Invictus

by Raging Smurf

When I died, I never thought I'd get a second chance at life, let alone another chance as the protagonist of an anime. Getting another chance in a world with Snake pedos, heart thieves, and peepers with doomsday capabilities wasn't a part of the memo. But I ain't selling my life cheap, that's for damn sure. Male OC NarutoInsert. Chapters 1-4 prologue.

54. Through the eyes of The Exile

New chapter is here and it has some crazy stuff in it. We are now in the interlude period between the OG series and Shippuden.

---

"I warned you to not do anything, Ashina." Uzumaki Rikki said sternly, glaring at his teenage son. "I let you explore your curiosity in other Shinobi arts because of your skill in Fuinjutsu outpaced everyone your age. I even paid to have you trained by members of other clans instead of payment in gold for our seals, and this is how you repay me?!"

"I did us a favour!" Ashina responded icily, glaring at his father, "The Uchiha would have been a threat in the future. We can't rely on Fuinjutsu."

"We never take sides!" Rikki shouted, chakra leaking from his control "We have always remained neutral to all conflicts, selling to anyone willing to deal."

"It isn't enough and you know it." Ashina gritted out, the violet eyes he inherited from his mother burning with fury. "We have grown lax from years of nothing but Fuinjutsu. I'm already one of the strongest in our clan. I'm sixteen, Tousan! I'm still a virgin for Kami's sake and I could take you in single combat."

"You killed Uchiha Fuji," Rikki said simply, ignoring the comment about his son's love life, or lack thereof, and took a shaky breath, "You stole a mask to conceal your signature and murdered a wounded man after disobeying me constantly, but fortune has had it that they did not discover your identity."

"As if that would make me repentant." Ashina snorted. "I will not stand by and let the clan I will lead be swallowed by the ever-changing world we live in."

"You? Lead?" Rikki raised a brow, "I brought you here to tell you to pack your things. You are leaving."

"What?" Ashina's eyes widened.

"I will be exiling you until I feel you have understood the ramifications of what you have done." Rikki explained, a shudder wracking his frame in spite of the coldness in his voice. "Give it a year or two?"

"You can't do this." Ashina said desperately, "I need to get stronger to protect our clan. We have to be strong, Tousan. Why can't you see it?!" Tears threatened to fall from Ashina's eyes at what was unfolding.

"Then you will do so on your own." Rikki said mercilessly, gesturing for his son to leave his tent. "Go. Get out."

"You will do nothing?!" Ashina roared, his chakra frothing under the surface as he sent a hate filled glare at his father, "You will kill my brothers and sisters, my family, to satisfy your fucking traditions?! You will be the death of us!"

"Out!" Rikki pointed at the exit, glaring at his eldest sternly. "Come back in a year and I will consider whether you have learned or not."

"I will not come back." Ashina vowed, his voice low and quiet. "I will come back, but on my terms. I will return when I have learned all I can of Ninjutsu and the other Shinobi arts and am capable of defeating our entire clan on my own to prove to you what we are capable of. We are descended from the Sage. We can be as great as the Senju or Uchiha if we put our minds to it."

"I will not let myself go to waste and become another copy of my forefathers." Ashina promised, his fists clenched.

"Impetuous child." Rikki shook his head.

"So, you will do nothing?" Ashina demanded, "Apathy is death!" The teen then stormed away, not looking back.

Had he reached out to sense his father's chakra or turn back to look at him, he would have sensed how tumultuous his father's felt and the tears that he shed at him destroying the bond between father and son.

An infamous title was given to the wayward son of Uzu, a title he carried for the years he was gone.

The Exile.

Uzumaki Ashina would not return to his clan for nearly ten years as he learned of knowledge and skills he desired, only doing so when his father was on his deathbed.

---

Kakashi narrowly avoided a thin blade of chakra slicing through his face as Naruto lunged forward with his left hand, a feral expression on his face as the older of the two deftly pushed aside the blow with his palm.

Jiraiya was currently doing a few things and Kakashi was the next best to assist Naruto in taijutsu training. The only other one who could give Naruto a serious fight in taijutsu was Gai at this point.

The two re-engaged and Kakashi tracked Naruto's new blade's trajectory to counter it. A kunai was flicked into his hand and he let Naruto's blade slide along the edge of his own with a screech, stepping forward and driving his other arm forward to strike the younger of the two's face.

Predictably, Naruto ducked his head and twisted to the side, pulling his sword back towards his chest in a defensive stance.

"Faster." Kakashi said sharply, blurring towards his former/current student with lightning chakra screeching through his kunai.

Naruto's chakra screeched around him and he vanished in a flash of blue, appearing behind Kakashi.

The speed took him off guard, instinct guiding him more than anything else.

His Sharingan barely tracked the movement and he tucked forward and rolled, flinging his kunai behind him to avoid getting knocked to the ground. A loud sheering sound from his kunai hitting something made his hair stand on end as he twisted to face Naruto, the red haired teen holding the kunai in front of his own chest.

"This hurts." Naruto grimaced, the chakra halo around him that Kakashi could see with his Sharingan no longer crackling like lightning. "I can't handle more than two seconds without it hurting."

The lightning armour Naruto was attempting was still rudimentary, but at least he could actually use it somewhat.

"You'll get there." Kakashi assured him, still unnerved by how fast Naruto was when he managed to not trip and faceplant from the technique.

It had been almost two weeks since Rin and Sasuke had left the village, and Kakashi could truthfully say he was bored. He had no students to train and Naruto had been mostly handled by Jiraiya up until now.

And Anko had been going on field missions, with the last one being serious.

"Taijutsu training is over for today," Kakashi exhaled, taking off his headband for a moment to wipe the sweat off his forehead, "It's been two hours."

"Age getting to your vitality, Jiji?" Naruto asked cheekily, bouncing on his feet, "You're a supposed S-rank but can't keep up with a thirteen year old?"

Kakashi decided not to make a sarcastic comment, choosing to be blunt.

"You are an anomaly by even Uzumaki standards. You're reserves are probably six times mine, and I've actually improved mine over the last few years."

Naruto snorted and hit his chest with his fist mockingly. "Because you had to keep up with me."

Kakashi smiled under his mask, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you're insistent on further training, open both Gates that you can and do Ninjutsu training for as long as possible."

Naruto scowled at that, looking annoyed.

"Whatever control I have gets shot when I open them," He crossed his arms, leaning forward on his feet, "It kills any advantage I get from the extra chakra I can access."

"Sounds like an excuse to be inept at something Gai accomplished." Kakashi mused, smirking when his sensei's son glared at him.

Naruto was arguably the most arrogant kid he ever knew. The only reason he wasn't insufferable about it was that he had the skill to back it up and a sarcastic streak that helped smother any actual arrogance.

"I'd think your beloved would have taught it to you," Naruto muttered, "Especially with your unfortunate stamina issues."

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the old comment, knowing it was a potent weapon in their back and forths.

"Just do it. I'll train right alongside you if you want. Happy?"

Ever since Rin and Sasuke departed the village, Naruto had thrown himself into an endless training frenzy, including things he had little interest or focus in.

It was rather telling that the teen hadn't even realized the information about the Uchiha massacre had been released a few days after Itachi, Sasuke, and Rin left. Naruto only found out yesterday from an offhand comment.

But what else Naruto had started doing, aside from training himself into the ground, was pressuring Kakashi into constantly training, seeming to be unaware that the older of the two couldn't work himself into the ground and shrug it off after eating about 10,000 calories of food and a night's sleep.

"Sounds fine," Naruto said, his chakra shifting and his hair spiking out a little more, "Think fast!"

Damnit. Kakashi thought irritably, jerking his headband back up to see with his Sharingan.

Naruto, the red haired, training junky and overall pain in the ass blurred through hand seals and fired a Jutsu at Kakashi.

Suiton: Water Severing Wave.

Kakashi Shunshined out of the way of the whistling jet of compressed water, turning on the dime after about fifty meters of movement and launching a fireball at Naruto in response.

Without any issue, Naruto made a half seal and sent a ball of water at the fire, the two exploding in a loud hiss of steam.

The next hour was the two of them racing across the training ground, using long range Ninjutsu only, the exercise being entertaining on top of tiring after.

---

Kakashi barely avoided my water whip that I aimed at his leg, the sound of his panting audible from my enhanced hearing.

He staggered unsteadily and finally fell to his knees, his left eye closed shut and his sweat soaked clothes clinging to him.

"No...more." He gasped, both his hands splayed out to keep him steady, "No more."

I sighed and closed my eyes, focusing my chakra to close both Gates I had opened.

Instantly, I felt like I was dunked in ice water and my legs almost collapsed from under me, my vision spinning for a moment.

"Ugh," I pressed my palm against my head, squinting my eyes as I walked towards Kakashi, "I didn't realize how long you could last. I'm hurting and can barely walk." I finished with a groan, sitting down heavily next to him.

Kakashi let out a pained grunt and smacked me blindly, hitting my face.

"Jackass," I growled, rubbing at my face, "What was that for?"

"Don't," He gritted out, probably from pain, "Word it... like that."

Running through what I had said, a wave of queasiness hit me.

"I d-didn't mean it like that!" I sputtered, backing away from him a solid two feet, "Icha Icha and Gai's Youth has rotted your brain!"

"Could've fooled me," Kakashi forced himself into a sitting position, his hair sagging from sweat, "You never pass up a joke like that."

"I never make a joke about me." I scoffed, still disgusted by the visuals. "I say it about Sasuke, but not me."

"Too conceited to relinquish control?" Kakashi asked mildly, a faux expression of confusion on the visible portions of his face, "If that's the case, why did you let the Inuzuka girl have control?"

I bared my teeth at him at bringing that up.

"Har har har." I laughed mockingly, trying not to sulk at Kakashi bringing up something I had no comeback to. "You feeling alright? I'm fine to go another bout of training."

My reserves were at about the halfway mark. A combination of atrocious control while having the Gates open and me just having a grand old time flinging water and lightning at Kakashi had me caring less than usual about conserving.

Kakashi sighed and leaned back until his back touched the ground, the wind blowing towards me.

Once it actually reached me, I coughed and shifted away, Kakashi's scent hitting me in the face.

"Take a shower." I coughed again, wiping my eyes from them almost watering. "You smell."

Sweaty and unwashed bodies smelled awful, especially when it came from Kakashi. He almost stank like a dog.

Kakashi gave me side eye look and refused to move.

"You don't smell like a rose either."

"My sense of smell is a lot more sensitive than yours," I countered, pulling my shirt forward while lowering my chest plate so I could stick my face there and take a sniff of myself, "I don't smell as bad as you." I looked up at him as I said that.

"I'll have you know that the summoning contract I have imbues my chakra with traces of the dogs," Kakashi said lazily, still not moving from his spot on the ground, "The effects include somewhat better hearing and smell, just not to your level. I can say, beyond all doubt, that a sweaty, teenage boy going through puberty is the most disgusting thing in the world to smell."

The last part annoyed me, but I couldn't really say anything. Teenage boys did stink, and this world wasn't any different. But Kakashi could have been less of a dick, but then he wouldn't be Kakashi, would he.

"Any reason why you wanted us to train together?" Kakashi asked, folding his arms behind his head as a pillow, his breathing steady now after taking some time to rest.

I tilted my head and looked at him closely. It was a bit out of the blue, but he sometimes asked or said stuff without preamble, sort of like me when I was tired or impatient.

"Sasuke and Rin are the only two my age that can keep up with my progress." I said, looking at the trees surrounding the training ground, "Shikamaru is damned good at planning, but he'll always be hampered by his physical ability, even after he has been motivated."

In fairness, Shikamaru was more than just motivated. A fire had been lit in him during the exams that became an inferno after the invasion and his promotion to Chunin.

The Nara was training with Gai on occasion even.

"Thinking of your lackadaisical friend?" Kakashi asked, but it didn't sound like a question; more like a statement if anything.

I raised up my hand in an iffy gesture. "Sort of, but more to do with what's all happening. The..." I paused and took a few breaths, trying to find the right words for what I was wanting to say, "There's only one person that I can trust who will be beside me right now in the field."

Kakashi's breath paused for a moment, before he sat up and stared at me.

"Did Jiraiya say anything about me and you?" He asked, sounding curious.

"Uh, no." I said, confused by the question, "This is a conclusion I've made after months of consideration since I realized firsthand how dangerous A-ranks are and how terrifying S-ranks are from fighting and defeating four of them."

"You didn't defeat Orochimaru." Kakashi reminded me. "And who are the other three?"

"Who's still alive?" I asked rhetorically, "He's experiencing the wonders of Hell while I'm here talking with you. And the three are Zabuza, Gaara, and that Kaguya." I avoided mentioning Kimimaro by name.

Kakashi decided to drop it after I said that, gesturing for me to keep talking.

"I can't trust myself to not get distracted if Rin is on a dangerous mission with me," I admitted, not being deceptive or evasive, "Sasuke is the only other person I can trust that isn't you who can keep up with me."

"Itach-" Kakashi began to say, but he paused. "Nevermind, you said you don't trust him after what he did to Sasuke."

"I'd trust him to be in charge of ANBU or wetwork stuff like what you told me ROOT did, but I can't forget what he did to Sasuke," I said coldly, "It goes against everything I am."

I wasn't going to repeat myself to Kakashi. He already knew why I hated Itachi in several ways, mainly because his fate and my own could have been identical if events had transpired for the worst.

"You happen to have the skill and experience both to have my back when the Akatsuki start going after us," I said, visualizing how chaotic things could get with a potential war on the horizon, "You up for it?"

Kakashi gave me a look that I couldn't decipher at all.

"As if I need to even think about it," He replied dryly, "I would have demanded it if you had told me to stay away, and plus, Tsunade-sama already has orders for us both in a few days."

What?

"Eh?" I raised a brow, not understanding exactly what he was getting at.

"An A-rank mission is coming up," Kakashi clarified, straightening his legs while still sitting, "And the Hokage will be asking whether you want to be a part of it or not."

That was actually... nice to be trusted with that amount of responsibility.

"Mission details?" I queried, blinking slowly.

"Investigation and clean up around Oto," Kakashi said vaguely, "There will be two or three others with us; ANBU I served with."

Safely assuming that no more detail could be securely given, I didn't ask for more.

"Well, you probably need to rest," I said, standing up and hopping a bit to get psyched up for more training, "And I still have about half my chakra left. Later." I waved at him absentmindedly as I opened both Gates and started zipping across the landscape, getting more acclimated to using more than one force multiplier at a time.

---

Kakashi decided to opt out of walking to the other side of the village to get to his house, deciding to crash at Anko's for now.

Using the spare key he had been given during the exams when he trained his Sharingan, the silver haired Jonin unlocked the door and walked in, calling for Anko.

When no response was heard, Kakashi unzipped his jacket and pulled it off, followed by his sweaty clothing that were bothering him from the texture.

Once he was bereft of all clothing, even his two masks, he made a clone and tossed the wad of clothes to it, the clone walking towards the washer to clean them.

Walking towards Anko's shower, Kakashi got in and started washing the collected filth of today off his body, savouring the hot water as it struck him gently.

After a relaxing shower, Kakashi finished and dried himself off, wrapping a towel around his waist and exiting the bathroom.

Right as he went to see how long was left on his clothes being washed, a faint shift in the air had his arms rising up in a defensive stance, the realization that he was not alone hitting him.

"Well aren't you making yourself at home?" Anko asked cheekily, her head poking out from the corner of the living room.

Kakashi relaxed his stance and smiled at Anko, his eye fixed on her.

"It was easier to get here than my house." He shrugged, still standing in the hallway, "I didn't realize you would be back so soon."

"Pff, whatever," Anko waved it off, walking towards her couch and collapsing on it, "Besides, it's good that you're here. I need to talk with you; Hokage's orders."

Kakashi slowly closed his eye and sighed, having looked forward to some relaxing time with Anko, especially from her less than discreet glances at his shirtless chest.

Kakashi walked over to her couch and sat next to her, noticing how solemn she looked out of nowhere.

"Jiraiya-sama just got back in the village," Anko started, sitting up and staring at him intently, "He just confirmed what we discovered on this latest mission."

Kakashi knew that Anko went on a field mission with a few others, but he didn't know the details.

"We caught an Iwa ANBU squad spying about fifty miles in the border," Anko seemed to read his mind and revealed the details, "Jiraiya-sama's network gave some good Intel, so we hit em hard and caught them off guard so bad that they couldn't even off themselves. The Yamanaka in the squad did her little mind dive on them..." Her voice tightened and her eyes adopted an unsettled expression, "We know why Iwa went dark."

Whatever the reason was, Kakashi knew it was bad. For Anko to be disturbed, it didn't bode well.

Kakashi gave her a reassuring smile and put his hand on her shoulder, "What caused it?"

The answer he received from Anko was something he never thought he'd ever hear and it got progressively worse, his heart hammering in his chest at the end of her detailed response.

"This..." He tried to control his breathing, barely succeeding from the news he just received, "This will mean war. There is no other possibility. Iwa won't take that lying down, especially who did it. Does Naruto know this?" He asked quickly.

Anko shook her head. "The Hokage said she will tell Naruto tomorrow, with you and Jiraiya there."

Kakashi ran his fingers through his hair and let out a slight growl of frustration.

Vengeance and rage were powerful motivators and could help focus your priorities. But right now, those motivations could very easily have doomed thousands to a violent death.

What the fuck were you thinking? He practically snarled in his mind, visualizing the object of his hatred in his mind.

"You're certain it was him?" Kakashi asked tightly, his fingers clenching into a fist.

"Yes," Anko looked almost affronted at his near demand, her eyes narrowed, "I saw the memory. Same inflections in his voice that I heard, and Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama, and the Sandaime all said that only one person was ever called The Exile."

Kakashi felt an icy chill crawl up his spine, his imagination doing more than enough to put him on edge.

One of his worst nightmares was coming to life right in front of him, a single thought branding its way through his mind.

His students would experience war.

"I can't do this again," Kakashi stood up, practically rushing to get his now cleaned clothing, "Not again."

One war was bad enough for him. A second was not something he could stomach.

"Kakashi," Anko stood up and followed him, her voice sounding worried, "Calm down and talk to me."

Kakashi ignored her and dropped the towel, not caring that he was naked as he grabbed his clothes and started getting dressed.

"Will you stop and just talk to me?" Anko demanded, grabbing his arm and jerking him around to face her.

Kakashi glared at her with both eyes open, the tomoe of his Sharingan spinning in response to his emotional state.

"You don't understand what's going to happen," He said harshly, gently pushing her hand off of him, "You missed the last war by a couple years. Whether it be tomorrow, months, or even a couple years from now, war is going to break out because of this."

This was one of the few things that could put Kakashi into a frantic mental state. He was unshakeable in most things, but what he just learned was too much.

"Then we fight and win," Anko stated, looking completely serious, "Worse odds were faced when the Yondaime helped win the last war."

Does she even hear herself? Kakashi thought incredulously, astounded that she didn't make the connection on who would be the current generation's Namikaze Minato in that case.

"You didn't see him after what he did to Iwa," Kakashi replied, a chill going up his spine at the memory, "I smelled alcohol on him and I ended up walking in on him crying after what he did. It almost broke him."

Kakashi's fists clenched and he visualized his sensei's children.

"Iwa will hunt them both, Naruto even more so." Kakashi nearly choked as he blinked quickly, "I can't lose them, Anko. I can't lose them." A tear started to trail down his face as he tried to keep himself together.

He wasn't able to protect Naruto from Orochimaru, and now two of his students, his sensei's little girl and the boy that was like a mirror copy of him, were out of reach. He felt just as powerless as Naruto probably felt at his twin being gone.

"Kakashi." Anko said gently, trying to help him. But he couldn't right now.

"I need some time to process this." Kakashi shook his head, turning to leave. "I just... I need to sort this out." With that, Kakashi left the apartment, leaving behind a shaken Mitarashi Anko.

---

"Damnit. Damnit. Damnit." Kakashi growled to himself, finding his way to the memorial stone, the usual names on the wall garnering his attention.

Of all times for this to happen, it was now.

"Sensei," He muttered, looking at said man's name, "I don't know what do right now. Kushina-chan," His eyes flicked towards the name of the only woman who had been a mother figure to him, "You would be disappointed in him." His face curled into a near snarl at thinking of what Anko told him.

To think Uzumaki Ashina would do something like that.

What he did undoubtedly threw a chaotic note into the Akatsuki's plans, but it was an action that couldn't have possibly been more brutal and violent.

"Naruto will be his usual self and charge right in," Kakashi shook his head, his mind already supplying him with the likely scenario, "He will do something similar to you, Sensei, and I don't think I could stop him."

The updated Bingo book in the bounty offices had declared him as an S-rank nin now, which did feed his ego some, Kakashi admitted that to himself. But his increased ability, even with his Mangekyo, wouldn't be enough in a couple years if Naruto's progress didn't slow.

"I wonder if you ever thought what I'm thinking when I was outpacing everyone my age." Kakashi mumbled, hoping Minato-sensei wasn't tortured like he was currently.

Kakashi was supposed to be the Sensei, the stronger of the two of them. But why was Naruto the one exceeding expectations and making a straight path to being one of the most dangerous Shinobi Konoha produced?

With the violently protective nature he practically lived by, Naruto would charge in and kill thousands of people if he had to if war broke out, regardless of what it would do to him.

And with his interest in the Hiraishin and the lightning armour of the Raikages, he could easily become that kind of monster like his father.

I can't let him do this alone. Kakashi's focus centered on that thought now. It was his task that he had set himself with. A promise he made.

If he had to become one of the strongest Shinobi in history to protect the brother he chose, his students, then he would shatter his body and soul to do it.

Kakashi gave one final look at the memorial and stormed away, his mind set on planning his next move, including how to guide Naruto to not be his impulsive self and to make sure he kept up with Naruto for as long as he could.

If Uzumaki Ashina ever somehow showed up again, Kakashi was going to ram a Raikiri through the Edo's heart for what he did to spark another Shinobi war.

---

Unknown plane of existence: Weeks prior.

Ashina was pacing around the area, completely invisible as his chakra, mixed with the incredibly dense Nature chakra he held, still hung around the dimension in a lazy haze, concealing his chakra's outline from dojutsu.

Even Madara had been hard-pressed to see him consistently when they fought with this technique.

It's been far too long. He thought icily, his hand fidgeting against his thigh as dozens of clones still hovered around in case he couldn't kill Zetsu and Obito at the same time.

It had either been hours or days since he had spoken with Obito about the treachery of Zetsu. The plant's bitch mother hadn't been mentioned at all, no reason for it to be brought up. Madara being a manipulative bastard was believable enough without other things that sound far-fetched.

I wonder what happened with the clones. He wondered, whistling a specific tune that was quite catchy in the other life of his.

One was to drop off the blood in the vault, while the other had a much more important task to manage.

For the first time, now that he was alone with only himself, he started to doubt the decision he made.

No. Do not question yourself. You did this for them. You do not need to justify it in any other way.

Dropping to his knees, Ashina closed his eyes and clasped his hands, drawing upon the relief he would feel when he mimicked the actions held within him for nearly a hundred years now.

41 words repeated in a near chant, filling his very being with relief just like other things he did.

Certain songs and other specific things had emotions tied to them, some joyful and others bringing relief from his despair. A byproduct of the memories being distinct from himself in some cases, or at least he believed that.

He then rose up to a standing position and started pacing once more.

To his everlasting relief, Ashina finally sensed a breach in the otherwise stagnant environment and he felt a familiar presence... and a unique one at that.

Obito appeared with a surprised looking Zetsu next to him, the plant jerking away from the Uchiha promptly.

"What is the meaning of this, Obito?" The raspy voice of Black Zetsu hissed, its odd nature throwing Ashina off.

He couldn't actually sense its chakra, but he could feel faint echoes of malice coming from it, courtesy of his sensing ability being the same kind that Uzumaki Karin had, only less potent than hers in detecting emotions.

"I will let my guest illustrate." Obito stepped away, looking around sharply.

Taking that as the signal, Ashina's concealed clones rushed Zetsu and stabbed at it simultaneously, the act catching the creature off guard.

With an inhuman shriek, the self proclaimed third son of Kaguya was impaled by several golden blades of chakra, held in place by the clones.

Ashina himself materialized in front of his greatest prize, laughing victoriously at the sight before him.

"I never thought I would finally have you at my mercy, Zetsu," He snarled, a predatory grin on his face, "You can not imagine how much this pleases me."

He could feel his chakra shaking in excitement, everything falling into place for once.

"Uzumaki Ashina," Black Zetsu growled, trying to wriggle away from the trap it was in, but failing miserably, "I thought you were killed."

"Heh," Ashina barked a laugh, getting within arm's reach of the creature and grabbing ahold of it, sinking his fingers into its shoulder as he pulled it close, "I thought the same of your buttslut of a mother."

The spike in rage Ashina felt, a faint flash of red to him, confirmed that it was the damage to his brain from the centuries' worth of images flashing into his head from the Senjutsu experiment that threw off the small detail of not seeing Zetsu's creation.

It meant Kaguya could still be brought back, until Zetsu was killed.

Zetsu tried to move again, but the steely fingers of an Edo enhanced with Senjutsu would have been nearly impossible to break out of, especially from one such as Uzumaki Ashina.

"But I came back, albeit a little less. While your master will never return."

"You know nothing, Uzumaki." The creature spat out what Ashina assumed was some sort of blood, the liquid thick and pale like plaster. "My goals are beyond your understanding."

Ashina grinned and flared out his chakra, basking in the faint echoes of malicious thought echoing a little louder from his prey.

"Your hatred is... intoxicating." Ashina laughed, sinking his hand deeper into the thrashing beast. "Go on and read my thoughts, Zetsu. Read what I have always known!" His voice adopted a manic and feral tone, his chakra buzzing audibly.

"Feel it! Bask in the consequences of your wrath and folly! FEEL IT, nu nam nin!!!", Ashina roared, hammering his fist down on the duo with so much force that it ripped the two halves of Zetsu nearly in half from his brute strength.

Both halves screeched and melded into him partially, his instinct to repel the invasion violently suppressed.

"Therefore with my eyes you shall see, and with my ears you shall hear, and nothing shall be hidden from you."

A flood of his memories played through his head as he fed them into Zetsu, the look on its near-human face letting him know how truly shocked it was.

The moment he had gone to sleep and been assaulted with over twenty years of memories not his own, the splitting headaches and the loss of impulse control that caused him to trek out for nearly ten years to learn more Iryo-ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu necessary to save everything he held dear.

"Impossible." It gasped, not being able comprehend the possibility of reincarnation in someone from a complete folly.

All the treacherous little secrets that he knew and planned were fed to Zetsu, including something that ensured it was rigged from the start.

The memory of him giving the seals to sever the connection of an Edo Tensei and the summoner to Hiruzen flashed in his mind, another taking its place a moment later.

Him standing over his sleeping grandchildren, the soft snores of a little blonde girl with a chakra signature that shone like Hashirama's...

And a red haired boy that never deserved the life he had been thrust into, or the trauma he experienced. A boy that had so many features like his own, and chakra that was just like his.

If he had been strong enough, he could have stopped it from happening.

"That's what you failed to plan for," Ashina spat a water senbon point blank into Zetsu's face, destroying its right eye and drawing another scream from it, "Pardon my enjoyment of this, Obito," Ashina glanced up at the Uchiha, "This thing deserves death for Madara's actions."

Obito shrugged and waved him off, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. Madara had manipulated him into going a certain route, but there were other ways to bring about the Infinite Tsukuyomi other than bringing back Madara.

"Enjoy yourself, Uzumaki," Obito said simply, "This will only happen once."

Ashina nodded and turned back to Zetsu, tearing an arm off with ease for his continued pleasure, a wet ripping noise echoing along with animalistic howls of pain.

"Please, we can be friends," White Zetsu pleaded, whimpering at the loss of his arm, "Can't you show compassion?"

A request for mercy from something incapable of it.

"Compassion?" Ashina asked slowly, letting go of Zetsu and letting it fall to the ground, a pathetic attempt at crawling away following.

"You, who have deprived me of everything!" Ashina spat, a water whip forming in his hand, "The actions I have taken!" The whip shot forward with a blistering pace and wrapped around the waist of Zetsu, the damage done to its body not healing fast enough from the chakra of his bloodline impeding the healing process from the initial stabs.

"Madara killed Tobirama, my son in all but blood! My wife; my children. MY FAMILY!!!" Ashina felt himself burning in rage, everything going back to Madara's survival forcing him away from Uzu. "They are dead because of him, and my granddaughter died because of you!" He howled, shooting forward and ripping another chunk of flesh from Zetsu's chest, lashing put with a Senjutsu enhanced kick to its leg, shattering it into pulp.

Zetsu collapsed to the ground, the Patriarch of Uzu driving a fist into its face as he knelt down to reach its fallen form.

"Unnatural" He raged, pulling it up to him and wrapping his fingers around its neck, a soft crack reaching his ears, "The depths I have gone to free this world from your poison."

Zetsu let put a wet laugh, blood covering its face.

"You are the unnatural one, murderer." It continued to laugh, having seen what he had done from the memories seen during the temporary meld.

Murderer. Murderer. Murderer.

Ashina roared in rage as he drove his fist into Zetsu's chest cavity, ripping away a rib and stabbing it through its other eye with the bone.

Another scream, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

"Salvation will come for none of us!" A wet crunch echoed from the regenerated arm of White Zetsu getting ripped away once more. "My sins have endured beyond me!"

His senses were filled with nothing but screams, the wet crunch of flesh under his fist, and the splattering of fluid all over him as he constantly rained punches down on his hated target.

Zetsu was regenerating the damage, only to be torn apart again and again.

It ceased to be Zetsu at some point in his mind's eye, shifting to that of a familiar red and violet.

The person he hated most; the man that he is.

Monster. Aberration. Oath breaker. Kinslayer. Child killer.

Failure.

After he got an obscene amount of Zetsu on his mask to the point of blinding him, Ashina pulled away, standing up and letting the guts and ichor drip off of him.

Zetsu was still alive, shivering in pain from all the injuries, but it was still regenerating.

"It seems conventional ways to kill you won't work." Ashina sighed and flicked his hand, crafting a chakra blade for the next task.

Potentially escaping the Kamui dimension and causing chaos as a High Kage level Edo looked like a pipe dream in that case.

Without warning, he cut a still recovering Zetsu's limbs off, then followed it up by branding a seal into its gut with his chakra, eyes narrowing in concentration to make sure he did it correctly.

"A truly wondrous thing, Fuinjutsu is." Ashina jerked Zetsu up, staring directly into its eyes. "So many different dimensions that Fuinjutsu is the key to, including where all souls pass."

Fuinjutsu, specifically the act of summoning and reverse summoning blindly, was like designing a key that fit into a door that led to an unknown destination.

The places he accidentally discovered existed while trying to create the Edo Tensei himself was the stuff of nightmares, only pursuing it further when Tobirama was with him.

Summoning and reverse summoning techniques all had unique markings that appeared when used. Toads were different from snakes and so on.

The Edo Tensei was no different. The summon plane accessed just happened to be the afterlife.

But reverse summoning into the afterlife wasn't something that Tobirama thought of doing, but Ashina did.

A one shot kill technique for an Edo to do, cancelling the Edo Tensei as a result.

"You will have your dimension back shortly, Obito." Ashina turned to face him, still holding Zetsu in a vice grip. "Apologies for the mess. I enjoyed this far too much."

Ashina then made several hand seals with his right hand, slightly different from the seals for the Edo Tensei.

A jerking sensation struck Ashina as he gripped Zetsu with his chakra as tightly as he could manage.

"Tredaeol chith e-Fuin." Ashina growled, feeling the anchors that held his soul to this plane begin to crack as he forced open the entrance to the afterlife like he did with the Shinigami's stomach.

This was a Jutsu he devised when he used the idea of the Shiki Fujin, but applied it to the afterlife instead of the Shinigami's stomach.

If Zetsu couldn't be physically killed, Ashina would just drag him to Hell with him.

"An achared di 'weriennin anann." This would be his penance for his failure. They would be avenged, whether by himself in the act carried out by his clone, or Naruto would accomplish what he couldn't.

"No," Zetsu tried to get away, clawing at his arm desperately, "You will not stop me!"

Ashina pulled Zetsu closer, his vision starting to flicker in and out of focus.

"For you, Zetsu," Ashina saw the cracks in his arms widen as the Jutsu started to collapse, "Ochedin Valannor."

That last statement was word for word what he said to Madara as he beheaded him, truly meaning it in every way.

An anchor cracked, another about to shatter.

Time was running out. Obito needed dirt put in his eye. The plan involving Iwa was going to be shared by him to the killer of Kushina, a final act of defiance on his part.

"Good luck reviving the Juubi when Roshi is dead!" Ashina laughed as he staggered from the anchors collapsing, his sensing now absent from his destabilized connection.

Right as the anchors shattered, Ashina barked an order at his clones.

"Now!"

With no warning whatsoever, a golden flash appeared next to a shocked Obito, his body slackening as a clone Shunshined away, a chakra blade coming from its fingers. Moments later, Obito's head slid of his shoulders, the corpse falling to the ground with a thud.

Izanagi will save you, but go fuck yourself.

Ashina grinned in vindictive pleasure, his vision and other senses almost completely gone now.

He didn't see Zetsu as his artificial body crumbled to dust, nor did he see the inside of the Kamui dimension.

Brightness. Beauty. Tranquility.

He could hear them calling across the great sea, beckoning him to join them once again.

It was time to remove his armour and drop his weapons; his time had passed and his purpose fulfilled.

His grandson would finish it.

With the soul and chakra of Uzumaki Ashina acting as the key and lure, the essence of Zetsu was violently pulled into the afterlife with Ashina, the plantlike flesh that constituted its body disintegrating into a puddle.

Once Obito reappeared a distance away after the preprogrammed Sharingan in his left eye socket triggered a minute later, he let out a howl of rage at being deceived and beheaded.

"You will pay for your insolence, Uzumaki!" Obito snarled, ready to kill every single clone.

Several barks of laughter echoed across the pocket dimension, almost like it were an inside joke.

"Stand up, and look at what's come for you," A clone of Ashina shouted back at him, blade drawn as the dozens of remaining foes moved in unison to engage Obito, "This is the waking world in which we live. There is no need to cry, no need to dream."

Growling, Obito disappeared from his dimension, deciding to wait however long was needed until the clones would pop from lack of chakra.

A red haired pestilence required quarantining his one reprieve from the world, and it was going to take awhile.

---

You are much more of a conversationalist than another Goku, Son Goku. Ashina's voice echoed in Roshi's head, his seal continuing to itch horribly.

After Ashina had broken his arm and kicked him to the ground, Roshi thought it was the end for him. Uzumaki Ashina despised him and wanted nothing more than to kill him.

But, he had another plan for him.

For the last couple of days since the attack on Konoha, Roshi had been trekking back to Iwa to, as Ashina put it, warn Onoki of an existential threat to all the Shinobi villages and the continent itself.

If it wasn't for Son Goku telling him to cooperate, Roshi would have preferred death over bringing some type of spy into his village. It wasn't like Roshi could say no. Ashina claimed that being in the afterlife let him see events of the past, and that there was a plan to use the Bijuu as weapons against the Shinobi villages.

Remind me again what technique you used. Roshi muttered internally, fighting the urge to cringe when he felt emotions not his own flicking across his mind.

Ashina had been rambling on nonstop about things he did and how he did them, including ones about Jinchuriki seals that were extremely illuminating.

As well as incessant levels of singing that made no sense and random bits of madness.

I injected chakra into your seal after I destabilized it. Ashina explained, or what was actually a copy of him, If I didn't weaken the seal, I might have either shattered it accidentally or caused you to develop a split personality, but it all worked out.

Definitely not an appetizing thought for Roshi.

"You know," Son Goku tried to change the subject partially, sounding uncomfortable, "You aren't exactly what I expected from a seal master."

Too much of a lunatic? Ashina asked amusedly, My madness stumbled into brilliance when I was exiled in all but name from my clan.

"Hmmm?" Son Goku hummed curiously, beckoning him to continue.

Something that only one or two people alive are aware of, but I didn't truly master much aside from Fuinjutsu until I was around 16, other than chakra control and other such things I had received training in. My clan didn't like my forward thinking methods."

How did that work out to you improving? Roshi asked, not knowing this.

Selling seals and offering my services as a trade for Ninjutsu training, Genjutsu, and other things. Ashina muttered. Doing so later means nothing when I already had large reserves by even my clan's lofty standards.

"But how did that translate into exile?" Son Goku asked, wanting more detail.

I called my father a narrow-minded fool and told him his path would be the death of our clan. Ashina said simply. I think the last thing I said to him was... what was it? Ah, yes. Apathy is death. The last three words echoed in Roshi's head with much more potency than the others.

Bastard. Roshi grunted, his face twitching from the headache.

Heard that. Ashina barked, sounding unrepentant. But I was told to leave, so I complied with my clan head and departed.

There was more to it, but the unwanted guest in Roshi's head was unlikely to share more if he were pressed for more information.

They eventually crossed into the Land of Earth, the way clear of any impediment.

I thought something similar when I killed the rearguard of your village's army. Ashina said coldly, having read his thoughts. At least until I realized the rearguard was mostly rookies and children that were kept out of the deathtrap I made my home into. Then I held my son as he died.

I was doing my duty as an Iwa Shinobi. Roshi snapped, grimacing as the ache from some of the partially healed injuries he received from Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were jostled.

And it is my duty as a father, grandfather, and Kage to bring vengeance upon every man, woman, and child who would take up arms against me and my own. Ashina responded, not brokering any discussion. I would have let the world burn to preserve them.

Then why take mercy on me? A pity that you spared m-, Roshi started to say, but a splitting headache hit him and he stumbled, stopping his speedy movement towards their destination.

You think it pity that I spared you?! Ashina thundered, a dark chuckle echoing in Roshi's head. It is not pity that stayed my hand, Roshi. I would wrap a ring of steel and death around your rotten village if I could.

The rage and hatred Roshi could feel emanating gave way to a soft and cracked feel.

I hate you and your village for what you turned me into. Ashina said acidly, the chakra shifting around violently.

The shifting became more pronounced and Roshi suddenly felt a stab of pain in his gut, driving him to his knees.

With a restrained cry of pain, Roshi felt a burning sensation and he blacked out for a moment, his ears ringing.

By the time his vision cleared and the burning where his seal was located faded, he saw Ashina standing in front of him.

"H-how?" Roshi managed to grit out, forcing himself to a standing position.

"The chakra I'm made of can form into a bunshin." Ashina remarked, his violet eyes flashing. "I'd rather say this to your face, so to speak."

The contemptuous tone and Killing Intent radiating from the bunshin had Roshi shivering in spite of himself.

"A three man squad of a Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara were contracted by my father to track me down." Ashina said evenly, his eyes boring into his, "They were to request my return to my clan and take up the mantle of clan head from my terminally ill father. Do you know what happened?"

Roshi played along and shook his head.

"I still needed more information about topics that were pertinent to my interests for the future and refused, which caused the Yamanaka to try and jump into my mind to control me." Ashina let out a scoff at the end. "Nothing more stupid than mind diving into someone like me."

"That girl," Ashina shook his head, "Was a teenager and had no business doing what she did. She dug into my head like an idiot and stumbled across something very private to me."

"What are you getting at?" Roshi was concerned by the abrupt little tale, not knowing the importance.

"To protect secrets that would save my clan," Ashina sounded almost robotic as he spoke, "I killed her and the other two, blaming it on another group."

Was that why he was saying this?

"Surprising as it may be," Ashina sighed, "But she wasn't the only person I ever killed, but she was the first innocent one."

"I don't understand." Roshi said simply, not knowing why.

"I am beyond salvation," Ashina's voice held an icy tone that held no sympathy, "I looked upon my impending death in Uzu with a horror you could not imagine. I killed hundreds, including children, for the sake of my village. Do you know what I kept telling myself as my body slowly fell apart and I continued to kill the nin storming my home, even the ones who surrendered and begged for mercy?" The Uzukage stepped towards him and looked positively insane.

Not knowing what to say, Roshi elected to not speak.

"That it would be worth it in the end," Ashina whispered, his fingers glowing faintly as he tapped his right leg with them, "That it was necessary. But as the reality of my death was unavoidable, I was struck by how I had been the last survivor still fighting. The civilians had been evacuated, and all that was left of my plan... was to die."

Roshi continued to stay silent, not wanting to tempt Ashina into doing anything.

He'd already seen him turn people to stone and killed two Jinchuriki by shattering their seals. The man was as brutal as he was cunning.

"In my last night," Ashina continued, his eyes nearly vacant, "I justified what I did, and was going to do, for the sake of future Uzumaki. Uzumaki who, as one terrible moment revealed to me, were never going to exist."

Roshi still couldn't muster up a reply.

"He is broken." Son Goku surmised, sounding sympathetic.

"My time is over," The old man said, shaking his head, "It will be my grandson's duty to do what I could not. Right now, I do all of this for myself."

Ashina then pressed his hand against Roshi's chest, collapsing into a shapeless light and being funneled into his seal.

The sensation was less unpleasant, but it still wasn't enjoyable.

A warning would have sufficed. Roshi growled.

Don't care. Ashina replied. Move forward if you don't want me to kill you and Son Goku.

"And deprive me of all of those stories you have told me at night?" Son Goku asked, not sounding enthused.

Son Goku took a shining to Ashina and the conversations they had, which Roshi ignored most of the time.

Although, the children's tales he told were interesting, or the stories that told moral lessons; parables, he called them.

Do you wish to hear some more? Ashina asked in response, sounding almost happy, I enjoy the one of the brothers reconciling very much so, more than their predecessors and the murder of one. Unless you want to hear others.

"Tell me about the younger brother's sons." Son Goku requested. "You said it also had something to do with quarrelling siblings."

"Quarrelling" would be an understatement. Ashina scoffed, jumping into the newest story with gusto.

For hours, there was no discussion between Roshi and the other two in his head, the two having their own talks, until Ashina suddenly broke the silence.

Contact. 3 miles out. He said sharply, foreign chakra snaking through Roshi's tenketsu. Both are strange... The one is Kakazu.

Roshi slowed his pace and took a few breaths, frowning in thought.

How do you know?

I can sense the environment through your senses. Ashina explained shortly. I am still a sensor, even if I got sealed into a Jinchuriki seal's mindscape. The advantages of designing the seals in the first place should not be underestimated.

This was going to be the end. Roshi knew it was. His death would come here.

Your life is mine to end, not the Akatsuki's. Ashina hissed, forcing his way out of the seal once more.

The fact that Ashina knew to exploit a Jinchuriki seal's ability to store nearly limitless amounts of chakra foreign to the host's wasn't surprising since he was the one who designed them, but storing a clone inside one was exceptionally impressive and frightening to think about.

If only I had gotten seal schematics from Uzu.

"It seems to get easier the more times done with this seal too," The clone remarked, suddenly vanishing from sight when he made a half seal with his right hand, "Be prepared to fight. This will be chaotic, and avoid getting nicked by the Jashinist. He can make an empathic connection of some sort that reflects his injuries on his opponent if he ingested their blood."

"How would you possibly know that?" Roshi muttered, seeing a blur of red and black on the horizon.

Ashina let out a snort.

"The same way that I know the names of the Bijuu and their Jinchuriki."

One of many songs Ashina sang was what he called the Bijuu song, and it was as insufferable as it was unsettling from how a man dead for over 25 years knew who the current Jinchuriki were.

Right as Roshi could make out the outline of red and black as two distinct ones, he heard Ashina let out a suppressed growl.

The two members of the Akatsuki reached them and Roshi prepared himself, his eyes flicking between them.

"The Akatsuki, I presume?" He asked, not ready to die just yet as he adopted a taijutsu stance.

"The Tsuchikage contracted us out to escort you to Iwa," The notorious bounty hunter Kakazu replied simply, sounding almost bored, "I can see you didn't complete your mission unscathed."

Roshi made a hand seal and shot a ball of lava several times his size at the man in response, aiming for the head.

Kakazu ducked under it, rolling to the side as his partner stared wide-eyed at what just happened.

"That was the same thing Hoshigaki said to the Raikage when we fought," Roshi said coldly, his chakra flaring around him as he prepared to face them, "You won't be taking me alive, Akatsuki."

This fight was going to be brutal, but Roshi wasn't going to take it lying down.

Hidan lost patience and shot forward, dashing towards him and swinging his scythe down towards him.

Taking mind of Ashina's advice, he shifted to the side and avoided the hit, coating his right arm in lava and striking Hidan in the side.

Hidan stumbled from the hit, his robes smoldering, but Kakazu reached Roshi before he could capitalize on an opening.

A solid punch from the missing nin from Taki had Roshi's arm jarring from him blocking it, a pattern of punches and kicks trying to breach his guard.

A jab at his face was diverted by him pushing it aside with his left, the soft whistle of Hidan's scythe behind him as he shifted to kick at Kakazu's waist.

The Jinchuriki of the Yonbi, ducked under the scythe swing, being rewarded with a kick to the face from Kakazu as he rolled forward and flung three kunai blindly to ward off an attack from behind.

Roshi Shunshined 50 meters away and abruptly stopped, pivoting 180 and blasting a stream of lava from his mouth, covering his lower half as well and running across the river of molten rock.

Hidan straight up ran from it, evidently not having a technique to counter it, while Kakazu seemed to have a black mass break free from him, wearing a mask, and shot a jet of water at the lava, Kakazu running at that moment.

The earthen armour still covered Kakazu as the two ran across the lava, Kakazu's side being cooled from the water.

The two clashed with a loud boom, a faint cracking and hissing sound coming from the Akatsuki member's forearms.

"It's gonna take more than a little heat to break through this." Kakazu said harshly, his left arm pulling away to form a seal while his right literally shot forward several feet.

The fist struck Roshi and caused him to stumble, not expecting black threads to be connected to the hand.

Damnit.

Roshi blinked the stars from his vision, his head still spinning from the hit.

The temporary opening gave Kakazu the time to make a hand seal, a Jutsu primed and ready for use.

Raiton: Gian. (False Darkness)

A bolt of lightning struck Roshi at point blank and sent him flying, bouncing across the ground and out of the protective river of lava he crafted.

Groaning, the oldest living Jinchuriki felt his back creak painfully as he forced himself up, his ears ringing and his balance gone.

Coughing wetly, he tasted the familiar coppery flavour of blood, that and the burn in his chest meaning he probably broke a rib.

I think this is it for us, Son Goku. Roshi thought internally, his breathing shallow as he dealt with the pain.

Being almost sixty years old, the fight with Hoshigaki and the Uchiha had taken its toll on him and he hadn't fully recovered from his injuries before now.

He might have been able to grievously injure or perhaps kill one of his current opponents and escape if he were at his best and prepared. But this wasn't the case.

Hidan and Kakazu closed the distance and Roshi prepared for what was likely to be the last exchange before he was restrained.

But before any of the three could do anything, Ashina rematerialized right behind Hidan and drove a chakra blade through his heart, causing the scythe wielding man to let out a shout of surprise and pain.

"FUUUUUUU-", A second blade from Ashina's left took his head clean off moments later, before he disappeared from sight once more.

Kakazu, in an impressive display of reaction time at the curveball served up, formed a shell of earth along his skin and darted away, firing a stream of flames around him as he disappeared from sight.

Roshi circled around and his peripheral picked up the ground shifting as Ashina presumably kicked off from said section of ground.

He was proved right when Ashina reappeared, several meters off the ground, and unleashed a stream of lightning that snaked towards an unseen target.

A stream of wind came from the circle of flames and cancelled out the lightning with a loud howl, the flames beginning to dissipate.

The Akatsuki member within stepped forward, his attention on the one who just attacked him.

"What kind of trick is this?" Kakazu demanded, walking through the diminished fire without issue. "Uzumaki Ashina is dead. Why is this... thing here?"

Ashina had opted to look like what he did at around the time he died, the armour the same. Being the age he was, Kakazu undoubtedly recognized the Uzukage and the invisibility technique he used.

"So certain of your knowledge," Ashina laughed, stalking around Kakazu like a predator, "I will tell you if you answer why you have Asahi's chakra signature mixed with the other four."

Kakazu matched Ashina's movements, his red and green eyes flicking towards Hidan's headless corpse. "Is Asahi the Uzumaki I killed that was headed to Konoha?"

Roshi decided now was an excellent time to try and recover from the hit Kakazu landed, hoping the clone of the most terrifying opponent he ever fought would actually deliver him from death, instead of being the deliverer.

"Stitch my head back on, you fucking heretic!" Hidan shouted, causing Roshi to do a spit take. "Stop talking to the ginger and fix my head!"

"That is mildly disconcerting." Son Goku said, mirroring Roshi's thoughts.

Ashina's violet gaze slowly shifted from Kakazu to Hidan, specifically his head.

"Interrupt my discussion with your partner again, and I will rip your spine out and fuck you to death with it." Ashina threatened quietly, his chakra simmering dangerously.

Kakazu let out a snort as Hidan was shocked silent by the foul proclamation.

"I will put your head back on in a moment, Hidan. Keep your mouth shut and I'll stitch it on correctly."

Kakazu then looked back at Ashina.

"Uzumaki Asahi." Ashina said in a clipped tone, "Shoulder length red hair and around my height. Used a sword. Quite skilled, and carried a package. Recognize the description?"

Kakazu nodded.

"An Uzumaki I killed heading to Konoha was carrying a sealed package, and he put up a damned good fight. So, I took his heart. A shame that he was strong, but nothing compared to you. If only I had your heart available, the progenitor of your clan's power."

Roshi maintained a healthy degree of readiness, reading the situation as best as he could.

Ashina let put a cold laugh, a chakra blade slowly manifesting in his hand.

"You have no idea what you caused by preventing that package from being delivered. No idea."

"I sold it to some ANBU that was wanting some Fuinjutsu samples from Uzu." Kakazu said amusedly. "Made a decent sum too."

"I believe I killed the person you sold that to." Ashina responded casually, "If that thing can even be called human."

Roshi spat some blood from his mouth, hissing at the pain radiating from his chest.

"Fucking stop talking and put my head on!" Hidan screamed, his head propped against his leg by happenstance.

Without breaking eye contact with Kakazu, Ashina fired a seal less water senbon at Hidan, striking him in the eye. The water tore through his eye and drew a scream of pain and rage from the cultist, a stream of profanity following.

"I haven't been laid in decades, Jashinist." Ashina snarled, "You interrupted me after I told you not to. Do not think that I'm picky on whether I fuck your skull or not after I desecrate your body."

Kakazu let out a dark chuckle at Hidan shutting up again, making Roshi think there may be a degree of antagonism between the two.

Almost like he didn't just threaten to do unspeakable things to a talking head, Ashina went on to speak with Kakazu once more.

"Asahi was one of my grandsons," Ashina's blade glowed brighter, gaining more definition, "I will be tearing out each of your hearts, and I will enjoy killing you five times over."

"I'm interested in seeing you try." Kakazu laughed, two black masses splitting from him and flanking him.

In a flash, several things happened. Ashina turned invisible and a jet of water was sprayed around him, forming into mist as he was no longer visible.

Kakazu started blindly attacking around him, flipping forward and shooting at Roshi, one of the black things rushing towards Hidan's body.

Before Kakazu got to Roshi, Ashina reappeared and slashed at Kakazu, the younger of the two barely fast enough to shift the attack into tearing a chunk out of his shoulder instead of taking a limb off.

Ashina then pulled back and vanished, firing several water senbon and blurring away.

The water pinged against Kakazu's earth armour, leaving a few cracks as the bounty hunter threw his arm up to protect his face.

Using the opening, Roshi took the risk and took off running, hoping to escape from the two factions seeking their own goals.

Ashina had told him enough information where he could warn Onoki, so it would work out. He could live.

---

The two adversaries exchanged attacks back and forth, one being distinctly defensive in preference.

Ashina batted aside a water blade shot from Kakazu's mouth, countering with one of his own that was followed by him sinking into the ground.

With a constant flow of hand seals, three water dragons formed around him, forcing aside the earth rather violently as they tore their way up to the surface.

Reshaping some of the water to form a tail on one dragon to grab him, Ashina flung himself high into the air, looking down at the battlefield.

Kakazu had wrapped a sphere of earth around him and tanked the hits, the earth severely cracked but still standing after the trio of dragons.

Remaining completely silent, Ashina wrapped a thin layer of water around him and refracted the light to make him invisible, straightening his body to shoot towards the defensive rock the former Taki nin covered himself with.

With a lance of golden chakra in his hand, he tore clean through the earth and discharged the water surrounding him with a half seal from his left hand, shooting it out in the form of hundreds of water senbon.

Kakazu had been completely caught off guard by the breach and barely protected his chest, or more specifically his hearts, from getting impaled.

He still was struck by dozens of senbon in the extremities.

Turning, Kakazu blindly lashed out with black threads from his off hand and punched through the earth, sprinting away.

Growling, the clone Shunshined towards him and slid under a kick as he got in range, slashing at Kakazu's leg.

The immortal jumped over it and avoided getting his leg severed, stretching his knee joint to try and strike his foe as a response.

Ashina rolled aside to evade the hit and kicked his leg up, propelling himself to his feet.

The taijutsu against kenjutsu bout started up again as Kakazu drive a fist towards his chest, Ashina still avoiding getting hit at all costs to not be dispelled.

In a constant flow of movement, Ashina was twirling his blade in a golden dome of defense, tearing through any of Kakazu's threads that tried to touch him, causing the bounty hunter to switch to a kunai and conducting wind chakra through it to lengthen his reach.

Hidan would be back at any moment, and Roshi must be stopped from reaching Iwa before he got back in his seal.

It was all because of the heretic and the soulless mercenary.

"You stupid son of a fuck!" Ashina's clone snarled, stabbing at Kakazu's right shoulder and letting the deflection from Kakazu's kunai propel him into a spin, his foot lashing out in a roundhouse kick.

The glory and splendor of your opponent not knowing all the tricks up your sleeve was a sight to behold, and nobody really knew the extent of his versatility with his bloodline.

Pulsing chakra through the tenketsu in his foot, a 6 inch blade of golden chakra sprang from it right as Kakazu threw his arm up to block the kick to his head, the blade cleaving through the earth armour and his arm.

A growl of pain was drawn from Kakazu as his hand and half of his forearm fell to the ground, the man withdrawing.

"Ragghh!" Ashina switched tactics instantly and launched an offensive, cutting and stabbing at Kakazu, the temporarily hampered S-rank nuke-nin taking several hits to his chest and remaining arm.

With a twisting of his blade after landing a hit to his chin, tearing at his mask to reveal the disturbingly wide mouth, Ashina pushed Kakazu's arm aside and stretched the length of his blade, driving it through a cluster of chakra and where Kakazu's left lung would be.

Kakazu fell to a knee as he gasped and coughed up blood, staining his damaged mask.

His earth armour cracked and fell away, indicating that his earth heart was the one hit by the stab.

Right as Ashina pulled away and raised his arm to cut Kakazu down, potentially killing one of the Akatsuki, Hidan screamed like a lunatic and barreled towards them, swinging his scythe wildly. Kakazu's one heart had evidently stitched Hidan's head back on.

"I'll kill you for cutting my head off, heretic!" He screamed, eyes holding a manic light to them.

Ashina raised his blade up to block the scythe, grinning maliciously in anticipation.

Right as Hidan brought his weapon downward, Ashina let his blade dissipate and took a step back, the blades of the scythe cutting into the ground instead of impacting his blade. Ashina then leaped forward, grabbing the grip of the scythe with his hand and using the sole of his foot to strike Hidan's shoulder, sticking to him with his chakra and yanking.

Hidan was pulled forward with a yelp of surprise and Ashina wrapped his other leg around the lunatic's head, pulling him closer as he slammed his palm into the cultist's temple, planting a seal at the point of contact.

The left eye of the man rolled back into his head as he spasmed from it being applied to his head, the seal funneling the electricity of the nervous system into it.

For good measure, Ashina severed Hidan's head again and ripped his spine out with immense effort, tossing it aside and absentmindedly pulling the ring off his finger as he started running at full speed to reach Roshi.

It would take Kakazu time to put Hidan back together, enough for him to hopefully reach Roshi at the speed he was going.

Focusing his sensing, the clone zeroed in on Roshi's signature after a prolonged period of running, spotting the glint of red that was his hair.

"There you are." He growled softly, his eyes narrowing when he felt two signatures behind him.

Both Kakazu and Hidan were closing in, the former forming a hand seal and splitting three of his hearts off.

The three fired Jutsu in tandem, including a fire dragon, water dragon, and a blade of wind flying diagonally at him.

Blurring through seals, Ashina pressed his hands into the ground and spat water from his mouth.

Suiton: Suijinheki. (Water Formation Wall)

Flipping forward and pushing himself in a smooth motion, he let the water guard his back as he kept running, knowing it would not hold for long.

The three jutsu crashed into his defense and a roar rumbled across the flatlands that was the environment, the concussive blast being felt from hundreds of meters away.

Another stream of attacks went through and Ashina Shunshined out of the targeted area, firing back at them with a variety of Suiton Jutsu as he sped across the area in different directions to not get pinned.

Basically a demented game was being played as Kakazu launched Jutsu after Jutsu at Ashina while he chased Roshi, all the while Hidan was shouting the virtues of Jashin at the top of his voice.

Another blade of wind was sent at him and Ashina blasted a jet of water at it, causing a snap sound like a whip cracking to echo across the landscape as the wind struck the water.

He only had a finite amount of chakra, and this wasn't helping. Even if the chakra used to make the clone exceeded that of most Kage, it would run out eventually.

Feeling the heart still in Kakazu crackle, Ashina stopped his constant darting around and focused, drawing water from the air to do something that was sure to cause a surprise. It also had the added benefit of requiring a comparatively low amount of chakra to pull off, so long as you knew what you were doing.

Don't let your teachings fail me now, Iroh.

As he predicted, Kakazu sent a bolt of lightning at him, which he didn't try to avoid.

Reaching out with his hand, Ashina cushioned the crackling blue bolt of energy and coiled it through the water around him, jabbing forward with his left arm and pointing the fingers of his left hand out and towards Hidan.

The lightning snaked through the tightly controlled water and arced over a hundred meters towards Hidan, who never even saw it coming.

The bolt struck Hidan in the center of his chest, his entire chest cavity exploding in a shower of claret, his head and limbs flying in all directions.

"Taste the rainbow, Infidel!" Ashina roared, pulsing a chakra blade into his hand and stabbing himself, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

One of the seals he designed acted like an anchor for chakra tailored to it. Chakra keyed into it was drawn towards it like lightning to a lightning rod.

The Kusanagi used this type of link, but with the sword taking the role of chakra being pulled towards a specific geographic point. The way chakra from a Kage Bunshin came back to the original was the non-artificial way it happened...

And it also happened to be what inspired him to make a seal that drew something to whatever had the seal on it.

Currently, Roshi had a seal like that put on him, making it impossible to escape from him. The fight with the Akatsuki was mostly to get a ring back.

After only a few seconds, the chakra of Uzumaki Ashina was pulled towards the seal and coalesced back into a proper form, reappearing in Roshi's seal.

Ashina jumped out of the seal, reached for Roshi and leaped forward, tagging his shoulder with a seal and getting behind him.

Roshi grunted and stumbled to the ground, his arm sagging noticably.

"Fucking die already!" Roshi snarled, launching a flaming ball of rock at the other redhead.

With it aimed at his chest, Ashina bent his legs to lean back completely horizontal, his hand whipping up to cleave the rock in half with a chakra blade.

Two perfectly sliced parts of rock flew past him and he jerked his momentum upwards, shooting towards Roshi.

With contemptuous ease, Ashina picked apart Roshi's one armed and fatigued defense, a kick slipping through and striking his face.

Roshi took a step back from the hit, looking dazed. Ashina instantly stabbed forward with his left hand and sank a blade into Roshi's good arm, stomping on his foot to hold him in place.

Roshi let out a howl of pain, falling forward into Ashina. The older of the two sent a punch towards the Iwa Jinchuriki's face, a faint crack coming from his jaw, and lifted his leg up to let Roshi fall.

With no sense of balance, Roshi fell on his back, his breathing ragged from fatigue and pain.

Ashina planted another seal on Roshi, his leg this time, and pulled him up to his knees, gripping his hair tightly.

"Fight against me, or try to escape me, and I'll cut your fucking head off." Ashina rumbled in his ear, pulsing a chakra blade through his fingers and gliding it across his cheek gently. "I have come too far to let this end any other way."

Roshi shuddered in his grip, watching impotently as a visibly irate Kakazu and Hidan reached them.

"Don't come any closer." Ashina threatened, staring at Kakazu specifically, "Or your prey will get a free hair cut."

The two came to a stop, Kakazu eying him warily while Hidan was practically chomping at the bit.

"I'm going to have fun sacrificing you to Jashin!" Hidan hefted his scythe up, ready to charge.

A bark of laughter came from the Uzukage's mouth, his teeth bared threateningly.

"Try being more than a cut of fuckable meat, heretic," Ashina said icily, "Then maybe your false god will consider you better than useless."

"You dare speak heresy?!" Hidan's eyes bugged out, his teeth clenched. "The ways of Jashin are the one true path in life!"

"Shut up." Kakazu glared at his partner, sounding sick and tired of the entire day. "I don't want to listen to your constant bitching."

"No, let the heretic speak." Ashina grinned, turning his gaze towards Hidan, "Your god is false, and you will burn in holy fire!"

Hidan was nearly foaming at the mouth, his eyes feral.

"You... you know nothing!" Hidan said, gripping his scythe a little more tightly. "You haven't even said who you follow."

"Unlike you, I actually died." Ashina laughed, flipping Hidan off. "And you would not know of my god, or my people. We believe we are the heirs of a spiritual tradition, given to our ancestors thousands of years ago."

Ashina grinned at the precise words said, he and only Naruto understanding it as a specific reference.

"We have made and kept covenants with our Lord to honour his laws. In exchange, we are promised eternal salvation after this life."

Hidan shook his head vigorously. "Heresy. Jashin, and the path of murder and destruction, is the one true God."

"Heh, well," Ashina tightened his grip on Roshi's hair, tapping his shoulder with his blade, "I'm not against wrestling with a god. Hell, it crossed my mind once or twice."

Winding up Hidan was definitely amusing, but time was of the essence.

"Both of you will leave, or I will kill Roshi." Ashina said simply, focusing more on Kakazu than Hidan. "I have been made... aware of your plans to acquire the Bijuu and do something with them. Care to illuminate me on what the plan is?"

Kakazu's eyes narrowed, his severed hand only partially regrown.

"You are bluffing." Kakazu stated neutrally, his body tensed and ready to continue their fight. "You put effort into preventing us from capturing him, so that means you need him for something."

"You would be correct," The clone said, grinning cruelly, "But my goal was to shatter his seal and release the Yonbi within Iwa, with the added benefit of denying you a Bijuu. What do have to say to that?"

The statement silenced the three men, only the whispers of the wind making a sound. It was beyond vengeance, bordering on a deep-seated mania hellbent on dragging everything down to hell with the Uzukage.

Roshi tried to shift away at the proclamation, but a firm grip on his shoulder that dug into his wound made him stop, a groan escaping him.

"No response?" Ashina asked rhetorically, "Then I see no reason to continue this charade and waste time."

Without hesitation, Uzu's patriarch stabbed into Roshi's neck and opened up his throat from ear to ear.

A wet and strangled gurgle came from Roshi as a spurt of blood came from the gaping wound, another following moments later as Ashina pushed him to the ground, still gasping for air wetly.

Kakazu and Hidan were both shocked at what just happened, their mission a complete failure from the brutal act.

"Say hi to the Yonbi." Ashina's fingers glowed and he tore Roshi's coat and shirt away, slamming his fingers into his seal and twisting before the two Akatsuki members could do anything.

A strangled howl came from Roshi's destroyed vocal cords as red chakra started spewing from the seal, his limbs spasming from the shock to his system as his chakra network tried to endure the strain of the lid on Son Goku's chakra starting to break.

"You bastard!" Kakazu roared, rage etching his features as unaligned chakra swirled in his tenketsu, "I'll be sure to rip your grandchildren's hearts out!"

A laugh devoid of all positivity came from Ashina's lips, his eyes flashing with an amethyst fire dancing in them.

"If I cannot have true victory," Ashina threw his bloodstained hands out, ready to fight again, "NEITHER SHALL YOU!"

Both Kakazu and Hidan Shunshined away, going in the opposite direction of what was about to be a freed Bijuu that wouldn't take kindly to being imprisoned again.

Once they reached a sufficient distance, the clone pooled as much chakra into its center as it could without destabilizing its structure, shifting the nature of the water to resemble oil.

When no more pressure could be built up, a massive stream of oil came careening out of his mouth and up towards the sky.

A few quick hand seals had the oil spinning in a vortex, resembling a hurricane in shape.

The clone then picked up Roshi and Shunshined away, turning and making a half seal to shoot a weak bolt of lightning at the massive wall of oil.

The flammable liquid was ignited and a loud woosh flattened the grass around it, a massive cloud of black smoke obscuring them.

Roshi was roughly dropped to the ground and Ashina's clone immediately went to treat the damaged seal, repairing the specific stabilizer he shattered.

It took about thirty seconds of fighting the constant flood of Bijuu chakra and shielding his fingers to not pop, but the clone managed.

Once the seal was repaired, the next task was his destroyed throat. A couple of hand seals later, the faint, green glow of chakra indicative of medical ninjutsu surrounding his hand, his fingers pressing against the jagged wound to knit it shut.

This took more precision, and it wasn't until a couple of minutes that Roshi was stabilized, along with his other injuries getting roughly treated.

Roshi moaned weakly, being too injured and fatigued from blood loss to do anything.

"Why can't you just let me die?" He asked quietly, his breathing faint and his voice gravelly from the recent patchwork job done on it. "Killing me kills Son Goku. Just do what you will and delay the Akatsuki. My death weakens Iwa as well. Just end it." He practically begged.

Ashina shook his head and hoisted him up, putting him on his shoulder.

"I put a safety feature in the seal," He said shortly, "If I pop, or if you get a certain distance away, it will crumble and release Son Goku."

Roshi went limp in resignation, truly defeated in both body and spirit.

"Now, let's keep going so I can warn Onoki of what the greatest threat to his village is." Ashina muttered, running towards where he could sense a faint chakra signature from the ring he made, picking it up off the ground and rushing back to Roshi. He finished his task by putting Hidan's ring on his finger.

A benefit to actually making these rings meant that he knew everything about them, including certain features only accessable to his chakra.

The Akatsuki will feel the teachings born of debauchery and madness cooked up by the cesspit known as the internet of the 21st century. Ashina grinned evilly, knowing he would enjoy what he was going to do.

With that, a Shunshin had the two racing towards Iwa, the trip mere hours from the destination.

---

"This demands retaliation!" One of Onoki's advisors declared harshly. "We cannot afford to wait for Konoha and Kumo to fortify their alliance and turn towards us. We must act!"

The proclamation of a cooperative relationship between Konoha and Kumo, Iwa's two greatest rivals, was just one of multiple headaches Onoki was subjected to, his face not betraying his inner thoughts.

Namikaze being almost confirmed to have two children, and both were Jinchuriki, along with being Uzumaki.

Uzumaki Ashina being resurrected, meaning he could be once more, which caused a terrifying thought to go through his mind when he first heard it...

Uchiha Madara was a possibility in that case.

None but himself in the room knew of this information, only knowing of Konoha and Kumo cooperating. The other information was from his own personal sources he'd cultivated after serving as Tsuchikage for nearly half a century.

Even the Earth Daimyo was present from all the chaos. The presence of the only person in the entire region with seniority over him would have been quite welcome if Akio, the Daimyo who had been his friend for nearly 50 years, hadn't passed on just a few short years ago, leaving his less than stellar grandson in charge from all the infighting.

Akio understood the necessity of patience, while his grandson was an idiot outside of climbing the ladder to power.

"Why have Iwa's forces not engaged in combat yet?" The Daimyo asked irritably, eying the longest serving Kage from across the table that had over a dozen people around it. "Formal declarations of hostilities can be secondary."

"Because I have given orders to be ready for conflict within our borders." Onoki replied simply, his eyes narrowed. "Offensive operations will not be instigated by any Shinobi under my command."

Defense in depth would be the only way for them to endure a prolonged war with Kumo and Konoha, should negotiations fail.

It eluded Onoki on why the two would work together. Konoha despised Kumo nearly as much as Iwa hated Konoha, the alliance coming completely out of nowhere.

"Understand the Daimyo's and nearly half of our concerns, Tsuchikage-sama," Another high rank Shinobi implored, the scar he obtained from a prior conflict years ago openly visible on his face, "Decisiveness is of paramount importance. Why else would they start to tone down theur forces on their borders than to attack us?"

Onoki shook his head jerkily, his patience wearing thin.

"We are in no position for open conflict, contrary to what most of you believe. Numbers cannot overwhelm both nations."

"Has age gotten to you?" The Daimyo asked incredulously, looking disgusted. "We could crush them if we do so now! Charge into Hi no Kuni while Konoha is vulnerable!"

Several nods of agreement and mutterings occurred at the sentiment, including Onoki's granddaughter, who was brought for her to listen in on how things were actually done.

Onoki slowly glanced towards Kurotsuchi, before his eyes went to the Daimyo.

I will grow to regret bringing her today.

"People who are anxious to bring on war don't know what they are bargaining for," He said slowly, his contempt for everyone yearning for it reflecting in his tone, "They don't see all the horrors that must accompany such an event."

Thousands dead, in the spring of their youth, while he was left to live and become more hunched, wrinkled, and arthritic; unable to find a proper successor.

These were times where he envied Sarutobi's seeming endless supply of S-ranks produced each generation.

"Grandfather!" Kurotsuchi practically shouted, stepping out of line and walking up to the table. "Stop being a coward! Namikaze has two kids and both of them are Jinchuriki. You're going to make my generation be shackled with dealing with them because you're scared."

The information about Namikaze's children was something he told her and explicitly told her not to breath any validity into it until confirmed.

His advisors all turned to him with varying degrees of shock.

"It is confirmed?" The Daimyo demanded, trying to sound intimidating in a room full of trained killers. "And I was not informed?"

"Unconfirmed until recently." Onoki replied simply, not even looking at him.

Onoki's attention was on his granddaughter as he gave her a sharp look, causing her to flinch.

"You speak out of line, Chunin." He remarked coldly, not even addressing her as his granddaughter, "You will speak when spoken to."

"Even your own family support this." The Daimyo scoffed. "Not to mention half of Iwa. They want war. Without Namikaze, Konoha would have lost the Third war. We can do this and prevent further losses in the future!"

Fools.

"How do you presume to combat four Jinchuriki, both surviving Sannin, Hatake, and their entire Shinobi corps, along with the Raikage and Sarutobi, hmmm?" Onoki demanded softly, silencing any dissent.

They didn't have the S-ranks necessary, plain and simple. Casualties would be in the thousands from hunting the mentioned ones on their own, not to mention how anything else could go. Kiri was finally stabilizing somewhat after the civil war and could very easily not remain neutral and side with the stronger faction.

A neverending game of death and bloodshed, with no end in sight after over half a century.

"I am tired and sick of war." Onoki sighed, "Its glory is all a lie. It is only those who have neither fired a Jutsu nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation."

"I sent Roshi to scout out Konoha's strength and get confirmation about rumours I had heard concerning a potential Uzumaki descendant of the Shodai Uzukage and rumours of the specter that is Namikaze's alleged child... The rumours have been all but confirmed recently, yet Roshi was not the one to confirm it and has not come back."

Whispers of concern and fear started coming from them, the previously combat happy group subdued.

"As every village by now knows, Konoha's chunin exams was when Orochimaru attacked Konoha to cause destruction and other motives we don't know."

The old man's gaze moved across the room as he paused to take a breath.

"Edo Tensei were confirmed to have been used by Orochimaru when he attacked Konoha, three were sighted as Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Uzumaki Ashina."

The Daimyo's face rapidly paled at the reveal, including several others.

"Should Konoha be backed into a corner, I do not doubt that they will utilize that infernal Jutsu against us." Onoki said disgustedly, the abominable nature of it leaving a foul taste from just thinking of it.

He'd only ever witnessed it once as a young boy during the tail end of the Warring Clans period, and that was more than enough.

It wasn't until the second half of the First war, after Uchiha Madara's death, the death of the Fire Daimyo, and Senju Hashirama's illness that Edo Tensei were used, meaning the Nidaime Hokage had only been held back by his brother and threats from Hi no Kuni's government on conducting the practice.

The only confirmed time he did it during the First Shinobi War was when he was ambushed by the Kinkaku force, using dead enemies as puppets to protect his team.

Fortunate that he had been killed by the Kinkaku force before he resurrected more than just the four confirmed ones he did. He killed Ginkaku and a majority of the group before being killed himself.

"Konoha is uniquely equipped to fight every single village at once and still ensure that no one emerges the victor." Onoki declared firmly, "Only Sarutobi's morals and Namikaze prevented their use when we advanced through Hi no Kuni, make no mistake."

"I..." The Daimyo looked almost like a boy, seemingly at a loss, "Then what are we to do?"

Onoki hid the smirk that tried to creep up on his face.

Just as I thought, a child out of his depth.

"Wait until Roshi returns to debrief me on Konoha's strengths and weaknesses," He replied, "And then inroads into contracting experts in infiltration will be conducted, with your permission of course; it will be your money, after all."

The Akatsuki were definitely the best to contract out in the event of a war, but hiring them to clash with such a dangerous foe as a Konoha/Kumo coalition would cost more money.

But if that were the price to protect his granddaughter and Iwa's next generation, then so be it.

"As Tsuchikage, it is my decision," Onoki announced gravely, "And my decision is for us to continue preparing for a defensive war, at least until Ros-" He was interrupted by the doors being pushed open loudly, a Jonin frantically walking in.

"Tsuchikage-sama." The man bowed, trying to catch his breath. "Roshi-sama has returned. He was severely injured and brought back by an ANBU."

Injured? Onoki's eyes widened, ignoring the reaction of everyone else.

"How serious?" Onoki demanded, using his chakra to levitate himself to a greater height.

"The, uh, ANBU nin healed most of the injuries," The Shinobi said nervously, "He's stable enough to speak from what he said."

Onoki turned sharply to his left, staring directly at two people in particular.

"Shoji. Hiro." He addressed the two Iryo-nin in the room. "Be on standby in case he is being a fool that muscles through the pain."

A constant stream of orders from the Sandaime Tsuchikage had the room reorganizing somewhat as they prepared for Roshi's arrival.

I pray he can confirm what my misgivings are and aren't. Onoki thought to himself, pinging his chakra through the earthen floor with a featherlight touch.

A three dimensional image of the area came back to him when his chakra returned, giving him Roshi's location.

He was not far from the door, the ANBU right next to him, probably holding him up.

Seconds later, the doors swung open and they entered, three nin flanking Roshi, but the sight that Onoki was met with had his heart skipping a beat.

Roshi looked horrible, his clothing torn and stained with copious amounts of dirt and blood, his face pale.

But the visual absence of the supposed ANBU was the most alarming.

Onoki knew of only two people in all of his 76 years of life that could hide themselves from sight.

Without giving any warning at all, Onoki made a hand seal and flooded the entire floor with his chakra, commanding it to respond to his will.

Several spikes of earth shot towards the infiltrator, who seemed to avoid it, judging from the lack of blood.

"Breech!" Onoki roared, forming another hand seal and disintegrating an entire portion of the room, trying to kill who he suspected was Uzumaki Ashina.

He'd never hit an Edo with Dust Release. Perhaps it would actually kill it.

The room groaned audibly as a sizable chunk disappeared, but Onoki wasn't done. He formed several earth clones and sent them towards the Daimyo and his granddaughter, flying towards the center of the room.

Mist suddenly billowed from a specific spot, the location revealed. Another corridor of destruction was formed by Onoki, his eyes wide and his senses alert.

Not in my village. We will both die before any harm comes to them.

A high pressure hiss came from his left as a thin jet of water came flying towards him, the potency of it enough to tear through flesh and bone.

A casual hand seal had a column of earth rising up to take the hit, which it took with only a small amount of difficulty.

"Defensive formation." Onoki barked towards the Shinobi in the room, glancing at Roshi next, who appeared to be swaying from fatigue.

A massive ball of water came flying towards Kurotsuchi, his granddaughter's guards handling it with an earth wall.

The ball exploded against the wall, but the water reformed into hundreds of senbon a fraction of a second later, shooting out with a hair-raising whistle.

Most of the Shinobi present avoided injury, but two of his advisors were obviously killed, being shredded by the storm of razor sharp water. A few other Shinobi were also injured to varying degrees.

It also had forced Onoki to take his eyes off any movement and not focus on feeling for him through the earth.

Before Onoki could zero in on the newest location of the intruder, it was confirmed to be the Uzukage when said man reappeared next to Roshi and drove a golden blade of chakra through the spine of one Iwa nin, shooting a high pressure stream of water at another from point blank range with a half seal.

The water tore clean through the man's head, everything above the neck disappearing in a pink mist.

Both corpses hadn't even hit the ground before Ashina had his blade aimed at Roshi's chest, his violet eyes feral in rage as he stared at Onoki.

It happened in a flash, Onoki likely being the only one to track it fully.

"Hello, Onoki," Ashina's voice dripped with contempt, his off hand raised up in a position for making a hand seal, "You got old."

The Killing Intent radiating from him was to a level Onoki hadn't felt in decades, back when he fought Sarutobi just weeks after the man had hunted down and personally killed the last few members of the Kinkaku force, including the last brother, Kinkaku himself.

"And neither of your sons did." Onoki responded, smirking when Ashina's face twisted into a wrathful expression.

"No thanks to your worthless nin." He spat, his arm still steadily aiming his blade at Roshi. "I wonder if you would feel at least a portion of what I felt if I took Kurotsuchi from you." His eyes looked directly at his granddaughter.

The girl's dark eyes widened in terror, having already been almost catatonic from the Killing Intent.

How could he possibly know that?

Roshi.

Roshi had to have told him, probably from torture.

"I doubt you are here to say hello to an old friend," Onoki stated, his fingers itching from his chakra flowing under his skin in anticipation, "So why has a dead man sought an audience with me?"

"Simple," Ashina grinned, slowly backing up towards Roshi while being in a position to strike him still, "I plan to take from you what you took from me."

"I hope you try." Onoki narrowed his eyes, prepared to erase Ashina from existence. He could hit Ashina without hitting Roshi. He was skilled enough.

"I'm not sure you understand." Ashina tilted his head, flicking his wrist and cutting a portion of Roshi's shirt, revealing his lower abdomen, specifically the seal.

Onoki's blood ran cold as he realized what Ashina was getting at as he noticed the misaligned segments of the seal.

He had sabotaged it.

"For those that are unaware of what I am threatening." Ashina looked at the other people in the room that hadn't figured it out. "I'm threatening to tear out the Yonbi and unleash it."

Gasps came from everyone present, the Daimyo reacting the worst from being a civilian.

"Y-you can't do this!" He shouted, his entire frame wracked with tremors. "You're a damned monster."

Ashina gazed lazily at him, tilting his head curiously.

"You bear a resemblance to Akio," He ignored the comment, "Grandson of his?"

Ashina didn't wait for a response and turned to Kurotsuchi, a smile that promised untold horrors appearing on his face.

"I'm surprised you haven't pissed yourself in fear. You have more courage than some of the Iwa nin I killed when your parents were children."

Kurotsuchi gulped, but she had a fiery look in her eyes that overwhelmed her fear.

"My village is still here," She said, her hands clenched at her sides, "And you're just a man who died long ago."

"Don't." Roshi finally spoke for the first time, his voice raspy as he pleaded for the girl to not provoke Ashina.

"No," Ashina turned to look at Roshi, shaking his head, "I want her to be perfectly honest on what she thinks of me. She will probably be something of note in the future."

"So," Ashina looked back at her again, narrowing his eyes, "What do the academy teachers in Iwa say about me and my clan?"

Onoki was running through plans on how to kill Ashina, or rekill him, without killing Roshi in the process. But he was coming up short.

"You're a monster that killed kids, wounded and old Shinobi that weren't much of a threat to you." Kurotsuchi said defiantly, glaring at him hatefully, "And that you were going to join the war against us."

Ashina was quiet for several seconds, slowly blinking. Then, he laughed.

"The truth is, child," Ashina said almost affectionately, "That I killed children younger than you, and men and women not much younger than your grandfather. Your teachers were right about everything about me. I am a murderer and I enjoyed killing those who invaded my home and killed my family."

Just a little to the left. Onoki saw Ashina shift around on his feet to adjust his balance.

"Would you be proud of your grandfather if he killed thousands of enemy Shinobi that invaded your home?" Ashina pressed, focusing on the youngest girl in the room, "Would you proclaim to the heavens that you are proud that the blood of heroes flows within your veins?" He demanded, his face twisted into a snarl.

More Killing Intent flooded the room and Onoki felt his face tighten as instincts borne from decades of fighting reared up and demanded he strike.

Kurotsuchi looked uncertain at how Ashina compared himself to her own grandfather, at a loss for words.

"There is no truth in war, Kurotsuchi," Ashina said, still speaking with her, "There is no great revelation to be found from it. No great secret. There is only you; you will discover who you truly are when you stand over an enemy who begs for mercy, a child screaming for her mother." Ashina's eyes flashed as he was visibly shaking, whether in rage or despair, Onoki couldn't tell.

Kurotsuchi was shaking in fear for sure, realizing what Ashina was admitting to.

"I hold you responsible, Onoki," Ashina said coldly, his attention going back to him, "Both the Sandaime Mizukage and Nidaime Raikage are dead. You are the only remaining one that chose to kill my people and subjected thousands to a brutal death."

Onoki scoffed at the accusation.

"Don't delude yourself, Uzukage-sama." He replied mockingly, "You would have done the same to us if you thought it would have preserved your village. It is only natural."

Roshi letting out a wheezing cough, blood dribbling from his mouth.

"The internal damage won't be an issue for long." Ashina promised, a faint smirk on his face. "But there is something you should know about who is after your Jinchuriki and the others. The group known as the Akatsuki are not your friend. They attacked Roshi on two occasions."

Onoki glanced at Roshi, who nodded in confirmation.

"That is the only helpful thing you will hear from me." Ashina took a step forward, giving Onoki the chance to hit him with his Dust Release.

Right as Onoki was about to make the hand seal to do it, Ashina looked directly into his eyes.

"The thing holding Roshi's seal together is tied to my chakra," The man said, lowering his arm and letting the chakra blade disappear, "Killing me will shatter the seal."

Onoki didn't pay attention to the fearful reactions of the others, only having his eyes on Ashina and Roshi.

Killing his friend would get rid of all of Ashina's leverage, but it would result in Iwa losing a Jinchuriki and Onoki losing a friend.

He couldn't.

"My time is short, so I will make an offer to you, Tsuchikage Onoki." Ashina stepped closer to him, everyone else scrambling to get away from him.

They were perhaps 20 yards away at most, two old men who had seen too much of the world at its most debased.

"Kill Roshi now, or I will shatter the seal and let Iwa feel what Konoha felt when the Kyuubi was torn from my granddaughter." Ashina's violet eyes flicked towards Kurotsuchi for a split second before going back to Onoki's.

"No." Onoki said simply, "I do not negotiate with dead men. Has being dead after your failures taught you nothing?"

Onoki would be a liar if he said he wasn't curious about what the afterlife was like, but he wasn't going ask one of his village's greatest enemies about it.

"Dead?" Ashina raised a brow, snorting derisively, "Do you wish to know the truth of all reality that I comprehended at my passing?"

Onoki didn't acknowledge it at all.

"Everything, but nothing." The man said cryptically, "I will say nothing else of the matter."

Twitching visibly, Ashina seemed to switch moods.

"Choose. I kill Roshi painfully or you kill him as a friend should, with little pain involved."

He's mad. Onoki thought, noticing Ashina had been fidgeting slightly as he spoke, his eyes almost glowing as he practically chanted it.

"You have no true leverage, Ashina." Onoki smirked, "Killing Roshi leaves you with nothing to threaten us with, and destroying his seal... Should I ensure your actions you take right now be reflected in my actions when we capture your grandson and granddaughter, the last of your clan?" He asked pleasantly.

A feral look flashed across Ashina's face for a fraction of a second, before disappearing completely.

So it is definitely true. It had already been pretty much confirmed, but this saved another few weeks of time.

"I would have killed the world to preserve them." Ashina was breathing erratically, his fists clenched as chakra emanated from them.

Chakra began to leak from Ashina as his eyes darted across the room, taking in the sight of wounded and fearful Shinobi and the leader of the Land of Earth.

"As you would pass judgement on them," Ashina said steadily, wrath and fury running beneath his voice like an undercurrent that stained his chakra, "I have come to pass judgement on you all."

The way he spoke had Onoki prepared to do what he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life, a silent plea for forgiveness aimed at Roshi. The red haired man, already nearly catatonic from shock, gave him a look of understanding, his eyes closing for a moment.

"Do you wish to feel the teachings born of the Shinobi wars?!" Ashina demanded, looking at the entire room, "Of all wars?! Of all tragedies that scream across the continent?!"

The others began to cower away, frightened by the animalistic expressions and predatory Killing Intent coming from him.

"Let me show you, who have forever seen reality through this world," Ashina pulsed a chakra blade into his hand, aiming it at his own chest, "See it through the eyes of The Exile."

Onoki floated forward, flaring his chakra and made a hand seal, forming a protective shell of earth around most of the room, shielding them from what was about to happen.

Ashina made a hand seal that caused Roshi's seal to flare, before he stabbed himself with his own blade and disappeared in a puff.

It was a bunshin all along.

Roshi fell to his knees and clutched his gut as the seal broke, red chakra gushing from the seal.

"Kill me," He begged weakly, suddenly seizing up and letting out a scream of pain as the silhouette of a monkey began to form from the chakra, "Onoki, please." His dark eyes met Onoki's one final time.

I'm sorry. Onoki made the hand seal his mentor had trained him to use, combining three different nature releases and striking Roshi with it.

Roshi, the Yonbi, and the entire front of the room was disintegrated in an instant, what remained of the room becoming completely silent.

Onoki let out a shuddering breath at what just happened and what he did.

"Treat the wounded." He ordered sharply, turning towards the Iryo-nin. "Now!" He barked, causing them to be broken from their stupor and began healing the wounded.

The next half hour involved repairing the meeting area as best as possible and getting the wounded stable for transport, and a general state of emergency declared in the village.

"Total blackout." Onoki ordered the different members of his inner circle as they did their tasks. "Full military preparation and alert the rest of the ANBU that they will be needed."

Iwa had already taken a hit, and actual war hadn't been declared.

The procedures carried into the night, the leader of Iwa recieving no rest as he prepared his village for what would be a likely conflict.

---

"What do you mean Hidan lost his ring?" Pein demanded softly, already at his wit's end.

Kakazu just finished explaining that they were stopped by a bunshin of Uzumaki Ashina from capturing Roshi, the chakra construct tearing open Roshi's throat to prevent him from being captured.

The comment about the ring vexed him nearly as much as being forced to hunt down the Yonbi.

Someone had somehow hijacked the connection the rings had and launched a days long psychological attack on all the Akatsuki members.

"Hidan got ripped apart and had his ring stolen." Kakazu said gruffly, the entire gathering in an irtitable mood after what happened.

"So it was this dead guy that did all that shit?" Deidara asked, shaking his head and sighing, "Two days of screaming and singing... non-stop."

"You weren't the only one that had to deal with that, Deidara," Kisame reminded him, standing alone ever since Itachi's death, "It was all of us."

It started with a loud whirring noise in their heads, some unintelligible shrieks, and the words "BOW BEFORE ME"... more piercing, violent shrieks. "GUNS. NOT OUR AMERICA..."

They were then called homosexuals at a deafening pitch for hours on end.

After the constant and ear damning squall, constant profane lyrics to songs echoed constantly, followed by other maddening things.

"With Roshi dead," Pein brought it back to the previous subject, "We will be... delayed," He said the word distastefully, "For a couple years longer."

"This means our plans revert back to what they were before the Chunin exams in Konoha." Konan elaborated, "Moves on the Jinchuriki will wait until things start to calm down and if war breaks out between the two factions starting to form."

Madara had informed Pein and Konan that he was convincing the Kages of the smaller villages to be more adversarial with the major ones and cause more instability to foment conflict between the Big Five.

Escalation of conflict was a necessary evil, even if Pein hated it.

"Three rings are now gone." Pein let his displeasure be known in his voice as he levelled is attention towards Kakazu and Kisame. "Orochimaru's is unlikely to be found, and Itachi's will undoubtedly be studied if he was unable to destroy it. Meetings will become more sparse until we can ensure that we can't be eavesdropped upon by anyone other than the designer of the rings."

Madara had let it be known to Pein and Konan that he got the rings off of the corpses of S-rank Uzumaki in Uzushiogakure.

"This meeting is now over. The next will be two weeks from now. Lay low until then." Pein finished, cutting the connection.

His actual surroundings rematerialized and he turned to look at Konan, then to Madara.

"Have you finished the preparations?" Pein asked.

"For the most part." Madara replied, "Only time is required for the seeds to bear fruit. Iwa can be brought into a conflict with effort, but the distraction will pay off for us."

Pein glanced towards Konan, who remained silent as she focused on Madara.

"I will be absent for the next week," Madara chakra shimmered as he started to disappear, "I will contact you when necessary."

With that, the former Uchiha clan leader disappeared in a swirl, leaving the two remaining war orphan students of Jiraiya alone.

---

End chapter:

Chapter took longer to get out than I expected, but whatever. Ashina's arc has ended in a bang, and the ramification will be felt in the future for a long time.

To anybody who asks why he did what he did and antagonized Onoki and the Land of Earths head of state: Remember, this is a guy who outlived all but one of his children and most of his grandchildren, with Onoki being the only remaining person responsible alive.

Roshi was also the one that mortally wounded his eldest. He killed two birds with one stone. He weakens Iwa and gets his vengeance, while also screwing with the Akatsuki's plans.

Kaguya obviously isn't getting brought back, courtesy of Ashina killing Zetsu.

The words he said in the Kamui dimension were in Sindarin, because I'm a druggy for LotR.

The way he kept the clone in Roshi's seal is already explained, so l won't repeat it. That's basically about it.

Here's a new chapter and I hope you enjoy. Comments are appreciated and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Raging.