Fukkatsu: The New World Order

Chapter 5: Return To Terror

Tsumi-chi was in the middle of a conversation with Susumu, talking aimlessly about her home life, as Susumu simply ignored her slightly. "My mother is such a pest. She's always talking about how 'you need to shape up,' this and 'you should listen,' that. She's…" Suddenly, she heard a shout from in front of her, and some inner-sense immediately grasped her. Her head flew forward, and all she could see was a body flying through the air between the packed ranks of people in front of her. A horn blared on her right in the street, and she couldn't help herself. Her shriek actually brought Susumu's stare around, where his eyes widened at the boy's body rolling slowly along on the pavement.

What the hell? He thought. He felt a faint glimmer of chakra, though he didn't quite understand it. What was that? Immediately, his attention turned from the scene in front of him, and he glared about him into the crowd. Someone did this. Who?

Tsumi-chi got under control of herself rather quickly. Something caught in her throat, and for some unknown reason, she glanced upwards. She couldn't quite tell, but…Was…was that a shadow?

Hina had just finished sorting out her math for the day. Her eyes gave her paper another perusal as she felt herself leave the pavement of the walkway, entering the street. "Hmm…another slash here would make it five-thirds. Perfect!" A sudden scream from behind her popped her head up. To her right, half the traffic was blocked by a large semi-truck. In front of her, a streak of brown hair wisped, Takziki sprawled painfully on the street.

Her mouth dropping slightly agape, Hina reached out a hand to her newly acquired friend, as if she could touch Takziki from the distance between them. Tak…Takziki-san…no…

"Hey! Girl! Get out of the street!" Random voices, screaming. She looked about, puzzled. Girl? What…girl…It had to be her, right? Hina didn't see another girl out in the street.

"Girl! I said move! NOW!" There was a loud honk and a cloud of smoke billowing up around her. Hina screamed, shutting her eyes, coughing as car exhaust filled her nose and lungs. Her hair and skirt blew around her wildly and she stopped to hold them both in place.

Nothing could have prepared me for this, she thought. Fear invaded her mind, clouding her senses. Shouldn't she have run? Why was she just standing there in the middle of the road like that? Maybe it was shock—shock from seeing her friend lying prone on the ground, his blood mixing with dirt and gravel.

She was blinded for a moment, and, tearing up, she rubbed a hand across her face. A sudden wisp of wind blew, and her vision cleared…in time for her to watch as a large, yellow public school bus speeded towards her, blaring its horn the entire time. Ruefully, she took a step back, which was all she could think to do. Traffic wasn't blocked on the entire road? Spiritually, she could see herself as if from space, a pink-haired dot standing in front of a large yellow block. Deer in the headlights, she thought ironically. That was all it was. She couldn't move, nor scream. Now she understood.

Life wasn't fair.

Still watching the scene, Susumu and Tsumi-chi continued their vigil, though Susumu was still trying to find a source for the radical wave of foreign chakra. Tsumi-chi took a step forward, cupping her hands. "Hey! Get out of the road! Are you crazy!?"

"Get out of the road?" Susumu asked, his gaze turning. He saw the pink hair, the scared expression, the bus careening into her. His eyes widening, he could feel his teeth clench. "Shit!" Before he could stop himself, he darted forward, bulling people out of his way and bounding into the street. His body effortlessly fell back into the training he partially remembered from his former self.

Pushing a wave of chakra into his feet, he sped across the intersection, his arms behind him for less wind resistance. Hina had no time to react as strong arms scooped her up, dragging her across the road, where they both tumbled onto the permacrete as the bus sped past.

Susumu trembled slightly as he felt where a piece of gravel had embedded itself into his leg. His heart pounded a steady rhythm in his chest. Was he nuts? He just ran out into the road and almost got hit by a bus, saving someone he didn't even know! Was his previous self completely suicidal or something?

Back on the curb, Tsumi-chi had been holding her breath, watching the scene through eyes that seemed to catch every movement. When Susumu and the girl had found themselves safely on the curb opposite, she let out a sigh of relief. "Great. He's using his chakra to…wait, what?" Tsumi-chi paused for a moment. The déjà-vu was coming back. Suddenly, the word 'Uchiha' sprung to mind again. What is happening here? She thought to herself. She gave Susumu a stare from behind the backs of two older gentlemen. Slowly, her eyes pinched. Does he know something?

As the light turned green, an officer waved the crowd over, and Tsumi-chi dashed past the horde to the front line, stopping in front of them. "Boy, Susumu…that was close. You guys okay?"

Susumu managed to pull himself out of his shock long enough to answer. "I'm fine," he croaked through parched lips. Licking them, he regained his cool composure. "I'm fine," he said with more confidence. He looked at the girl he had saved, sighed and rolling his eyes. "Hey. You alright?"

"Hey!" A piercing screech cut through the conversation, and a shell-shocked and very disheveled Momo ran up, screeching to a halt. "Hina! What the hell were you thinking! You almost gave me a heart attack! And…and…Takziki…and…" Momo glanced nervously at the others, as if noticing them for the first time.

"Oh…erm…hi," she said, smiling brightly. "Did you?" she asked, pointing at Susumu. Nodding at Hina, she curtsied politely. "Thank you so much."

Suddenly, she got much more serious. "Hina…Takziki…he's…" She narrowed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to make it seem final. She didn't even want to be right about what she was thinking. She hoped she wasn't right. She hoped.

Jet-black hair swam in a sea of black and brown, eyes shaded by darkened sun-glasses probing into darkened alleys, faces covered by shadow. The boy saw all, he made notes of everything. Nothing was taken as a mere object. Everything was accounted for. Anything could be a weapon, anyone could be an enemy. His psyche probed each person that passed imperceptibly, looking for hidden potential, and, if he found it, the ability to crush that potential into the dust.

A cane ticked along on the ground, as the boy's rimmed eyes gazed through the blackened lenses. A leather coat hung from his shoulders, the tails dragging slightly on the ground. Scratching at his stomach, where a red-cloud tattoo gave him a small strife, the boy continued on his way to his home, a small apartment in the middle of town, a mere half-mile to the school.

The small fence that surrounded the apartment complex rose up in front of him, and his cane ticked off a pine-wood plank as he turned to the right, up the walk and through the door into a small hallway. Doors lined both sides, his domicile being the third door on the right. Reaching it, a hand pushed it aside, the boy stepping in and closing the door behind him. Slowly, he laid his cane to the side, reaching up and pulling off the glasses that he wore.

Shaking out his hair, he went to the mirror, opening his eyes to stare at himself. His eyes, rimmed through hate, despair, and his own bloodline limit, told of countless atrocities committed, all with one goal in mind.

He was Akuichi, and as his eyes went back to their normal shade of auburn grey, his alternate form went back to waiting.

Nagato was biding his time. Pein of Akatsuki would again rise, and have his revenge.

Yawning, the boy lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he picked his teeth with a silver pick. As he got an exceedingly large piece of something out from between his back molars, Akuichi gave the needle a stare. He had taken it as a trophy from a man he had met in Mexico. The man had been selling wares in the street, a sign next to him observing that the proceeds would benefit a Mexican school.

"Hello, young one. Would you like to donate to the cause?" the man had said. Akuichi stopped at his stall, his eyes hidden beneath a hat.

"Is it a worthwhile cause?" he asked. The man smiled, leaning up against the back of the shelter.

"It is for the children. The children are the future."

"No fool." The boy's persona changed, a hideous transformation, emanating hate, loathing, and a sense of righteous anger. "I am the future!"

The man glanced up, his eyebrow rising. Akuichi's eyes rose as well, stopping as he glared balefully at the man, his eyes rimmed, spheres plainly visible in them. The man sighed, and then smiled, closing his eyes calmly. His language switched, from a fluent Spanish to a halting Japanese. "You…will never…take this world. You…didn't before. You…you won't…now."

"Quite a twisted sense of reality you have," Akuichi replied. His hand grasped a kunai, and he gave it a once over. "A pity that your false sense of security was so short-lived."

Akuichi rolled over, taking the pick out of his mouth and placing it in a cup of water. He had killed the Konohagakure shinobi Genma slowly…painfully. His other half seemed to delight in the pain of others.

As he stared at the wall, Akuichi took in the trophies he had taken. A kunai, intricately carved and studded with rubies. He had taken it from a woman he had found in Sweden. A sweet, beautiful number. She had been eating Pokey in a shop that specialized in foreign cuisine. She hadn't seen the spear until it was poking through her breastbone. Konohagakure shinobi were usually quite alert. Apparently, Miterashi Ankos' reincarnate wasn't like most Konohagakure shinobi.

The kunai hanger hung limply on the wall, a reminder of what he had lost. Scowling at the empty spot where his prized weapon had once hung, he took in the rest of the treasures.

Of course, Konohagakure shinobi weren't his only targets. He had found the reincarnate of the Ichibi container's brother. He was a puppet master in the Sudan, keeping in seclusion in the desert. He knew of his own powers, his own abilities. The fight wasn't much, however. Akuichi had merely called up two of his forms, leaving the fighting up to them. Hungry-Ghost Realm and Demon Realm were more than a match for the boy, who fought with a puppet that looked similar to the one that Sasori-no-danna had used against his reincarnated form once long ago. Akuichi had taken the boy's cane from his lifeless fingers, even going so far as to remove the blackened blade from his heart.

Akuichi tossed, turning over in his bed as his mind relived the painful experience from another of Konohagakure's shinobi.

The German karate teacher smiled at his young wards, bowing to show his respect for their hard work. "Students! You have done well these past days. Your youth glows within you as a sun!"

"Hai, Gai-Sensei!" They shouted back, showing their own respect by bowing. The man couldn't have been more proud. Slowly, he nodded, gesturing towards the door.

"Next week, students, we will practice the art of bushido. Remember, killing is forbidden…but that's not to say that we can't practice, right?" His laughter was contagious, though his joke lost it's meaning to the students, who chuckled. "Very well! Live well…"

"And prosper long!" They repeated. The man's motto was plainly visible over the door of his dojo, and as the last student left, the man ran a hand through his bowl-cut.

Sighing, he sat down, contentedly looking over sheets of bills. "How you were able to pull off so much in your lifetime, Maito, is beyond me. I have enough trouble just being me, but…" and he smiled. "The youthful glow of the children's faces…I can't help but be happy in my work."

"Hello…" A voice from the doorway stopped his inner-dialogue, and the man turned, eying the new student at the door.

Smiling, he stood. "Hello, young man. Do you wish to learn the art of Karate, hm?"

The boy continued to stand in the doorway, his hat brim down. Slowly, in Japanese, he said. "I know the art of Karate. I know the art of Bushido. I know the art…" and slowly, his head rose up, revealing rimmed eyes and an evil persona. "I know the art…of death!"

The man blinked, as if he didn't understand. Suddenly, in his own change, he smiled, his teeth glinting in the bright light of the florescent bulbs above. "Hm. So, I should have been prepared to have come across another reincarnated shinobi. So…you are the one called Pein, from the illegal organization Akatsuki, yes?"

Akuichi sniffed, walking in as he ran a finger over the walls. "That is correct. You are astute. Which shinobi were you then?"


The karate teacher cracked his neck, still keeping an eye on the black-haired youth as he flexed. "Hn. I was the mystical green beast of Konohagakure, the youthful and ravishing Maito Gai!" He flung a few punches in the air, twirling his arms before settling into a pose that would have brought his former self to tears.

The boy merely snorted into his nose. "Quite."

"Now," the teacher continued, getting into a more relaxed position, "what can I do for the legendary holder of the Rinnegan, eh?"

"If I told you that," Akuichi began, "I'd have to kill you."

"That would be hard to do, even for you."

Akuichi chuckled at the man's retort, gripping a large, black weapon concealed under his shirt. Ripping it out with a flourish and whipping it about in the air, he pointed it at the reincarnated nin's form. "I guess we'll just have to see."

Maito Gai came out fully at that point, his grin a bright, exuberant defiant mark on his face as he got into a fighting position. "Yes, let us see."

Akuichi licked lips that had been split, felt ribs that had been broken, felt bones that had been split almost in half. Even with the four forms that he had been able to call, including his own body in the mix, he had still sustained life-altering damage. The teacher knew more than an adequate supply of taijutsu, and even threw in a few ninjutsu. It was inevitable that Akuichi would win, though the injuries he had taken were many. That was exactly six months ago, and he was still using his cane sporadically. His former self had shown him the way to endure pain. Pain was his name, after all.

Standing up, Akuichi bent in the sun, straightening out his hair and taking out the pair of blue-blocker glasses that he used to cover his visual path. He didn't want the world to know of his abilities just yet, nor did he want any other reincarnates to know of him just at the moment. Striding to the door, he went into the hallway, glaring about him as he exited his building, walking to the front walk and down the street.

Darkly, he began muttering to himself, an open conversation with his other self. As always, his thoughts turned inward, towards his own possessions…and the lack of one. "That damn pink-haired bitch. She took my fucking kunai…" She and her intrusive blond friend. He had tracked that boy to the alley. He had to be sure about the boy's abilities. It wouldn't do to go around killing just anyone...yet. His vision was perfect. Henge was an easy way to appear as someone else, and disappear forever. But that blond girl...and her pink-haired friend. They had ruined everything! AND TAKEN HIS KNIFE!

It is just a kunai, Akuichi...

"Shut the hell up, Pein."

Take care of what you say to me, young one. I know ways to bend your mind that you would never come back from.

Akuichi sniffed, snorting at the ground. His cane ticked about, his attempt at keeping up his blind-boy persona. As his mind drifted, he began to think about his back-alley fight. "The girl I fought…that blond bitch. She was far too strong. She should have been an easy target, just a punch and out. What the hell was it that she said? Moriko…something…"

Hn. A good memory is something that each and every shinobi should have. Otomiya Moriko Rendan is what she said as she slammed her foot into your head.

"That's it. What the hell was that?"

A shinobi technique. In fact, if my memory serves me, it was a technique used by only one person. The Jinchurikki boy that I entrusted my life to.

"So…that means…that blond-haired slut was him? That…Naruto boy you've told me about?"

Yes. Uzumaki Naruto…the nine-tailed Jinchurikki whom I sacrificed my life for.

Akuichi snorted. "It was a waste of a good life, you moron." The boy could almost feel his former-self cringe.

A costly mistake. This world seems as full of strife as it once was. The boy failed me. It is time to correct that mistake.

Akuichi smiled. "Exactly…"

"Hey!" His cane ticked into a man's foot, who jumped slightly, turning around to take stock of the person who had run into him. "Watch where you're going, you blind bastard."

Akuichi's lip twitched, turning his sneer into a lopsided grin. Slowly, he removed his glasses, staring into the man's eyes with searing eyes of grim resolve. "You will apologize…now!"

The man stood as if struck, and slowly, his head began to bob of its own accord, as if on a string. "Of course. I'm sorry. I should have been paying attention…"

Turning his head, the boy nodded at the street. "Traffic looks like fun, doesn't it? You want to play with the shiny cars."

The man nodded in turn. "Yes, traffic does look fun. The shiny cars look wonderfully fun. I should play with them."

Shading his eyes once more, Akuichi strode from the scene as the man took three steps into the hustling street. A small mini-van slammed on its brakes, but far too late, as its grill plowed into the man's front, throwing him side-on into the windshield of a parked Mitsubishi. A woman screamed as the street was thrown into pandemonium. As he walked away from the bustling metropolis of agony, Akuichi could only smile. "Hn. Bad day for accidents. Civilians should learn to use the crosswalks. Heh…"

Susumu could almost feel the uneasiness in the air. As he watched Hina and Momo walk away towards school, he could see Hina give him a quick half-smile before being led into the building, Momo yanking her along and babbling the entire way. The area was being secured, police cones and tape surrounding the front of the school. Ushers were busy, attempting to corral the children who were standing around, watching. Shaking his head, Susumu gave Takziki's body one last look before turning. Hm…this is such a strange day. What the hell is happening?

"Hey, kid!" He blinked, turning around to look at one of the teachers, who shoved a book at him. "You dropped this."

"What? I didn't drop…" His eyes dropped to the book that the teacher had just shoved into his hands, and his gaze widened as he took in the title. Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation? He blinked, opening the book and flipping through the pages. "This…this book…"

It is about the shinobi code…

"S…Sasuke?" Susumu asked out loud, his head shifting around him. "But…"

I'm in your head, dobe. You don't have to talk out loud to converse with me. I can hear your thoughts, just as you are hearing mine right now.

Susumu sighed, but complied. Fine, Uchiha. But you and I are going to have a serious talk about…

"Hey!" A piping voice from his right took him out of his own head, turning his attention to a brown-haired girl. "We're going to be late, Susumu-kun."

"Tsumi-chi? Oh…right…" Later then, Sasuke. I have questions for you to answer.

You're more annoying than inquisitive, Susumu. Just be quiet for now. Go to class. We can talk when you aren't bothered by school.

Susumu was going to argue the point, but decided against it. Turning, he began walking towards the main entrance, feeling Tsumi-chi tagging along behind. "Tsumi is a good girl. I always get to class on time, and right now, we're late! Hurry it up, Susumu-kun!"

"Tsch. You're such a nuisance," he retorted, throwing her his best half-glare. She merely glared back.

Akuichi arrived at the corner of the school just as the last bell rang. Already, the streets were cleaned, debris removed, order re-established. Akuichi sighed as he took in the red-brick building. I never thought I would be going back to school.

Or that you would be going to school, period. In fact, if my perfect memory serves me, boy…you've never attended a school before.

Akuichi shrugged, his cane continuing to tick along the ground as he made his way up to the front steps. Most of the time, a child's parents tell them to go to school. It's hard to be motivated when you have killed your motivation.

Upon reaching the main room of the school, Akuichi stumbled about, attempting to look as pathetic and weak as possible as his alter-ego continued it's vigil for signs of other reincarnates. Stepping up to the office window, Akuichi smiled across at the secretary, who looked up and smiled back.

Her hand came up to pull back the window, and as it slid open, Akuichi placed his own hand on the counter. Her voice was sincere and friendly, something Akuichi was not used to. "Hello there. What can we do for you today?"

"Um…hi," he stated. Shuffling nervously, he cast a few non-glances about the hall. "I'm new here, and someone on the street said that this school was one of the best. I'm here to enroll in classes."

The woman smiled sweetly yet again, looking down as she sifted some papers about. "New enrollment, hm? Very good. You know, a good education can go a long way, young man."

"Yes, I know," he stated back.

Filing through some papers, she grabbed one from off of a rack, putting it in front of her and turning back to him. "Very well. Name?"

"Akuichi."

"Last name?"

"Akuichi."

"Um…you have the same name, last and first?" she asked, her eyebrow rising. Akuichi didn't really have a last name. Well, he did. He just refused to use his real name. Born Mirichi Gomen…the sorry child of the Mirichi line. His parents knew what he was the moment he had been gifted with life. Too bad for them that they hadn't had the foresight to dump him in a river.

Their bodies were probably decomposing under the earth as he spoke.

"Mirichi, then," he grated. It took every ounce of restraint that he had not to just turn around and burn the place to the ground.

"Good. Mirichi Akuichi then," she said, that same, sweet smile still on her face. Writing it in, she tapped the paper. "Social security number?"

"I don't have one," Akuichi simply said. He didn't really. Not that he knew about, at any rate. Maybe he did. He didn't really care.

The woman cocked another eyebrow. "Let's…just leave this blank for now. Where are your parents?"

His expression became as forlorn as possible, and he sighed. "Their…dead, ma'am. They died in a…erm…car…fire…plane…accident…thing." He hadn't counted on that question. Besides, this was his first day in a public school. He didn't know what they were going to ask. Perhaps he should have done some more in-depth research about what the questions would have been.

"A car, fire, plane, accident thing?"

"Yes. They were in a car when it got hit by a plane and caught on fire. There were…no survivors…"

A tear drifted down his cheek, and instead of further antagonizing the boy, she simply put Call Child Services on the paper. Looking back up, she nodded. "I see. Well, I suppose that will have to do for now, Akuichi. Welcome to our school. Would you like a student to show you around? This place can be quite big for a new student, and you…well…"

Akuichi smiled at her. "I'm blind. I know. That would be wonderful if I had someone show me around. Maybe show me to each and every class. I have a pretty good memory. Usually, if I am shown around once, I can find my way back by feel." This will be a perfect opportunity to find any more reincarnates, he thought to himself.

The woman nodded. "Hai. I know just the one." Getting on the intercom, she buzzed. "Attention. Attention. Will Haruki Hinageshi please come to the front office? Haruki Hinageshi…" Taking her finger off of the call button, the woman smiled. "Don't worry. Hina will take good care of you. She's one of the brightest students here."

"Doomo…" Akuichi said, bowing. It wasn't a minute later than a pink-haired girl showed up, slightly out of breath.

"Hai?"

"Oh! Hina-san. Thank you for getting here so quickly. This is Akuichi. He's a new student, and will be joining us for classes today. Can you please take him around so he can get acquainted with his classmates, and this school?"

"Hai!" She quipped, turning. "Hi, I'm Hinageshi, or Hina to my friends. You can call me Hina, if you like."

Akuichi's lip twitched at the pink hair and familiar face. On the outside, he smiled, bowing to her, though slightly off-center so that she would buy the blind act. "Arigatoo, Hina-chan."

Inside was another story. What! The pink-haired bitch!? This is too perfect. I'm going to kill her so painfully slow. Then, I'll find my knife and cut her stupid throat with it!

Patience, Akuichi-san. Patience. We shall have our day.

Akuichi snorted at his other half, something that Hina didn't apparently catch. Taking his hand, she gave it a small tug. "Come on, Akuichi-san. I'll show you all the classrooms, then I really have to get back to my own. I have a test next class, and I don't want to be late for it."

"Oh, by all means," Akuichi said, his voice laden with sincere insincerity. "I'll follow you. Just hold my hand so I know where I'm going."

Hina smiled, turning from him and pulling him lightly down the hallway. As they walked, she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. This kid kinda gives me the creeps. What's up with him, anyways?

As they walked, Akuichi also had his own thoughts. Such a nice, quiet girl. He smirked slightly to himself as she turned her head, giving him a half-sided smile.

They all scream when they die. Always…

(Credits)

(Japanese) Aoru Susumu/Uchiha Sasuke: Chosha Kurenai

(Japanese/American) Otomiya Moriko/Uzumaki Naruto: Inuys-hispanicgirl

(Japanese) Haruko Hinageshi/Haruno Sakura: xXSoldierXx

(Japanese) Fujiyomo Takziki/Akimichi Chouji: Uzuki-Kun

(Japanese) Nakaowa Tsumi-chi/Tobi/Uchiha Madara: xkawaiichix

(Japanese) Mirichi Akuichi/Pein/Nagato: Uzuki-Kun

Next Chapter: You have lots of time to create new jutsu's when you're dead, and Pein has been perfecting his genjutsu, allowing him to delve into a person's mind...which he uses to probe into the minds of some of his fellow reincarnated souls. New villains, new heroes, and new twists in the next chapter!

Next Chapter: Release Me! The Kyuubi's Plea!