know there were people living in the Moon."
"And I will be eternally grateful to Obito for keeping my people's existence a secret until the time was right," Toneri said, still smiling. "Though if you're still doubtful about my commitment and loyalty to your cause, feel free to test me as many times as you wish."
"You certainly have a helpful disposition. If it's genuine, that's it," Konan observed, as she drank from her cup of tea. "And trust me, a test will come in the future."
"Now, while I could ask Obito, I want to hear it from you first," Pain continued. "How did Obito know about you?"
"An understandable question to have," Toneri said with a nod. "But before I answer it, are you by any chance aware of a man named Madara? From the same clan as Obito, I think."
"Madara Uchiha. Yes. He was Obito's mentor. Though he no longer walks among the living," Konan answered. "It was thanks to him that Obito learned everything about the Sage of the Six Paths. And that Pain, as his reincarnation, inherited his eyes, and is the only one capable of bringing true peace to the world."
"In that case, that will save me some explaining to do. You see, Madara Uchiha came to our world many decades ago. I know this because my father told me, I wasn't born yet," Toneri pointed out. "Anyway, we never knew how Madara learned about our existence and our task, but he thought that, since we had a common goal, we should join forces. My then still living grandfather rejected his offer, since he didn't trust people from the Earth, even one that was a direct descendant of Hagoromo-sama.
"Even then, our family knew that this was an opportunity, and we made a deal with the Uchiha. If he could provide us with at least a pair of Main Family Otsutsuki Byakugan, he would consider his alliance offer," Toneri explained. "Of course, my family had no intention to ally with him. We knew about the Uchiha and how prone they are to war and violence, the very things we wanted to eradicate. But it was a golden chance to acquire a Tenseigan. Not that it mattered, since that was the last time we heard of him. Our spies on Earth told us that he died fighting his former friend Hashirama Senju."
"To my knowledge, there is no Otsutsuki Clan on Earth anymore," Pain noted.
"Not by that name, no. They're called Hyuga now," Toneri pointed out.
"Yet, when Obito came here with a pair of Byakugan, you agreed with the alliance," Pain guessed. "Why did you decide to honor the promise your ascendants didn't?"
"I have to admit, Obito's arguments left me defenseless, and I had no choice but to join forces with him. He proved to be a reliable benefactor, and an alliance with him and his organization was the most logical thing to do," Toneri explained.
"Even if it was Obito who brought you to us, Pain here is the leader of Akatsuki. Your loyalty should to be to him and him alone," Konan interjected, as he glared at the white haired man.
"Of course, Konan-sama. Obito made sure to explain me in detail the hierarchy of Akatsuki," Toneri replied, and he looked at Pain in the eyes, and smiled. "I know exactly who I have to be loyal to."
"Good to hear that," Konan replied, but he didn't sound any more convinced.
"Besides, who should I follow other than the one who possess the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths?" Toneri asked. "And I have Hamura-sama's eyes. And such as Hamura-sama was loyal to his brother, I will follow your guidance, Pain-sama. Together, with the combined power of our eyes, we will cleanse this world of evil and corruption and create a paradise of peace and justice."
"Indeed," Pain nodded. "However, even if I have his eyes, my current power is nothing but a fraction of the strength the Sage of the Six Paths possessed. That's why it's imperative to capture and gather all the Tailed Beasts as soon as possible. They're the fragments of my lost power."
"You can count on me for that, Pain-sama. While my eyes are still developing, once they mature, no jinchuriki will be able to stand before my might," Toneri assured. "But if such wait is unacceptable, I can hunt them whenever you command them. However, I should tell you that, in exchange of my power and vast resources, I have a request."
"A request," Pain repeated. "And what that would be?"
"There's a girl from Konoha, a Hyuga, who has the same eyes as I have. I want that girl," Toneri said. "I'm not asking you to capture her for me, but if by any chance you or your minions encounter her, please try not to kill her. I have no use for her dead."
"I won't promise anything. Akatsuki does not show mercy to those who oppose us. But I will keep your words in mind," Pain said.
"Still, if you worry so much about her, you should try to take her on your own," Konan interceded. "That's it, as long as we don't assign you any task to carry out."
"I would never think to do such a thing, Konan-sama," Toneri said, smiling at her.
Konan didn't smile back.
…
Land of Lightning, a week later
After a week of traveling and crossing both the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Frost, the Medical Squad finally arrived at the Land of Lightning's southern and only border. It didn't take long to see both the ruins of what it used to be a rural village, and the remnants of a destroyed outpost.
"Alright, here we are," Shizune said, as the five of them set foot on potentially hostile territory. "Karin?"
The redhead nodded, closed her eyes and made a hand seal. "No one around save for four people in the destroyed outpost. All four of them ninjas with powerful chakra. One being specially strong even among them."
"That must be Kumo's group. Okay, let's get this over with," Shizune said, as she rushed towards the outpost, the other five Konoha ninja following behind her.
It seemed that the kumo ninjas had either seen or sensed them coming, given that they left the outpost and went to meet the Konoha ninjas in the open. They stopped once they were a few meters apart. All of them took some moments to study the four Kumo ninjas in front of them.
The one everybody guessed was the leader was a fairly tall man with dark skin and shaggy blond hair that covered one of his eyes. He was carrying a large sword on his back. Shizune recognized this man as Darui, one of Kumo's strongest ninjas.
Next to him was a white skinned blonde woman with her hair tied on a ponytail. Unlike her partners, she wasn't wearing the typical Kumogakure uniform, but a black and purple short sleeved shirt and black pants. Again, Shizune was able to identify this woman as Yugito Nii, the jinchuriki of the Two Tails.
"Fake or not, the situation must be dire if the Raikage dispatched two of his heavyweights," Shizune thought. "If a fight breaks out, this two might become a problem."
Shizune didn't know who were the other two. Another white skinned woman with blond hair, a stoic and calm appearance, and a comically large bust –Shizune couldn't tell if Tsunade's was bigger or not–, and a younger man, also white and blond, sporting a confident smirk.
"Welcome, Konoha ninjas," Darui greeted them in a polite tone. "My name's Darui. This one's Yugito Nii, and those two are Samui and Atsui."
"Greetings. My name is Shizune Uchiha. These are Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Karin Uzumaki and Rin Nohara," Shizune said, introducing her team in return.
"You took your sweet time to arrive," Yugito pointed out.
"We came as fast as we could. Konoha isn't exactly close to the Land of Lightning," Sasuke snapped.
"We requested the jinchuriki of the Nine Tails to be among you, yet I don't see him," Darui pointed out in a mildly accusatory manner. "Do you care to explain why?"
"Do you really think we're going to bring our jinchuriki, who's also the Hokage's son, to a country that's not an ally of our village?" Shizune replied with a question of her own.
"Then how can we discern if Konoha was behind this attack?" Yugito said, before waving at the destroyed village with her hand. "That village used to house two thousand people. Less than a hundred survived. All of them claim it was the Nine Tails who did it. And as far as we know, the jinchuriki of the Nine Tails is a Konoha ninja."
"We can assure you that, by the time you said the attack happened, Naruto was away on a mission," Sakura interceded. "In Takigakure, to be precise. You can ask them if you don't believe us. Hundreds of both Konoha and Taki ninja can confirm his alibi."
"We will, but that might not be enough for Raikage-sama," Darui pointed out. "Sorry for being this insistent, but a Tailed Beast attack is something that can't be taken lightly."
"Can we go to the attacked town? That way we'll be able to see the extent of the attack, and determine if it was the Nine Tails or not," Shizune pointed out.
"We already inspected the village, hot stuff," Atsui interceded. "And we reached the conclusion that yes, it was a goddamn Tailed Beast the one who did it."
"A second opinion won't hurt," Sakura pointed out.
Darui sighed as he shook his head. "Okay then, whatever. It's not like we're making any progress here. So drab," the dark skinned man complained, as he extended a hand towards the village, motioning the Konoha ninjas to go.
They nodded, and the two groups headed to the ruined village. Upon entering, Shizune had a flashback of the time she and Tsunade returned to Konoha after the Nine Tails attack. And while the destruction and death caused by the beast have been horrifying, they arrived two weeks after the attack, and much of the damage was in the process of being repaired.
It wasn't the case with this village. This is how Konoha could had have ended that day if it wasn't for the Fourth Hokage. And much to her discomfort, the level of destruction was similar to that of Konoha after that fateful day.
"What are we doing here?" Samui asked, interrupting the Konoha ninja inspecting the ruined village. She crossed her arms over her rather large chest. "We do know for a fact it was the Nine Tails who did it. Can you please stop this charade already?"
"Hey, should we remind you that Kumo doesn't have the cleanest record when it comes to Konoha!" Karin snapped. "We still remember the time you kidnapped Hinata Hyuga, and Kushina Uzumaki several decades before."
Shizune, Sakura and Rin cringed upon hearing the blunt way Karin threw Kumo's dirty laundry back at them. Things were getting ugly, and fast.
Darui sighed, and took a step forward. "Listen, sorry if we're putting you in a tight spot, but this needs to be done. As you can see, somebody destroyed a village of the Land of Lightning and an outpost of Kumo. All witnesses say it was the Nine Tails. We just want justice for our victims."
"Yes, and the Nine Tails' jinchuriki is a Konoha ninja," Atsui pointed out. "Unless there's a second Nine Tails running around."
"Actually, there is," Sasuke bluntly stated.
"...say what?" Atsui asked.
"A second Nine Tails. Yeah. Do you think we were born yesterday?" Yugito asked, sounding upset. "The power of the Tailed Beasts is something that can't be replicated. Much less the most powerful of them."
"No, but their power can be split," Shizune pointed out. "The jutsu to do it is a forbidden one but-"
"Shizune-sensei!" Karin called, sounding panicky. Before Shizune or her other teammates could ask what happened, she continued. "Obito Uchiha is here!"
Sasuke's eyes grew wide open, as his hand instinctively gripped the pommel of his katana. "Are you sure?"
"Yes! I'd never forget a chakra like his!" Karin insisted. "And he isn't alone! He brought somebody else with him! Somebody whose chakra level is downright absurd!"
"Hey, cool off over there!" Samui interrupted. "What are you talking about?"
"Akatsuki," was Shizune's only reply, which was enough to make the four Kumo ninjas to tense up.
"And she's right," a new male voice said from above. Everybody turned around from direction of the voice, and saw Obito Uchiha, standing over the roof of a half collapsed building.
"This was a trap from the very beginning!" Darui said in realization, as his visible eye moved towards Yugito.
"Exactly. I was hoping that Naruto would be here as well, but I guess I'll have to settle for just one," Obito said, fixing his eyes on Yugito as well, before they moved towards Rin, and smiled. "Though it's very helpful of you Konoha bringing Rin back to me."
"Obito..."the distraught brunette said in a whisper.
"Rin isn't your property, you sick fuck!" Karin yelled.
"Listen, Obito is a Konoha missing-nin, so we'll take care of him," Shizune told the Kumo ninjas. "Yugito is his target. Take her somewhere safe while we keep him busy."
Darui nodded, as he motioned his comrades to move out. However, shortly after they started to run, they were cut by a massive torrent of water bursting from underground. A lone figure emerged from the water, a blue skinned man in Akatsuki regalia, holding a large sword.
"Now, now, you aren't planning to leave so soon, right?" Kisame said, giving the Kumo ninjas a menacing grin. "Not before you play a little with me, that's it."
Darui, Samui and Atsui unsheathed their swords. Yugito merely adopted a fighting stance.
"So, that was Akatsuki's plan. They didn't just want to lure out Naruto, but one of Kumo's jinchuriki as well," Shizune thought in realization. "Still, the odds aren't too bad. Obito and Kisame are powerful, but we do have power on our side as well, not to mention advantage in numbers and a copious amount of medic-nin."
"Watch out for Kisame! Don't use ninjutsu against him, his sword can absorb it!" Shizune warned the Kumo ninjas. "We'll take care of Obito! We fought against him before, and know all of his tricks!"
"Thanks for the tip, hot stuff," Atsui said, taking a step forward. "You know, I always wanted to go against one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. We will prove today that Kumo ninjas are the better sword fighters!"
Kisame chuckled, and rested Samehada on his shoulder. "Aren't you biting way more than you can chew, brat? But I accept your challenge. Come here, and see if you can prove your point."
Samui placed a firm hand on Atsui's shoulder. "Cool down, Atsui, he's right. Kisame Hoshigaki is one of the deadliest swordsmen alive. Only by working together we'll be able to take him down."
"Way to ruin my fun, sis. But whatever," the younger Kumo ninja said with a sigh.
"Don't do anything rash. Let's follow Darui-san's lead," Samui suggested.
"Alright, I'll take Kisame head on. You two stay back and protect Yugito. Feel free to assist me if I'm overwhelmed, but keeping Yugito safe is the top priority."
"Yes sir!" both siblings said at once.
"Wait a minute, I can fight you know! I'm no damsel in distress!" Yugito protested.
"Nobody says that you are, Yugito. Sorry, but Akatsuki is targeting you specifically, and it's our job to make theirs as hard as possible," Darui stated.
Meanwhile, the Konoha ninjas were doing similar plans to take down Obito.
"That bastard is mine, so don't get in the way," Sasuke said as he unsheathed his shoto. "Sakura, your combat specialty is melee, so you would be better against Kisame."
"Against Kisame?" Sakura repeated, her voice quivering a bit, as she eyed the scary looking blue swordsman. "Are you sure, Sasuke-kun?"
"I know you can do it. Plus you won't be fighting alone. While I don't trust them that much, I doubt those Kumo guys will turn on us on a situation like this," Sasuke told his girlfriend.
Sakura gathered all the courage she could muster, and nodded. "Alright then, I'll face Kisame. Stay safe!"
"Same goes for you, Sakura," Rin replied.
Obito smirked, as he drew out his own katana. "So, shall we begin?"
Sasuke replied to Obito's taunt by leaping at him at the same time he delivered an horizontal slash to the Akatsuki's throat, which unfortunately, phased through him. Just after Sasuke phased through Obito, he kicked the young Uchiha in the back.
"Poison Mist!"
While Sasuke attacked, Shizune followed him and leaped above the rogue Uchiha. Her cheeks puffed, before releasing a cloud of the familiar purple gas engulfed him. Sasuke, meanwhile, made several hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke exhaled a massive fireball towards the cloud of poisonous gas, igniting it, resulting in a fiery explosion that destroyed the half collapsed building completely.
"He teleported away!" Shizune warned. Even if it was just a guess, it was a probable one. "There's no way he let that combination touch him. Stay alert!"
"Karin!" Sasuke called.
"On it!" the redhead nodded, as she closed her eyes and made a hand seal. She focused on finding Obito's chakra, which was nowhere to be seen, figuratively speaking. After a few seconds, it appeared. However, Karin paled upon realizing where Obito planned to show up. "Oh shit-"
"Karin, down!" Sasuke shouted.
Karin threw herself at the ground on instinct, as she barely avoided Obito's thrust from behind. She heard the whirring noise of a few shuriken flying above her, coming from the opposite direction. However, the steel stars failed to touch the Akatsuki. She got up, and quickly rushed back to her teammates.
"Give up. You can't defeat me," Obito said, spread his arms in a taunting manner.
"Did you forget your fight against Tsunade-sama and myself during the Uchiha Insurrection?" Shizune snapped back.
"You don't have any Sannin backing you up this time. Plus I was careless and made plenty of rookie mistakes. Mistakes I'm not planning to repeat here," Obito said, as he scowled. "This operation is to important for-"
"Amaterasu!"
For a split second, Obito was engulfed by a blaze of black flames, before they were sucked by a spiraling vortex.
Sasuke shivered from reliving the time he thought he had killed Naruto. He cursed upon seeing that he made himself relive such traumatic memory for nothing.
"See? That's what I meant. You guys got me monologuing, and got wide open. Thank goodness my reflexes are much better than they used to be," Obito said, smirking. Then he looked at Sasuke, and his smirk widened. "Trouble using the Mangekyo Sharingan, Sasuke? Still having flashbacks to the moment you awakened it?"
"Still? What do you mean, 'still'?" Sasuke angrily asked. "Is there a way to overcome it?"
"You don't know?" Obito said, before rearing his head back, and let out a mocking laughter. "Your brother or cousin didn't tell you it's possible? Of course they wouldn't. They wouldn't tell you something out of fear of 'corrupting' you."
"How it is? Tell me!" Sasuke demanded.
"You expect your enemy to help you? Really?" Obito asked, arching an eyebrow. Then, he smirked. "Oh well, I'll tell you because your reaction will be priceless. The key to stop the Mangekyo Sharingan from making you relieve the moment it was activated is to stop fighting it, and accept it."
"...what?" a dumbfounded Sasuke asked.
"It's exactly like I say. I remember reliving Rin's death every time I used my power. Which was a lot of time, because as you can see it's so useful. But it took such a toll on my sanity. It was then, when I realized the truth. Painful as it was, Rin needed to die," Obito stated in an odd solemn tone.
"What?" Rin asked in disbelief. "If my death was necessary, then why you went through the trouble of reviving me?"
"I said your death was necessary, not you had to remain dead," the Akatsuki punctualized. "When I saw you jumping in the way of Kakashi's Chidori, my eyes were opened. I realized the cruelty of the world we live in. How bad things happen to good people like you and me. And how in order to change the world, drastic measures are to be taken. Only when I accepted those facts and stopped feeling regret for not being able to save her did the flashbacks cease.
"That's exactly what you have to do, Sasuke. You're afraid that next time Naruto, or somebody else, a friend, a loved one, might die for real. You need to detach yourself from those feelings, accept the power you now possess."
"And become a psychopath like you? No thank you!" Sasuke replied. "There has to be another way to stop the flashbacks. And if there isn't one...I will live with it then!"
"You say that now, but after circumstances force you to rely on the Mangekyo more and more, you'll make anything in order to make the nightmares stop," Obito said with a cruel smirk. "I knew that you weren't going to follow my advice, that's why I decided to share it with you. But ask yourself this, why do you think people said our clan ir cursed by hatred? This is why. No power comes without cost. At least, not for the Uchiha."
After that last monologue, Obito resumed the fight against the Konoha ninjas. At the same time that fight happened, Sakura rushed towards Darui, engaged in a sword fighting duel with Kisame, at the top of a mass of water the Akatsuki had generated earlier, while Samui and Atsui stood protectively at Yugito's flanks. Sakura pulled out a sealing scroll, unfurled it, and unsealed some of its contents: a pair of brass knuckles made of chakra conducting metal, with fuinjutsu seals carved into it. Sakura immediately grabbed both weapons, and channeled chakra through them. Two huge fists made of pure chakra appeared around them.
"Alright, it's punching time!" Sakura said, as she leaped at Kisame from the side.
However, even if he wasn't a sensor, thanks to his vast experience, Kisame's battle sense was sharp enough to notice when an enemy was about to ambush him. He quickly disengaged Darui and jumped backwards a second before Sakura's fist could touch him.
"SHANNARO!"
Even if she hit thin air, her punch carried so much force, it projected a shockwave that completely blasted a half destroyed house into tiny pebbles.
"Damn, failed by this much," Sakura complained, before she looked at the surprised Darui. "Sorry for coming uninvited, but I thought you might appreciate the help."
"I certainly do, but I thought that you'd prefer to help your comrades," the dark skinned man assumed.
"My fighting style focuses mostly on punches, which makes me better suited to deal with an opponent that can absorb ninjutsu," Sakura pointed out.
"Hard to argue with that logic. Shall we continue?" Darui said, smiling a little.
"It will be a pleasure," Sakura said, as she directed her eyes towards Kisame, and smirked. Two fists of chakra appeared around her real ones, and dashed again.
"You think that just because you're a melee specialist you're suited to fight against me? Your overconfidence is insulting!" Kisame said, as he dashed forward to meet Sakura, with Samehada ready to strike.
As the Akatsuki and Konoha kunoichi met in the middle, Kisame delivered a diagonal blow. However, much to his surprise, Sakura aborted her attack, and fell on her knees, sliding through the watery surface past Kisame, and avoiding Samehada swing.
"What!?" the Akatsuki shouted.
"You're wide open! Sorry pal, but this is your end!" Darui said, as he was leaping towards the indeed wide open Kisame, his cleaver crackling with electricity.
However, rom the water, a clone of Kisame formed just in time to stop the Kumo ninja's blow. The clone was sturdy enough to resist the attack.
"As long as I have water, I'm never wide open," Kisame boasted, before making a hand seal. Three more clones emerged from the water. "Make sure the jinchuriki doesn't use the fray of the battle as a cover to escape!"
The three clones nodded, jumped from the water, and landed at different points surrounding the three other Kumo ninjas.
"Goddammit, why didn't we think about escaping before?" Atsui said in frustration.
"And leave Darui here on his own?" Yugito pointed out. "Come on, what are we doing? If we fight all of us together, we can defeat these guys!"
"Cool down, Yugito. Darui ordered us not to interfere until he was in trouble. And so far, he and the Konoha kunoichi are doing pretty good," Samui pointed out.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Konoha ninjas continued batling Obito, The rogue Akatsuki's hands flew through hand seals as a spiraling vortex formed around his right eye.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
Obito released a stream of fire that the vortex shaped in the form of a spiral, expanding outwards wide enough to engulf all the Konoha ninja. Rin, however, took a step forward and formed several hand seals of her own in order to counter that attack.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
Rin's cheeks puffed, before expelling a large amount of water, forming a torrent that put out the incoming flames, generating some clouds of smoke when the two elemental attacks clashed.
"You truly grew strong Rin. Your water jutsu never had such a scale," Obito said in amazement.
Sasuke appeared behind Obito, no doubt after using the body flicker, and delivered an horizontal slash to his back. Much to his frustration, the blade once again failed to hit him.
"You never learn, don't you-AARH!" Obito hissed, as he instinctively clutched his midsection.
"Wait, did I hurt him?" Sasuke wondered, before something his Sharingan had noticed sunk in. "I swear I saw a flicker of black flames there..."
Obito turned around, counter attacking with his own katana as well. The two Uchihas engaged in a short duel of sword fighting, until another vortex formed around Obito's right Sharingan.
"Take this! Burn and disappear!"
Much to his shock, the vortex expelled in a stream the very same Amaterasu flames that he had absorbed before. Sasuke jumped around, dodging the deadly stream of fire, until Obito had no more. After that, Sasuke rejoined his teammates.
"I was right, it was Amaterasu," Sasuke deduced. "When he used his intangibility, the Amaterasu he had absorbed hurt him. Which means that his ability to turn intangible and store and release objects through vortex might be linked...hell, they might be one and the same. His teleportation as well. But in order to so, I need to do one last test..."
As Sasuke mused about his new findings, Obito prepared to counterattack.
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
The ground below them started to rumble, as multiple green wooden vines emerged around Obito, and launched themselves at the Konoha ninjas. Rin and Karin prepared to repel the attack, the two of them weaving the same sequence of hand seals.
"Earth Release: Crushing Avalanche!"
Multiple rocks of varying sizes –albeit the ones summoned by Rin were bigger– appeared above the incoming vines, before falling down and crushing most of them, as the name of the jutsu implied. Even if they didn't stop the attack, they were able to slow it down considerably. And Shizune was going to take advantage of such opportunity.
"Corrosive Cloud!"
The leader of the Medical Squad released another cloud of poisonous purple gas from her mouth, this one having a darker shade than the attack she used before. The moment the gas entered in contact with the vines, the latter started to wither and crumble in a matter of seconds, much to Obito's surprise and anger.
"Do you like my new poison? I prepared it specifically for you. No amount of regeneration will save you from it," Shizune taunted.
"I see you didn't spend these past years lazing around. But for your poison to work you still have to hit me with it. And tricking me with a clone won't work this time, I can assure you that," Obito replied, unable to hide his anger.
The cloud of corrosive gas ate through the vines as it advanced. Seeing no other option, Obito teleported away.
"His chakra signature disappeared!" Karin warned the others.
"Okay. Stay alert and warn us when he shows up again," Shizune told Karin.
"I think I know how his power work, and how we can bypass his intangibility," Sasuke said, taking advantage of Obito's temporary absence so he couldn't hear his plans.
"Really? That's great!" Karin beamed.
"We used to think that his intangibility, store and release objects from a pocket dimension and teleporting were different abilities, but they might be just one. We can take that to our advantage. However, in order to do so, I need Rin to do something," Sasuke said, looking at the brown haired medic-nin. "I need you to let Obito capture you with his ability."
"WHAT!?" Rin replied in shock.
"That's NOT great!" Karin protested.
"Sasuke-kun! What did we say about putting Rin in danger!?" Shizune scolded him.
"I know, but no one here can do it. I know I'm asking a lot, but I need you to trust me on this. If this works, we will deprive Obito of one of his biggest advantages," Sasuke argued.
"And if it doesn't work?" Rin asked.
"I don't know. But it's possible that we won't be able to get you back," Sasuke bluntly stated. "I'm not going to force you. The decision is yours."
"Obito is back! There!" Karin pointed to the opposite direction Obito was standing, and indeed, a vortex was starting to form.
"Time's up. Like I said, your choice," Sasuke said, as he adopted a fighting stance.
It seems that Rin made up her mind, as she drew out two kunai, and charged at Obito, letting out a high pitched yell.
"Come on Obito, leave them alone! This is between you and me!" Rin shouted, as she prepared to attack.
Rin leaped at him, ready to slash the rogue Uchiha. Obito didn't made any attempt to defend himself, and used his intangibility to make Rin phase through him. Fast as lightning, he turned around and grabbed Rin by one of her wrists.
"Don't worry, I'll send you somewhere safe," Obito said, as a vortex appeared around his right eye, absorbing Rin.
"NOOOOOoooooo...!" Rin yelled as she was sucked into another dimension.
Obito turned at the rest of the Konoha ninjas, and smirked. "Like I said before, thank you so much for bringing Rin back to me. Now I can finally fight without distraction."
"Attack from range, or we might end up like Rin!" Sasuke said, as he pulled out a rather large Fuma Shuriken and tossed it at Obito. "Karin!"
The redhead nodded, and made several hand seals. "Shadow Clone Shuriken Jutsu!"
Multiple Fuma Shuriken appeared along the original, flying towards Obito, who once again made no effort to dodge, and let the giant steel stars phase through him. He was about to taunt them once again, but suddenly, he felt the pain of sharp metal stabbing into his flesh. A trickle of blood came from his mouth, as he instinctively clutched his stomach.
"WHAT?" a bewildered Obito screamed, before he felt another stab. "AAARGH!"
"It worked, we hurt him!" Karin cheered, pumping her fists.
"We didn't hurt him," Sasuke said, smirking at Obito. "Rin did."
"Rin? No it can..." Obito replied, as he vanished into his own spiraling vortex.
…
Obito's Pocket Dimension
Turns out, Sasuke was right. Obito didn't so much turn intangible, but somehow could phase parts of his body to another dimension. And as Sasuke expected, said parts were vulnerable in the other side. The moment Rin saw most of Obito's body appear before her, she drew out a kunai and stabbed it into his chest, then a second one for good measure, before he returned his body back to the real world.
A vortex appeared before her, meaning that Obito, the whole Obito was coming. She drew another kunai, and breathed out, trying to calm down. She only had one chance to carry out what she wanted to do, and no room for mistake.
"Rin! Are you-"
The moment her former teammate appeared, Rin tossed the kunai at him, aiming for his face. Obito managed to catch it thanks to his reflexes befitting an Uchiha. Just like Rin expected.
"I see that you have no-"
Once again, the Akatsuki was interrupted, this time by the kunai transforming into another Rin, with another kunai in her left hand. As fast as she could, Rin stabbed the kunai into the edge of Obito's right eye, while using her right hand to pluck said eye from its socket. Obito let out a deafening scream as both he and Rin were sucked back into reality.
…
Shizune, Sasuke and Karin saw Obito and Rin appearing once again, falling into ground, with Obito screaming as he held his bloodied empty eye socket, and Rin carefully held something in her hand.
"Rin!" Shizune said, as she rushed towards her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. A bit shaken, but okay," Rin replied. Shen then smiled at Shizune. "Tell your husband I got his missing eye back."
Shizune's eyes widened as Rin opened her hand, and saw a bloodiened Sharingan on it. Wasting no time, Tsunade's first apprentice took the eye and quickly sealed it inside a scroll, which she hid under the folds of her kimono. She smiled back at Rin.
"Thank you, Rin. I'm sure Shisui will be very happy," a smiling Shizune told her.
"I could have gotten the other eye, but I think that depriving him of his ability to mind control people was better than the intangibility and teleportation," Rin replied, justifying the unsaid question.
"It's okay Rin. You did the right choice. Besides, had you gouged the other eye, you would had no means to return," Sasuke reassured her. He then turned back at Obito, who was fuming. "But I think you made him quite mad."
And indeed, Obito was starting at the Konoha ninja, more specifically Rin, with a hateful frown and his teeth clenched in an angry snarl.
"I can't believe your betrayal, Rin. I brought you back to life! Is this your way of thanking me!?" Obito angrily asked.
"You were the one who betrayed me first, by turning on our village and murdering sensei!" Rin shouted back.
"Very well then, no more holding back," Obito took a drop of blood from his empty eye socket, and made several five seals. "If this is how things are going to be, then you and your new friends can die the same way sensei did! Summoning Jutsu!"
Obito slammed his hand into the ground, producing an explosion of smoke. However, the burst of smoke was much more powerful than with most summons, creating a cloud big enough to cover most of the village, with gale force winds blowing in every direction.
The smoke quickly dispelled, revealing the creature Obito had summoned: a giant fox with dark red fur, and nine tails. All the Konoha ninja could do was stare in awe and terror at the other half of the beast that once almost destroyed Konoha a decade and a half ago.
Author's Note: After so many chapters since his introduction, the other half of the Nine Tails finally makes his proper debut! Yeah, our heroes are pretty much screwed. Or not, given that they have Yugito on their side, but will the Two Tails be enough to tip the balance in their favor?
Also, sorry if some of you are a bit disappointed that Naruto and his team are absent and the focus is on Sasuke and his team instead, but I think that Naruto and Hinata needed a rest, and some other characters could get some spotlight for a change. Besides, this arc has more emotional impact with Sasuke rather than Naruto.
Also, even if she appeared here and there, Rin finally gets some action after the Kirigakure Invasion! Again, did I mention how much I like writing her? Because man, she was a character with so much potential, it was so sad that she only existed to die in order to make Obito a villain and give Kakashi even more things to angst about.
Even if it isn't part of the current plot, I also enjoyed a lot writing the scene between Pain, Konan and Toneri. Mostly because I love writing for Pain and I can't wait to write him in action scenes. Keep that conversation in mind, because what they discussed there (especially what Toneri said) will be very important for future arcs. Oh, and before you ask, no, Pain isn't aware that Toneri is mind controlled, if that wasn't obvious enough.
Thanks to grimlock987 for betareading this chapter. Speaking of which, he won't be able to betaread anymore, so once again I have to ask for somebody else to become my betareader.
So, that's all. See you in 2019, and I hope you have a Happy New Year! Remember: there's no better New Year's gift you can make me than a leaving a review on this story! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!