Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

111. Chapter 110: Our Final Mission

Chapter 110

Our Final Mission: Where My Heart and Eyes Have Led Me

"Sero, Shoji, Yaoyorozu, how are those supports coming?" Tenya Iida asked over the clamor of Class 1-A preparing to evacuate the café.

Ever since Amaririsu ran into battle, Iida, Yaoyorozu and Igarashi had taken command over their peers, quieting the din of mass confusion and fear through the stability of leadership and guidance. All they needed was direction. Someone to tell them what to do or how to help. From there they worked together towards their goal—evacuation.

"This is the last one," Yaoyorozu answered while lifting her shirt to her rib-cage.

From the naked fair flesh of her flat belly, a steel I-beam was slowly emerging and lengthening to fit flush between the floor and the remnants of the broken ceiling, which Shoji grabbed and guided upwards with his amazing strength. Yaoyorozu couldn't have been more thankful this random attack occurred at a confection café; all the food she needed to replenish her lipids after creating a fourth I-beam was at her fingertips.

"All right, Sero, your turn," the Creation wielder panted when finished, beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Got it!"

Sero aimed his tape dispensers, from which he ejected streams of tape to build a supportive web at the weak point in the ceiling and around the beam to reinforce its stability, hopefully preventing an utter collapse. At least while they were inside.

The once peaceful and neat café had become the scene of a disaster. Tables and chairs were upturned and thrown aside by the sudden calamity; the displays of delicious confections were utterly destroyed or scattered over the floor and counter, cake icing and sprinkles splattered, smeared and speckled on every possible surface; the mouthwatering aroma had escaped through the hole in the ceiling, and now all the students could smell was the layer of dust hanging in the air created by destroyed tile, plasterboard and concrete.

"Kaminari, send out a group text to everyone who isn't presently here," Igarashi commanded over the chaos. "Tell them there's been a Villain attack. Keep them away."

"Right!"

"Kyoka, Kirishima, how's our exit looking?"

"It's chaos out there," Kirishima answered quickly. He was full of adrenaline. "There are bystanders fleeing from everywhere."

"But there aren't any other Villains," Jiro reported with a calm that betrayed her nervous glances to the ceiling and street beyond the gaping hole in the ceiling and wall. "It's just that faceless guy Amaririsu is fighting."

"What about Shigaraki and Kurogiri?" Yukiko asked. "I heard that freak screaming a moment ago about his hand. Now there's nothing. What's the situation— Hold on a second. Tsu, go help Mina with patching up the Old Man. Keep her calm."

"Ribbit!" Asui hopped over to her friend and crouched down beside her. "Easy, Mina. Everything is going to be okay. We just have to apply these bandages to Mr. Kojima and then we'll leave."

Yukiko didn't pause in handing out orders.

"Todoroki, even with those supports there's a chance the entire ceiling will collapse. Stay ready. We'll need you to save our asses if that happens."

"Don't worry. I'll be ready."

"Thanks." Yukiko turned back to Jiro, confidently and calmly handling the situation. "Kyoka, what's the situation out there?"

"Shigaraki and Kurogiri turned tail and ran after she cut his hand off. Amaririsu is seriously punk rock. Shigaraki sounded terrified just to be in the same presence as her."

"Can you blame him? We were terrified of her," said Sero, "and that was all an act. I don't want to imagine how terrifying she is when she's serious."

"Yeah, true," the rocker girl nodded. Then she shook her head. "Still, I don't think they knew we were here. Or if they did, they didn't care to use us as hostages or collateral damage."

"Mm. Which means Amaririsu is the one they're after, just as she suspected," Yukiko concluded.

Midoriya wringed his hands. He bit the inside of his bottom lip. Things had spiraled out of control so quickly. Not even five minutes ago they were all lounging around, laughing and talking and delighting in the masterful confections Kojima baked. It'd all been so peaceful. So relaxing. And now they were knee-deep in a sticky and murky swamp, trying to pull their feet free of the mud without sinking deeper or losing their shoes.

This was a crisis situation. He could feel his heartbeat at his throat's pulse point without touching it. Feel the light spasm of skin there on every thundering pulse. They were caught up in another Villain attack, this time without permission to fight back. The U.S.J. was a special incident. It'd been the only time they were allowed to fight without receiving a reprimanding from their teachers or law enforcement.

Here, on this cloudy afternoon, they could only brace the broken through ceiling to the best of their current abilities and apply bandages to Kojima and Reina to staunch the bleeding and cover their wounds. They couldn't fight. They couldn't help Amaririsu.

The path through the back exit was open, at least. Unfortunately, it led straight into the greater chaos of a district-wide evacuation, where regular civilians without Hero training or leaders were fleeing and shrieking in terror of the Nomu. The creature they'd all seen on the news wreaking havoc on Hosu.

Meanwhile, Amaririsu was valiantly playing the role of a decoy, shining brightly in her own words to draw the attention of the Nomu away from them and any other bystanders at the risk of her own life. But she had no idea what that monster was truly capable of. She hadn't seen it destroy Eraser Head. Or go toe to toe with All Might. Amaririsu didn't know…

She's outmatched, Midoriya analyzed nervously. She may be fast with a variety of skills, but she doesn't have the raw power necessary to defeat the Nomu. It'll just keep regenerating from every attack she throws at it. In a war of attrition, she'll be the only one losing ground. She's already been injured by that rebar. And who knows how long it will take the Pro's to show up, or if the Pro's that do show up have the power to help.

In Hosu, he'd seen a squad of Pro's battling against an identical Nomu to no effect. It kept destroying everything, weakening them towards what may have inevitably been their inescapable deaths if it wasn't for Endeavor arriving on the scene.

What chance was there for the Number Two or even the Number One Hero to show up in time, though?

I could text All Might, but… What if he has already passed his limit? What if fighting this Nomu makes his time limit grow shorter? Can we risk his Hero form failing when so many eyes will be on him? The Symbol of Peace has to endure.

Midoriya's stomach knotted itself. He grimaced against a vile taste in his mouth.

Did I…just value All Might's life over Amaririsu's?

He felt sick, briefly. It was happening again. His affinity towards his teacher shoved aside his heart's desire to protect and save everyone with his desire to defend All Might's secret and pride as the Symbol of Peace, just as it had in the Pop Quiz. Amaririsu was the very person who scolded him for it. But…he threw her lesson away. Just for that brief moment he put All Might before her, even if it meant Amaririsu would die.

Midoriya dug his nails into his warm and sweaty palms. Damn it. What kind of Hero was he hoping to be? What kind of Hero would even think that way?

I'm still so immature. Midoriya grounded his teeth together. After everything All Might and Mr. Aizawa have taught me, after everything Amaririsu taught us, I just…I keep thinking I'm so much better than I currently am when I'm not even a Hero yet. Amaririsu wouldn't have ever considered leaving anyone behind. All Might wouldn't either, even if it meant risking his life and his secret. You're so stupid, Izuku.

He dug his hand into his pocket and thumbed in the code to unlock his phone. Before he could type the message out, a hand snatched him by the wrist and pinned his hand against the screen. Igarashi stood beside him, violet eyes unblinking. She used her body to shield their hands from the view of the others.

"Don't," Igarashi commanded quietly. "Don't involve him."

Midoriya felt his anger flare. "What are you talking about?" he growled, trying to tug his hand free. Yukiko's grip didn't budge. She just held his gaze. "You know what those things can do! You know she can't win with her strength alone. She needs help."

The violet storm narrowed at him. "I already texted my sister. Amaririsu will be fine until she shows up."

"We need—"

"What we need is to get the injured out of this building," Yukiko cut him off. "We need to get the Old Man and Reina to safety and all of our classmates out of here. We're in the way. If the Nomu crashes into the café again, we're all screwed. So put your phone away and help me carry the Old Man."

She released his hand. Midoriya clutched his phone tightly, ground his teeth together; his body was trembling. Yukiko walked away silently. Calmly. So damn calm despite Amaririsu's life being in danger, he couldn't…

"Shoji, can you carry Reina? It'll be easier on everyon—"

"She loves you, do you even realize that? And you're just walking away instead of trying to use every possible advantage we have to help her. Don't you feel the same as her?" he grounded out.

"Don't go there, Midoriya," Yukiko's voice was ice. "I'm warning you this once. Don't."

"I was there when you lost your father. I saw how it affected you! Do you know how badly I wanted to help? But there was nothing I could do. Nothing. You were out of my reach. I didn't know how to help you. But Amaririsu is still here. She's still in our reach. But you…"

"Leave my father out of this, Midoriya," Yukiko warned. Threatened, really. "We're in Amaririsu's way right now. So shut up and help us keep moving."

How could she be so calm when another person she cherished could die? Amaririsu was still in arms reach. They could protect her. But Yukiko…

Midoriya growled, whirled around and spoke without thinking.

"I thought you of all people would want to protect her!"

When Midoriya would ruminate on the events of the day while lying spread eagle on his bed later that night, staring at the ceiling and nursing a bruised back, he would feel barbed knots of regret and guilt from his outburst constricting his heart. He'd been so stupid. Bringing up Yukiko's father, questioning her feelings… She warned him. Twice. But he hadn't listened. He hadn't looked at her with clear vision. If he had…

As he would lie there, shifting and frowning in discomfort on his own bed, he would send an apology message to his childhood Hero, hoping it would be enough to fix his stupid and immature behavior.

But more than that, he would remember that the greatest mistake he made was once again getting lost in his own emotions instead of being clearheaded.

If he would've just remembered to be clearheaded, if he wouldn't have been consumed by his self-loathing from a stupid thought, he never would have hurt his friend unintentionally. And he never would have been on the receiving end of Yukiko Igarashi's rage.

But he hadn't remembered. So, with his outburst, the domino was knocked over into the series of events that would follow.

Yukiko stiffened and froze on the spot. He saw her hands curl into fists, her shoulders begin to tremble. For one brief second, he was able to see the shimmer of purple lightning crackle around her. Then he was choking for air, his back slammed against a nearby divider wall between two booths, a pulsing ache thrumming around the center of his spine.

His shirt was clutched tightly beneath Yukiko's white-knuckle fists, her violet eyes flashing with lightning. Anger. Hurt. She was breathing heavily, gritting her teeth; he could tell even in his pained and fearful state that she was restraining herself from punching him.

Finally, she snapped. With a vicious snarl, she wound up for a punch. Midoriya shut his eyes and flinched, but the fist never connected. It slammed into the divider wall beside his head, cracking the wood. Heart beating fast, Midoriya stared wide eyed at his friend. Blood was beginning to drip off her hand.

"Yukiko…" he whimpered.

"Amaririsu means more to me than my own life," she growled. "I would rather fight and die protecting her from that monster than stand another second on the sidelines watching her fight it. So don't you dare question my feelings, Midoriya. You don't have the right."

He winced and looked away.

"Did you ever consider why she is playing the decoy? It isn't to be a cool Hero. It isn't because she thinks she can defeat that monster on her own. She's risking her life for us! For our future, even if it costs Amaririsu her own!" Her volume rose with every statement. "That's the kind of person she is. That's the only reason I haven't run off to help her. I'm honoring her wish and following her orders because if I attack that monster, I'll throw away everything she is fighting for! If I act rashly, everything she's done for me, everything my sister and my teachers have done for me, their sacrifices will be worthless!

"Right now, we're in the way. We're the reason she's fighting and risking her life. So instead of focusing on yourself and your personal dilemmas, how about you pull on your Hero pants, put your phone away and act like a goddamn Hero!"

"Hey, that's enough," Todoroki stepped into view. "We don't have time for this."

"She-devil, help brace this old man, huh?" Kojima asked. "My head is splitting open."

Igarashi held his eyes for another moment before sniffing dismissively and releasing her iron grip. Midoriya slumped slightly against the wall.

"I told you to stop calling me that, Old Man. Did you hit your head too? Not going senile, are you?" Igarashi asked to Kojima.

The café owner chortled and snorted. Then winced and groaned. "Damn she-devil."

"Heh, don't fall apart on me yet, Old Man. Come on. I'll get you out of here, for a price. I want free meals for a month."

"Very Heroic of you. Haggling with a victim."

"Don't be so dramatic. It's a minor injury."

Uraraka, Todoroki and Asui approached Midoriya. The two girls were at his side, checking on his injuries.

"You all right, Midoriya?" Todoroki asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he replied softly.

"Yukiko was pretty rough with you," Asui said bluntly. "But you did kind of instigate it."

He nodded slowly, swallowing roughly. "Yeah. I know. I deserved that."

"You're both just worried and stressed out. We all are. I'm sure everything will be fine after this is all over, Deku."

He appreciated Uraraka's optimism, but there was more to their momentary quarrel than what they had said. Though Bakugo wasn't here to finish their trinity of emotional dilemmas, past quarrels and unspoken feelings, their issues and differences of personalities and ideals never ceased to clash. How he had acted, it was so much like his childhood bully just to declare something so inane and selfish in the midst of a crisis. He hated this part of himself. He hated that they hadn't had a real conversation since joining U.A. and reuniting after years.

He hated to see the hurt in her eyes.

"You don't have the right."

No, he supposed he didn't anymore. She hadn't forgotten the way he had looked at her unconsciously. The close-knit friendship they once held hadn't reformed; it couldn't. Not while they kept each other at arms distance, leaving so much unspoken.

"Come on," he said, standing up. "She's right. We're in the way. We need to get moving."

There had to be a reason Yukiko wanted to keep All Might out of this.

Could she…

"Midoriya, I'd like you, Asui and Kirishima to be our vanguard," Iida spoke up. "If there is trouble, Kirishima can use his Quirk in self-defense without attacking the enemy or getting severely injured, hopefully. We can quickly retreat and Sero can then use his Tape to pull Kirishima from trouble, if that occurs."

"You can count on me, Class Rep," Kirishima said.

"And should there be any bystanders caught in the battle," Yaoyorozu continued off of Iida's statement, "Asui and Midoriya are best equipped for quick rescues and evasions without engaging the enemy, at least while Igarashi is carrying the wounded."

"Okay," he nodded.

"Ribbit."

There was no time to think about it. They just had to keep moving.

---

"Doesn't matter how many times I slash you or how many times Atsuko and Osamu drill holes through you, does it?" Amari asked rhetorically to the faceless Nomu. "You'll just keep regenerating over and over again. What an annoying ability."

The kunoichi leapt back, narrowly evading its fist. The concrete cracked beneath the monster's fist, hurling debris through the air like misshaped stones thrown by Lady Tsunade; the shock-wave of power ripped roughly past her with the force of a typhoon's gales, whipping over the kunoichi's body and forcing her to stumble back.

I'm not getting anywhere against this monster, Amari analyzed, eyes narrowed. I'm buying time for the evacuation, but it's been less than a few minutes and there are businesses everywhere. With Atsuko and Osamu's help, we've practically killed this thing five times already.

Eyes glancing up at the kunai protruding from the Nomu's brain, she grunted and dashed off in a half circle, slashing her flaming tantō once to burn the jet black flesh from its body. The fibrous muscles and tendons beneath its thin layer of skin became visible, flexing and rippling visibly while it twisted its upper body to strike again. However, in an instant the beast's flesh regenerated, knitting the jet black epidermis together once more with no signs of damage.

It has immense power. It can move fast in short distance. It's durable and can regenerate from any damage, despite having two kunai impaled into its brain.

Amari hit the brakes and launched into a massive leap, back-flipping through the air to evade yet another powerful blow. Even when it failed to connect, the sheer power of its strikes sent tremors through the air.

She landed safely on the concrete exterior of a tall building, chakra humming at the soles of her sandals, before shooting off the vertical wall as a streamlined projectile, swiping her flaming tantō over the neck of her enemy. The attack nearly severed the Nomu's head completely from its shoulders. As it was, the head dangled farther back than it should naturally. The monster made more gurgling noises and collapsed to a knee.

The kunoichi landed behind her enemy, skidded along the pavement and whirled around to face it again, gripping her tantō tightly in her hand.

Did I get it with that attack?

Again its flesh regenerated, knitting grotesquely together to reattach its head to its neck properly. Apparently partial decapitation wasn't a fatal blow for this monster.

Heh, she chuckled in disbelief. Man, I haven't fought someone this invincible since Gaara. What a pain.

The beast rose to its towering height. But rather than turn around and target her, as its master desired, it locked onto a group of civilians dashing across the street from a nearby business. A coffee shop. It lumbered forward, at first. Then, with every heavy and lunging stride, it picked up steam until it was barreling down the street like a launched cannonball.

Amari cursed and Body Flickered after her enemy. The Nomu was a mindless beast, from her dissection, capable of following basic commands.

"Destroy her! Destroy everything!"

It had no higher thought process. In that way, it differed from Gaara and his bloodthirsty purpose, making it more akin to a true nightmarish monster than the Sand shinobi ever could be. Gaara was able to concoct strategies. He was driven by a purpose, regardless of his insanity. He could reason and adapt. More importantly, he could be saved.

Gaara was a victim of circumstances out of his control, twisted by adults who treated him as a monster. And, big surprise, he became a monster because of it.

Nomu, she firmly believed, was an empty shell; it was no different than the kunai protruding from its brain. What it attacked, who it hurt wasn't the Nomu's decision, not truly. It was merely a weapon, forged and fashioned in the image of something close to human. Thoughtless. Heartless. Lacking all conscious thought. Anything that had ever made it resemble a human being was long gone now.

"You're just a monster," said the kunoichi under her breath.

Amari dashed in low, the flickering orange flames dancing along her blade as she slashed with all her strength at the monster's calf. She felt the blade catch abruptly, jarring her arm as it halted inside the thick, meaty limb. Amari gripped her tantō tighter and channeled her chakra to the blade.

Burn hotter. Sharpen the charka and cut straight through!

"Rrrggaaahh!" she growled in effort.

The burst of flames set a wave of heat fanning over her skin—her blade severed through without warning. Carried by her momentum, she stumbled and tripped, falling over into a roll. Her injured arm crashed against the pavement first. Momentarily, white-hot pain blinded her vision entirely. The thunderous pulse of her heartbeat seemed centrally located inside her arm, not her chest.

Drilled instincts kept her body moving even as her mind went black, even as she choked on the eye watering pain. All of her mother's and Kakashi's training never ceased to pay off in the heat of combat.

When the kunoichi could see again, blinking away the obstructing fog of pain, she was in a defensive crouch with her tantō held up in front of her and her left arm pressing against her side. Her jaw was tight, uncomfortable. She was beginning to worry she would crack her teeth.

The Nomu's leg hadn't regenerated yet. The faceless monstrosity groaned at her, bracing itself on its remaining three limbs.

"I'm the one your master wants to destroy, remember!" she ground out through clenched teeth.

The beast made another wordless groan, which transformed into an uncomfortable shrieking sound.

Behind the kunoichi, the bystanders the Nomu had charged were frozen in their horror. They wore expressions the Nara associated with a startled herd of deer.

"Go!" she yelled over her shoulder at them. "Get out of here, now! I'll keep it busy!"

The bystanders bolted. Amari watched the Nomu. This time it took an extra moment for its amputated leg to regenerate into a fully functional limb. Once it was standing, it raised its arms above its head, preparing to unleash a powerful attack that would consume a widespread area with its destructive power. The kunoichi did not panic.

Two flocks of Crows drilled straight through its biceps, severing the limbs from its body. The heavy limps thumped on the concrete; there was no blood. No matter how many times they cut and severed and tore holes through this monster, it did not bleed. It was a weapon, a blade bearing the visage of a monster.

Nomu gurgled disturbingly. It twisted its upper body on flat feet, as if trying to flail its missing arms.

It may be able to regenerate its limbs, and it may be an empty shell, but I think it can still feel pain, to some degree. The noises it makes, the way it reacts to our attacks… I don't know. And it doesn't matter, she decided resolutely. I have to keep this thing busy no matter what it takes.

The Nomu regenerated its arms suddenly and slammed them into the paved street. Amari had evaded already, dashing up the nearby building at an arcing slope to avoid the shock-wave of power and concrete debris, eyes never leaving her enemy even as the wind rushed over her face and rustled her hair and clothes. Fortunately, the bystanders had escaped the radius of the attack.

Engaging the enemy again, Amari Body Flickered down the building, onto the sidewalk and around her target, rending its flesh with her blade of fire.

She took advantage of her greater affinity of speed to avoid its retaliatory attacks. The kunoichi leapt over low swinging strikes, dashed between its legs and struck repeated quick, burning slashes. Never once did she relent in her attacks, regardless of how insignificant they seemed.

Compared to this monster, her current strength was little more than the bite of a flea. But these bug bites doubled as distractions from all directions, overwhelming the Nomu's senses so it wouldn't know where to attack next.

As the Uchiha and Crows attacked, her dōjutsu spotted a weakness: The Nomu regenerated far less swiftly from fire attacks.

Is fire its weakness? Or is it a result of too many injuries at once?

The Nara analyzed the theory by attacking fiercely. Joined by two Shadow Clones, they unleashed a hurricane of blades on the Nomu, tantō's aflame serving as three lights in this battle against darkness. Jet black flesh ripped open, Crows drilled through its center mass and even then the Nomu found time to counter, smashing one of her Clones with a single punch and capturing another in its hand, squeezing her until she dispersed into smoke.

But the real kunoichi never took her eyes off the monster. The hole healed almost instantly; the burnt flesh required more time to heal.

Its regenerative abilities take longer to heal wounds inflicted by fire.

The Nomu leapt through the air, smashing the concrete beneath its feet as if it was made from bamboo sticks. A large crater of devastated pavement, jagged and cracked unevenly, formed at the sight of its landing. Amari, who had jumped before it could reach her, landed safely beyond the scene of devastation, but she found herself hopping and twisting and twirling on her toes to evade debris catapulted by the attack.

Wait a second, the Nara's eyes widened. She recalled how the tendons and muscles all knitted themselves back together. How its arms and legs reformed. I think I understand its Quirk now! It isn't mindless regeneration. It's similar to autotomy in lizards, except it isn't self-amputating its limbs. It isn't detaching its arms or legs when we attack; we're severing and drilling holes through its body, forcing the amputations.

This regeneration Quirk is similar to what happens after a lizard removes its tail. The tissues begin to regenerate after an amputation, regenerating fully over a period of time. In this case, the regeneration of a limb or an injury happens nearly instantly, so not only can it regain a severed limb, it heals from normal injuries at an accelerated and frankly inhuman rate.

But my flames are burning the cells deeply, requiring more time to regenerate the cells I've destroyed. Which means…

"Osamu, Atsuko, regroup with me," Amari called out.

The two Crows swept in and landed on her shoulders.

"We are here, Young Haya. I sense you have a plan of some sort."

"Osamu, you and I are going to use a Combined Transformation just like we did against Gaara. If we can grab hold of this freak of nature, we can unleash a powerful Fire Style attack at point-blank range. Atsuko, once we do I want you to enhance its power with a Wind Style Jutsu. This freak will just keep regenerating and destroying property, and at the rate this is going, I'll be exhausted before reinforcements show up. But if we can stop this monster from regenerating by incinerating it…"

"We will end this quarrel promptly," Osamu finished. "But it will risk further injury to you and I, Lady Haya. Our scales may limit the damage, should you choose a dragon form again, but we will not be invincible. Are you certain about this?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Then I am at your command, Lady Haya."

"Let us show this League of Villains how feeble their power truly is when compared to the Crows and the Uchiha," Atsuko declared. "We will incinerate their pet until all that remains is cinders."

Amari grinned. "Right!"

She brought her hands into Reverse Ram. The Nomu charged. Atsuko took to the sky.

"Transform!"

When the Nomu entered the cloud of smoke that enveloped the kunoichi, the collision of two mighty beasts resounded across the streets and sent an explosive shock-wave of pure force rushing in every direction, enrapturing the bystanders. They raised their hands in front of their faces, protected friends or children with their own bodies from the whipping gales of wind.

From within, two gigantic green wings expanded to maximum wingspan, casting the smoke aside with a gust of wind to reveal the titan that had emerged. The green scaled dragon clutched one of the Nomu's massive fists in its clawed hand. The muscles of the dragon's arm rippled in struggle to hold the fist back, the talons digging deeply into its regenerative flesh.

Clutching its other scaled hand into a fist, the dragon struck the exposed brain of the faceless Nomu. The Nomu recoiled, initially. But it countered before she could grab hold of it with both hands by seizing the thick and muscular neck of the dragon in its powerful grasp. It stepped in and, using its weight and super strength together, began to push its adversary back onto its hind legs only.

Flapping her wings to gain a little air, Amari hopped and balanced on her tail like a kangaroo, releasing the Nomu to kick it with both clawed hind legs. The claws tore open flesh. The blow violently propelled the Nomu down the street. This had become a whole new battle. Now their physical strength wasn't nearly as one-sided.

Amari immediately gave chase, charging down the street with the grace and speed of a lion in a body several times larger.

The Nomu flipped onto its feet. Pavement broke and parted beneath it before the monster inevitably halted, blasting off the sudden solid ground directly at the dragon. Amari leapt to the side to narrowly evade, then twisted her head and neck around to face the beast. A single fire ball poured from her mouth, colliding into the back of her enemy. But though the attack landed it lacked serious power and did little by way of damage. The Nomu did not stumble.

She launched after its back with a piercing roar.

Just stand there and die!

The Nomu whirled around and caught the dragon's arms by their wrists, but the weight and momentum that she launched with carried through and toppled the two mighty beasts over. The Nomu crashed to its back first. Before she could celebrate, she felt the monster carrying the momentum into a backwards roll; it caught her heavier body with its feet, slamming a powerful double kick into her vulnerable abdomen as it flipped her over its body.

The dragon slammed onto its side and grated roughly across the concrete. Somehow with grace the ugly monster physically lacked, the Nomu rolled onto its feet, spun around and charged straight after her without a single pause. It sprinted down the street, gaining on her, strides long and sending tremors through the ground itself. The Nomu was determined to fulfill its orders. It knew nothing else. Had nothing else. This was what it was created to do.

Rising to all-fours, Amari pirouetted rapidly and crashed her tail in to the side of her enemy. Her heterochromatic eyes went wide when she felt the Nomu wrap its arms around her extra appendage. It dug its heels into the earth, clutched her tail tightly and lifted her off the ground. In one powerful movement, the Nomu whipped her straight towards a building with a glass-enclosed lobby.

Concrete and glass shattered and roared beneath her body as she barreled through it like a runaway train. A marble floor greeted her, and cracked and scratched as her scaly body slid over it. She didn't envy whoever had to pay for and fix the damage—the floor looked fairly expensive.

The Nomu gave chase, jumping through the hole it had created with a single powerful leap. The dragon only just rose in time to hop back and evade the blow that sent shock-waves roaring and rattling up and throughout the supports of the building.

You stupid beast, Amari growled, barring her teeth. You would collapse this building on top of us to destroy me, because that's all you can do: Destroy and obey commands like a thoughtless animal. But I won't let you!

Recklessly, she charged the Nomu and tackled it. She was quick to wrap her arms around its waist as she rocketed them through the giant hole, bounding into the sky as soon as they made it into the open, beating her powerful wings against gravity to carry them higher, higher, higher, above all the buildings. At the same time, the Nomu punched her relentlessly. Everywhere. Anywhere it could reach. Amari held on.

High up in the sky, trailed by the comparatively smaller black and silver feathered form of Atsuko, she extended her neck and let smoke pour from her nostrils as she molded chakra in her molten core.

Way up here, I don't have to worry about damaging anything. Now burn out!

Bellowing out a roar, she unleashed an unrestrained stream of fire directly into the face of the faceless beast, continuing to beat her wings to maintain altitude and intensify the flames. It groaned and gurgled. It was renewing its efforts to break free, punching harder and harder at her body, her wings and her neck. Finally, Atsuko swooped in behind it and unleashed a torrent of wind from her beak.

The wind roared and whipped around them, swirling faster, faster, faster. Against the backdrop of a slate sky, orange and red fire whirled violently into a tornado of fire the bystanders far below marveled at, awed by the phenomenon and power displayed. Inside the tornado was far less pleasant.

Even with these scales, Amari grunted, eyes shutting, it's so hot. But burn. Incinerate it with everything you have until all that remains is ash!

The dragon's nostrils flared as it inhaled a larger breath. She leaned in closer and—the burnt hand of the Nomu clasped her jaw shut abruptly. The monster's other hand grabbed hold of one of her wings and pulled, turning her body so she was upside down within the fire tornado.

Amari snarled viciously. She felt gravity tugging them, felt the controlled wind gusts transform into air curling over her large scaled body as they descended rapidly. She wriggled and fought to free herself, wrestling against the Nomu. They were falling. Like meteors, they were reaching high speeds on their descent towards the earth.

She saw that the Nomu was burnt, missing flesh in areas, but its cells were slowly recovering.

I'll…

The dragon pulled its mouth free and extended its neck out of reach, roaring at the gurgling and groaning beast.

I'll incinerate you!

Yanking her wing free, Amari twisted their bodies around.

The earth quaked beneath them.

---

"Stop. Stop, she-devil. I can't…"

"Yes you can, goddamn it. Don't quit on me now, Old Man. We're almost home free."

Midoriya stopped alongside his classmates, turning around to see Kojima and Yukiko slowly coming to a halt. The latter was desperately trying to keep him on his feet, but the café owner was sweating visibly, his eyes squinting shut in a terrible grimace as his body lowered towards the ground. Finally, Yukiko gave in, bringing the older man down into a seated position.

"Go," Kojima grunted. "I'm slowing the group down."

"Shut up, Old Man. No one gets left behind."

He smiled through a grimace. "Work on your bedside manner in the future, Igarashi. It needs work."

"Heh," she exhaled an abrupt chuckle. "My bedside care is perfectly fine already. I just don't tolerate whining from stubborn old men."

He snorted once. Then shook his head, his pain overtaking his features. "My head, it's unbearable."

"Igarashi, is there anything we can do to help?" Iida asked, rushing over to his side. "Perhaps Uraraka can use her Quirk to make carrying him easier."

"Carrying him isn't a problem for me. And Uraraka's Quirk will only show us that the Old Man secretly eats his own confections during breaks."

Igarashi stared intensely at Kojima. There was something knowing in her violet eyes. "Class Rep, keep everyone moving," she said without looking at Iida. "I'll stay with him until he's ready to move."

"Igarash—"

"I told you to shut up already, Old Man," Igarashi cut him off. She looked back to Iida. "Get the others out of here, Class Rep. I'll be right behind you, dragging this useless sack of flour behind me if I have to."

Kojima was in too much pain to say anything.

"Whoa! Look at that in the sky!" Hagakure's shirt sleeve made it clear she was pointing.

The entire group cast their eyes to the sky, where a tornado of fire floated high above the skyline like a second sun against grey skies. Midoriya squinted. The winds are coming from Atsuko, and based on the roars we heard it's safe to say Amaririsu has taken on her dragon form to fight the Nomu.

It was a good strategy. When she transformed into the dragon, she had a more durable exterior and far more power to combat the Nomu. And by the look of it, she was hoping to burn the Nomu to a point where it could no longer regenerate its cells, with the aid of Atsuko of course.

"Yeah!" Ashido pumped a fist. "Amari is totally kicking that weird faceless monsters butt!"

"Incredible," Shoji murmured.

"Yeah," Todoroki nodded.

"She really is an entirely different league than us," said Kirishima. "Check out the power of those flames!"

Midoriya swallowed. Would it be enough, though? He'd seen the Nomu continue to fight even under the pressure and power of All Might firing off punches at more than one hundred percent of his power. It took over three hundred mighty blows for All Might to defeat it. Could Amaririsu and Atsuko's power combined actually defeat this monster?

Something moved within the fire tornado. Midoriya sucked in a sharp breath, eyes going wide as the Nomu and the dragon appeared. Even at this distance, he could see—they could all see—the faceless monster grappling the dragon's mouth shut and pinning one of its wings down as the descended towards the earth.

Towards them.

Yukiko cursed violently then said: "Sorry about this, Old Man. But your break is over. Try not to puke on me."

She activated her Quirk, sporadic bolts of purple lightning crackling around her, and hefted him up into a fireman's carry. Kojima groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Don't just gawk at it. Get moving!" she commanded.

"Go! Go! Go!" Iida ordered, robotically chopping his arms to direct his classmates.

Shoji, with Reina held to his back with his tentacles, grabbed hold of Hagakure and Ashido and sprinted down the street. Asui wrapped her tongue around the wailing Mineta and hopped off after him.

"Kirishima, grab Kaminari! I'll toss you both ahead then follow!" Sero said.

"Got it!" Kirishima bear hugged their blond classmate. "Throw us, man!"

"Are you actually sure about thi— Ahhhhhhhh!" Kaminari howled as they flew through the air.

The Tape wielder was able to fling his classmates farther down the street than they could have cleared on foot. Kirishima rolled them in the air, activating his Quirk and taking the brunt of the landing on his back at the cost of his shirt. They both sprang to their feet and continued to sprint. Sero followed after them by swinging from the buildings with his tape.

One For All: Full Cowling!

Midoriya felt the rush of the power and adrenaline as he lunged forward, grabbing both Uraraka over one shoulder and Jiro over the other before leaping down the street.

"Midoriya! What are you doing?!" Jiro cried out in embarrassment.

"Deku! Is this really necessary?" Uraraka followed.

"Sorry about this," he apologized sincerely in a serious voice. "But this was the best option to get us out of here!"

Ice rushed past him, and on it Todoroki surfed with Yaoyorozu in his arms bridal style. Iida trailed close behind with Igarashi and Kojima.

"Oh man, those two are coming right at us!" Jiro cursed.

"This is really bad!" Uraraka cried.

Midoriya glanced back. He wished he hadn't. The Nomu and Amaririsu were less than ten seconds away from crashing into the street they were rushing across. At the rate of speed they were descending, in addition to the weight and strength of the attack, the shock-wave that would follow would be destructive to the street and undoubtedly bowl them over. The debris from the crash could hurt him or any of his classmates.

Damn it, he cursed, mind shooting to light speed to process the current information and plan. There has to be some way to shield us from harm. I can't do it. I'd only cause damage to the city with One For All. But…

His eyes locked onto Todoroki surfing on ice.

That's it!

"Todoroki, create an ice wall behind Igarashi and Iida! Now!" he cried out.

Todoroki didn't reply. He halted and sent his ice cascading backwards all while still turning around. They had seconds to work with. The dragon and Nomu were getting closer, closer. The ice wall began to take form. In the few seconds they had, it stretched to half the height of the buildings around them.

At the last moment, the dragon suddenly flipped the Nomu around and crashed it back first into the pavement, disappearing behind the cold ice. Shards of ice shattered off the wall like an iceberg breaking off a glacier. The explosion of their landing roared over the street, and despite the barrier Midoriya felt the flurry of ice cold air rush past him. Midoriya landed from another leap and hesitated, turning around to examine the situation.

The entire wall exploded without warning.

With all its power, the dragon had thrown the Nomu straight through the barrier of ice, impaling the monster's body with shards in the process. It unleashed a bone-rattling roar, and for some reason Midoriya sensed it was targeted at them instead of the Nomu. It might have been his own body and brain, but he swore he felt the command of run through the roar.

"What are you doing?!" Todoroki yelled at him. "Run, Midoriya! Run, damn it! This isn't the time to be a Hero!"

"Ri- right!"

Again they were running. Adrenaline and One For All pulsed and rushed through his body. Behind him, the roars and battle of two massive titans stalked their every step.

He heard walls crumble. Car alarms were blaring over the street and the distinct sound of metal crunching against bodies and grating over pavement attacked his pulsing eardrums. Midoriya struggled to control his breathing; the sounds were constantly nearing. The tremors in the pavement rumbled through his legs. It was like the Nomu was chasing after them more than it wanted to fight Amaririsu.

When he chanced another glance back, he realized how right he was. The Nomu had broken free of Amaririsu and was chasing down Iida and Igarashi, who were at the tail end of their sprint towards what they hoped would eventually be safety.

Amaririsu wasn't far behind it. And further beyond her, down the street, were remnants of their battle. Cars overturned and broken, buses broken in half, street lamps knocked over and the exteriors of buildings crumbling.

The dragon soared through the air, onto the side of another building and shot off of it after the Nomu, tackling it how a lion or cougar would pounce on unaware prey. The momentum dragged it face first through the concrete, breaking it apart. At the end of their slide, the dragon leapt off, landed on the cement and spun around, roaring fiercely at the Nomu.

I'm the one you're after, Midoriya sensed the words behind the roar. Stay the hell away from them.

She was risking everything for them. She was injured, too. He had seen the blood on her teeth, noticed the way she favored her left arm and wing. Ahead of them, he could see lesser known Heroes aiding the evacuation of the other bystanders caught up in all this chaos, but he hadn't seen anyone with the power to help Amaririsu combat the Nomu.

And those Heroes knew it, too. They knew they would only get in her way, so they were doing what they could to prevent loss of life while she battled the monster head-on.

Just hold on, Amaririsu. Help will come if you just hold on a little longer.

---

Amari struggled not to pant visibly. Although the Nomu appeared to be a mindless beast, and though her transformation bore visible injuries, she hoped to hide any unnecessary sign of injury and pain from her enemy out of concern it might sense her weakness and press the assault. This battle wasn't going well. Had the Nomu possessed any other power besides regeneration, they would be settled at the crossroads of a heavy-hitting stalemate, where both parties were considerably injured and nearing their final wind.

As it stood, only Amari was there. The Nomu was in somewhat perfect health, ready to continue battling until times end.

If I don't end this right now… The dragon snarled, lowering itself in preparation to attack. This monster will go on to destroy everything in its path until the Pro's can defeat it. Class 1-A is right behind me. I cannot let it through, no matter what. Their future, their goals… My home, my family, my dreams, the only way to reach them is to keep moving forward; I can't stop until I see the future Ryu and my family wanted to see. You're blocking my path. Which means the only way for me to reach it…

The Nomu gurgled and shrieked horribly. It barreled straight at her in a wild sprint.

Is to go straight through you!

Roaring mightily, the dragon charged ahead on all-fours, muscles rippling as its talons grated against the concrete.

As the two undeniable and immovable forces reached one another, they met in furious grapple and test of strength that sent a thunderous clap of power vibrating off the buildings enclosing their battlefield. Windows shook. Parked vehicles rocked lightly in place. Amari dug her talons into its hands, scaled arms trembling against the sheer power of the Nomu as it struggled to wrench her and throw her to the ground.

The dragon roared. The Nomu gurgled. Amari felt her legs begin to slide back on the concrete. She barred her teeth and grunted. No. I refuse to take one more step back, she declared, digging her heels into the fracturing concrete. I don't care how strong you are. I'll keep fighting until I defeat you. I'll destroy you where you stand!

On its own will, the dragon raised up onto its hind legs, nostrils flaring as it inhaled a rough breath. Then, with a roar, it unleashed a fireball directly into the Nomu. The flames exploded on impact, knocking the faceless beast's center of balance off just a fraction of a step. But a fraction was all the kunoichi needed.

She shoved her weight into the Nomu—it slid back. The slightest hint of weakness ignited a flicker of hope in her heart; she clutched onto it tightly and refused to let it go. This time she wasn't the one being pushed. This time the Nomu was losing ground. Amari released another fireball. Then another. Two more back to back. Stepping into her enemy, forcing its back closer and closer to the ground with every blast.

You're just an empty shell, Amari growled, unleashing another fireball. You have nothing to fight for. No reason to exist. You lack true power! While I…

The Nomu slammed back first into the concrete. Amari ignored the shards flying past her snout, bouncing off her scaly face and body. At that moment, the legs of the Nomu planted themselves into her abdomen—the Dragon sailed through the air and crashed into the concrete.

The transformation dispelled. Amari rolled onto her feet after bouncing once on the concrete, hugging Osamu to her chest. Warm crimson trails curled around her left arm, dripping off her fingers, soaking through her mesh sleeve. It was a worrisome amount of blood. Atsuko swooped in onto her right shoulder.

"Young Haya, Osamu, are you well?"

"Drat," Osamu panted. "My apologies, Lady Haya, for lacking the strength to maintain the transformation."

"Don't worry about it, Osamu. All that matters is you're okay."

The red and lavender eyes of the kunoichi locked onto the Nomu, healing from a hole drilled straight through its abdomen all the while it charged straight for her. With grace, Amari bounded into a back-flip, landing on a street lamp then leaping again onto the side of a building.

"Atsuko, Osamu, do either of you have a plan to destroy this freak of nature?" she asked, releasing her hold on Osamu so he could take to the sky. "I'm running out of ideas and chakra."

She shot off the wall back to the street, deftly throwing kunai attached with paper bombs at her enemy. The explosions roared, but otherwise did little damage. Amari hissed a curse.

"I suspect you will refuse to return home and leave this beast for this world to handle," Atsuko stated rather than questioned.

"You're right, I do refuse that option," Amari replied, evading beneath and around the Nomu's strikes. She hopped back twice and threw two more paper bombs, which consumed her enemy. But it didn't stop. Didn't stumble. It kept pressing on ahead. "This monster is my responsibility. I'm the one they sent it after. That means I have to finish this, or at least hold the line until others can do it for me."

"Mm. The response of a true Leaf shinobi. Osamu, I will require your assistance."

"Lady Atsuko, are you certain about this?" Osamu sounded hesitant. "Should we not try to hold out for the Pro Heroes of this world?"

"I will not recklessly risk Young Haya's life on the hope one of these Pro Heroes will arrive and possess the power to destroy this monster. It has survived our combined techniques, and all three of us are losing strength while it continues to rampage endlessly. In truth, I am of the same mind as Young Haya."

"As am I," Osamu replied sincerely.

"The League of Villains sent this beast after us; this is our battle to finish, our enemy to destroy. So let us, the Crows of the Leaf and the noble Uchiha Clan, settle this matter once and for all. Let us show this monster, the League of Villains and this world the truest form of our power."

"Of course, Lady Atsuko."

Amari dashed back at a diagonal, landed on her toes and then dashed back again at the opposite diagonal. The Nomu chased her trails like they were playing a violent game of tag.

"Is there anything I need to do?" she asked to her companions.

"Hold this monster back for a few moments longer. We will handle the rest," Atsuko answered.

"Right," she nodded.

At this point, the kunoichi thought, I can't attack it head-on. I'm hitting my limit, and it's pushing me farther and farther back the more it advances. She checked her surroundings through the Byakugan, spotting Class 1-A, among other bystanders, still rushing away. But they were closer than before. It's moving us closer and closer to them. I can't retreat any farther. I just have to hold it a little longer.

Sliding back on her heels, Amari exhaled a short humorless chuckle.

"Well," she muttered, "I didn't think I'd be pushed to this. It's annoying, really. But I can't think of anything else."

The kunoichi shut her right eye, channeling her last bits of strength and chakra into it.

"You're a monster," the Uchiha said. "An empty vessel. You have no Will. You lack everything that makes a person truly strong. While what I hold within me is far greater than your raw power. That's why…"

The Nomu charged in and drew its fist back to pulverize her into bloody paste.

At the sensation of knives impaling into her right eye, Amari snapped the burning red eye open to reveal the full black pinwheel.

Ōkuninushi!

The Nomu's fist collided into the open hand of its own shadow. The shock-wave of power blasted against the Uchiha's body and made her lift her arms up in front of her face, but not in front of her open right eye. She couldn't evade farther away. The strain of chakra, the thundering of her heartbeat and the pain was too much to move her feet.

"That's why," she ground out, "I will not fail! You're obstructing my path, you're threatening the lives of innocent people, and for that I will obliterate you!"

The Shadow Nomu took on its complete form and immediately slammed its fist into her enemy's stomach. The Nomu gurgled and stumbled back.

Hot blood trickled out of her tear duct. Amari grasped her hand over the right side of her face, peering through the open gaps of her fingers as her nails dug into her flesh.

I barely have the chakra or the strength to maintain this. It hurts. It hurts so much. But…

The Shadow Nomu dashed in, unloading on the Nomu with sheer raw power. First her attacks were landing in her stunned enemy's torso, striking with the exact same level of inhuman power as its original. But then the Nomu gained its footing and began firing back, slamming its fists rapidly into the fists of her Nomu.

"Rrrrrraggghhhhh!" the Uchiha roared.

I won't go back on my word. I will stop you. I will obliterate you. So punch faster. Faster. Faster. Faster!

Her chant gave her focus. Even as her knees trembled, even as the invisible nail hammered deeper and deeper into her eye, she refused to cave to this monster. The Shadow Nomu, strengthened by her resolve and focused by her chant, punched harder, faster until it was stepping forward as it punched. Shock-waves blasted off the pair. She could feel their power punching in her chest, in her eardrums, like she was standing just outside the radius of a massive firework finale exploding.

The Nomu was losing ground. Recoiling as it was punched in the face, in the body, in the face, in the body, punches slipping or downright overpowering through its guard. The Shadow Nomu caught its original's hand, stepped away and swung the monster over the street, crashing into a wall. It groaned and writhed in the crater. It was feeling these blows.

Mom, Shisui, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Uncle Shikaku and Aunt Yoshino Mama, Papa, Ryu, everyone I hold precious, all the friends I've made here, please… Give me your strength to hold this monster back!

Amari shut her right eye and snarled, in agony and at her weakness.

"Atsuko, Osamu, whatever you're planning to do, please hurry!" she called back to them.

The Nomu rose and hurtled itself after her. Amari's right eye snapped open, irritated red lines within the white sclera. Crimson tears poured from her tear duct, her fingers dug deeper into her flesh.

Again the Shadow Nomu took form, grappling the Nomu in the street. They were at a stalemate.

"Aarrgghhhhhh! Just…die already you stupid monster!" she roared.

---

"Igarashi, what are you doing?" Iida questioned in bewilderment. "I know it's tough on Mr. Kojima, but we have to keep moving."

Midoriya set Jiro and Uraraka down finally and coaxed them both to keep going before turning back around, jogging over to the two. Igarashi had settled Kojima onto the street, kneeling behind him and facing him towards the battle taking place several meters ahead of them.

"Old Man, are you sure about this?" Igarashi ignored Iida.

"She…needs backup," he grimaced. "I can't authorize you or any of your classmates to join this battle, but I…I can help. As the former Pro Hero Ethereal. Just hold me up and keep me conscious, Igarashi."

"I've got you, Old Man. Just don't keel over, all right?"

"I'm not that old," he chuckled, shutting his eyes. "Now keep quiet. I need to focus otherwise someone less friendly to our cause will try to push through the veil."

Yukiko squeezed his shoulder in gratitude.

Midoriya approached Iida. "What's going on? What is he doing?"

Iida, wearing a concerned expression, didn't take his eyes off the café owner.

"He's attempting to summon a friendly spirit to aid Amaririsu in battle. From what I've gathered, ever since the battle began someone has been pressing against the veil, resulting in the nausea and migraine he's been suffering from. It grew worse when Amaririsu's dragon transformation failed, so Igarashi encouraged him to talk to the spirit to figure out their identity and intentions. He's attempting to summon the individual now."

"Rrrrrraggghhhhh!"

Amaririsu's war cry snapped their attention down the street, where a corporeal shadow copy of the Nomu was battling it out with the original. Midoriya inhaled sharply at the sight.

"It's the Mangekyō Sharingan technique she told me about," he gasped.

This was bad. Even if her Shadow copy was pummeling the Nomu, for her to be relying on this technique when she specifically told him it was meant to be used as a last resort…

The Shadow Nomu vanished abruptly. She blinked.

"Atsuko, Osamu, whatever you're planning to do, please hurry!" she called back to them.

The Nomu charged in and was met by the Shadow Nomu grappling it.

"Aarrgghhhhhh! Just…die already you stupid monster!" she roared.

There was so much pain in her voice. He wanted to leap in and help, but couldn't. Iida was too close. His friend was watching him intently with a sharp expression that discouraged what Aizawa would call irrational action.

Kojima opened his eyes. Midoriya saw that his eyes had become purest silver. Then, without a single gesture or movement, an ethereal yellow light began to glow in front of him, taking shape into the form of a human being.

Iida's eyes went wide. Midoriya gasped. Yukiko stared in open awe, no longer breathing.

"How long do I have?" the spirit asked.

"Not long," Kojima answered.

"Right." The spirit turned his head to look back at Kojima. "Thank you."

And then he was gone.

---

The Shadow Nomu collapsed and reverted back into its natural state. As it did, Amari collapsed to her knees, letting out a scream that tore apart her throat. With blood pooling from her tear duct, her vision had become tinted by a filter of crimson through which she watched the Nomu stomp towards her with a long and quick gait.

The kunoichi's muscles trembled and quaked violently; sweat and blood blended together and dripped from her fingertips, her face, down her neck and chest to stain the forehead protector and the Clan crest pendent hanging around her neck. She was gasping for air in-between groans and whimpers of pain, face contorting into a severe grimace. She couldn't move. She couldn't move.

"Damn…it," she hissed.

The Nomu was at her position within seconds. Amari shut her eyes, gritting her teeth and growling viciously, dreaming up scenarios where she miraculously opened her eyes and stopped the Nomu in time with her Mangekyō Sharingan. But it was only a dream, an illusion.

I'm done.

Amari opened half-lidded eyes to the pavement below her, drawn to the sight of the warm tears of blood dripping from her chin.

I…

The Nomu's massive hand snatched her off the ground and lifted her into the air like she was little more than a doll. Amari's eyes bulged. Her scream became a gasp for air—it was crushing her.

I…won't die like this. The kunoichi started to pool the remaining chakra in her body into her left eye. If this is the end, then I'll use the last of my chakra to send you straight to hell!

At that moment, Amari sensed enormous power surge past her. It took another second for her to feel a sudden wave of heat rush over her skin, and to feel her heart jump into her throat as the presence of gravity tugged her straight towards the ground with the severed arm of her captor.

Her cool onyx and pupiless lavender eyes registered the final flickers of existence from the bolt of lightning responsible for her freedom as she fell. Her sensory neurons recovered from the shock and relayed the tingling sensation of electricity passing by her in the form of goosebumps and hairs standing on end.

The kunoichi inhaled sharply. To her regular eyes, the world moved in slow motion. The Nomu was recoiling from the attack, stumbling back as she fell. Another bolt of lightning representing the jagged and menacing hand of the Shinigami reaching out for its victim severed its other arm from its body.

She saw the violent dismemberment in vivid detail. The flesh and tendons and muscles tearing off the shoulder, the recoil of pain the empty vessel couldn't express with its missing face, but could through a new noise—a squealing gurgle. She saw it all.

Blots of black whirled through her obscured red filter. Briefly, Amari panicked internally, afraid she was falling unconscious. But then she saw the feathers of the black blots. Crows. She felt an arm wrap around her waist. The blur of feathers and cawing of her avian companions was all she saw and heard for the next few moments.

When the flock dispersed, the Nomu had fallen over to lay supine on the pavement several strides ahead of her. The arm to wrap around her waist had settled her gently onto the pavement. Amari blinked. Stared with wide eyes at her saviors. Then blinked two more times. They didn't disappear. Even in the crimson filter she could see them clearly.

Atsuko and Osamu sat perched on their shoulders. The pair stood within arm's reach, real, tangible. Her eyes were drawn to their familiar attire.

Specifically the red clouds adorning their black cloaks.

"Quite the interesting predicament, wouldn't you say, 'Tachi?"

"Mm. Quite."

Amari was speechless. Overwhelmed by emotions and so many questions.

Aimi's waist-length dark hair swayed gracefully along her back as she slowly turned away from the Nomu. The older kunoichi's eyes fell upon the Nara, and a frown creased her lips.

"'Tachi, keep your eyes on that creature; I can sense it clinging to life. I must tend to Haya's injuries."

Itachi hummed in acknowledgement. "Atsuko, what can you tell us of this creature's power? For you to summon us here and for Haya to use the Mangekyō Sharingan can only mean this enemy uses techniques beyond the realm of ordinary shinobi."

As Atsuko debriefed Itachi on the Nomu's abilities, Aimi strutted rather than stepped closer. She crouched down beside the injured kunoichi, a hue of green forming over her hand as she placed it against her injured left bicep. The hum of Medical Ninjutsu and the soothing warmth kneading through her arm, knitting together the injury and staunch the bleeding helped her find words.

"Itachi…Aimi… What are… How are you…" she stammered.

Aimi's smile eased tension from her body; it was warm, sincere and no longer hidden behind a mask.

"A special Reverse Summoning crafted by Atsuko. There is always the chance the Foundation or Masked Man will make a rash move against you or Sasuke, and should they do so when Leaf reinforcements are nowhere near or your powers together aren't enough to defeat the enemies or escape, we would be summoned to eliminate the threats," she replied.

"We apologize for not disclosing this information sooner, Lady Haya," Osamu apologized. "Truthfully, we hoped an occasion such as this would never come."

"It's…okay." And it was. She was merely overwhelmed by, well, everything. But could they blame her? Itachi and Aimi were here. Right beside her. "Honestly," she began, "had you two told me what you planned to do, I probably would've tried to argue against it. I wouldn't have wanted Aimi or Itachi to risk their cover after everything they've sacrificed for us to save me from my own stupid mess."

Amari smiled softly. "But I'm…also happy to see you two again. There's something I wanted to tell you both, something I didn't get to say last time because there was so much I didn't know or understand."

"I appreciate your noble intentions to protect our cover, my little sweet, but we would be consumed by despair if we were to lose you and Sasuke," Aimi said.

The medic-nin moved her glowing palm to the top of the kunoichi's chest, at her collarbone where the Medical Ninjutsu kneaded outwards throughout her entire body, massaging out aches and cramps she hadn't felt until they were gone.

"We made a promise to Shisui and your parents," Aimi added softly. "It is a promise I refuse to break."

"Remember what I told you, Haya," said Itachi stoically. "This is our path. For you, for Sasuke, for Shisui, we will tread through any darkness regardless of the consequences. Do not concern yourself with our fates." He glanced back at them. His stoic red eyes fell onto her. "You know the path you must walk. For the sake of the future, for Shisui's dying wish, you cannot falter here."

Amari slumped slightly. But…the thing I want to tell you is…

"Careful now, Haya. If you keep making that face, you'll get all broody like Itachi."

A paralytic shock arrested Amari on the spot. She stopped breathing, eyes going wide and gazing at the flat and uninspiring pavement as if it were a delicate and masterful piece of artwork. Aimi and Itachi, too, had similar reactions.

"Impossible," Atsuko gasped. Osamu's beak fell open, but he made no noise. In the distance, the Nomu was slowly rising again with its arms intact.

Amari couldn't breathe, couldn't turn her body to face the voice. But she could see his face without looking, see the grin on his face just through his small jest. Her heart was hammering away at the new home it had built in her throat, thundering through her skull all the way down to her toes.

"Shisui, you…" Itachi's mask of indifference had broken for bewilderment.

Hearing his name made her heart hammer louder. Tension tightened all of her muscles. Her teeth clenched together as her face twisted into a grimace of emotional agony; tears were burning in her eyes.

"Sorry I'm late, but you wouldn't believe the traffic," quipped the voice of her cousin.

"Shisui…" Aimi had tears shimmering in her red eyes.

"Normally I would drag this out and tease you all for looking so shocked, but my time here is limited." His voice had shifted towards a calm but serious tone. "And if we work together quickly, we won't have to rely on anyone's Mangekyō Sharingan to destroy this monster."

He was right beside her.

"Wait!" Amari frightened herself with her own cry.

Shisui paused. "Haya?"

"Before you…before you do anything else, tell me something only my big brother could know about me. Something no one else but Shisui and I could know."

The selfish request was desperate. But she couldn't rein it in. She was too afraid this was an illusion of some kind, that he was a fake version of her cousin created by Kojima's Quirk or someone else manifesting in his form. Because if he wasn't real then she cou—

"On your first attempt to use the Body Flicker Technique you almost ran yourself straight into a tree," Shisui said. "Luckily, your amazing cousin was there to dive into your path to catch you. Although you did tackle me pretty hard into the tree. We laughed together after we recovered, and so did Pops and Mama Nara when we told them about it."

Amari choked on a sob.

"I was there the day you unlocked your Sharingan. I was late to walk home with you, and because of that members of the Uchiha Clan had cornered you in an alleyway and caked you in tomatoes. You unlocked your Sharingan when I arrived. And, if I remember correctly, you said I was the fastest shinobi in the whole Village. Probably the whole world. You did look through your memories for that, right?"

She sensed her cousin crouch beside her. His hand gently found its way to her chin and guided her tearful eyes to meet his ethereal Sharingan eyes and smile. He poked her in the forehead.

"And this bandana has a special message sewn into it just for you. It's my promise to you. A promise I've come to fulfill."

Haya's lip trembled as her tears streamed over. "Shisui," she whimpered. "You're really here."

"Yep," he grinned, ruffling her hair with a corporeal hand. He stood up to his full height. "We never did get to fight side by side. So how about it, Haya?" He reached his hand out to her. "Ready to show me how much you've grown?"

Sniffling and wiping her tears away, Haya smiled and nodded repeatedly, taking his hand. "Ye- yes!"

There was so much more she wanted to say. She wanted to lunge into his arms and tackle hug him and never let him go. She wanted to update him on everything that had happened since the Akatsuki Incident. But, just like last time, time wasn't on their side. The Nomu was almost fully regenerated again.

Shisui helped her onto her feet, grinning. "All right. Then I say we show this monster the power of the Uchiha Clan and the Crows combined. Aimi, can you give Haya a food pill?"

"Of course," she smiled and nodded, joy and sorrow in her red eyes.

Haya swallowed the food pill and took her place at Shisui's side, activating her dōjutsus. Despite the ethereal glow to him, the red and white Uchiha crest on his black shirt, his red eyes, his dark hair and even his brown harness were distinguishable. And attached to his harness was the same tantō she wielded.

Aimi flanked Haya on her left, a playful smile on her lips; Itachi stood beside Shisui with a warm smile on his face. Almost the entire remnants of the Uchiha Clan stood between the Nomu and the bystanders.

"We never did have an official final mission," Shisui said, eyes watching the Nomu as it began to lumber towards them. "This will do, though. This will be our final mission together, Itachi, Aimi. Let's go full blast."

"Yeah," Itachi nodded.

"Right behind you, Shisui," Aimi said.

Heart pumping and adrenaline roaring, Haya bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, itching to destroy the Nomu alongside her Clan—her family. This wasn't just Itachi and Aimi's last mission with Shisui; it was her first and last mission alongside all three of them. This was a once in a lifetime chance, an opportunity to stand and fight side by side with the three greatest Uchiha of their generation as comrades. As friends.

"All we have to do is burn this monster until his cells can't regenerate anymore," she said. "I couldn't hold it down long enough to deal any significant damage. But with you three here, incinerating it shouldn't be difficult."

"Mm, incinerate it, you say? It is quite the unpleasant and dreadful beast." Aimi equipped three kunais in her left hand. Amari felt the surge of lightning dance in the air before the shimmering blue lightning coated her blades. A playful and arrogant smile formed on the elder kunoichi's lips. "I think it would be far more pleasing to look at as a pile of ash, wouldn't you, my little sweet?"

"Absolutely," Haya smiled.

"All right. Everyone ready?" Shisui asked. He received hums, nods and voiced affirmations from the gathered group. The Nomu was beginning to pick up steam in its charge. "Then let's go!"

Aimi drew her left hand over her chest and threw the three lightning kunais, targeted directly for the Nomu's bulging chest. As the blades severed through the air, the elder kunoichi's hands weaved a series of handseals faster than the naked eye could see, finishing the series by clasping her palms together in Snake as the blades buried deep into the Nomu's flesh.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Prison!"

The lightning channeled into the kunai expanded out suddenly, spreading over the entire Nomu's body and forming a sort of infinite web of lightning ensnaring its victim. The Nomu froze on the spot, gurgling and squealing loudly.

"Itachi, you ready?" Shisui asked.

"Always."

The pair weaved handseals in unison, then inhaled large chest expanding breaths before they unleashed a synchronized attack. Haya sensed the surge of chakra from them both, and cautiously stepped back. From their lips, a massive dragon head-shaped fireball expelled into existence; the heat was intense enough to cause Haya to raise a hand in front of her face and squint.

Fire Style: Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu, she analyzed. Better known simply as Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu.

The dragon head-shaped fireball hurtled into the paralyzed Nomu, but it did not extinguish or fizzle out upon impact, instead exploding and setting the massive creature aflame in an intense inferno.

Such power… If I can even hope to hit this monster as hard as they are, I'll have to…

"Haya." Shisui turned to her, hand reaching up to his tantō. "Follow my lead."

Inhaling a deep breath, Haya released her chakra, covering herself in a cloak of green flickering chakra. She reached up and grabbed her tantō, then smirked up at Shisui.

"Catch me if you can, Big Brother."

She dashed off at a Body Flicker, shooting past the Nomu while cutting a blade of fire over its chest. As she appeared again on the other side, Shisui was already there having mirrored her move with greater strength and speed. He was grinning, the troublesome boy.

"You do remember my moniker, right? I'm Shisui of Teleportation. You'll have to be a little faster than—"

Haya Body Flickered again.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"I thought you were Shisui of Teleportation, Big Brother! Right now you're more like Shisui the Snail!" she teased, giggling as dashed past the Nomu twice, cutting and burning it again.

"Oh, you wound me, Haya!"

He appeared and reappeared in three separate locations, at the points of a regular triangle surrounding the Nomu, launching three blades of fire from his ethereal tantō in the same amount of time it took her to launch two more strikes.

As she appeared, whirling around on her toes to slash another attack on the imprisoned Nomu—whose flesh was burning and tearing away from the assault of lightning and fire—Shisui appeared next to her to attack at the same time before dashing away again. It was a silent challenge. A silent demand to show him how fast she could move and fight.

Haya chased after his trail. Green chakra and ethereal light chased one another around the Nomu, rushing past at diagonals, phasing through the burning beast all the while they never relented in their fiery assault. Itachi, Aimi, Atsuko and Osamu watched on with expressions and feelings of joy, fondness, nostalgia, sorrow and regret. Only their eyes could see the cousins clearly.

In the midst of their race, heart hammering against her chest, Haya felt herself smile. Her emotions peaked and valleyed, tears of joy and sorrow stinging at her eyes. Make the most of this moment. Your time together is limited.

Shisui launched another blade of fire at the Nomu. Haya leapt over him, corkscrewing as she mirrored his attack. She landed and skipped on her feet to maintain momentum, twirling around on her toe to dash off again. Shisui chased her, tapping her on the forehead as he passed by with a teasing grin on his face.

There will always be regrets we share, because the time we thought we'd have together was stolen from us. There will be times I wish you could be at my side like this, moments I'll wish I could talk to you about or get your advice on. The two Uchiha fell in line with each other, ending their race to unleash a synchronized assault; the flicker of green and ethereal glow became a solid trail of their joined light. I'll always wish I had more time with you. I'll always wish things were different, because I will always miss you and our family.

The two Uchiha flickered around the Nomu in an endless circle. Faster, faster. Bladed flames slashing through the air from every direction and over their target. The Nomu's gurgles and shrieks grew in intensity with their flurry of attacks.

But you are here right now. Right beside me. We're fighting together, smiling, laughing. It's…it's everything I could ever hope for. That's why I'll keep pushing myself here, why I won't fall behind no matter how fast you are. Until that final moment when you have to leave again, I'll stay by your side no matter what. I'll make the most of this moment!

"Haya, let's finish this!" Shisui called to her.

"Right!"

Together they appeared in front of their Clansmen. The pair dashed directly at the Nomu, shooting past it and each other in an X-formation to sever its arms from its shoulders.

"Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!" they yelled.

They skidded over the pavement and whirled around, sheathing their tantō's in unison.

"Itachi, Aimi, Atsuko, Osamu, we'll finish it off with one last attack!"

The four Uchiha, standing at points that formed an invisible X on the Nomu, each weaved their handseals. Inhaled and…

Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!

Four violent streams of fire expelled from the mouths of the Uchiha, smashing into and engulfing the Nomu within a towering blaze. Gales of wind roared from the beaks of the two Crows, swirling around the Nomu, intensifying the flames that continued to climber higher and higher into the sky. A wild but controlled tornado of fire formed, looming and swirling ominously in the street and over the surrounding buildings.

It was beautiful.

Within the tornado, the Nomu's gurgles and shrieks slowly fell silent. Haya watched it writhe around as its skin and muscles and tendons burned away. The massive monster, once an immovable force wielding seemingly unlimited power, shriveled up within the fire tornado, unable to regenerate its incinerated cells.

A few moments later the group finished their combined assault, and the tower of fire flickered out of existence. All that remained were the cinders of their enemy still burning with embers. The cloudy sky above darkened noticeably; the potential chance of rain had increased suddenly, caused by the intense heat rising into the atmosphere.

The pavement bore scorch marks, and the air was uncomfortably warm. But the monster was slain.

Relieved by the end of the battle, Haya extinguished her chakra cloak and Body Flickered one last time, tackling her cousin with a hug and knocking him over in the process.

"Whoa!" Shisui wasn't prepared for the surprise hug. But they both fell into giggles and chuckles as they lay on the cement. "I guess you're the one who caught me, huh, Haya?" he asked, nuzzling his head against hers.

"You're faster than me still, but I'll catch up one day," she promised.

"I know you will." He wrapped an arm around her smaller frame. Shisui sat up gently, never once complaining about her tight hold around his body.

"There's so much I have to update you on."

"Tell me everything."

While Shisui stood up, carrying her in his arms as he sauntered towards his comrades, she rambled out every little detail she could from the end of the Akatsuki Incident and the truth Itachi entrusted to her, through their mission to the Land of Snow, her letters with Haku, her affectionate moments with Sakura, her argument with Sasuke, the Land of Tea, her promotion and their mission with the Sand, interrupting herself as she recalled smaller details she'd forgotten to mention that seemed important. She told him of the chance for peace with the Mist, the state of the Leaf's recovery and the progress on her training; she even remembered to tell him about Lady Tsunade becoming Hokage.

The last details she babbled out quickly and briefly were her experiences in this new world, how she had gotten here, the amazing people she met, the Pop Quiz and the best moment she had in this world.

"I had my first kiss. Yukiko Igarashi, the girl you may have seen with violet eyes and white streaks in her black hair, she was the one I bonded most with here. We…we were being selfish and sharing affections and then we kissed and it was everything I dreamed it would be like."

"Your first kiss, huh?" Shisui was grinning. She could sense the teasing even while her face was buried in his neck. But she didn't care. He was here. In her arms. "And it was everything you ever dreamed it would be? Tell me, was it better than ice cream?"

"What kind of comparison is that?!" she whined, blushing.

"A test specifically created for you," he teased. "As my favorite little cousin, who happens to have an insatiable sweet tooth, anything that is rated better than ice cream or your favorite sweets is by default the ultimate level of satisfaction. Sooo—"

"I'm not answering that!"

"Haya," he pressed.

"Nooooo!"

"You have to tell me! Is there a plane of existence that surpasses godly sweets? The world has to know!"

"I told you, I'm not—"

She yelped then giggled as he tickled her sides.

"I won't stop tickling you until you tell me."

"Shisui," she whined through giggles.

"It'll be our secret! Come on, you can tell me," he pestered, grinning widely.

"Shisuiiiii," she whined even more dramatically.

"Do I need to go ask her?"

"Trou- troublesome boy! You better not!"

"Then you better tell me!"

"Fi- fine! It was better than sweets," she huffed and giggled.

Shisui relented in his tickling to make a dramatic gesture with his free hand.

"There you have it, my friends. There is such a plane of existence and satisfaction beyond the level of sweets! It is now called the 'Haya's First Kiss' plane."

Itachi snorted. Atsuko and Osamu hummed in amusement. Aimi smiled.

"Shall I teach him manners, my little sweet?" she asked.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure my Mama will make him regret it."

Shisui blanched. "How cruel, Haya. Leaving my fate in Mama Nara's hands?"

Grinning, Haya hugged Shisui tightly once then slid out of his arms and back onto her feet. She lifted her finger to poke him in the side.

"That's what you get, troublesome boy."

Her finger pressed against him, then phased through. The single action made her heart plummet. Shisui frowned and looked down at his hands. The ethereal light was beginning to ascend towards the sky.

"I guess my time is up." He quickly approached Itachi, wrapping one arm around his neck and forcefully dragging the baffled Uchiha closer to Aimi, who he also wrapped an arm around. Shisui dipped his chin down and smiled sadly. "It was awesome teaming up with you two again. Take care of each other. Always stick together no matter what."

Aimi squeezed her eyes shut. "We will, Shisui."

Itachi's baffled expression became despondent, but he nodded silently.

"Thank you both for all the time we shared together. You two were like my little brother and sister." Tears streamed down Aimi's cheeks. Itachi's jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth together. "And don't worry about Haya's path; her eyes and heart will lead her where she is meant to go. And hear her out. She has something important to tell you two."

He released his friends and looked to Atsuko and Osamu. "Thank you both for everything you've done."

"Fair winds guide you, Shisui," Atsuko said, dipping her head in solemn farewell.

"It was an honor to serve alongside you, Lord Shisui," Osamu bowed his head.

Nodding once to them, Shisui turned and swept Haya up in one last embrace. "I'll fade away soon enough," he said, holding her tightly as he knelt down. "But until then I just want to hold you, one last time."

Haya didn't bother to fight her tears. She held on tightly to Shisui's fading body, feeling pieces of him fade away with every passing second.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And I love you."

"You'll…you'll always be with me, right?"

"Always, Haya. Never doubt that."

"I won't. Tell Mama and Papa I love them."

"I will."

"And I'll become a guardian. I'll keep moving forward no matter what. I'll try to help build bridges with the Mist and the Sand. I'll reach out to whoever I can, just like you did. And I'll become strong like you."

"I love you, little sis."

"I- I love you, too!" she sobbed.

At that moment, Shisui's form melded away in ethereal yellow light, glowing like fireflies as they swept up into the sky. Haya collapsed forward onto her hands and knees with a ragged sob, tears flowing freely down her face. Aimi knelt beside her and placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles over it as she, too, wept openly. Itachi knelt beside Aimi and rubbed circles over her back.

Droplets of rain were beginning to plop around them. Onto them. The sound of blades slapping on air awoke the kunoichi from her grief; it was the flying machine. If it was finally here, then other Pro Heroes, news stations and police were bound to be close, too.

"Itachi, Aimi, we have to get away from here," she said through her tears.

"I've neglected to ask until now, but where are we exactly?" Aimi asked cautiously. "These buildings, that machine, none of this rings familiar."

"I'll explain soon," she promised, wiping her tears away. "Atsuko, Osamu, can you transport us somewhere safe? Within this world, please."

"This world?" Itachi repeated the words as if they were the strangest ones he had ever heard.

"Of course, Young Haya."

The three Uchiha dispersed into a flock of Crows, vanishing as the rain began to douse the smoldering remains of the Nomu.

---

Midoriya was frowning, uncertain he should even speak to Igarashi now of all times. His childhood Hero was carrying the unconscious body of Kojima in a fireman's carry again as he and Iida plodded along beside her. They were almost to their classmates again, who were all waving them over from behind the barricades.

Finally, he spoke up.

"Hey, Igarashi, how come you didn't just leave Mr. Kojima to me and Iida? You could have gone to Amaririsu; the fight was over. And…she might be leaving now."

"She's not the type to leave without saying goodbye," Igarashi said softly. He was honestly surprised she spoke to him. "We'll see her again. And when we do, it will be the last time."

"Yeah, but…"

"Think about it, Midoriya. The League of Villains tracked her down to the café. Shigaraki probably had something to do with that fire the other night, and since she ruined his plans he sought to destroy her in front of the world. Because our media propped her up as a new symbol and obsessed about her over the news all day. The helicopter over there is filming. If they see Class 1-A students rushing over to Amaririsu, they'll suspect U.A. knows more and they'll be under greater scrutiny.

"As it stands now, we're just unfortunate bystanders. No one except the Old Man and Reina know we were all together, and it's better for it to stay that way. Hosu and the U.S.J. have done enough damage to our schools reputation. And thanks to Amaririsu, the League of Villains is a bigger joke than their stupid name now."

"Yes, I see your point," Iida nodded, gripping his chin in thought. "You're thinking about the bigger picture over your personal feelings. Very mature of you, Igarashi."

"You say that like I'm a selfish fiend," Igarashi drawled.

Iida recoiled, scandalized. "I meant nothing of the sort! I only meant you were acting as a Hero would!"

"Uh-huh. Sure, Class Rep."

Midoriya sighed as he listened to Igarashi continue to goad Iida on.

Well, at least not everything has changed.

Still, after everything that happened, Midoriya wondered how much actually remained the same.

---

Far beyond the previous battlefield atop a skyscraper, the three Uchiha and two Crows gathered together to discuss their current whereabouts and how it all occurred. Itachi and Aimi could not hide their shock behind masks of indifference, though it didn't last long. After examining the city and reviewing the evidence in their possession, they adjusted to the new reality quicker than Amari believed they would.

When their discussion ended, Itachi stood looking off at the city beneath them at the edge of the building, wind rustling his cloak and hair. Aimi flanked him, half-turned to face the Nara as the girl fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Atsuko and Osamu were perched on her shoulders.

"Haya, you mentioned there was something you wanted to tell us," Aimi broke the silence.

She nodded. "There is. But…will you two be all right? Won't Kisame know you two were Reverse Summoned by the Crows?"

Aimi smiled prettily and cheekily. "No. In fact, he'll be none the wiser to our situation."

"How come? Don't you three always travel together?"

"Normally, yes. However, Kisame took on a solo mission for the Akatsuki. I believe his words were 'So you and Itachi can be as frisky as you like.'"

Itachi snorted and shook his head. Amari blushed. Now I sort of feel bad.

"Fear not, Haya. You did not intrude upon any friskiness," the older kunoichi teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

"'Tachi and I were on a romantic walk after our date. Should your theory be correct about creating a focal point in time, we will have plenty of time to return to our meeting point with Kisame. Mm, we may even have time to rent a hotel room for privacy beforehand," she added, smirking as she cast a sly glance towards Itachi.

Itachi said nothing. He merely glanced at Aimi with a flat, albeit scolding stare. Yet Aimi's eyes glinted triumphantly at whatever reaction she witnessed in his stoic expression.

"Well…at least your cover isn't blown," Amari sighed.

After a beat of silence, the kunoichi swallowed the knot in her throat and spoke up.

"I know you two don't want me to save you," she said. "I know you two have your own paths to walk and don't want me to intervene in any way. But…I decided that regardless of what judgement you think you deserve and regardless of what you asked of me, I'm still going to try to save you both. I told Shisui I would keep reaching out to anyone I could, and that includes you two."

She tucked her chin into her chest and twisted the hem of her tank top beneath her fingers. "Seeing you two again today, fighting beside you instead of against you, it's only made me want to save you more. Because you two are my clan-siblings, too. You're my family. Our bond is precious to me so I'll do whatever I can to protect it. I'll save you from the dark path you've been forced to walk. I know you probably think it's foolish and selfish, and maybe it is, but I still—"

"Answer me one question, Haya," Itachi interrupted in a calm voice.

"O-oh. Okay," she stumbled, eyes still pinned on the ground.

"When Aimi asked you to choose from the path where nothing you love is left or the path where nothing you do is right, you told her you would make your own path. After everything you've just said to us now and to Shisui before, as well as this decision you've made, allow me to ask this one question." Itachi turned away from the edge to look at her. "Is this the path your heart and eyes have led you to?"

Amari inhaled a sharp breath. The question, it brought to mind some of her cousin's final words to her.

"Trust in your heart and your eyes; they'll lead you through the darkness."

She grabbed her Clan crest pendent tightly in her hand. Was it the path her heart and eyes led her to? Was this the path she had chosen? Slowly, Amari lifted her gaze from the rooftop to meet Aimi's inquisitive eyes and then Itachi's.

"Yes," she answered, nodding sharply.

Itachi's lips upturned in a genuine smile. "Then follow it, Haya. Trust in your heart and eyes, just as Shisui told you. Carve your path; show us the future you seek to build."

"Until then, 'Tachi and I will stick together," Aimi said, smiling warmly. "We'll tread through the darkness until the day your light finally catches up to us. So blaze a trail, my little sweet. We'll be waiting for you."

Amari's hand tightened around her pendent. Tears stung at her eyes, and again she didn't bother to fight them back. Relinquishing her hold on the necklace, she rushed forward and embraced Aimi, burying her face into her cloak.

"I'll…I'll do my best!"

Aimi embraced her in return, holding her tightly. Warmly.

"We know you will. You're Haya Uchiha, after all. Shisui's little sister, daughter of two incredible parents and my little sweet."

When she finally pulled herself together and from the embrace, she turned to Itachi. Fingers prodded her in the forehead before she could speak. He smiled.

"Take care, Haya. And take care of Sasuke for me."

"I will. I promise."

After Itachi summoned his own Crows, Amari bid one final farewell to her clan-siblings, hugging Aimi and Itachi one last time before watching them vanish from the skyline. And with their blessing, she was even more certain in her goal to save them from their dark path.

Amari held the pendent tightly in her hand, staring off at the horizon.

Itachi, Aimi…Shisui… This is where my heart and eyes have led me. My goals may seem grand and even foolish at times, but all I have to do is keep moving forward. Keep reaching out to others. I'll stumble and fall, of course. But I'll have people who help me back up, too. And as long as I keep walking on my path, as long as I follow my heart and trust in my eyes, I'll reach where I'm going. And I'll always have you with me, right, Shisui?

A rush of wind danced around her. Amari shut her eyes, lifted her chin towards the sky and smiled.

Thank you.