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.

133. Chapter 132: A Broken Promise

Chapter 132

A Broken Promise: The Masked Man's Request

"Naruto, look out!"

He was thrown off his feet. Shoved off the side of the thick root before he could eke out an argument or counter the action with a brave and self-sacrificial act of his own. The funny thing was he intended to say and do the same thing, except his cry was going to be directed at Sakura, his act would've thrown her from the root; he was too slow.

In the heat of the moment, when imperceptible milliseconds was the thin blade between life or death, she was quicker than he was. There was nothing he could do now to change that. She'd already acted, shoving him out of the way of the enemy jutsu.

As he fell from the root, eyes wide and breath caught in his throat, he watched the following events play out in slow motion. He saw Sakura in vivid detail. Her hair was whipping through the air as a result of her sudden pivot, and he could almost see every individual strand moving, bending, casting thin shadows over her face. He could almost see the beads of sweat flying off them.

Her emerald eyes were squinted, her face contorted in a preemptive grimace for what she knew was coming. But he saw no regret in her gaze. There was only determination to see the decision through to the end.

The rest of the world was in slow motion, too. He saw the small, broken splinters flying past her body, heard the shredding roar of the jutsu as it splintered, cracked and shattered the bark while barreling towards his kunoichi teammate. The jutsu emitted a sort of milky white light that bent around her body, illuminating one side while casting shadows over the other.

The energy of the jutsu caused her dress to undulate. Briefly.

Then the jutsu collided against Sakura. And she bulleted out of his vision, the world returning to its natural speed.

The blast of power and force shaved bark off the root, gouging into the core of the tree, creating a sort of small trench along the entire length of it.

Sakura was swept away by the jutsu as if taken by the tide. She tumbled and rolled over the branch, veiled by sawdust and surrounded by a hornets nest of splinters.

Finally, she stopped.

Naruto flipped out of his fall, landed on a trio of roots twisting around themselves, then immediately launched back up, crying out her name in horror.

Somewhere below he could hear the battle raging between Mimi, Aoko and Kasai.

Atop the root, encased in a translucent pyramid-shaped Barrier Ninjutsu, was Sakura. The pyramid was small—cramped. Fortunately she was small enough to fit inside, but only just. Undamaged with an exception of the injuries she incurred prior.

Her emerald eyes flicked around. She ran her hands along the flawlessly smooth walls, pressing them and her feet and back against the surface, testing the new prison.

"Sakura!"

Rushing to her side, in desperation to free her himself with sheer force, he tried to touch it, to grab hold of a corner or a wall and pull the entire damn thing apart.

His hands touched the barrier. And electricity jolted through his body. He yelped in pain, hands and body recoiling away. The electricity crackled menacingly around the Barrier Ninjutsu, a violent warning that he'd find more of the same if he tried again.

Naruto cursed and coughed.

The smoke was getting so much worse. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Sakura glanced around with wide eyes. Despite the smoke he could practically see the myriad of panicked thoughts flashing through her mind. She pressed her hands, feet and back harder against the walls, grunting and grimacing, sweating and coughing, trying to push a panel open on physical strength alone.

It didn't seem to budge.

Then, before his horrified eyes, he saw the pyramid begin to shrink. Slowly. Sakura grunted, arms and legs trembling as she tried to hold the walls back.

She was being crushed. Sakura was being crushed right before his eyes and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He couldn't touch the Barrier. He doubted a Rasengan would do any good, either.

The whole point of Barrier Ninjutsu was to trap something inside and prevent all outside forces from entering. Like that purple Barrier used by Orochimaru to trap Old Man Hokage.

A jutsu of this high-level, that required the chakra of three people—even if two were technically dead—would doubtlessly be strong enough to defend against any jutsu he had.

The pyramid shrank more. Sakura cried out in agony, body being crushed as the barrier walls closed in around her.

Manic laughter from Arashi dragged his horrified and furious attention to the man, who's back was bulging in the shape of a massive tumor, who was fused with the corpses of Kamikiri and Jigumo, who's hands were held apart in the shape of a triangle, inching closer together and, as a result, shrinking the pyramid more.

This was the cousin he was supposed to somehow save despite how deranged he had become.

What a sick joke. He could almost hear Kasai laughing at him.

"Its useless to struggle!" declared the Fūma shinobi. "This is the ultimate Forbidden Technique of the Fūma Clan! This is it! I've finally reached it—the pinnacle of strength no one will ever hope to surpass! I have become the Ultimate Shinobi! Now there is no one in the world who can stand against the Fūma Clan! The Feudal Lord will bend his knee to us! We will control this whole Nation! And then we will expand! Yes! We will expand until the Great Nations themselves tremble at our might!"

"We…won't let you!" Sakura ground out. "None of that…is what Sasame or anyone else wants! You, Kamikiri, Jigumo, and even Kagerō, all of you sold your souls to Orochimaru!

"Kasai was right about you. You're obsessed with power! You're no different than he is! You hurt good people, like Manzo and Daisuke! You kidnap children like Scotch and Emi! Their lives, Sasame's life, they mean absolutely nothing to you! To gain power, to gain your so-called freedom, you steal theirs instead!"

"'We won't let you!' " he mocked, laughing cruelly. "'Sasame, Sasame, Sasame,'" he whined, taunting them. "Why should anything she wants matter to me? Why should she mean anything at all!"

Naruto's heart stopped. His breath hitched. Those words… They struck him harshly, and rang with familiarity.

"You say that like it should mean something!" he recalled Kasai's own declaration.

"I am no longer the Arashi Sasame once knew! I have ascended into the realm of the Gods themselves!" Arashi raved. "I will bring about a new era of the Fūma Clan! Lord Orochimaru has shown me the way. He has gifted me the facilities and the forces to accomplish my dream. With it I will forge a new future for the Clan! We will clutch this land in an iron fist, and all those who oppose me, no matter who they may be, will be annihilated! Even Sasame."

"Like hell you will! You won't lay a finger on her!"

"You can't do anything to stop me! In a few moments you'll be squashed like a bug!"

Damn it. What was he supposed to do? What could he do?

"Naruto… Arghhhh!"

Sakura cried out again. His heart stopped. Panic, horror, he couldn't decide which was worse or which was in control.

Yet Sakura's determined emerald eyes, shimmering with tears of pain, seared into him.

"It's going to be all right! I'll be okay! But you… You have to stop him! The weakness of any Barrier Ninjutsu is the caster themselves. That's why Barrier Squads always have shinobi guarding them. If you can… Gehhh! Ahhhh! If you can disrupt the jutsu, I can break free! Now go! Before he really does crush me like a bug!"

He dashed off. At Arashi. He possessed no grand plan. No strategy. All he had was his anxious heart slamming against his chest, demanding him to run quicker, to move faster, to go, go, go already!

All he could think of was breaking Sakura out of the Barrier Ninjutsu. All he could see in Arashi were the two Cadaver Puppets fused to his body, who no longer resembled Kamikiri and Jigumo to his mind, but instead took on the vile and sinister appearance of Kasai and Orochimaru.

The worst traits of both had attached themselves to Arashi. They corrupted him. Turned him into an unrecognizable monster obsessed with power.

They twisted him into a man who would sacrifice his precious cousin to achieve his so-called dream.

Naruto grit his teeth. Why did he turn out this way? How could someone like the man Sasame described—kind, gentle and compassionate—be so consumed by evil? Why was he so willing to throw away the lives of his friends and family?

Why?

Why?

Why!

No answers came to him. None of it made any sense, and it hurt to think about it. So he charged thoughtlessly. With reckless abandon for whatever may occur to his own body. Let Arashi try his best to harm him. To break his body. It wouldn't matter. Because if Sakura died here, all because she had to save him, all because he was too slow or too weak, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

He couldn't let it happen. He wouldn't let anyone kill her.

No matter what, he refused to let her die!

Five Shadow Clones formed around him. Then ten. Thirty. Sixty. A hundred. They all charged in at Arashi from every possible angle, some bearing kunais, others throwing shuriken. More simply dove in headfirst like human missiles.

The Cadaver Puppets attacked and used their malleable flesh to shield Arashi, who stood flatfooted, fighting to bring his hands closer together. They destroyed Shadow Clones in vast swaths. Kamikiri and his blade bisected a dozen with a single swipe, painful cries bursting from their lips and echoing through the chamber. Jigumo ensnared others in cocoons of his spider silk, their curses and screams muffled but somewhat comprehensible.

In their place he created more.

More.

More.

As many as he could. As many as it would take to create an opening, no matter how much chakra it required. Anything to stop him from killing Sakura.

The horde was never ending, a veritable orange sea of angry boys diving in headfirst on their gut instinct.

The so-called ultimate shinobi couldn't stop them all.

The corporeal copies dressed in orange stabbed their kunais into the Cadaver Puppets, who groan and moaned like horrifying ghosts and ghouls. The Shadow Clones latched onto the mass of flesh wherever they could; the lump on his back, his legs, a chokehold around his neck, and others managed to grab hold of his arms.

Together, yelling incomprehensibly, they fought to pull his hands apart, much to Arashi's visible seething. He screamed and roared at the Shadow Clones. Cursed them and their original. Declared them to be fools and weaklings and that he would kill them for standing in his way, but only after killing Sakura, incentivizing their fury. He struck them down with the Cadaver Puppets.

However, unbeknownst to the horde or Arashi, all of whom were consumed in a life or death tug-of-war, the active pulling apart cracked open a small gap in the Barrier Ninjutsu. Like a cabinet door left slightly ajar.

Sakura felt the sturdy, immovable wall shift. It awoke all of her senses. It sent adrenaline shooting through her body. It gave her hope. No matter how small or fleeting it seemed, she clutched it tightly and focused all of her strength into pushing the wall open.

Meanwhile, through the smokescreen of dispersed Shadow Clones, Naruto dashed into the open, a spiraling orb of blue chakra in hand, eyes flashing with determination, pain and regret. Arashi was within arms reach, unable to move beneath the horde, staring at him in bewilderment.

Why had Arashi turned out this way?

Why wouldn't he listen?

Why did it have to end like this?

Dashing up directly at Arashi's exposed chest, seeing the man's fully white eyes bulge, Naruto let out a roar afflicted by his determination, pain and regret.

At the same time, he heard Sakura cry out. It was a cry of desperation, of power, and exertion.

The Rasengan connected.

An explosion of power erupted behind him.

And a white light consumed them all.

---

Naruto awoke with a strangled gasp. He awoke to crisp, fresh air on his face beneath a warm blanket, which he, in a panicked fit, threw off his body as he bolted upright. He looked around hastily expecting to see the maze of roots and branches Kasai sprouted, or the dark stone chamber of Orochimaru's den. He expected the fire and smoke consumed battlefield.

Instead he saw natural trees, a grassy glade and the afternoon sky.

"Easy, kid. You're safe now."

The voice of his master was oddly soothing despite all the headaches he generally caused.

Still, the memories of the final moments of battle were fresh. Inescapable. The smell of the smoke mixed together with the stench of death that permeated off Arashi, the ear-popping explosion, the suffocating fire and sounds of battle were all still so vivid. So tangible.

So unfortunately real.

He turned to see the pervy old coot sitting nearby, at ease but bearing a pensive expression. He was drawing an ink brush over a scroll, writing a message from the look of it. But no Sakura. No Mimi and Aoko.

Where were they? It was the first question to break through his scrambled panic. Where were his teammates? Why was it just him and Pervy Sage?

What had even happened?

"And before you ask, Sakura, Mimi and Aoko are fine," Jiraiya informed before he could make a sound. "Mimi's primary focus since the battle's end has been tending to you, Sakura and Aoko; she gave herself a few field repairs to staunch bleeding and mitigate pain, but little else. She's a tough kid, I'll give her that. However, field repairs only go so far. It was more than apparent to the rest of us that she needed immediate care.

"The location of the injury—her right shoulder—made a male audience unwanted, as you can imagine."

No, he really couldn't, actually. He opened his mouth to ask what his master meant, more worried about the severity of the injury than he was its location. Why did that even matter? Why would a shoulder make a male audience unwanted? It was just a shoulder…

Then it hit him. And he snapped his mouth shut.

If his shoulder was injured, depending on the size of the wound, that meant removing layers of clothes to grant a medic easier access to clean and bandage it properly. Which meant Mimi—a girl—was somewhere within the vicinity…getting her wound treated.

Naruto fidgeted. Blood rushed to his cheeks, warming it against the cool air.

Don't look around. Don't look around. Don't look around.

He chanted the phrase and kept his eyes pinned in place on the uninteresting blades of grass; one such blade had a tiny little ladybug crawling along it. He thought of the horror he felt when captured by Mimi and Amari at the Academy, and the absolute pummeling they'd given him and Konohamaru for their perverted misbehavior, to remind himself what pain awaited if he ever was caught sneaking a peek.

Yet… He was a teenage boy. Not only that, he was a teenage boy who had, on several occasions, snuck around the adult sections at the book and manga shops to successful ends. Not to mention the woman's bathhouse that one time with Konohamaru.

And from those audacious pilgrimages—it should be said—wells of substantial knowledge and insight few boys ever successfully obtained fell into his young hands. Such intimate knowledge inspired the creation of the Sexy Jutsu, famous for defeating the likes of the Third Hokage, Ebisu, Iruka, and, of course, the Pervy Sage himself.

So, despite his attempt not to be a teenage boy, to remind himself that he respected Mimi as a friend and squad leader, his adolescent mind, body and previous experiences charted their own course, conspiring against the angel on his shoulder.

He'd seen pictures before. And that time at the bathhouse with Konohamaru, way back when he was training the little snot the Sexy Jutsu, he'd seen…well, he saw more than he expected, but less than his inner pervert hoped.

The thought of a girl a little older than him, a little bustier than his teammates…

She'll kill you, his angel warned. Amari will kill you. Sakura will kill you. Granny will kill you. Don't. Look. Around.

He grimaced. The angel on his shoulder was right. He was a dead man walking if he tried anything perverse. The one time he accidentally almost saw Amari partially naked on the trip back from the Land of Tea…

"Naruto! You are so dead when I'm finished bandaging Amari up!"

A second offense was death, no doubt about it.

Don't be like Pervy Sage. You're better than that.

Right. He was a teenage boy, but he wasn't the Pervy Sage. He didn't want to be associated with his Master's worst impulses. He firmly respected Mimi and her privacy.

"Sakura went with her behind those trees over there," Jiraiya said with a lift of his chin in the general direction to their left, "to help clean the wound and bandage her up. They'll be back soon."

Gahhh! His own horrified wails inside his mind were deafening. He could feel the blood drain from his face in horror. Dammit, Pervy Sage! Don't tell me that! What if Mimi just assumes I tried to sneak a peek because of you! She's already threatened to call me Groper! Everyone will think I'm as big of a pervert as you are!

He said none of it. Hissed none of it.

He wasn't the sharpest shinobi, but he sure as hell wasn't stupid enough to test the Inuzuka's hearing.

After a few heart-slamming moments of horror, full of expectation of a drilling Water Bullet to smash through the trees and either pierce his body, or land dangerously close to an area he never wanted pierced, Naruto sighed.

His teammates were okay. That's what really mattered in the end.

He welcomed the relief of the news. He relaxed his tense shoulders and slouched forward slightly, resting his hands in his lap.

"What happened, Pervy Sage?" asked the boy softly.

There was still so much he didn't know. The final moments of the fight were a blur of adrenaline, fear, emotional conflict and pain, covered in a veil of smog he could barely breathe in or see through. He didn't know what to make of how he got here, or what that strange white light was.

"One moment I was fighting Arashi; I was about to hit him with the Rasengan so I could free Sakura. The next there was this white light. And now I'm here, wherever here is," he added, looking around. "What happened to Kasai? And Arashi?"

"Well," he paused writing to speak, "at the moment we're just outside of Orochimaru's compound. The battle is over, though. There are no signs of the Sound shinobi left. Any survivors we didn't encounter, or that Hanzaki and his men didn't eliminate, likely fled while they had the chance. Still, I've taken a number of precautions to secure the area. In my experience you can never be too careful when it comes to Orochimaru.

"As for what happened…"

Jiraiya drew his brush quickly along the scroll, quickly and efficiently with surprisingly neat penmanship. His lips, Naruto noticed, creased and wrinkled his cheeks as they formed a frown.

"When your Shadow Clones pulled Arashi's hands apart, it created an opening in the Barrier Ninjutsu imprisoning Sakura. Feeling the solid wall give, Sakura pushed with all of her strength to create an opening to escape through. It's an impressive feat of strength.

"However, by forcing it open, the two of you did more than disrupt and disable the jutsu. You shattered it. Have you ever heard of backdraft, Naruto?"

"No. I…don't think so."

"Imagine your room is consumed in fire with the door and window sealed shut. The flammable materials in your room, the air itself, it all provides fuel for the flames. But the fire is contained inside and, eventually, burns away all of its fuel. It begins to burn itself out.

"You, unaware there is a fire burning inside your room, then open the door. Suddenly there is an influx of oxygen available. Now there is more fuel. The result is a powerful explosion—backdraft. And you and your home are engulfed in flames. Do you understand?"

"…So when Sakura pushed that Barrier Ninjutsu apart, all of the power and chakra that formed it and sealed her inside exploded outwards."

"Precisely," his master nodded. "And the result was total devastation. The Wood Style ninjutsu Kasai created disintegrated beneath the power; the columns, too. You are all very fortunate to be alive."

"It isn't Sakura's fault," he defended his teammate immediately.

"Nor do I blame her. Barrier Ninjutsu, let alone the volatility of Arashi's Forbidden Jutsu, isn't something shinobi encounter regularly. Least of all young shinobi like you kids. Such a high-leveled Barrier… Hm."

His master's hum expressed his immense disappointment in Arashi.

"If anyone is to blame, it's me," he said after a moment. "I promised to be at your sides. I wasn't."

Part of him, the emotional part, wanted to ask where he was the whole time. They could've used his help, so what was the deal? Did he get distracted by a pretty lady or something?

He didn't ask, though. The air around his Master was too grim for immature, backhanded questions. It reminded him of the aftermath of their encounter with the Akatsuki.

"Did you find anything?" he asked instead.

"Yes. There's still yet more I need to document and uncover inside Orochimaru's compound, but that can wait. For now I'll detail what I saw and send it ahead to Tsunade. After I get you kids back to the Leaf, I'll return here to uncover all of the secrets I can. Both from this base and the facility Mimi found previously."

Whatever he had seen was troubling his master deeply. Naruto could see it in his eyes, darkened, cold, guilt-ridden by what he found. He could see it in his frown, somehow deeper than any frown he'd ever witnessed from his Master.

I can't imagine how bad it had to be to mess with Pervy Sage.

"Anyway," Jiraiya continued, "as for Kasai and Arashi, Arashi is dead."

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath. He'd known, but the confirmation stabbed a blade through his heart and, somehow, took him by surprise.

"The Rasengan alone damaged his body beyond repair," said Jiraiya. "However, he was pierced by debris as well. Even had he survived the initial impact of the debris, there would've been no healing him. From what I can tell…"

Jiraiya, noticing the silence of his student, looked over and examined the boy. The guilt gripping his heart at the thought of his own stupid promise to Sasame was etched on his face, in the grimace, shut eyes and grit teeth he displayed. And the reality he had not only broken it, but was responsible for the death of her precious cousin, it was almost too much.

"He likely died instantly," the Toad Sage finished.

It wasn't what he initially meant to say. Naruto would never know that Arashi was found beside him, lying on one side with long pieces of wood piercing through his back. He would never know Jiraiya's suspicions that, in one moment of clarity, Arashi saved his student's life.

No one would ever know what truly happened in that final moment, not even Jiraiya.

Was it purely chance that led to his student's survival? Or had Arashi saved him?

Some mysteries, Jiraiya believed, were best left as mysteries.

"I…" Naruto struggled for words.

He looked down at his hand. Saw the Rasengan swirling in it, and Arashi's wide white eyes as he slammed it into his torso.

He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes. The images followed him.

Of course it wasn't the first time he had killed with the Rasengan. Dotō was the first. Yet he had meant to kill the tyrant, to end his miserable life after all the pain he had caused the Land of Snow and the Princess. After all the death he had sowed to gain power, fill his pockets and build his own personal Empire.

Arashi wasn't supposed to die. Not by his hand. He was supposed to be the one who brought him back to Sasame, not the one to cut him down.

And yet, somehow, someway, Arashi had turned out nearly identical to Dotō. Just as selfish and heartless.

Why? Why did it have to end this way?

He wasn't able to save Kagerō or Arashi. Why was that? Why couldn't he reach them?

"There was no other way, Naruto," Jiraiya said calmly.

The calm voice of his Master wasn't soothing this time. Despite there being no barb in his words, it rang to his ears as a cruel sneer. A taunt at his inability to save them.

Deep down he knew it was his own emotions. His own ego. His own silent voice telling him he failed, not his Master, who only sought to comfort him. But his emotions got the better of him.

"Of course there was!" he fired back emotionally. "If I had just… If I hadn't been so slow, Sakura wouldn't have had to push me out of the way. Then we could've beaten him and brought him back."

"And then what?" Jiraiya replied, still calm but assertive. "Do you think seeing Sasame would wake him up? That he would suddenly reform from his evil ways because Sasame would cry in joy at seeing him alive, despite how monstrous he had become? Do you think he would listen to her pleas to come home? To stay with her and the Clan? Do you truly believe her words, her unconditional love, could have changed him?"

"Why should anything she wants matter to me? Why should she mean anything at all!"

Naruto grunted but couldn't respond. He curled his fingers into his pants.

"Let's not forget what his crimes are, Naruto," his Master continued, voice to the point and unrelenting. "He was posing as Orochimaru for an unknown amount of time.

"During that time he remorselessly committed sins beneath his disguise—sins that include kidnapping children and adults to experiment on, torture and kill! Children like the dead little girl Mimi found. Like the ones I found…" Jiraiya said, voice softening.

He stared down at his letter for a pregnant silence. The regret was plain to see on his face.

"That was all before he fused his body with two Cadaver Puppets," he continued a moment later. "He committed those sins willingly. While in complete control of his mental faculties. However, the moment he used that jutsu, the Arashi we set out to rescue ceased to be."

The Toad Sage's expression darkened. "There are reasons jutsus like that are considered Forbidden. When you use the Cadaver Puppet Jutsu, the mind becomes unstable. You lose your sanity bit by bit until you become someone unrecognizable. And, as far as I know, there is no way to reverse the jutsu.

"In short, once you fuse yourself to the Cadaver Puppets, there is no going back. The puppets will continue to reattach themselves to the user of the jutsu, no matter how many times you remove them."

Jiraiya looked at the boy, his expression uncompromising and stony.

"There was nothing any of you could've done to save him. Arashi—Sasame's Arashi—was already dead. He died long before we ever showed up in this Nation. The man you fought was something else entirely."

Naruto looked away. He went white-knuckled gripping his pants.

…The thing is, I know you are right, Pervy Sage. I saw it for myself how far off the deep end Arashi went. And…I know now that he took part in all the terrible things Orochimaru does. But that doesn't change how I feel. I wanted to save him. I promised Sasame I would. And now…

Now Arashi was dead. Now he had no choice but to shatter Sasame's entire world.

Why was the world this way, Naruto lamented. What caused it to be like this?

What drove Arashi to betray his cousin's love?

What drove anyone to betray love? He couldn't imagine anything worth it. No, there was nothing worth betraying the sincere love of a family member or a friend. Love like that was too precious to simply throw away like it was an empty Insta-Ramen cup.

He couldn't understand it. Worse, it seemed to confirm everything Kasai had said about their world, and that deflated the boy further.

"…What do I even tell her?" he asked quietly.

"That I can't tell you," his master sighed. "Whatever you say will break her heart. There's no way around it. To be honest, I've never been good at delivering news like this. I never knew what to say, because nothing will alleviate the agony. Nothing we can say will bring back the people they love.

"The best advice I can give you is to endure. Endure their grief, their tears, their anger. Endure it. Be strong for them. And never forget their tears. Use the memory to drive you towards your goal. That's all we can do as shinobi."

Solemnly, Naruto nodded but said nothing.

"What about Kasai?" he asked after a long silence.

"I'd like to say Kasai was killed in the explosion after Mimi reclaimed the Byakugan eye from him."

"Wait, seriously! Mimi took Ryu's eye back?"

"No. I said I'd like to say that. I'm sure she would, too. However, when she came to, all she had in her hand was a wooden ball where an eyeball was previously."

Naruto grit his teeth. "Dammit!" he hissed. "He was just another Wood Clone?"

"Seems to be the case. Now that we know Orochimaru left Arashi here as his doppelgänger, though, I can't say I'm surprised. He wouldn't leave Kasai behind on his own. He's training the kid, after all. Which makes me wonder: Why did Kasai leave his Wood Clone behind? To help Arashi? Or, perhaps, was it all for a second chance to kill Amaririsu?"

"It has to be Amari he was after," Naruto said, shaking his head. "He didn't care for Arashi or anyone else. He just wanted Amari there. He was certain she would come after him. And when he realized she wasn't, he decided to kill us instead. He plans to use every last one of us to cause her suffering. That's what he promised."

"Mm. Then it is imperative for all of you to grow stronger. Sakura and Mimi explained how tough the battle against him was. The reality is, unless we can locate the real Kasai and put an end to him early, he will continue to grow stronger. Just as Amaririsu does. And he isn't the type to lie about something like that.

"If you kids don't prepare yourselves, he will fulfill his promise. There are no lines he will not cross. There is no evil he will not stoop to in his pursuit of Amaririsu.

"Tsunade said it best, I believe," he added. "He can't be redeemed. He'd set the whole world ablaze to spite Amaririsu and see her suffer. And he'd laugh and play a fiddle while he did."

Though he knew the words to be true, he still couldn't understand why Kasai had become so obsessed with Amari. She wasn't even the one to betray him!

"Doesn't make any sense? Never did anything to me? Oh, Nine-Tails, you couldn't be more wrong! The Senju and the Uchiha, Hashirama and Madara, their war is ours! Ours! This is our destiny! The twisted inheritance our ancestors left for us!"

"You may be too stupid to connect the pieces right in front of you, but I've had my suspicions for some time now about your little friend Amaririsu."

"Their ancestors…" Naruto muttered.

"Huh?"

"Kasai is related to the First Hokage, right, Pervy Sage?"

"All evidence presently at our disposal suggests that he is. The fact he can control Wood Style at such a high-level, to me, proves that beyond any shadow of a doubt."

"And… You knew Amari's parents, right?"

Jiraiya paused writing.

"Her mom was a Hokage Guard for the Fourth and the Third Hokage after him," Naruto rattled on, thinking out loud. "And her dad was a candidate to be the Fifth Hokage. You called him, um… What was it? The Reincarnation of Madara Uchiha, I think. And that Madara guy, you said that he was one of the Founders of the Leaf Village. The strongest Uchiha the world has ever seen."

"Spit it out, kid."

"It's just…" He lowered his gaze to his lap. "Kasai raved about how the war of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha was theirs. It was their destiny. Their war. Their inheritance. It didn't make any sense to me then. It doesn't really make sense to me now. His obsession with Amari, I mean. She didn't do anything, you know? But he's so hellbent on making her suffer. He's so hellbent on destroying her world, you'd think she was responsible for destroying his or something.

"So, I was just thinking that maybe that's what he meant by saying it's the inheritance their ancestors left for them. That Amari is related to that guy. Besides being an Uchiha, I mean."

"Would it change anything?"

"Huh?" The question caught him off guard. He looked back at his Master, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's just as I asked: Would her lineage change anything?" Jiraiya stared at him stone-faced. "Would it justify Kasai's actions if she was related to Madara Uchiha? And if she were, would it then truly be their destiny to wage war on each other, and by proxy on the world itself? Would it change your opinion of Amaririsu?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Of course not!" he replied, swiping his hand through the air. "Whoever her ancestor is doesn't change the fact that Amari is her own person."

"Mm. I'm not surprised by your answer. Just know that there are people in this world—people in the Leaf—who would disagree. They will see the rebuilding of the Uchiha Clan as a threat to the entire Village, no matter how strong her Will of Fire burns."

"And do what?" Naruto growled, feeling his anger bubble up in his belly. "Order Sasuke or Amari to massacre their entire Clan like they did to Itachi and Aimi? Assassinate them before they can even get started on rebuilding?"

"Yes, in fact, they would." Jiraiya didn't blink. "And they would drape themselves in righteous cloaks as they did."

"That's…" Naruto was speechless, taken aback by his master's assertion. At least for a moment. "How is any of that right?! How could anyone say they're justified killing them or their Clan? And over what?! They've never done anything!"

"Whether it's right or wrong, whether it is fair or unjustified, the Uchiha Clan is burdened by its history." Jiraiya was calm, unlike his student. "It is burdened by the bloody history between the Senju and the Uchiha, and worsened by the circumstances that followed the founding of the Leaf. Circumstances worsened by the likes of Madara. By, unfortunately, decisions made by the Second Hokage and the Third Hokage, too."

"But that stuff was ages ago! How can they be held responsible for any of that?"

"Right or wrong, that's the burden they've inherited. The burden of both their Clan's and the Leaf's past sins. You shouldn't worry too much. They know what they're up against, and they have the Crows—among others—watching over them.

"However," his Master's voice became grave, "let's say Amaririsu was related to Madara. Were certain people to learn of such a lineage, they would do everything in their power to eliminate it. Permanently."

"What?" Naruto gasped.

"That is the power of his name," Jiraiya stated. "That is why you must never ask such questions unless you are certain you are alone with me, Kakashi or Tsunade. Do you understand, Naruto?"

"Ye- yeah. I get it."

"Good."

Jiraiya returned his attention to his letter. Their discussion on the subject was over.

He hadn't answered the question clearly. Or maybe he had, just in a roundabout way.

Naruto flattened his lips together.

I guess that's what the Nine-Tails meant. Why he's also hellbent on destroying Amari if he ever gets the chance.

Because she's related to Madara.

That's the power of his name.

He had to get stronger.

---

After a brief rest they returned to the sleazy town. The mood of the team was solemn, quiet. They didn't bother to debate, argue or give Jiraiya the stink eye when he asked them to wait outside of the tavern owned by the Fūma Clan, a tavern which, by its erotic signage, served more than alcoholic beverages.

The most noticeable reaction were Mimi's and Aoko's, noses scrunching slightly at whatever scent they had caught. Naruto didn't envy their noses, honestly. The acrid odor of alcohol and cigarette smoke and cigars stung his nose without an enhanced sense of smell.

So they stood there in the street, silent, ignoring the scantily clad women posing sensually for and cooing to potential customers, ignoring the general flux of traveling thugs and rogues passing through the town in search of rest, respite, company or a new score.

Naruto only reacted once. It was a visceral reaction. A violent one he couldn't contain anymore than a cage constructed of straw could contain a furious bear.

A middle-aged man approached Sakura. He was clean shaven, dressed in an expensive suit and for all intents and purposes seemed harmless. At least to a shinobi.

What he said and asked—no, demanded of Sakura was something Naruto could never repeat out loud. It left his teammate flushing with embarrassment, revulsion, shame and rage. It caused Aoko's hairs to stand on end as she growled viciously. It made Mimi clench her fists, grit her teeth and warn the man, in crude terms, to buzz off back to the cesspit he crawled out of.

The man ignored them. Before anyone could react, he brushed his hand along her face and tried to twirl strands of her pink hair around his finger while speaking more unrepeatable offenses. Offenses he described in considerable detail, offenses which targeted not only Sakura's body, but detailed his grotesque fantasies and how much money it'd earn her.

Disgusted and embarrassed, Sakura slapped the hand away and stepped back. She was still trying to prevent a physical altercation.

"Get away, you creep!"

Mimi stepped forward to attack, far past the point of caring about physical altercations and violence.

Neither of his teammates were prepared for him to fly at the man in a wild rage.

"You sick bastard!" bellowed out Naruto, punching the man square in the jaw with all of his pent up emotion.

The clean-shaven man crashed on the dirt road. Naruto followed him down, grabbing him by his shirt, then cracking him twice—once with a punch, the second time backhanding him with his fist.

He slammed the man into the dirt again, gripping his collared shirt so tightly he ripped it when he lifted his back off the ground and smashed him against the street. He glared at the bastard with red eyes and slit pupils, heaving heavy breaths and animalistic growls.

Mimi didn't bother to stop him. She, also furious, stamped on his shin, breaking it with a single blow while cursing him so colorfully that the scantily clad women and nearby men were even taken aback by the language.

The clean-shaven man howled. No one seemed to care. Or, perhaps, they were too afraid to intervene.

The man was bleeding from the mouth. His eye was beginning to bruise and swell and his cheek was broken open.

"Twisted scumbag! What the hell is wrong with you, huh?!" Naruto demanded.

The man stared at him with wide eyes. He looked at him like a innocent child confronted by the fanged and clawed monster beneath their bed.

True fear. He'd finally felt it.

He could see his death in the reflection of those red, slit pupil eyes.

"Say it again, I dare you." He shook the man. "Say it!"

"I- I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"Liar!" Naruto roared, punching him again. "You meant every word of it!"

"And Amari called me twisted! Ha ha ha! If only she were here now. Then she would know what I said was true. Then she would understand how twisted this world and all of us who inhabit it are!"

With a trembling body of fury, he drew back his fist again. When his arm met resistance, he snapped his head around to see his Master holding his arm, stone-faced.

"That's enough, kid."

"Enough?" he growled in return. "You didn't hear what he said, Pervy Sage. This bastard—"

"Made sexual advances on Sakura, I know. Don't look so shocked. I can tell what happened just by looking at you kids. Were I in your position, I would've reacted the same way. But you've done enough, Naruto."

A member of the Fūma Clan shadowed his master. When he got a good look at the man being pummeled, the Fūma Clan shinobi's face flushed red in rage.

"You! You dare show your face in this town again?!"

The man below him went pale as a sheet and tried to scramble out from beneath Naruto. Then he howled like a man being attacked by a mountain lion when Mimi broke his other shin.

"Hey!" Jiraiya sent a cold glare at the Inuzuka. "That's enough! Take Sakura and step away, Mimi. Now!"

Still cursing the man and the whole town, Mimi gently pulled Sakura aside while Aoko growled viciously.

Naruto hadn't let go. When the man continued to squirm free, he slammed him back first into the dirt again.

"Do you know him?" Jiraiya directed to the Fūma Clan shinobi.

"Yes," seethed the Fūma Clan. "This offense your shinobi has suffered is not his first against a young girl." He stepped forward with menace. "But I assure you it will be his last!"

"You heard him, kid. Get up. Hanzaki's men will take care of him from here."

And they did as soon as Naruto climbed off the man. A group of menacing looking men dragged him by his feet through the streets to a back alley, his howls of pain and pleas for mercy echoed over the street as he crawled desperately at the ground.

In that alleyway his cries of pain and pleas for mercy were heard for several long minutes. Then, eventually, fatal silence.

The team didn't linger around to listen to it. They set off for Manzo's bar immediately, where they learned Hanzaki was waiting with Sasame. For a long portion of the walk Jiraiya remained directly at Naruto's side, a hand clasped on his shoulder.

What rage he felt simmered the closer they got. The solemn grief returned in its place, however. He knew what was coming at Manzo's bar. He knew he'd finally have to face Sasame and tell her the truth.

He was on the walk to the funeral of a loved one. Or that was how he felt, anyway.

On the opposite side of the Pervy Sage were Mimi, Aoko and Sakura. Were a passing pedestrian to glance at them, they may have thought Mimi was missing her right arm entirely. The visible and bloodstained gouge in her flak jacket at her right shoulder, in addition to her arm not resting through the open sleeve, seemed to point that direction.

He had sure thought the same thing when he first saw her. When Mimi, Sakura and Aoko returned to camp he nearly had a panic attack upon noticing her missing arm. The Inuzuka managed a half-hearted grin and made a joke at his expense, wiggling the limb tucked beneath her jacket and held in a makeshift sling to reassure him she was fine.

Aoko, who she cradled in her hands, hadn't escaped clean from their fight with Kasai either. She had bandages wrapped around her furry body and around her front left leg.

Sakura also bore fresh bandages on her injured bicep, thankfully no longer stained entirely crimson. She was still wrestling with the revulsion and embarrassment from before. Mimi was doing her best to be supportive, all while glaring daggers at anyone in their direct path. Everyone gave the two girls considerable space as a result.

They sensed her killing intent.

As for Naruto himself, it was clear where he had been injured in the fight by the tears and rips in his clothes. The wounds were sealed shut, though. He supposed he should thank the Nine-Tails for that. Except he knew the Nine-Tails wasn't helping him out of the goodness of his hatred-filled heart.

Hatred he had felt moments prior, but hadn't been able to control.

The ground floor of Manzo's bar was deserted. It was at the top of the stairs where they encountered Sasame. The sight of her long orange-hair swaying across her back as she ran barefoot to see them and her light plum eyes full of questions caused his heart to ache harshly in his chest.

"Are all of you all right?"

It wasn't the first question he was expecting. But he knew… He knew it was coming.

Jiraiya excused himself to speak to Hanzaki. At the same time, Sasame moved closer to all of them, observing their bandaged bodies and ripped clothes with concerned eyes. Mimi and Sakura both offered reassurances. Naruto found his eyes drawn to the wall, unable to look at the girl he broke his promise to.

In all the time from camp to Manzo's bar he hadn't figured out what to say or how to tell her about Arashi. There weren't words he could think of that would somehow ease the pain she would endure. Words couldn't do that. None he knew, anyway.

Did he tell her the full truth? A partial truth? A lie? Would she even believe Arashi could become a monster? Would he believe it if he were in her shoes?

"Naruto?"

Her voice startled him. He met her eyes, innocent and concerned. Sincere.

Why? Why did it have to end this way?

Why couldn't I save him?

"Sasame, I'm…glad that you're okay. That you made it back safely," he said, voice soft.

"I wouldn't have without all of you. I was really in over my head. Will you all be okay, though? Your injuries—"

"Sasame." Naruto cut her off. "About Arashi…"

"Did you find him?" she asked, hope flickering in her eyes. "Is he okay?"

The silence was deafening. Sakura's gaze fell away from the Fūma kunoichi. Mimi shifted on her feet in discomfort. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, inhaled a painful breath and…

"I'm sorry, Sasame."

It was all he could manage to say. The bitter taste of the apology left his stomach twisted in knots.

"Sorr- Sorry?" Sasame repeated the word, clutching a fist over her heart. "You don't mean…"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Where did he start? What did he say? What could he say?

"We did everything we could." He found a few more words.

Sasame's feet didn't carry her away, but closer to Naruto. Her eyes welled with tears, her bottom lip quivered.

"No… No, no, no…. Arashi, he can't be… Please. Don't say that he's…"

Naruto couldn't bear it. He looked away. At the floor, the wall.

Anywhere that wasn't her painful eyes, which cut him deeper than any blade could.

"I couldn't save him."

The tears she restrained cascaded over. He heard her sniffles as her hands came to rest on his chest. He felt her fingers curl into his jacket. She tried her best to suffocate the sobs bubbling up and out of her, but it was futile. They both knew that.

"Please. Don't say it. Tell me he's okay. Tell me Arashi isn't dead!" she begged through her tears.

"Sasame, I…"

He tightened his jaw, tears burning in his eyes. He fought to keep them from spilling over, for this wasn't his time to grieve or his pain to feel. It was hers. His duty was to endure it. Endure it all, just as his Master said.

"You have no idea how much I want to tell you that," he said, voice cracking slightly. He turned his head away. "Please believe that. But…I can't."

Because lying would only cause you more pain in the end. You would have a fake hope to believe in, that Arashi was somewhere out there waiting to be found. You would live your life searching for a lie. And I can't do that. To you or anyone else.

He didn't say any of it. He could only stand in silence, gazing through foggy eyes at the wall.

Slowly, Sasame's legs began to cave, sobs intensifying.

Sakura was the first to move, closing the distance between herself and Sasame and gently peeling her fingers from his jacket. She settled down on the floor with the Fūma kunoichi, holding her in a warm embrace. Sasame clutched onto Sakura for dear life, sobbing, quivering as her world shattered.

Maybe he should've held her instead. But…it didn't feel right.

What right did he have to comfort her when he was the one who killed Arashi?

The distress of watching Sasame sob and cry out for her Arashi reminded him of the Land of Waves, when Amari collapsed into tears after rescuing Haku. Just like then, there wasn't anything he could do except watch.

And promise himself that next time he would be strong enough.

Next time…

Naruto clutched his hands into fists.

Next time I won't break my promise.

---

"So, Arashi, too…"

"I'm afraid so."

"Arashi, Jigumo, Kamikiri and Kagerō…"

Hanzaki, seated on a chair almost childishly small for a man of his imposing size, expressed his regret, guilt and sorrow through a long, weary sigh.

Arms crossed while leaning against the adjacent wall, Jiraiya watched the man with his own regret, his own guilt. His own sorrow.

The heartrending sobs of Sasame echoed from the hall.

"I'm sorry, Hanzaki."

"No." He shook his head, cheeks creased by a tight frown. "It is I who am sorry, Master Jiraiya. My failure to protect them from the honeyed lies of Orochimaru has caused you, your subordinates, these children and my own Clan tremendous grief.

"I failed them," he admitted. "In my effort to rebuild my Clan I led them astray, for by stooping to thievery and banditry I opened the door to greater sins to be committed. All in the name of preserving our Clan."

"No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Even me," Jiraiya replied evenly. "One such mistake has resulted in an insurmountable suffering inflicted upon innocent people. And death. It is a heavy burden I will carry for the rest of my days."

He flattened his lips together. The memory of the lab, the flooded pods that had become the coffins of dead children, mutated by some dastardly experiment, it wasn't one he'd ever forget.

"However, as shinobi it is our duty to endure and learn from these mistakes—rectify them, if possible," he continued. "In this way we can leave the world a little brighter when we're gone, and with luck we can teach the next generation what we learned, thus preventing them from repeating our mistakes."

"Mm. I wish we had met sooner, Master Jiraiya. There is much I could've learned from you. Perhaps, though, I should have listened more to Daisuke. Despite his reckless eagerness, Daisuke always possessed unfaltering integrity. He never forgot what the ideals of the Fūma Clan were. Though his family has long passed, I know they would be proud of the man he became."

Jiraiya nodded slightly, glancing off to the side where the children were huddled together, tending to the sleeping forms of Manzo, Emi, and Daisuke.

According to Mimi, she found the latter half-dead in a gloomy glade surrounded by Jigumo's webs, alone despite the scent of Kamikiri all over the battlefield. By the smell, the location of Daisuke's body and severed fingers, and his injuries, she said, Daisuke sacrificed his body—and nearly his life—to kill Kamikiri.

Looking at him now, still and pale as a corpse, arms lying parallel to his body, head, upper body and right hand wrapped in bandages, looking at Manzo's bandaged body, listening to Emi's congested breathing, Jiraiya knew without a shadow of a doubt that had he picked any other Genin or Chūnin from the next generation—anyone who wasn't Mimi—this day would be more grim than it already was. Far more grim.

Like Tsunade, though, he thought, you have trouble seeing the good you've done. The lives you've saved. You're already thinking of your perceived failures. You're thinking of that girl you found in Orochimaru's research facility, you're thinking of Sasame's grief because we couldn't rescue Arashi, and you're thinking about how, despite all of your efforts, we failed to kill Orochimaru or Kasai.

But you'll get through it. You all will. And you'll be stronger and better for it.

"How is he?" Jiraiya inquired.

Hanzaki stared at his fallen comrade with grave countenance.

"So far he hasn't awoken. Your medic, Mimi Inuzuka, was able to stabilize him before her Shadow Clone dispelled. But… He lost a great deal of blood, suffered a concussion and endured severe trauma to his body. Kamikiri was moments away from killing him, from what she told my men. And had she not found him as quickly as she did… Frankly, we don't know when he'll wake up."

Or if he will, passed between the two seasoned shinobi in silence.

"He dreams of the wars. Of those we lost. The sign of brain activity is good, or so I was told by a doctor I trust. But…to be locked in a nightmare such as that is something I would only wish upon the most evil of men. Until the day he does wake, however, I will ensure these children, Manzo and Daisuke are taken care of and protected. I owe him that much."

Jiraiya inclined his head in gratitude. For Daisuke's sake and the children here, he hoped the young man would pull through.

They discussed Orochimaru's lair after that. He specifically warned Hanzaki to keep his Clansmen far away. There were still traps abound within, he explained. And a darkness better left forgotten. Hanzaki swore to keep his Clansmen away, satisfying the Toad Sage on the matter.

The final piece of business to discuss was the woman he found and the five survivors, all of whom he transported out of the lair inside a scroll.

"I suspect the five survivors I found are at least natives of this Land," he said. "My hope is you might be able to reconnect them with any remaining family they may have. Otherwise I'll be returning to this Nation soon after I return my team to the Leaf. Should there be no one, I will try to help find a solution for their situation.

"Finally, I believe the woman I encountered is one of yours."

"One of ours? Could it be Kotohime?"

"We'll have to see. But not here."

Jiraiya explained the delicate situation regarding the woman, as well as her break from reality. Hanzaki listened closely, his stony expression faltering for horror the more he learned.

"I don't know if she will be more of a danger to your Clan or herself at this point," Jiraiya finished.

"We'll look after her. I…cannot imagine what she is suffering right now. To have her child taken at birth, and then…" Hanzaki shook his head. "I'll do everything I can to get her the help she needs. The help she deserves."

"That's all I can ask."

Later, after releasing the survivors from his scroll, they would learn the female shinobi he captured was in fact Kotohime of the Fūma Clan. They would also face another manic attempt at violence from the traumatized woman.

It would require no small physical or psychological effort to get her to see the truth. Truth which, unfortunately, would result first in an attempt at taking Jiraiya's life, and then an effort to end her own.

Kotohime would be subdued while sobbing and wailing for her son, taken in by the Clansmen Orochimaru labeled as traitors and placed under strict guard to protect her from herself.

The trauma she endured would follow her for the rest of her life.

Likewise, Jiraiya would carry the memories of the lab and the burden of guilt they left behind, knowing deep in his heart he could've ended it all years ago if he wasn't a naïve fool. If he wasn't so softhearted towards a man he once called friend and comrade.

A man who he was no longer sure if he had ever truly known or understood.

It was a question he and Tsunade would grapple with until their final moments.

Had they ever truly known Orochimaru? How had their former friend become so twisted?

Was it the world that made him that way? Or did the problem lay in the human heart?

Would this cycle of pain, grief, hatred and bloodshed ever end?

One day he hoped to uncover that answer.

---

They stayed with Sasame as long as they could. Despite how painful it was, Naruto wished they could have stayed longer, at least until he was sure she'd be okay. But he knew it wasn't something they could fix or heal given several hours or days. Only time could. Or that's what he had heard most his life.

Naruto wasn't sure he believed it.

Did pain like Sasame's and Kotohime's, like Amari's and Mimi's, or Sasuke's and Daisuke's, ever truly heal? Or did it just dull a little?

Did it just become manageable? Was that the best they could hope for in this world?

As they departed from the sleazy town, leaving behind the erotic signs, the odor of alcohol and smoke, the scantily clad women posing for and cooing to potential customers, and the thugs, rogues and scoundrels, Naruto pondered on his experiences.

He thought of their battles against the Sound shinobi at the temple, against Kagerō, and finally Kasai and Arashi. He thought of Kasai's obsessed ravings and about what the Nine-Tails said about Amari. He thought of Sasame's heartbroken sobs and Kotohime's gut wrenching wails. And it brought to mind the lesson they all learned from listening to Pervy Sage and Daisuke talk about their experience in wars.

Was this what he had to look forward to if the Stone decided to reignite the war? Losing friends? Loved ones? Sacrificing pieces of his body and soul and carrying the scars of failures as a record for all he lost, just like Daisuke?

Why? Why is the world like this?

How do we even change something like this?

"Wait! Waitttttt! Naruto!"

"Huh?"

Naruto turned back towards the town, drawn by the sound of Sasame's voice. They all did. The orange-haired kunoichi was running towards him, tears in her plum eyes. In the distance he noticed Hanzaki at the gate watching over her.

"Sasame? What are you— Whooaaaa!"

He barely had time to catch Sasame, who dove straight into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and tackling him to the ground. His pack didn't so much cushion his landing as it did crack his back.

With the smaller girl on top of him crying quietly, he lay in the dirt, wind slightly knocked out of him and utterly confused.

"Sasame?"

"Thank you," she cried. "Thank you for everything you did! I- I didn't say it before. I didn't tell you how grateful I am to be alive. If it wasn't for all of you, I would have died or worse! But I didn't. You guys saved me. So thank you. Thank you so much for helping me. And one day… One day I'll become strong like you! I promise!"

"Sasame…"

"I know I'm weak now, but I'll get stronger. I'll get stronger so I can lead the Fūma Clan and make it a home anyone can belong to. But I… I want you to know that I don't blame you for anything. I don't hate you!"

The declaration caused him to suck in a breath.

"Arashi is… Arashi was the only person I thought I had. But I have others now. I have my Clan. I have Daisuke and the children. I have you, even though you have to leave. Bu- but I promise I'll look after Daisuke and the children. And I… I want to see you again."

Naruto squeezed his burning eyes shut. "How…can you say that when I broke my promise to you?"

"Because… Because I'm happy we met. You are my friend," she said, holding him tighter. "All of you are. So… I'm happy. You've inspired me to become someone I can be proud of. Someone Arashi would be proud of. My view of the world was small. It's always been this town and Arashi. But now it's bigger. Brighter. Because of you. Because all of you showed me the path I need to walk."

"Are you all right, Amari?" Naruto was suddenly struck by a memory.

"I wish this world was different, Naruto."

"Then let's change it," he declared passionately. "My dream is to become Hokage, after all. I know I still have a long way to go to reach that level, but that doesn't mean we can't start changing things now."

There'd been so much darkness in Orochimaru's base, he'd forgotten…

"My world is better with you in it, you know? All of our worlds are, I think. You support us. You believe in us. You cherish us. And you inspire us to be better, as shinobi and people."

That was right. Those were his words to Amari. Words from his heart unclouded by the darkness.

"You were the first one to accept me for who I am. You opened your arms to me. And you always believe in me, even when I screw around and act recklessly.

"I…don't really know how to put it into words. But…well, I'm happy," he grinned warmly. "Happy we were able to meet. The day I found you was one of the best days of my life. It changed my world. So, even if I don't say it often, I want you to know here and now that I am happy to have you in my life, Sis."

"So please, be careful," Sasame said. "Please… Please come back one day. You will come back…right?"

"You got it, Sasame," he sniffled, tears streaming down his face and embracing the smaller girl. "We'll meet again. That's a promise."

How did they change a world like theirs? They already were. Little by little through hard work, enduring and reaching out to people.

One person at a time.

Sasame unwrapped her arms from his neck and sat up, wiping her eyes. Afterwards she looked down on the boy still lying beneath her. Naruto couldn't help the big dumb grin on his tear-streaked face. It brought a smile and a blush to Sasame's face.

"You know," Mimi drawled, a sadistic grin on her face, "not to be the one who breaks up a touching moment, but I can't help find it funny that this mission is ending the way it started."

"Huh? What do you mean, Mimi?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"Well," her grin was even more sadistic, "it started with you straddling Sasame, shoving your kunai in her face. Now here we are. Sasame has taken control and ended up on top." Mimi gave the kunoichi overwhelmed by a mortified blush a thumbs up. "Way to go, Sasame!"

Aoko barked in what was either amusement or agreement. Naruto wasn't sure which. He was only certain his whole body was on fire and suddenly very aware of the girl on top of him.

Sasame leapt to her feet. Naruto followed.

"I- I should be going. But have a safe trip home. And, um…"

Sasame rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Naruto's cheek. She quickly turned around and began to run away.

"I'll see you again someday!" she yelled over her shoulder.

As Naruto brought his hand to his cheek, he wondered if they would.

He hoped.

---

After a long and slow journey they made camp again at twilight at the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Paddies. Their healing bodies slowed the young shinobi down. Exhaustion—physical and emotional—took its toll. So, by unanimous decision, they pushed themselves to the border, but no further.

Camp was made. Master Jiraiya patrolled the grounds vigilantly, defensive preparations set for any unexpected visitors. He had already learned of Mimi's encounter inside Orochimaru's base; it sprang from her mouth as soon as she learned Aoko, Naruto and Sakura were okay.

Once everyone settled in, Mimi did rounds between her three patients first, as was her nature. The ache in her shoulder was worsening, but she could grit her teeth and bear it a little longer. At least until she checked over Sakura, Aoko and Naruto.

Unlike last time, Naruto didn't appear to have any ill-effects from the Nine-Tails chakra. She could tell he was exhausted by the events of the battle and the aftermath. Otherwise, besides his wrecked clothes, he was the picture of health.

I wonder if it has to do with the density of the chakra he used last time compared to our recent battle, Mimi considered, strolling over to Sakura, a pensive expression on her face. When he battled Neji in the Finals, he utilized the Nine-Tails chakra to overcome his chakra points being shut down. But he was capable of running around and joining us in countering the Sand and Sound afterwards.

But after the fight with Kasai he couldn't even move on his own. His whole body was hurting despite his injuries being all but healed. Lee and Hinata both said he was covered in a cloak, a cloak which he had formed tangible hands to grab and attack Kasai with.

Now this time he's had no complications.

Could it be that in controlled doses the Nine-Tails chakra heals, but in higher densities it damages his body instead?

A hypothesis, nothing more. Speculation based on three single observations that, at the moment, seemed to confirm her conclusion. But perhaps it came down to the types of injuries he sustained.

According to Lee, the Stone Golem had crushed Naruto after the Goofball saved him. Had it almost killed him? Was that another factor to his condition afterwards? Did nearly dying lead him to unleashing such a high density of the Nine-Tails chakra?

Questions, theories, hypothesis's, they orbited through her mind like planets revolving around the sun, perpetually caught in the same loop with no end or conclusion. Like an ouroboros. She needed more information. Better information. It was the only way to look after the Goofball properly.

Later, though. When they returned to the Leaf she would ask Shizune or the Old Hag in privacy. Hopefully they had an answer.

After tending to Sakura and Aoko, Mimi acquired two blankets, slipped out of her flak jacket and slowly lowered herself onto the cold grass; there was no way she was sleeping lying down with her shoulder in its current condition. She grimaced slightly, shoulder aching and stiff as stale bread.

Bringing her left hand to the wound, she channeled Medical Ninjutsu into the injury all the while Aoko curled up into a ball in her lap.

"I'll wrap you up in a minute, Aoko. Cold night ahead of us."

"Take your time. I can sense the severity of your injury."

"Would've been worth it to take his eye and kill him. Now it seems stupid and pointless. All that effort, and for what?" she muttered.

Failure was a real kick in the ass. Because that's what this was. They set out on a mission to kill Kasai and Orochimaru. They were coming home with neither objective complete.

"We've eliminated the remnants of the Sound Village closest to our border, remnants which would've regrown into an army under Arashi's command," Aoko countered. "He would have become a second Orochimaru, bringing together a coalition of mercenary and rogue shinobi to attack the Leaf again in a suicidal charge, or to merely cause trouble within the Land of Fire.

"Can you imagine the damage they would've caused? We are already stretched thin. We have the threat of the Stone waging a war against us, the Akatsuki and their goals, and the Masked Man, who we both now know seek to manipulate not only Amari and Sasuke, but us as well. Meanwhile, Orochimaru would gather himself and wait in the shadows for another chance to strike.

"Our initial mission failed. That is true. But we've also eliminated a threat to the Land of Fire and the Leaf's security before it could blossom. We have acquired two bases Master Jiraiya and the Intel squads can search for further information on Orochimaru, his whereabouts and his new goals.

"Additionally, if we had never come to this Land, Emi would certainly have succumbed to the pneumonia she was afflicted with. Daisuke and Biscuit may have died at the hands of those thugs. Sasame would have been ensnared by her former Clansmen, twisted into a willing puppet of their goals or imprisoned and tortured. Or merely killed by Kasai. Like the girl you named Amber.

"We never would've felt Kasai's power or hatred without this mission. Now we understand what he is capable of with our own bodies and our own senses. Now we know what Amari faces. The same could be said of the Masked Man.

"We failed to eliminated Kasai and Orochimaru. But we achieved other objectives of importance. So, in the words of Hana, don't mope. We'll shred them to pieces next time."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right," Mimi conceded. "Still, even though I know you're right, I can't help but wonder how many people they'll traumatize and kill before we do. How many other Clans will they split apart like the Fūma Clan? How many kids like Sasame will lose cousins, siblings or parents to that snake's forked tongue? How many kids like Amber will have to die, or mother's like Kotohime have their children ripped from their arms?"

"There will be many, many more. That is the cold truth. I think of it, too. I wish we could've slain them both today. I wish we could've brought an end to the darkness they seek to spread. But we cannot lose heart or focus solely on death and failure, Mimi. You cannot. You are a leader now. A future guardian. Like Amari and Sasuke, you cannot lead yourself astray by wallowing in the darkness, by seeing this world through a kaleidoscope of twisted dark patterns.

"We must maintain a clear vision if we are to avoid the Masked Man's manipulations and traps."

"I hear ya. I hear ya."

"But are you listening?"

"Heh. Yeah. If I wasn't, you'd bite me again."

Aoko chortled. "Amari's vision was clear that day. I'd also grown tired of your moody behavior."

"I was not moody."

"Yes, you were. Tenten would agree."

"Oh, sure. Bring Tenten into this. Very fair."

"It's my trump card," Aoko grinned. "Seriously, Mimi, for Amari's sake we must also see clearly. Otherwise we will lose her and Sasuke to the Masked Man. She said it herself. She's growing impatient. Annoyed. And she knows he is attempting to manipulate her. Just as we know it now, too."

Mimi hummed, acknowledging and agreeing to her companion's point. After her recent…discussion with the Masked Man, she understood exactly what her sister meant.

"If I hadn't met Shisui and learned the truth, I can't imagine how effective his words would be. Because even now they effect me. They haunt me. They make me impatient, annoyed."

They were effecting her, too. For better or worse.

"Hey, Mimi."

Sakura's voice broke through her thoughts. Mimi kept her green glowing hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, Sakura?"

"Back when you arrived on our battlefield you said you got caught up in something complicated. Like a maze. What did you mean?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that," Naruto said. "Did you run into trouble, too?"

At that moment, Master Jiraiya returned to camp. She glanced at him, almost to ask permission to inform the pair of what exactly she'd ran into.

"I think it's about time you told me everything that man said to you," Master Jiraiya said by way of invitation.

Mimi nodded.

"That man?" Naruto repeated.

"While you two were fighting Kasai, I ended up in the living quarters of the compound," Mimi explained. "Or what was left of it, anyway. I found dead Sound shinobi all over, killed by Kasai from the look of it. Maybe another tantrum. I wouldn't be surprised if he just enjoys killing, not after what I saw from him. Or maybe there's another reason. Either way, the corpses weren't alone."

"I have a favor to ask of you."

She could still see the dead Sound shinobis littering the hallway of the living quarters, blood splattered over the walls, ceiling and floor. She could see their faces, frozen in their final moments of horror and agony; the twisting and haunting branches of Wood Style ninjutsu perforating their bodies was forever engrained into her mind.

As was the stench. The stomach-churning stench of their insides ejected grotesquely over the cold stone.

She could feel the fear, the tremble of her hands, the cold sweat building along the nape of her neck. All because that man was there. That man in the flame-pattered mask sitting causally, comfortable, relaxed on a branch protruding from a corpse. The man seated with his right knee bent towards him, propping up his right forearm, as if the grisly scene was a nature walk of flowers and butterflies.

The man that wasn't supposed to be there.

"The Masked Man who approached Amari was there. And he was all too happy to see me…"

---

"You…" She struggled for words. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Mimi Inuzuka," the man with the flame pattern mask greeted her casually, as if they had scheduled a friendly meeting in advance.

His voice was deep, the calm cadence undisturbed by the scene of grisly death and gore at their feet. His presence conveyed absolute control, and, she sensed, mild amusement caused by her reaction. Like a lion stepping on the tail of a rat, watching it skitter around in a futile attempt to run away.

"Let's talk."

Talk? She could barely think straight. The Masked Man was here, inside Orochimaru's compound. The man capable of appearing and vanishing without a trace, the man who had been moments away from stealing Amari, the man seeking to twist her sister to darkness, the man her superiors warned her and Shikamaru to never engage was seated before her on a wooden branch perforating a human corpse.

And he wanted to talk?

Hands trembling, Mimi fought to keep her eyes down. Away from the Masked Man. The sight of the corpses, their gory insides splattering the floor and walls agitated her otherwise lead stomach. Or maybe it was just the fear.

What did she do? How did she get Aoko and herself out of this? Did she entertain the man? Did she talk to this man known for his honeyed words and desires to manipulate Amari? What if the honey he offered her was even sweeter?

Did she turn tail and run away on the hope he merely laughed it off and left her alone? Where would she run to? To Master Jiraiya who was down an entirely different path that stretched who-knows-how far?

How was she meant to outrun a man who could travel via a space-time ninjutsu wherever he pleased?

Did she fight? Use what limited knowledge she possessed of his abilities and hope she could pull off a win or a severe injury that coaxed him to run away?

No. No, that was the height of stupidity and ego. Fight him? She would be lucky to scratch him. This was a man who had stood in the face of Kakashi and Kurenai without a shred of fear or hesitation.

He only ran away so he wouldn't alienate Amari against him.

Compared to them, she was a child. A nuisance. A gnat. At any moment he could've killed her. It wasn't his heart that was beating off the charts; he was a calm lake, she was a churning ocean.

He could've killed her, yet he didn't. He claimed he wanted to talk. But why?

Was he here for her? It didn't add up. What did she have to do with his plan? Unless he merely planned to tell her why he was about to kill her and what it would accomplish in his overall goals. He seemed to be the dramatic type.

Talk, run, or fight? Talk, run or fight?

What the hell was she supposed to do?

"All right, we're talking," Mimi said after a brief moment. She tried to pretend she couldn't hear the tremble in her own voice. "Doubt you'll find any compelling conversation from the corpses. They seem pretty…wooden."

A bad joke. She had hoped it would settle her nerves.

It didn't.

Just keep him talking.

When captured as a hostage and set for an execution, the Leaf taught them to delay it by any means necessary. Conversation, asking for a last meal or a drink, a prayer, how you delayed death wasn't important. All that mattered was surviving. After all, every second or minute or hour delayed bought time for a new opportunity at escape to present itself.

The Masked Man offered a slight, wry chuckle. "Quite true. However, even were they alive, I would have nothing to say to them. Pawns of Orochimaru do not interest me. Their greed and their arrogance knows no bounds. Turn your back on them for a moment and they will slit your throat for some meager benefit.

"Although, I suppose they cannot be entirely blamed," he said, making the effort to tilt his head to look at the corpses, as if they were bystanders to their conversation. "In the end they are a byproduct of this twisted world, the end result of a failed system meant to end decades of bloodshed and protect children like yourself from enduring the same loss and suffering as your forebears. They are the end result of a failed dream."

The Masked Man lifted his gaze again. Mimi and Aoko kept theirs on the corpses, on his legs and a small portion of his upper body.

"But I've gotten ahead of myself," he continued casually. "You asked what I am doing here. I've also called you by your name without formal introductions. Likewise, judging by your reaction, I suspect you possess at least a vague idea of who I am. Although I am curious how much the Leaf has actually told you, and how much Haya has divulged in secret."

Why did she sense a sinister smile on his lips?

"Do you know who I really am? Or am I right to assume the Leaf only provided obscure warnings that I am a threat to be avoided?"

"Tread carefully, Mimi," Aoko whined nervously.

Yeah. She needed to keep her mouth in check. One wrong insult and he may decide she wasn't worth talking to.

"Obscure is a good word for it," she decided on.

It wasn't a lie. Her superiors never divulged his full identity to her or Shikamaru; they talked around it, called him the Masked Man and said they didn't really know who was behind the mask.

But they, and Amari, explained enough about his abilities and his intentions to know he was a manipulator. An enemy with obscure plans that would eventually put the world in danger.

"Mm. I suspected as much. I also suspect they ordered Haya to maintain secrecy, even with those she trusts implicitly. Like you. At this point, hmm…" The Masked Man tilted his head, mulling over his thoughts. "I'd say Sasuke is the only one who knows the full truth. Yes, that would be just like them. Leave it to the Leaf to ask the Uchiha Clan to bear yet another heavy burden in nearly complete solitude, all while they sweep the truth beneath a rug where it won't be inconvenient.

"I would ask that you don't hold it against Haya or Sasuke; it isn't that they don't trust you, it's that her lineage and her connection to me has startled your superiors. They do not trust me."

"Why would they be startled?" she asked hesitantly. "They don't seem to even know who you are."

"Oh, they know," he replied, a self-satisfied smile clearly on his lips despite the mask. "That is why they have gagged Haya. They've commanded her to hide her lineage. They've placed in her the fear that, should it become common knowledge, she will be rejected by her friends and the Village because of my actions. They've placed within Haya the fear she will be looked at suspiciously. As an outcast. A child born of cursed blood who certain individuals would rather eliminate than see live."

Because you catalyzed it, she wanted to say. You pushed her into this situation by revealing yourself.

She said nothing.

"It may seem like a trivial matter. However, its on trivial matters such as this where it all begins. They've already begun separating her from her peers just by asking her to keep this secret. For when the day that the secret must be known, everyone will wonder: Why didn't you tell us? Were we untrustworthy?

"They're placing Haya in quite the precarious position. It may even seem familiar to you, for you had to bear a similar burden. After all, your father was a defector from Mist Village. And for that simple reason you were an outcast. You were a potential traitor despite never knowing the Mist. Now imagine you are tied by blood to the most infamous defector of the Leaf to ever exist."

The most infamous…

It must've been clear on her face that she realized who he meant.

"Yes," he said, satisfied. "That's right. Haya Uchiha, the great-great granddaughter of Madara Uchiha. My great-great granddaughter. How horrifying!" he added, amused by his own dramatics. "To think my lineage lives on—thrives!—despite the efforts of my enemies to snuff it out."

Mimi ignored his final statement for the moment. She had another question in mind.

"If you're Madara Uchiha, why even bother talking to me? I'm nobody to you. A fledgling kid from the Village you defected from. You could've killed me before I even knew you were here."

"You underestimate my great-great granddaughter," he chastised lightly, a smile almost visible behind his mask. "You have scoped our powers accurately, I do not deny that. Were I to have a reason to kill you, I could. And neither your teammates or Master Jiraiya would know I was here. They would find your body here, among the corpses of these so-called 'Sound shinobi', and be left to draw their own conclusions.

"However, were we to look at it the other way, the unknown and mysterious circumstances of your death would also draw Haya's eyes straight to me. Consider that we only reunited no less than three weeks ago, during which she witnessed my powers firsthand. There wouldn't be a doubt in her mind that I was responsible, and so she would come to hate me with all of her heart for killing any of you. But you especially. Haya considers you a sister, after all.

"Rest assured, however, that I mean you no harm."

Strangely, though she knew not to trust a single honeyed word out of his mouth, she could see the logic of his argument. His whole goal was to manipulate Amari. Unfortunately for him, the Nara was smart and observant; all lines would be drawn straight back to him if they happened to die under mysterious circumstances, setting his olive branches on fire and blowing his friendly bridge sky high before he had a chance to use her.

She could also see why her superiors kept silent on it.

They're afraid of him. They're afraid of what his name will stir. Afraid that it'll lead the Foundation and whatever other enemies Madara made straight to Amari. They're protecting her, limiting the knowledge the same way they limited the knowledge of her Uchiha heritage and Byakugan.

But how much longer is that gonna last? Now she's Head of the Uchiha Clan, all those eyes are going to fall on her regardless. His enemies—the ones he claimed try to snuff out his lineage—and the Foundation are gonna figure it out at some point. Either through research of their own, or because he forces it out into the open.

Dammit, Mimi cursed, shifting her jaw. Amari already knows all of this. She can see it playing out right in front of her.

"My team is splitting up," she recalled Amari's words. "Maybe not permanently, but it is in the near future. Naruto will be gone with Master Jiraiya at some point. Sakura will be training with Lady Tsunade from now on, learning everything she can as her apprentice. Kakashi-sensei will soon be taking on missions expected of him as a Jōnin.

"Our situation is complicated. The Masked Man and Orochimaru will make it dangerous for our superiors to send the two of us out on regular missions. Orochimaru or his goons will hunt us down. The Masked Man can appear anywhere he wants. So, what do we do? We can't just be sheltered in the Leaf, not when there is a war coming. We need to keep moving forward."

Amari could see the evolving situation with the clarity of a seer. Threats. Enemies. Obstacles. It all became clear beneath her dōjutsu. The only blindspot was her future. A future burdened by an estranged history between Leaf and Uchiha. Meddled with by the shadows hidden beyond sight. And muddled by unknowns.

How did Sasuke and her move forward when surrounded by enemies? How did they evolve when sheltered by allies?

Her nose scrunched—the pungent stench of death and gore stung her enhanced sense of smell. She wanted to bury her nose in her sleeve. Couldn't, though. The tremble to seize her hands and the fear any further movement would align their eyes by chance turned her into a statue. A trembling, grimacing statue.

"…You said 'to think my lineage lives on' a moment ago," she began slowly. "Far as I know, the history books never mentioned you having a family."

"History is written by the winners," he said with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "To the so-called 'open-minded' Senju, what more was necessary to learn about me than my enmity and rivalry with Hashirama? I was a heartless killer. A man of cursed blood. A defector who couldn't relinquish the hatred in his heart. I represented war and chaos, and the Senju were 'peacekeepers.' Is that about right?"

Mimi nodded despite the rhetorical nature of the question.

"About right. Little more detailed than what we glossed over."

"Ah, but that is the nature of the winners. They sweep their sins beneath a rug, gloss over nuance and write themselves to be the perfect heroes. We all want to be the hero of the story. Nobody wants to admit to immorality. And ends always justify the means, especially when the end is victory.

"The truth is, history is just a fiction we've constructed as our own comfortable reality. For instance, in Konoha the Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash, is a revered hero. In the last Great War he is almost singlehandedly credited with causing the Stone to negotiate an armistice agreement, is he not? He killed a great many Stone shinobi to achieve that.

"But how do the Stone perceive him. Have you ever considered that? Do you think he is a great hero? Or the murderous villain responsible for countless children losing those they loved?"

"War is a plague on our society," Mimi replied calmly, somehow.

"Indeed, it is," Madara agreed sincerely. "But you can see my point, can't you? History is often defined by which side you read it from."

Again she couldn't stop herself from nodding.

"Your history books neglect to mention many key details about me. They neglect to mention how I lost all five of my brothers to the Senju. I am certain they mention the considerable casualties the Senju sustained. Especially that of Hashirama's two younger brothers. But they neglect entirely to mention how all five of my brothers were taken from me by the Senju."

He was right. He was absolutely right.

"Izuna was the last." He looked up at the dark ceiling, as if to look up to the heavens. "He was slain by the Second Hokage himself long before he ever held such a grandiose title. In spite of that, I eventually accepted an alliance with the Senju. We founded the Leaf together, Hashirama and I. And I fell in love with…a woman who I love to this day."

A sincere love. A genuine love. She could hear the pain in his voice.

"We brought a child into this world. Yet…" His gloved hand, the one propped on his knee, clenched into a fist. "My wife was stolen from me. Murdered. And my child was kidnapped. I ask you, Mimi Inuzuka, if you had suffered such a reprehensible injustice, would you stand idly by while there was a chance to save your child's life? Even if it meant igniting a war?"

"Sounds to me the war already was declared."

"I agree." Madara's hand relaxed. "However, to Tobirama, the child of an Uchiha—of my bloodline, no less—was not worth such a risk. Hashirama asked me to wait; he hoped to negotiate her return from the Stone—"

"The Stone?" she cut him off, shocked. "They're the ones who targeted your wife and child?"

"Indeed."

She hated herself for listening so intently. Hated that self-satisfied smile in his voice. But heated rage struck her heart and ignited a flame.

Because he said his enemies tried to snuff out his lineage. His enemies included the Stone. Which meant…

Amari's enemies included the Stone.

"It wasn't until much later I learned of the treacherous collaboration between the Stone and Tobirama. I shouldn't have been surprised. For the so-called 'open-minded' Senju, we of the Uchiha Clan were seen as cursed." He looked at his gloved hand. "Cursed blood, they say, runs through these veins of ours. Blood that burns with hatred and darkness."

He sniffed derisively. "It's almost funny. I am accused of being consumed by hatred. Yet there are few I can think of who were more possessed by their impassioned hatred than Tobirama. Had you seen his eyes when he looked upon me or my Clan, you would think he and he alone suffered loss.

"I held no love for him either. Truthfully, I will never forgive him. Yet, at that time, I put aside all of my hatred for the sake of Hashirama's and mine dream. For her. She had shown me how to live. How to love. And our child brought me joy and hope. I wonder often how different things would be had my wife not been murdered. Would I have become the Hokage? Would Hashirama and I have found a path to peace, one that did not lead to this flawed and broken system we currently live in."

"This would not be the last treachery committed against the Uchiha or other members of the Leaf," he continued after a brief pause. "Tobirama passed on his hatred and prejudice to his subordinates. But not only that. He passed on his hardline approach, too. Approaches that include sacrificing loyal soldiers of the Leaf on the pretense of 'the greater good.'"

"Like the Uchiha Massacre."

"Yes." The smile was back. It was satisfied. And sinister. She could feel it. "Seems Haya has confided the existence of the Foundation to you. Good. You must be wary of them, Mimi Inuzuka. You, like Haya and Sasuke, are a threat to their archaic systems."

"I hope they're afraid then." She tried to sound confident. The tremble in her voice, like in her hands, persisted. "They try to take out Amari, Sasuke, my Clan or any other, and I'll shred them until nothing remains."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm. If only the Third Hokage would have shared such sentiments. The Uchiha Massacre never would've occurred. Not without punishment, at least. More than that… Hm… I take no pride or pleasure in telling you this, please believe that…"

His voice changed. He sounded regretful, almost. She didn't buy it.

"I said the treachery against my family wasn't the last. I'm afraid that the same treachery has afflicted your life as well."

Mimi narrowed her eyes at the floor. She caught on to his insinuation. Aoko did, too. She felt her companion's body thrumming with a growl.

"My parents died on a mission," she stated resolutely. "There's no big conspiracy there. It's the risk that comes with being a shinobi."

"Your parents were betrayed. Ambushed by those who should've been their allies."

"Shut up. They died honorably."

"They were murdered in cold-blood—"

"Shut up."

"By the Foundation."

"Liar!" Aoko snarled viciously.

"I said shut up!" Mimi clenched her trembling hands into fists. "Leave my parents out of this!"

"The Foundation were posing as enemy shinobi," he continued, ignoring her outburst. "It was all a grand setup of their leader. He sought to undermine the Third Hokage by any means he could. He even attempted multiple assassinations on the Third. All of which passed without serious punishment, mind you.

"The Third Hokage was far too soft; they were old friends and comrades, and so for that one life countless others have had to die. Like your parents."

"You lie!" Mimi seethed. Her whole body was hot. Restraining anger and rage caused the sting of tears in her eyes. "Leave them out of this. I don't need any other reason to hate the Foundation, so just stop. Stop dragging them into this."

"I understand how difficult this must be for you. However, I am not lying. What reason would I have to lie about your parents murder? You have already aligned yourself with Haya against the Foundation. You have already admitted to hating the Foundation without this harsh reality. Lying would only incentivize you to hate me. You would see me as an enemy, which achieves nothing."

"So why? Why say any of this at all?" she demanded hotly.

"I'm trying to prepare you. To protect you!" Madara emphasized passionately. "Do you think the Foundation leader has forgotten that you exist? That you are the child of a family he assassinated? No. He will have certainly kept his eye on you, either to one day recruit you into the Foundation where he can control you, or to eliminate you before you learn the truth.

"To him, anyone who he deems a threat to the Leaf or his own grabs at power must be eliminated. As for your mother and father, they were slain to catalyze a series of skirmishes to keep the world in a perpetual state of conflict."

"No. That isn't—"

"It's the truth," he cut off her weak retort. "His men disguised themselves as enemy shinobi to trigger retaliatory skirmishes. He does not believe in alliances or treaties. He believes the only path towards peace is with the Leaf as the rulers standing over its vanquished enemies. And your father? He was a man that warmonger never trusted. For he had defected from Blood Mist Village, and so he was 'destined' to one day defect from the Leaf, too.

"He had to be eliminated before such an occurrence. Naturally. Never mind that he loved your mother. Never mind that he loved you and the Leaf. All that mattered was the perspective of one man consumed by darkness and hatred. He saw in your father an enemy, and so he made him his enemy. Just like Tobirama taught him.

"This is what happened to me. This is what will happen to Haya and Sasuke. And the same will happen to you. That's why I am telling you. I seek only to prepare you so you, too, do not fall into the same trap." He looked at her trembling and growling form. "You are like us. You may not be an Uchiha, but this bond of pain we share transcends mere blood ties."

Mimi wanted to curse. To scream and throttle the Masked Man. She wanted to call him a liar and demand him to take it all back. But she couldn't. Because she didn't know the truth. She never bothered to ask for details.

They hadn't come home one day. And that was all that mattered to her.

She didn't know whether to laugh it off, declare war or cry. Her entire foundation was shifting beneath her. More than anything, she wanted to go home.

"Hashirama and I founded the Leaf to protect the future children from dying young in the wars of adults, just like our brothers had. But here we are decades later and all that has changed is the symbol we wear when we go to war," Madara lamented.

"Children are still suffering. You, Haya, Sasuke and countless others have suffered the same pain we set out to end. But rather than coming from an enemy Village, it has been committed by the Village we all called home. This must end. The Village System is flawed, broken. But the Foundation seeks to maintain the status quo. They are a symptom of a greater issue.

"That is why I am trying to prepare you and Haya, and through you two Sasuke as well. I believe the three of you possess the power to change this world. That's why—"

The entire hallway, from floor to ceiling, began to violently quake. It awoke Mimi from her emotional stupor.

"Well," Madara said, looking at the wall, "it would seem Kasai has decided to unleash a vast Wood Style jutsu. I suppose that means you will be running off then?"

Mimi half-turned away without a word.

"Before you go, I have a favor to ask of you."

"…What?"

"Take care of Haya for me. She will need all the support she can get on her path."

"Don't need to ask," she replied without emotion. "I planned to do it anyway."

"Good. Until next time, Mimi Inuzuka."

Mimi saw him vanish. There wasn't a trace of him anywhere, just as she was warned.

The Inuzuka rushed off back towards the junction her team had separated at, wiping her eyes as she did.

Mom… Dad… Is any of it true?

---

Mimi sat silently. No longer healing her injured shoulder, she gently ran her fingers through Aoko's fur and over the bandages wrapped around her body, a blank expression on her face. A mask. It was familiar. Easy to wear. It fit like a glove.

"Regrouped with Naruto and Sakura immediately after. Haven't seen him since," she finished.

Jiraiya, seated with his arms and legs crossed, hummed lowly. The flickering warm glow of the campfire cast grave shadows over his stone face.

"Thank you for telling me everything," he said in return. "I didn't expect him to show his face again so soon. Figuratively speaking, of course. I'm sorry you had to experience that, Mimi. It was my decision to split us up."

"None of us could've anticipated he'd show up in Orochimaru's base of all places," Mimi brushed off his apology. "I'm sorry I didn't piece together why he was there."

"Don't be. It's unlikely he would've told you. Had you pressed him for information he wasn't willing to divulge you may have put yourself in greater danger than you already were. You made the right call, Mimi. By letting him talk, and by listening, you kept yourself and Aoko safe; that is the most important thing. And in the process we've gained new insight into two of our enemies. The more we learn, the more we can investigate and prepare when the day comes to face them."

She nodded mutely.

Yeah, we learned more. But…

"You don't think he's actually telling the truth, do you, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked after a brief silence. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap.

"Not the full truth, no," Jiraiya replied. "But I intend to investigate his more serious allegations thoroughly. Especially in regards to Mimi's parents." The Inuzuka struggled not to flinch. "When I return I will need to speak to Atsuko about Madara Uchiha's true history. She will know, or at least have access to the information I need to confirm the truth behind the potential treachery of the Second Hokage."

He wasn't the only one planning to speak to the Head of the Crows. Mimi wanted to know the truth, too. And she was certain Amari would feel the same way.

I need to tell her everything. I need to help her figure out our next move.

The Masked Man showed interest in her as well. Claimed they were all the same and that he was trying to prepare her. Protect her from the same trap he'd fallen prey to. And if the Foundation murdered her parents?

They'll want me under close watch, too, she concluded. To protect us from the Masked Man and the Foundation. They'll begin thinking twice about sending me on missions like this.

So, what are we gonna do? War is on the horizon, the Akatsuki are out there, and the Foundation…

Mimi grit her teeth. Her parents… She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to.

But she did believe. Because what reason did Madara have to lie about that of all things?

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sakura asked.

"Focus on your training. Support each other. Continue preparing for the threats ahead of you. That is the best way to help right now," Jiraiya replied. "Leave the investigating to me, Shikaku and Atsuko. I promise you, when the time comes, the Foundation will be taken care of."

Yeah, Mimi thought. It will be.

When the time came, she would be there to help burn it all down.

The Foundation had chosen her family as the enemy, both in her parents and in Amari.

One day they would pay the price for it. One day she would collect the debt of blood they owed.

To the last drop.

---

His excursion to Orochimaru's compound was ultimately successful, the Masked Man believed. He sought to eliminate Orochimaru from the board; the snake-like man would undermine everything he was working towards, and he didn't like his spies snooping around.

However, Orochimaru wisely departed from his compound, slithering into the shadows far from sight where he could renew his experiments. In time he would need to be dealt with. Already the Sannin was set to be a considerable thorn in his side, especially given his obsession with the Uchiha Clan.

When he inevitably learned Haya's lineage—and it was inevitable—his obsession would drive him to capture her at all costs. Of course, the Masked Man had no intention of allowing that to happen. Haya had a grander role to play. She was the catalyst that would bring about the new world.

Still, although Orochimaru was nowhere to be found, his excursion wasn't without triumph. After all, the Leaf and their predictability allowed him to enlighten Mimi Inuzuka, and through her Haya of the truth of their twisted world and the darkness within the Leaf.

Mimi Inuzuka, you also have a role to play in the building of the new world.

She was a fiercely loyal companion to Haya, someone who would follow her down whatever path she chose just like Sasuke.

Together, under his guidance and supervision, those three would come to possess all the power necessary to achieve his goal. A goal they would all share in time.

Each were individually talented, there was no doubt. But together… Yes, he could see them becoming a force of nature even the rival Kage's would come to fear.

With the dominoes set, all he had to do was wait for the first to be knocked over. Knowing this twisted world he wouldn't have to wait long.

In the end, the Stone Village, like the Leaf and its elders, was utterly predictable.

Soon the skirmishes will begin.

Soon, he thought, that man will make his move, and Haya, Sasuke and Mimi will learn the treachery of the Leaf firsthand.

The dominoes were set.

The war was coming.

He was ready.