Reunion
Sixteen years have passed since the Fourth Great War, and the Lands have enjoyed the time peacefully. Sasuke sat beneath a tree on his way back to Konohanagakure after his latest discovery in one of Kaguya's temples, enjoying a small lunch in the early afternoon. The sound of a twig snapping behind one of the trees caused him to let loose a kunai, a sigh escaping him as a fat squirrel scurried away from where he had thrown it. He closed his eyes for a moment, reflecting on the information he had learned on his latest journey.
His eyes snapped open as he became aware of a powerful chakra nearby, his Sharingan activating as he saw a man wearing a shimmering red cloak and dragon mask. He used his Rinnegan to switch places with a leaf as it fell in front of the man, his attack stopping short as two fingers tapped against his forehead. He looked at the man with wide eyes, anger welling up inside him as he realized it was probably a trap. Before he could launch another attack, the man reached up to remove his mask.
"Hello, Uncle. I'm glad to see you're well," Karasu said to him with a warm smile, causing Sasuke to pocket the knife in his hand.
"Is it really you, Karasu?" He asked, amazed at the change in his nephew. Karasu nodded, activating his Kokuryutei Sharingan to prove his identity.
"Oh yeah, I want you to meet my team," Karasu said suddenly, having forgotten in his excitement that he wasn't alone. He turned and waved over his shoulder.
Sasuke watched as a man and woman roughly Karasu's age emerged from the trees, studying them closely. The man was tall with a muscular and lean physique and a wild mane of black hair, all and all he looked like a feral animal. The woman was the exact opposite, portraying an image of beauty. She had a rather full figure in contrast to the lean build of a hardened shinobi she possessed, with long red hair flowing past her shoulders. Both people carried themselves like hardened warriors, clearly having experienced a lot for their young age.
"These are my teammates, Inu and Usagi," Karasu said, indicating them in turn.
"Inu, Usagi, this is my uncle, Sasuke Uchiha," Karasu added, finishing the introductions. Both parties shared a small wave in greeting.
"What brings you here?" Sasuke asked his nephew.
"Well, I heard that the new Hokage is your old teammate and a pretty open-minded leader. I was hoping that with the Foundation wiped out my team and I could become shinobi of Konoha," Karasu said.
"I don't see Naruto having a problem with it, especially when he hears you're my nephew. He's sentimental like that," Sasuke said, finishing with an exasperated sigh.
"I was actually just on my way back to the Hidden Leaf Village," he added.
Karasu and his team tagged along with Sasuke on his return trip. He and Karasu spent most of the time catching up, while Inu and Usagi took advantage to learn more about the uncle that Karasu had so often spoken of. The three of them suddenly stopped when they were only a few kilometers from the Village, making Sasuke stop in confusion. His eyes widened as Karasu activated his Ryugan, causing the Rinnesharingan on his forehead to open.
"Four on the left, three on the right, two in front and three behind," Karasu said, spotting the enemies that he and his team had sensed.
Sasuke took a battle stance, but Karasu put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
"You just sit back and watch, Uncle Sasuke," he said with a confident smile.
Sasuke noticed that Karasu and his team seemed awfully relaxed considering they were surrounded by a dozen enemies. He soon understood why as the enemy group made themselves known, a group of rogue Rain shinobi. Their leader stepped forward to mouth off but never got the chance, Karasu had drawn a sword from beneath his cloak and pierced the man's heart with it before he could utter a syllable. In the momentary lapse among his subordinates after their leader's sudden death, Inu and Usagi mowed down the enemies on either side and behind.
Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing as he watched Karasu's team for the few seconds it took for them to completely wipe out the enemy force. Inu was using what looked like a more complete animal transformation than even the Inuzuka were capable of, while Usagi was cloaked in an aura of the Nine-tail's chakra and using it to tear through anything in her way. He was surprised to see them using fighting styles similar to the Gentle Fist, at least in terms of precision strikes.
"If I had my other arm, I'd clap," Sasuke said jokingly as his nephew's team returned to normal and regrouped by him, making Karasu burst into loud laughter while Inu and Usagi shared an uncomfortable look at broaching that particular subject.
The rest of their journey was uneventful, aside from the occasional laughter between Sasuke and Karasu as they reminisced and got caught up.