Chapter 96
Light and Darkness: The Man Behind the Mask
Before the plumes of smoke swelled above the dense canopies and woodland horizon, Mimi smelled the raging forest fire.
It started off like a light spice added to the air, indiscernible to someone without an enhanced sense of smell. But it quickly intensified. The smoke grew in density, billowing endlessly into the mid-afternoon blue sky until all that remained was desolate ashen-grey. Then, like a blade drawn over flesh, the ashen-grey sky began to bleed reddish-orange, profusely.
What the hell was happening there? It looked and smelled like the entire border was ablaze.
Mimi raced through the forest, leaping from branch to branch, from tree to tree, with Hikari flying ahead of her. Tongue clicks penetrated the empty woods at steady, sharp intervals. She maneuvered her rock over and beneath thick branches, never losing speed or direction, determined to reach Amari before her light burned itself out.
Just keep moving. Ignore the anxiety. Ignore the developing side effects from ingesting multiple food pills in the last twenty-four hours. Her head was pounding. Her hands were beginning to tremble. Uncomfortable tingles danced over her flesh, along every nerve-ending she possessed.
She was hot. Everywhere. Face, chest, armpits, belly, crotch, thighs, feet; every inch of her body was burning with fever. Heat emanated off of her. It thrived off her misery. Laughed at her rising irritation. Demanded her to find a canteen of water to soothe the dry tickle in her throat, and then locate the nearest stream to strip and bathe her steaming body before she overheated.
She was hyper-aware of every cold bead of sweat on her skin. Those trickling down her forehead, those that made her mesh long sleeve and blue V-neck stick to her back and chest, and even the beads gliding down her shins. She felt her heart racing, pounding raucously from her chest cavity into her temples, spiking higher at the slightest snap of a twig, or branch bending in the wind.
My stress levels are rising, Mimi analyzed medically. I'm becoming jumpy. Paranoid, even. Damn it. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her stiff jaw. Pull yourself together! This mission is almost over. There's only one more person who needs you. It's your duty to take care of her. You're not just the squad leader or the medic. You're her friend and sister. Amari needs you, so stay focused!
"Two Jōnin are nearly upon us," Hikari announced suddenly. "I recognize one as Kakashi Hatake. The other is unknown to me."
Mimi's eyes snapped open. "Kakashi-sensei?"
The safety and security the name provided couldn't be matched in her deteriorating state. Why he was here didn't matter, though she could easily assume his reasons. She was just happy to have reinforcements.
"Some good news, finally," Mimi sighed audibly, relieved.
"The smoke is too dense in the air for me to acquire the other's scent," informed Aoko in a low murmur. "However, it is safe to assume it is Guy-sensei, Asuma-sensei or Kurenai-sensei. Teams Eight, Seven, Ten and Team Guy are the only squads on this mission. And they're reputations ensure minimal backlash to disobeying Lady Hokage's orders for Jōnin."
"Yeah," Mimi agreed. "They probably ran into Shikamaru and the others on the way. Hopefully they know about Kasai's kekkei genkai. If Amari hasn't burned him alive yet."
"I hope she is well. Smoke can be as deadly as the flames themselves."
"Doesn't matter if he has Wood Style. Amari won't let this punk take her down. She'll—"
"Amaririsu!"
Hikari's gasp was frightening in of itself without context.
Mimi felt her chest tighten. She opened her mouth to ask about her sister's status. Then…
She heard the explosion first. Like a volcanic eruption, the crack of a thousand lightning bolts at once, or the Gods snapping their fingers to flatten an entire country.
Aoko whined and buried her face into Mimi's wild mane. Hikari winced. Mimi, too, winced at the eardrum vibrating explosion. But unlike the Suna kunoichi, she recognized that sound. It was impossible to forget.
The Inuzuka landed on all-fours on a branch then flung herself to the top of the canopy, above the obscuring greenery. At the center of the ashen-grey curtain, streaked with ominous reddish-orange, a sharp and vibrant red light glowed—thrummed. Like the beating heart of the chaos, it pulsed and sparkled in violent radiance that did not ask to be observed in awe, but demanded reverence. The canopies closest to the explosion trembled and bent beneath the power.
It was exactly how she remembered it from the Akatsuki incident.
And, like she remembered, the tsunami wave of heated wind was ripping right for them.
What enormous power…
Dropping back into the dense forestry, she landed on Hikari's rock and demanded,
"Iron Sand shield, now!"
Hikari heard the rippling power rushing towards them, too. Her Iron Sand raced out of her gourd and cocooned around them both. Within they couldn't see anything. But they heard it all. Gales of hot wind, sharp and unforgiving, made the branches tremble, creak and groan. Weaker or already dead branches broke off and were flung mercilessly to the forest floor. Shock-waves quaked through the earth, the echoes of the explosion carried several miles in all directions.
Birds, hidden in the trees, sprang into the sky, letting out cries of all volumes and pitches. They wheeled above, darted through the forest, cried out warnings. Deer, squirrels and even their predators shot up, frozen, in search of the greater threat to their existence before darting off to hide.
It was like being caught in an explosion and an earthquake at the same time.
Then, as quickly as it began, the wind died down. The rupturing explosion faded. The air cooled. And the forest went silent, almost as if the world itself was revering the power displayed.
The Iron Sand dismantled and snaked into the gourd, leaving the two kunoichi and ninken in silent awe.
"I never thought I'd see that power again," Mimi muttered at length. "But it still scares the hell out of me."
"Spare no word of it to your allies," Hikari warned quietly. "Old shinobi are the same regardless of Nation. They will hunt her down to claim this power as their own. Or eliminate her from existence out of irrational fear."
"Mimi!"
By the time Mimi turned back to face Kakashi, the elite shinobi—joined by Kurenai—was already racing past her and Hikari.
"Maintain a safe distance! There's another enemy other than Kasai!"
And then he and Kurenai were gone.
"Yes…sir."
The Suna kunoichi looked with blind eyes towards Amari's location. "I sense the presence, too. Let us hurry. Amaririsu is alive but I fear what state she may be in. For her to unleash such a devastating technique, it bodes ill."
"Can we try for some positivity here," Mimi grumbled irritably.
Hikari tilted her head and smiled. "Amaririsu will be well. You're here, after all."
Mimi glanced down at her trembling hands.
She hoped that was true.
Amari woke to pain. Again.
Her heavy eyelids fluttered open to blurry vision in her right eye, and complete blindness in her left. The sky was dark, she noticed. Dark clouds, formed by the sudden concentration of heat rising into the atmosphere, were building into a storm.
She floated in the cold stream, Atsuko hugged to her chest. Both of them were soaked to the bone. Clothes, hair, flesh and feathers dripping with excess liquid. But they were alive. From where she lay, the kunoichi could see the waterfall without tilting her head, but couldn't hear it; the forest Kasai created was gone, incinerated and destroyed by the burning light of Amenominakanushi. Pieces of smoldering and splintered wood floated along the stream with Amari, something she realized when one conked her in the head.
Lacking any and all energy, she didn't grunt, groan or moan about it. She continued to stare up at the sky with bleary and blind eyes, cheeks stained by tears of blood. The Susanoo and Amenominakanushi drained everything from her. Her injuries, including the severed branch protruding through her ankle, kept her from moving a single muscle.
Is it…over?
Did she win? Did she finally kill Kasai and fulfill Ryu's last wish?
Water lapped into her ears, making her grimace. But it awoke her senses. She could faintly hear the endless roar of the waterfall again. And hidden beneath it, quieter but grimace worthy, were the terrible groans and moans of a boy in stomach churning agony.
Amari turned only her head in search of the sound. There, on the bank, writhing and groaning in agony, was Kasai. She couldn't see him well. Couldn't discern the finer details beyond the tattered haori he wore, but she was confident what she'd see if her vision wasn't blurred.
Third-degree burns. Or worse, if there was such a thing. Without a medic like Aimi to soothe the pain and heal the injury immediately after… Well, his sudden cry of pain made it clear Itachi's pain tolerance was beyond the realm of mortals.
You deserve it…
Their battle was over. She lacked the strength to finish him off with her own strength, and he was too injured to finish her off. Nobody won.
Perhaps that was how Lord First felt in his final battle with Madara.
Another piece of wood bumped into her inert form. Thicker than the last. Amari, using the last of her energy, latched onto it with her arms like a castaway and placed Atsuko atop it. She rested her head on the wood and shut her eyes.
Rest. She needed rest. Then, if neither of them succumbed to their injuries, she would finish him off. End his wretched life and his twisted ideals. Yes, she could still do that. That was her duty. Stopping Kasai was her responsibility. But only after she rested her aching and drained body.
Rest. Then finish him off.
"Well, well. What an interesting turn of events."
The foreign voice startled the kunoichi. Amari very slowly raised her eyes to Kasai's agony filled form, and felt her blood turn to ice.
"I must say, I was amazed when you revealed the Susanoo, Haya; to think you summoned its power at such a young age. But when you revealed the Amenominakanushi, well, even I felt a thrilling tremble. The power of your bloodline is undeniable."
She couldn't see his face, hidden behind an orange mask with a black flame design on it, but she sensed his smile.
"Or should I say our bloodline."
The man was attired in a black long-sleeve that covered his neck all the way up to his chin and mask, black gloves and dark pants. He knelt next to Kasai and tilted his head slightly to the side, inquisitively, as he examined the boy.
"You aimed the Amenominakanushi several meters behind Kasai to avoid collateral damage to yourself and the Head of the Crows. It was too risky to target him directly, given the distance between you. A wise calculation. But his survival proves he attempted to shield himself with his Wood Style, to what could be considered a successful endeavor since he still lives." He snorted dismissively. "Yet I hardly considered having half your body covered in copious amounts of third-degree burns a success. Overall, I'd say this battle is a draw."
"I'll…kill…her!" Kasai growled. He clawed at the ground and tried to drag himself forward. "I'll…destroy everything you love! I'll make you suffer!"
"That's enough," the Masked Man drawled with disinterest.
He placed a hand on Kasai's shoulder. Even in her blurred vision she could see the space around Kasai begin to warp like a tornado in slow motion. Her former friend shouted curses and promises of death and destruction to those she loved as he was seemingly absorbed into the Masked Man's eye.
Kasai vanished in a matter of seconds.
"You did well, Haya," the man praised what seemed to be genuinely. "Few shinobi have battled a true Wood Style user, and even fewer have lived to tell the tale. Hashirama was a one-of-a-kind opponent, or so I believed. However, Kasai may yet prove himself worthy as inheritor of Hashirama's kekkei genkai. Hmph," he chuckled with dark humor. "To think my best friend and worst enemy sired a child all those years ago without knowing. I, at least, took responsibility for my wife and child."
"Madara loved once," Atsuko's statement rang in her mind.
"You're…really…"
"Madara Uchiha?" he asked kindly. "I imagine this is quite difficult to take in, Haya. As far as this world knows, Hashirama slayed me on this very battlefield in our final encounter. But I survived, although I was critically injured." He lifted his gloved hand and looked at it. "Even now I am a shell of my former self. It's a testament to Hashirama's power that I remain weakened decades after our final battle."
"Yet he cheated death with a forbidden Uchiha jutsu, and because of that I was forced to manifest my Susanoo to draw attention to our battle."
Amari's body was on its last gasp. She couldn't risk another jutsu, let alone channel enough chakra to her feet to stand on the water. Her body was battered, lacerated, burned and weak. To even stand would take a monumental effort, and she was certain her knees would buckle instantly.
What did she do? What could she do? If standing wasn't an option, fighting was out of the conversation. And if fighting was out of the question, swimming away to safety was a bad joke.
She glanced at Atsuko, hopeful she might have woken up.
Atsuko was still unconscious.
Atsuko…Please wake up. I'm afraid.
Did she try to stall? Make him talk long enough for Atsuko to wake up and reverse summon them both to safety? What if he didn't talk? What if her peers were on their way here right now? No. No. This was bad. Her friends would die. They didn't know the slightest thing about his power. And only the presence of her Mama, Papa and Shisui were enough to deter him from continuing a battle.
Think. Think. Think. Come on! There has to be something you can do.
"Why Kasai?" she asked in a quiet, meek voice.
"What do you mean?"
"You're the only one who could've told him of our heritage. Orochimaru didn't know. If he had, he would've killed me or planted his Curse Mark on me in the Forest of Death. Or he would've kidnapped me that day."
"Hm," Madara hummed. "Indeed. You're fortunate he hasn't learned the truth of your heritage. He's a complicated man, and should he ever learn you're my granddaughter he'll decide you are the body he wishes to wear. Although I wouldn't let him do it, I assure you."
For a strange reason, she believed him.
"And you are also right to infer I informed Kasai of your heritages," he admitted, nodding. "You see, I wanted to bring you both together. As allies, Hashirama and I had no equal. I hoped that for the two of you as well. I believed the bond you two already shared wouldn't change because of the truth. But…" Madara sighed deeply, full of regret. "As you've learned he has come to blame you specifically for everything he has suffered. It's as if the Gods themselves refuse to let peace exist between the Senju and Uchiha."
"Where did you send him?"
"Somewhere far away from here, close to his master's den in the Land of Sound." Madara looked up at the statue of himself. "Orochimaru has likely changed bodies by now. It will be another three years before he can perform the jutsu again. For now, you are safe."
Nothing about this made her feel safe.
"But the time will come when you will have to face Orochimaru. Three years is not nearly as long as it sounds," he chuckled wryly.
She wanted to run.
"Though he is not the only enemy you must face." Madara walked onto the water and slowly began to approach her. "There is a man within the Leaf in charge of a group known as the Foundation. It is he who is responsible for the death of your family and the Uchiha Clan."
How much did she reveal she knew? Did she paint a target on her like she did with Itachi and Aimi? No. No. That was a terrible idea. At least then she had the strength to stand up, to fight. Think. Think. Think.
"How is he still around then? The Uchiha were a part of the Leaf."
"From a certain perspective, you're right. Hashirama and I founded the Leaf together. However, the Uchiha have never been seen as a part of the Leaf. Not fully," he explained patiently. "We were no more than second-class citizens. We were the strongest Clan in the whole of the Leaf. We protected our comrades with pride and honor. But no matter what we did, the Uchiha were seen through the eyes of the so-called open-minded Senju. We were feared instead of loved. We were cast out instead of brought in. We were hated because of the war that stole beloved family members and friends from both Clans.
"I saw the truth before the others. I tried to warn them, but my own Clan shrugged me off. Afraid of more war and bloodshed, they accepted the boot on their throats, unable to see one day it would break their necks. Now look at us. A handful of Uchiha remain."
But you vowed to destroy them, too. You helped kill my parents. Shisui believed that.
"How is he still around, you ask? Because deep rooted in Konoha's very foundations is prejudice against the Uchiha Clan. It's a cornerstone of the Leaf. Think about it, Haya. The Uchiha District is located on the outskirts of the village, isolated. We were given the Police Force as what was meant to be perceived as a show of faith, yet we were steadily isolated from the affairs of the Leaf. Less political power. Less say in the future development of our home. Fewer important missions.
"The Second Hokage, a hardliner who bore a notorious grudge against the Uchiha Clan, sowed further distrust among the populace against us, and three of his subordinates who take after his teachings still live. One of them leads the Foundation."
"And the other two?"
She hated that she asked. Hated the satisfied smile she sensed behind his mask.
"The Elders of the Leaf. It was the three of them who desired the eradication of the Uchiha Clan. And it was them who ordered Itachi to slay his Clan and spare only his little brother, or die alongside them."
"Lord Third would've never agreed to that."
"If push came to shove, do you truly believe the Third Hokage wouldn't order the eradication of the Uchiha Clan to spare them a civil war?"
Amari hesitated to answer. Could she believe it? She wanted to. But…a civil war would cost many innocent lives and weaken the Leaf from within. The possibility of invasion and complete destruction were high, and as Hokage it was his duty to protect the Leaf, its people and future at any cost. Even at the cost of one Clan.
"…But the Uchiha Clan were wrong, too," she pointed out.
"Ah! Indeed!" Madara spread his hands out. "Yes, both sides hold the blame for our Clan's downfall. You understand far better than I imagined. Though a child you may be, you're not naïve or innocent to this world we live in. To think this matter is as simple as who is right and who is wrong is irrational.
"Many of our Clan members were short-sighted. They couldn't see beyond their current reality, or simply refused to. And the Elders weren't willing to give a single inch to any request made by our Clan. Their prejudice and fear refused to be abated, even when wise and powerful men such as your father and Kagami Uchiha inherited the Will of Fire.
"Just as I saw it, your father realized the inevitability of conflict. He couldn't reason with his own Clan when they refused to listen; they saw him as a shill to the Leaf, and you and your mother were stains to the Uchiha name. The fools," Madara shook his head. "Your father should've been the Head of the Uchiha Clan. Instead they chose to follow Fugaku on his path towards our current reality.
"This decision fed into the Elders rhetoric. It became clear your family and its followers were in the minority. But the Elders let two opportunities pass to end the conflict peacefully. One was your cousin's plan to use his Mangekyō Sharingan on Fugaku to end his coup d'état. The Foundation leader intervened before he could, stole his eye and eliminated him. He'll claim it was for the safety of the Leaf, but what he really wanted was Shisui's power for himself. To control and consolidate power."
So did you.
"Their second opportunity for peace was never given the chance to bloom. Your father was revered and cherished by all of the Leaf. He was a war-hero. A man who earned his moniker as the Reincarnation of Madara Uchiha." Madara chuckled amusedly. "They had no idea how right they were. But rather than allow an Uchiha to be elected as Hokage, the Foundation leader took action. He gave Itachi Uchiha an impossible choice: Slay his Clan and spare his brother, or die alongside them.
"However, Itachi made a last minute addition to the deal: You. The Foundation leader may already know of your survival. Sooner rather than later he'll target you. Do you know why, Haya?"
"Because I'm an Uchiha?"
"Not just any Uchiha," Madara wagged his finger. "He sees your lineage—our lineage—as a threat. Your father and cousin were no threat to him. They loved the Leaf and the Uchiha Clan. They were inheritors of the Will of Fire, but all he can see is the power they possessed and the danger they posed to his grabs at power. Oh." He almost sounded surprised. "I forgot to mention this earlier—the Foundation leader made several assassination attempts on the Third Hokage."
"He…" Amari gasped.
"Yet the Third Hokage never banished, imprisoned or punished him for these attempts. Had he acted earlier, your family and our Clan would still live."
"But…why? Why would Lord Third let him just…"
Why would Lord Third let him live? Why let a man responsible for his attempted assassination live and continue to work as a shinobi but be willing to sacrifice her entire Clan for the Leaf's protection?
"Because they were friends and comrades as young men," Madara answered. "And, in the end, the Foundation leader was the Third Hokage's right hand man. The Hokage served in the light, while he served in the dark. In the end, the Third Hokage was too softhearted. It's for that same reason Orochimaru escaped the Leaf years ago.
"Even now the Foundation exists, in secret. It carries out dark deeds without official support from the Elders, but they privately support these actions. For instance, the Stone has grown quite bold lately. If, let's say, many young shinobi, specifically two newly promoted Chūnin, were slain and two Uchiha's were to 'go rogue' when the Fifth Hokage is still new to her office, she might be seen as incompetent. Support for a new Hokage may rise."
Amari's eyes bulged. Her heart ignited with fury.
"Or the Stone enters the border and reignites the Third Great Ninja War, enough military losses also may deem she is unfit to serve as Hokage."
"He's a power hungry warmonger."
"Indeed. That is why you must consider your safety carefully, Haya." Madara crouched down in front of her. "The Leaf isn't safe for you. When he and the Elders learn your true identity and lineage, they will grow suspicious of you. In fact, they may already know. If I may ask, did they allow you to come aid your comrades?"
Amari lowered her eyes.
"I suspected as much. You're beginning to bloom. Your power is increasing. Your influence is growing. You are a threat to their archaic systems."
"I'm not a threat—"
"It's not a matter of if you are or if you aren't, Haya," Madara cut off her weak argument. "He and the Elders perceive you as a threat, and that is enough for them to take matters into their own hands. Look at the power you already wield with the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Susanoo and the Amenominakanushi are raw power—you are raw power. And it will continue to grow as you do. They will act pleasantly to your face, but beneath those masks is fear. Fear of the power they cannot control any more than they can control natural disasters."
"And what of your strength? Of your impressive talents? Do you think you can continue to become stronger without consequences?" Gaara's gravelly voice entered her mind. "What will you do when the people closest to you deem you a threat? When you become a danger to the very village you were meant to protect, do you believe these people won't conspire behind your back? That they won't try to end your life before you become too much for them to handle?
"Don't be foolish. Following this path will leave you with nothing. Emptiness. The same isolation you've tried to escape will be all that's left. People are fickle. Your Leaf elders are no different than the Sand. They may actually smile to your face, but it's a façade to lower your guard as they make preparations to eliminate you."
"You know I'm right."
"This isn't just about you or Sasuke or even us. The Akatsuki, the masked man and the Foundation all pose a threat to the shinobi world."
Itachi warned her.
"And don't listen to his honeyed words. He'll tell you everything you want to hear, and it may even sound tempting when he does, but it's all lies. Nothing he offers will bring peace to this world."
Shisui warned her.
But she was stuck here, with him. Alone. Out of chakra and afraid. All she could do was listen to his honeyed words. And pray for a miracle.
"I'll stop him and the Foundation," she declared tiredly. "And I'll redefine the bond between the Uchiha Clan and the Leaf Village."
"That's very noble of you. But tell me, Haya, what's the point of saving one Village from a cycle of hatred and bloodshed when the rest of the world drowns in it? Broaden your horizons. Look beyond the Leaf and your loyalty to it. Think about the world itself. The Village system has failed to maintain peace. War after war has been fought. Children have been killed for pointless causes. The Foundation needs to be stopped, yes, but it isn't the disease. It's just a minor symptom of a greater, systemic issue our world is consumed by."
"I know," she admitted. "I've met other shinobi from other Nations who have been shunned, abandoned, betrayed and stained by the twisted nature of our world. I lost my family because of the Foundation leader."
And you.
"And how many more out there are like me? Who have lost their loved ones, or questioned the point of their existence when all it has ever given them was suffering. You know it, too, because you lost people you loved."
"I have."
Again she sensed honesty in his words.
"But I've made good friends. I've met kindred spirits. I know people can understand each other, regardless of Nation, if they try."
"If they try. Yet they continually refuse to."
"Because no one trusts each other. You and Hashirama became best friends, right? Without our headbands, without our pride, there are no enemies. The past generations hold onto past grudges, old hatreds and bad blood, and infect the new generations with their prejudices. Just like how the rivalry between the Senju and Uchiha transitioned into what it became.
"You wanted peace, didn't you? You wanted to stop other children from being sent to war, like you and your family members. That's why you and Hashirama created the Leaf."
"And look what it became," Madara pointed out. "Our attempt at peace created the Five Great Nations, and further war. More children were sent into the slaughter."
"Then help me change this world."
Madara recoiled slightly at her demand.
She stared directly at his orange, flame marked mask with an earnest expression. At the eye hidden behind it, not the hole where his Sharingan would be waiting for her.
"I want this world to know peace, too. Kasai claimed he inherited your Will, but the true Madara's Will isn't about hatred and war. Your dream was peace. You wanted a better future for your family. For the woman you loved and your child."
"Everything I loved was taken from me."
"I've lost my entire family, too. I miss them every day. And I suffer daily. That is the consequence of love. To love means inevitably enduring through loss."
"This world is absent of love."
"No it's not," she shook her head. She thought of her family, of Shisui, of Kurenai and all her precious people. "I've seen it. Been blessed to experience it. You did, too. Don't let the pain obscure your vision. The memories are painful, I know. But they are also gifts."
Madara hesitated. She sensed his budding uncertainty.
The stream suddenly seethed, coming alive like a long forgotten monster had awoken in the depths beneath them.
A drill of water barreled between the two Uchiha. Madara leapt back. Amari's arms hugged Atsuko closer as the water around her began to churn. Without warning, a large wave surged beneath her and carried her towards the shoreline. She couldn't sense who it was, or see where she was going. In that moment, the world was a frightening, churning cold wave of unknowns and fear.
Was it Orochimaru? Someone of the Akatsuki? A Foundation member? Was she about to become a hot-potato between people who held ill-intentions for her?
Afraid, exhausted and battling against anxiety, Amari shut her eyes and held tightly onto Atsuko. Praying for this nightmare that burdened her with fear and isolated her to come to an end.
She wanted to go home.
The crest of the wave collapsed, and with it she fell towards the earth. The air hurt her impaled ankle. Agitated her burned and lacerated back. The fall made her heart soar into her throat, her stomach drop in dread and every muscle in her body contract, unsure of where she would land but knowing it would hurt terribly.
Arms caught her bridal style—it hurt. She grimaced, felt her head begin to spin and darkness claw at her consciousness. She creaked her right eye open. Instantly, relief swelled in her soul as the blurry visage of one of her saviors registered with her exhausted mind.
"Mom," she breathed out.
"I'm sorry we're late, little one."
She nuzzled into her without saying a word. Too emotional to speak.
"Well, well, what do we have here," the Masked Man drawled. "Kurenai Yūhi and Kakashi Hatake. I admit, I didn't expect either of you to show up, especially not so quickly. But once again you two step between me and my great-great granddaughter."
Kurenai narrowed her eyes at the man. Once again? Could he be talking about the day we found Amari?
Kakashi, who stood in front of her with his Sharingan revealed, stood at the ready for an attack.
"What do you want with Amari?" Kakashi demanded.
"What do I want with her? She's my family. I only want her to come home."
The faux concern and warmth that dripped from his voice stirred a vile feeling in the Mother Bear's gut.
"You are not her home," Kurenai hissed.
"And you are, Kurenai? Or is it you, Kakashi? Hmph," he chuckled dismissively, coldly. "Don't be foolish. My blood runs in her veins. The blood of the Uchiha Clan is her birthright. And one day she will come to me, because she will see that I was right."
"I don't think so." An intense concentration of Lightning formed around Kakashi's hand.
"The Chidori? Or is it the Lightning Blade now? Careful with that, Kakashi Hatake. You may accidentally strike another comrade down with it. Or one of your students," their enemy mocked.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Whoever you are, I'll end you here and now. Kurenai, get Amari out of here."
"No," Amari struggled to get the word out. She looked on the verge of passing out. "Wait, Kakashi-sensei. Don't attack him. It's…too dangerous."
She's right, Kurenai thought pensively. And I think Kakashi knows that, too, even if he won't show it. We learned from Shisui that he can cheat death with a Forbidden Jutsu of some sort, and that he may have had a hand in killing Amari's mother and father. Both of us haven't recovered from our previous mission, or our sprint here. We're not at full strength.
"You should listen to Haya, Kakashi," said the Masked Man. "She's saving your life. Besides, I have no interest in fighting either of you right now. We're all in quite the precarious situation, if you haven't noticed."
"Is that so?"
"If you kill me, you'll break Haya's heart. If I kill either of you, she'll never forgive me.
"For now, I'll depart." The Masked Man began to move his hand in a circle, palm facing his body. He slowly began to seemingly erase from existence with the motions of his hand. "I look forward to our next meeting, Haya. Do be careful until then."
And then he was gone.
Kurenai extended her senses out in every direction.
"He's…gone," she said, surprised. "There isn't a single trace of his presence anywhere."
The Lightning around Kakashi's hand faded. "Keep your guard up. If he can disappear like that, he can appear just as easily."
"Right."
Kurenai looked down at her daughter, cradled in her arms and head lolled against her chest. She was asleep. Setting her down on the bank, she examined her daughter's injuries, heart growing tight in her chest at the severity. Her chakra presence was weak, a small flickering flame compared to the inferno it had been minutes before. Her cheeks were stained by bloody tears that symbolized her internal suffering.
Kakashi approached. "How is she?"
"Her Mangekyō Sharingan has exhausted her of chakra, and she's severely wounded. Mimi will need to take care of her on our way back."
Her eyes lingered on the branch impaling her daughter's ankle. It was right through her Achilles tendon. That would be a problem, she could sense it. Finally, she examined the Head of the Crows.
"Atsuko is unconscious, but alive. Her feathers have been burned, though I can't say what the cause was. Could have been a Fire Ball Jutsu, the forest fire we saw or a paper bomb for all we know."
A droplet of rain plopped against her skull. Raising her eyes, Kurenai looked up at the statues, at the crater formed behind the waterfall and the smoldering trees being taken down stream. Then she took in the dark sky above. Another droplet of rain crashed against her forehead. Then another. The sky slowly opened up into a downpour, pouring its sorrow and anger onto the remains of this conflicted battlefield.
"That jutsu changed the weather," she murmured.
"Yeah," Kakashi sighed. "I don't see any other bodies. She may have incinerated him completely."
"Kakashi." Pakkun returned with a forehead protector in his mouth. The cloth was tattered and burned, and a line had been carved straight through the Sound symbol. The direction the strike came from was plain to the two veterans; the blade to strike carved off the metal, through the fabric at one end and likely into the flesh of Kasai.
"I found this on the other bank. His scent was there, too. I didn't smell it leading off anywhere."
"Maybe that man teleported him somewhere," Kurenai proposed.
Kakashi nodded. "It's possible." His eyes fell down to Amari's still form. Again, he sighed heavily. "As long as they both live, their battle will never end. They'll survive. Endure. And come back at each other stronger, just as their ancestors did before them. Like the waterfall of this valley, their conflict will rage on endlessly until the world itself changes."
Kurenai frowned. The cold rain soaked her to her core. Her wild hair, tamed by the downpour, stuck to her face and back. But that wasn't what bothered her. It was the ominous truth behind Kakashi's words. Their shinobi careers were founded in conflict. War. And the world hadn't changed since their childhood.
She wiped the blood from her daughter's cheeks and brushed strands of her wet hair out of her face.
"Is this the inheritance we leave our children?" she asked quietly over the patter of rain on stone. "Old grudges and quarrels they never asked for? Conflicts and wars that stretch on through generations? We've fought in wars. We know the price, the horror and violence it causes. Every Nation does. So why is it we force our children to pay the same price, to experience the same horrors and violence we did? Does it even have an end?"
"I don't know. But I think this new generation will change it."
"I hope you're right."
"So do I. Otherwise it really will be an endless cycle."
Kakashi knelt down beside Pakkun and retrieved the Sound forehead protector, stuffing it into the pocket of his flak jacket. He pulled his headband back over his Sharingan eye and said, "Let's not linger here."
Kurenai nodded and snaked one arm beneath her daughter's limp legs and the other behind her back, lifting her defeated body off the ground. The two Jōnin paused in the downpour and spared one last look through the dark curtain of rain at the statues of Madara and Hashirama.
The Valley of the End…
No. Nothing ended here. It went dormant. Locked in a stalemate just as these two statues remained locked in confrontation. But the return of their ancestors hadn't finished their conflict.
This war between light and darkness was only beginning.
The rainstorm caused by the heat of Amari's jutsu extended beyond the Valley of the End.
Mimi, Aoko and Hikari were soaked by the rainfall as they chased after the two Jōnin. Only the Inuzuka was overjoyed to be rained on; a light misting of steam rose off her overheating body.
However, they never reached the Valley itself. Never saw the carnage that remained or the battlefield. Kurenai and Kakashi returned quickly, the former of the pair lying her daughter on Hikari's rock so Mimi could heal her as they traveled.
The sight of Amari's battered, lacerated and burned body constricted Mimi's heart. She wanted to yell and shake her awake for getting herself so hurt. She wanted to find Kasai and grind him into dust. But most of all, she wanted to fix her up and get home already.
The impaled branch through her ankle appeared the worst at first glance, but then there was the major laceration along the entire length of her back and over her shoulder, the cut beneath her armpit, the gouge in her shoulder from a shuriken, the burn from an explosive over her back and the intense burn over her leg. Not to mention the internal damage Aoko recognized from the last time she used the Mangekyō Sharingan—only worse.
"You reckless idiot. Running off on your own like that. Look at you. What if I wasn't around, huh? What if the Jōnin hadn't showed up? What if I was injured while helpin' Kiba? What if you had injuries I couldn't fix?"
"You are Mimi Inuzuka, the kunoichi who will surpass Lady Tsunade. So don't lose heart. Everything will be okay. I promise."
Mimi wiped at her eyes then reached into her pouch for her Plasma Pills.
"I'm gonna fix ya up, because I'm gonna surpass that Old Hag. And then I'm gonna kick your ass when you're better for this reckless abandon you constantly show. People care about ya, ya know. Your mom, your team, Kakashi-sensei, Hikari, me and Aoko, and that damn Slacker and your aunt and uncle. Hinata and Lee and all the others, they're all worried sick about you. And you just go and get yourself knocked out so I can't even yell at ya properly.
"I hope your Aunt chews you up for this crap. The way Slacker talks about her, you'll be walkin' funny for days after she's done with ya. And you deserve it, too! Worrying everyone all the time. Gettin' yourself carved up like a piece of meat. I don't care if that bastard did have Wood Style or not. You're Amaririsu Yūhi, damn it. I'm the only one who gets the knock your lights out.
"You're a mess. I hope those knots kick your ass, too.
"…I should've been there. I should've been faster and you wouldn't have had to fight him alone. We would've ground him into dust. I'm sorry. But you're gonna be okay. See? This laceration on your back is nothin' I can't handle. Just…stop using that damn Mangekyō Sharingan. I can't fix your eyes if you blind yourself with it. No one can.
"Even if you do, though, you wouldn't be completely screwed. Hikari could teach you to fight without your sight."
"I'd teach her all I have learned."
"See? Hikari's got your back. We all want to watch your back. But you can't keep running off on your own like this. I need to figure out your Space-time ninjutsu for myself at this rate. That or tie one of Tenten's weighted balls to your ankle so you can't go anywhere. I'll put a bell on it to so I know if you're sneaking around."
Hikari's giggle was soothing.
"All I'm saying is you better have given Kasai hell. If he did this to you and you didn't lay so much as a scratch on him, I'm tellin' Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei to drill you into the ground. It'll be my recommendation as a medic.
"Damn jitters. My hands won't stop shaking."
"Stay calm, Mimi. Breathe. You're doing fine."
"Right, right. Breathe. Breathe…"
The violent tremble of her hands eased to something milder. More controlled.
"Amaririsu will be well, Mimi. The light in her refuses to wither."
"I know. She's too damn stubborn to quit on me. On all of us."
"I hope I do not offend, but I sense a very deep connection between you two. Are you two lovers?"
"Lovers— No! Hehehe! Oh, you have to ask that to Amari when she wakes up. She'll turn so red!"
"Are you not?"
"Nah. I can see how you might think that. Between Amari's big heart and my jittery ramblings, it can give the wrong impression. She's a little sister to me. I love her, sure. But as a sibling. Not in an in love way."
"Is there someone else your heart yearns for?"
"I'm not the type to tell that to anyone. Not even my family."
"Mm. My apologies."
"No harm done."
"Will Atsuko be well?"
The Inuzuka checked the Crow quickly.
"She was hurt by an explosion. I'm not a specialist in veterinary medicine or healing, but I can apply some rudimentary Medical Ninjutsu to help a little. Once we make it back to the Leaf, I'll take her to one of our bird specialists. My cousin Hana knows a good one."
Hikari continued to ask her questions all the way back. Mimi appreciated it. Her questions kept the Inuzuka calm, focused. With help, she could ignore the anxiety, the uncomfortable heat emanating through her body, the jitters.
They regrouped with their peers along the way, most of whom were visibly concerned or moved to tears—Naruto, Sakura and Hinata—over Amari's condition.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they entered the Leaf's gates.
The mission was a success.
Yet for all those who took part in the mission, officially or not, they felt a premonition deep in their guts.
Their youthful and innocent summer had passed. The coming of fall had come with a number of omens and new enemies and threats.
Now winter was upon them.
And this was only the first storm of the season.
Kabuto sensed that the Sound Four and Kimimaro had failed their objectives.
How else might anyone explain the absence of Sasuke and Amaririsu? Failure was always a possibility, though, and his Lord wouldn't give up so easily on the vessel he desired. In time, with a new plan and stronger pawns, Lord Orochimaru would gain Sasuke Uchiha's body, and Amaririsu would join their ranks to vanquish the very Village she called home.
Until then, he would continue his work in the shadows. There was still much to be done beyond ensnaring the two Uchiha.
The sound of approaching footsteps drew a thoughtful hum from Kabuto. They were sluggish, heavy. The person responsible for them was breathing with difficulty. Sucking in air hoarsely.
In the candlelight of their underground base, the shadows hid the individual's face and body. But Kabuto recognized the hem of the white haori.
"Ah, so that's where you went," he noted academically. "You failed to capture Sasuke and Amaririsu as well. And you were always so quick to boast about you—"
Kabuto sucked in his words as killing intent swarmed him.
"Shut. Up. Kabuto," the voice growled. "Or I'll kill you where you stand!"
"Easy," he coaxed nervously, taking a step back. "I was only joking around."
Kasai stepped from the shadows into the light. Kabuto's eyes opened widen behind his round framed glasses.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?!"
"What happened to you?" Kabuto gasped.
Kasai looked like a piece of meat that was burnt on one side and uncooked on the other. The smell of burnt flesh gave him the same nauseous feeling that chugging a bottle of soured milk provided.
The severity of those burns… I've never seen someone alive bearing them.
And yet he was still alive. Still standing. And had apparently lumbered his way all the way back to their hideout.
There is no doubting his Will to live. Kabuto hazard a look into the lavender and green eye—the latter surrounded by a meshing of brown and white burnt and blistering skin. Or his hatred for Amaririsu.
"This is all her fault! Those damn eyes of hers did this to me! I'll rip them from her eye sockets one day. And then I'll make her suffer just like I am!"
And that hatred for her is keeping him alive.
Kabuto approached. "Here, let me—"
Kasai growled, grabbed him with his burnt arm and threw him against the adjacent wall. The solid stone greeted his back remorselessly, knocking the breath from his lungs.
"I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help!"
"Don't be a fool!" Kabuto grounded out hoarsely. "Look at yourself! Those burns could kill you if they aren't treated!"
"She can't kill me! I refuse to die by her hand!" Kasai continued to trudge forward, past him. "I don't need a weakling like you to help me. I'll endure through this pain and gain more power for it!"
At that moment, Kabuto gasped, a sense of fear and dread seizing and paralyzing his body as Kasai's half burnt and half normal lips lifted into a sadistic, evil grin.
"You'll all see. This twisted world will bow before my might. And as it begs me for mercy, I'll show them the meaning of pain."
What are you? He demanded within the shelter and safety of his own mind, where his fear and horror couldn't be heard.
For a few long, breathless minutes, he sat alone in the candlelight pondering that exact question.
It took him that time to find the will and strength to move again.
I know Lord Orochimaru sees potential in you…
Kabuto turned back down the hall to continue his tasks. He felt a vindictive and vengeful smirk tug at his lips.
But I hope Amaririsu kills you, Kasai. Then we'll see who the weakling really is.
The curtain of rain over the Valley of the End was finally pulled closed. Sunshine returned and shown down onto the battlefield bearing new scars from its most recent conflict.
Atop the head of Madara Uchiha's statue sat the Masked Man. His right leg was bent towards him, propping up his right arm as he observed the surrounding area.
Today proved most enlightening. While true he wished Haya would've forsaken the Leaf during their talk and joined him, there was no rush yet. She proved willing to listen, far more willing than he predicted.
The seeds of doubt and suspicion were planted deep in her heart now. All he had to do was wait for the Elders and him to show their true colors. They were quite predictable. Indeed, he suspected Haya and Sasuke would soon find themselves embarking on far less important missions beyond the walls of the Leaf.
The act of 'safety' would prove him right. Haya would see the truth of his words, and when he inevitably made his move, the two Uchiha's would witness the reality he had spoken of. Then they would come to him.
"Then help me change this world."
The Masked Man hummed uncomfortably. The passion and fire in Haya…
"I want this world to know peace, too. Kasai claimed he inherited your Will, but the true Madara's Will isn't about hatred and war. Your dream was peace. You wanted a better future for your family. For the woman you loved and your child."
The woman he loved was gone. Taken from him. Stolen mercilessly.
"I've lost my entire family, too. I miss them every day. And I suffer daily. That is the consequence of love. To love means inevitably enduring through loss."
Endure? He couldn't. The day she died, he did as well. He was just an empty shell, living in a world of hell. In this twisted world, love was a cruel dream. A fleeting hope of naïve children. This hell was absent of love.
"No it's not. I've seen it. Experienced it. You did, too. Don't let the pain obscure your vision. The memories are painful, I know. But they are also gifts."
Memories… He could see her face. Feel the warmth of that wonderful smile. Feel her warm hand in his as she dragged him along…
"Sorry, Haya. But I have my own plans to change this world."
If he could turn that passion and fire towards his objective, nothing could stop him from creating a world where she still lived.
Once Haya realized his world would reunite her with the family she lost, she would do anything to make it a reality.
Even sacrifice her best friend.
Review Response to Guest: They will get to interact with Tenzo/Yamato eventually. Glad you enjoyed the reveal of Kasai being a Senju.
Those who are in the know about Amari's heritage is a small group of people currently alive. Shikaku, Yoshino, Kurenai, Kakashi, the Fifth and Jiraiya know at the moment, though the latter two have only learned in recent times. Post-Akatsuki incident through Shikaku. Minato and Lord Third knew as well because they were close with her family. Her parents and Shisui knew. Atsuko and the Crows know. Orochimaru and Danzo do not know; it was a carefully guarded secret and remains that way.
Kurama has suspicions. By default he doesn't like her, because she's a human and an Uchiha at that. Her chakra is a conflict of light and dark, which he senses.
They're descendants of Indra and Ashura through their bloodlines, though I haven't made a full decision on if they are direct reincarnations or not. That's something I'll likely decide later in the story. Kasai is full Curse of Hatred at this point.
Rinnegan requirements will be the same as they were in the canon Naruto world. But neither Amari or Kasai know about that at this point.
By Clan they are related through their Uzumaki lineage, but I doubt I'll ever really delve into the specifics of how closely their relation is beyond their present day relation to one another.
The Crows were not originally Madara's summons. They sensed the darkness in him. However, the Crows were around him, offering guidance and watching both his rise and fall, as well as other secrets the world has forgotten about him. Such as his wife and child.
We'll have to wait and see how Naruto develops.
I don't know if any upcoming speeches from Gaara will be as intense as his war speech just yet, but he does have a few moments coming up that show his new outlook and determination to become a good Kazekage.
Yep, the Tailed-Beasts have the same backstory as canon. At least at this exact moment I haven't diverted from it.
Definitely the possibility of other jinchuriki showing up.
There are more than a few original arcs and anime filler arcs that were interesting or cool in my opinion that are upcoming prior to the time-skip. The MHA arc is after the finality of this arc, which is a few chapters away. We'll have to wait to see how Amari's trip there went and what happened. There is more than one original arc I have in mind, but I won't spoil what they are and what happens in them.
Amari's relationship and witnessing of banter between Temari and Shikamaru is just a general experience, not exclusive to this arc and exact moment of battling Kasai and her Curse of Hatred stuff.
Thank you for the review!