Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: So, here goes another one. For any "Oath" readers, it's currently going through a number of revisions, especially on the earlier chapters.

The Fourth Hokage is my father. Even a week later, it was nothing short of amazing. Almost unbelievable. Naruto flipped the three-pronged kunai in the air, catching it with a practiced hand just as the minute hand on the clock ticked into midnight. Surely anyone who learned what he'd learned could be excused for feeling a bit distracted. Now if only he could convince Iruka of that without completely going back on his word (and triggering a certain seal). Then again, his sensei still probably wouldn't accept "I found out my father was actually the Hokage who sealed away the Kyuubi" as an excuse anyway. The man needed to loosen up a bit.

"How do you keep getting in here? Sneaky bastard, aren't you." He glanced to his left in the nearly pitch-black room, where Danzou now leaned against the far wall beside one of his cabinets.

"You noticed my presence so early? Impressive. Watching silently from the shadows is a specialty that ROOT has come to master. It wouldn't hurt for you to take after our example."

"So what're you here for?" He caught the kunai once more before setting it beside his alarm clock and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, dragging himself up to sit in a relaxed position. "Any other life-changers up your sleeves?"

"I may have a few. But I wish to ask you a few questions of my own before giving you any further information." Naruto cocked his head to the side as Danzou flipped on the lights, and gave the older man a once-over while his eyes adjusted to the change.

"Eh, seems fair enough. Guess I owe you for the last one anyway."

"That sense of fair play could get you into a great deal of trouble someday."

If only he knew how true those words could be.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"What do you know of the Uchiha Clan?" Naruto drew back as if stung. He knew the guy was in some kind of underground organization, so he must have been looking for something specific about the clan. Maybe something that a friend of the child of said clan's head might know.

"…You, uh, you mean the ones with the freaky eyes right? The ones they make go all red and weird, and they have that goofy symbol, and th—"

"I'm not asking you to play these games of yours. Make no mistake, attempting to distract me, to play the fool—it is a fine strategy. Well…it would have been, were I another of the mindless drones who cannot see beyond what they wish to see. You are far more cunning than most give you credit for, Uzumaki Naruto. The Hokage has realized this. I have realized this. Refuse to answer or tell me the truth, I can accept either, but do not waste my time."

"Uchiha, huh? I know that Sasuke's dad is in charge. They act like they're the best clan in the village, kind of like a lot of those Hyuuga guys. Don't know if it's true, but a lot of people say they've got some of the strongest fighters in the village, so maybe it is. Or I guess it could just be people talking. These are the same people who say that I am the stupid fox, you know, so they might just not understand it. And…Uchiha Madara was the big leader of theirs around the First Hokage's time. They have a special Kekkei Genkai that makes their eyes do that thing they do. I think I've heard people call it the Sharingan."

"So you have a basic understanding of the clan." Danzou absently tapped at the scar on his chin, visibly unimpressed. "But most of that is common knowledge among shinobi of our village. That's good. Is there anything else?"

"Like?"

"Fighting styles, internal conflicts, political preferences, and generally anything of significant use."

Well, there it was. For someone so skilled at subtlety and manipulating things from the shadows, one would think he would occasionally seem less…straightforward. Or maybe it was just him. If he'd really been watching, he must have realized that Uzumaki Naruto did not respond well to beating around the bush.

"…I can't tell you about the clan, but I know Sasuke's good with shuriken. He has really good Taijutsu skills, and he's mostly learning fire techniques. I know that they use a certain fire jutsu for some kind of initiation thing when a kid gets old enough, so I'd guess that's what most of them have for a nature affinity. And his parents are really strict on training. Their last son was a lot like that too, from what I hear."

"Good. Very good."

"Any reason you're pumping me for information that you already seem to know?"

"…Some time ago, you came upon a rather unpleasant scene near the Nakano River. Ever since that moment, I began observing you far more closely than before. It is only after these observations, and our previous agreement regarding your seal, that I felt it would be for the best if you knew the circumstances of that night."

"Huh? What are you on about?" What does Itachi have to do with this? Could stopping Itachi have changed something he didn't expect? Had he made some kind of move already? He hadn't thought that he might actually speed things up. No, no. Just relax. You don't even know what he's talking about yet.

"Some guy was getting attacked and Fuzzy-chan went nuts."

"Uchiha Itachi was one of my operatives." Naruto couldn't help the way his eyes widened, the way everything in the room had gone silent and still.

"Ah yes, I see you recognize the name. I admit, when I told him of his mission, I didn't expect him to begin so soon. Certainly not in such a public location."

"His…his mission?" Was Danzou really saying what he thought he was? The Third Hokage wouldn't have accepted that. Konoha's leaders wouldn't have ordered something like that.

"That night, I went to the Third Hokage's office to make him see reason. The Uchiha Clan needed to be dealt with."

"What do you mean dealt with? Are you out of your freaking mind?" Eliminating an entire clan! What could he have possibly been thinking? How could they expect to get away with something like that? But then…they had gotten away with it. In his future, they'd…

"And so you've begun jumping to conclusions, just like a child. Perhaps you are not as mature as I believed."

Shut up! "Mature? You're telling me you wanted to slaughter Sasuke and Shisui's whole family! An entire clan full of innocent people!" And he snorted. The monster was actually amused at what he was saying, what he was talking about doing.

"Innocent people…is that what you truly believe?"

Naruto had to pause at that. Uchiha Madara. He was part of the Uchiha. And he'd always thought that Itachi was some kind of monster, and sure some of them had been just as mean to him as the other villagers.

So…"I mean maybe not innocent, not all of them, but it's not like they deserved what you're talking about." Just because they weren't all good didn't suddenly mean that they needed to die. Even if a few of them were true monsters, that shouldn't have condemned the entire clan. Danzou only sighed, and Naruto felt a tinge of anger at how disappointed he sounded, as if he'd expected Naruto to agree with him on the whole thing.

"I was mistaken. You were not prepared for this. But since I doubt you'll just let this go…"

Damn right I'm not letting it go, you one-eyed bastard!

"…allow me to grant you a brief experience in the real world of shinobi." He'd heard that line before from others, people like Zabuza, who just viewed people in terms of tools. Weapons, like he and Haku and Gaara and so many others were supposed to be.

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"Ten years ago, Uchiha Madara attacked this village with the Kyuubi. How strange, I found it, that the majority of the Uchiha were completely absent that night. How coincidental that on the night of the attack—an attack at the hands of a being which all historical records indicate could be manipulated by the Sharingan, a bloodline trait unique to the Uchiha Clan, and that was often employed by Madara—their clan full of elite warriors took almost no part whatsoever in such a conflict. And so I ensured that a loyal agent of this village, a young but immensely talented boy who was trusted implicitly by the Uchiha, would act as a spy for the Hokage and I within their ranks."

No. He must have been lying. If Itachi was a spy, then he would have known what was going on. He could have told Danzou that he was mistaken. But at the same time, if this man was telling the truth, then what did that mean? What did it mean for the Itachi he'd know, the Sasuke he'd known?

"What are you saying?"

"Would you like to know what he discovered?"

No. "Yes."

"The heads of the Uchiha Clan were displeased that we had kept such a close eye on them after the Kyuubi's attack. Certain members were affronted that anyone would dare question their status in the village. Certain members…" His eye opened by just a fraction, his image somehow terrifying despite his elderly features. "Were planning to begin a coup d'état."

The truth pierced him with more force than the Chidori ever had.

"This is…no. No, you're lying." He'd wanted to go back to the lie. Go back to the world where Uchiha Itachi was just some monster, where his village couldn't have done something so utterly horrible. "They wouldn't have…"

"Believe what you wish, but Itachi never gave us reason to doubt his word. They were fully prepared to hold a violent revolt against this village, and to seize control. With each passing day, they swayed more and more of their clansmen to the cause."

And he should have realized it, should have seen something wrong. If not in Itachi and Sasuke, then in Shisui. He should have been able to tell on those rare days when Shisui wouldn't be able to spend time with him, or Sasuke, or anyone else because he was so obviously troubled, but played it off with the same air of cheer and invincibility that Naruto himself had used for so many years before people began to honestly accept him.

"You could have talked it out. You could've done something, anything but what you're telling me." There was still the old man. He must have been against it. He wouldn't have, couldn't have agreed to what Danzou was suggesting. But through his calm exterior, his almost pitying sigh, Naruto could see that Danzou was telling the truth. He felt neither regret nor compassion, but it was the simple, honest truth all the same.

"You think we simply leapt into the decision? That other options were not considered first? The Third Lord Hokage did attempt to reach a peaceful solution. To do otherwise is not in his nature." For a brief moment, even knowing there was more to the story, Naruto felt the pressure in his chest lighten somewhat. Of course he wouldn't. The old man was kind, loving. He would never resort to killing if there were other options.

"He knew the strong feelings the Uchiha were experiencing. Understood them well. That ability to understand and sympathize with others is what has made him such a beloved leader. He knew the plots they were considering. He tried to negotiate…but those negotiations were failing. They refused to give any ground of their own. No matter how he may have tried to come to an agreement, they were unwilling to do the same. And so I made a decision."

"You ordered him to kill them all." It wasn't necessary, but to actually speak the words…it was real, somehow. In the same way that telling himself, out loud, that his father was Minato Namikaze had become real, so to had the undeniable truth: Uchiha Itachi had never betrayed Konohagakure no Sato. He had served it loyally until the bitter end, at the hands of his very own brother.

"Yes." The silence was almost painful, and then: "You wish to be Hokage, do you not?"

"Well, yeah." The question caught him off guard. "It's always been a dream of mine."

"Then let me ask you: Did you think it would be easy? That it was simply a matter of being stronger and faster than everyone else? That it was all about receiving respect?"

"No, of course not, but—"

"The Hokage must sometimes make the decision between what is easy, and what is necessary for the greater good of the village. Was my choice the pleasant one? No. But if the destruction of a single clan can prevent the outbreak of a civil war—a war that would no doubt be viewed as a weakness to be preyed upon by our enemies in other lands—then I would not hesitate to make that same decision again. Would the Hokage have agreed? Perhaps not on that night, no, but if it came down to subduing a rebellion and doing what was nice, even he would choose the former."

Naruto could understand that. It pained him to say it, but on some level, the older Shinobi was right in a twisted way. If it came to the village or killing someone else, then he would choose the village. He had chosen the village. He'd been perfectly prepared to kill Gaara, or Orochimaru, or those from the Akatsuki, and even now he harbored a desire to end the life of Uchiha Madara.

But…"The entire clan? It just seems…It's so wrong. They couldn't all be in on it."

"It is unlikely that they were. Some were too old, others too young, others too unreliable in battle. However, you must understand that there was only one way to ensure that they would never become a threat again."

"Well I don't understand!" He could feel his voice cracking, throat dry from the bursts of angered speech since their argument began. Why couldn't the man just feel something? No matter what he said, he was just—just so damned calm about the entire matter, as though they were discussing the weather over tea, rather than the slaughter of an entire bloodline.

"You have no experience in this field, so I should not be surprised that you're unable to see the bigger picture. Individual clans are not forgiving. Even if we were only to kill those who were directly responsible for commanding the rebellion, hatred and contempt would fester among those who survived them. Emotions lead to hatred. Hatred leads to violence and war. These things birth stronger, deadlier emotions, and create a cycle of hatred. This cycle is a storm, a force of nature, impossible to stop once it has begun to rage in earnest. And the Uchiha…they have detested those who followed the Senju—the clan of the First and Second Lord Hokages—for many generations. Even now, many live among them in whom resentment towards this village lingers still. Truly, they are a clan of avengers."

A clan of…That much, he could tell, was true. But Sasuke had always had a reason, a purpose for seeking his vengeance. Itachi had murdered his family, disgraced the Uchiha name, taken his childhood. If Sasuke knew that Itachi was innocent, that it was all ordered by—And that's when it hit him. What if Sasuke had known? He'd killed Itachi. When the Raikage had called for the summit that would never meet, reports from representatives of their village had placed Sasuke in Akatsuki colors. When he'd arrived to join the battle with Madara, Naruto had simply dismissed them as rumors. But even if only for a moment, they had spoken, and Sasuke had seemed so familiar with the older Uchiha…

Had he been there to avenge his brother? Was it Madara he wished to destroy, or Konoha? Or did he want to destroy everything?

"However, I do not believe it is necessary any longer. I suppose I have you to thank for that, which is why I wanted you to know the entire story." The words broke Naruto free of his memories, and the confusion must have shown on his face, because Danzou launched into an explanation.

"Your intervention was…unexpected. Itachi was believed to be among the most loyal members of the clan. He and Shisui were unquestionably among the most talented in their ranks. Itachi's betrayal was demoralizing, and only served to reinforce Shisui's loyalty to Konoha upon realizing that Itachi had become a 'traitor' to our village. They knew that we knew of their plans. They knew that their two most skilled warriors were no longer at their side." He tapped a few fingers against the sword he was always leaning on idly, something Naruto was beginning to interpret as an indication that the older man was pleased with something.

"They also realized that Shisui now owed you a debt, and that for whatever reason, you had chosen to protect him. The implication is that his loyalty is yours, and vice versa, meaning that facing Konoha would mean facing both Shisui of the Body Flicker and the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Neither Sarutobi nor I could have arranged such a perfectly efficient and bloodless solution. Truly, it was an unprecedented convenience."

"Well, glad I could be a useful little convenience for you."

"There is no need for the hostility. The pleasure of knowing you halted a massacre and full-scale war without the slightest bit of spilled blood through sheer force of luck is likely offset by everything else I've told you."

"Y-yeah, well…" If he was trying to play to his ego, then it wasn't going to work. Not totally. The way he worded it did sound pretty impressive.

"You are correct though. I will not lie; you are a tool to me."

"Glad to know I'm so loved."

"It isn't a personal matter. You hold an incredible amount of power within you. That power acts as a balance between the Five Great Nations. The more powerful the Jinchuuriki, the less willing others are to attack the village holding that Jinchuuriki. All shinobi are but tools in the hands of politicians and commanders. Even Hiruzen, for all his kindness, must steel himself and use Konohagakure's numbers, jutsu, and any other advantage as weapons against our enemies. The difference is that he is willing to invest in personal attachments to his tools, whereas I am—"

"A cold, heartless monster?"

"In simpler terms, yes, that is precisely what I am."

"So what, you pan to make me one of your tools now? Use me like one of your own shinobi?"

"Use you as a tool? Certainly."

"It's really hard not to hate your guts, you know that?"

"So I've heard. Regardless, I will not treat you as I do my own men. Even if Hiruzen would stand for it, and he would not, I doubt I could truly train you as an operative of ROOT. You're too old, your individual beliefs and feelings to thoroughly engraved upon your heart. I would, however, present you with the offer to serve as an agent of mine outside of the organization."

"Two words: Fu—"

"Once again, you jump to conclusions. If you wish to be Hokage one day, you should consider the option of listening to an offer in its entirety before simply dismissing it." Danzou had a point. He couldn't ignore the thought that it sucked, but the truth was that the man was good at making points when it suited him, and they were frighteningly logical. Then again, considering this whole "emotionless tool" mindset, maybe that should've been expected.

"Fine, fine. I'll listen to your stupid offer."

"I have already told you about your father." Naruto pouted at that and mumbled out a not-so-heartfelt thanks, which Danzou acknowledged with a nod.

"And I have already placed that seal on you." This time the nod was Naruto's. Admittedly, not one of his most well thought out decisions. Still, what was done was done, and Danzou was being remarkably patient, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to lighten up. He could go back to hating the man once he'd had more time to let the whole "Itachi isn't really a psychopath" thing sink in.

"You would, upon graduation, occasionally have to complete a mission or task on behalf of ROOT. Being only an unofficial associate you, like any Jonin of Konohagakure, would have the option to refuse these tasks without repercussion. While most of ROOT's goals require things that you would likely frown upon, there are a number of issues my men have to deal with that take away their time, but which I'm sure you would find acceptable."

"What am I getting out of this? And where's the catch?" The deal seemed reasonable enough so far. Which was exactly the problem, considering the man who was offering it.

"You would receive training. You have been taught enough by your current teachers that I'm sure only supplementary Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu would be necessary. This training would consist of other skills utilized by ROOT and the ANBU Black Ops: Infiltration, interrogation, tracking, surveillance, assassination, basic medical training…all unofficial, but far more advanced than anything they teach you at the academy. As I understand it, you cut more than a few of those classes anyway."

Hey, that's not…Okay, that was actually pretty spot-on. Class attendance had never been one of his bigger priorities. He was more into the fun things, like turning the Hokage Monument into the world's biggest graffiti wall.

"I'm still waiting for that catch." There had to be something more.

"I will not ask you to overthrow the Hokage, or put this village at risk. Neither would suit my purposes. The Third Hokage is not fond of ROOT, but he knows of our existence and acknowledges the necessity of an organization to take care of the village's less respectable matters. Threatening the village is the polar opposite of our objective. Both would only serve to turn the opinion of our people against this organization. What I ask of you is simple, yet may seem impossible at the same time."

"What is it?"

"There is an organization that threatens the stability of the entire shinobi world, and the Five Great Nations in particular. This organization is led by none other than Uchiha Madara himself. I am uncertain of their exact goals and methods, but the world will not be able to stand against him divided as it is. What we need…is the unification of all the Great Nations. My condition is not one that I could truly enforce, if you wish to break it. I am growing old. I cannot be certain that I will see the end of whatever may come. What I request of you in return is this: Make a genuine attempt to understand ROOT's methods and principles, and when the time comes, be prepared to put the good of the whole over the good of the individual." He opened his remaining eye to meet Naruto's own gaze, the younger boy bewildered that the man would request this of all things.

"Are these conditions acceptable?"

Storms had never been a problem for Temari. The sounds of pattering rain above her head, here in her room, didn't bother her in the slightest. Nor was she bothered by the flash of light, or the rumble of thunder that followed seconds later. This kind of activity was far from common in Sunagakure, and if anything they were more of an enjoyable relief from the immense heat of the average day. Their occasional appearances were actually quite useful during the night, as was the case for this particular rain, as the sounds were almost always able to lull her into a peaceful sleep.

That is, at least, until Kankuro became frightened enough to storm into her room and beg to come into bed with her. He was a teenage boy. He had his pride. However, it had become apparent some time ago that he drew the line at the appearance of a certain natural phenomenon: Thunderstorms. A childhood fear that he'd yet to outgrow, even now they could send him diving for cover, trembling with terror the whole way. Of course, it would be far easier to get her sympathy if he would just man up and admit it instead of insisting on these ridiculous excuses. Especially if she even so much as insinuated that he was…

"Hey, don't treat me like some kind of baby!" Aaaannnnd there it is. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't scared of the stagh!"

A crash of thunder interrupted his boasts, the vibration of the walls sending him leaping under the covers next to his big sister. Yes, there were limits to even Kankuro's stubborn bravado, and those limits were just trampled over in the most obvious way possible. With a roll of the eyes and a sigh, she scooted over to give him more room.

"Fine, fine, you can hide in here."

"I'm not hiding!" It would have been more convincing if it wasn't muffled from under the oh-so-powerful protection of the blankets.

"Of course not. You're just waiting for another lightning bolt so you can spring a surprise strike from under the covers. And your annoyed sister." His head popped out for a moment, face drawn into a scowl.

"I thought it might've scared you and you'd need a big tough guy nearby to make it better."

"Oh, I'm just trembling. Whatever would I do without my valiant little brother to save me from the great and terrible storm?"

"Yeah, just like that! That's how it is!"

"Whatever." She rolled on to her side, away from her brother and towards the door. "Good gr-g-Gaara, what are you doing here?"

He stood in the entrance, cocking his head at her question. It took a moment to realize that he might have taken offense at the wording and immediately moved to correct it.

"Not that we don't want you here, it's just-I mean-Well, you normally go off somewhere alone at night, don't you?"

"I was…" His eyes rolled over the slightly trembling form under the covers, latched onto their rather aggravated sister as though his life depended on it. "Scared of the storm."

He was pretty certain that he'd never seen a look quite that skeptical before in his life, and most definitely never from Temari.

"You were scared." Her voice completely deadpanned. "You're telling me that you, Gaara of the Sand, were afraid of the storm. The same kind of storm that you, Gaara of the Sand, have sat around on the roof to watch more times than anyone can count."

"…Yes."

"S-see sis? Gaara's here because he wants me to watch out for him too, just like you did! H-h-he's scared of the thunder just like I figured you would be!"

"Yeah right, Kankuro."

"…Right."

Temari stared blankly at the redhead as he moved to the other side of the shaking boy, set his gourd by the edge of the bed, and slowly slid down next to him. While Kankuro didn't latch on to the younger boy as he did his sister, the amount of nervous jittering from the brunette had dropped considerably the moment that Gaara touched the mattress. So maybe Kankuro wasn't quite used to this newer, less homicidal Gaara. But in his terrified twelve year old mind the homicidal sand demon housed inside their possibly psychotic little brother was infinitely less terrifying than the perfectly harmless sound; one that resulted from something that would have to surpass astronomical odds to harm them in their current location. Was there ever a family as dysfunctional as theirs?

Figures. But what's this crap about being scared? Gaara's never-and that's when it hit her. She must've been too tired to notice it before, but as her mind began to clear the haze of sleep, the answer became clear with it. If everything up to this point hadn't confirmed her suspicions, what she'd just seen was the last push needed to finally brace the notion in her mind. Gaara wasn't afraid of storms. He hadn't been afraid of, well, much of anything in his entire life. She wasn't afraid of them either. Kankuro, on the other hand, was downright terrified of the phenomena. Kankuro wasn't as afraid with Gaara there, likely because his sand was nigh impenetrable when he wished it so. Gaara knew this. She knew this. Kankuro knew this. Gaara was in her room in the middle of the night during a storm that didn't bother him in the least, and he was there because he knew that Kankuro was frightened—because he knew his presence would change that.

Gaara had gone out of the way during his eternally sleepless nights just to make his brother feel better.

Gaara cared enough to do that for his brother.

"You two should get to sleep." A snore from Kankuro told them he was already there.

Ugh. If he was just going to go to sleep in a few minutes, had this entire event really been worth it?

"…Goodnight, Gaara."

"Hn." Her last sight as she allowed herself to drift to sleep was the image of Gaara staring off into his own little world, face content as she'd ever seen, and the answer was clear.

Yes. Yes it had.

When she awoke several hours later, the storm long since passed, he was gone. She dragged herself out of bed, knowledge from previous stormy nights telling her that once he actually managed to get to sleep, Kankuro would probably all but toss himself off the other side of the bed. Maybe it just made sense. He definitely couldn't go to the Kazekage, and Gaara was out of the question (Up until these last few weeks, anyway), so he went to the closest thing he had to a mother.

But if he's still dragging himself over to my place once I'm old enough to move out, he better expect an ass-kicking, storm or no. Oh, who was she kidding? With the way he looked up to her (And she knew he did, no matter how he tried to play it off), she'd baby the man until her dying day. But for now, it was her other brother that was grabbing her attention. The storm was over, and he always seemed to lose interest once the rain stopped falling. Even the way he was, there had always been some childish fascination with the rain, she assumed because of his unnatural connection to the desert through his sand.

Might as well start with the obvious. His room. It wasn't as though he had anywhere else to go, save for his odd disappearances into the desert every now and then, and for all his curiosity about the rain he was rarely inclined to go out into the sands afterwards. She gave a light knock on his door, opening it with an ease that surprised even her. She was getting far too used to not-homicidal Gaara.

"Gaara, are you…in…?" What in the world? the wall directly across from the entrance was smothered in papers. Maps, official reports, profiles of Suna shinobi, and countless other documents that probably shouldn't have been taken from their places. She strode in without thinking, eyes dancing from piece to piece as she tried to decipher what her little brother had been up to.

"I've been visiting the archives often in these last few weeks." She jumped as the rough, light voice spoke from her left. "There are…more."

"More?" Is he talking about…?

"More. Like me. Jinchuuriki. Hosts to the beasts. It should have been obvious from the start." A dry chuckle slipped past his lips. "Nine exist, yet there are no reports of attacks more than perhaps once or twice in a generation. Of course they were being sealed."

"So this is what's been, um…" Would suggesting that he'd been acting strangely annoy him?

"You've noticed it, haven't you? My actions lately have not been normal. They confuse you. Make you nervous. I can see it in your eyes each day." She couldn't deny that it was true. But the question wasn't if she felt that way, but rather whether or not feeling that way would be offensive.

"I'm not—that is, I didn't mean to—"

"There's no need for that, Temari." She went silent. The other words had barely registered, hardly made any sense at all, but her name was clear and simple. Nothing could have prepared her for those that followed. "I won't hurt you. Never again. Not while this body remains mine. I'm…sorry."

And that was it. He said it. Actually said the words. Gaara was many things—sadistic, violent, insane, prone to fits of rage—but a liar had never been one of them. It wasn't just her imagination, wasn't just a string of coincidences, wasn't just a flicker of hope in the back of her mind that maybe, just maybe, he was becoming more stable. It was solid, and it was real. Gaara felt something for her. Maybe it was love. Maybe it was like. Maybe it was one of the thousands of other things it could have been. What mattered was that, for whatever reason, her…brother…didn't hate her.

"Not what you expected? I'm not surprised. My entire life, I've been little more than a tool for the Kazekage, for the village. With nothing to kill, I had no reason to exist. I wonder…how many of them feel the same?"

"Them? You mean the others like you?"

"Hm. These," He raised his arms to the maps and reports lining the walls "are their known locations. Iwa. Kumo. Konoha. Kiri. Taki. Their identities are more difficult to come by. Most of those who have had contact with them are dead. Those who aren't…they have aged greatly." Their information would very likely be out of date.

"Do you…I mean, would you want to meet them? If you could?"

"Yes."

"You know the Kazekage wouldn't stand for that. I mean, he only even lets us out of the village for missions, or for trips like we had to Konoha. And that was just because we had to get ready for the exams coming up."

"I know. But someday…I will."

And somehow, she knew that he would. Because no matter how different he might have been lately, one thing about Gaara hadn't changed: When he wanted something, truly desired it, then it was as good as his.

"And how did he react?" His voice was light, raspy, far more so than usual. This body was failing him already. Yet another prediction far more true than could have been natural.

"Exactly as you predicted Orochimaru-sama. A simple Genjutsu for any specialist to break, or at least, easy for for one who already knew that it was coming." Kabuto finished his examination of the older man and stepped back from the bed. "Have you had any more of these…flashes…lately?"

"No." The response was broken by a surge of watery coughs, a tint of blood forming at the corner of the serpentine man's lips. "They come randomly, fragmented."

"Yet they've proven rather accurate so far." The words drew a smile to the older shinobi's face. Even in his weakened state it would appear he never ceased to continue plotting.

"Yes. And the Second's jutsu, did it work properly?"

"Once again, exactly as you said it would, Orochimaru-sama. I must admit it was incredible to actually see the former Hokages face to face, even if only in that state."

"Yes, they are rather impressive aren't they?"

"Very much so. They'll prove perfect for this scheme of yours, no doubt." He began to back through the open door. His mentor leaned back against the headboard, eyes drifting closed. "Now you should get some rest. I've nearly found a suitable body for the next exchange, and you've been far too active lately as it is given the condition of your last host."

"Patronizing, Kabuto-kun."

"My apologies, Sensei. I've just been feeling a bit energetic lately. I don't know what you saw that convinced you to give me your DNA, but ever since you gave me this—" He lifted his left arm, revealing the shining white, scale-like flesh beneath the sleeve "I've felt more alive than ever, like I have a true purpose now."

"So easily entertained. And so very intent on keeping information from one he claims is his master…is it any wonder I like you so much, Kabuto-kun?"

"I suppose not, Sensei. I'll leave you to your rest."

"Yes, rest…"

As Orochimaru slipped into a dreamless sleep, Kabuto took care to shut the door as silently as possible. He worked his way through the noiseless corridors of yet another of Orochimaru's many bases without bothering to pay attention to his surroundings. By now, finding his way around the maze of pathways was more or less instinct. Tomorrow he needed to examine the rest of the facility's prisoners, see if there were any suitable candidates for the transference ritual. He would need to get Orochimaru another body soon. Perhaps…

"Quite the little actor, eh Yakushi-san?" The gruff, somewhat muffled voice spoke from the darkness ahead of him as he stepped into the laboratory and flipped the lights on. Not even the slightest bit startled, Kabuto smiled cheerfully at the familiarly disguised man.

"It's one of many talents I've been gifted with, my friend."

"Clearly. Is he suspicious?"

"No more so than he always has been. I think he likes it—not knowing exactly what's going on in my head, I mean. He's especially pleased that the meeting with Itachi went as planned."

"That does sound like the Orochimaru I knew."

"Pleasantries aside, the fact that you're here tells me your mission has been concluded, one way or another. What did he think of my offer?"

"The boy was…intrigued. Especially once he saw just what you were capable of providing. I'm going to be working with him for some time, so I'll make sure to keep an eye on his activities while he mulls it over."

"That's good." Kabuto craned his neck, listening to the footsteps from behind him. His guest leaned to look around him, wondering who else might have been there at such an hour. Most of Orochimaru's experiments, at least as far as he was aware, were typically locked away when not serving their master. A young boy quickly appeared in the doorway, no more than twelve at the most, with long white hair split by an odd zigzag pattern and drawn back into a ponytail, as well as two distinct red dots on his forehead.

"Yakushi-sama?"

"Ah, Kimi-kun, so you're back. What do you have for me?"

"I've retrieved what you ordered. It was exactly where you said it would be."

"Another one already? You really are on the move."

"It will still be several years before I can put the true plan into motion, but I suppose you could say things are proceeding at a steady pace so far."

"Yakushi-sama, who…" Kimimaro paused to clear his throat to cover up the informal tone brought on by his surprise. It wasn't every day that his mentor had a guest. "Might I ask who this is?"

"Did I not introduce you? How rude of me. Kimimaro, I would like you to meet an associate of mine. Allow me to introduce to you one of the greatest—if not the greatest—Puppet Masters on the planet: Sasori of the Red Sand."

AN: So…hope you enjoyed the chapter.