Destruction and Rebirth
Karasu spent the better part of the following year tracking down the Foundation's facilities. He destroyed all traces of them whenever he found one, using Koku's destructive power in ways the dragon would never have dreamed of, condensing enormous amounts of the dragon's fire into a small orb and releasing it all in a wave of destruction so potent that it practically erased whatever was trapped within it.
Karasu was meditating atop a high mountain, using Shiro's ocular abilities to seek out more facilities. A sudden spike of powerful chakra drew his attention eastward, to a facility hidden deep underground. He watched as the spike fell and disappeared, leaving a curled up human shape in the deepest part of the Foundation facility. He could sense a great sadness and pain from the small figure that was playing host to such a powerful force. He activated Koku's dragon form, launching himself towards the facility.
He arrived to find several Root shinobi scrambling for cover, most of them failing to even notice Karasu's fiery arrival as he landed like a black comet crashing to the earth. By the time they realized he wasn't one of their own, they fell upon him in a single wave composed of a multitude of ninjutsu from every style. He smiled as he responded with a wave of his own, a wave of black fire that consumed everything it touched as it spread through their attacks and ultimately consumed the Root shinobi.
"Never get in a dragon's path," he said to their ashes as he entered the facility.
Karasu had taken a liking to his father's sword, using it in conjunction with the dragons' fire to create a sword without equal. Nothing could withstand the dragon fire blade, every swing marking the death of an enemy or the destruction of their equipment. He destroyed everything in his path as he made his way to the bottom, wanting to see what exactly the Foundation was up to here.
He reached the bottom, surprised to find it pitchblack beyond the small room the stairs led to. He produced a ball of Shiro's white fire, using it to illuminate his path as he went deeper into the facility. He found a large metal door at the end of a long hallway, leading to the final room. He melted an opening into the door, his hand shaking from rage as he beheld the room's occupant. It was a girl around his age with long orange hair, covered in old scars and fresh bruises. He heard the shackles keeping her tethered to the wall before he saw them, the realization only filling him with more rage.
"Who's there?" The girl asked, her voice angry and defiant. Karasu found it heartening.
"Akatsuki!" She shouted when he stepped forward and she saw his father's cloak.
"The Akatsuki no longer exists. This was my father's. He infiltrated them for the sake of his village; he died a while back," Karasu said calmly, not wanting to take the chance of her attacking him with the power that had led him to her.
"You're not from the Foundation," she observed. "Who are you?" She asked him.
"My name is Karasu," he replied.
"I'm Usagi," the girl said, suddenly timid.
"What were they doing to you down here?" Karasu asked her softly.
"They've been exposing me to the Nine-Tails chakra since I was baby. It… it's changed me," she whispered, staring at her hands.
He could only imagine what it would have been like to basically be force-fed Koku and Shiro's power, the thought made him shudder. He walked to the metal grating of her cell, using his sword to slash through several of the bars and create an opening. Usagi yelped and hid in the corner as he stepped in. He understood why when he got closer. Where he thought she was wearing filthy rags, she was just covered in filth. He blushed and averted his gaze as he realized her state of undress, removing his cloak and passing it to her so she could cover herself. He cut through the chains that held her, helping her stand once she was free.
"Thank you," she said as he helped her out of her cell.
"Come on, we should get out of here," he said, picking her up after dropping a condensed fireball in her cell.
She was blushing when he set her down after running a few kilometers in as many seconds. The ground shook as a dome of black fire erupted from the earth where the Foundation's facility had been, leaving a smoldering crater in its place.
"I don't have anywhere to go," Usagi said quietly as she looked at the crater with wide eyes.
"You can come with me if you want. I might be able to help you control your power," Karasu offered.
"That sounds nice. Where will we go?" She asked.
"Wherever we find more of the Foundation's blite," he said with a smile.
Karasu taught her the techniques he had used to meditate and learn to better control the flow of the dragons' power, having to explain to her about the entities he was host to. She didn't believe him at first, but quickly changed her tune when she saw his dragon form using Koku's flames. Usagi took to the lessons quickly, learning to slowly draw from the well of the Nine-tail's chakra within her to avoid losing control. A month after he rescued her, Karasu told her that it was time to apply what he had taught her.
"Tap into your power and come at me," Karasu said.
"I won't lie and say I'm worried about you, I'm worried what might happen to me," she answered, shaking her head.
"Don't worry, I'm only going to use my eyes to practice. I promise I'm not going to use my dragon fire," he said with a smile.
"Fine," she relented, activating a thin aura of red chakra that also made her eyes turn red and her teeth get longer.
Karasu caught her strike as she launched herself at him, the ground cracking beneath him under strength. He smiled at her display, pushing back and sending her sliding back across the stones. She lifted herself and launched herself at him again, kicking off to change direction at the last second. She kept leaping past him to try throwing him off her trail, but Shiro's eyes kept her plan from working as she had hoped. Karasu caught her by the collar of her shirt and tossed her away. She bounced back quickly, pelting him with a spray of stones. He smiled as he looked into her eye through one of the stones, his right eye becoming Koku's. He was gone when she crashed into the spot he had been standing in. She stopped and looked around, but didn't see him.
The world suddenly went black, and Usagi found herself floating in a void. She couldn't sense anything around her, her heart beating faster as she began to panic. She tried to focus, tried to dispel the genjutsu she knew she was trapped in, but the sound of something growling nearby broke her concentration. Try as she might, Usagi couldn't see anything in the void around her. She noticed a slight shift in the blackness a little to her side, her heart freezing when she saw it more clearly. It was Koku's Sharingan eye, fully open and the size of a small house. Usagi felt herself fall into the center of it, closing her eyes and screaming as the eye swallowed her. She opened her eyes to see the sky, now back to normal. Karasu's face appeared in her field of view, his expression a mix of worry and guilt.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"What was that?" She asked as she sat up.
"One of Koku's abilities," he said apologetically.
"I'm alright, just a little shaken," she said as he helped her stand.
"Sorry about that," he said.
"Don't worry, you just scared me. I'm not hurt," Usagi reassured.
They stopped their sparring for the day, using their time instead to meditate. Usagi focused on controlling the Nine-tail's chakra while Karasu used Shiro's eyes to search for another Foundation hideout. After finding one, Karasu shifted his attention to his uncle. He was glad to see Sasuke safe, though he was still traveling with the strange group Karasu had seen before. Sasuke was near the Hidden Leaf Village, speaking with a quartet of empty figures. He found it strange that their bodies seemed hollow, though he could still sense chakra coming from them. He tried to find Madara, but something seemed to be blocking him from Karasu's sight. Even the dragons felt troubled at the discovery. Karasu had a bad feeling about it, like a massive storm just over the horizon.