CHAPTER IV

SOSEI

Aori's litter rocked from side to side as it rolled down the road. The blue-haired woman sat calmly, sipping down a small cup of tea as she looked over what appeared to be ledger notes before grabbing another. Sosei raised an eyebrow.

"What're you doing with a Bingo Book?" he asked. Aori casually flipped through a page.

"I like to know who I may be encountering on my travels. The newer Bingo Books have psychological profiles for points of reference."

Sosei chuckled softly, though it wasn't because he found anything humorous. He knew now where she got it from. "Shoheki gave it to you," he said. Aori didn't flinch, instead staring fondly at the black book.

"Yes. He gave it to me when I became a representative of my father's company."

Sosei nodded and sat back in his seat. He had been sneaking glimpses at Aori, taking in her beauty and remembering how much he had been infatuated by her during his time in Konoha. He allowed himself to feel that fate had reunited them when he saw her on the road. He felt like a fool and he course corrected in his mind. His goal had nothing to do with Aori and accompanying her to the new Kiri was only in order to have enough money to fund his trip to the Land of Lightning. With a wagon this big, Sosei was sure she could afford it. Which also sparked a question in his brain.

"Why are you traveling so heavy without an armed escort?" Aori looked up at him and then away.

"Well, I am. My driver, Tora, has a sword on him and he's pretty good. But, the transport of the items in my wagon are top secret. Only the Hokage knows what I have," Aori said.

And my father. "So, you intended to just travel across countries with a large wagon and not encounter any issues?"

Aori smiled. "Essentially."

Sosei frowned. "What the hell are you carrying in this wagon?" Aori's smile faded and she looked back down at her Bingo Book.

"All you need to know is that it's of the utmost importance that we present it to the Water Daimyo," she said.

Scoffing and shaking his head, Sosei felt his mind race. He had been on enough missions as a shinobi not to ask too many questions but he had also been on enough missions where a lack of information on a target had nearly cost his life and the life of those around him. The mission he and Team Hae instantly came to his mind. Not knowing a thing about the Three Deaths had cost them dearly though if it hadn't been for Noboru's death, Sosei wouldn't have activated his Mangekyo. Whatever good that had done for him.

The Uchiha glanced out of the window and took in his surroundings. The roads were familiar and it felt odd for Sosei remembering that it had been seven years since his mother had evacuated him from Kirigakure's destruction on the same path that Aori's wagon bounced down now. Lost in his own mind, Sosei wondered how his life would have been if Yashin had never attacked and he had grown up in Kirigakure without his father, Sakura and his siblings. Perhaps Takuma would still be alive.

"Are you okay?" Aori asked, snapping Sosei back into reality.

"Yeah. Just observing," Sosei replied. "My mother took me down this same road when we left from Kiri." This bit of information seemed to pique Aori's interest and she placed the Bingo Book in her bag.

"It's a fairly quick pathway from Konoha to the coast and not a lot of traffic passes through here." Blinking, she added, "You never talk about your mother."

"You and I rarely talked before I left."

Nodding, Aori said, "I wish we had." Sosei resisted the urge to scoff or smile. Instead, he left his face still.

"I was busy with missions and handling family issues," he said. "And you were busy too." Aori smirked.

"I didn't take you for a jealous one, Sosei."

"I didn't take you for a damsel in distress, yet here I am protecting you," Sosei retorted.

Aori laughed. "I'm hardly a damsel in distress, but...I understand your point." Her gaze met Sosei's and once again, he felt himself get lost in it. For a moment, it felt like he was in a genjutsu but, he knew it was just his emotions.

Looking away, Sosei sighed softly. He needed to stay focused on the task at hand. Aori seemed to notice that he disengaged and resigned herself to her corner. "Can you wake me up when we're there?" she asked.

Sosei nodded silently and after a few moments had passed, he turned to stare out of the window again, taking in everything with his dark grey eyes before switching to his Sharingan to ensure he saw everything. Minutes passed as dark green leaves faded into darkness.

"Sosei?" a voice called. The Uchiha's eyes opened and he looked around, shocked to find himself standing on the road and the trees taller than what they had been. "Sosei. Stop standing around. We need to move."

Sosei turned his head and his eyes widened. His mother stood a few meters in front of him, her bright red hair blowing in the cool wind. The Uchiha blinked and shook his head.

"Mom?" he said, feeling the warmth of tears on his cheeks. His feet pushed him forward and he tried to reach out and give his mother a hug. Then, markings covered his face and she gave a hollow smile.

"For Yashin…" The explosion rocked Sosei backward and he screamed loudly as the fire burnt through his skin and to his bone, incinerating everything around him.

Gasping, Sosei sprung up in his seat and whipped his head from left to right. Sweat dripped from his chin and he gulped. He felt Aori's hand on his hand and he stared at her, taking a while to realize that his Sharingan was active.

"Sosei…" she said softly. "It was a dream, ok? Everything is alright."

Sosei painted softly and gathered himself. Aori was partially right. It had been a Sharingan nightmare, a playback of his memories twisted by his own subconscious fears. He had experienced them before but the memory of his mother on the road and exploding had been a new one, probably influenced by where he was.

Aori's wagon slowed to a stop and Sosei stepped off to gather himself and get in some fresh air. The waves washed against the shoreline, slapping a few of the rocks that dotted the shallow end of the water. A bridge stretched from the edge of the coast to another island, shrouded by mist and mountains. Sosei could faintly make out one of the large skyscrapers that made up the skyline of the New Kirigakure. He tried to focus and swat away any negative energies that he felt, finishing just as Aori's hand touched his arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Sosei nodded and looked back out over the water. He heard Aori sigh. "Don't make me leave you here." Acknowledging her comment, Sosei followed her to the wagon and sat next to her. The Uchiha rested his hand on his chin as the wagon pulled off and headed to the bridge.

The ride was quick and peaceful enough for Sosei to watch the waves and admire how far Kirigakure had come in the seven years since he had seen it. What was once a devastated crater now looked like a modern city on the level of what Konoha had been before Sosei left. Buildings dotted the skyline and cylindrical nature of the architecture blended with the waterfalls that poured off the cliffs near the gates, creating a pulse of foamy waves that pushed toward the ferry that Sosei and Aori were boarded on.

Sosei felt the weight of his sword on his waist and shifted it as he stood up straight to meet the gaze of the Kirigakure shinobi that were there to greet them.

Aori bowed. "My name is Aori Hasuya and I bring greetings and a gift from Konohagakure. I represent my father Shiro Hasuya and his company."

One of the Kiri guards, a tall woman with long reddish-brown nodded. "Ah yes, the Mizukage sent me ahead to meet and escort you to him, Lady Aori. My name is Misuno." The woman's eyes then floated to Sosei and seemed to take in every detail. "Who is this that accompanies you?"

Before Aori could answer, Sosei spoke up. "My name is Fukuro. I'm just here to make sure she's safe." The woman stared at them for a while longer before nodding in silence.

"Very well. Please," she said, gesturing for them to follow her. "Let's not keep the Mizukage and Daimyo waiting." Sosei nodded and took in a deep breath as Misuno led them through the gates and into an elevator. The wagon sat on the ferry as two other Kiri shinobi lifted it from the boat.

"Will it be alright?" Aori asked. Misuno dipped her head.

"Just fine. They'll transport it to the top of the gate to meet us," she said. Aori sighed softly.

"Hopefully, they don't use any water jutsu. It might fry the machine," she muttered.

Sosei's ears piqued. Machine. One of the words that he heard in the mind of the man he tortured. Immediately, he tried to use reason. How could Yashagoro have been talking about whatever Aori had with her and how could it be connected to the God Tree? If there was even the slightest chance that he knew about the machine Aori had, Sosei had to be careful.

The elevator stopped and the doors hissed open. Misuno and Aori stepped forward while Sosei followed close behind, once again taking in his surroundings. The streets of Kirigakure were bustling though Sosei noted that the population was still considerably less than Konoha.

"Has the village seen any boosts to its population since being rebuilt?" Aori asked.

"Somewhat. The attack years ago sent many people away as refugees to different shinobi villages and lands. The Mizukage hopes that the rebuild and renovation of the village will invite more citizens," Misuno said.

"Perhaps it's a security concern," Sosei said absently. "The entire world has been on edge for seven years since these new terrorists have surfaced." Misuno raised an eyebrow at him.

"And you know of these terrorists?"

"You'd have a hard time finding any sword for hire that doesn't," Sosei replied.

His journey the last five years had taught him a great deal about Yashagoro's operation. They had spies everywhere and they were constantly recruiting rogue shinobi of all ages, but primarily those who were raised on the ideology of the Bloody Mist. These people were the ones that had originally swore loyalty to Yashin after declaring the world of peace too soft and stagnant for shinobi to continue their way of life. In a way, Sosei understood their point of view. The market for people who were capable of destroying entire armies and restructuring a landscape with a single battle was dwindling. The villages that couldn't adapt to the new world created by the Shinobi Alliance were near destitute, only floating based on the generosity of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Any prideful shinobi leader though, especially those older than the Kage currently in power, could never bear to be seen as a vassal to another and the frustrated youth could easily be manipulated by Yashagoro's calls for revolution.

So manipulated, they'd throw their lives away in an explosion.

"Well, we've taken multiple steps to ensure that those events won't happen again. It's hard to constantly be on alert but the Mizukage insists that we are ready for war at any time," Misuno said.

"Hopefully, there won't be a need for that." Aori smiled as her wagon pulled up towards them. The Kiri shinobi looked as if they were sweating profusely after moving the oversized cart and Sosei was relieved that the duty hadn't fallen to him. Misuno led them further ahead towards a large cylindrical building in the center of the village. Though it was renovated and heavily restructured, Sosei immediately recognized it as the office of the Mizukage. He remembered being called into the office to see the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi as a young boy for a reprimand against a beating he had given a fellow student. He also remembered seeing the top of the dome blown away when Yashin sacked the city.

When the trio reached the entrance to the Mizukage's office, Misuno led them to another elevator. Aori stopped and turned to the Kiri shinobi that were handling the wagon.

"You can remove the cover and the shell from the device now. I'll take it up from here." When the Kiri shinobi looked apprehensively to Misuno, Aori rolled her eyes. "I promise you it's safe to handle. Just open it and give me the three parts inside."

Again, the Kiri shinobi looked to Misuno and the tall woman nodded a confirmation. One of the shinobi tore the cotton cover off of the wagon, revealing a large round metal chamber. He then twisted the latch on one of the chamber's doors and pulled back. The door creaked open and Aori stepped forward. Sosei watched as she pulled two objects from the chamber, a small metal cylinder and a metal glove.

Aori turned and Sosei could see the pride radiating from the blue-haired woman's face. Misuno stared, unmoving.

"Are you ready, Lady Aori?" she asked coolly. Without waiting for an answer, Misuno turned toward the open elevator doors. Aori and Sosei followed close behind her. The metal doors slid to a close and Aori looked up at Sosei.

"When we get in there, I'll need your help with the presentation of the glove," she said. Sosei raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Aori held the metal device out and flipped it around to show the palm and the fingerprint points, all of which were clear. "Just put it on like any other glove and when I explain it in the room, you'll know what to do." Sosei blinked at the glove and then took it from Aori. It felt odd being cast as some sort of science experiment in Aori's scheme. He hadn't thought that this would be part of his job as a bodyguard.

The elevator dinged as it reached their destination and when the metal doors opened, Misuno led them through to a circular council room. As Sosei entered, he was surprised by the amount of guards that were dotted around, all of them hooded figures with different ANBU masks. One of them distinctly had on a blank mask. For a moment, it seemed the two of them locked eyes, though from what Sosei could see, the agent's mask had no eye openings. Sosei turned his attention from the odd Kiri ANBU to the center of the room. At the table, sat the Sixth Mizukage, Chojuro and an older chubby man dressed in traditional ornamental robes touched with splashes of royal blue and gold. Sosei recognized the garb as daimyo wear.

Aori bowed and Sosei maintained his posture, however irreverent it may have seemed. Chojuro didn't seem to mind though the Water Daimyo visibly grew flustered.

"Lord Mizukage and Lord Ishigawa," Aori said as she rose. "It's an honor to have this audience with you both and make this presentation."

"The pleasure is all ours," Chojuro replied, leaning forward with interest. "Please, tell us what you've brought?" Aori nodded and stepped forward.

"As you know, my lords, we live in a time of terror and war. Attacks happen randomly and indiscriminately and sometimes it feels as though it's only a matter of time before the next big one. However the Hasuya Company has worked extensively studying the human biology, especially shinobi, and have crafted a device for such defenses." She held out the small cylinder with one hand. "I present to you a Chakra Barrier. This device consumes no chakra at all and repels jutsu. With this, there are no seals to perform and no way for an enemy shinobi to shut it down from the outside."

Chojuro and the daimyo exchanged glances before the chubby man cleared his throat. "Have you field tested the power of this, er, device?"

Aori's face lit up like a candle in a pitch black room. "Actually, I wanted to perform one for you all with another of my father's inventions." She looked at Sosei and waved him forward. He held out his hand and showed the metal glove. "This is the Chakra Enhancer glove, powerful enough to increase your chakra output tenfold. For example, my associate Fukuro will perform a jutsu in one hand and the same jutsu with the gloved hand."

Sosei nearly gawked at Aori. Did she truly expect him to perform a jutsu in both hands? Did she want to blow his cover. To his relief, the daimyo raised his hand.

"Ah, t-that won't be necessary," he stammered, sweat seeming to drip from one of his chins. "Right, Mizukage?"

Chojuro rubbed his chin. "Well it'd certainly be interesting," he admitted. "But, if your barrier repels jutsu it might just destroy this room." With a smile, Chojuro continued. "Your father has been extremely generous with helping with the rebuilding effort here in Kiri and for that, I owe him my thanks. However, despite the severity of the danger in the world, I think it best to invest in my people rather than new technology."

Aori's spirit didn't falter and she instead returned Chojuro's smile and bowed. "Thank you, Lord Mizukage for your time."

"Wait, before you go," Chojuro said. "I'm having a small festival in celebration of the completion of one of our skyscrapers. Perhaps you and…"

"Fukuro," Sosei said.

Chojuro gave a subtle, knowing glance. "Right. Perhaps you both could attend and then rest before you return home?"

"Who would I be to refuse your invitation?" Aori said.

"Great," Chojuro replied. "I hope to see you both tonight."

Aori bowed again and Sosei followed her out of the room. Once they were inside of the elevator, Aori's polite facade broke.

"Well that was an unexpected disaster."

"Would have been worse if they had allowed that test to go through. The hell were you thinking?" Sosei asked, noting the calm anger in his own voice.

"That maybe you could perform that Chidori jutsu and make it bigger, I suppose."

"And completely blown my cover," Sosei said. "Everywhere we go, I am hunting for followers of Yashagoro. If they know I'm coming or where I am, that instantly puts us both in great danger."

Aori silently nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry, I just really wanted to nail this sale but shinobi are so wary of technological advances."

"Technology can fail you and at a critical moment, it could mean life or death. Most of us would rather our deaths be our own fault."

"Shinobi are weird," Aori said, finally as the elevator doors opened, revealing Misuno waiting for them.

"Lord Mizukage has requested that I escort you to your hotel."

Sosei and Aori exchanged a look and Aori giggled. A sweet sound.

Misuno led them to a large and fancy hotel near the center of the village and when Sosei entered, he was taken aback by the sheer beauty and majesty of the lobby, a bright marble floored space that looked as if it was reserved for royalty. After spending the last five years sleeping outside or in a bar, Sosei was impressed by the extravagance. It almost seemed out of place.

Misuno checked them in and after they had been situated, the woman said, "If you have any issues, please contact Lord Mizukage immediately."

"Will do," Sosei said.

Once he and Aori were alone in the hotel elevator again, Sosei could sense the mix of emotions radiating off of her. He could feel her disappointment and sadness and felt compelled to think of a way to cheer her up. But all his mind went to was the man she had waiting for her in Konoha, the mission he had to go on and how their paths could never converge past that point. The disparity between what Sosei wanted to do and what he needed to do were further represented by the hallway between his room and Aori's.

The two stood in the hall briefly and Aori looked up at Sosei. "Thanks for accompanying me. I know it's been...a little odd for you. But I appreciate it."

"Just don't forget to pay me," Sosei jested. Aori laughed.

"Don't worry, when we leave tomorrow, I'll draw from one of my father's international accounts and get you a nice parting gift."

Sosei nodded. "Sounds good."

A few silent passed between them, before Aori finally said, "I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well." She entered her room and closed the door, leaving Sosei alone in the hallway. Sighing, the Uchiha entered his own room and immediately buzzed for room service. Within minutes, a bottle of sake was delivered to him and Sosei took an hour to soak in the bathtub and drink.

In his drunkenness, he thought of his family, imagining how big Kichiro and Hikari had grown and if his father had changed his ways since Takuma's death. He thought about his dead brother and his mother, grasping tight to the memories he had with them.

After soaking stiff muscles and tired bones, Sosei dragged himself to his bed and tried to get cozy enough to finally sleep, but despite how comfortable his hotel bed was and how soothing the sake had been, his mind wouldn't rest. It raced, trying to connect the dots between Aori's chakra enhancing machines and the God Tree, with the word cleanse simply hanging in limbo. Leaning forward in his bed, Sosei sighed and swung his feet to the floor before getting up and walking to the bathroom. When he had finished washing his hands and turned the sink off, he thought he heard a click and thought that it had been because of the sink turning off until he quickly tested it again. Furrowing his brow, Sosei left the bathroom and rounded the corner.

The window beside his bed was open and he saw a hooded figure attempting to leave his room with the Chakra Enhancer glove in their hand. The figure turned to face Sosei and all the Uchiha saw was a blank porcelain mask. The same one from the Mizukage's council room. As soon as the figure moved, Sosei followed quickly behind him, leaping through the window with his hand outstretched.

The figure darted from one rooftop to another, so fast and erratic that Sosei had trouble keeping up. Cursing under his breath, Sosei activated his Sharingan and the figure's movements became much clearer. Predicting their next jumping point, Sosei darted there to cut them off, enhancing his speed with the Body Flicker jutsu.

Sosei's eyes widened when the figure flipped over his head, flipping him the middle finger as he elegantly landed and ran away.

"Piece of shit…" Sosei muttered. He burst forward again and this time the figure seemed to slow down. From what Sosei could tell, they were approaching the brightly lit village square. The figure reached a hand into their pocket and removed a large scroll. They skidded to a halt and turned to Sosei. The Uchiha could almost see the arrogant grin on his face.

"Ah, so Yashagoro's intel was correct. Sosei Uchiha is back in Kirigakure," he said. "I had a fairly hard time recognising you earlier but your little false identity gave you away. 'Fukuro'."

Sosei frowned. It had been another stupid mistake. "Tell me why you need the glove…"

"Or what? You'll kill me? You can't even touch me, Uchiha."

"I haven't tried yet," Sosei retorted. The figure laughed.

"Bold words. I'll make this easy for you though," he said, throwing Sosei the glove. "I don't need it." Sosei frowned and the figure continued. "What I do need, however, is for you to think quickly on your feet because into ten seconds," he said, gesturing behind him to the village square. "A lot of people are going to be spread a lot of places." He gripped the roll of paper tightly in his hand as explosive tag symbols started to form on it.

Acting quickly, Sosei activated his Mangekyo. The black flames of Amaterasu shot toward the figure but he moved out of the way as elegantly as he had dodged Sosei before. The Uchiha shot forward and tried to focus his gaze again, this time with his left eye. The Mahakara time bubble froze the figure in place and Sosei closed the distance between them in an instant. However, no sooner than he had reached out his hand to grab the figure, was he gone. With widened eyes, Sosei's head ripped around searching for the disappeared man only to see him hovering above the square with the roll of explosive paper in his hand. The paper descended from his hand and the figure gave Sosei the middle finger again.

"My name is Tsuigeki, new ascendant of the Three Deaths, Sosei Uchiha. And we will meet again," he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke and the odd sound of a click.

Sosei watched as the roll of paper fell and thought of how he'd be able to disarm it before it hit the ground and killed everyone below. Then something sparked in Sosei's brain. Tsuigeki had stolen the glove then given it back to him, claiming he didn't need it. If that was the case, then this entire chase had been nothing more than a distraction.

With a start, Sosei realized that Tsuigeki was after the Chakra Enhancer field device and by extension, Aori. He didn't have time to dispose of the paper bomb and race back to save Aori and her device. He couldn't allow it to fall into Yashagoro's hands but at the same time, a bomb in the midst of a crowded square would be a disastrous loss of innocent life. The loss of fifty people now or thousands if not millions later if Yashagoro had his way.

Sosei turned away from the square and raced back towards the hotel.

Suddenly, he slammed against a wall.

His head thumped and his ears rang as he looked around, realizing instantly that he was still in his hotel room. He had never left the room. The clicks outside of his room and the clicks as Tsuigeki had disappeared...it had been a sound-based genjutsu and Sosei had fallen into it without even realizing it. Then, was the threat of the paper bomb even…

A loud explosion outside of his room answered the question for him and Sosei rounded the corner out of his bathroom and then paused. Outside of his window, the village square was on fire and he could hear people screaming. He heard another voice shouting followed by a thud. It was Aori.

Sosei burst out of his room and ran across the hall to Aori's room. He kicked the door down and saw a man in a blank porcelain mask holding Aori in his arm. "Well, fuck me," Tsuigeki said. There was another clicking sound and Sosei scoffed.

"Not now," he said. His Sharingan eyes flashed. "Your genjutsu is finished."

Tsuigeki chuckled. "Well, it was definitely worth a shot. I pegged you for the heroic type. Didn't expect you to let those people die."

"As long as you're one of them," Sosei replied. He looked at Aori and then back to Tsuigeki. "This is your last chance to get out of here alive."

"Again, bold words. Don't think because you have one technique down that you can beat me so easily," Tsuigeki said. Sosei sighed softly and stepped forward. As soon as he did, Tsuigeki drew a kunai and placed it to Aori's throat. The blue-haired woman's eyes slowly opened and she looked up at Tsuigeki before looking back to Sosei. Tsuigeki didn't see to notice and pressed the blade under Aori's chin. "I don't explicitly need this girl, but since she seems so important to you, I think I'll take her along as insurance. What do you have to say about that, Uchiha?"

Sosei made indirect eye contact with Aori then looked back to Tsuigeki, activating his Sharingan. He slid the Chakra Enhancer glove onto his hand and waited for it to open the chakra points in his palm. Aori blinked twice and positioned her leg between Tsuigeki's. Sosei let out a small breath. This had to be perfect.

"Duck," Sosei said as lightning crackled in his hand, extending into a controlled blade reminiscent of his father's Lightning Spear. In the same moment that he moved, Aori's leg rose up to kick Tsuigeki in the groin and she leapt to the ground. Reeling, Tsuigeki was left exposed. Sosei jabbed forward with the crackling spear, piercing Tsuigeki's chest and pinning him against the wall. Aori ran behind Sosei and the Uchiha stared up at Tsuigeki. "It's over."

Tsuigeki coughed. "Y-you're right. It is." Straining, he raised his hand to his face and withdrew his blank porcelain mask. Behind it, was a young face with unkempt dirty blonde hair hanging over his face. He didn't look to be any older than Sosei was. The smile on his face hadn't faded. "It's over for your world."

"What do you mean?" Sosei asked.

Tsuigeki laughed, a strained and throaty one. "You don't pay attention at all. I told you that I don't need the girl. I got what I came for."

"The machine…" Aori gasped.

"Tell me where you're taking it. Why Yashagoro needs it…" Sosei said, staring deeply into Tsuigeki's eyes with the Sharingan. The servant of Yashagoro laughed.

"I am a member of the Three Deaths, Sosei Uchiha. Do you really think I'd fall to such weak genjutsu interrogation. Especially since…" In a puff of smoke and a click, Tsuigeki disappeared, leaving Sosei and Aori in her hotel room.

The blue-haired woman ran around her room, diving into the closet and she looked around. When she emerged, her eyes were glazed over and her hand was pressed against her forehead. Sosei could tell that she was distraught and he knew exactly why this was the case.

"The device...my father's invention is gone!"