Kawako writhes in agony on a grassy bed. Among the forest, his wails and cries are the only thing that can be heard. He's curled up in a ball and clutching his stomach in terrible pain. Through the pain and his shortness of breath, he can barely hold himself together.
His entire body feels frigid. What little skin is visible under his clothes is very clearly an unnatural ghostly pale colouration, while his fingers are jet black at the tip and the darkness seems to be gradually spreading.
He tries to stand up several times but his quivering body betrays him and he crumples back on the forest floor like a heavy sack.
He remains like this for what feels like an eternity. With each passing hour, his condition grows worse- the pain, the fever, the numbness. He almost gives up on all hope until he finally hears something or someone rustling through the bushes behind him. He wants to turn around and cry out for aid but even that is too much for him.
It only takes but a moment longer for him to see who's approaching- a bulky quadruped figure, glistening white fur. Setsuen nudges Kawako with her nose and lets out a loud roar. After a moment longer, two more figures came out from the woods- Takeshi Imori and Kūga Nekomata.
Takeshi kneels down next to Kawako and looks over the trembling man's condition. He inspects his fingers, his skin, any prior injuries. Finally, he removes the mask to take a look at his bloodshot eyes.
Kawako gives him a pained stare and manages to let out a simple "Ta… keshi…"
"You're in quite the bad spot, aren't you, Kawako?" Takeshi notes and immediately begins healing him. "Or may I use your real name now? I don't know why you insist on using such a silly codename, Mizushi."
Kūga kneels down in front of them. "What happened to you?" She runs a hand through Mizushi's hair.
"Gate." Mizushi coughs. "Entered."
"Yes, we heard." Takeshi sighs. "You know you need to prepare yourself if you enter the Rashōmon gate. That place is not meant for people like us to survive."
"Tried. Gathered… chakra. Had to fight."
"Yeah, we heard." Kūga says. "You did good going up against those two. However, the Kappa didn't put up much of a fight, it would seem."
"The seals on the Great Beast are still strong." Takeshi says. "It was too early for a test, especially against Naruto Uzumaki."
Mizushi takes a deep breath. "Had to. Orders."
"We know." Kūga pats him on the shoulder. "Don't talk any more. Let Takeshi heal you, and then rest. I'll keep a perimeter, make sure no one stumbles upon us."
Takeshi nods. "Thank you."
It takes the better part of two hours for Takeshi to heal Mizushi to the point where the injured man can at least sit upright without any major pains. Given the lack of any equipment which would normally be vital for a process like this, he's done a job he's rather pleased with.
Kūga and Setsuen return to find that Mizushi now sits against a tree trunk, still slightly shaking but nowhere near the extent as before. Takeshi is mimicking him right next to him, although his exhaustion comes from expending nearly all of his chakra on healing.
"I would appreciate it if you don't put yourself in such a state ever again." Takeshi says.
"I'll try not to." Mizushi chuckles. "But I make no promises." He tries to reach for a cup of tea placed by his side but the quaking in his hand causes him to spill.
Kūga takes the cup and helps him drink it. "I heard you even took a child hostage, now that's a bold move."
Mizushi takes a second to swallow the tea and wipe his lips of some that managed to spill. "I had no choice. Hinata Hyūga forced me to spend too much of my chakra. If I'd wasted any more time fighting her, I never would've come out of the Other Plane alive. I had to do what I did to get her away from me."
"So how was it inside?" Kūga asks, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Hollow. Cold. Not a place I want to go to again." Mizushi shakes his head. "But the Kappa, how did it perform? Before I escaped, it was holding Naruto Uzumaki and the Nine-Tails in place."
"That did not last." Takeshi explains. "From what they told us, Naruto Uzumaki overpowered it shortly after you left, using power borrowed from the Four-Tails."
"I suppose that makes sense." Mizushi sighs. "I did need to escape rather fast. Hinata Hyūga was a challenge but Naruto Uzumaki would've been… impossible."
"Was your identity kept secret? They didn't find out who you are?" Kūga asks.
Mizushi shakes his head. "I don't believe so, no. These masks truly are wondrous." He picks up the blank mask he used to go with his cover of Kawako. "Not even the Byakugan could pierce through them."
"I suppose we should thank Obito Uchiha for leaving some behind so we can uncover its secrets." Takeshi chuckles.
"We can do that when our time finally comes." Mizushi says.
Kūga pats him on the chest. "Just make sure that doesn't come too early. Rest up a bit more while you can, we should head out soon. It's a bad idea to linger for too long."
Setsuen curls up on Mizushi's legs to help him get warm. Her large frame applies a lot of weight but it's something he's grown used to after so many years. He scritches the feline behind the ears, eliciting a content purr.
"Those fanatics really drain the energy out of you. It's good to be going home."
Sasuke Uchiha has always been particular about revisiting places that hold memories, especially conflicting ones. He spent so much of his life swallowed by negativity and confusion over his brother's actions, he could barely walk home without being overwhelmed by memories of the night of the massacre. And then when he learned the truth, it all came tumbling and twisting.
Right now he stands in the place where he learned the truth- Mountain's Graveyard. A remote location within the Land of Woods that's littered with the skeletal remains of dire beasts that roam the land. Obito used this place as a hideout and launched his Fourth Great Ninja War from it.
Now, Sasuke returns for the first time since to finally gather his emotions and put everything in order as it always should have been. Give him peace of mind for the first time in a very long while.
He steps through the rubble that he admittedly created when he was last here, recovering from the eye transplant. Thankfully the corridors are mostly unharmed as the cavern system stood firmer than he would've expected. It takes a bit of a squeeze in certain places but manages just fine.
Despite the ruined state, he still remembers which halls he walked through. He looks toward the small room, now blocked by rubble, where he recovered after his fight with Itachi, where he learned the truth. He looks toward a nearby room where he let out his anger and frustration by punching the wall, trying to cope with everything and make sense of it all.
Finally, he looks toward the room where he made the important decision to take on Itachi's eyes and unlock the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. It's there that his goal lies, where he must go in order for his life to return to normality, or close to it. He spent years mourning the loss of the Uchiha clan but it turned out there was still a part of them that needs to be put to rest, and it's his duty to do so.
He enters Obito's main hall, where he'd kept all the Sharingan taken from the massacre. For what purpose he kept them exactly, Sasuke can't be too sure, but those eyes represent the end of the Uchiha clan. That's why when he enters the room and scans the walls, he's surprised to find them… all gone.
He freezes for a moment, needing time to register and process.
The walls used to be lined with containers of liquid, each holding a Sharingan. Yet now some of them are broken while others are empty, having been clearly opened and tampered with. He hurriedly goes over each container, desperately looking for any sign of the Sharingan that were left behind here but he finds nothing. He pushes the containers out to see if maybe they somehow fell behind, he looks for hidden compartments, searches through the rubble… Nothing.
"No…" Sasuke props himself against a wall as his legs buckle lightly. "Where could they have gone?"
Sasuke attunes all of his senses to go in a full-on investigative mode, which is when he actually senses something he'd failed to sense before. Four people are present in this tunnel system with him, just much deeper than where he is currently. Their location explains why he didn't sense them earlier, why it took more focus for him to do so now.
Down to the levels where Obito was keeping the Gedō Statue, the husk of the Ten-Tails, and where the army of White Zetsus was made. That place is filled with chakra that makes it a natural barrier for less experienced shinobi. Luckily, he is quite experienced. The signatures are muddy but he can confirm four. If anyone is here to learn Madara's secrets for themselves… Could they have stolen the Sharingan, as well?
Sasuke rushes further down to confront these people and get answers from them. Of course, his training doesn't allow him to just burst through. He does his best to calm down and approach this as he normally does- quickly but quietly. He suppresses his presence to avoid detection and moves on through the winding corridors that lead farther down.
It doesn't take long for him to reach the vast chambers that were used by Madara and Obito before, and to see one person in particular in the room. He's sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of the giant roots of a tree that had been grown this deep. It's difficult to make out his feature from where he is right now, but Sasuke's fairly certain he's yet to be spotted.
He doesn't see the other three, however, which is slightly worrying. His sensory abilities are limited here, because of the overabundance of errant chakra. He could probably sense them before because they weren't this far inside then.
Still, he has a target and he needs answers. He also has the means to quickly get in and out. He trains his [Rinnegan] directly behind the sitting man and in the blink of an eye finds himself behind him, katana at the ready.
[Amenotejikara]
Sasuke swings his katana at the man's back. Naturally, he has no intention to actually kill him currently. Spook, yes. Grievously wound, maybe. He's certain he has this and that he's fast enough to get in and out before anyone can even realise something's amiss. What happens next, however, comes as a surprise to him.
The man suddenly spins around and out of thin air, a massive axe, larger than your average, appears in his hand. He swings back at Sasuke as katana and axe clash, neither giving in. The man's strength proves much more impressive than Sasuke could've expected so he jumps back, recognizing that he'd apparently lost the element of surprise long ago.
The man holds the axe over his shoulder and sneers. "You almost caught me by surprise with how fast you are. But you'll have to do better than that, assassin." He looks over Sasuke with a more observant eye and there's an almost immediate glint of recognition. "Well, if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha… I never would've thought."
Now, Sasuke is able to get a better look at the man. He wears a standard shinobi uniform- dark green flak jacket, brown clothing underneath, and a Hidden Mountain Village forehead protector framed by a mane of wild red hair. He bears two major scars on his face- one diagonal that goes over his nose, and another that goes from his cheek to his ear. Despite the disfigurement, his face still bears a certain boyish charm to it. This man's features are more than enough for Sasuke to recognize him.
"You're… Kaidomaru Sakata? Leader of the Hidden Mountain Village."
Sasuke has done some reading on him. He became leader some four years ago and has always been one of the strongest Mountain shinobi, to the point that his fellows would call him Golden Boy. He's managed to strengthen their forces to where they're possibly among the strongest of the smaller villages. He's become a trusted figure among his peers.
Kaidomaru furrows brow. "You attacked me without knowing my identity. Then I'm assuming assassination wasn't your goal. So why did you attack?" Kaidmaru brings his massive axe down and taps the end of it against the ground, indicating that was a demand phrased as a question.
"This place… there used to be Sharingan kept in containment in one of the chambers above. I thought you're the person who stole them. I wasn't aware who you were and acted rashly. I apologise." Sasuke goes to sheathe his sword.
"Stole?" Kaidomaru raises a quizzical brow. "I didn't steal them, I simply took what rightfully belongs to me."
Sasuke stops his arm, sword half-sheathed, and glares at Kaidomaru. "You what?" He grits his teeth and grips his sword, subconsciously sending some Lightning Style through the hilt. "Those eyes belong to the Uchiha clan! They're not yours to take!"
Kaidomaru makes a show of looking around his surroundings. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in the Land of Woods. And I am the village head of the Land of Woods' Hidden Mountain Village. Those eyes were in OUR home so they belong to US!" He shouts in frustration. "This is recompense for the Hidden Leaf's incompetence in dealing with Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha. For making a mockery of us by building this base in our home."
"One has nothing to do with the other. Your grievances are none of my concern." Sasuke envelops his entire blade in lightning.
"And yours are none of mine." Kaidomaru growls.
Sasuke takes a simple step forward before things truly go down.
He doesn't take this step out of blind rage, even though he is actually angry. He's not the kind to be overcome by it. Not anymore. Given Kaidomaru Sakata's incredible reaction, all of this was expected. Kaidomaru knew someone was coming after him. That means the other three he sensed aren't simply lollygagging somewhere. This is an ambush.
Sasuke notices a static in the air that doesn't originate from him or his weapon, as two assailants jump at him from the corner of his vision. A bolt of lightning flies directly at him but it's nothing beyond his ability. He grips his kataka with both hands, gathers so much electricity on its blade that the metal can no longer even be seen, and thrusts it forward.
[Chidori Spear]
The [Chidori] extends forward to cut through the lightning and leave Sasuke unscathed. The resulting flash washes over the whole cavern to create a blinding light. Sasuke shifts back and activates his Sharingan to see through it. Just in time, as when the electricity begins to die down, there's a shift in the wind. A powerful curtain of wind, powerful enough to cut and shred what rocks and pebbles stand in its path, roars straight toward him. In response, he envelops his whole body in electricity and braces for impact.
[Chidori Current]
Sasuke is pushed back due to the very nature of the Wind Style jutsu but he manages to ride the current and get through with a Lightning Style that's powerful enough to protect him despite the type disadvantage.
He skids back, dusts his cloak off, and eyes the two who attacked him with his Sharingan.
Two men dressed in not too dissimilar clothing to Kaidomaru himself, same clothes and flak jacket, but what sets them apart are their masks. Every Hidden Village's Black Ops have their own style and uniform. The Hidden Leaf's ANBU has an animal motif, the Hidden Mist's Hunter Corps has more nondescript patterns on their masks but always have the village symbol on it. These two don masks with a demonic tri-horned visage which is held together by a bandana.
'These two are… Prajñā Group?' Sasuke identifies them. 'I did hear rumour that Kaidomaru Sakata reinstated them after becoming village leader. Looks like it's true.'
In truth, Sasuke would have never had reason to be interested in the Land of Woods' ANBU. The only reason he read up on them and their destruction years ago is that he had reason to believe Itachi was part of the operation that wiped out the previous incarnation of the Prajñā Group.
'So that's three. That only leaves…'
Right on cue, Sasuke finds himself needing to dodge out of the way as a large figure comes crashing down on the spot he was just standing on less than a second ago. The ground underneath is shattered and split into several smaller plates, dust covers the entire area. The cavern rumbles slightly from the impact, or at least the area they're in, with pebbles and dust falling from the walls and ceiling. A display of strength that Sasuke can easily compare to Sakura's.
When the figure leaves the cloud of dust, he's able to actually see who's responsible for the crater. A tall woman, easily over two metres tall steps out of the dust. Her muscular body is barely contained by her clothes, as evident by the missing sleeves that were obviously ripped off and the Hidden Mountain flak jacket that's close to bursting. However, her musculature is not even the most notable thing about her. That would be her deep crimson skin and two horns protruding from her forehead. A unique appearance that could only belong to one particular group of people.
'The Demons of the Mountain, the Ibaraki clan. So that's the fourth.'
The Ibaraki were one of the founding clans of the Hidden Mountain Village, renowned for their monstrous natural strength and feared for their vicious appearance.
"Not bad, squirt." The woman cracks her knuckles.
With everyone present, Kaidomaru steps forward. "I'd rethink my course of action if I were you. It wouldn't look good if you attacked a village leader. Again."
Sasuke lowers his katana slightly. He knows full well Kaidomaru is right. In terms of strength, he'd most likely win if he goes all out. Gauging the four's strength is difficult as he can tell the attacks were more warning shots than anything else. However, even if he does win, that'll only make things worse.
"What would it take for you to return the eyes?" Sasuke asks.
Kaidomaru scoffs. "That conversation's already been held between me and the Fifth Hokage. Pardoned criminals don't get a say. This is far above you."
Sasuke glares. "Don't think this is over."
"Typical child." Kaidomaru chuckles. "Has to act tough and get the final say, even in matters they know little of."
Deciding not to waste any more time, Sasuke activates his Rinnegan, six tomoe circling, to create a portal in front of him. With one final glance to the Hidden Mountain shinobi, he passes through and the portal closes behind him.
Kaidomaru frows, not hiding his displeasure. "Get everything you've gathered. We're going home."
The Hidden Mountain Village of the Land of Woods is a decently sized village, at least for the smaller hidden villages, built high on Mount Ashigara. It consists of several layers, each built higher up than the other, as the mountain itself doesn't leave much room for horizontal development.
The bottom layer is one that everyone has access to, including outside visitors who mainly spend their time here. It's the Commercial Level with all the shops, stores, and inns. It's practically always hustling and bustling with life as both civilians and shinobi can find something they need here.. Above it is the Residential Level where the citizens with permanent residence live, although some have their homes attached to their stores on the lower level so they live there. The uppermost level is the Administrative Level where the shinobi operate from and all their vital buildings and offices are located.
It's from this highest level that Kaidomaru Sakata leads the village from and is where he's headed after returning from Mountain's Graveyard. As soon as they enter, he waves off his companions.
"Take everything to the research lab." He orders.
The two members of the Prajñā Group disappear without a trace, while the Ibaraki woman takes a slower but showier route of leaping across the rooftops to the upper levels.
Kaidomaru takes the more scenic route. He takes in the time to admire the village and how much it's prospered. His predecessor laid out the groundwork for the Hidden Mountain to be a force to be reckoned with and Kaidomaru has finished the job. The quality of shinobi is the best it's ever been thanks to meticulous training and careful selection of jobs appropriate for each shinobi. However, they still have a lot of growing to do. The Mountain shouldn't ever need to bend to any other village and while it's strong for a shinobi village, the five major villages still pose an obstacle. They still carry great strength and it's only increasing thanks to the Shinobi Union. He needs to do more. He can't allow himself to ever be at a disadvantage. Not again.
That's precisely why he's got several plans in motion for a bit and by his calculations, he should soon receive a report on at least some of them.
Reaching the top of the village where his offices lie, Kaidomaru is greeted by his secretary who bows and stops him before he can enter the office.
"Lord Kaidomaru, Takeshi Imori, Kūga Nekomata, and Mizushi Ōsui have all returned from their mission. Shall I inform them of your return?"
"Please do. Have them come to my office right away."
"Yes, sir." The secretary bows and takes the radio in hand to get word to the three.
~X~
It only takes a couple of minutes for Kaidomaru to be greeted by the three shinobi and the white tiger. His three most trusted companions and closest friends, without whom the Hidden Mountain Village would not have grown as it has. These three are the ones he knows will accomplish their missions and do so by any means necessary, for the prosperity of the village.
"Welcome back." Kaidomaru smiles to them.
"We've returned." Takeshi says before he places a scroll on Kaidomaru's desk. "Successfully, if I may add."
"I had no doubts. How did it go?"
"More than well." Takeshi says. "The Land of Hot Waters' daimyō has gotten scared after the war. They want shinobi but we convinced them that building their village anew would cost far too much and that we're their safest option."
"Didn't take much to convince the guy, really." Kūga shrugs.
"I think it may have been because he took a liking to you." Takeshi chuckles. "He barely took his eyes off you."
Kūga scoffs. "As if I'd ever care about a geezer like that."
Well, whatever it has, it worked." Kaidomaru chimes in. "The rest we leave to our daimyō and officials."
"I'm certain the daimyō will find him quite malleable."
"And you, Mizushi? What of your time with the Jashinists?"
Mizushi steps forward and places a scroll of his own before he shakes his head. "Nothing of worth, I'm afraid. Their leader Reisaku struggled to replicate Hidan's immortality. In the end, I don't even know if he was on the right track."
Kaidomaru sighs. "Well, it was worth the attempt. If he truly had managed to find the secret, it would've been an invaluable addition to our arsenal."
"This Reisaku guy and his cultists were taken to the Hidden Leaf." Kūga adds her own knowledge on the subject. "If he really did something, they'll probably find it."
"And use the knowledge for themselves." Mizushi sneers.
Kaidomaru shakes his head. "I don't believe they would. If anything, the Hidden Leaf would bury that knowledge and ensure no one uses it, not even themselves. In days past, I'd have said the Hidden Stone or Hidden Cloud would want to make use of it but they seem to have gone soft."
"I did glean some insight into their curse jutsu but I wasn't actually taught any of it. I don't know if that's something that could be useful to us, if I could manage to replicate it."
"If you can, do it." Kaidomaru shrugs. "But don't make it a priority. I'm not particularly interested in the curse itself, but if you can figure it out- good." He looks over the three of them. "And the Kappa, how did it perform?"
Mizushi shakes his head. "Not well, it sounds."
"Naruto was able to push it back inside the Rashōmon." Takeshi adds.
"Was it really a good idea to reveal the Kappa this early?" Kūga asks. "The Great Beasts clearly aren't ready yet we've revealed our hand."
"We've given them a glimpse." Kaidomaru says. "Just enough to hopefully cause worry. From here on, we can divert their attention as we please while we work on our true goals. Don't worry, we're still very much ahead of them." He gives a reassuring smile.
"If you say so."
"Is that all, then?" Kaidomaru looks between the three of them.
"I believe so." Takeshi looks to Kūga for confirmation.
Kūga shrugs. "That's the most important part. The minutia are in the report."
"Nothing from me, either." Mizushi adds.
"Well, then, you've earned some rest. Go home and maybe we can get a drink later. It's been a while."
"Now you're speaking my language." Kūga winks.
Setsuen growls and paws at the ground.
Kaidomaru chuckles. "And some steak for you, Setsuen."
~X~
The second order of business for Kaidomaru is to visit the Residential Level, to pay a visit to one particular clan and see how they're progressing. Officially, they're known as the Sakata clan, although there're many things the world's not yet ready to know. Many things he must keep under wraps so that his mission can be achieved. The Kappa was only an appetiser. A small sample of what's to come and the change he intends to bring.
Part of this mission of his lies with this particular clan. He makes his way through the district they reside in, readily let in and guided to where he needs to go.
He enters a research lab of some kind and immediately makes his way to the back of the building that's guarded by two shinobi who let him pass. Going down some corridors, he eventually walks into a dead end where he places his hand on the wall for jutsu formulae to appear from the pain and spread further out. A secret doorway opens up and he passes through.
The hidden section of the lab is home to just one room, which he enters after going through one final corridor. Inside, the walls are lined with multiple liquid-filled containers, each with a single pair of eyes within, some activated to reveal the Sharingan.
Several men and women dressed in lab coats are working around a table that has multiple jutsu formulae running through it with a pair of Sharingan in the middle of it all. The symbols pulsate at regular intervals, sending a wave of a faint glow to run through the writing. Among the people gathered is an older man with a short beard and a walking cane.
"Lord Kaidomaru, you've returned." The elder addresses him.
"Elder Katachi." Kaidomaru nods a greeting and steps forward. "Any progress?"
"The knowledge we seek is ancient, lost." Katachi explains. "It will take time, but we've survived so long and through so many hardships. A little bit more won't hurt."
"That's good to hear." Kaidomaru steps forward and observes the researchers working on the Sharingan. "I met Sasuke Uchiha at Mountain's Graveyard. He was looking for the abandoned eyes."
Katachi narrows his eyes. "Does he know we possess them?"
"He does now, after I told him." Kaidomaru chuckles.
Katachi sighs. "What of the chance he discovers what we're doing?"
"He won't." Kaidomaru looks back with an even expression. "Even if he saw all of this, he still wouldn't know what we're doing. Because the Uchiha clan hadn't known in centuries; the true power of the Sharingan and their real purpose."
"It saddens me to see how they've been wasted all these years. Were it not for you uncovering their secrets…"
"There's still more to uncover, Katachi. That's why I've come here." Kaidomaru walks toward a door to the side.
Elder Katachi follows suit. "You'll use that jutsu again?"
Kaidomaru opens the door to an entirely empty room that's covered in jutsu formulae. A circular engraving marks the starting point in the middle of the floor, leaving enough empty space for a person to stand inside. From it, markings go forth and line the walls where there are more spaces where they swirl around to leave empty spaces. Except these ones aren't empty. Within them are written singular words- 統 (Unity), 族 (Family), 粘 (Persevere), and 進 (Progress)
Kaidomaru goes inside the circle on the ground and kneels down in dogeza style.
"Will you watch over me, Elder?"
Katachi nods. "Of course." He stands by the door as the process begins.
Kaidomaru goes over a sequence of hand signs that take well over a minute to actually complete. A series of signs this long can be extremely easy to lose track of and mess up, yet he goes over them with a practised calm that shows just how much he's done this before, and how much it means to him to not make a mistake.
When he finally finishes, the jutsu formulae around him shift and run over his body- on his skin, over his clothes- Kaidomaru himself becomes part of the formula. The symbols gather around his eyes and as they stop shifting, his eyes roll around to the back of his head.
[Forbidden Jutsu: Bloodline Regresion]
His mind wanders.
His life literally flashes before his eyes, running through the moments that matter the most to him and made him who he is today. He sees himself standing before multiple Rashōmon gates as a large turtle-like being steps through one of them. He sees himself as a young man kneeling in front of a gorgeous woman with skin as pale as snow, hair as black as the night and glistening like silk, wearing the most ornate kimono he'd ever seen; she reaches a hand over and brushes her finger against his cheek to signal him to stand up. He sees himself as a young teen with his back against a tree and kunai pointed toward a shinobi that's approaching him; behind him are two boys and one girl his age and a little white tiger cub; the man extends a hand and whispers something to him. He sees himself as a young boy locked in a small cell, desperately banging against the metal bars. He sees himself as a newborn being held by a crying and laughing man of dark red hair.
His focus shifts. His vision now goes into the mind of the man.
He sees the man holding his newborn baby, kneeling in front of a woman, running from a large group of shinobi, locked in a small cell. He sees the man go on missions and risk his life, learning new jutsu, going to the Academy. Being born.
His focus shifts again from the man to the red-haired woman holding him as a newborn.
He sees her life, her struggles- slaughtering a platoon of ten shinobi while on the verge of death herself, being confessed to by the boy she likes, getting into fights at the Academy. Being born.
His focus shifts yet again from the woman to a red-haired man holding her as a newborn.
Over and over and over, he goes through the lives of these people. Flashes of their lives- who they were as people and who they were as shinobi. The family he never had the honour to meet.
On the outside, however, his body twitches and convulses. He's holding his hands in the final hand signs but it's clear he's barely holding himself together, nearly toppling over several times. His hands quiver, his breathing becomes strained, blood comes running from his nose.
Elder Katachi makes a decision. He holds his hand over Kaidomaru's chest and forms a one-handed sign.
[Release]
The formulae that cover Kaidomaru from head to toe revert back to the circle. His eyes return to normal and he takes a deep gasp for air as if he'd not breathed this entire time. He falls forward and extends his hands to support himself. After a moment, he looks up to Katachi with a clearly displeased look.
"Why'd you stop me?" He growls. "I only went back 10 generations, that's worthless to us."
"You asked me to watch over you and that's precisely what I did. You were reacting violently, more so than usual. Your mind was not in the right place."
Kaidomaru wants to protest but he knows he has no place to. He could feel himself getting swallowed by the jutsu as he kept going further back.
"Did Sasuke Uchiha's presence stir you so much?" Katachi asks.
"That ignorant brat could never…" Kaidomaru clicks his tongue and sits back up as he was before. "Maybe a little."
Katachi places a hand on Kaidomaru's shoulder, a caring smile crossing his face. "Please go and rest. You've done enough for today."
"We need to uncover the secrets to unlock the Sharingan's true power. If I can just go back-"
"Please." Katachi looks at him with a stern gaze that only an Elder can give. "You gathered us all together once more and gave us hope when we had so precious little left. You've given us a chance for revenge. Let us do something for you in return. Allow us to work on this and figure it out. Allow us to repay your hard work."
Kaidomaru takes a moment to look back at the older man, wanting to defy him and keep putting everything on himself. However, he knows that'd be selfish to do. He isn't the only one with a cause to fight for, not anymore.
"I'm sorry for being inconsiderate, Elder." Kaidomaru bows his head.
"You've nothing to apologise for. Not ever."
Kaidomaru stands up with a bit of difficulty. Katachi tries to help but he himself is an old man so there's only so much he can actually do. The two walk outside where the others are still experimenting on the Sharingan. The researchers turn around when they hear the door creaking open.
"Have you discovered something so quickly, Lord Kaidomaru?" One woman asks.
Kaidomaru shakes his head. "Not today."
Katachi walks up from behind him. "Lord Kaidomaru requires rest. It shall fall on us to uncover these secrets. It's only fair that we do our share of the work."
"Yes, sir!" The researchers say in unison, having no issue with taking on a greater workload.
Kaidomaru walks over them and clasps two of the researchers on the shoulders, and looks over each and every one of them with a sense of pride. "I'm proud to call you all family. All the work you've done is… extraordinary. I can't thank you enough for helping me get to where I am today. With your aid, we'll soon show the world why they made a mistake in angering us and using us. We'll show them that while they had reason to fear us before, they hadn't actually seen the true might and wrath of the Uzumaki clan."
The Uzumaki all vigorously cheer at his rousing speech.
MAJOR CHARACTER NAME MEANINGS
Mizushi Ōsui (大水 ミズシ, Ōsui Mizushi) = 'mizushi' - 'water child'. It's one of the many alternate names of the kappa ; 'ōsui' - 'great water'
Kaidomaru Uzumaki (うずまき カイドマル , Uzumaki Kaidomaru) , better known as: Kaidomaru Sakata (さかた カイドマル , Sakata Kaidomaru) = named after folklore hero Kintarō, a.k.a. Sakata no Kintoki, a.k.a. Kaidomaru
MINOR CHARACTER NAME MEANINGS
Ibaraki clan (茨木一族 , Ibaraki ichizoku) = named after the oni Ibaraki-dōji - 'Demon Child of Ibaraki'. From Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture.
Katachi Uzumaki (うずまき カタチ, Uzumaki Katachi) = 'katachi' - 'form'. Derived from the kanji kata (形) that's part of Yamagata (山形), the Prefecture where Sakata City is located. In some legends, Kinarō was born there.
JUTSU NAME MEANINGS
Forbidden Jutsu: Bloodline Regression (禁術・胄戻 , Kinjutsu: Chūrei, literally meaning: Forbidden Technique: Bloodline Restoration)
LOCATION NAME MEANINGS
Mount Ashigara (足柄山 , Ashigarazan) = A mountain in Japan where, according to some legends, Kintarō was born and raised.
TRIVIA
The Prajñā Group and the Land of Woods are canonical but have only a brief cameo. They're the ones who ambushed Danzō on his way to the Kage Summit in Chapter 455 / Episode 199.
TRIVIA
The four characters from the Hidden Mountain Village are loosely based on Minamoto no Yorimitsu's iteration of the Four Heavenly Kings (四天王 , Shitennō) from the end of the 10th century.
Sakata no Kintoki of House Suzaku (Vermillion Bird) became Sakata Kaidomaru a.k.a. Uzumaki Kaidomaru.
Urabe no Suetake of House Seiryū (Azure Dragon) became Imori Takeshi. He was named after a gecko yokai to further connect him to the dragon. The '-take (武)' part of Suetake's name means 'warrior' which is where the name Takeshi comes from.
Usui Sadamitsu of House Genbu (Black Tortoise) became Ōsui Mizushi. He was named after the kappa yōkai to further connect him to the tortoise. The '-sui' part of Usui's name has no connection to water, it means something else entirely, I just decided to go that route.
Watanabe no Tsuna of House Byakko (White Tiger) became Nekomata Kūga. She was named after the cat yōkai and given a feline companion to further connect her to the tiger.