Chapter 34: Mangekyō

"W-Where am I?"

Tenten opened her eyes slowly as she sat up. Gazing out into the horizon, she realized she had fallen asleep on top of the Hokage Mountain. Glancing down, she saw that it was Tsunade's sculpture she laid upon. She couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry Tsunade-sama! I mean no disrespect."

"There's no need to say sorry to someone beneath you."

Tenten snapped her head towards the sound of the voice. "You!" Tenten watched as the little boy with one eye walked casually towards her. Pushing herself up to stand, Tenten glared back. "What did you do to me?"

"Not much." The little boy shrugged. "Just placed you in a dream."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Just who are you?"

"A messenger." Came the boy's reply as he placed his hands behind his back, rocking cheerfully on his heels. "He told me to keep you company."

"Who are you taking orders from?"

The little boy shrugged again. "I don't know him. I just do what he tells me to."

Tenten exhaled slowly. "Listen little boy, I don't know what he did to you, but I can help you if you let me."

The little boy chuckled in mirth. "Help me? But I'm fine." He paused to look out into the city. "You should worry about yourself more."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. She knew something didn't feel right the moment she woke up. "What do you mean?"

The little boy pointed a finger out into the streets before turning to look back at Tenten. "You're trapped here. And I don't think you can get out. Not until he says so."

Tenten's eyes widened in surprise. Genjutsu. How could she have missed it? Forming a seal with both hands, she engaged in several attempts to release herself from the jutsu but to no avail. With no further options left, Tenten activated her Sharingan, but still it did nothing to free her from the technique. Fisting her hands, Tenten cursed under her breath. She had absolutely no idea what kind of illusion this was. But it felt different, far more powerful, than the normal Sharingan genjutsu. She couldn't even tell if where she stood was real or not.

The little boy chuckled once again. "No. No. No." He shook his head. "Something of that caliber just won't do it." Bringing one hand up to tear his eye patch off, the little boy pointed towards his now exposed eye. "You need one of these."

Tenten could only stare in silent shock. "What the hell is that?"

"This one is a Sharingan too." The boy explained. "But a greater one. More powerful." Suddenly, he jumped off the mountain.

Tenten reached for the boy and almost jumped off but stopped when she realized he was walking on air.

"You're trapped in an illusion created by the Mangekyō." The little boy continued to walk through the air nonchalantly.

"What the hell is a Mangekyō!?" Tenten yelled in response. The little boy was a couple of meters ahead now.

"This one is a Mangekyō." The little boy pointed towards his eye. "And you're going to have to get one if you want to get out of here."

"Lucas!" Mifuyu yelled as she struggled to keep up to the fire bender's pace.

"This is bad." Yue let out an exasperated sigh. "He's gone mad."

"He'll get killed the moment he steps into the battle field!" Griselda screamed in annoyance. "I thought being reckless and stupid was my job!"

Yue chuckled in disbelief. "Never thought this day would come."

Griselda sent him a warning glare. "Shut it."

"Yue. Griselda."

Both guardians stopped their bickering to glance at Mifuyu's seemingly calm demeanor. "You two go ahead. I'll… try to cool him down as much as I can."

Griselda scoffed. "Are you crazy? The man's a full fledge loony right now! Who knows what he'll do to you!"

"There's no time for arguing. Someone needs to calm down him down but we can't leave the enemy without surveillance for too long. Don't go straight into the enemy's territory. Stop when you're nearly a hundred meters to the valley." Mifuyu turned back momentarily to give both guardians a stern look. She never stopped her pursuit of Lucas. "Do not engage him in battle without us, do you understand? It's hard enough for the four of us. Don't take any risks. He won't kill Tenten-sama. He needs her. I don't know what he plans to achieve by challenging all four of us but if my hunch is correct, if we aren't careful, none of us will make it out alive tonight."

Yue clicked his tongue in annoyance. "But you can't handle Lucas alone! You need-" He felt his mouth clamp shut as he lost control of his own body. Before he knew it, he was flung against a tree, his back planted firmly on the rough wood.

Griselda stopped in her tracks to gaze at the water bended in disbelief. "Mifuyu!"

Mifuyu walked towards where Yue stood frozen. "Don't. Underestimate me."

Griselda stomped her way towards the two. "What the hell do you think you're doing Mimi?!"

Yue felt himself able to breathe again. He let out a scoff in disbelief. "Never imagined you'd use this seriously on me, Mifuyu."

As if her consciousness slipped back, Mifuyu released her hold on Yue. "I don't want to argue any more than we already have. Please just go."

Opening his air shaft, Yue replied with a bitter smile. "It's not like you're giving me much of a choice." With that, he flew up in the air.

"Blood bending? Really Mimi?"

Mifuyu locked her gaze on Griselda. The earth bender merely raised her hands up in defeat before jumping off the tree and disappearing beneath the lumps of rocks and soil.

With a sigh, Mifuyu turned her gaze to where Lucas had gone. With a swipe of her hands, the surrounding trees fell barren on the floor. Jumping on the blob of liquid, Mifuyu pushed herself onwards, drawing out water from trees along the way.

Lucas pressed on with amazing speed. He couldn't waste any more time. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if Tenten would be harmed under his protection.

"Madara…" Just saying that name was enough to bring Lucas into a murderous fit. He would gladly give up his own life if that was all it took to condemn that monster into hell.

Hearing a dull rumble coming up from behind him, Lucas immediately snapped his head towards the sound. To his surprise, a fifty foot tidal wave was rushing towards him with incredible speed. He narrowed his eyes at the familiar energy. Turning around to face the onslaught head on, he fisted both hands, allowing them to glow a dull red. Just before the water hit him, Lucas raised both hands up in retaliation.

The force of the rushing water and the pressure of the flames ignited. The forest became enveloped in a strange cloud of smoke and steam.

Lucas kept his eyes narrowed at the silhouette approaching him. Tiny droplets of water descended from the sky as if it were raining, extinguishing the flames strewn haphazardly throughout the forest. Visibility was low but the chakra signal was enough to inform him of his assailant. "What is the meaning of this?"

Mifuyu stopped when she finally saw Lucas come into view. "You need to calm down."

Lucas clenched his jaw. "And this was your way of telling me to do so?"

"I figured giving you something to blast into oblivion would make you a bit more agreeable."

"Don't make me hurt you Mifuyu." Lucas' tone sounded neutral. But his eyes whispered a hidden promise.

Mifuyu sighed. "If fighting me would help you see reason, then I have no choice."

"While you stand here challenging me to a fight Madara could be-!"

"You know he won't hurt her Lucas." Mifuyu paused to look at Lucas tiredly. "He wants her alive. And if you would stop for a moment to think about things, you'd realize he has us right where he wants us."

Lucas scoffed. "So you're telling me we should just leave her to that monster, is that it?!"

Mifuyu's gaze turned cold. "Don't put words in my mouth."

Shaking his head, Lucas began to walk away. "I don't have time for this!"

In an instant, Lucas felt his body stiffen before being flung against a tree. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"You need to calm down." Mifuyu's hand was up in the air, her palm directed at Lucas. Turning her gaze down, Mifuyu watched as a slow blue flame encircled her. As if on cue, the trees around her started burning almost instantaneously. The flames seemed to be dancing to the tone of death. The heat was suffocating.

"Don't think you can control me." Came Lucas' livid tone. "And don't think for a second I won't burn you to ashes."

"Would that satisfy you?"

Lucas looked on in incredulity. "What?!"

Mifuyu replied with a kind but exhausted gaze. "Would killing me satisfy you? Would it help you gain back reason? Will it stifle your anger and make you capable of leading us again?"

Lucas remained silent in shock.

"If that is what it will take to make you sober, then do it." Mifuyu dropped her hand before opening both her arms wide. Her eyes showed no emotion. No fear. No anger.

Lucas felt the hold on him vanish as he stared at Mifuyu's form speechless.

"Madara will kill us." Mifuyu began, bringing her arms down to her sides. "That much I am sure of. We've done all we can for the heiress. There is nothing more left for us to do. We are no longer of use to him alive. If anything, we are a hindrance to the reunion he wishes for."

Mifuyu's gaze suddenly turned stern. "Marching in there in blind rage will only ensure our deaths further."

For the first time Lucas looked away, ashamed of what he had become.

"I don't have a plan." Mifuyu stated in honesty, her gaze now soft and hopeful. "I don't even know if there is something we can do. All I know is that, she is our heiress. The last survivor of the Avatar clan. And it is our duty to protect her, even if it means offering our lives up in the process."

"I am prepared to die." Lucas stated offhandedly, his eyes strong-willed and decided.

Mifuyu nodded. "Likewise. But I do not wish to do so in vain. If I die, I will make sure I take Madara with me. If I die, I will do it to protect the life and honor of the last living member of our clan."

Lucas nodded in agreement. For the first time in days, he felt calmer, more in control. "I'm… sorry." Came his silent reply. He didn't know what else to say.

"Your atonement for your recklessness would have to be scheduled another time." Mifuyu chuckled lightly, no sign of resentment or criticism could be seen in her face. With a kind smile, she turned around to begin the pursuit once again. "Come on. I'm sure they're both tired of waiting for us."

"Where the hell are you going?!" Tenten screamed at the little boy who was now floating a good few meters away. Tenten didn't fail to take note of how the people in the streets paid him no attention. It seems they were invisible to the world in this illusion.

Turning around, the boy made a gesture with his hand. "Come on. Follow me. He wants you to see something."

Narrowing her eyes, Tenten moved to head down the mountain only to be stopped by the boy's voice.

"No need for silly things." He laughed. "Just do what I do." With that, he continued to walk further off into the distance.

Tenten gritted her teeth as she stepped a foot off the mountain. Realizing there was something that felt like solid ground, Tenten began to follow the little boy's steps. "Where are you taking me?"

"I don't know." The boy replied as he shrugged. "He said we'll know it when we get there."

Tenten nodded in response, contemplating what to do. Her Sharingan failed to see through the little boy's chakra signals. It was as if an invisible barrier cloaked him, making him impenetrable to her scrutiny. Was the little boy an illusion or was he the genjutsu user himself? Or worse, what if he was just an innocent child being controlled through genjutsu. Tenten clenched her jaw. Would she risk it?

"It's not going to work."

Tenten blinked. "Excuse me?"

The little boy looked back to give Tenten a smile. "Even if you kill me, you won't be able to get out of here."

Tenten inspected the boy's carefree demeanor. It seems he wasn't lying at all. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

The little boy smiled. "In this world, I know everything."

Tenten let out an exasperated sigh as she withdrew her Sharingan. The statement gave her no clues about his true identity. "So you aren't an illusion?"

"Do you think I'm real?" The boy replied as he pointed a finger towards himself.

Tenten gritted her teeth. She hated it when people answered a question with another question. "Why won't you answer my question?"

"Why won't you answer my question?" The boy reiterated with amused eyes.

Tenten released a breath in exasperation. The kid was being annoying on purpose. "Fine. I'll change my question. Is your master going to kill me?"

The little boy laughed heartily. "Oh no! No. No. No." He paused to laugh once more. "You're very important to him. He wouldn't want you harmed. That's why you're here."

Tenten scoffed in disbelief. "So you're telling me all this is to protect me?"

The little boy nodded. "All this is done to make you stronger."

Tenten narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Stronger how?"

The little boy placed a hand over his scarlet eye. "He says this is all you lack."

"You mean getting something like that would make me stronger?" Tenten paused to point at the boy's mismatched eyes. It almost looked like a normal Sharingan except all three tomoe seemed to mesh into each other to create a singular ring around the eye's pupil.

The little boy nodded enthusiastically. "Once you have this, you will be unstoppable."

Tenten felt uneasy. She couldn't explain why but there was something about that eye that made her nauseous. "And how exactly can I get one of those?"

For once, the little boy gave no intelligible answer. He only looked back and smiled.

"Took them long enough." Griselda exhaled as she glanced at Mifuyu and Lucas' form from a distance. "I thought they would have definitely killed each other after that explosion."

Yue narrowed his eyes. "What explosion?"

Griselda simply waved her hand in dismissal much to Yue's annoyance. It's not like he would have known. It was well contained within the area. Only she was capable of understanding the voices from the ground.

"How's the situation?" Lucas inquired almost indifferently, his calm demeanor back in place.

Griselda couldn't help but raise both eyebrows in surprise. "Wow. Mimi got you back. How'd she do it?"

Lucas felt the telltales of a blush crawling up his cheeks in embarrassment. "Yue?"

"He's there." Yue tilted his head towards the direction of the valley.

The atmosphere turned serious in an instant.

"For how long?" Mifuyu inquired, her hand reaching involuntarily for her whip.

"A while." Yue replied. "We arrived here a few minutes before you guys did. He's been sitting on the top of his sculpture ever since."

"Creepy bastard if you ask me." Griselda grumbled.

"He already knows we're here." Lucas concluded.

"Won't deny that." Yue replied. "So what the plan?"

Everyone was silent.

Yue could only sigh. "So we don't have one. How about, what's the ultimate goal then?"

"Save the heiress of course." Griselda rolled her eyes.

"And get rid of Madara once and for all." Mifuyu added. "All of us may not even be enough. But…" She paused eyeing each and every one of her comrades. "We have no other choice but to try. We need to work together. All four of us." Her gaze fell on Lucas lastly.

Lucas nodded in affirmation, a silent promise in his stare.

"Alright so kill the fucktard and save the princess. Anything else?" Griselda summarized.

Yue sighed. "She'll kill you if she finds out you called her a princess."

Lucas withdrew his sword. "No more time for idle chats."

All other guardians withdrew their weapons in preparation for battle. This was their last stand. Whether they live or they die was inconsequential as long as they would bring Madara to his end.

"Let's move."

"The valley of the end?"

Tenten looked around the area in confusion. "Why are we here?"

The little boy tilted his head to the side in concentration. "He said he'll meet us here."

Tenten looked at the boy incredulously. "You mean you can talk to him?"

The boy shook his head in response. "He just whispers in my ear every now and then."

"Is he still whispering in your ear now?"

The boy paused in contemplation for a moment, then shook his head once again. "Nope. He's gone."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Tenten began to walk at random. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do here?"

When no reply came, she turned around swiftly in annoyance. "Hey! Little… boy?" Looking around the entire valley, she realized he was gone. "Hey little boy! Where'd you run off to? Little boy!" She didn't even know his name.

"He's gone to rest now."

Turning around, Tenten stood face to face with a man she'd never met before. But something about him seemed incredibly familiar. Shifting her gaze from the man to one of the statues by the waterfalls, Tenten felt her mouth fall open. "It can't be…"

"It's nice to finally meet you, my daughter."

"Who are you?"

A chuckle came as a reply. "Your gaze tells me you already know."

Tenten replied through clenched teeth. "Who. Are you?"

The man smiled eerily. "I am Uchiha Madara. Your father."

"I am glad you've accepted my invitation."

All four guardians stared at Madara's condescending form standing proudly atop his own statue.

"No tea and biscuits?" Griselda replied sarcastically, much to Madara's amusement.

"It is nice to know that you all remain in high spirits."

"Where is she?" Lucas replied straightforwardly. This was not a time for small talk.

Madara raised an eyebrow in interest. "Oh? What happened to all the fire you had?"

Lucas felt a familiar simmer brewing on his chest. He took a few breaths to calm himself down. "Our heiress. Where is she?"

Madara sighed, seemingly disappointed that the fire bender didn't rise to his taunting. "Safe."

"And you expect us to take your word for it?" Yue scoffed, twisting his staff in the air before slamming it back to the ground.

"I would never do anything to harm my daughter." Madara paused, as if insulted. "She will be my living legacy. She will continue my life's work."

Mifuyu shook her head. "She is not yours to command. She doesn't belong to you."

Madara raised an eyebrow in amusement. "And you're here to tell me she belongs to you?"

"She belongs to no one." Griselda replied, her fists tight against the handle of her daggers. "She is the leader of the Avatar clan. The last of her kind."

"And yet she is also the heir to my clan." Madara argued, his tone seemingly conflicted and in deep thought. Letting out a sigh, Madara jumped down from the statue, landing a few meters away from the Avatar guardians. He watched them jump back in defense, preparing for battle.

"How about we make it a contest?" He paused, eying each element bender in interest. "The winner of this match earns an heir."

Just as his words were uttered, the clash between two century-old clans began.

"What do you want from me?"

Madara couldn't resist smirking. "So I guess there will be no heartfelt reunions? No longing hugs? No declarations of love whatsoever?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Forgive me, when I say I have no feelings of attachment towards you. I've never known you. You've always just been a name to me. Nothing else."

Madara seemed to nod in acceptance. "I understand. I'll admit I would have been surprised if you were to pledge your loyalty to me the very moment we meet."

Tenten raised in eyebrow, unable to stop herself from scoffing in amusement.

Madara simply smiled mysteriously. "You will. Just as every Uchiha has."

Tenten remained silent, unsure of how to proceed. The man who was claiming to be her father was standing right before her, but she felt nothing. Only anxiety and suspicion resided in her thoughts.

"Tell me child…" Madara began, his tone almost gentle. "What do you… think of me?"

Tenten blinked at the unexpected question. Staring Madara down, she remained silent, not knowing what to answer to such a question.

"Come on." Madara urged on. "Don't be shy. Answer the question." His tone was trying hard to be gentle, but the hoarseness of his deep baritone voice did nothing to help him.

"I'm not shy." Tenten answered straightforwardly. "I just… have absolutely no idea how to answer that question." She paused, eyeing Madara strangely. "Like I said, I've never known you. I've only heard stories about you.

"Stories." Madara replied in interest. "And what did those stories say about me?"

Tenten let out a long sigh. Just what exactly was Madara trying to achieve with his incessant questioning? "Nothing you don't already know I presume." Tenten concluded with finality.

Madara smiled. "You do not wish to converse with me." He stated in a way that offered no rebuttal.

Tenten remained silent once again, choosing not to give a reply to the rhetorical statement.

"Do you hate me?"

Tenten blinked again. "What?"

Madara's face was serious now. He seemed colder than he was before. He said nothing more, only gazed on expectantly.

Tenten narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"Is it not normal for a father to want to get to know his child?"

Tenten scoffed in disbelief, not able to hide the bitter smirk on her face. "That's rich. Coming from an absentee 'father'. You're telling me that after all these years you actually care about what I think of you? How I feel about you? Please." Tenten shook her head in a patronizing manner. "Don't humiliate yourself more than you already have. You walked away years ago. For reasons I'm sure are acceptable. So please, don't go walking in here pretending like you see me as a daughter when in reality I'm just another useful underling you can boss around and take advantage of."

Madara stayed silent for a few moments before nodding his head. "You do hate me."

Tenten clenched her jaw at the nonchalant tone. "I'll ask you again." She paused, trying her best to stay calm. "What. Do you want. From me?"

Madara gazed at Tenten, giving no real reply.

Tenten fisted her hands in annoyance at the look he was sending her. She didn't know what it was but he almost seemed confused. Like he was asking her for answers to questions she knew nothing about. Tenten blinked. And in that split second, Madara's threatening gaze was back, staring her down. She blinked again, unsure of whether what she had seen was real or still part of the illusion.

"I have something to show you."

In the blink of an eye, Madara was an arm's length away, his large hand gripping the top of her head firmly. Tenten resisted the urge to scream as images flooded her mind.

Explosions.

Clashing metal.

Fire.

Strong gusts of wind.

A thunderstorm.

Moving terrains.

Silhouettes.

An enormous dark shadow.

BLOOD.

Tenten fell down limply onto the ground as soon as Madara lifted his hand off her. She was out of breath, sweating profusely, as she brought a hand against her chest, grasping at her heart weakly. "W-What… What the hell was that?!" Her voice was trembling, breaking as she screamed.

Madara blinked, he gave her no answer.

Snapping her head towards where Madara stood, Tenten clawed her way to an upright position. "I said what the hell was that?!"

Madara fetched something from behind his back before chucking it a few feet away from Tenten.

"That's…" Tenten stared in silent shock at the bloody whip laying disregarded on the floor. Not soon after, three other bloodied weapons appeared before her out of thin air. A dagger. A sword. A staff.

"They're dead."

Tenten glared at Madara enraged. "Just what the hell are you trying to achieve? This is all an illusion."

Madara shook his head. "See for yourself." Extending a hand, the peaceful surroundings of the valley of the end transformed into a battlefield. There was fire everywhere despite the raging thunderstorm. The terrain was different, and the statues were disfigured. It looked as if a war had taken place.

Turning around, Tenten felt her blood turn cold as four lifeless bodies lay strewn haphazardly around the valley. She felt her breath hitch. "This is… just an illusion." She reiterated silently.

Madara shook his head. "This is reality."

Just as he spoke those words, Tenten felt the familiar signs of the genjutsu release. Madara had freed her from the illusion, but the view before her eyes remained the same. All four of her guardians lay lifeless on the ground, bloodied and beaten.

Madara watched as Tenten frantically made her way towards each body, her hands enveloped in rainwater as she tried desperately to salvage her comrades.

"Come on Lucas! You're tougher than this! I haven't beaten you in a sword match yet! You can't give up on me now!"

"Griselda! You promised you'd show me that tree house you made remember?! Get your fucking lazy ass up! Get up!"

"Yue! You said you'd teach me that ball game you airbenders used to play when I get promoted to Jounin! And I did! So wake up! Open your eyes!"

"Mifuyu! They won't listen to me! You talk to them! They all listen to you!" Tenten paused, gazing at the lifeless expression on her water guardian's face. Her eyes were wide, the look of utter shock etched on her face. Her bloodied mouth lay open, emphasizing further how painful her last breath had been. "Mifuyu…" She trembled as her head fell onto her stomach, the bloody wound felt cold against her forehead. "Mifuyu they're not waking up." She could hardly hear her pleas against the sound of the punishing rain. "Please heal them. I-I can't do it. So please." Tenten lifted a fisted hand and slammed it onto Mifuyu's unmoving chest. "Please wake up. Please…"

Madara looked on at the grieving form of his daughter unfazed. "They fought honorably until the end. But their deaths were a necessary sacrifice."

Madara paused when he saw Tenten's shaking figure stiffen. Amidst the pouring rain, he could sense the immediate change in atmosphere. He watched as Tenten slowly raised her head before staring right at him with scarlet eyes. He watched in fascination as the three black tomoes circled around her pupils, enlarging exponentially, before three large ellipses bordered each slowly. But before he could appreciate the beauty of the Magekyō he created, Madara watched in utter surprise as Tenten's form lifted off the ground, her once scarlet eyes were now shrouded in blinding white light.

End of Chapter 34.

Thank you for reading! Constructive criticism is very welcome. I will do my very best to update as often as I can. I really want to finish this story before the year ends. I've plotted it out into 43-45 chapters. I hope I can make this story really awesome! Thank you again and leave a review if you can! :)