WARNING!

The following chapter depicts death and descriptions of burning and fire-related injuries.

Readers beware. I got slightly graphic in the descriptions so it may not be good to read.

Chapter 35


"They say the first kill is the hardest. I wonder how long it takes until you get completely numb to it.

I wonder if I'll ever reach that point."


Uchiha Itachi prided himself on his ability to adapt to the unexpected. He knew that no situation could be totally predicted and planned for, that anything could go wrong on a mission. As such, when he agreed to help infiltrate Konoha for the Chuunin Exams with only the vague information that Orochimaru would likely be involved, he went to the stadium with an open mind, running through dozens of scenarios as he watched the matches.

Invasions? One of the first possibilities he'd considered. Trying to challenge the Hokage individually? Orochimaru had a known grudge against his former mentor, his death would probably be his main priority. The possibility of he and Konan getting involved in that battle? Also within reasonable expectations, as the Akatsuki had their own reasons to fight the Sannin.

But Orochimaru using the Edo Tensei to revive the First and Second Hokage, and then using some sort of mind control technique to have them attack the Third?

That... never occurred to Itachi.

He scowled as he ran along a still-sprouting tree branch, launching himself towards Senju Tobirama while flinging a wave of shuriken at the reanimated Hokage. It took all his willpower and self-control not to freak out over the fact he was fighting Senju Tobirama, and a little more to not set the shuriken aflame like his instincts so desperately demanded.

Naturally the Second Hokage had no issue dodging the projectiles, disappearing in a blur of blue and silver. Reflex alone allowed Itachi to dodge the blow as the man suddenly appeared next to him, delivering a hard kick at the man's torso in the process to send him skidding back a few steps. Mildly surprised he got in the hit at all, Itachi wasted no time retreating into the dense trees which had sprouted atop the roof.

He leaped onto a high branch and pressed against a tree, panting heavily from exhaustion and adrenaline. Hiding wouldn't do much good against a powerful sensor like the Second, but he needed at least a few seconds to recompose himself. The ANBU uniform fit fine but the jacket felt a bit heavier after years of wearing only basic shinobi gear, the mask limited his ability to breathe and the small holes for eyes made his already fading vision so much darker...

Itachi ground his teeth in frustration as he reflected over the situation. Initially, he'd planned to catch Orochimaru in the Tsukuyomi, but the current turn of events made that particular plan much more difficult. Defeating the Second Hokage without using his full range of skills would be next to impossible, but even then he couldn't guarantee that he would emerge victorious. The Edo Tensei negated any sense of pain and provided an impossibly fast regenerative ability, rendering the deceased Senju even more dangerous than he'd been in life.

Sucking in a sharp breath, he closed his eyes and mentally ordered himself to calm down. Nerves would do him no good here. After a few deep breaths he felt the tension gradually fade from his shoulders, and his hands flitted to his mask. This situation seemed dire, but it was not all to his total disadvantage. In fact, in a way Orochimaru had actually made a grave mistake by summoning the two legendary Senju:

No one could see into the forest.

Sensing the Second appear on the branch next to him, the Uchiha ripped off his mask and swiftly made eye contact with the deceased Senju, his Sharingan instantly changing into the pinwheel shape of his Mangekyo. Time seemed to still as the forest faded into a black void, the reanimated Hokage pulled into the timeless space of his Tsukuyomi without a hitch.

The success caught Itachi mildly off-guard, as he had been unsure if the technique would actually work on someone revived with the Edo Tensei. However, he quickly recovered and assumed control of his genjutsu world, depositing the pair onto a black plain beneath bloody red skies and all color in their bodies drained away.

A glittering white katana materialized in Itachi's hands, the Uchiha swiftly assuming a defensive stance as he faced down his enemy. Breaking the Second's mind with endless torture would be pointless when the man had no control over it, but he could at least take advantage of the extra time to develop a strategy. With luck the rules of the Edo Tensei would still apply in here, so Itachi could use the next three days to determine a weakness in the technique.

However, just as his plan to subdue Orochimaru, he found his newest plan quickly derailed as it became apparent the rules didn't apply—or at least, part of them.

"So you're an Uchiha, huh," the Second murmured, folding his arms with a soft sigh. Itachi stiffened at the direct address towards him, his own eyes widening with surprise as his grip on the blade loosened.

"You're in control," he breathed, his defensive stance faltering in his shock, and the Second gave a single, curt nod.

"I am." Eyes gliding over their surroundings, he commented thoughtfully, "I've never seen a genjutsu like this one before, so I'm guessing it's a Mangekyo technique. At the very least, I know neither Madara nor Izuna could produce something like this."

Madara. The name made Itachi nearly wince, only years of practice in schooling his emotions preventing him from reacting as an orange mask flashing through his mind. Fortunately the Second's attention had been focused on the endless void that stretched around them, otherwise he would have undoubtedly noticed the discomfort that flickered in the Uchiha's eyes.

"Tell me, does this genjutsu connect to my mind in any way?" he questioned.

"Loosely," Itachi allowed. "The Tsukuyomi pulls the target's consciousness inside the world to mimic physical sensation, but ultimately this is a genjutsu world of my own creation and which I have absolute control over, time and space included. Three days can pass inside the Tsukuyomi while only a single second passes in the real world."

"Impressive," the Second praised lightly as he turned to face Itachi once more, and the brief hint of approval in his expression filled Itachi with admittedly mixed feelings. "In that case, this may work to our advantage."

Itachi's reputation as a genius had been well-earned, as he swiftly deduced the hidden meaning in his words. "You have a countermeasure for the Edo Tensei."

"Possibly," the other permitted. "I've obviously never tested it, but I did suspect it might be used on myself so I developed some potential countermeasures. However, I'm more concerned about the seal he used to control me. By any chance, did you get a look at it with the Sharingan?"

Recognizing the intent behind his query, Itachi willed a copy of the kunai Orochimaru had slipped into the back of the two Hokage's necks to whirl into existence in front of him. The Second grabbed it and turned it over to examine the tag attached to the handle, frowning as he noted one side to be blank. "I only saw one half," Itachi explained preemptively. "I do not know if the other side had writing."

"I'd prefer to see both sides, but this should be enough to work out the missing half if it had more. After all, we have a few days, don't we?" He offered Itachi a humorless smile, and the Uchiha exhaled softly before nodding, letting the remaining tension fade away.

"Three at the most, though if necessary I can push it further. However, if I extend it further than that the strain on my chakra may render me unable to battle any longer."

"Then we should get to work right away," the Second declared firmly. "I don't care if only a second passes in the real world, but I don't want my brother under that bastard's control any longer than necessary." Itachi just nodded in silence, feeling a small smirk pull at his lips.

Orochimaru had made an even larger mistake than he'd thought.


"Hey... Do you feel that?"

"Yeah... They're not going away, are they?"

"I don't think so," Kiba whispered, and Masaru frowned as he turned forward. For the past five minutes both boys had felt the telltale tingle of eyes watching them as they wove through the streets in pursuit of Hinata's scent. For some reason the Hyuuga heiress had taken a rather isolated path that led them through a series of back streets and alleyways which had been largely untouched by the fighting before leading into a stretch of forest, making the sensation of being watched even more unnerving than usual.

"Can you tell anything about them?" he whispered to Kiba, and the Inuzuka frowned.

"Not really, I'm kinda focusing on Hinata's scent 'cause hers is getting weaker and I'm worried if I'll lose it if I try to focus on another smell. Akamaru might know something though." Masaru turned to look at the ninken at this point, watching closely as the pup sniffed at the air. He turned a sharp look at Masaru and made a small grunting noise under his breath, quiet and muffled almost as if whispering.

For all Akamaru might be intelligent, that did not change the fact that Masaru still could not understand him, and the noise the pup made meant absolutely nothing to him. He leveled a bland look at Kiba, and the Inuzuka snorted quietly before dutifully translating. "He says he smells at least four people about one hundred yards behind us. He can't get a clear lock on their scents though, they must be doing something to suppress it." Masaru frowned as he mentally assessed the information.

Four enemy ninja, most likely chuunin-level at a minimum... Between the two of them and Akamaru, they might be able to handle them, but doing that would probably cause Kiba to lose track of Hinata's scent. While she had made it to the final round of the Exams, she still had an overly gentle demeanor that made her ill-suited for the battlefield. The poor girl would be far out of her element in an invasion, not to mention her Byakugan would make her a prime target for foreign forces.

("He's so bright and happy, he never gives up... I want to be like him.")

Chewing his lip, Masaru reached a decision and looked to Kiba. "I'll stall them while you go ahead," he declared quietly, and the Inuzuka shot him an incredulous look.

"Are you kidding?" he hissed. "You've only been in one real fight before! And those guys weren't even ninja! You can't just take on four ninja and expect to walk out of it alive!"

"Do you see a better option?" Masaru countered, shooting his fellow genin a cold glare. "You just said that Hinata's scent is already fading, if you stop now you'll probably lose it. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not leave Hinata alone for longer than necessary. Besides, I've been training nonstop this month." Fists tightening at his side, he allowed his Sharingan to activate as he added coolly, "I can at least hold my own long enough to lure them to a more populated area and find backup."

Kiba still looked unhappy about the proposed plan, conflict visibly showing on his face, but apparently Akamaru approved as he gave an eager yip and bobbed his head at Masaru with a doggy smile. The Uchiha flashed the pup a small smile of his own, and Kiba sighed irritably. "Okay, fine! You win. I still don't like it, but I can't think of any better ideas. But don't try to be a hero, I am not dealing with Sasuke if you get yourself killed."

"Got it," Masaru said with a nod, and with a final glance at the Inuzuka pair he stopped and whirled around to face their pursuers. Ninjutsu he'd seen at a distance during their run flashed through his mind, his hands mimicking the seals for one with the aid of his Sharingan. "Futon: Gale Palm!"

He clapped his hands together and a burst of wind exploded forth like a shockwave, tearing leaves off nearby trees and prompting his hidden pursuers to move into the open. As they tumbled into sight Masaru felt his stomach sink with dread, because he found not four enemies but six. All of them wore matching uniforms with black masks shrouding their faces to leave only their eyes exposed, metal plates gleaming on their foreheads engraved with a single music note.

Having been exposed, the Sound ninja quickly launched towards him and Masaru gritted his teeth as he jumped to the side, pouring chakra into his legs to carry him as fast as possible towards town. He could hear his pursuers shouting as they chased after him, weapons whizzing his direction. One nicked his arm and Masaru ducked behind a thick tree to dodge another volley of kunai, gritting his teeth as his mind raced.

Retreating from six ninja would be next to impossible. Fighting six Chuunin-level enemies at once would even harder and near-suicidal, but if he wanted to escape he'd need to whittle their numbers down to something more reasonable. He swiftly ran through the hand seals for the fireball needed for Foxfire, grateful he still wore the gloves as he let the golden flames coat his fists. It hadn't worked against that fake ANBU, but in this situation it might be more useful.

Hearing footsteps draw near, Masaru leaped out of his hiding spot and swiped at the nearest enemy. The blaze spiraled from his fingertips and hit the man square in the chest, three long, claw-like gauges burning through his shirt to sear his skin. Staggering back with a pained cry, the man failed to react before Masaru could charge at him, delivering a powerful kick to the still-sizzling wounds.

Charred skin and blood clung to the sole of Masaru's shoe as the man flew backwards, almost feeling the skin peel away from his chest in the process. He crashed into head-first, a loud crack sounding before he fell with his neck bent at an unnatural angle. A cold chill washed over Masaru as he recognized the man to be dead and he just killed a person but he had no time to process it, because even as he pulled his foot back spied a kunai flying his way.

He quickly stomped his foot on the ground and slide to the side. He managed to snag the handle of the kunai as it whizzed past him though and immediately whirled to throw it at another man. Naturally, he still had Foxfire active, which meant the kunai had been exposed to fire just enough to create a sizzling sound as it grazed the poor man's arm. Conveniently, it also cut him just inside the elbow joint, which had admittedly not been Masaru's intention, but it made the wound even more agonizing if the man's scream was anything to go by.

Sadly, Masaru had no time to pursue this potential opening any further, as a flurry of shuriken flew towards his legs demanded his attention. As he jumped over them though, he suddenly registered a whishing sound from his right and turned his head to see a kunai sailing straight at his right arm.

He cried out as the blade embedded into his forearm, Foxfire fizzling out as he roughly landed and clutched at the wound. Sharp pain radiated from his arm with each movement he made, every twitch jostling the blade and causing it to tear deeper into the surrounding muscles.

My deaf side—it came from my deaf side, he thought, his heart pounding frantically. For the first time, Masaru realized just how disadvantageous his partial deafness really was. Had the kunai come from the left he'd have heard it fine, but instead it approached his right side, and because of that it had come too close to dodge by the time he finally heard it.

Under normal circumstances his momentary distraction should have been lethal, and sure enough he noticed a bright glint in his periphery and he snapped his head forward to see a kunai zooming towards him. However, when it hovered just inches from his face another kunai suddenly knocked it away, sending both clattering to the ground. "Idiot, he's one of the Uchiha!" one of the men yelled irritably. "Take him down without killing or maiming him!"

The orders made Masaru's heart stop, sudden dread washing over him as he processed the implications. Adrenaline pumped through him as he yanked the kunai out of his arm and flashed through hand seals, ignoring the blossom of pain from the still-fresh wound as blood poured through his sleeve.

"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" A giant inferno erupted from his mouth, the nearby trees quickly catching fire as the fireball rapidly swelled to several meters in diameter. An agonized screech emerged from the flames as one of the ninja failed to escape in time, and as the blaze faded Masaru could see a charred body fall to the ground. Two down. Two people dead.

(Had any of the other genin gotten their first kills yet? No, don't think about that now. Focus.)

He dove to the side to avoid a shuriken aimed at his shoulder, rolling away and landing in a crouch. Right now, he immensely regretted volunteering to fight alone, because while he somehow managed to kill two enemies he was still severely outmatched. He started to go through the hand seals for another fireball but had to abort it to dodge yet another wave of shuriken, sucking in a sharp breath as one lightly grazed his side.

Focus! Focus! Masaru turned and sped off, pumping his legs full of chakra to increase the power of his strides. Turning his back on his enemies made him feel sick and terrified, but right now he stood no chance on his own. If he could just get into town and find backup, he'd be fine. That thought fueled his steps as he ran in a randomized zigzag pattern, trying to make it as hard as possible for his enemies to predict his path when aiming projectiles.

As he dodged another kunai he suddenly noticed a shadow loom over him and dove to the right just in time to avoid a punch from one of the ninja as he dropped down from a tree, the man's fist colliding into the ground with a small but still sizable crash. Masaru's eyes widened as he watched dirt fly in slow motion, his Sharingan recording the earth rippling beneath the man's knuckles to form a small crater in excruciating detail. The force of that punch, if it had hit him—

"Idiot, I just said not to kill him!" one of the others roared, and time returned to its normal pace as Masaru rolled to his feet and resumed running, his steps spurred by an even more frantic desperation to escape. The men desired him alive so they should avoid going after vitals, but that left plenty of room for serious incapacitating injuries. Broken legs, twisted arms, a well-placed senbon to the neck—the number of nonlethal methods to incapacitate him ran through his mind.

The number multiplied if they had a medical ninja on their side who could heal the worst of it.

As he fled he registered a low, swooping sound behind him, and instinct prompted him to jump even before he identified it, but his efforts proved futile. A thick rope with weights tied on either end snagged around his ankles, the sudden weight throwing him to the ground with a startled shout. Dirt and soil rolled into his mouth as he crashed painfully, his palms only saved from being skinned by his gloves while tiny twigs penetrated his clothing to scrape his body.

Struggling to sit up, Masaru gasped as he accidentally placed his weight on his right arm, the shallow hole from the kunai bleeding even more profusely at the sudden increase in pressure. He pushed through the pain to roll over and rushed through seals, unleashing another Grand Fireball on his pursuers. He heard more shrieks as two men failed to totally clear it, but to his dismay he saw them drop and roll away, their sides heavily burned but both still alive.

He fumbled in his weapons pouch for a kunai to cut through the rope wrapped around his legs, but just as he sliced through them a shadow loomed over him and he felt a hand grip his hair, harshly jerking his head upwards.

Blood sprayed, and he felt too numb to scream.


Of all the crazy plans Kakashi had conceived in his career, using his own genin team as bait for a crazed, unstable jinchuuriki ranked pretty high. He hated treating his comrades like this, risking the lives of his three precious students so brazenly on something he knew to be a gamble, but as it stood Sasuke would be targeted by Gaara anyway. At least this would give them a chance to possibly defeat the red-haired boy, and minimize damage to Konoha.

Still, he didn't like it. He didn't want to risk anyone more than necessary, especially children, and he had no illusions about his ability to defend them if the Ichibi rampaged. He'd managed to find a reason for Masaru and Kiba to leave, but he couldn't conceive of one for any of the others. Sakura would never abandon Sasuke, her crush on the boy overpowered her sense of logic more than he would like. Naruto, meanwhile...

"Naruto, you know something, don't you." Sasuke's words stopped his current train of thought, and Kakashi turned his head to see the broodier of his students watching Naruto with a probing look.

"Huh? What're you talking about?" the blond muttered, shooting him a quizzical frown. Sasuke merely scowled, clearly unimpressed by his blank expression.

"Don't play dumb. You're usually the one who's floundering around and totally clueless about everything, but this time you haven't asked one question. Not about jinchuuriki, not about mokuton, not about this so-called plan, not about anything. Hell, you haven't even talked once this past five minutes. I didn't even know that was possible."

As he spoke Sakura turned to look at Naruto with renewed curiosity, Sasuke's points clearly resonating with her. The blond just frowned as he turned away from his teammates, his normally bright blue eyes melancholic and uncertain. The sight of such a pained look on the typically sunny and cheerful blond's face made Kakashi's heart lurch in agony, his mouth pulling into a heavy frown behind his mask.

Kakashi knew why Naruto didn't want to answer. He still remembered that horrible day, the Kyuubi's red chakra leaking from the tiny eight-year-old boy as screams of utter despair and agony filled his ears. Had things gone according to plan he wouldn't have found out until after he became a ninja, but instead Kakashi had to watch his sensei's son grow up with a fox whispering in his ear.

"Naruto," he said, grabbing everyone's attentions. "You don't need to answer right now. We need to focus on the situation at hand." You don't need to answer at all if you don't want to, went unsaid, but Kakashi could tell that Naruto recognized the underlying message all the same.

"I... Yeah, you're right," he muttered quietly, nodding absently. Sucking in a sharp breath, his fists curled at his side and he raised his head to face his teammates, his eyes sparking with newfound determination. "Look, I'll explain later. But right now, we need to kick Gaara's butt before and show that stupid monster inside him that no one can screw with Konoha!"

He flashed a bright grin as he spoke, the sudden confidence in his expression obviously surprising his fellow genin. Temporarily speechless, after a moment Sasuke simply scoffed and turned forward, his scowl still present. "Fine. But we are talking about this later, dobe."

"Yeah, don't expect us to forget about this," Sakura added with a firm nod. "We can't afford to hide secrets from each other. I don't know what you're hiding or why you seem so nervous about it, but that doesn't change the fact you're our teammate." Surprise flashed on Naruto's face while Sasuke nodded in mute agreement, and Kakashi felt a sudden surge of warmth to swell in his chest as he watched the scene, a rare, genuine smile flickering into existence behind his mask.

Sensei, it looks like I'm doing something right after all, he mused quietly as he watched his three students.

Naruto might bear a painful burden no one should have to, but at least he had friends he could count on.

His smile quickly faded though, his eye widening in alarm as he glimpsed movement behind them. He skidded to a halt and spun to face the newcomer, a kunai sliding into his hand and poised for throw. By the time the three genin stopped and turned to face him the sense of threat vanished though as Tenzo stepped into his line of sight, Akino and Bisuke trailing at his heels.

"Tenzo?" Kakashi greeted slowly, his stance still tense and stiff. The mokuton user frowned as glanced at the small group, but Naruto visibly brightened at his arrival and pumped a fist into the air with a loud cheer.

"Alright! Now that you're here we'll be able to take down Gaara easy!" His teammates responded to his enthusiasm with tentative looks towards their teacher, any relief they may have felt tempered by the grim, calculating look in Kakashi's eye. An icy chill of foreboding shivered down his spine as he met Tenzo's eyes, both men instantly understanding the implications of his arrival.

"Tenzo, did you see Gaara?" he asked gravely, and his former subordinate grimaced.

"No, I didn't. I was in the stadium for about three minutes before these two grabbed me." Naruto's cheers abruptly halted as he looked at him in confusion, but the other two genin visibly stiffened, swiftly recognizing just why both men remained so on edge.

"Maybe you took a different route that was just faster?" Sakura suggested quickly, but behind her Kakashi shook his head.

"We took the fastest route I knew. And even then, Akino or Bisuke would have noticed Gaara's scent at some point. He smells like blood and sand," he added with a pointed glance to the two ninken.

"We noticed a trail of something like that on the way, but it was already pretty old," Akino confirmed promptly. "It turned off to a different route back in town."

"Wait, are you saying Gaara stopped following us?" Naruto blurted, finally realizing what his teammates had already gathered. Kakashi nodded grimly, grimacing under his mask.

"That's the most logical explanation." The question was why. Gaara had wanted to fight Sasuke above all else, and at one point they'd even been able to see him following them—

Kakashi froze as sickening realization punched him in the stomach. Shit. "Akino, Bisuke, with me!" he barked as he started running for the trees. "Tenzo, you come too!" The others looked a bit startled by the sudden orders, but Tenzo quickly recovered and raced after him while the two ninken followed suit. A glance at them and the two dogs bounded ahead to take lead, recognizing his intent even without him needing to voice it.

Having received no orders of their own, Team Seven exchanged worried glances before moving to follow Kakashi. "Kakashi, what's going on?" Sasuke demanded hotly as they trailed after him. "Didn't you say Gaara would be following me?"

"I thought he was, but I was wrong," he responded, frowning as he recalled that brief glimpse of Gaara during the pursuit.

He'd been in their line of sight when he sent Kiba and Masaru away.


A strangled scream escaped the Sound ninja before sharply cutting off as a giant fist of sand squeezed him, crushing his internal organs beyond repair. Its grip loosened and his crumpled body dropped to the ground, landing amidst the rest of his comrades' corpses. Crimson liquid seeped into the earth and stained Masaru's leg but he barely noticed, only able to stare numbly at the teenage boy looming over him.

"Uchiha Masaru," Gaara murmured, his pale green eyes seeming to pierce right through him. "I was looking for you."


The game is still ongoing: what will be the final outcome of the invasion?

Did anyone think that Gaara would divert his route to Masaru? Or that Itachi would catch the Second in the Tsukuyomi? No one posted those predictions. Remember, whoever predicts the outcome of all these plot threads the most accurately will get to request an omake. (On the note of omakes, I still plan to post the Team Jiraiya one I promised since I got 100 favorites on FF. I'm waiting for this arc to end since it's so dark and serious.)

This chapter is both satisfying and unsatisfying. There's some more stuff to Masaru's reasoning for splitting up from Kiba, but I can't go into the full details just yet so it admittedly feels pretty weak here. The same can be said for Kiba agreeing to split up like that; there's more to their side quest than meets the eye. Combat scenes in general are also one of my weak points, but I feel like I'm improving and feel pretty happy with Masaru's fight.

Also, Masaru got his first two kills as a shinobi! And the Grand Fireball actually killed someone for once! (Masaru is, in fact, the first one from the Rookie 10 to get a kill. Keep that in mind.)

I also took a few liberties with the jutsu featured here. Namely, 1) Tobirama has control of himself inside the Tsukuyomi, and 2) I gave hand seals to Gale Palm. In canon, Gale Palm is performed with just a clap. It feels like a stretch for the Sharingan to copy it based on a clap alone though, so I'm going with the explanation that inexperienced users still need hand seals. The only person we see use it in canon is Nagato, so it's plausible.

~A preview for next time~

"My family... They never loved me. They hated me, they looked at me with fear. My father sent assassins after me for as long as I can remember. Do you know why?" He took a single step forward, the shade from the leafy forest canopy overhead casting an ominous shadow over his features. "Before I was born, he had a demon sealed inside me. My mother died that day, she gave me this name so I would destroy Suna for using her as a sacrifice."