Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

161. Chapter 160: Forward, To the Future

Chapter 160

Comrades Across the Sea: Forward, To the Future

Out in the cold, beneath the sky glinting with thousands, if not millions, of stars, Shikamaru was draping a thermal blanket over a group of four unconscious children. The oldest of the foursome had to be at least twelve, the youngest couldn't be younger than eight, if he had to guess.

He didn't linger to lament their unfortunate situation, or to wonder how they ended up caught up in this troublesome situation. Volunteers? Forced? Who could say?

He didn't pause to complain about the logistical nightmare that was sheltering hundreds of poorly dressed civilians in a hazardous desert. No time. He had to get these poor people beneath blankets. Before the cold air did them in.

Breathing evenly, Shikamaru pressed on in his duties as clouds of condensation drifted off every time he exhaled. The wisps seemed to glow in the moonlight, trailing around him wherever he went as though he had mastered chain smoking Asuma's awful smelling cigarettes.

His hands were ice. He would've liked to say he couldn't feel his ears, but he could, unfortunately, and dammit all to hell were they cold. Should've worn closed-toe sandals. Or socks. A winter hat, mask, and some thermal underwear, too; the wind was cutting straight through his shorts.

Only his flak jacket and thermal undershirt were working well against the bitter desert temperatures. And if that was his condition, he knew the children among the rescued, not to mention everyone else, were about as close to sunny beaches and tropical temperatures as the Land of Iron—a country famous for its snow covered mountains.

Stop thinking about the cold, Shikamaru chastised himself as he unsealed another thermal blanket from a scroll. Just focus on getting these people beneath warm blankets, and figure out the best next step once they're all free.

As he unfolded the extra-large thermal blanket, the light clap of sandals landing on stone, followed by a mild grunt of exertion, signaled Kankurō's return from the brass chamber.

"How many more are left?" he asked, glancing over to the Sand shinobi.

"Not many," answered Kankurō, walking to the end of their growing line of bodies, looking more and more like a variety of freshly caught fish displayed at a market. "Maybe a little less than twenty."

"All right."

The initial rescue operation was about over, then. That left the elimination of Haido's forces.

Good news was Haido's final two lieutenants had bitten the dust quicker than he anticipated, which left Haido himself and Temujin, though he couldn't say with certainty whether the latter would fall as an enemy or stand as an ally.

The bad news? 'Risu decided to fuse with that mysterious spirit.

Because of course she did. Troublesome girl.

They must've needed the extra strength, he reasoned. Haido, and potentially Temujin, may have proved too challenging for them. Given what Hikari, Ino, and Gaara all sensed when she did fuse, though, she should have more than enough power to stop them.

But what comes next? What happens when two souls fuse like that?

Shikamaru didn't know. He doubted anyone knew. And that worried him.

Kankurō exhaled a sigh as he relieved his shoulders of the two teenagers he carried. Wisps of white floated around him. Shikamaru began to lay the blanket over the rescued.

He had to keep moving. Keep thinking ahead not just two or three steps, but twenty and more.

And trust 'Risu would fulfill her mission and come back.

---

The battle was over.

Haido was dead.

Seated upon the ancient stones, Temujin gazed through holes in the ceiling to the shimmering, endless streams of power contained within the Vault beyond. There was so much of it. An endless supply of…life. Stretching beyond the realm of their earth, he could sense, beyond the sky, moon, and all the celestial bodies one could see at night.

It was breathtaking.

From the holes vaporous green energy leaked out, coalescing around the holes, hovering like a daybreaks mist drifting through the limestone ruins of a forgotten castle. Calm. Alive, but no longer churning. No longer being drawn upon for acts of violence and war.

No longer corrupted or tainted by his former Master.

We…stopped him. We actually stopped him.

Temujin could scarcely believe they had succeeded.

It had seemed impossible. An act akin to opposing a God. He'd felt hopeless, lost, ashamed, and guilty; it was his blind naïveté which led Haido here, it was he who had all but handed the power of a God to the man who murdered his parents.

The man he clung to. The man he believed in. The man who manipulated him, turned him into his finest pawn, and set him on a path of destruction under righteous pretenses.

They had already lost, he had believed. Haido had claimed the Vault, all because of him… He could now rule the world from Above, from the throne of the world, as he so desired, gripping the world beneath his 'divine' iron fist.

Yet now the would-be God lay utterly still upon the ancient stones. Dead. Blood pooled beneath his inert corpse, the light from the Power of Gelel shimmering through it. A gaping hole was punched through his torso where his corrupt, black heart once beat.

Tiny turquoise fragments, scattered on the floor, became soaked in crimson. Half of a severed hand lay amidst the blood.

A would-be God had risen. And been slain.

What happens now? he wondered, watching the green vapor undulate.

What would happen to a world without a God to guide them? What would happen to his friends, those who had given their lives, and those who yet had bodies to return to?

What would happen to him?

Temujin did not know. He'd spent his life since childhood striving towards achieving a utopia. He'd spent so many years struggling and sacrificing on behalf of Haido. All to reach this place—the Vault of Gelel. But now…

What did he have now?

What did he have except guilt and shame for the suffering he caused others? Suffering which would bleed those effected by their actions for years to come. Those who had no homes to return to. Those whose fields were razed and their crops destroyed.

Temujin clenched a fist.

I helped him destroy so much, all in the pursuit of a false utopia. I promised my friends and comrades everything, and now I have nothing. Nothing to reward their sacrifices. Nothing to soothe the pain of betrayal we've endured. Nothing except the hollow echo of my naïve promises.

His gaze fell from the ceiling.

The Power of Gelel was real. In a perfect world it would be used for everyone. It would have ceased all the suffering, starvation, disease and pointless wars. In a perfect world.

Their world was far from perfect. Too far from perfect to use its power justly. They weren't wise enough for it. The heart of humanity, their thoughts, weren't aligned to a pure path. Not yet.

The Power… No matter how hard he wished it to be true, The Power wouldn't be utilized to benefit everyone. To create a baseline of living, a foundation of decency and dignity, for every man, woman, and child, a baseline every person would refuse to let others fall beneath.

No. That would be a perfect world.

In their imperfect world, The Power would only be utilized to benefit the few. Those in power. Those who feathered their nests high above the common folk, far from the harsh realities of the world.

It would be fought and killed over, just as Amaririsu said it would be. He could see that clearly now. And it left a pit in his stomach, a gloom in his heart he feared could never be lifted.

As he sat there, lost in despairing thoughts, his eyes drifted to Naruto, who sat some distance away with Sakura and Sasuke, making grand gestures as he spoke about a voice he had heard during the battle.

Sasuke shut his eyes as he listened. He leaned back on his hands, thinking of his own experience, the strange voice and the sudden burst of power he experienced.

Conversely, Sakura seemed fascinated by her fist, which she opened and closed, as if not believing her act of inhuman strength had been real. Awing at the strength The Power had provided. Though he did not know it then, she, too, had heard a voice.

He's still so hopeful, Temujin thought. Where does it come from?

His tired and burdened eyes drifted to Kahiko, slowly lumbering towards the group with Nerugui's corpse gently cradled in his arms; he was shadowed by the purple-haired woman wearing the cat-motif mask.

Temujin could only wince and look away.

Another life taken pointlessly. And for what?

Nothing good had come from this. Nothing at all.

Even with Haido dead and the Vault secured, they were right back where they started when it all began. Actually, that was untrue. Now more people were hurting. More were dead. Even Nerugui—an old man's precious pet.

Looking across the chamber, past all the rubble and debris, past the scattered pieces of his armor, torn and stripped from his body, he locked onto the mural depicting a shapeless void. A depiction of despair.

"An unsettling image, isn't it?" Amaririsu's strange double-voice, that of a woman and the girl he'd known before, came from behind him.

"…No," he replied steadily. Gloomily. "It's the perfect warning for what this power causes."

"Oh? And what does this power cause?"

"Nothing except despair and death."

"Mm."

Amaririsu, still in the form of an elegant and powerful woman, stepped in front of him. He didn't break his brooding gaze from the mural.

"That's an interesting perspective. However, the true intention of that image is not to depict despair or death."

"I don't see anything else it could be."

"It's difficult to see from where you are sitting. In order to understand it's true nature, you have to peer beyond its superficial layer."

"I was up close with it. The image doesn't change based on distance."

Movement in his peripherals drew his gaze to the scarred and tattooed arm extended out to him. He blinked. He then stared doe-eyed into the crimson gaze of the woman, and the third, alien lavender eye at the center of her forehead.

"Humor me," Amaririsu said, smiling mysteriously.

After a moment, he took her hand and rose to his feet. She led him to the mural. Once there, she brought her hand to it and glided her palm across the black stone. He wondered, briefly, if she might wipe away the darkness, but it remained. As he expected.

The image did not change.

"Your people left these murals here for the day this chamber was unearthed once more. Those images over there," she gestured down the circular chamber wall, "depict the history of your people. How they first found the mineral known to you as Gelel, what its power brought.

"First, a renaissance. Crops never ceased growing, wells never ran dry, and the people themselves lived longer, healthier lives. It was a miracle mineral. A means to finally create a utopia."

"Then it depicts the war and suffering this power brought," Temujin said, looking down at the ancient paintings of people warring, people clearly meant to be dead, and even that of souls being stolen and trapped between heaven and earth.

What was once a miracle turned into a nightmare. What was once a means to create a utopia became a tool for war.

It was a sad but true depiction of humanity's existence.

"History such as this is important," Amaririsu continued, hand resting on the void as she looked at the murals leading to it. "We must never shy from our history, no matter how harsh it is. No matter how cruel our ancestors were. No matter what wrongdoings they performed and what systems we inherited because of it. We must face it. We must learn from it.

"A history that only tells us the good deeds, a history which only inflates our pride, and tells us we are heroes, is no history at all. It is a mythology. It is a manufactured reality—an illusion. And a deeply harmful one.

"For how can the next generation avoid our past mistakes if we do not teach them? How can they truly understand the conflicted world they have inherited if we ignore all wrongdoings our Nation, our Village, our Clan, or our Country have committed?"

"It sounds like it's by design," he admitted. "Like Maste—… Like Haido did to me. He limited what information I was allowed to know. He kept me in the dark where he could, then used what little I did know of the world to manipulate me into the perfect pawn."

"You aren't wrong. Limiting information, limiting knowledge, allows one to control thought," Amaririsu explained. "Control thought and you control reality. Once you control reality, you dictate what is truth and what is fiction.

"Once you control reality, it no longer matters if two plus two equals four mathematically. In a world where truth no longer matters, two plus two can equal one, if you demand it. A war-crime can be a heroic mission, or pointless killing can be noble sacrifices.

"That is why history must be taught. All of history," she emphasized, gesturing to the murals. "We must dissect it. See it through a clear lens for all that it was, even if it is gruesome. Even if it is filled with sorrow and aguish, and the shining heroes we once believed in become marred by the grey filter humanity exists within.

"We cannot craft a mythology where those who came before us were flawless people. The truth is, they weren't perfect. They were just people, flawed as we are. Capable of good and ill. They did not have all the answers. They were searching, like us. Searching for meaning. Searching for an answer to war. Searching for peace. And searching for ways to claim power.

"They made mistakes. They committed terrible atrocities. And let's not pretend they were so ignorant to not know better. They understood what they were doing. They were corrupt. They sought power for power's sake. They held onto grudges.

"Everything wrong you see in the world now, in people, existed long before you were born. And unless humanity changes its heart, it will exist long after we are dead."

There was determination in her voice, as there always had been. An unyielding determination to be the force of change that brought humanity closer to utopia.

Yet hearing how dark the human heart had always been… Temujin lowered his gaze and felt his shoulder sag.

"…If the world is so corrupt and cruel, even at its core, what hope is there for this world then?" Temujin asked quietly.

Amaririsu glanced at him. Her crimson gaze was calm, soft, and unyielding. As unyielding as her powerful presence and voice when she spoke again.

"Would you rather the whole world burned to ash?"

"No!" he quickly backpedaled, horrified by the idea. Then Temujin felt something strange. He felt hesitation to withdraw from the idea. "But…isn't it already burning?"

She nodded. "It is a controlled burn, for now. We may stop it at any moment. All it will take is enough of humanity's will to shift, and the flames of war will cease. However, even if it were impossible to control, mitigation methods to save as many lives as possible would then take priority."

"Mitigation?" Temujin blinked.

"If you cannot stop a calamity, the next step is to mitigate its damage. You may not save everyone, but that doesn't mean the endeavor to save some is worthless," she replied wisely. "Every life is precious. Every life saved is a world saved. Just as my world, the Amaririsu you knew, was saved by them."

"Them?" he repeated. Suddenly, as if struck by a fist, Temujin realized how little he truly knew of her. How little he tried to understand about her before.

He never bothered to ask. To try to know. To understand. He feared it would lead him to hesitate in his mission. While she dug deep into his psyche, trying to learn, trying to understand him and his motives.

"Sasuke and I hail from the same Clan," Amaririsu answered. "Like him, I lost my whole family because of the massacre. I honestly can't recall most of my memories of that life. I was six or seven, I think, when I lost them. But I met two boys who gave me a name, gave me a home, gave me a reason to keep living and belong. They became my brothers.

"I lost them, too. I held Ryu in my arms as he took his final breaths… I can feel it, even now. It was the woman who took me in after all of that, who would later adopt me, who saved my world from calamity. All on a hunch, believe it or not."

For the first time, he sensed the sadness within her. The pain. The burden of living—a burden he was familiar with.

"It's been tough," Amaririsu admitted, drawing her fingers gently along the black stone. "I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep crying, wishing those two were right beside me still. Still cramped on those worn down cushions, sweating in the heat of summer, shivering in the freezing winter. It was awful, but they were there. And that made it okay.

"I can't tell you how many times since I remembered my cousin that I wanted to hold him one last time. How many times the pain hurt so badly that I wished I was dead. But I have to keep moving forward. I have to try to change this world. So no one like me ever has to be born again. So no other child has to be hungry, be afraid, or walk the path of a warrior."

"It's a noble goal," he said softly.

"And idealistic. It is likely something I will not see completed. But that is okay," she said, and for the first time, he actually felt like it might be. "That we are constrained to mortal flesh, and that we will die, is okay. That we exist at all is a miracle.

"So, while we're alive, let's strive for that better world. Let's work towards it. Even if we only move society forward by inches in our short time alive. Even if we only build a few support struts for our bridge. We can entrust the rest to those who follow us. And as long as everyone keeps building on it, eventually we'll get there. Eventually children like you and I won't have to exist.

"If that day comes, then it doesn't matter if we're here to see it or not. Because those children will never know the suffering we have. They'll live long, happy lives, free from war. To me, that's a future worth striving for."

Temujin curled his fingers into the hem of his shirt. He felt so vulnerable without his armor. And Amaririsu… She spoke as though she could see the future far ahead of them. See the day when those children were born.

Despite the sadness and pain he sensed before, she sounded at peace.

In truth, Amaririsu, as she was now, reminded him of old stories. Of myths and tales involving a wise and nurturing mother, queen, teacher, heroine or Goddess.

She spoke with grace—regality, even. She was the definition of poise, enchanting in every aspect. Her strange blending voice wasn't harsh on the ears, but soothing, almost massaging away all his fears and stress.

It drew him in. It, dare he say, pierced his heart. He would've sworn he was in the presence of divinity.

Amaririsu, he knew, would reject such an idea. She claimed no righteousness, no divinity, no greatness or regality, nor desired to be seen as such.

Unlike Haido, who, in hindsight, relished in such worship and praise.

Slowly, Amaririsu lowered her hand from the wall and turned to face him.

"If you will humor me a little longer," she began again, "I'd like to divert to an idea you proposed. I want us to look at the other side of the coin. Let's say we increase the speed the world is burning. We throw away mitigation. We throw away all control. Let's say we give in to despair and decide the only way to correct society is to burn it all down and start from scratch."

She made an absent gesture to him with her hand. "What happens next? Truly, I want you to consider it. Think it over."

Another difference between her and Haido. His former master never asked him to think. He was merely meant to obey.

To "take care of them like you always do," in his own words.

Amaririsu encouraged him to think. From the very beginning, truthfully. To try to see the world outside of the blinders Haido had equipped him with. He saw her as naïve and stuck in her ways, when she was more willing to listen than he ever was.

"I'm not sure…" he trailed off, considering the question. Were they to burn their current society to its roots, where would they begin from? "I suppose rebuilding comes next," he answered. "Though I am uncertain where the efforts would need to begin first."

"Mm," she hummed. "Well, if you cannot answer what happens next, and where to begin, confidently, you should reconsider burning the world to ashes. To simply say 'we will rebuild' is easy. To know what it will take, to understand what knowledge and supplies will be required, is another matter. And who is to say the materials we use now will be at hand. We are burning the world to the ground, aren't we? Do you know how to till the land? To build a home? To build irrigation? To recreate an electrical grid, modern plumbing, medicine, or to build trade routes for the food and supplies we use daily?"

"I…hadn't considered that."

"Few do," she replied, but not callously. "Frustration and cynicism make burning the world to ashes and rebuilding seem viable. It isn't. The losses we will sustain, beyond human life, are catastrophic. It will be indiscriminate, touching every aspect of life you now know. Civilization will collapse. Knowledge we now use and take for granted will be loss, and society will fall back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

"But let's say you do set about rebuilding from scratch. Let's say enough knowledge survives to pick up the pieces and forge a functional civilization within a few years. Who do you suspect is in charge of that?" she queried. "Do you believe the people who were struggling to survive before we set the world on fire will lead the new world? Or will it be the people who possess the wealth and power to survive until the fires stop burning?"

Temujin shut his eyes and slouched beneath the despairing weight. The answer was obvious, truly.

"It'd just begin again the same way," he said. "Except…"

"Except they'd have even more power," she finished for him. "The people who you hoped would get a fair shake with a reset of the world would still be at the bottom. They'd still be suffering and dying—many would die in the ensuing chaos. While those with power and wealth gained more than possessed before."

Amaririsu shook her head. "Accelerating the world towards total anarchy won't unseat the current power systems permanently. It won't stop war or suffering or even give people a fresh start. In the end, people with power and wealth have the means to survive it. Everyone else? The people you hoped to aid? They'll be thrown into the meat grinder."

Temujin exhaled a long, tired breath. He hadn't believed in letting the world burn, not truly. Deep in his heart he knew it would only cause greater suffering—unforgivable suffering. But he felt lost.

For so long Haido had been his guiding star. He was a man he believed truly wanted the best for the world.

Now he didn't have that guiding star. Now the world seemed lost and broken beyond repair.

Temujin looked away from the woman to the bleak, black void before them.

"I…I have spent the greater part of my short life seeking to build a utopia, never questioning if the man I followed was deceitful. I never questioned being the means he used to reach the end he sought. I believed in the cause. I believed in him. I wanted to create a better world. But…all I did was add to its suffering," he admitted softly.

"Then change your path," Amaririsu stated, and it sounded possible.

"I want to. But…can I really change?"

"You are free from Haido's chains. Your life is yours again."

"The mistakes I've made cannot be so easily forgiven."

"No, I suspect you will bear that burden all your life. Is that a reason to stay home?" she posed the question. "Is that a reason to throw your hands up and give up when you possess the power to change things? Perhaps you will never be forgiven. And? You can still help build a future."

"But what do I even do?" He rested his hand against the black void. "You speak of the future and its endless possibilities. You tell me I can change my path. Yet all I see ahead of me is this. I cannot see your possibilities for myself. Or for this world. This portrait does not change no matter where I see it from."

"Then allow me to change your perspective."

Amaririsu rested her palm against the black stone. Suddenly the stone shattered. Temujin leapt back, heart jumping.

"Wha— Amaririsu! What are you…"

His words trailed off beneath the clatter of broken stone crashing against the floor. He felt his eyes go wide.

"This is…"

Amaririsu, satisfied with her own dramatic reveal, smirked and placed a hand on her hip.

"The final mural wasn't meant to educate those who found this place on the history of your Clan," she said. "It was something of equal importance. However, fear drove certain individuals to hide its true message behind this black stone."

The image before him did not depict death, destruction, despair or betrayal. It did not depict war or greed. It displayed ancient people's living in harmony, sharing their crops, working together, smiling, living at peace.

"It wasn't an image of despair at all," he exhaled in shock.

"No, it was not," Amaririsu shook her head. "Your Clan believed, one day, humanity would come together to create a utopia. And when that day finally came, the world would be at peace, and The Power would no longer be used for war. They believed it would finally be utilized for its true purpose."

Temujin struggled for words. They escaped him, slipped through his fingers as he tried to grab ahold of them. Amaririsu did not face such a struggle.

"Since time immemorial," she said, "humanity has competed against itself over territory, over Clan, Country, creed, and power. Yet, deep in our core, our truest desire is not to compete, but to unite. It's why we reach out to others. It's why we build villages in the hopes of creating a safe, thriving community.

"The majority of our species does not seek war. We seek unity. Peace. Love. Happiness and health, for ourselves, our family, and our neighbors.

"Yet the power structures we've inherited fuel this self-destructive competition. It seeks to uphold a status quo that benefits few, while children like us suffer for it. We send children and the young to war, forgetting the sanctity of life in order kill our competition. We do this despite how fragile we are."

Amaririsu turned her head to look at the image.

"Imagine what humanity would be capable of, the leaps it would take, were we to cease competing with other Nations. Imagine if we started working together to build the future. If all war ceased and this Power were used properly, imagine the kind of world we would build.

"A world of cooperation and love. Of compassion and empathy for all. Of freedom and peace. A world that was not separated by invisible borders, or divided by beautiful and diverse cultures, or by Clan or Village, but instead was united as a worldly community. It would look like this, wouldn't it?"

Temujin felt his mouth open. He felt his voice try to rise out of him, but the profound, if not primitive, imagery and Amaririsu's wisdom kept him silent.

"Cynics will tell you that such a dream is impossible," explained the woman, wise beyond her years. "It's too idealistic, they will say. And in the current system they're not wrong. There's no way to snap our fingers and reach such an egalitarian society today, tomorrow, or in our short lifetimes.

"But, in truth, the world I speak of is possible," Amaririsu said. "Humanity is moving towards it as we speak. Little by little. Step by step. Setback by setback, we learn, we live, we adapt and push ahead. Always.

"This is the soul of humanity's dream. Your ancestors dreamed of it. Mine did. As did their ancestors. As do we and as will those who follow us.

"Your Clan left this image behind to keep hope kindled. This is their hope for the world. Their dream for us to inherit, and never give up on.

"Because many will try to extinguish that hope to maintain the status quo so they never lose their power or wealth; they will build themselves beautiful nests to lay in high above the world, while the rest of us try to put out the wildfire they left behind.

"Or," she gestured to the black stone gathered on the floor around their feet, "hope will be buried out of sight by those who gave in to despair and cynicism. But there's always hope. It is how we made it this far.

"So, as I said before, if you don't like your path or the world in its current state, change it."

"I…" Words were difficult to hold onto. To form. What was he to say to this?

"I don't know where to start," he said, uncertain of himself.

Two fingers suddenly jabbed him in the forehead.

"Ah! Hey!" He recoiled away from the offending hand, covering his forehead as he did.

"Don't overthink it, troublesome boy," Amaririsu chastised lightly.

"But—"

"You already know the answer. Now, come with me," she said, walking off towards the center of the chamber. "I must free your friends before I seal The Power away."

Temujin opened his mouth again, but let it slowly shut as he watched her walk away, hands still pressed to his forehead. Her gait was full of confidence. Elegance. And power. Her posture equalled it in pride.

He felt enchanted. Perhaps wrongfully, he allowed his eyes to linger on her whole being, captivated by her presence—her aura—more than the superficial contours of her body.

Amaririsu was different from any person he'd ever met before. Greater in strength and Will than his former master. Purer. More captivating and alluring than Kamira ever appeared to him. And, above all else, kinder. Gentler.

He respected her. He was inspired by her.

Amaririsu… I want to thank you. I just do not know how to begin.

"Hey, Temujin!" Naruto called.

"What is it, Naruto?" Temujin asked, lowering his hands.

"I'm really glad we're on the same side finally. But…" He narrowed his eyes comedically. "Don't think you can ogle Amari just because she's an adult right now."

"O- ogle?!" Temujin flushed. He was not… Temujin lowered his arms and took a step forward as he spoke.

"Hold a moment! Stop foisting such ill-mannered urges onto my actions. I was doing nothing of the sort!"

"Oh, c'mon! I saw you staring again! You were looking all longingly at her. You looked ready to swoon!"

"I- I was not swooning! Or defiling Amaririsu, as you claim. I will not tolerate such slander to my character."

"It's only slander if it's not true! But you can't take your eyes off her."

"What about you, huh?" he riposted in embarrassment. "I saw you staring when she first transformed!"

It was Naruto's turn to flush. "Wha— No you didn't!"

"Very believable," Sasuke drawled.

"He- hey! Don't turn this around on me! He's the one who's staring!"

"So were you!" Temujin argued.

"You two do realize I can hear you, right?" Amaririsu pondered aloud, sounding amused. "Not only that, but my eyes could and can see you both. Then and now."

Temujin flushed redder than her crimson eyes.

Naruto, though equally embarrassed, paled. "…Please don't kill me."

Amaririsu's chuckle was both charming and frightening.

Neither boy made a sound for some time after that.

---

"Ngh."

The soft groan may as well have been a shrill scream in the quiet darkness.

In the midst of laying blankets over unconscious civilians, as the breeze whistled over sand dunes and stony bluffs where the environments of the Land of Rivers and Wind met, Shikamaru bolted upright.

His eyes darted over the previously still moonlit silhouettes. Now some were beginning to shift around and make noise.

They're waking up, he realized.

Once the thermal blanket was laid across some of the still unresponsive civilians, he quickly made his way to one of the early risers—a young man around the same age as Temujin, if he had to guess. It was hard to say in moonlight alone.

"Hey, you're safe now," Shikamaru began in a calm and assuring voice. Or what he hoped would be. Who knew what kind of horrors this guy experienced as a bound puppet.

The stranger blinked wearily. He looked around at the other silhouettes, some, like him, slowly coming to. Others still yet to show signs of responsiveness.

"Where's…"

His lips moved but Shikamaru heard nothing. The Nara leaned in and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What'd you say?"

"Where's…Temujin?"

"Down in the ruins still, I bet," Shikamaru answered as honestly as he could.

Whether alive or dead was another matter. He had no clue how the battle actually turned out. Just a gut feeling the guy, for all his tough talk, was on the edge of breaking away from Haido.

"Just take it easy for now," Shikamaru said, patting the young man on the shoulder. "And stay under the blanket. It's too cold to roam around the way you're dressed."

He rose and cast a quick glance around. He could hear more murmurs and groans. He could see more shifting.

It was a good sign, of course. But it also meant his workload was about to jump from mild to intense. Tending to unresponsive patients wasn't a challenge, the cold weather had been the worst of it as he tried to unfold blankets with frozen fingers.

Tending to actual conscious kids, teenagers and adults, who's souls had just been freed, was going to be a huge drag. He could feel it.

If they're finally coming around, 'Risu must be freeing them. Haido's likely bit the dust, then, which means the rescue and elimination portions of our mission succeeded. And it doesn't seem like the world is about to experience a cataclysm, either.

All in all, we did good work.

He'd wait to call it mission accomplished. At least until he could confirm the condition of Team Seven. But, from the look of it, it seemed everything went to plan. More or less. Nothing went too far out of their predictions, anyway.

For a Team Seven mission, that was the best they could hope for.

---

"I have freed those who possessed a body to return to," Amaririsu said.

"You have my gratitude," Temujin lowered his head in a slight bow. "However… What will happen to those without a body? Will they truly be trapped forever, never knowing peace?"

"No," she answered with a slight shake of her head. "I, the Haya Uchiha who sealed herself within The Beyond, will guide them to The Pure Lands, where they may know peace once more."

"The Pure Lands?"

She lifted her head to the ceiling, to the vaporous energy drifting like a morning mist.

"It is where all souls go when they depart the mortal realm."

"What…" Temujin paused, juggling whether or not he should ask. Wondering if he was allowed to. Finally, he did.

"What is it like?" he asked.

"Mm." Amaririsu shut her eyes. "I have gazed upon The Pure Lands many times as I've guided souls to it. Each time I am left breathless."

She hummed, opened her eyes and smiled a warm and mysterious smile at the ceiling, eyes distant, as if standing at the threshold.

"Rolling hills and green meadows unravel across the horizon, resting silently beneath white-capped mountains as majestic and old as the universe. There is laughter on the air, and not a weapon to be seen. Not a war to be waged, and forever shall that be.

"I feel the gentle, spring breeze as it whispers over the hills. I feel the blades of grass beneath my bare feet, the sun on my skin. And all the burdens and stress I once carried lift off of me, allowing me to finally walk unburdened. I finally feel free. And she…"

Amaririsu's smile somehow became warmer. Fonder. Softer and full of love.

"She is always there waiting for me. Patiently, as is her nature," she said. "The light of The Pure Lands makes her sun-kissed skin glow like the golden dunes of the Land of Wind at sunrise. More than the mountains and the sky, it is the sight of her smile that sets my soul at ease as she sits among an expansive field of flowers, who's beautiful color I know not the name of, who's shape, scent, and origin are as foreign to me as the desert is to a deer.

"It is then I know I've reached it, as will you, when you arrive."

"What?" Naruto asked, hanging on every word, as they all were. Even the masked woman and Kahiko seemed to lean in and listen. "Reached what, Amari?"

"Home," she answered peacefully.

Temujin hummed. It sounded…peaceful.

In that moment, he wished he could trade his soul for the lives of all those Haido's and his deeds had ended abruptly. He did not deserve to go unpunished for his actions. Even if it meant paying for it with his life, that was a price he was willing to pay for all those his deeds had harmed.

Was such a feat possible? He considered asking. It seemed like a fair trade, and if any person were capable of performing the deed, it would be Amaririsu.

Temujin opened his mouth, the question on the tip of his tongue.

His mouth slowly shut. He lowered his gaze.

A fair trade? Perhaps at first glance. However, for whose sake was his sacrifice truly for? Those he'd harmed, or himself?

They were on their way towards an everlasting peace now. One might even call it a utopia, based on Amaririsu's description.

He did not deserve to see such a place yet. No. He was still seeking the shortest path to a utopia, he sought to escape this world and its wars, fleeing responsibility like a layabout on the pretense of self-sacrifice.

In order to truly atone for my actions, I cannot run away or take the shortest path. I must face this world I've brought additional suffering to. I must help them build the bridge to utopia. Although I am uncertain of where to begin or what I can do…

Amaririsu claimed he knew the answer already. He would need to think on it.

"What's our next move?" Sasuke was the one to ask.

"First, I will remove the Stone's we wield," Amaririsu answered, gesturing to herself and Temujin. "Then I will send you off and Seal this power away."

"Wait, you're going to remove my Stone?" Temujin questioned, looking at the woman with wide eyes.

"Yes. It will be a painless process, I promise."

"But…why? I have no intention of using the Stone for ill means ever again."

"I know," she answered sincerely. "However, once I seal the Vault away, your Stone will be rendered useless. Powerless. It will be no different than a stone you find on the side of the road."

"I…I don't understand." Where had this come from? Why did it have to happen? The Stone, he could use it for its intended purpose now…couldn't he?

"Before the Vault was uncovered I could channel its power," he reasoned. "Why would sealing it away be any different?"

"You could access The Power because it was still on this plane. In this world," Amaririsu explained patiently. As was her nature. "I will not be plugging the holes in the Vault, nor will I be containing it as your ancestors did. I will take The Power and the Vault from this world and seal it where none shall ever find it. For all intents and purposes, it will cease to exist."

"…You intend to open a space-time wormhole," Kahiko realized in shock, still cradling Nerugui in his arms.

"Precisely."

"Is such a deed possible without the ancient Summoning Jutsu?"

"It is," she nodded.

"Must you?" Temujin asked. Almost desperate to convince her otherwise. "Couldn't this power be used in the future for good? We won't be able to access it if you seal it within a…space-time wormhole?"

He wasn't quite certain what those foreign words meant, but he understood the implication of the Power of Gelel ceasing.

"Perhaps one day it could be," Amaririsu said. Then shook her head. "But it cannot remain in this world presently. It will only be a source of conflict."

"I don't understand. Haido is defeated, so how could it be a source of conflict?"

"Do you remember when I mentioned there is a Nation set to wage a war on the continent?"

"I do."

"Well, they aren't the only ones who would be tempted by this power," she said. "Presently, the Vault sits within the Land of Wind. One could claim by geography it should belong to the Sand Village—in fact, I have no doubt their Council would stake such a claim.

"However, from another perspective, us Leaf shinobi played an integral role in stopping Haido, who uncovered it and sought to use it against the entire continent. Territory within the Land of Fire was also damaged. People were hurt. One could claim we also have a right to its power. The Elders wouldn't rest until it was in our hands and ours alone, I'm sure.

"Thus political conflicts would begin between our Nations. Though we are allies, it is a tenuous bond we've only begun rebuilding. Eventually someone somewhere would do something very stupid, and war would break out. All to decide who has a right to the Vault.

"It would not be used for its intended purpose," she added, shaking her head and gently slicing her hand across her body. "Any Nation or faction to claim it would utilize its power for war, and only war, whether as a deterrent, or a means to destroy all enemies.

"This is not to mention whatever damage the Land of Water sustained, and any potential reparations they might seek for it.

"Additionally, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning would eventually learn of its power. Then they, too, would seek it. Smaller Nations, too. Small Clans. Criminal organizations. A sea of blood would wash over our continent. I know this because I have seen it occur."

"She's right," the masked woman agreed, and they all turned to look at her. "This power, no matter its intended purpose, can and will be used as a weapon of war if it remains. It will become a source of endless conflicts.

"The powers that be will only see a weapon capable of annihilating an entire Nation, not a power capable of healing and uniting the world. If it remains, the devastation will be catastrophic."

"I…I understand." Temujin looked at the vaporous energy undulating around the ceiling. And beyond to the shimmering power still contained. "But I'll…I'll be powerless."

"No, you won't," Amaririsu replied calmly. "It's true the Stone provides immense power and healing abilities. However, the Stone of Gelel is but a tool. If I stripped you of your sword instead, would you say you are powerless? Incapable of strength?"

"Well, no…" he trailed off.

"Because it is a tool. One tool of many you possess. Words wield power. Deeds wield power. Fists can wield power. They can also be powerless, for they, too, are tools.

"Power—true power—cannot be forged by a weapon-smith. It cannot be bought at a store, it is not the result of a relic or even the result of chakra—the source of our power. True power comes from within each of us.

"In time, you will find yours."

He wanted to believe her.

Without further arguments, Temujin permitted Amaririsu to remove the Stone from his chest. He watched as she pressed her hand against his heart and, utilizing the Power of Gelel, drew the Stone out. The process was painless, as promised.

When she finished it rested in her palm. He couldn't deny feeling a sense of emptiness without it.

Amaririsu then kneeled down on the stone floor of the sealing chamber. As she gingerly set his Stone on the floor in front of her, Naruto tilted his head while staring at him.

"What is it?" Temujin asked.

"Your eyes changed. They used to be ruby-colored. Now they're like emeralds."

"The Stone's altered our eye color," he said, brushing his fingers along his cheek bone.

"Huh."

Hand on chest, Amaririsu drew the Stone she fused with from her body. Her body began to glow in solid white light once it was removed, her silhouette shrinking from that of a tall woman back into that of a young girl.

The light dimmed after a brief moment. Suddenly a small girl with blue hair, dressed in a ripped up mesh top, and equipped with a damaged harness and short sword knelt where the woman had previously.

In front of her, projected from the Stone in her hand, green vaporous energy took the shape of a nude woman with undulating streams of hair.

"Whoa," Sakura awed.

"Hey, Amari's back! She's small again!"

Amaririsu, seemingly in a trance, set the Stone down.

She blinked, then furrowed her brow. "Small again? How about I—"

She planted a foot and began to rise. Temujin saw the sudden wave of exhaustion crash through her, saw how her eyes fell shut and her muscles gave way, and suddenly she was falling.

Quickly, he stepped forward, reaching out to her falling body. Still he was too slow. Before he could grab ahold of her, the masked woman materialized beneath the young girl, catching her on her back.

"I've got you," she soothed.

"…I'll destroy Naruto later. Too sleepy," she mumbled.

Naruto paled. Sasuke snorted. Sakura snickered at his expense. Temujin could only smile faintly.

"Of course," the masked woman exhaled a chuckle. "Rest now."

She gripped Amaririsu's legs and stood up, piggybacking the girl.

"Will she be all right?" Sasuke asked towards the spirit.

"Yes, she will be fine," the voice emanated from within their own heads. "The merging and separation of souls is a taxing experience for mortal bodies. All she requires is rest."

"Take care on your path, Haya."

"Always remember what you fight for."

"Do what I could not."

"Mm… I'll blaze a trail. But I say that a lot, don't I?"

"In every world," the spirit replied, a hint of amusement in her disembodied voice.

"In every timeline."

"Great minds think alike, I suppose…" Amaririsu stifled a yawn. "Thank you for the help. And don't leave her waiting too long."

"Of course."

The spirit made a small gesture with her hand towards Kahiko and Nerugui. A ribbon of green vaporous energy descended from the ceiling until it cloaked the dead ferret.

Nerugui's tail swished first. Then it raised its head, leapt out of Kahiko's arms, startling the entire party. It ran around the two Stone's of Gelel before climbing back up the old man's arms onto his shoulders.

"Nerugui!" Kahiko cried out in joy. "You're alive!"

Amazing, Temujin thought, eyes wide.

"Now, all of you must leave this place. Once I open the space-time wormhole, it will absorb everything in the canyon, including the land-ship. Do not go near it."

"I'll keep them safe," the masked woman said. "I promise."

"No matter what struggles await you, never give up. Never stop fighting for a better world. Never let hope fade away."

"We won't," Naruto declared. "You can count on us."

"I know. May you all live long, happy lives. That is my final wish for you. Farewell."

---

"Temujin!"

Even amid moonlight Shikamaru saw Temujin's soft emerald eyes, previously an unyielding ruby, widen at the call of his name.

The knight sure hadn't expected to see the giant mass of bundled up people. He probably thought most of them were goners at one point or another.

Here they were, though. All heads accounted for; the rescue squad didn't leave a single soul behind. Nor did the combat unit, it seemed, considering the conscious state of all those previously encapsulated.

All in all, a job well done.

"Taban?" Temujin blinked owlishly, scanning the mass of people for the source of the voice.

"Over here, Temujin!" a girl around the same age waved her arm.

"And Erhi, too? I thought…"

Temujin hurried over to his friends. Shikamaru observed the knight for a moment, though, to be honest, he appeared less like a knight now and more like an ordinary teenager.

Not a shred of armor remained on his body; he'd either discarded it, or, more likely, the battle had stripped him clean of it.

The Nara leaned into the latter option. It'd explain why 'Risu now wore nothing except a torn undershirt and damaged harness on her upper body, it'd also explain Naruto's broken jacket and missing poncho.

Temujin kneeled among his friends and bowed his head as he apologized for all of his mistakes. They'd forgive him, no doubt. In fact, they had already forgiven him during the battle, though the Nara wouldn't know that until much later.

Shikamaru turned to Team Seven and the Anbu agent, pulled a scroll out of his flak jacket pocket, and unraveled it.

"Here, troublesome girl," he chastised lightly as he procured a blanket from it. "Let's get you wrapped in something warm before you freeze to death."

"You're the best, Shika."

Beating wings preceded the weight of a Crow landing upon his shoulder.

"Are you well, Lady Amari?" Osamu asked.

"Just exhausted and cold now. Ended up fusing souls with another me."

"Ah, so the spirit in question was another you. How fascinating," Osamu said, intrigued by the turn of events. And clearly going to ask for more details later.

"You fused souls with another… You know what, forget it." Shikamaru shook his head.

He wanted to ask for details himself. Specifically how the hell she always found her way into crazy situations like this. Honestly, how did she always find new ways to make the world bigger and crazier than it already was? New worlds, other versions of herself.

It was all crazy. And troublesome.

I swear, if she ends up switching bodies with another person, like one of those romance stories she reads, I think all of our heads will explode.

The Anbu agent lowered into a kneel, and he draped the blanket over his cousin's body.

"I don't know what happened down there. Not sure I'll even understand it," he said instead. "But you'll have plenty of time to explain it later. When the temperature is less troublesome. Gramps, you can use our last blanket. Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, we'll share with Ino and Chōji."

"Is everyone out of the land-ship, Shikamaru?" the Anbu agent asked.

'Risu gripped the blanket and cocooned it around them both like a cape. How easily it turned a trained killer into something far less threatening. He might've chuckled if he didn't feel his toes turning into icicles.

"Yeah. We were discussing ways to alleviate the harsh conditions for everyone before you guys showed up," he replied, wrapping their last blanket around Kahiko's shoulders. "Moving this many people—especially the kids—through the desert in these conditions is too dangerous. By the Sand shinobi's estimates, the temperature is about as bad as it's going to get tonight."

"As long as the civilians stay beneath their thermal blankets they will be fine," the Anbu agent replied. "We just need to make it until sunrise. For now, ensure no one leaves this plateau. Osamu, call back any agents near or around the land-ship or the temple. Immediately."

"At once," Osamu took off.

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on? Why are you calling off the Crows?"

"The soul Amari fused with is about to seal the Vault away by opening a space-time wormhole. Anything caught in it will never return to this world."

"Nothing is ever simple with you guys, you know that?" Shikamaru stated flatly, looking at the members of Team Seven.

"Hmph," Sasuke snorted.

"It's not like we ask for this kind of trouble, you know," said Naruto, placing his hands behind his head. "It just sort of happens."

"It's hard to complain, though. We did help save the world," Sakura pointed out.

"All the worlds. All the time-lines," 'Risu muttered.

"Well, I'll leave it to you guys next time," Shikamaru replied without any heart in it. He half-turned to leave and join his best friend beneath a blanket. "This was all way too much work. Huh? What the…"

The Nara performed a double-take, then felt his body turn unconsciously towards Team Seven. Following his movement, Team Seven, the Anbu agent, and Kahiko slowly turned around to see what had drawn his attention, where they witnessed black miasma gathering around the temple and the land-ship.

It didn't so much swirl or churn, but gently coalesced around the structures, molding to them.

"She has activated the space-time wormhole," the old man said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Once it vanishes, the Vault, all of its power, and all of its possibility will cease to exist in our world."

"We'll just have to make new possibilities, then," Naruto said without missing a beat. "No matter how many times we screw up. No matter how tough it gets, we'll keep getting up. We'll keep fighting to make this world a utopia for everyone. After all, we made this world the way it is. It's up to us to fix it."

"Yeah," Sakura agreed quietly.

Sasuke nodded.

"Gonna be one hell of a project," Shikamaru said, stuffing his cold hands into his flak jacket pockets. "But someone's gotta do it. Guess it falls onto us, huh?"

The black miasma slowly, but surely, swallowed the land-ship and the temple whole, appearing as though they had all fallen into a pit of quicksand. Beating wings fluttered above them as the Crows pulled back. Wind howled over the dunes and plateau.

Finally, the ancient temple appearing suspended between the canyons vanished, the throne of the land-ship sank into the black miasma, and the wormhole, once vast, shrank.

Then, when the wormhole's diameter was as wide as the pole of a street lamp, a vaporous pillar of green energy burst into the sky. Shikamaru sucked in a sharp breath of surprise at the sudden escape of energy, his eyes followed the pillar to its peak high in the atmosphere.

It was then they all witnessed something like a miracle.

The pillar of light faded, but a stream of green energy, like a shooting star, zipped across the black sky, painting upon the dark canvas a dancing and shimmering aurora borealis of dusty greens, bright yellows, vibrant oranges, and sparkling blues of various shades.

Below them, a swath of trees sprouted where the ruins of the temple once rested, causing the earth beneath them to tremble as they all—civilians, Sand and Leaf shinobi alike—gasped, gaped, and stood in awe of the aurora.

Powerful waterfalls formed from nothing. Grass and flowers sprang up within seconds, and what was once a barren wasteland surrounding them transformed into a flourishing habitat.

In the sky, the aurora raced towards the horizon. Sparkling. Painting the black canvas so even the stars shimmered and sparkled brighter. It kept going. Farther and farther. Consuming the whole sky, and passing the horizon to who knows where. Across the continent? Around the entire world, perhaps?

Shikamaru would never truly know.

Gaara, Kankurō, and Hikari all gazed at the sky, mouths agape, eyes wide. Temujin's cheeks glistened with tears. Nerugui lifted his head and wagged his tail, resting in Kahiko's arms.

"Incredible," the old man gasped. "The Power was even greater than I could've ever imagined!"

"This light…" the Anbu agent muttered.

"This is what I want to become. A light like this," 'Risu decided. "A light of hope and possibility. A light that stretches past the horizon and brightens the darkest of skies."

Shikamaru didn't dare to shut his eyes for more than a breath, he didn't want to miss a moment of the miracle they were witnessing. Yet he felt a small smile form on his lips.

Yeah, he thought. I kind of figured you'd say that. But if anyone has the ability to embody this, well, it's gonna be you, 'Risu.

"Always aiming high," Shikamaru said aloud.

"Can't help it. I'm a troublesome girl."

"Yeah. But that's what makes you special, 'Risu."

---

The multi-colored aurora borealis flashed across the night sky.

Seated on the windowsill of the Hokage's office, one leg dangling inside, the other bent with her foot braced against the windowsill, Tsunade watched the strange phenomena paint the horizon in wondrous colors while nursing a cup of sake.

All across the Leaf the citizens and shinobi were gathering by their windows, in the street, and even on rooftops, from what she could see. They were gathering to watch the dance of light greater than any fireworks display, enchanted by it, wondering the cause, or taking it as a divine sign of some kind.

A cool, winter breeze gently whispered past the Hokage. She shut her eyes and exhaled.

No doubt those darn brats were responsible for this. She wasn't sure how, but something about that warm light and the sense of relief it gave her…

Yeah. This had Team Seven written all over it. She also lost the recent jackpot, so…

Tsunade smiled and raise her glass to the light.

Good work, all of you. I look forward to the report. And don't worry…

She downed the cup.

I have plenty of D-rank missions for you to do inside the Leaf.

---

"What is this?"

Chōjūrō couldn't answer Haruhi's stunned question. Wasn't sure there was an answer.

He could only watch the trail of light, like a rainbow bridge, spread across the sky, to the edges of the horizon and over the Land of Water, where they would soon arrive.

He could only revere how the aurora sparkled in the sea beneath the ship, dancing on the watery canvas, setting the sea afire in colors as bright as bouquets of fresh daffodils, as cozy as the flames of a warm hearth, and as soothing as a spring meadow.

In a silence disturbed only by the parting of waves beneath the bow, the two Mist shinobi stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the phenomenon, not knowing its origin, its cause, its purpose. Yet, at the same time, feeling their anxiety's and concerns wash off their shoulders.

And their hopes for the future burgeon.

"Uh, Haruhi?"

"Yes?"

"You're, uh, you're holding my hand."

"Are friends not supposed to hold hands?"

"N- No." He held her hand warmly. "No. It's okay."

"I hope Lady Mei can witness this."

"Me too."

---

Rolling hills and green meadows unraveled before her. They stretched as far as the eye could see, farther than she could imagine, farther beyond the horizon of slumbering mountains, their ancient, white-capped peaks seemingly to touching the never-ending sky. Joyful laughter rang on the air.

She felt the gentle, spring breeze whisper over the blades of grass, threading through her hair, caressing her skin. She felt the blades of grass beneath her bare feet, warmth of light on her skin. The burdens of a life long passed lifted off her shoulders as the scent of foreign flowers she did not know the name or origin of embraced her senses.

And she saw her among them. Sun-kissed skin glowing like the golden dunes of the Land of Wind, white hair as pure as the snow, she kneeled among the foreign flowers, fascinated by the flora, by the colors, shape, and texture as she caressed their petals with the touch of a feather.

A touch she knew intimately. A touch she yearned to feel again.

When amber eyes fell upon her, and a warm smile set her heart aflutter, she exhaled a long, relieved sigh.

She was finally home.

---

As the first glint of sunlight peeked over the horizon, the shinobi were already preparing everyone for the journey across the cold desert wastes. Amari and Naruto created Shadow Clones to carry the children, though her teammate carried the majority—exhaustion dug its claws deep into the Nara.

Who knew fusing with another soul would be so taxing.

Soon their large caravan of refugees set off for the Land of Rivers, where the members of the Leaf Medical Corps, Kahiko's tribe and the other survivors were waiting for them.

The aurora borealis had long faded from the sky, but the feelings it fostered, and the new life it birthed in the canyon lingered on.

The Sand shinobi joined Team Seven and Team Ten on their trek to the Land of Rivers; they wished to see the mission through to its completion, so until the refugee situation was handled their units would continue to work together.

Besides, getting lost in the desert after saving the world would be a total drag.

Along the journey Amari recounted her experience at the precipice of The Beyond to her comrades, Temujin, and Kahiko, who were all curious to learn more. She spoke of the first Soul Flights, the breathtaking nebulas, the other versions of herself she'd seen—like the boy version, which made everyone scratch their heads.

Naruto, of course, came to what he believed was the most startling conclusion of all.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute! If you're a boy in another world, does that mean…" He swallowed roughly. "Am I a girl in another world?"

"Without a doubt," she replied easily. "There are worlds where all the boys here are girls, and all the girls here are boys."

"Huh…" Naruto looked down at his own body. "I wonder if she practices the Sexy Jutsu, too."

"The…what?" Temujin made a face.

"Would it be a guy version, though?" Naruto pondered, gripping his chin. "It probably depends on if the Old Man is actually a Granny instead, and if her teachers are majority male or female. Maybe it's a Reverse Harem, then? Could that work? Hmm…

"Oh, I wonder what her Pervy Sage is like. Is he a strait-laced teacher? Nah," he chuckled to himself, "I don't think there's any world where he's not doing his so-called research. What if he was a woman, though? Would she be peeping at male bathhouses instead? Or would she still be peeping on women?"

"What on earth is he mumbling about?" Temujin questioned.

"Just the Village's Master Pervert." Sakura waved him off, rolling her eyes. "Trust me, you're better off not knowing."

Temujin took Sakura at her word.

Through the discussion, Amari spoke of meeting the other versions of Shisui, Ryu and Yukiko, in addition to pieces of Haya's tragic history when asked. However, she never mentioned the role in the tragedies the other version of Sasuke played.

Everyone naturally believed Kasai was the culprit, and they were better for it.

She didn't want pointless and meritless suspicion and scrutiny to fall onto their Sasuke. He hadn't committed those heinous acts, he hadn't followed a path of darkness and betrayal. He wasn't responsible for them.

Nor did anyone—Sasuke included—need to believe he could go so far.

Even if she explained the differences of their lives, their upbringing, and the circumstances that led to such death and sorrow, she feared the idea would linger on in the back of their minds.

What if he gave into darkness? What if he decided to throw away his bonds and strike down comrades?

What if I did, she wanted to counter the potential arguments. For all the possibilities I saw, who's to say I did not walk the path of darkness instead. Because there is a world where I did. That is just one of the infinite possibilities there are.

Would you be suspicious of me instead?

They would likely say no. They believed in her. They trusted her, because they loved or cherished her.

Besides Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Mimi and herself, how many of their comrades felt as strongly for Sasuke as they did? How many trusted him to never stray too far as much as they did? How many loved, cherished, or cared as deeply for him as they did?

Few. Shikamaru already had his own issues with Sasuke. Everyone else, though? They weren't particularly close to him, and Sasuke kept to himself. For years he had engaged in solitude. That wasn't an easy habit to break.

Now, like Itachi, his ties to others were few, but they were ironclad. Unbreakable.

They all saw each other as comrades, of course. Sasuke was someone the others had already proven they were willing to fight beside, or to protect. Their bonds weren't without strength or trust.

However, the knowledge of the Curse Mark, the knowledge of his previous struggles with darkness, she knew in her heart, would taint their vision of him if they knew what the other Sasuke did.

Their friends and comrades would think of it when they looked at Sasuke, Amari believed. They'd subconsciously bear suspicions. They'd wonder was he capable of it? Could he do it?

Likewise, Sasuke could begin to wonder—fear—he might one day snap or lose sight of himself. He might become overwhelmed by anxiety, he may stop trusting himself and his strength of Will, despite proving more than once he could overcome the Curse Mark and Orochimaru's Will.

Then he'd see how people looked at him, with the same eyes Naruto and Gaara had withstood. And it would all work in synchronicity to twist him little by little. Eventually it might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Amari refused to allow it.

As sand blazed golden beneath the rising sun, beating wings pulsed the air, followed by the familiar weight of Osamu taking his perch on her blanket covered shoulder.

"We have approaching guests," the Crow informed. "Three Sand shinobi. I recognize two of them. One is Temari—your elder sister," he directed to Gaara and Kankurō, who walked ahead of her.

"Korobi and Yaoki must've finally gotten approval for reinforcements," Kankurō said, flattening his lips. "Not surprising, given what they were up against. I bet that light show finally spurred them to act."

"Yes. I suspect the Council delayed the deployment of reinforcements for their own purposes," Gaara rasped neutrally. "It's a dangerous game they've decided to play. They put the lives of countless shinobi and civilians at risk, likely hoping the invaders would prove too formidable for Hikari and I to handle."

"How disappointed the Council of Fools will be when they learn we survived," Hikari said, seated on a black disk of Iron Sand, floating beside Amari.

"I'm sure they'll start throwing temper tantrums," Amari said.

Hikari smiled. "Will they stomp their feet?"

"Probably. I expect they'll even bury their faces into pillows and start screaming. Maybe even crying. 'Why? Why are we so inept?' they will weep."

The Suna kunoichi giggled. Amari felt a strange mingling of feelings, that of her own affection for her friend and that of the deep love Haya felt for her own Hikari, and her yearning to return to her side.

It made her heart flutter. It skipped and pulsed warmly against her chest. Pleasant goosebumps raised along her body as flashes of intimacy that were not her own flickered through her mind.

Memories of warm, sun-kissed skin pressed against her own, of another Hikari straddling her body, a curtain of pure white hair draping over nude shoulders as their fingers entangled tenderly. And she felt the longing for soft lips against hers, for nimble fingers to thread through her hair and glide over her body once more…

"Uh- um, Osamu," Amari, flushing red, tried to center herself and separate from Haya's memories and feelings, "you, uh, you said you recognized two. Who's the other?"

"Are you all right? You are stuttering," Hikari asked innocently.

"It was, um, just a memory. Of the other me. Kind of caught me off guard."

"Mm. 'Twas a good memory, I hope?"

"Definitely good," she replied quickly and awkwardly. Then averted her eye to Osamu, who watched her with intrigue, and thinly veiled amusement.

Save me from myself, she begged silently.

Fortunately, the Crow was feeling merciful.

"As I was saying," he began, "to my knowledge, the other shinobi is a war hero of the Sand. As I recall, she was listed as KIA within the last year."

"A war hero of the Sand? That would certainly explain what I am sensing," Miss Anbu said.

Amari flattened her lips. She couldn't sense the person yet.

I need to train even harder when we get home.

"This war hero, were they slain while on an ambassadorial mission to the Mist?" the Anbu agent queried.

"Indeed, they were," Osamu replied. "Yet, strangely, the Sand pinned all the blame upon the Stone. It is quite the compelling tale. In order to prevent the Mist and Sand from uniting, the Stone crossed our Land and the sea to infiltrate the Land of Water, all to slay a single war hero and subvert peaceful negotiations."

"Quite the tale," Kankurō agreed. "Except negotiations never continued between Mist and Sand, when they should've. Even with the assassination attempt."

"What do you mean?" Naruto was the one to ask.

"Huh. I get it," Shikamaru said, already piecing the puzzle together.

"I don't. What's the deal? What am I missing? I need to understand this stuff if I'm going to become Hokage someday, right? So lay it on me."

"Persistent one, isn't he?" Kankurō shot a grin over his shoulder.

"Yeah. It's a real pain." Shikamaru sighed. "All right, Naruto. If Leaf and Sand were seeking an alliance, and the Cloud happened to assassinate the Leaf or Sand ambassador, does it make sense for us to just say 'to hell with it' and throw away an alliance?"

"Not really."

"Well, why not?" Shikamaru pressed.

"I mean, isn't that what the Cloud would want? They're trying to sabotage peaceful relations between our Villages, or scare us out of an alliance with the Sand. Sure there might be suspicion of the Leaf or Sand playing for both sides.

"But, to me, an assassination like that should strengthen the desire of both Villages to unite. If for no other reason than to be united against a common enemy. Anything else would prove to the Cloud they have the power to deter an alliance, which would make them even bolder, right?"

"Exactly."

"Looks like he can learn," Sasuke drawled.

"Yeah, I can!" Naruto groused. "So shut up, jerk! I'm trying to learn how to navigate politics here!"

"Hmph," Sasuke snorted. "Don't let me stop you, loser."

"And he might be Hokage some day. Looks like you'll have your work cut out for you, keeping a hothead like him in line, Gaara," Kankurō jested.

"Perhaps. However, Naruto's ability to admit ignorance in the pursuit of learning how to navigate political dilemmas such as this is admirable. I also would like to learn so that I may be worthy of the title Kazekage."

"In that case, Naruto is right," his brother continued seriously. "If the Stone actually assassinated our ambassador, then Mist and Sand would have an even greater reason to unite. Yet all those talks suddenly stopped. Even though we apparently knew the Stone Village was responsible.

"So either the Stone scared us out of an Alliance, to the detriment of both of our Villages. Or the previous administrations of the Mist and Sand were up to some sinister and shady deal."

"Which we now know they were," Hikari added. "Was it a last desperate act to reaffirm the Sand's strength in skirmishes against the Stone? A ploy to eliminate a political enemy? Or Orochimaru's and the last Mizukage's machinations to weaken the Sand, Stone, and Mist all at once? Perhaps 'twas all these reasons. 'Tis impossible to know, presently. We can only speculate."

"Are we sure this isn't some imposter?" Ino asked from behind Amari and Hikari. "If the Sand did help lay the groundwork to assassinate their own war-hero, isn't it pretty suspicious they've returned out of the blue without so much as a complaint? Even the Crows thought they were dead, right?"

"Yeah. Didn't Orochimaru impersonate the last Kazekage?" Chōji wondered.

"Mm," Hikari hummed, nodding. "Your caution is warranted. However, they are not an imposter, nor have they returned without seeking to scorch the rot and corruption from our political system. She will like you, Amaririsu."

"Then I look forward to meeting them."

"In the meantime, I will return to scouting the terrain," Osamu said before taking flight from her shoulder.

Amari didn't have to wait long for the three Sand shinobi to arrive. As they entered her sensory range, she instantly felt the powerful chakra of the war-hero prick along her senses, and understanding of Miss Anbu's reaction washed over her.

This power… They have to be Kage-level.

She sensed Temari's familiar chakra, as well as the presence of a Jōnin, before she spotted the three silhouettes on the horizon. They dashed swiftly across the cool desert sand, arriving at the caravan soon after.

All three shinobi—a team of purely kunoichi—took stock of their caravan. At the same time, Team Seven, Team Ten, and Gaara's squad separated from the refugees in order to regroup with their reinforcements; the Shadow Clones carrying the children remained interspaced throughout the entire caravan.

With a small gesture of her head, Amari signaled Temujin to stay among the rescued with his friends. Better to avoid any potential confrontation, she felt. He would likely try to apologize, and she had no idea how the two adult Sand shinobi would react to his previous allegiances.

People of the Land of Wind had died, after all. Sand shinobi had died or been critically wounded. Entire villages were wiped off the map by Haido's lieutenant's rampage.

And veteran shinobi, regardless of Nation, weren't the forgiving sort.

The war-hero was distinguishable by chakra and physical presence alone; Amari could've picked her out without knowing her status or keen sensory abilities.

The woman possessed a commanding presence. She could feel the depth of difference in their experience just by looking in her brown eyes. Just by standing in the same vicinity. Even though she was shorter than her mother and Miss Anbu by an inch or more, her powerful presence made her feel like a giant.

It seemed to be a trait elite shinobi and Kage's innately possessed.

On a superficial level, the fair-skinned woman was visibly in peak physical condition for someone meant to be dead. She had an exceptionally well-toned back, evident to all on-lookers due to the dark, sleeveless, backless dress she wore, the slits of its knee-length skirt rising as high as her hips, revealing powerful legs beneath tight, periwinkle mid-thigh length shorts.

She wore nearly shoulder-length arm warmers of the same color as her shorts and a white obi wrapped around her entire abdomen. Her hair, styled into a bun on top of her head, was held together by a needle, colored like evergreen pine needles save two thick strands framing her face, which resembled the flames of a campfire.

Amari placed her maybe two to four years older than her mother, at a guess.

Flanking the war-hero was the Jōnin woman, who was younger than the war-hero by nearly a whole decade. She had grey eyes and shoulder-length dark brown hair, but most notable of her features were the purple marks on her face, shaped like a horizontal lying rectangular that, at its ends closest to her nose, dropped into sharp fangs. She also carried a huge roll of cloth as a weapon of some kind.

Finally there was Temari, attired in her long-sleeved purple blouse beneath a grey top, dark blue skirt, and a long red sash tied in a bow; she carried her fan and wore an expression of contained frustration.

"It looks like we were too late," the Jōnin kunoichi said, calm but no less frustrated than the oldest Sand sibling.

"Mm," the war-hero hummed, analyzing the caravan. Then her brown eyes moved to Gaara's squad. "What's the status of the invaders?"

"Through a joint effort with the Leaf, we managed to eliminate their leader and his lieutenants, obstructing their attempt to claim the catastrophic power they crossed the sea in search of. These people," Gaara gestured to the slow moving caravan, "were prisoners they captured throughout their journeys. Refugees of the villages they razed."

"Haido—their leader—bound their souls to puppet soldiers. He forced them to fight on his behalf," Kankurō said. "They were trapped as beings neither living nor dead, unable to return to their bodies, but unable to die."

"Bound their souls?" Temari repeated, squinting in disgust for Haido. "How did this man—Haido, right? How did he accomplish that? What manner of Forbidden Jutsu was he using?"

"'Twas not a Forbidden Jutsu as we know it. The invaders utilized an ancient power known as Gelel," Hikari answered.

"Gelel? Is that some sort of technique?"

"No. It will take time to debrief all we know. Additionally, the Leaf shinobi—Amaririsu specifically—possess greater knowledge on the origin and power of the Stone of Gelel gathered from their own investigations. Suffice to say, our coordination saved our world from calamity."

"A calamity? Gaara also mentioned it was a catastrophic power," the Jōnin noted, curious and concerned. "Is that power responsible for the light we saw? Was that the averted calamity?"

"Sort of. The whole situation is pretty strange, honestly," Kankurō said, rubbing his chin. "Not sure I'd believe it if I hadn't seen it myself."

"I see. We will conduct a thorough debrief later, then. First answer me this: Is this power still a danger to the Sand or the world?" the war-hero asked, cutting straight to the point.

"No," Gaara shook his head. "It was sealed away, far from our world. It will never trouble us again."

"Then allow me to thank you—all of you," she replied, casting her gaze across all three squads. "I do not know the extent of the catastrophe you averted, but I have no doubt your quick and decisive action, and your coordination, spared us from great bloodshed. The world will never know what you accomplished; that is the way of the shinobi. However, know that you have my sincere gratitude."

Gaara, Kankurō, and Hikari bowed their heads.

"We appreciate your words, Lady Kazekage," Gaara said.

"Wait a minute—"

"Hold up, this lady is the new Kazekage!" Naruto recoiled, all but shouting over Sakura's surprised gasp.

"Now this is an interesting surprise." Miss Anbu muttered so quietly, Amari barely caught it.

"And what's the matter with that, you loud-mouthed idiot?" Temari bit out.

"Hey, who you calling a— Gah!"

"Nothing, obviously," Shikamaru said diplomatically, retracting his hand after slapping Naruto in the back of the head. "We're just surprised. Last we knew the Sand's Council was holding down the political scene while the search of a new Kazekage was underway.

"Honestly, I expected Gaara to take the mantle in a few years; he's the obvious choice, once he gains more experience and time as a leader."

"That's what I was thinking," Naruto grumbled, grabbing his head.

"At a guess, I'd say they haven't elected her yet," Amari spoke up. "Invaders or not, the Council wouldn't allow the Kazekage to leave the Sand and come all this way. Your situation is as sensitive as ours."

The apparently new Kazekage smiled gracefully. "You must be Amaririsu."

"Yes ma'am."

"Gaara, Hikari and Temari speak highly of you. I've also realized I haven't introduced myself to any of you yet." She placed a hand over her heart. "My name is Pakura. This is my subordinate, Maki," she gestured to the Jōnin. "And you're already acquainted with Temari from the Chūnin Exams and your recent incident with Orochimaru's lieutenants.

"Your analysis is correct," Pakura said. "They're not meant to call me Kazekage yet. Nothing about my election is official. I wouldn't say it is guaranteed, either. The Council is known for their underhanded tactics; they've already made one attempt on my life. Were it not for a Mist shinobi and her subordinates, they may have been successful."

Wait, a Mist shinobi and her subordinates? You wouldn't happen to mean Mei Terumī? Amari wanted to demand.

Part of politics, though, was knowing when to reveal your cards and when to keep them hidden for another round. Until she learned more of the potential future Kazekage's encounter and whether or not it was the Fifth Mizukage, and if they parted on friendly terms, she'd need to hold back for now.

"Politicians are such a pain," Amari said instead.

Pakura hummed a short but sincere laugh. Maki concealed a smile behind her hand. Temari snorted.

"That's one way to put it," the oldest Sand sibling remarked.

"You know, Temari, I am a little surprised by you."

The brusque kunoichi narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't know you thought so highly of me," Amari said, smirking. "You're always so coarse, I was so certain you hated me. But I guess you're just a little shy."

"Hardly. You're just a nuisance to be around," Temari shut her down.

"Aw, come on. How about a hug?" Amari spread her arms out.

"You're such a child. Shikamaru," her sharp teal eyes flicked to the boy, "do something about your annoying cousin."

"Seriously? Why am I getting dragged into this?" he groaned.

"Because you're the only one she'll listen to."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, telling 'Risu not to do something is counterproductive. I'd have better luck teaching Naruto and Sasuke not to be idiots."

"Heyyy!"

"Huh. You know, it's sort of funny," Sasuke began neutrally. "Whenever you two are together, I can't help but think I'm watching an old married couple argue."

"Us? Married?" Temari snorted. "He doesn't stand a chance."

"Speaking of marriage," Amari piped in, smiling like the devil.

How nice of her clan-brother to remind her of such a deliciously evil plan in such a subtle way. Shikamaru recognized it, too. His eyes were wide and, doubtlessly, his blood cold.

"Sasuke, what have you done?" her cousin demanded.

"Hmph. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm an idiot, remember?"

"What's going on? What'd I miss, Sasuke?"

"Sit back and watch, Naruto. This is about to get good."

"'Risu, wait—"

"Lady Pakura, seeing as you are set to be the next Kazekage, I'd like to ask a deeply personal favor on behalf of all the Leaf."

"Wait a minute." Kankurō's grin was as sadistic as it was trembling with nerves. "Amaririsu, are we really doing it? Right here? Right now?"

"Yes, that's right. Right here, right now, we're going to settle this matter once and for all! Lady Pakura," Amari bowed her head deeply, "in order to strengthen the bond between Leaf and Sand, please arrange a marriage between Temari and Shikamaru Nara!"

"What?!" Temari shrieked louder than Amari had ever heard.

"Dammit, 'Risu!"

"Oh dear," Miss Anbu stifled a chuckle.

Sakura and Ino balked at the sudden proclamation. Chōji stifled a snicker. Naruto blinked, made a strange noise between a sound of surprise and a laugh, and then slapped a hand over his mouth. Sasuke couldn't have looked more satisfied with himself.

"They've been flirting non-stop since they met," Amari rushed the words out as quickly as she could, knowing time was short before someone countered. "In battle, in peace, they cannot help themselves. I dare say they're smitten with each other and require our full support."

"My future sister-in-law is right, Lady Kazekage," Kankurō jumped in, heart slamming so harshly against his chest in exhilaration and fear, Amari could almost sense it pounding through the earth itself. "An arranged marriage like this between the future Head of the Nara Clan and Temari, the daughter of the previous Kazekage, could only strengthen the bonds of our Villages."

Pakura blinked once. Twice. Then smiled. "I can tell you've both given this considerable thought. As long as both parties accept these terms—"

"Absolutely not!" Temari's face couldn't have been redder with a sunburn. She made a slashing movement with her fan, drawing it back as it opened. "You're going to regret siding with her, Kankurō!"

"Oh man." A bead of sweat dripped down his cheek, but his grin never fell. "Gotta say, it was totally worth it for that look on your face."

"Flee, Kankurō!" Amari snatched the Sand shinobi by the wrist and darted off, giggling like a mad devil. "We'll regroup and think of a new plan for their marriage!"

"Get back here!" Temari gave chase.

"I love you, too, my shy and delicate future sister-in-law! But it cannot be between us! Your heart is taken by another, though you may not yet see it!"

"Grgggghhhh!"

"She's going to kill us, you know!" Kankurō laughed, arms pumping wildly at his sides.

Amari glanced his way, smiling widely. "Was it worth it?"

Kankurō grinned. "Oh yeah!"

---

Among the other shinobi, Shikamaru threw his head back and let out a long suffering groan, cheeks red as a bouquet of roses. Naruto and Chōji had begun cackling, the former of the pair falling into the sand as he gripped his sides. Sakura and Ino used each other as support as they laughed, while Hikari and Maki giggled at his expense.

Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets, smirked, and joined the caravan in its motion. His work, it seemed, was done. And he was so obviously beyond satisfied.

"Sasuke. This isn't over, you know," Shikamaru warned.

"Of course not," Sasuke replied cooly. "With Amari around, we're all screwed. You know that."

"Ughhh. Way to remind me."

Yūgao's cheeks were hurting behind her mask, the smile on her face as wide as the sun was hot.

She's inherited your unique sense of humor, Master. I fear what it will bring to these poor children. Yet, if it is anything like yours, this is only the beginning.

She turned her head to Pakura and dipped her head in a small, apologetic bow.

"My apologies on Amaririsu's behalf. She has…a unique sense of humor."

"So I see," Pakura smiled. Then waved off the Anbu agent. "It's nothing to apologize for. It's proof the bonds between these children are strong, and far different than the bonds of war and suffering that afflict the Villages."

"Mm."

"Where are you taking these refugees?"

"We have a base of operations in the Land of Rivers, where members of the Leaf Medical Corps are tending to those we rescued previously."

"Then allow us to join you. I'd like a full understanding of who these invaders were and what they were attempting to do."

"Of course."

Their units set off together, amid laughter, groans, swears of vengeance, and Wind Style ninjutsu.

---

The cave, for all its vastness, was too small to shelter the influx of refugees. People overflowed out of the shelter, into the afternoon light, protected from the nippy breeze by their blankets.

The Medical Corps glided calmly, effortlessly, through the crowd, checking everyone for lingering side effects, sickness, spreadable diseases, and the like; by comparison, their experiences in the medical tents of wars and skirmishes of the past were far more chaotic than the present circumstances.

Meanwhile, the members of Team Seven, Team Ten, Kankurō, and Temari offered extra hands to their efforts.

At the same time, Amari, Shikamaru, the Anbu agent, Gaara, Hikari, Pakura and Maki were gathered together at the edge of their overflowing camp, debriefing on the foreign invasion, and what they would eventually refer to as the Gelel Incident.

Now they were in the midst of tying up the final details of the invaders, their plans, and the conflict which ensued while the Council stonewalled reinforcements.

"What you saw when that pillar of light shot into the sky was a minor fraction of The Power escaping the space-time wormhole," Amari explained. "It transformed the terrain around us from stone and sand into a burgeoning habitat of trees, grass, waterfalls and who knows what else.

"Assuming The Power can change atmospheric conditions and climate within a certain area, which I believe is possible, the Land of Wind may have a flourishing forest habitat within its borders for years to come. If not, the forest will die off.

"Either way," the young kunoichi shrugged, "The Power and all its potential is gone now."

Pakura hummed, digesting the information. She had said little throughout the debrief, save a few questions asking for further explanation on key details—what the nature of The Power was, where it came from, etc.

"You sound disappointed," she noted after a moment of thought.

Amari pursed her lips. "…I suppose I am," she admitted. "For a moment I was…apart of it, I guess you would say. One with it. With everything. It's difficult to describe," she shook her head. "I'm not sure I fully comprehend it. But I…I was more than I am now."

"You were merged with another soul, 'Risu."

"You were also powerful well beyond your years," Miss Anbu said.

"Well, yes, but I…"

Amari hummed and paused, trying to gather her thoughts. Trying to find the words to describe the strange feeling she felt. The absence of The Power. The absence of the other Haya. The feeling of being…lesser, somehow, though she was certain Haya would've chastised her for thinking of it that way.

She raised her hands and looked at her palms, as though trying to read a fate written in the lines and creases. Finally she found some words.

"I became a being that transcended this mortal shell," she said. "I glimpsed The Beyond, both as myself at the precipice, and as the spirit that swam through the streams of time. I became one with The Power. I understood it. I knew it as intimately as I know my Shadow.

"For that reason, I know The Power could've been a source of so much good. It could've healed war-ravaged lands, ended hunger and thirst, and uplifted people from poverty. Even now I can see her memories. Through them I can see the true potential The Power possessed."

The memories of Haya Uchiha's destroyed world, and of its healing, drifted like a fog into her mind. She could see the destruction and death, the war that Haido waged, razing all that stood in his path. Villages left in ruins. Hokage Mountain rendered faceless and turned to rubble.

She could see glimpses of struggle, sabotage, battles Haya had fought to survive, to inch towards finding a means to stop him, and the loss she endured as comrades died. As Shisui, too, was taken from her.

She could feel the life energy flowing through her, and then into the nearly inhabitable earth, healing it. Barren lands flourished with life once more. Droughts ended. Famine ceased. And for the first time in years, the world and its people had a real chance at a future. They had a tomorrow to look forward to.

That was her final gift to them.

Haya's memories passed through Amari's mind. She could see countless other worlds. Countless places where Haya had traveled as a spirit to stop Haido, and glimpses of worlds where the world had already attained peace.

So, what made their world so different? Why did The Power need to be removed?

Amari frowned and lowered her hands back to her sides. She knew the answer. Yeah, she knew it before seeing Haya's memories.

"Our war-minded society wasn't ready for The Power. We're still too suspicious of each other. We're still too greedy. Too selfish. Too primitive. Too busy competing with each other to sit on the throne of the world, or to get the slightest edge over other people. Even an imaginary one."

Just like you said, Kari.

"We compete rather than cooperate, when cooperation is the only way we build a peaceful and egalitarian future for everyone to thrive in," she sighed.

How primitive and stupid they all were. They could build a world where poverty no longer existed as a norm. Where war wasn't a norm. But, then, who would those in power keep in their place? Who would they send to die for their political purposes?

Who, then, would those high up rule over?

What a world we live in.

We have to change it.

"I apologize for sounding so disappointed," she apologized sincerely. "I know we made the right call. We stopped Haido before he could unleash catastrophe onto our world and removed a potential cause of war between the Five Great Nations.

"But I saw the full potential of The Power and humanity, and I'm frustrated that it's been squandered countless times because of selfish people like Haido."

"Then use your frustration to build the future you seek, Amaririsu," Pakura stated, voice and eyes full of authority and strength. "You cannot change the past. You cannot waste time lamenting the squandered potential resulting from the corruption and inadequacies of previous leaders.

"The past is behind us. It is inalterable. However, like wet clay, the future can still be molded. You're already trying to do this, right?"

"I am," Amari nodded.

"Good. Do not allow this experience to stop you. Use your frustration as motivation to shape the future. Use the knowledge and wisdom you attained while bonded to that spirit to better our world. Embody your ideals and show the world the potential you have seen."

Pakura stepped closer to the kunoichi, then placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You have a light in you as bright as the desert sun. Yes, I can see it looking into your eye now. I can see the fire burning deep within you. Kindle that flame. Never let it fade," Pakura implored.

"You have already forged powerful bonds of friendship with your comrades—both Leaf and Sand. These bonds, your feelings for your friends, your family, your Village, and your dreams for the future make you stronger! Use that power to build the future."

"Right," Amari nodded sharply, strengthened by her words.

Pakura smiled kindly. "Hikari and Gaara believe you can move mountains. I look forward to seeing you prove them right."

"I'll, uh, I'll do my best, Lady Pakura," Amari bowed her head.

"I am sure you will." Pakura lowered her arm and stepped back. "When I was in the Mist, after it became clear my own people betrayed me, the hatred I felt was matched by a sense of hopelessness.

"Similar to your feelings of frustration for humanity's squandered potential, I could think only of my many years of service, all I had sacrificed, all I had lost, and how, in the end, I was to be slain for someone else's political gain. I am certain my rare kekkei genkai did me no favors, either.

"After all," she looked to Gaara and Hikari, "those like us, who wield kekkei genkais or other special abilities, are feared for our power. We are useful as pawns they can control. Tools they can wield.

"However, when we gain influence of our own, when we are seen becoming the slightest bit independent, their fear of our power leads them to see us as threats. That's usually when they decide to cut our puppet strings.

"I was resentful. I was heartbroken. I hated the Council and the Kazekage with hatred so potent, all I could think of was killing every last one of them. One by one," she said, and Amari knew in her core she could have.

"Revenge is what I desired, at first. Then I felt apathy. What did it matter? It would not change anything. Even were they all to die by my hand, then what? Would I seize control if I survived the battle? To what end? To be seen as a tyrant? A traitor? A monster?"

"Yet you returned anyway. Pretty brave of you," Shikamaru pointed out. "There wasn't going to be a warm welcome party waiting for you. Sure, some would be happy to see their war-hero return alive out of the blue, but the people who tried to kill you sure as hell wouldn't be pleased.

"You have to know they'll try again. Like they did with Hikari and Gaara on that joint-operation you had, 'Risu."

"And like how they delayed reinforcements on this mission," Amari added.

"There is that risk. Always. The Council of Fools are capable of anything," Hikari agreed. "However, they also realize the dilemma they're caught within—quite the entertaining one, I might add."

"What sort of dilemma?" Shikamaru asked.

"Due to the losses we sustained through the invasion of your Village," Gaara began, "our military strength has not only been weakened, but the previous Kazekage was assassinated by Orochimaru. We are leaderless and weak.

"So, though they may despise us and seek our elimination, the Council is slowly being forced to acknowledge the 'weapons' they've long feared and despised are too valuable to destroy."

"Lady Pakura's survival was unknown, even to me—her student," Maki added. "The whole Village mourned her loss. You could say it even contributed to the rhetoric of those who supported the Invasion.

"Some time after the truth of the Invasion unfolded—that we were tricked by Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage was assassinated—is when she returned to us. Lady Pakura was alive!" Maki said, looking to her Master with happiness. "This news has fostered hope in our people—many already look to her for guidance and strength. It is all but certain she will be elected as the Fifth Kazekage."

"Nothing in this world is certain," Pakura countered, resting a hand on her hip. She then smiled at her student. "But my chances are exceedingly good."

"Despite the Council of Fool's simpleminded intentions, they have strengthened her influence considerably." Hikari added, smiling at the Council's misfortune. "The 'monsters' they 'created' and feared are now their only hope in these uncertain times. 'Tis most amusing."

"They are faced with a choice now," Gaara said, crossing his arms. "They must either threaten the security of the Sand before a war by seeking the elimination of their jinchūriki, a powerful kunoichi like Hikari, and a potential Kazekage, who's leadership and experience is desperately needed, or they must accept the value of our power, begrudgingly, in order to protect the Sand and its future."

"Everything they've done to you two—to all three of you—has backfired completely," Amari judged. "If we equivocate this to a war, in which the objectives were to remove a political enemy," she gestured to Pakura, then to Gaara and Hikari, "and two 'weapons' they couldn't control, then their defeat is indisputable. Everything they set out to prevent has come to pass."

"They tried so hard to keep all three of you from gaining influence, power, or simply existing," Shikamaru followed along. "They saw all three of you as threats, relics of a bygone era, or mistakes, so they did everything in their power to remove you. All to keep you from gaining influence, power, or just out of prejudice against kekkei genkais. I'm sure there were multiple motives—ask three people for an opinion on a subject and you'll get nine different opinions.

"In the end, though, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy," he concluded. "Everything they did led to you three gaining the influence and power they feared. You became the threats to their power all because they refused to accept your existence."

"You're right, Hikari. It is amusing."

She could only hope the Foundations actions would backfire as spectacularly. Perhaps they already had.

Despite their intentions to eliminate the "Uchiha threat," she and Sasuke still existed. Little by little she was gaining influence as Head of the Uchiha Clan, and they had every intention of rebuilding their Clan.

And burning the Foundation to the ground.

The Foundation had created their own opposition. Had they never forced Itachi to eliminate the Uchiha Clan, had Tobirama never killed her great-great grandmother and set Madara on a path of darkness, would they even be discussing the elimination of the Foundation?

Or would they exist in a world where Madara Uchiha became the Second Hokage?

"Though it is a fortunate turn of events," Miss Anbu began in a calm, pragmatic voice, "had their assassination attempt succeeded, this would be a very different conversation."

"Yes, you're right about that," Pakura agreed. "As I said before, nothing is certain in life. I am here now because of a Mist shinobi—that is an indisputable fact. Had she not learned of the treachery between our Villages, and had she not decided to take the substantial risk to save a shinobi from an opposing Nation, we never would have met. I owe her a debt."

Amari felt certain the Mist shinobi in question now held the title of Fifth Mizukage. Fortunately, Miss Anbu spoke before she could blurt out the million questions dancing on the tip of her tongue.

"It's clear this Mist shinobi had a profound impact on you. Beyond saving your life," the Anbu agent said neutrally.

"Profound? Yes, you could say she did," Pakura nodded. "After the ambush, she offered me shelter so I could gather my thoughts and process what occurred, and counsel as the days and weeks passed.

"As the news of my 'death' spread, and as hunter-nin sought to turn their falsehood into truth, I learned more about her—her goals, her dreams, and what drove her to swim against the tide of bloodshed and betrayal.

"I never expected to learn so much from a Mist shinobi. They have always been an enemy. I considered what Maki might say if she saw me associating with them, when her parents were slain by Mist shinobi. I believed she would hate me, and perhaps rightly so. But my perspective of the world had begun to alter irreversibly."

"How so?" Shikamaru asked.

"I found myself fighting beside the Mist shinobi and her resistance forces—I had to earn the roof over my head, you can't expect charity when you're on the run."

I knew it! Amari wanted to cheer, but reined her triumphant in.

"The people who I had once seen through the lens of an enemy were suddenly my allies; of course, this is not to say we weren't using each other. I needed time and shelter, they needed more military strength—we both benefited from working together."

"Yet it became more," Miss Anbu judged.

"It did," Pakura replied, nodding once. "I was a storm of emotions. For the first time in my life, I had no direction. No orders. Nothing except a burning desire to kill those who betrayed me, and a yearning to just disappear and forget the Sand entirely. I didn't know what to do…"

---

"Has the fire offended you so greatly to deserve such a harsh gaze?"

Seated on an uncomfortable wooden stool inside the stone interior of a secret mountain hideout, Pakura glared at the flickering tongue-like flames of the fireplace, mind a mess of foul and dark thoughts.

Beside her now stood a tall, slender woman of fair complexion and emerald eyes; her ankle-length auburn hair hung in a top-knot while short bangs covered her right eye and two longer strands of auburn hair crossed her chest.

She attired herself in a royal blue, long-sleeved dress, which barely covered the underside of the woman's breasts—sexuality was, after all, another weapon a kunoichi could wield. She wore mesh armor beneath it, covering slightly more of her bust and her thighs, a mid-thigh length skirt, and high-heeled sandals with shinguards.

"I gave them years of service," Pakura finally spoke after a beat. "I was loyal. Blindingly so. Even as I rose in the ranks and witnessed hints of the corruption, I believed in the Sand Village and its people. I fought for their future. Their safety. I gave them everything I had to give!" she hissed, fists clenching and veins scorching with fire.

"I've waded through countless battles. I fought their wars, even when I did not understand their purpose. Friends of mine perished, and I was left to tell their families how they died with honor, giving their lives for the protection of the Sand. Never did they hear a 'no sir, I can't do that.' When they asked me to complete a mission, I found a way. When they sent me to kill, I killed. When they sent me to destroy, I destroyed everything."

Pakura's molars ground together. She'd done everything they ever asked—exceeded their expectations time and time again. And what was her thanks for it?

Betrayal. Her life would be used to smooth relations over with the Mist, while beginning a new skirmish with the Stone.

Why? What crime had she committed to be thrown to the wolves so callously?

She leaned her head forward, clasping her hands behind it. Damn them all. Damn their political aspirations. Damn their corruption and all it had led to.

"I sacrificed every aspect of my personal life to become the perfect shinobi," she lamented. "Because perfection was the only way they would ever respect me as an equal."

Close personal relationships became a thing of the past after the deaths of her friends. She still cared for her comrades, of course. She found strength in their connections as Sand shinobi, but she kept her distance.

In the turmoil of furious and despairing thoughts, Pakura tried to recall the last time she felt the warmth of laughter or camaraderie.

The memory struck her vividly, and darkened her spirits. The faces in the memory, the faces of friends and comrades, had parted from this world many years ago.

She hadn't felt camaraderie or true, sincere laughter since. No. Losing her closest friends and comrades to the strife of war stole those feelings from her. Or, rather, she stopped seeking them, for the consequences were…they were nearly too much to bear.

In that moment, the veteran shinobi realized she had even forgotten the sensation of a tender caress and the taste of another woman's lips. She couldn't remember the delight of an intimate gaze or the warmth of another held in her arms.

Now she awoke in the mornings alone. She would exercise and train on her own, partake in missions, train and test Maki, and, eventually, sleep again.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"I dedicated myself to being a shinobi. I dedicated myself to the Village," Pakura muttered. "I sacrificed my personal life entirely. The last moment of true camaraderie—of joy—I had, I can remember it so vividly. I can feel that happiness like a cold weight in my chest," she said, placing her hand to her heart. "We were just teenagers. The summer sun never felt hotter than that day, but, despite everything occurring at the time, I remember our smiles. It's been a little more than a decade now since then."

"Mm. Before I found my student, my last moment of true joy was as a child," Mei admitted softly. "It was the day before the Blood Mist Exam. My sister was alive, happy, and smiling as fresh snow fell. The next day, all of my joy was ripped from my heart. All of my happiness was melted away. And all that remained was sorrow and rage, and a thirst for vengeance."

Pakura said nothing, at first. She sat, head bowed, hands clasped behind her neck.

For Mei, gaining a student had brought joy back into her life.

Could the same be said of her? She never considered how training Maki made her feel. It was a task she'd taken upon herself to bring forth the, at the time, young girl's potential. Looking back, though, Maki's growth had filled her with pride.

There was joy in their time together. In truth, Maki was the only real connection she had left.

Maki… I suspect they'll try to use my death to twist your emotions to their advantage. But you are strong-willed and independent—if I taught you anything good, it would be that.

"Kunoichis cannot afford to show their sorrow. Not in the Sand," Pakura said. "We must harden our hearts to become cold and calculating, lest we be seen as weak or ineffectual women.

"Perfection is the only way to combat such scrutiny, and should you wield a kekkei genkai, you must be utterly flawless at all times. You must show complete control—rather you must show the complete absence of emotion, so they may see your worth as a malleable tool.

"As a kunoichi who wielded a kekkei genkai, I had to possess unmatched poise and grace, to the extent of royalty. I had to exhibit exceptional judgement in and out of combat, I had to gain strength beyond my peers but show constant humility; a flicker of arrogance—confidence and pride—in myself, my body and my power earned me scorn as a child and as a teenager.

"In short, they wanted me to appear unbreakable but always remain subservient to my betters."

"Now isn't that a familiar song and dance," Mei Terumī sighed, resting a hand on her hip "The Leaf and Cloud show the most progress for kekkei genkai wielders and kunoichi, though to varying degrees. There are still stigmas, I am certain; hearts and minds do not change that quickly, even in more progressive Nations.

"However, I fear the Mist, Stone, and Sand have utterly fallen behind in this regard. Our Nations all adhere to traditionalists, in some regard. Clinging to a mythical, glorious past while ignoring our future."

"It's a sad observation. But a true one, nonetheless," Pakura said, lowering her hands and lifting her head. She leaned forward onto her knees. "The Sand's strength is waning. The Feudal Lord has taken to outsourcing missions to the Leaf, due to geographical expedience and, frankly, the greater number of troops the Leaf possesses on standby."

"There aren't enough shinobi in the Sand to complete missions?" Mei asked, curious to learn more.

Pakura had no reason to hide anything now.

"No," she replied. "We all suffered significant losses in the last Great Ninja War. In the aftermath, shinobi were treated similar to the purpose of your Blood Mist Exam—every individual shinobi had to be worth ten. Our elites were exceptional, but they wouldn't be there forever.

"However, no one bothered to update our academic system. To this very day it's treated as it was in war-time, shoving inexperienced children into missions they are not prepared for in the traditional belief it will separate the wheat from the chaff."

"Mm," Mei hummed lowly, looking to the fire. "Now that sounds all too familiar. Your future potential, like ours, has been plucked like weeds by ignorant leadership."

"Yes."

"Your economy is collapsing, isn't it?"

"It's sinking in quicksand," she informed bluntly. "The Council and Kazekage are cooking the books, hiding the struggles we face from allies and enemies alike. But that will only last so long."

"Why not speak to the Leaf? Your Nations share an Alliance; surely you could negotiate a deal that benefits both of your Villages."

"Negotiate?" Pakura couldn't help but laugh. It was bitter tasting. "The Council and Kazekage will never negotiate. They're far too prideful to dare show a hint of weakness."

"Negotiation is not a sign of weakness."

"Agreed. I came to this Nation with that very thought in mind. Cooperation, that is how we move forward," Pakura said. "We learn what works and disregard what doesn't to increase overall effectiveness. The bonds of comrades and allies are meant to give us strength—regardless of what Nation they hail from."

"If only I'd been able to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage's administration before you arrived," Mei sighed. "We could've moved mountains."

"Perhaps that is where I made my greatest error," Pakura considered.

"How do you mean?"

"I started to use what influence and reputation I possessed to push for new policies. I pushed for negotiations with the Leaf and for updating our shinobi academy. I argued we should focus on rebuilding our military strength, as well as our Medical and Puppet Corps, before we consider new skirmishes.

"Heh," she let out another bitter laugh, "I transformed from an obedient weapon into the Fourth Kazekage's direct opposition without ever seeing it. Had I been more tactical, like you, I may have gained followers to support my election as the next Kazekage."

"Who's to say that isn't still an option," Mei suggested. "It'd make for quite the scene—the slain hero returning from the dead on a righteous mission."

"What I feel currently is far from righteous."

"I know. I've been there before."

"…Mei, why do you bother seeking to reform this Nation? Why haven't you burned it to the ground for their betrayal?"

For what else could forcing children—friends and family—to fight to the death be called except betrayal.

"The truth is, Pakura, I have considered melting everything—the Mizukage, his followers, and the tower he hides inside of—many times," Mei said, voice calm and strong, as always. "I've even considered destroying the Village—cleansing it from the world, if you wish to be dramatic. It would not be difficult. We're on the verge of collapse already.

"My heart is filled with hatred, grief, rage, and hurt. It is possessed by a ferocious and hungry demon, one that yearns to feast upon the tainted souls that created it. Were I to give into it entirely, the last memory of the Mist Village would not be the looming mist hanging over the mountains, but clouds of ash and fire as the entire village burned, and the screams of all those who live there."

Pakura lifted her gaze to look at Mei, and, for the first time, saw a dark shade over the otherwise bright and warm woman. And she knew, were Mei to give into that demon, the streets of Mist Village would flood with blood.

When Mei looked at her, she smiled and the shade vanished. "However, razing the Mist wouldn't cure its sickness. It wouldn't bring my sister back. The past cannot be changed.

"However, I can take my hurt, my hatred, my grief, and my rage and I can use it to change the future. I can use it to deconstruct the systems which stole my sister from me, I can feed my demon the tainted souls of those who created it, and free this Nation of the corruption and rot that plagues it. Then we can all build a bright future for the children of this Nation, so they may never know this pain I, and many others, feel.

"My people need someone to believe in the future," Mei said, looking back to the fire. "They need someone to believe in their potential—in the possibility of something greater than this harsh existence of betrayal and bloodlust.

"And perhaps I also need to believe in such potential. Perhaps I, too, need something to believe in. Something worth fighting for. Something more than destruction, anarchy, and vengeance. Something she would be proud of."

Pakura hummed but said nothing.

What was she fighting for now? What did she believe in? She pondered those questions in the silence.

Everything she once believed in had turned its back on her.

Or had it?

The people of the Sand hadn't ordered the assassination. The poorest of them were already suffering terribly despite the Council and Kazekage cooking of the books, and sooner rather than later everyone else would begin to feel the economic downturn, which would fuel resentment the leadership could then turn towards the Leaf.

Her people were being led astray. Her comrades were being led towards an unnecessary war—they would be tricked into betraying their honor and forsaking the bonds of an alliance because their foolish leadership refused negotiation.

Could she let it all fall apart? Could she let everything she fought and sacrificed for—what her friends had given their lives for—collapse because of the pride of a few stubborn men?

Could she let them jeopardize the future of the Sand, its children, and Maki's future?

"I do not think I can allow them to lead my Village astray," Pakura said after a long pause. "However, I cannot return without a calm heart and a plan of action. Were I to leave now, all I see myself doing is destroying everything that stands between me and the Fourth Kazekage."

"You can stay as long as you need," said Mei. "I will continue to call upon you for aid—we must all earn our keep here, myself included. However, I swear I will never betray your trust. I will never betray you to the Fourth Mizukage or the Fourth Kazekage. You are an ally now. A comrade. That is not a bond I will break."

"Nor will I." Pakura sat up straight, feeling a burden lift off her shoulders. "Thank you, Mei. For your hospitality and your honesty."

Mei turned her head and smiled at her. "Of course."

---

"Mei was generous with her time," Pakura explained. "We spoke at length often. Often enough I began to see her personally as an ally. Then a confidant. Eventually a friend. We discussed more than I can share in a single conversation.

"Mei helped me broaden my perspective and align it with an ideal greater than petty vengeance. Suddenly my hopelessness and my apathy vanished. I stopped asking questions like 'what is the point' and 'what does it matter.'

"My rage lingered. I feel it, even now. Yet I transformed it into rage at the injustices that not only I suffered, but the injustices the Council has cultivated to maintain outdated traditions. That is Mei's influence. She taught me how to take control of the aggression and anger I felt from betrayal and use it to bring good into the world.

"Killing those who betrayed me will not change our culture. More like them will rise—they always do, no matter the Nation. And their replacements would use my actions as their scapegoat to abuse future children like Hikari.

"The truest cure for ignorance and fear is education and exposure. So, that is what I will do. I will reform our education systems—we're already beginning to shift to a similar system as the Leaf, but more reform is required. For both our Villages."

Even the Sand see the need for reform, both Nara's thought simultaneously without knowing it.

Miss Anbu didn't react outwardly, but Amari knew she agreed.

"By rising to Kazekage, I will expose those who fear kekkei genkais to my existence by walking among them rather than lording above them, normalizing our existence so no child has to ever suffer the abuse Hikari and Gaara have. And those who seek to weaponize or scapegoat us will lose that power.

"Besides," Pakura smiled, "I can think of no greater revenge against those who betrayed me than to be elected as Kazekage."

I get that feeling, Amari thought. Sasuke and I both seek to destroy the Foundation. They aren't a Village we can reform and rebuild like the Sand or Mist, they're just an organization that has undermined and poisoned the Leaf.

However, I can't think of a greater revenge against the Foundation and its leader than to not only rebuild the Uchiha Clan, but to regain its influence and prestige and stand once more as a one of the pillars of the Leaf Village.

I can't think of a better revenge than for Sasuke, Itachi, Aimi and I to outwit, outmatch, and outlive them.

She'd do everything she could to make that a reality.

"Everything is coming together. All our roads are beginning to intersect—ally and enemy alike," Amari said, crossing her arms across her belly. "I don't know what the future holds. I don't know how things will turn out. But I'll be rooting for you, Lady Pakura."

"Thank you, Amaririsu."

The world is changing, Amari thought as they finished their debrief. Three kunoichi who desire peace and cooperation have risen or will soon rise to the seat of Kage. The Stone seeks an Empire. The Akatsuki seek the Tailed-Beasts. Kasai wants to burn the world and its systems to ash. And the Masked Man has his own intentions for the world.

This storm that is approaching us will decide who shapes the future.

We cannot afford to fail.

---

Temujin stood on the deck of the sole ship to survive their excursion to the shinobi continent, directing the traffic of his fellow countrymen, consisting mostly of children and teenagers.

The ship itself had been tucked away and served as the transport for their land-ship, but now would serve as the ferry back to their homeland, its purpose renewed. Much like his.

Crates carried in netting were lifted by the ships crane systems; his friends and comrades understood how to operate all of the ships machinery and how to pilot it, knowledge gained while forced to perform every task as one of Haido's puppet soldiers.

Though their bodies were weaker, their experiences prepared them for the voyage ahead. And for the tasks which laid beyond.

After exams performed by their doctors, the collection of shinobi from the Land of Wind and Fire had aided them in finding the path forward for the refugees—of which he was counted among.

In truth, the vast majority of their forces were comprised of those he brought into their fold while on his home continent, and though a part of Temujin considered staying among the shinobi, he had found a different path to walk.

A path Amaririsu helped him to see through her guidance while fused with the Stone.

As for those his actions had left homeless, Kahiko offered many a chance to stay among his tribe; a difficult life, but at least they would have shelter, food, and camaraderie. Several agreed to the offer, others decided to return to their razed homes and rebuild from scratch.

The people of this continent are a hardy folk, he thought, pausing as he saw a head of blue hair maneuvering through the crowd. But I suppose I should've known that already. After meeting them.

Amaririsu stopped, allowing two of his comrades to pass as they carried small crates of rations and supplies the Leaf shinobi either gifted them or helped them hunt in the days leading up to their departure.

All of his friends were no longer stuck in thin gowns, but attired as he was in light, long-sleeved shirts and pants worn beneath colorful vests—a sparkling blue as bright as the sky and a red the shade of fresh wine for the pair in question. Temujin wore a vest the color of the Power of Gelel.

Amaririsu walked lightly, donning a spare shirt the color of blooming daffodils over her torn mesh armor. One of her crows, black feathers shimmering silver in the sun, was perched on her shoulder.

He'd already bid farewell to Naruto, Amaririsu, Sakura, and the others. Last he knew, the Sand shinobi to ambush them in the desert and Amaririsu's squad were standing guard over him, his friends, and the nomad tribe, who they had regrouped with, while the other squad of Sand shinobi had departed to investigate the former site of the Vault.

What could've brought Amaririsu onto the ship so soon before departure?

He would have to ask. Even better, he could find the words to thank her, which he had thus far failed to do.

Temujin crossed the deck to meet her halfway. Before he could speak, Nerugui climbed up his back and onto his shoulders, wagging his tail; the ferret had taken such a shine to him, he decided to cross the sea, much to Kahiko's despair.

Personally, Temujin was thankful for the extra companion. For however many days, weeks or years Nerugui had left, he would serve as a reminder of what he had learned here.

"So this is the mysterious ferret I've heard so much about." The Crow, voice smooth, regal and feminine, sounded amused.

He still found talking animals strange, frankly.

"Nerugui is the one that brought us all together. I'm still not sure if he planned it all from the start, but, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised," Amaririsu said, smiling warmly. "Crazier stuff has happened just this week."

"Too true."

"Amaririsu, what brings you here?" Temujin asked.

"You're still planning to go to the Land of Water, right?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Although it is a long detour, if any of my comrades happened to survive the annihilation of the fleet, their souls will now be free. It may be none survived. However, should there be even one or two still alive, I would like to take them in and bring them home with us."

"All right. I've asked Atsuko to join you, then," Amaririsu said, gesturing to the Crow. "Though there is no official alliance between our Villages, there's an informal line of communication between myself and a Mist shinobi. Because of that Atsuko knows how to reach the Mist Village; she can speak directly to the Mizukage while you and your friends stay out of sight offshore. We don't want to spook them into destroying your ship, after all."

"Yes, I would like to avoid any misunderstandings or further conflicts with the people of your continent. We've done enough damage," he added softly. Then dipped his head in a small bow to both the girl and the Crow. "I appreciate the assistance."

"Just trying to help make your voyage smoother. I'd like to send a Shadow Clone, but…"

"Will you be joining us?" Temujin asked, feeling somewhat hopeful for the opportunity.

Amaririsu flattened her lips and shook her head. "I can't. The thing is, even though I'd like to be there to see this all the way through, my presence in the Land of Water would cause trouble for our Nations. Lots of it.

"Atsuko can be in and out without a trace. This will protect all of you and protect our chance at one day forming an alliance with the Mist."

"I see," he replied, feeling somewhat disheartened.

"Don't look so sad. Our paths are diverging now, true, but there's no telling where the future will lead us. Besides, you won't be alone on this journey. This time you'll have your friends and comrades to help you build a true utopia."

"Yes." Temujin gave a small nod, then drew his eyes across the deck to his many friends and comrades. For so long he'd existed as a lone scout, working to achieve Haido's mission no matter the cost. Now he had his friends at his side. He had real comrades. Now…

"I'll do it the right way this time," he said. "Together, with them, I know we'll be able to change things. It will be difficult, but…" He exhaled a short laugh, then turned his smile to Amaririsu. "Fixing the world was never going to be easy."

Amaririsu smiled again. "It'll be a real drag, but I like a challenge."

He could feel the farewell coming. He could all but see the hourglass of their time together reaching its final grains of sand. It was now or never.

"Amaririsu… Thank you," he said sincerely. "For challenging my views and refusing to give up on me. For saving my friends. For saving me. Thank you. I owe you a debt I cannot repay."

"You don't owe me anything, Temujin. Friends don't owe those kinds of debts."

Temujin opened his mouth, stopped, and felt his lips twist into a sad smile.

"I know it's impossible and selfish, but I wish you would join us."

"We both have paths we must walk," she replied gently.

"I know." And he did know. "Still, I feel if you were by my side I would never lose my way… Ah! Hey!"

He covered his forehead with his hand as Amaririsu retracted her fingers.

"You'll be fine," she said, and felt that it might be true. "You don't need me physically near to stay true to yourself. Our bond will always connect us." She gestured her hand to him and then herself. "The connections we form with friends, family, comrades, they can transcend distance, they even transcend the physical world.

"So, whenever you need me, I'll be there in spirit. As long as you keep moving forward, I'll be moving right beside you. That's a promise."

Amaririsu reached her hand out to him. "Let's both do our best, Temujin. And promise to meet again someday."

He still wished she could join them. He still wished for more time, but…

Temujin smiled and clasped her small hand warmly in both of his. "I promise. Until then, take care, Amaririsu."

"You, too, Temujin."

Their ship departed not long after for the Land of Water, but with a longer voyage laid out before them.

A voyage back to their homeland.

Temujin stood on the promenade deck, feeling the sea breeze and listening to the sea split around the vessel, eyes drawn towards the bow, and the blue horizon waiting beyond it.

What awaits us will be difficult. It may even seem impossible. But long as we keep getting up, as long as we keep reaching out, as long as we keep moving forward, together this time, we'll be able to accomplish what others deemed impossible.

Temujin smiled.

Right, Amaririsu?

---

Review Response to Guest: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Definitely got a bit intense.

The injury she recieved was form the blast of the Gelel stone. I think there's a line around when she's climbing off Temujin that a deep fissure was split open from her abdomen, across her chest, and through her shoulder, hence why she was bleeding all over the place.

There are an infinite number of possibilities and worlds, so I'd say yep, the canon world exists somewhere. I might explore it someday, I might not. I haven't really decided.

We'll see probably glimpses here and there of the other Haya's world and history, though I can't promise a more in depth look beyond what we've already seen.

Not wrong to see Temujin having a crush on her.

I know the name of the series, and that it has good music, but not much else.

Obviously I can't speak to your friends plans or reasons, but maybe he had a specific reason why he chose the mother instead that he didn't mention. Like he lost his mother and writing it for the character, whether reasonable or not, is a way of handling it? Or maybe that was just his original idea, and though the lover makes more sense, again I don't know the series, he may just not be ready to suddenly change something that may have been a part of a major plot point he thought of. That may contribute to why it bothers him, though I can't say with any certainty.

Maybe the ceo stole the limo? Maybe someone kind or sympathetic lended it to him? Maybe he didn't think that far ahead and having mistakes pointed out to him makes him feel stupid, which leads to a defensive state. If he's never really shared his stories with others, having critiques is going to be a new experience, and how those critiques are given really will have an effect on how he reacts. Even if its really kind, he may shell up and defend everything as if its his child.

Also, another thought to consider, though he asked you to help co write it, it may be that he still expected it to be his story. Writing, at least to me, is a very solitary thing. It's not a team effort. It's a solo hobby. You get to sit back, turn off the world, open your imagination and go to places far outside of the real world. And you're the god of those worlds, as weird as that is to say. So, though you may be trying to help him improve, which seems to be the case, it may come across that you're trying to write your story as opposed to his story when you give critiques and ideas. If that makes sense. I could be wrong. But its something you two would need to sit down and talk about, and try to figure out where the sort of friction is coming from. But, as an outsider, you may need to try not to be as blunt. He seems like an introvert, which I can empathize with, and introverts don't enjoy any level of confrontation. Though he may also just be stubborn. I don't know him so I can't say for sure. Also, writing may be the one thing in his life he has control of, so, as I said before, being critical of it can feel like being critical of him at a core level.

It's a difficult thread to walk. You seem to be earnestly trying to help. You just may need to alter the method you try through.

Yeah, Orochimaru and the reaper mask made me kind of scratch my head and wonder why he didn't just go get it earlier in the series if he knew it was there the whole time. Not like he couldn't have brought another body to switch into to replace the zetsu he used.

We'll have to see how Amari grows with any potential gentle fist stuff. She's watched Neji and Hinata fight with the Sharingan, so anything is possible.

There's no limit to what Amari may or may not learn. Her teacher is the man who copied a thousand Justus. Who's to say she won't do the same.

Is there actually a 20 tails now? Uh, I'm not sure where it ranks in all of that. I sort of see the Gelel life energy as a separate source of power from chakra and all the Otsutsuki stuff, and I never really gave it thought beyond what lore I added to it since, well, its gone now.

Anyway, thank you for the review!

Review Response to NarutoFan: Happy to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! The puppets honestly used to give me the creeps when I was younger. The noise especially. Sound design for Naruto was honestly awesome.

Temujin is set on his new path now. One more stop for him before he returns home. Lot of healing and soul searching in this last chapter with Amari's help.

Glad you enjoyed Amari's trip into The Beyond and seeing her other selves, as well as Yukiko, Ryu and Shisui. Yeah, Haya's history was quite the tragic tale, but I honestly loved delving into the concept.

I had so many ideas for who could help them. I considered Kushina, Itachi, Minato, other versions of Amari who had fallen in love with each of them in different worlds, and so many others, but then I figured who better to remind them and offer guidance towards the future than older versions of themselves? Either way, happy you enjoyed it.

As for your advice on writing, it's probably not helpful, but I didn't write any format or table of contents or anything to prepare for this story. I just had a dream of Amari and a bunch of Shadow Clones performing the Majestic Destroyer Flame to I think either Sasuke(Bad guy version) or Madara, and I was like "ah ha! I must write a Naruto fanfic about this character! And she'll be Shisui's cousin, and Itachi will spare her, and she'll have the Sharingan and Byakugan, because that sounds so awesome! Oh, and she'll romance Tenten because she deserved more screen time and she's totally second best girl, and since I'll never deviate canon she can't romance Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, Naruto, or anyone else with a pairing. And it won't take me long at all!"

And thus I grabbed my cd sets of Naruto, plugged them in, and started writing. Ah, six or eight years ago me was so innocent. So naive. Jumping into a long series with zero forethought.

Now, with my tragic origin story out of the way, and seeing as it isn't helpful in the slightest to your question, let me offer advice I hope will help from wiser present day me.

Now then, I could afford to jump into Naruto with zero forethought for two reasons: First, I had the cds on hand, so I had access to the world and its lore and its episodes at all times. The episodes and canon timeline were my safety net. My structure and foundation. All I had to do was insert Amari into the scenarios and figure out how she would react, how others reacted to her, and, back at the start, how to make her seem super ahead of everyone, awesome, and cute, and in doing so I sort of made a lot of mistakes in how I paced her strength and concepts. Like creating sixty or however many Shadow Clones so early to prove she was strong and had powerful chakra, which initially was over a hundred in the original draft, or her little fan club, which I still find funny because it torments her in such a comedic way, but I can see how it would be off-putting now or trying to shove the idea that she's too adorable into the readers face.

Second, I had somewhat reliable internet then. Somewhat being the keyword. So if I needed to look up something about chakra or jutsus or character appearances, I could hop onto the fandom page and figure it out. I also chose not to adhere to canon in certain ways because I thought something would be cool or interesting.

That allowed me to just jump into the deep end with zero structure. Would I advise this for anyone else? Depends. Generally, no. But there are writers who don't preplan anything, and might lose motivation to write the story because of preplanning. It's not an either or thing, though, generally. From what I've researched and listened to from other writers, it's like a spectrum. I now like to write what I need to do in the next chapter in a section I literally label What I need to do. And then I'll write out the main points I want to hit in a chapter. And then I write with those points in mind. I think of it like a skeleton. The main points are the bones, the base structure, and then everything I do from there is adding the muscles, organs, tissues, and everything else to create the final product.

That's how I do it now, though. I plan most of the story in my mind. When it comes time to write a chapter, though, I write down the main points, then figure out the rest as I go, trusting in the characters to get me where I'm trying to get. Whether this works for you or not is something you'll have to discover about yourself.

I'm not sure what world you're going into, but if its anything as big as Naruto, in terms of episode count or number of movies, like Marvel, or a world like Harry Potter, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, it's good to understand how vast the world is, and that writing it will require dedication and time you have to be willing to give. I underestimated the length of this story. Like, a lot.

So, from what you know of the world, make what preparations you feel are necessary.

For instance, I figure out my main characters appearances and generally idea of their history before I begin to get an idea of their personality and motivations. I add to their history as I go. For example, I had the idea for Yukiko and a My Hero story a while back, so I wrote down a very bare bones, general idea of her appearance, her Quirk, and a general timeline of the events leading up to the first day at U.A. but nothing of her personality or her friendships, or anything really in depth. Everything in the My Hero arc we discovered about Yukiko was a lot me discovering her and her version of the My Hero world for the first time.

I think I work best with very light planning. It allows me flexibility and doesn't make me feel like I've already written the entire story. I get to discover it as I go, and that's so much fun, for me.

I also haven't finished a story before posting, which, honestly, isn't the greatest habit. Fortunately, I happen to hold a great love for the series I've written for, but obligation to a posting schedule can, and has at times in other stories I've written, made writing it a drag. Obligation is the death of fun, and writing should be fun.

Now I'd probably advise trying to finish it first. Even if it takes years before posting. Or try to, at the very least, get as close to the end as you can before posting. Because you will likely go back and change things, tweak things, and then you'll have to make those changes to the rest of your story as you edit it, which happened to me in this story, and its difficult to post, edit old chapters, make changes, and still move forward in the story all at once. That's how I ended up catching up to myself and I went from posting once every week to our current schedule. Not good for nerves if stress is something you are susceptible to.

For most of the stories I've completed, and for this one as well, I tend to have a general idea of how I want to end it. Using a different fanfic I wrote as an example to avoid spoilers for this, in the story Stolen Hearts, I knew I wanted Commander Shepard to retire from the Alliance, I knew I wanted her to end up getting a happily ever after with her love interest Kasumi Goto, but the finer details of the epilogue, where they ended up settling down, the family they started, and so on, I had no idea until I wrote it. Same thing for Tattooed Hearts. I knew I wanted the characters to get their happily ever after, and based on one-shots I had written and details from the Stolen Hearts epilogue I had a general idea of what their situation was like at the same time, but the scene itself, details large and small from the setting, to the dialogue, to the interactions, all was created in the moment as I wrote it.

So, I know the general idea of how I want something to end, but not the finer details. And things can change. This story was truly going to follow canon when I first thought of it. She wasn't related to Madara at that time, I don't think. Just Shisui. Sasuke was still going to join Orochimaru. She probably would've stayed in the Leaf. Mimi and Aoko didn't exist. Hikari didn't exist. Aimi didn't exist. Haruhi and Natsumi didn't exist. The Crows didn't exist. So preplanning isn't my forte. Not in depth, anyway. You might find a structure preferable, though. It's different for everyone.

I'm not sure if any of this was helpful. I am always open to trying to help and give what advice I can, though I'm not sure I'm all that great at it. But a few final pieces of advice I can think of right now for writing a story for a large world.

Never be afraid to look up the lore if you have access to it. Unless you're writing your own lore, at which point that's a different conversation altogether.

Never be afraid to change things.

Try to finish before posting to save yourself from stress.

Preplan the necessities. From there, it's up to you to discover how deep the planning needs to go. Your comfort in writing the story and your motivation to write it depending on how much you plan will vary.

Have fun. Writing is supposed to be fun. It is challenging, but it shouldn't feel like an obligation. And no one starts out writing masterpieces, no one starts out being amazing at anything. Just keep writing and you'll see yourself improve.

That's all I've got for now. If you have any other questions about writing, feel free to ask. Oh, also use resources online to learn about grammer and punctuation if you need to. I certainly did at the start. I still do to refresh my memory on it when I feel like I've forgotten the proper use of certain punctuations. There's plenty of free and safe resources online for that.

Anyway, thanks for the review!

Review Response to camobear: Glad to hear you loved the last chapter! I'm happy you enjoyed the trip to The Beyond, and Amari certainly has gained some things from their connection. We'll see how much more she has retained as we go.

Get yourself a hat and with a nice feather and you shall be the captain of the HaKari ship, thou spake the shipping gods!

Anyway, thanks for the review!