Daughter of Hate

by Blutus Mindpretzel

The war is over. Azula's motives remain unknowable as her child stands to shake the foundation of everything built since the fall of Fire Lord Ozai. For Toph, Mai, Aang, Katara and the rest, the world is an even more dangerous place than it was when they were children. And despite being long since gone, Sasuke's impact continues to shudder their world, perhaps more than they know.

22. Chapter 22

AN: So, I didn't realize that people had caught on to how much I've partaken in ending chapters with cliffhangers. Sorry about that, because I fear I'm only going to worsen that condition over time.

I feel like I need to quickly just give a quick shout out to Kentaro Miura, who I found out passed away as I was finishing this chapter. Might seem a strange place to put my respects, but without Berserk, I never would have read Naruto, and this story wouldn't exist right now. And I would be a much poorer person to not have this incredible experience of writing for all you amazing people, and I can't imagine not doing this; so grateful to have this opportunity and I wouldn't dare every take it for granted.

Anyways, that downer stuff aside, I really hope you are all doing well and hoping you enjoy this week's chapter!

---

Chapter 22: Darkest Just Before Dawn

Yangchen kept her eyes on the night sky as she saw the cluster of lights far off growing ever nearer. She tried not to look as repulsed as she felt as Koh's enormous form came slithering around behind her, also in wait of the approaching lights. His actions in the last week alone would have been enough for Yangchen to completely be convinced of the notion that his presence there was nothing short of completely detrimental, and his presence at this point was entirely disgusting to her. Though she imagined that her animosity for him was no secret to Koh who spoke to her in that rasping hiss that sounded like a great many voices collaged into one whisper.

"My dear Avatar, is the hate you bear for me truly so warranted?"

She kept her voice even and apathetic, as much as she was able.

"If you need to ask, then chances are you already know the answer."

Koh made one of his rather unsettling sounds, that could have been a growl of annoyance or a chitter of laughter.

"There is no reason to hold me in disregard," he murmured at her, his disgusting form moving about behind her as she refused to so much as glance his way. "We are all here for the same purpose."

"No, you're here because you saw it as a cheap chance to play," Yangchen replied tightly. "You've not fooled anyone, Kyoshi herself only permitted your crossing over because she knew you would be of use. We're all aware that your motivations lie in your own indulgences, hence your despicable treatment of that young woman our quarry is friends with."

"And yet my plan worked to great effect, did it not?"

She tightened her lips.

"We'll see. For now, mind your place."

Koh's form seemed to almost rattle behind her and she knew this was a telltale sound of frustration.

"Do not forget, Avatar of the West, my existence outstrips that of yours my a great multiple, and said existence, no matter how unsettling to you, holds more importance than any Avatar before you or since. You would do to watch your tongue."

It would have been all too easy for Yangchen to whirl on Koh's awful visage then and rebuke him just as viciously, but she knew that Koh was nothing if not a fan of mind games. And getting her riled up would have been just the sort of fun distraction he might have been looking for, and she didn't dare indulge his sick and depraved mentality. Instead, she said nothing in reply and watched overhead as the burning light in the sky drew ever closer. She and Koh were positioned in the back of the royal palace in Ba Sing Se which Kyoshi had ordered as their main locale during the spirit occupation, standing on the large terrace that was meant to host large social gatherings of the wealthy, powerful and privileged in simpler times. Now, it's only two guests were not just foreign to the palace, but had long since been removed from this world as it was.

A minute or so later, a streak cloaked in a glowing blue essence descended from above with a tremendous speed and as it touched down, it revealed itself to be a person. Kyoshi touched down hard, the marble floor of the terrace crumbling and cracking at the force of her landing as her knees bent. Immediately, Yangchen could tell that things hadn't gone well; she had guessed that when Kyoshi had stopped communicating with her via their spiritual link, but with the other Avatar before her now, those assumptions were all but confirmed.

Kyoshi straightened and rotated her shoulders, her mouth just a touch away from being a sneer of anger, but she managed to keep her composure as the escorts of aerial spirits that had accompanied her there and back dispersed. The blue energy that had helped carry her through the sky faded from around her body as her fingers clenched and unclenched; Yangchen crossed her arms and flicked her eyebrows flatly.

"How'd it go?" she asked, making little attempt to keep the sarcasm from her voice. Kyoshi shot her a look and shouldered past her as she made her way towards the palace's back doors. Even Koh was quick to give her a wide berth as she marched past, her long mane of hair whipping about behind her. Trying not to feel something like satisfaction, Yangchen caught up to her quickly and matched her pace.

"I told you that it wasn't going to work," she said plainly. Kyoshi might very well have been one of the most intimidating beings every to walk in either world, but Yangchen had somehow never felt fear of her fellow Avatar as so many others had. "You knew you were dealing with something you we still don't understand, and yet you still thought—"

A dozen meters from the palace door, Kyoshi whirled on her. In size, she was a fair bit taller than Yangchen and glared furiously down at her, but she didn't back down.

"It did work," Kyoshi said in a low tone and at this, Yangchen couldn't quite hold in her surprise and her eyes widened a fraction.

"What? Then how—"

Kyoshi turned away, looking towards the night sky as though expecting to see Sasuke up there just then, just waiting for her to reach out and snatch.

"I blew that freak right out of the sky. Using the Avatar State to rob him of his elemental abilities worked, at least in the extent of rendering him helpless."

"Then where is he? Clearly you didn't kill him," Yangchen remarked and Kyoshi released a slow exhale from her nostrils, her contained fury very apparent.

"I knocked him from the sky… and I lost him."

Yangchen blinked.

"You lost him," she repeated, feeling something like disbelief. "How could you lose him?"

There was a low growl that resonated from Kyoshi's throat before she replied, more evidence of her likely searing frustration.

"I don't know. My spirits were beneath him, waiting to intercept him wherever he fell, no matter how hard I hit him. But he never fell back into the clouds, he just disappeared."

As her mind started to race with possibilities as she knew Kyoshi's must have been the whole trip back to Ba Sing Se, Yangchen had to resist letting out something of an amused laugh. The idea that this young man irked Kyoshi so and was able to avoid her on two separate occasions now was nothing less than remarkable, regardless of what abilities he had access to.

"Seems we've underestimated him again," she remarked and Kyoshi looked back at her over her shoulder, eyes burning with a smoldering focus.

"Don't sound so impressed," she said, and Yangchen could tell she was needing effort to keep from raising her voice or sounding too angry.

"Not impressed," Yangchen said. "This just makes me to think how prior to our invasion, you were quite certain that we would have this dealt with in a matter of—"

Kyoshi was back in her face in an instant and Yangchen heard the frustration leaking fully in her voice then.

"Remind me, Yangchen, why is that of all the Avatars, of all of those cowards who weren't willing to do what was necessary for this world, you were the only one willing to accompany me alongside the army I've built?"

Yangchen didn't fear Kyoshi, but she still knew that telling her fellow Avatar the truth, that she had joined this effort in order to do what she could to keep too much blood from being spilled, would be a poor thing to reveal, especially just then.

"To restore peace to the world of man," she replied unflinchingly and Kyoshi gave her a slow nod in reply.

"Then I would appreciate if you would keep your input to that focus, rather than sounding like you're more intrigued with Sasuke Uchiha than actually finding him and finishing what we came here to do."

Knowing that just about any refuting of this would only drive the wedge further, Yangchen gave her a nod in reply rather than saying anything, but it was clear by the look in Kyoshi's eyes that she wasn't convinced. Still, she pulled back and turned back towards the palace. Before following her, Yangchen caught sight of Koh's enormous and still form behind them, that strange face on the front of his centipede body watching them silently. It was somehow much more unsettling to see him quiet and motionless, as she was left to wonder what dark thoughts might be passing through that mind that had witnessed the passage of millennia. Turning her back on the monster, she followed Kyoshi inside the palace.

The whole of Ba Sing Se had been properly occupied well at this point, and the palace was no exception. The usual host of servants and guards and regular residents had been pressed into the city where certain districts and neighborhoods had been swiftly redeveloped with the purpose of holding the city's populace while the rest of the city was used for the occupation of Kyoshi's army. Several higher ranking spirits had already departed on their own assigned missions, but the majority of the spirits remained within the city or flying above it, turning Ba Sing Se into an impregnable stronghold. Yangchen had done her best to oversee the occupation and ensure that the moving of citizens hadn't come to violence, but she knew that she couldn't be everywhere at once, and a great many of the spirits that had enlisted in Kyoshi's effort to restore peace seemed more interested in violence than the actual mission they had supposedly joined on in support of. She had come across a less than pleasant encounter wherein a large spirit that was a cross between a crab and a man had been terrorizing a family who had resisted being relocated to the districts where civilians were being held. Yangchen hadn't gotten there in time to stop the spirit from murdering the grandfather of the family, and her fear only grew by the hour that the more aggressive spirits were using this occupation as an excuse to act well out of order. Many spirits after all were as much raw beings of emotion and drive rather than genuine sentience in many cases, and Yangchen was deeply furious at how ambiguous Kyoshi had been towards the city's actual taking over.

So as they made their way into the beautiful and striking palace, Yangchen could only think about how out of place it felt to be walking through such a place that didn't belong to them.

They hadn't made it far when a spirit cross between a lizard and a goat soared up to them. Its voice echoed as though it were a great distance away from them, its blue aura coursing brightly around it.

"Avatars, please pardon my intrusion, but there is a man wishing to speak with you."

"I've made it very clear that I don't have the time nor the inclination to speak with every person who has taken issue with how things have changed in this world," Kyoshi said bluntly. The spirit bowed its head before replying.

"Your words have been heeded to this point, Avatar Kyoshi, but I believe that it would do you well to hear what this man has to say."

Kyoshi frowned and looked to Yangchen who gave her a shrug. Anyone that the spirits on guard might have been led to believe would have something of useful information was more than enough reason to be at least curious. It had been Yangchen's belief that the world's populace would outraged and resentful more than anything of their arrival and the chaos that followed them, so who knew just what a single man might be able to say to speak to some level of relevance. Kyoshi clearly still seemed in a state where she likely wanted to be left alone to rage at her failings, but Yangchen interjected before her fellow Avatar could blow this encounter off.

"We'll see him."

The spirit bowed again and turned to release a chittering sound that resounded as a mixture of whispers and bird calls, one of the many languages the spirits were native to. Two winged and armored beings, also rippling with blue energy entered the hall and led a man up the stairs, urging him along quickly. As he approached, Yangchen supposed he was rather quite an attractive young man, even if she found the look in his eyes rather suspicious. The spirits escorting him forced him down to his knees and he gave what seemed to be his attempt at a rather clumsy bow.

"Speak your peace," Kyoshi snapped, her voice echoing with power and command. "We've little time to be listening to pleas for freedom or leniency; your city will be unoccupied when our work is concluded."

The man looked up, the corners of his mouth flicking up in an amenable smile of understanding.

"Precisely why I've come to see you, oh noble Avatars," he said, and Yangchen found herself liking him even less. It seemed this was a man who was used to placating and having people placating to him.

"I'm aware you are looking for Sasuke and his child," he said and this was enough to gain both their attention. Kyoshi reached down without hesitation, seized him by the collar and lifted him clean off his feet.

"You were there at the city hall?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous, and the man nodded urgently even as he still bore the same, almost overly confident smile.

"My name is Lord Gilbert, and I think I might be able to lend you some aid."

---

Sasuke finally pulled away from Toph, knowing that every second he waited, the harder it was going to be to leave her side. She resisted only briefly, seeming to understand his almost urgent desire to take his hands away from her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated quietly and he shook his head, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm… really glad you were honest with me," he said and she gave a small smile, kicking one of her feet gently on the ground, looking almost embarrassed while still seeming perhaps even more miserable than she had been when he had approached her. Still, he could sense just how much her head was still spinning, possibly from everything they had said, possibly from the kiss, likely from both. He wondered if she was at all experiencing something like the feeling of being intoxicated as he took a step back from her, but her words were clean and calm.

"You can talk to me, you know," she said quietly and he nodded.

"I know."

Her smile twitched a fraction wider just then.

"I promise not to keep hitting you."

It took Sasuke a second to realize that she had been telling a joke and he almost let himself laugh at it. He felt a sudden urge to walk back to her and put his arms around her, and it was only with great effort that he was able to keep from doing so.

"We'll be able to soon," he deflected; in reality, he just very much didn't want to be alone with her just then for fear of his own emotions as they continued to swell and swirl within him. "I'm sorry this all has had to happen the way it has; it's not fair to you."

"It's not fair to you either," Toph responded, almost as a snap and then seemed to catch herself. She took a slow, calming breath before adding softly, "I'll always be there if you… you know, want to."

Sasuke didn't say anything to this; he knew there were a great many things he could have talked to her about just then, things he wanted to ask and say, but he continued to force himself away and he took another step back.

"There will be a time," he said, in a voice that he hoped didn't sound too noncommittal and even as Toph continued to smile, he could see the sad look on her face, and he wondered if she thought he was lying.

"Sure thing, Sasuke," she said softly and he waited only a few more seconds before turning to walk back into the brush back towards camp. Leaving her alone behind him felt even harder than it had felt to leave her over a decade prior, but he knew that he couldn't trust himself with his emotions just then. He had felt so many urges just then, things he knew he could never have reasonably acted on, urges to keep kissing her, to keep talking to her, to join her in crying, to hold her for as long as they both could handle it, and so much more, but he knew this was a combination of a lot of things and he knew from experience that trusting his emotions was a dangerous thing.

But she had felt so good.

He tilted his head back towards the night sky as he made his way past shrub, fern and tree, and kept himself from letting out a loud, longing sigh. Toph truly had felt so good, in a way that was different from kissing Ursa, or Yue. He hadn't expected to want to, he could still hardly believe that he had tried, and even more so that it had happened. Toph's confession had been equally as stunning a moment, to know that she had not let him go after so long, to know that her anger was not truly directed at him as he might have assumed, and that somehow, he had not only kept his feelings for her, but they had developed so much. Sasuke couldn't figure out whether this had happened over time or if just seeing Toph again had spurred this feeling inside him.

I can't have been brewing over this for years… she was a kid when I knew her last. I guess I was too, but was I really even considering that one day we might be… like that?

Even not standing in front of her, images of her kept flashing through his mind, her smile, her eyes, her hair, her body, every part of her so matured and beautiful and perfect. Every step he took he wanted to turn and run back to her, wrap his arms around her no matter how stupid and foolish he felt. Sasuke put his head down and growled. He had to take his mind off of her for now, he hadn't been ready to deal with this.

Forcing himself to put his mind elsewhere, Ursa's face swam into his head and a surge of relief that felt almost like a gulp of water on a parched throat rushed through his veins. Yes, Ursa would be able to help him relax, she was so good at helping him just—

Sasuke would have imagined that only one in a hundred attempts of people attempting to catch him off guard had ever been successful, if that. So, when he was tackled from the side, having not seen it coming whatsoever, he felt more angry at himself than anything as he tumbled down under the ferns and was pressed flat on his back. Hands flashed over his wrists to pin him down and he had a moment to be distantly impressed by this person's speed before they hissed at him, voice tinged with quiet fury.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

His first thought was of Azula, and he felt a stab of worry at what would happen if she had seen him kissing Toph, but he quickly found that this person's voice, while angry, was nowhere near as purely soaked in venom as Azula's had often sounded to be. Nonetheless, he could tell just how angry Ty Lee was as she glared down while straddling him under the starlight above.

"I asked you a question, asshole," she snarled and increased her pressure on holding him. "What are you doing to Toph?!"

For a moment, Sasuke only looked back at her, and then, realizing just what she might be asking, he felt his own lips curl in a snarl of his own.

"Why don't you go ask her?" he snapped and tried to push her off him, but with surprising strength, she slammed him back to the ground.

"Why don't you answer me?" she retorted, putting her face quite close to his own. "Is this some kind of sick game you're playing?! You just walk back into this after making a mess, and you're looking to mess Toph around while you're screwing Azula and Zuko's mom as is?!"

Though Sasuke couldn't help but feel a sting of guilt at her words, he knew that a large part of her accusation wasn't true.

"I would never mess around with Toph like that," he growled. "I just…"

It made him furious that he couldn't even so much as come up with a simple excuse for why he had pushed in and kissed her when that had been the last thing on his mind when he had gone to talk to her. And he couldn't quite tell if Ty Lee actually thought that all he was doing was playing around with Toph or if this was anger was coming from a different place, because he could hear the underlying currents in her voice that sounded to him like this might have been more than just about Toph.

"If you go out of your way to hurt her again…" Ty Lee said, her voice dropping back down to a hiss. "I swear, Sasuke, I—"

Finally feeling a point of being fed up with this, Sasuke forced her back far enough that he could push himself to his feet and they both made it up, though both still gripping each other aggressively. He looked into her glowering eyes as he slowly loosened the grip he realized he had on her upper arm and hair, seeing some real fire flashing there.

What are you doing? She's not your enemy.

More guilt came then and he took a calming breath before speaking in a slow and what he hoped was a rational sounding tone.

"I swear to you, Ty, I never want to hurt Toph again. And if I'm being honest with you, no, I don't really know what I'm doing. I guess I'm dealing with a lot of different feelings right now, and I happen to have some for Toph, believe it or not. I'm not trying to hurt her, but I just need so bad for all this shit to calm down so I can reach a point where I can just be left the fuck alone to figure out what it is that—"

She inhaled sharply and Sasuke looked up to see that his grip had actually tightened violently on her hair to the point where he was almost starting to pull her head back. He quickly released her, but not before he saw a very peculiar look in her eyes. For a moment, they looked at one another before Sasuke turned to leave her standing there as well, and as he marched back to camp, he made sure he was ready for any sudden surprises from anyone else who might have been thinking about jumping on him. Still though, as he saw the light of the fire glowing just beyond another few dozens yards of thick island brush, he couldn't help but see Ty Lee's eyes still glaring at him with that strange look.

What was that? I was ready for her to be mad, so why did she look so… so resigned?

---

Soza sat cross legged in a corner of the camp a good dozen or so yards from anyone else, her back straight and her mind focused. In front of her, she had placed a small log that hadn't yet been used for the firepit; she had made off with it when Katara wasn't looking as she was quite sure that nasty woman would have dared to snap at her for taking some excess firewood. And while Soza supposed that she would have been more than happy to get in a full blown argument with her even just to blow off some steam, she knew that for what she wanted to do, it would be better not to waste time.

Maybe I should have got in a fight with Katara though… maybe then mother would take notice of me again.

Her mind had been raging wild with thoughts about her mother, her father, and the situation before them as a whole, but she had forced this all aside; ignoring it, she found, kept the stress and anxiety from really affecting her, and she was surprised it had taken her so long to think of just blocking it all away to keep it from hurting her. Still, it seemed to sneak in here and there, much to her anger.

She shook her head and concentrated on the small block of wood in front of her, blowing a slow, long breath out of her mouth. Lacing her fingers, she cracked them and then pulled her arms around her body in a traditional firebending stance as she looked at the log as intensely as she could. Soza held herself there a moment before whipping her arms around her body and tightening her gaze even further at the wood, feeling a stinging burn behind her eyes.

A small spurt of black fire appeared against the log, searing its wooden frame and Soza felt her heart jump with excitement that was immediately replaced by annoyance as the flame puttered out just as quickly.

Damn it.

She tried again, focusing as much as she possibly could, but again, the small flame only dancing for a moment before fizzling out. Soza growled in frustration even as she felt her body aching at the force she was pressing it with, drawing in another deep breath as she prepared to repeat the action as many times as necessary.

"Stop, you're going to hurt yourself."

Looking around, she saw her father standing just behind her, looking down at her with his arms crossed. Her heart skipped briefly as she wondered how long he had been standing there watching her fail.

I can't let him see me be weak, I can't let him think I'm worthless.

"I'm just warming up," she said, trying to sound as confident as she wanted to be. He looked at her a moment before his mouth moved into something of a pitying smile and Soza felt heat burn inside her gut.

And I don't want him feeling sorry for me.

"It's alright," he said, coming over to go down to one knee beside her. "But you need to refocus what you're actually trying to do."

He gently took her wrists and laid them against her thighs as she sat; Soza turned to give him a look and he gave her what she supposed was an encouraging smile.

"It's alright, I'm just going to keep you from moving your arms. The habits you've developed as a bender will not always translate well to this other gift, and particularly not for the one you're trying to use now."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The Amaterasu is the name of that black fire you summoned, that fire that just seemed to eat away at whatever it touches. It's by far the most dangerous thing you have access to in your store for abilities; it burns hotter than any other fire, and if left uncontrolled, cannot be stopped."

She looked at him with a question in her eyes and he nodded.

"Were you to generate Amaterasu on this log, and then lost control of it, it would burn until you regained control. If you created it and then were killed, it would burn there for all time. So, it is very crucial you understand this, because left untempered, it will wreak utter havoc and you can be certain of that."

His voice was flat and low, but it was clear to Soza that he was emphasizing this strongly; she hadn't even been aware of just how powerful this fire was and despite that urge she had always felt in her bones to become more powerful, this idea suddenly was feeling more daunting.

"Try not to move as much as you can," Sasuke said, turning his attention back to the log. "Feel that switch in your eyes and tap into it, don't allow yourself to get caught up in these firebending gestures; they will only sap energy and focus. When you created Amaterasu before, it was out of a combination of fear and anger, two very focused emotions. You don't need to recreate those feelings, but know that the same focus is necessary here. Close your eyes a moment if you need to."

Soza did, slipping her eyelids shut as her father gently held her wrists down. She took deep calming breaths and tried to picture that burning black flame in her mind's eye. Finding she could not only see it, but feel it as well, she snapped her eyes open and furrowed her brow at the wood as her muscles tensed.

The black spurt of fire reignited, but it held steady; Soza wanted to exclaim proudly, but she remembered what Sasuke had said about focus and she heeded his words. Moments slipped past as she drew the fire over the log until it was completely consumed, and she then increased the amount of fire and in the blink of an eye, the log was cinders.

"Now, remember you control the fire, and use this knowledge to suffocate it," his voice came, seeming distant to her ears. She imagined reaching out and crushing the flame and as she saw that fist tightening in her mind, it puffed out of existence just as quickly as it had been willed there.

"I did it," she said breathlessly. "I controlled it!"

Looking around at Sasuke expectantly, she saw him looking almost pensive rather than pleased for her, and her heart sank.

I just want to be good enough.

Her expression must have changed too as he seemed to force on a smile after looking at her.

"Soza, you must understand this power you wield. It cannot ever be used lightly and it should never be used unless necessary, unless you require it's unique edge as a last resort."

"How will I know?" she asked, feeling the weight of his words, and he shook his head.

"You have to trust yourself to make that decision when and if the time comes. Were it up to me, you would never have to resort to such a thing."

"Then why did you teach me how?" she asked and he surprised her by giving a short laugh.

"Because uncontrolled, Amaterasu is far more dangerous than a careless person who knows how to control it. In my life, I have abused power. You have to be better than I was, and I will teach you everything I can to avoid the chance you will become like me."

She wasn't quite sure what to say to that, but she supposed there might be some words she could offer him, words that were rather foreign to her tongue.

"Okay… well thanks then…"

In her apology, she trailed off and Sasuke cocked his head at her briefly.

"What's the matter?"

Soza put her chin to rest under her fist as Sasuke let her go and moved to sit beside her.

"I'm just trying to figure out what I should call you. Obviously, not Sasuke, but you don't really feel like the type who would go by 'father' either."

He seemed both bemused and amused at her deductions and he blew out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders.

"What would you like to call me?"

She looked back at him for a long while before answering.

"I don't know… how about dad?"

---

When Sasuke heard the word, the composure he had been building up since he had returned to camp all but disappeared; he couldn't have imagined just this simple question would be enough to crush him, but his throat became incredibly dry and his heart felt like it was buoyant enough to burst from him and fly away. He wanted to hug Soza and hold her tightly and never let her go, but he managed to settle by reaching out and tousling her hair, something she seemed to receive with surprise and annoyance.

"That sounds just fine," he said and she smiled with satisfaction in her eyes. He smiled back at her and for just a few seconds, the moment couldn't have been more perfect. Then, Soza looked past him, and he could tell by the look in her eyes whom her gaze had fallen upon.

"Dad, can I ask you something?"

Anything.

"Anything."

Soza shifted where she sat and when she spoke again, Sasuke knew that she was looking at her mother over his shoulder. He wondered if Azula had her eyes on him just then as their daughter tentatively broached the subject she wanted to discuss, but she still approached it with a projected confidence that was impossible not to notice.

"You said you didn't know about me, and when you explained it all to everyone, you said that she… raped you? What does that mean really?"

Sasuke felt his throat tighten and a heat in his cheeks that he tried to force down, but he knew the moment she asked him that there was no easy way around this topic.

"Um… you see, it's kind of complicated, but… well, I guess the best way to put it… so, sort of…"

He stuttered out stalling responses, trying to think of some way to answer her question, but as if sent to him on a star, he saw the slender figure of Ursa walk around and sit between them, forming them into something of a small triangle. Her expression was understanding and there was a small smile on his face that Sasuke could tell she was using to brush the situation with a touch of levity. He wanted to hug her for saving him, but she kept her attention strictly on Soza who was looking at her grandmother like she wasn't sure whether to be pleased she was there or not.

"Honey, do you know how a woman winds up becoming pregnant?" she somehow asked calmly and Soza scratched the back of her head, looking entirely unperturbed.

"When a man and a woman put their private parts together, right? They have sex?"

Sasuke felt his cheeks flush with an uneasy heat even further, but Ursa didn't so much as flinch at hearing those words come from an eleven year old and only nodded in confirmation.

"That's right. That being said… sex isn't something that's always meant for making children however, and—"

"Well, that's what that Yue girl said about you two, right?" Soza asked. "You and dad have sex just for fun, right? To make each other feel good?"

Sasuke had never felt more of an urge to faint dead away than he did right then, and even this was enough to bring a red to Ursa's cheeks. She met his eyes which was a mistake for both of them as they quickly looked away, and Soza, watching this all play out, rolled her eyes.

"Mother says I won't understand until I'm older, but I don't get what the big deal is. I've never met a boy who wasn't an unintelligent, unappealing swine, and I can't imagine finding myself inclined to want to—"

Suddenly finding his voice, Sasuke spoke up loudly.

"Yeah, let's try and keep it that way."

She looked at him strangely and then back to Ursa before huffing.

"You two are being weird. Anyway, I still wanted to know what happened between by mother and you."

Ursa met Sasuke's eyes again as the subject went from uncomfortable and embarrassing to uncomfortable and worrying. He could see the question in her eyes and he gave her a small nod; there was some part of him that felt he needed to explain this to Soza himself, but he didn't know even remotely how approach it. She deserved to know better what had happened then what he had said aboard the airship, and he trusted Ursa much more than himself to bail him out of this situation.

"Your mother loves your dad very much," Ursa finally said and Sasuke nearly found furious words burst from his mouth about what exactly it was that Azula felt about him, but he left things to Ursa. "But when you were made, your dad was put in a place where…"

Sasuke could feel the heat suddenly emanating from Ursa and he wanted to reach out and take her hand as he felt her anger growing even as she tried to keep herself in check. Still, her words were nothing but calm and gentle.

"… in a place where it wasn't his choice to conceive a child."

Soza frowned, her eyebrows furrowing.

"But if it's something you want, it's to your own choice and power to obtain it, regardless of the cost."

Ssauke felt his insides crawl as he knew those were not Soza's words, but her mother's, and possibly her grandfather's to boot. He didn't even dare to look at Ursa who took a considerable pause before she continued.

"Honey, I need you to listen to me very carefully. When there is something you want, you need to always think about whether or not that is going to affect other people when you take it. An item, a place, a life, a—"

"A child?" Soza asked and Ursa nodded fervently.

"Exactly. Your mother forced herself onto Sasuke and it resulted in your birth, which no one regrets. But the way she conceived you, the way she made sure not he or anyone else knew, these things were more wrong than I think you realize."

Tucking her knees up under her chin, Soza sat for a moment or two looking exceptionally contemplative.

"So… there are consequences to taking things you want, to people."

"Yes," Ursa and Sasuke both said at the same time.

"Even if they're lower than you, like commonfolk or slaves? Surely a slave couldn't be—"

Sasuke saw Ursa swell with what couldn't have been anything other than anger, a very sudden change in her persona, and he forced himself to say something before she potentially might have exploded.

"Especially if it's someone like that," he said, and Soza and Ursa both looked at him in surprise, as he felt just as stunned at his own words.

"Why?" Soza asked, sounding genuinely confused and affronted. Sasuke didn't even give himself a chance to think as the words came out as naturally as anything he'd ever said.

"A measure of a person is how they treat someone lower than them, regardless of the circumstances. Your character, your heart does not depend on the power you wield, but how you approach others, and who you think about first, yourself or others."

Words that Sasuke would never have imagined coming out of his mouth, and he knew for a fact that he was a colossal hypocrite for even saying them. The amount of times he had ignored the welfare and wellbeing of others in his quests for vengeance and self-interest was as damnable as anything Azula or anyone had ever done. But as he looked over and saw Ursa smiling at him with tears in her eyes, he felt so glad that he had somehow come up with these words that made so very little sense to his own experience. He couldn't look away from her until Soza's annoyed voice brought him back to reality.

"Ugh, are you two about to start doing sex right now? You're making those eyes at each other; it's grossing me out."

Sasuke swallowed and looked back to her but before he could stutter some excuse, a louder and more confident voice sounded out behind him.

"Hey, Soza!"

He looked to see Sokka approaching, smiling as he drew up beside the three of them.

"Is this the cool kid's corner?"

Soza wrinkled her nose.

"If by the cool kid's corner, you mean the place where these two get to—"

"What's up?" Sasuke asked loudly, cutting off his daughter before she said something that would surely either wipe Sokka's smile off his face or cause it to double in size. Sokka looked slightly confused before he jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"Your mom's looking to chat with you, kid," he said to Soza and Sasuke watched as her eyes both slightly widened and her body seemed to tense with nervousness as well.

"Okay," she said and climbed to her feet. "Thanks, dad. Thanks, grandma."

As she jogged away, Sasuke found himself looking at Ursa and he saw the same conflict in her eyes that he knew were in his. That name 'grandma,' while endearing that Soza would be now comfortable calling her that, should have taken away all notions of the idea that they should be in any kind of relationship like the one they were sharing. But Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care; as he looked at Ursa, all he wanted to do was take her hand and run off with her into the dark just before dawn, holding her and feeling her hold him. Her gorgeousness and being and everything about her pulled on him like a magnet, and it was only when Sokka started to walk away that Sasuke realized how much he wanted to talk with the other young man.

"Hey, Sokka, got a second?" he asked, pushing himself quickly to his feet. Katara's brother looked back to him, looking rather surprised, but he shrugged in a friendly manner, still smiling.

"Yeah, sure thing."

Sasuke started to walk towards the outskirts of camp, not looking to be overheard, and as Ursa got to her feet and moved past him, he saw the silent disappointment in her eyes as she moved towards the fire. He nearly moved forward to kiss her, but knew that this wasn't the time for that, not when he didn't know who all might have been looking just then.

I'll get to talk to her soon enough.

As he pushed just slightly underneath the trees outside the clearing, relatively cloaking himself in dark, he saw Ursa move to speak with Zuko and aid him with cleaning up after dinner just as Toph emerged from the other side of the forest's canopy, shoulder to shoulder with Ty Lee. They were welcomed back enthusiastically and Soza made to move from her mother's side, looking eager to see Toph, but Azula's fingers dug into her shoulder and held her still. Soza seemed briefly surprised at this but lowered her head and said not a word, and the sight left a pit in Sasuke's stomach.

Sokka followed just behind and joined him under the cloak of darkness.

"So, what can I do for you, man?"

Sasuke couldn't help but feel a rush of appreciation for Sokka just then; his demeanor and attitude, always like he was doing his best to maintain positivity, had always been something Sasuke had noticed in the back of his mind and he hadn't failed to notice how of everyone, even those who treated him well, Sokka always treated him with the least differential distinction, never seeming to see Sasuke as much more than just another person, just another of his friends. That had been how they were when they were younger and as Sasuke looked at the genuine smile on his face now, he knew things were the same.

Even after all the trouble I cause, he's still nothing but kind and open with me.

"Well…" he started. "I needed your advice with something. And I didn't know who else to ask."

In the relative dark, he saw Sokka's eyes narrow a fraction.

"Happy to help with whatever I can; what's this about?"

Sasuke kicked at his feet, suddenly quite self-aware of how foolish he must look, getting so nervous over talking about this sort of thing.

"You and Suki are married?"

Sokka nodded, his smile widening. "Been some years now, and she's still the best thing that ever happened to me."

Every one of his words rang with an unchallengeable truth and Sasuke nodded, feeling more confident that this might indeed be the best person to talk with about this.

"So, you know a thing or two about… well, women."

Sokka's smile became one of understanding and he rocked back on his heels, looking up towards the sky as he did.

"Ah, yes, I should have guessed."

He took a couple steps back and forth as though trying to consider something before saying, "This is about Ursa? Or… someone else?"

Sasuke didn't reply immediately which apparently was all Sokka needed to hear.

"Uh-huh, okay. Well, how about I just sort of riff here for a little bit and then you can just tell me if I'm hitting any of this on the nose, sound good?"

Not sure what it could hurt, Sasuke crossed his arms and nodded. Sokka returned the nod and stared to pace, taking several long moments before he started to talk, opening with a loud sigh.

"Well, I'm betting you're feeling pretty strange about being in a relationship with Ursa now, given what you know about Azula and Soza, even though I'm betting neither of you had any idea about just what being together would mean when you started. But you're not willing to give her up just because of that because, based on the way you two look at each other, there's a lot more going on here than just a casual lay. But on top of that, you have Toph, who I'm guessing you at least spoke briefly with after you both ran off, considering how long it took her to walk back versus when you came back. You've probably figured out just how much she really never quit on you, and you don't know how to handle that. Then, on top of her, you have Mai, Azula, and I think even Yue giving you looks enough that you're probably trying to juggle them in your head too. And maybe even…"

He trailed off, showing his first signs of being uncomfortable, and Sasuke was well aware that he was probably thinking about his sister, but Sokka waved that thought aside nonchalantly.

"Anyways, I'm assuming you want to ask me what I would do in this situation?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, feeling a very strange amount of relief that his thoughts had not only been so perfectly laid out, but that someone else had any idea of what he was going through. Sokka looked contemplative for a moment, humming as he stroked his chin.

"I'd run for my life," he said finally and looked Sasuke dead in the eye. They looked at one another a few moments before Sokka burst out laughing and Sasuke found he couldn't resist smirking at his own plight.

"I'm sorry, that was in bad taste," Sokka muttered as his chuckles died away. "But yeah, you really are in something of a pickle."

"And that's perhaps something of an understatement," Sasuke replied and Sokka gave an understanding nod.

"I get it. Or, at least, I can try to. I can't even imagine trying to deal with this while Kyoshi and everything else is happening."

He leaned against a tree, taking a few moments to consider something else.

"Let me ask you this: does Ursa make you as happy as it seems like she does?"

Sasuke wanted to lie but couldn't.

"More than anything."

Sokka nodded slowly, letting slow whistle out through his teeth.

"That's what I thought."

He stared distantly towards the ground for a while, taking another pause in between his words.

"The thing is, Sasuke, you don't owe any of these other women anything by way of romance. You sure as shit owe them in other ways, except maybe Azula I'd argue, but if Ursa is this good of a thing for you right now, you need to hold onto that. At least, that's how I'd read it. Regardless, don't go around playing with anyone if you're just doing it out of guilt or to appease them or whatever."

Looking Sasuke dead in the eye, he added, "Because if you do that to Toph, if you break her heart more than it already is, I'll kill you myself."

Sasuke didn't need clarification to understand just how serious Sokka was being.

"I understand."

His reply seemed to jar Sokka slightly as though he only know was realizing the gravity of what he had just said and he scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that… it's just… she's always going to be my little sister, and I've been watching her hide away because of her emotions her whole adult life. I couldn't protect her from that, but I can protect her now."

"I get it," Sasuke said, but Sokka didn't look like he had spoken his peace.

"Do you remember what she was like? You must have seen it back when you met us, before she just fell head over heels…"

Sasuke nodded.

"I do. You mean how feisty she was and the way she…"

The words caught in his throat for some reason.

"How innocent she seemed," Sokka finished for him, nodding. "Toph was never totally naïve to what we were risking every day, but she still had this energy and this persistent energy that was almost contagious. I know she showed it to you, but a while after you had been with us, you really changed her. Unless she's drinking, I never see her get like that, not since those days."

Sasuke had just about had enough of the guilt that was swarming him, but this hit harder than the rest of it just then.

How much of her life have I robbed, and changed for her? How much better off would she be if I had never met her?

Sasuke allowed himself a moment to mull over those words until he reached a point where he felt at least somewhat safe asking his next question, even as self-loathing overlapped his insides again and again.

"About Suki… how do you… I don't know, what do you do to make her happy? What makes you get along so well?"

Sokka laughed.

"I don't think you need to worry too much about making Ursa happy, brother, she seems to be all over you just as much as you're on her; Aang tell you how she was after you went dark and then again when Kakashi brought you to us?"

The thought of Ursa pacing in a feverish stress and then embracing his lifeless body caused Sasuke's heart to pang heavily.

"He did."

Nodding knowingly, Sokka gave him a raised eyebrow.

"If you're worried about not satisfying her on your end, don't be. Usually, I wouldn't just to a conclusion this quickly, but it's obvious to me that Ursa has not just an attraction to you, but she also appreciates I think how raw you are. If we think about how Ozai must have been, I would bet a whole lot of money that Ursa hasn't dared to stick herself into many relationships since, but something about you clearly has hit her different."

He leaned forward, inclining his head.

"Sasuke, the joy in her eyes when she looks at you is one of the purest things I've ever seen. And I see that in your eyes too. That 'casual relationship' bit that Ursa tried to feed us is such a load of crap like I've never heard, but hey, maybe you both are really trying to believe that lie."

Sasuke looked through the trees and found Ursa with his eyes, content even just to stare at her as she moved about and helped with chores.

She's so beautiful.

"I mean, come on, look at you right now!" Sokka laughed. "I don't think you need any advice from me on how to make that woman happy, she's clearly fallen harder for you than even you might think."

He leaned back against the tree, expression growing thoughtful.

"But to that second question… the truth is that Suki and I don't always see eye to eye. We've often had some pretty big fights actually, mostly about not seeing each other as much as we'd both like and things like that. The key to why we're so happy is because we don't always get along; we're honest as hell with each other, and we're never going to hide how we feel. I respect Suki far too much to ever think about lying to her, even if I think it would make her happier in the long run. I can't tell you how to run your own relationship, Sasuke, but I know that you need to do whatever it is that makes you feel absolutely no reservations about your relationship with her. If there's a regret, something you know is being unsaid, you owe to it to her and yourself to get that out into the open. If you love her, you need to trust that she'll be willing to understand and work through anything with you, if she truly loves you back. Things might not always be picture perfect, but real relationships never are. Does that help at all?"

It was almost unbelievable how much it did; Sasuke nodded slowly and repeatedly for several long seconds as he mulled this over too. Hearing this all out of Sokka's mouth, anyone's mouth was a very particularly powerful thing for him. So rarely had he even approached the idea in his own head of just what his feelings for Ursa might actually be, even as he spent so many waking moments wishing he could just be alone with her. And for Sokka to say all this, to say that Ursa had fallen for him… it almost felt like something he didn't feel quite able to believe.

I could never deserve the love of as good a person as her… and she made it very clear that love wasn't what was happening. But I know how I feel. Could she really feel just as strongly as he says?

"Look, I'm not going to sit here and try and tell you how to play this out," Sokka said slowly, deliberately. "But you need to be honest with yourself, and then you need to be honest with her. She deserves that at least, right?"

Sasuke looked Sokka dead in the eyes and nodded firmly.

"You're right."

He felt a strong surge of affection for the other young man as he strode from the dark of the forest and back towards the camp.

"Thanks," he managed, and he didn't need to turn and look at Sokka, who remained where he stood, to know that he was smiling still.

As he walked back into the light of camp, his mind raced.

"Ursa, we need to talk… I'm not going to waste any more time pretending that I don't feel this way. The way we are, this hasn't been casual and you know that"… no, don't be so forceful, that sounds like you're accusing her. "We've been more than just sexual partners, I know because every time you kiss me, every time you take my hand or even just say my name, the feeling I get is that"… bah, could you get any more corny?

Sasuke tried to wrap his head around what best to say, once he got her alone. He supposed that perhaps the moment would speak for him once he pulled her off to somewhere private to confess to her how much she really meant to him.

I would never have gotten here if not for her. She's relieved my hurt like nothing and no one ever has.

As he walked towards the group, he could see Mai and Aang both look at him in his peripheral vision, Azula too casting a stare his way, but he didn't return any of them. His eyes remained fixed on Ursa's back as he committed to just telling her whatever came to his mind when he pulled her aside. A dozen or so yards from the group, he opened his mouth to call out to her before a hand put itself on his shoulder.

"I think we should have a little talk, Sasuke."

Kakashi had appeared from just about nowhere, suddenly standing at Sasuke's side and facing the opposite direction. They were far enough that Sasuke knew no one could hear the words passing softly from Kakashi's mouth as most of them were caught up in conversations of their own anyway.

"I thought I told you anything we needed to talk about, they could hear too," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, and Kakashi let out a short exhale of a laugh.

"Come on, Sasuke, you and I both know there's things you would rather others didn't listen in on."

It was as foreboding a statement as he could have made, and Sasuke shot him a look.

"What are you talking about?"

Kakashi didn't seem to feel much like giving a straightforward answer and instead jerked his chin.

"Follow me."

He walked off, not waiting to be followed and Sasuke looked back in frustration. Ursa still hadn't looked over towards him and a part of him wanted to tell Kakashi to get lost just so he could walk over and wrap his arms around her waist, but he forced down the emotion that had become dangerously prevalent at ruling his thoughts as of late.

She'll be there when I get back.

Kakashi trekked out quite a ways he found, well past a hundred yards down to the beach of the island where the ocean couldn't be seen in the dark before dawn rather than it could be heard, the tide softly washing over the sand with consistent rushes, a very relaxing sound to Sasuke's tired and rather overwhelmed mind.

As Sasuke walked up behind his old mentor who stood facing towards the black water before them, no time was wasted in getting to the point.

"Madara. Tell me what happened."

Sasuke suddenly found himself rather angry then.

"No, I think you ought to lead this one off, sensei. You suddenly appear in this world, well over a decade after I've been here wandering on my own, you don't tell me a thing about it, but you've got no problem spilling everything about me to my friends like I had any say in the matter. I don't know what you think this is, but how about you do some filling in before you start demanding more of me."

It felt rather superb to get that off his chest and while Kakashi didn't turn around, he seemed to recognize the depth and feel of Sasuke's ire.

"Of course, you're right," he said, plainly but not dismissively. "Forgive my overstepping; I suppose there is a good bit on my mind as well."

Without any further prompting, he started to talk in detail.

"When Kabuto was apprehended, reconnaissance and investigatory missions continued officially for a series of years to try and find any of his partners or associates or anything like that. We found many leads, but rarely did they lead to anything. I didn't participate in many of these, but I heard the reports and could tell that the efforts were being frustrated from a lack of direct evidence and direction. About five years ago, the investigations were officially halted due to lack of result and overextension of reconnaissance talent."

Slowly, he sat down in the sand, crossing his legs. In the relative dark, Sasuke didn't need to see Kakashi's face to tell just how contemplative he looking just then, all he needed to do was listen to the accenting of his words.

"I took interest in Kabuto's secrecy and lack of a supposed network, especially after we found the single active seal that couldn't be traced not cancelled by anyone other than him. Even when he brought it before him, he denied that it had been anything to do with his Edo Tensei, and this seemed the strangest thing, to hide something from a failed initiative. So, just over two weeks ago, I decided to venture to one of Kabuto's supposed lairs of operation, one that hadn't been given a great deal of attention since its initial investigations had shown no signs of work regarding Edo Tensei, nor any records that proved useful, just a bunch of occult and variant research that was summated by investigative ninja teams. No one had gone there since the end of Kabuto's little supposed rebellion, and I thought that perhaps giving it a once over might at least prove a healthy exercise in deduction for me."

He paused for a long time.

"I found the body quickly, sensing it behind a hidden wall. It was heavily decayed and I brought it back immediately to the Hidden Leaf to have analysis of it run, to see if perhaps this was the remains of the last subject of Kabuto's Edo Tensei. But what was found out…"

There grew to be genuine pain in his voice then and Sasuke could tell the words weren't coming to him easily.

"The body was identified as that of a person I had long known to be dead, one of my old teammates named Obito Uchiha. The forensics determined he had been dead for over a decade and rather interestingly, his eyes had been completely ruined. It was a very strange thing to discover, that he had died blind."

He let those words sit with a rather fake sounding aura of curiosity before continuing.

"I deliberately didn't tell a soul where I had found him, and wrote in the report that his body had been in a forest based cave I had come across when out on extensive scouting. I returned to Kabuto's lair and made my way back into the hidden chamber I had found the body in. You can imagine my surprise at all the scrolls and texts I found on such curious techniques and skills, such as forbidden eye transfusion studies and even talk of a very particular ability that might allow for one to cross not just worlds, but entire dimensions."

"How?" Sasuke asked, unable to keep himself from blurting the word out; he had long since given up hope on ever finding out how it was that he might have come to be in this world, and to think that he might actually get an answer was almost immediately overwhelming.

"It was speculated that with those in possession of a Sharingan, upon performing a specific set of seals, could refocus their perception of reality into that of a mirror, so to speak. From there, they could experience and hone in on other realities that exist outside their own."

Sasuke had never forgotten the feeling he had remembered before he had appeared in that Fire Nation temple when first he had awoken, only to fall unconscious and wake up missing his memories in that prison so long ago. That feeling of looking hazily through a foggy sheet of glass had never left him.

"There were estimations written too that it might be possible to send someone with a Sharingan into this perceptive reality by a different user performing the technique. And it was also theorized that other physical worlds could not be broached on their own."

"… I was able to open a gateway into the what I could only call, a world more and less than the one we originally resided in."

Madara's words echoed in Sasuke's head as he felt a chill run up his spine. Kakashi continued while Sasuke tried to remain focused.

"Long story short, I attempted the technique, not expecting much of anything, considering the speculative nature of that writings, and from that point, I remember the sensation of falling as I remember a world of color and chaos, as a vacuum sort of feeling pulled me along faster and faster… and I awoke then on a beach in an area I now know to be called the Fire Nation, somewhere I think we're in the territory of as we speak. I found rather quickly that this was not the world I knew, and I laid low as I learned as much as I could from locals, from books, from customs; it was seeing your face on one of those posters that led me to the conclusion that I knew where you had been all those years you had gone missing."

"No one just assumed I had died, or gone away to live as a recluse?" Sasuke asked, somewhat as a sarcastic joke, even as his insides hummed from this information he was hearing.

"Please, Sasuke, you attempted to murder every village leader at the Kage Summit, and you succeeded in killing the Sixth Hokage Candidate prior to his inauguration. You expect anyone to believe you would just give up on all your vengeance fueled questing? Your compatriots, Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu, all turned themselves in and none of them were able to give us a clue as to where you had gone. We initially assumed that they were hiding you, but after months and them giving the same answers, and us wondering why they would turn themselves in as your accomplices if only to lie to us about you, it became rather clear something else was going on with you. The unofficial story that many believed was that the Raikage had you assassinated without the approval of the other Kage, but he has rigorously denied this and the secretive operations he still conducts to find out would indicate the truth in that."

Kakashi got to his feet and brushed off his knees, looking at Sasuke with a rather cold look in his eyes.

"I've caught on to more than you might think, Sasuke. I believe you knew the name Obito before I said it just now. When I was examining your body as to what Kyoshi might have done to you, I saw very quickly that you've been concealing a Rinnegan, something I'm rather certain you didn't have when I last saw you. And in your other eye, I sensed the same energy of my own eye which you know isn't mine. And I never forgot the mess of a scrawling that was Obito's handwriting, so I know for a fact that the scrolls and texts that I found with him weren't his, even if he had been poring over them."

He crossed his arms, and the cold edge faded from his voice and Sasuke could tell that he genuinely didn't know if his request was going to be complied with.

"So now, would you mind telling me what it is happened with you, and happened to this world?"

Sasuke felt absolutely no reason to withhold. Well over the next half hour, he told Kakashi everything he knew, from suddenly finding himself in this world, to the jolting loss of his memories only for them to slowly return, the people he had met and journeyed with, his knowledge of the events of the war that he had helped end, the appearance of Obito and the tricks pulled by Madara, to the last ditch effort he and Obito had made to fling Madara from the world. He spoke then of leaving, of his failed attempts to find a way back to his own world, and how over a decade after he had begun his endless searching, Roku had appeared to him, transposed Yue into the physical world and how his return to the Elemental Nations had begun. He spoke of meeting Ursa and the voyage, as well as the serpent, and then to the nature of Kyoshi's invasion and what he had learned about Soza's nature. He ended with that, his throat dry from talking as Kakashi tilted his head back slightly to allow a brief silence to fall between them before he responded to what he had just learned.

"A daughter, huh?" he sighed. "If you're not causing the trouble, you're certainly always involved with it, it would seem."

"It wasn't my intention to—"

"I know."

The two were a quiet for a long while then as the words of each other passed through their heads. Kakashi would break the silence minutes later.

"I never would have guessed that Obito would dare something as risky as an eye transfusion with you."

"When you say risky…" Sasuke started and Kakashi replied with a short, humorless laugh.

"The texts that I found spoke of it as an exceptionally dangerous technique for both those involved. It was banned by the Uchiha clan generations ago due to the fact that even a successful performing of the technique can kill one or both of the participants. If your body had rejected the implanting of the powers granted from Obito's eyes, it's very possible the both of you would have died then and there, and Madara's work would have been quite easy."

"I still don't quite understand what happened," Sasuke muttered, bringing a hand up to gently brush against his eyelids.

"He overlaid the abilities of his Sharingan and Rinnegan over yours," Kakashi explained. "At least, to my understanding that's what happened. You retain the power of your Mangekyo, while gaining every ability that was granted to him, including those of his Rinnegan. Which is why I assume you're able to hide the Rinnegan you now possess, because you don't have the physical one implanted into you, though I imagine that eye will still turn quite vibrantly purple when you tap into it. And who knows what other abilities might now be available to you, considering your unorthodox upgrade. Unlike the other method that Uchiha use to gain the powers of another's eyes, physically taking and transplanting them, Obito chose to use the method that was much faster with the little time you had while briefly dipped into Kamui facing Madara. I'm astonished that such a strategy worked, it sounded like he had you both dead to rights."

It seared Sasuke with anger to remember how helpless they had been. Beating Madara had been nothing short of a fluke, one that would never have been pulled off had Obito not made the sacrifice and come up with the plan that sent Madara back into the spirit world.

"It was all Obito," Sasuke said quietly. He didn't know quite why he felt the need to further expound on this, but there was an urge to air this out. "He might have been tricked into helping Azula and Zuko's father, but he came around, for whatever reason. Myself, and this whole world would be either dead or under Madara's thumb if not for him."

Kakashi didn't say anything, but Sasuke could tell that his words had dealt him a profound blow.

"Thank you," he finally said after a short while, and almost as though it was an involuntary action, he sat down on the beach again. Sasuke felt compelled to join him, and the two sat with their feet near the surf as it washed gently back and forth from the ocean.

"I told you long ago that everyone important to me was dead," Kakashi said. "And it turned out Obito was alive this whole time before he died to save a world he didn't belong to."

Sasuke didn't know what to say to this, so he maintained a respectful silence in an effort to not ruin what he supposed was likely a rather difficult moment for his former master. He didn't say anything until enough time he hoped had passed for it to not be rude to speak up.

"Now, I'm trying to head north on the word of an old man I'm barely confident in trusting," he said. "Just the way it works in this world, every problem can be traced right back to me."

"And yet, you're surrounded by people who care a great deal about you," Kakashi refuted. "I'd say that adds something of a cushion to your debacle, wouldn't you?"

Faces flickered in Sasuke's mind of every person he was traveling with. Even Azula somehow seemed to find her way there even after all she had done. It was something of a heartwarming moment for him, and he allowed himself to mutter a joke in response.

"Yeah, except maybe Zuko. I probably should at least say sorry to him at some point?"

"Why?" Kakashi asked. "Because his sister is the mother of your child, his woman can't keep her eyes off you, and his own mother is currently wildly in love with you?"

It was said as a joke in response, but Sasuke still winced at imagining how the Fire Lord was dealing with all this. He rather badly hoped that Mai's attention to him wasn't as obvious as Kakashi made it sound, since it was just like his teacher to be so perceptive of things.

"Yeah, that'd be why."

The pair shared a brief chuckle at Zuko's expense; Sasuke could see the faintest lightening of the sky indicating that dawn was approaching.

"I suppose the spirits are your most attentive problem, but I wouldn't stray to far from the thought of Madara either," Kakashi remarked and Sasuke stared at him.

What?

"Why?"

Kakashi gave him a rather tired look.

"I know you have a lot on your mind, Sasuke, so I'll try and not and be too much of an overbearing instructor, but are things still not adding up to you as to why this might all be happening?"

Sasuke frowned.

"With Kyoshi and the invasion? I know why, because she wants to kill myself and my daughter to rid the world of our 'disease' as she puts it."

"Seems like a rather flimsy excuse for an invasion of an entire world to me," Kakashi replied casually and Sasuke felt himself getting fired up.

"You didn't see her or talk to her, that woman is fucking obsessed—"

"Let me just map out this all to my understanding," Kakashi said curtly. "Maybe then you might see what I'm talking about. Firstly, you haven't seen Madara since you and Obito knocked him back into the spirit world. Nor has any sign come of him in our world in over ten years. Second, we found a single activated seal for Edo Tensei in Kabuto's possession, but he refuses to acknowledge any association with it or who it is attached to. Thirdly, if Kyoshi's intent was to ensure that you didn't bring irreparable harm to this world, wouldn't the first step being at least trying to talk with you rather than launching a full scale invasion and trying to kill you? And to that end, why not just come herself with perhaps a small team of exceptionally powerful individuals, why this entire invasion? By the sounds of things, these foot soldier-esque spirits are about as trivial to you as a chakra-less and chi-less person, their protective shield of spirit energy being their only advantage, so why create all this chaos when she and a group of others would have just as good a chance at taking you on? And who do we know who openly admitted he wanted to use this world as a plaything of sorts, to take it over and experiment to his heart's content?"

Sasuke felt his mind racing as he tried to think of some way that he could refute this but found he couldn't.

"It's not him doing substitution jutsu again," he finally said firmly. "I fought Kyoshi and while I know you can replicate people, powers and energy is something totally different, like when Koh pretended to use Chidori as me; that was spirit energy disguising itself, and that's what I felt from her."

"I don't doubt that Kyoshi and the other spirits are who they appear to be," Kakashi replied. "And perhaps I am thinking too much into his involvement in this invasion, but I think any of us would be a tremendous fool to discount the idea that not only is Madara still alive in his Edo Tensei form, but he is still here as well."

---

Ursa straightened her back and gave a quick stretch before turning back to Soza.

"Try again, but this time, try and work perspective to your advantage like I showed you."

Gripping the stick tightly in her hand, Soza rushed towards her and moved like she was going to swing high, but pulled back to feint into a low jab towards Ursa's belly. It was easily blocked as her own stick knocked it aside with a thwack of wood hitting wood and Soza leapt back, cursing as she did.

"No, that was good," Ursa said with a smile and her granddaughter gave her a look.

"I didn't even get close to hitting you."

"I've been training with the sword for over twice as long as you've been alive," Ursa replied. "I would be astonished if you ever managed to actually land a blow on me. The point is that your form is already improving."

Soza didn't seem to have noticed that part of it, rather being locked in on Ursa's claim just then as she spoke slowly.

"So… if I can hit you, I can say I beat a master swordswoman?"

Ursa couldn't help but laugh at the ambitious swirl in the girl's eye.

"I would say so, yes."

Grinning, Soza reset her position and lunged again.

About an hour prior when they had all been sitting around the fire after cleaning up their makeshift dinner, Soza had asked about Ursa's twin blades and how Zuko had a pair rather similar. She had needed to keep herself from feeling too much of a swell of pride for her son before Soza had asked if she could teach her a thing or two. Glad to spend some time bonding with her granddaughter, Ursa had gone about teaching Soza a few basics before the girl had started to improvise into her own sort of style, and now seemed hellbent on managing to get any sort of upper hand on the woman who had been wielding a blade for quite a bit longer. Ursa knew that Azula was glowering at her in anger behind her, as she had made it rather clear that Ursa stay away from Soza, but Ursa had opted to allow the waters to be tested and was pleasantly surprised to find that Azula hadn't tried to pull her daughter away.

Though doing her best to humor Soza and fake openings here and there, Ursa was also surprised to find out much even a four foot stick being swung her way spurred a burst of adrenaline inside her that she had to keep herself from reacting too badly to. Were if up to her instincts, Soza would be disarmed and swatted away from years of hardened training, but cheers from Sokka and Aang kept her mind focused on the fact this was in fact just a fun exercise.

In the back of her mind, Ursa kept looking around for Sasuke to come back. She hadn't seen him leave, but Mai had told her that he and Kakashi had gone off for a private chat, which she supposed they probably needed to have. Still, she wanted to see him and talk to him herself; it was strange to her how much she felt that was something she needed to do.

Soza let out a grunt of frustration as another of her blows was deflected and she blew hair out of her face.

"I'm going to get you; you'll get tired and I'll get you," she growled determinedly and Ursa gave her a pitying smile.

"What makes you sure that you're not going to get tired before I—"

She cut off as something struck her then as being very off. Her body froze up and she looked around the black foliage that surrounded their clearing, and tried to listen close. Her paralysis was ruptured when Soza's stick whacked her in the stomach and she grunted in pain.

"Ha, gotcha!" Soza cheered, a moment before Ursa reached out and grabbed her, pulling her close to her.

"Hey, what're you—" the girl started, but her would be question came to a halt as Ursa's senses were confirmed to not be playing tricks on her.

In an almost eerie bout of near silence, a wide shadow seemed to stretch from the treeline, slowly and steadily into the clearing. It took Ursa only a moment to realize that these shadows were in fact a mass of people walking quietly towards them.

"Everyone, group up!" she shouted and while she heard the starts of a couple inquisitive voices, they must have followed her eyes to see the approaching wall of individuals and Ursa felt everyone form up around her without another word.

They were men and women, moving in at a deliberate and gentle speed and not seeming at all perturbed that they had been noticed. They were armored in black, wielding swords, spears, bows and shields, and had what appeared to be a claw insignia etched on their breastplates and shoulder pads. Fanning out around the group, Ursa realized that they were very much being surrounded, and that there were more of them than she had initially guessed. As they silently stalked into formation, she felt it probably wouldn't be too much of an overestimation to say there could have been a couple hundred of them at least.

"Talons," Zuko snarled and Ursa flicked her eyes quickly to him in question.

"A Fire Nation based fanatic group. They came into public eye after the war ended, lobbying behind the idea that modern civilization and the rules and laws it imposed were counter to the idea of natural freedom. They've kept to the shadows, but have found ways to strike at infrastructure through means of sabotage and terrorism over the past decade," he explained, earning a derisive snort from his sister.

"We could have crushed these pathetic ants long ago if you had only had the gall to order it," Azula sneered and Katara's voice snapped out in response.

"Not now, Azula!"

Having something of a better idea who they were facing, Ursa looked about all the weapons and saw that she didn't notice any empty hands, which made her wonder if any of the Talons were benders; bending was a far more useful weapon than any physical tool, but every one of these men and women seemed armed for bear, suggesting that none of them possessed this natural gift. Trying to remain focused and calm, Ursa tried to wrap her head around how they might best get out of this.

"To whomever is in charge, this is Avatar Aang!" Aang called out, his voice actually impressively powerful for someone that Ursa had briefly known to be rather hesitant and soft spoken. "We have no qualms with you, and would kindly suggest you go on your way!"

At his words, the Talons stopped advancing, their forces holding a few dozen feet from the group. They didn't seem to heed him beyond that before three individuals moved their way through their lines, parting them as they passed through.

The first was a rather haggard yet powerful looking man, also clad in armor and with a greatsword leaning over his shoulder. Unkempt hair and a beard suggested a rather uncivilized person, but his eyes glinted with a very raw intelligence. He was clearly the leader of this force, or at least he might have been if not for the two beings who seemed to be leading him.

They were clearly spirits, the blue aura and impossible shape and size of them being a dead giveaway. One was immensely tall, at least twelve feet high, and clad in golden armor with an enormous spear in his massive hands, his face obscured by a helm that possessed the visage of a lion. The other was the size of a normal woman, and for all intents and purposes appeared to be one, save for her wavy hair that seemed to float about as though she were underwater and the fact that from her torso down, she was propped up by a half dozen tentacles rather than regular human legs.

"Impressive trick, hiding your camp under this strange dome of energy," the armored giant said, his voice rumbling threateningly. "We might very well have been unable to find you if not for our… well, I suppose I won't say too much."

He took a step forward and brought a hand to his chest.

"My name is Dovan. My companion is Orian. We would like to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed if that is at all possible, but we came prepared should things come to that."

No one said anything immediately in response to the spirit; Ursa's own mind was racing as she tried to figure how best to take down a being of this size.

"And is that you Klefron?" Zuko called out to the haggard man. "I haven't seen you since we tried to parlay years ago. What are you doing with these spirits?"

"They came to us," the leader said, his mouth splitting in a smile as he lowered the greatsword down to angle towards the dirt at his feet. "They offered us a return to the old ways should we ally ourselves with them. You, Fire Lord, have allied with disease, and we have come to play our part in purging it."

So, the spirits have begun recruiting men as well…

It didn't surprise Ursa that fanatics might be easily swayed by spiritual influences, but that didn't make their present circumstances any less worrying.

"Quite," Dovan said, his voice like an earthquake. "But we will waste no time; we are here for the demon and his offspring."

There wasn't much to guess at to know he was talking about Sasuke and Soza. Ursa had a reply of her own on the tip of her tongue but blue fire burst to life around Azula as she snarled challengingly.

"Try it."

Aang spoke up again, his voice cautionary but almost imploring.

"We can't give either of them up. There's been a misunderstanding and we can still sort things out."

"There is no misunderstanding and there is nothing to sort out," Dovan said, planting the butt of his spear on the ground firmly. "They both must be destroyed for the sake of this world."

It was clear that nothing would be gained by attempted negotiating and Aang seemed to understand that; when he spoke again, Ursa could hear the tentative threat in his voice.

"Your numbers are vastly more than our own. But amongst our bending and skill, do you really think you can so easily just take them without a fight you might not win?"

Dovan's voice spoke to the smile he must have been wearing just then.

"Fortunately, you allowing talk has taken care of that."

Azula's flame winked out and she cursed before trying to resummon it to no avail. Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Toph all joined in trying to bring their abilities to life but with no success. Ursa's eyes found the other spirit, Orian, and saw that her hands were clasped and her head was bowed. A quiet series of words seemed to be spilling from her mouth, but Ursa couldn't make them out; still, it was clear that she was behind this.

"The ability to bend elements has always been based in spiritual energy passed down generation to generation," Dovan growled. "As such, when you have someone this adept at spiritual energy, blocking your chi from your abilities is all too easy a task."

He took another step forward and raised a hand, and at least a dozen archers on the front line raised their bows, poised and aimed, arrows nocked.

"So, either Sasuke can show himself and he and his daughter can give themselves up, or we kill the lot of you and then take them. With no bending, I don't think a couple swords will be much of a match."

Ursa was aware of just how useless the swords she carried seemed to be just then, but before she could even think further to any sort of plan, the last person she would have expected to spoke up.

"If I come with you, will you not hurt any of them?"

Soza was suddenly standing at the front of the group, small hands balled into fists and looking fearlessly up at the towering spirit.

"Soza, get back!" Azula barked but her daughter paid her no mind.

"Answer the question," she snapped and Dovan's emotionless helmet peered down at her a long moment before he said anything back.

"Ah, the demon child… I'm afraid I can't strike a deal with the dead."

He raised his spear and slammed its end on the ground, and Klefron shouted out an order.

The world seemed to grind to a halt for Ursa, as she somehow knew exactly what was about to happen. Soza had put herself just forward enough so that she was standing with nothing between her and a series of archers with their bows trained. These spirits and their conscripted fanatics had made their purpose very clear, that they were there to eliminate Sasuke and Soza both. Soza, in a beautiful, stupid moment of childlike epiphany, had thought she could influence this situation for the better.

Everything was happening too fast, but Ursa knew that time didn't give her the luxury to sit down and think. She always had an knack for planning and could come up with a solution for just about every problem she had ever faced. From the day she had poisoned Ozai's father, that had been the way of her life, going plan to plan, always having at least some time to concoct something up.

But here, as she looked across at the taut bowstrings and veritable army before them, she could think of nothing but the fact that in a moment, every single one of those arrows was about to bury their heads in this child.

Ursa realized then that there actually was something she could do. She had a choice before her as she stood closest to Soza, listening to both Azula and Toph scream something that her ears couldn't quite comprehend.

She could do nothing.

Or she could protect Sasuke and Azula's daughter.

It wasn't really a choice at all when it presented itself to her that way.

Ursa knew that pushing Soza out of the way didn't remotely guarantee her safety. She could tackle the child to the ground, but that had every chance of not being fast enough. There was only one thing she could do.

There came the chorus of violent snaps as bowstrings were released and their payloads were sent into movement, honing in towards the eleven year old girl who perhaps was just now realizing that she might have been about to die while she looked towards the arrows. Or at least as much as she could look at the glistening arrowheads before Ursa reached around and hugged Soza tightly to her chest, wrapping her arms around her as the bows were released. Ursa saw a brief look of wide-eyed fear on the girl's face before she clutched her tightly, shielding the smaller body with her own. There came a chill as she felt the feeling of someone walking on her graze and a myriad of images flashed before her eyes.

She saw the boy she had once promised to marry in her home village, laughing as he pulled her along by the hand. She saw a baby cradled in her arms as sweat dripped down her face and the maids dabbed at her and cleaned between her legs. She saw her children running about in a garden, laughing and calling out. She saw a ship's canvas flapping sharply in the wind before her.

And she saw Sasuke, giving her a tentative smile just before he kissed her cheek.

Ursa closed her eyes a moment before the arrows reached her. She didn't want to die. But she couldn't have imagined a better way to pass then through saving the life of the child of the boy she now knew she loved.

Though I suppose I would have liked to talk to him… just one more time.