Chapter 27: Different Perspectives

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AN: As promised, this chapter follows a slightly different format by showing snapshot perspectives of several other characters. They each take place at some time during the Akatsuki arc after Chapter 26.

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Kakashi

As Kakashi stood on the training field, he was forced to admit that his life was filled with nothing but failure.

He'd failed to save Obito.

He'd failed to save Rin.

He'd failed to save Minato-sensei.

And now…

He'd thought that things would be different this time. He was older. Wiser. Stronger. He was the sensei, the one tasked with protecting his students the way Minato-sensei had so often protected him and the others.

But he'd still failed.

Sasuke was gone and Kiyo was the captive of a sadistic S-rank psychopath. After his disastrous fight with Itachi, Kakashi still held out hope that he could rescue Kiyo. Perhaps that could erase some part of his failure. Of course, Jiraiya was quick to stop him. As Jiraiya pointed out, Kakashi didn't stand a chance against Itachi. And if Kakashi had time to concoct suicidal rescue plans, then he had time to train. He would need to train if he wanted to grow strong enough to save his student.

In the meantime, he had another student here who needed his attention. Because none of the medics could wake Sasuke from his Tsukuyomi-induced coma. They needed Kakashi to explain what exactly Kiyo had done to revive him. So while Jiraiya took Naruto on a mission to find the legendary medic Tsunade, Kakashi had tried fruitlessly to describe Kiyo's technique to the medical director. He'd even enlisted Kurenai and Asuma as well, but they claimed that Kiyo hadn't used any seals or spoken any words. Nothing that would help them narrow down exactly what she'd done.

Their piecemeal explanations amounted to nothing. Kiyo had, apparently, taken one look at his ailment and had created an entirely novel medical ninjutsu to cure him within seconds. According to the medical director, this wouldn't be the first time. Kakashi had to admit that the rumors comparing Kiyo to the slug Sanin were not exaggerated. He couldn't say that he was surprised. He'd only ever met one child prodigy who surpassed Kiyo's innate talent for the ninja arts and that was her older brother Itachi. But unlike Itachi, who raced ahead and left others behind, Kiyo always seemed to hold herself back, preferring to support others rather than seeking power for herself. In fact, the only areas where she seemed to excel without hesitation were the ones that had no overlap with Sasuke's interests.

This was likely due to their codependent relationship, a theory that he'd tested when he'd separated them for the Chunin Exams. Sure enough, given some time away from her brother, Kiyo had learned a serviceable version of the S-rank Hiraishin jutsu in a matter of days. She'd then perfected it in weeks. Meanwhile Sasuke, who was a prodigy in his own right, struggled to master the A-rank Chidori in the same time.

Some of Kiyo's progress could be attributed to her possessing foundational knowledge of seals and advanced chakra molding, but not all. Not enough to disguise the sheer impossibility of her feat. Kiyo's instantaneous insight into the nature of chakra and jutsus was startling to say the least. Genma had certainly given Kakashi an angry earful on the potential consequences of that.

If it weren't for Kiyo's small, weakened body, Kakashi would even consider her potential to be equal to Itachi's. Though that was another thing he didn't quite understand. The Hokage had briefed him on Kiyo's special medical situation prior to assigning him to Team 7. But Kiyo's peerless competence in medical ninjutsu made him wonder if her small stature was indeed as inescapable as she made it seem. With everything else going on, he hadn't wanted to broach the subject, but perhaps he should have. Of course, if he wanted the chance to talk about it now, Kakashi would need to bring her home.

First he would need to train and take care of his other student. Thankfully, Tsunade soon returned to Konoha and woke Sasuke from his coma with a touch. Kakashi was unsurprised by Sasuke's burning fury when Kakashi explained the situation. He did what he could to cool the Uchiha's temper, but when he'd returned from an A-rank mission to find that Sasuke had abandoned the village, he felt no shock. He simply felt the weight of yet another failure.

His left eye, Obito's eye, burned as he drew chakra to it.

What would Obito say to him now? He would probably challenge Kakashi to grow stronger. Strong enough to protect his comrades. Kiyo and Sasuke were lost in darkness, but Kakashi would not abandon them. Jiraiya had taken Naruto on a training journey, and when they returned, they would bring back their missing comrades together.

Kakashi opened his eye and felt Obito's power burn as he focused on a training dummy across the field.

"Kamui!"

Naruto

Naruto glowered at the manuscript. The pervy sage was off somewhere doing 'research' and had left Naruto to read the rough draft of his newest pervy chapter. It was boring, stupid, and a waste of time, but after weeks of pestering, the pervy sage had promised to show Naruto how to add an elemental nature to the Rasengan if he agreed to proof read it. Naruto wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it sounded cool. So here he was.

Naruto yawned.

He wished he had some ramen for dinner. They'd been stuck eating ration bars for a week. And when they finally arrived at a place with actual food, the pervy sage went and dumped Naruto alone in their room without a single coin to buy it. All he had were ration bars. Plenty of ration bars.

Naruto's stomach growled.

"Gah!" he shouted, flopping back and letting the pages spill onto the floor in frustration. Maybe he could just ditch the proof-reading and go get some food. There had to be something open at this hour, and Naruto was pretty sure the pervy sage kept a secret coin purse in his bag. The old man owed it to him. And who could work on an empty stomach? He missed his hidden stash of instant ramen, he missed old man Ichiraku's ramen, and he missed his teammates.

That thought made Naruto pause.

He wondered where they were right now, if Kiyo-chan was in a kitchen somewhere with a frilly pink apron making ramen and if the bastard was scowling at his food like it had personally wronged him somehow. If he closed his eyes, Naruto could almost see them both.

But they were gone.

One had been stolen. The other had cast him aside.

Had he made the wrong choice? After the fight with Itachi, Naruto had wanted to go after Kiyo-chan right away, but the pervy sage pointed out that he had no way of tracking her down. Besides, Kiyo-chan had a teleportation jutsu and would probably be back at any moment. Meanwhile Sasuke needed to be healed, and they needed to find a healer strong enough to do it. Naruto had been torn between saving Sasuke and saving Kiyo-chan. Ultimately he'd decided that he and Sasuke could save Kiyo-chan together if she didn't come home on her own.

But then…

Kiyo-chan hadn't come home. And Naruto hadn't wanted to believe the note when he'd found it slid beneath his door. It said that Sasuke was planning to abandon the village and join that creepy snake guy. The note was hours old, so he'd wasted no time in going to Granny Tsunade. He was certain that he would be able to bring Sasuke back. But Sasuke had other ideas. Naruto was so sure that he and Sasuke had understood each other in the valley. What would Kiyo-chan think if she came home and Sasuke wasn't there?

He'd said as much to the bastard, but Sasuke had only laughed bitterly, asking if Naruto truly believed that they could save Kiyo-chan at their current level. Naruto had no doubts. He knew that if they worked together, they could bring her home.

Sasuke disagreed.

And when Naruto tried to bring Sasuke back by force, he'd finally understood the difference in their strength. Naruto had thought he'd known pain when the pervy sage returned to Konoha without Kiyo-chan after their encounter with Itachi, but the feeling of waking up on Kakashi's back and knowing that Sasuke was gone too? That was a hundred times worse.

He couldn't save Kiyo-chan, and he couldn't force the bastard to return.

Not yet.

But when he finished training, Naruto would find them both. He'd bring them home. He just had to grow stronger.

Naruto sat up again and cast his eyes over to the bag where the pervy sage kept his coins. Then he sighed, hung his head, and pulled out a ration bar. He gathered up the pages for the chapter and got back to work.

The pervy sage's Rasengan trick had better be worth it.

Karin

At least this was still better than Hidden Grass.

It was a mantra Karin recited on a nearly hourly basis here in Hidden Sound. Sure, Kabuto might use her in experiments to study her power, but at least she wasn't being chewed on until she was nearly dead from chakra exhaustion.

See?

Better.

But even if it was better than Hidden Grass, it still didn't compare to the good life in Konoha she'd been hoping for, the one that had been ripped away due to her own stupidity. Everything had been going so well at first. When she'd initially encountered the Konoha ninjas, she'd been dazzled by their chakra. They were all so bright in their own unique way. Naruto was burning hot like a summer sun. Haku was brilliant and cold like a clear winter morning. Sasuke was a light in darkness like a campfire beneath moonlight. And Kiyo was warm like an embrace.

Like home.

When Karin had sat at Ichiraku's she'd wished that she could stay with them forever. So when she'd seen her chance after the second exam of course she'd taken it. She'd drunk the sake; she'd spoken the vows. All that was left was for her to prove her worth to the clan and the village.

Unfortunately, she'd missed her first chance when it came to healing Haku while Kiyo was conveniently barred from performing medical ninjutsu. She'd hesitated, too afraid that if she offered herself even once, she'd end up in the same position she'd occupied in Hidden Grass.

Then she'd missed her second chance after the invasion. Sasuke had told her to look after Kiyo, but Kiyo ended up healing herself first. Karin couldn't even blame her for it since she'd only done it to spare Karin more pain. Kiyo was a sweet kid, sometimes too sweet, but she didn't understand Karin's position at all.

When her third chance came, Karin had jumped on the opportunity, not willing to let this one slip away too. Kiyo had been kidnapped, and once Sasuke had woken from his coma Karin had gleefully announced that she'd be able to track Kiyo's chakra from any distance. Privately, Karin was overjoyed at this turn of events. All she had to do was point the rescue team in the right direction, and her debt would be repaid.

No biting. No pain. No risk.

Just a grateful village, a happy clan-head, and a permanent cushy gig as a sensor-ninja for the Uchiha clan.

At least that's what she'd thought until she realized that there was no rescue mission. The kidnapper was some S-rank missing ninja that could throw around teams of jounin like they were Academy students. Karin's horror on realizing that Kiyo might actually be in danger was quickly overshadowed by terror when Sasuke decided to abandon the village. That alone would have been bad enough, but then he'd insisted that she join him.

Because Sasuke would need her to find Kiyo when he was finished with his training.

And suddenly Karin's dream job turned into a nightmare. She'd told Haku what Sasuke was planning, hoping that Haku might be able to talk some sense into him. But of course Haku's only response was to request that he be allowed to tag along too. Sasuke had agreed, and suddenly Karin was outnumbered two-to-one. In desperation, she'd managed to scrawl a quick message to Naruto, but by the time he'd caught up with them, they were already at the border.

She'd watched the fight with trepidation, glad that Sasuke had wanted to take on Naruto alone and had told them to stay back. Karin silently cheered for Naruto, hoping for his victory. She'd been less hopeful when she'd felt the massive, red, angry chakra pouring out of him. What was that?! But she never had a chance to ask because despite his strange chakra, Naruto still lost.

Karin couldn't even risk helping him because the oh-so-loyal Haku was watching over Sasuke like a hawk. Karin cursed her own mistake in telling him anything about this whole stupid plan. She might have been able to escape a weakened Sasuke, but she couldn't win in a fight against the ice wielder.

So she'd had no choice but to follow Sasuke and Haku into this awful place. As she walked behind them, Karin couldn't help but notice the change in their chakra. If Haku was once a clear winter morning, he was now an unforgiving winter night. And if Sasuke was once a campfire under moonlight, he was now smoldering embers with the darkness closing in.

Karin just hoped that when they eventually rescued Kiyo, her chakra would still be the same, untainted by the darkness that had poisoned the others.

Haku

Not a day went by when Haku did not feel the ache of Zabuza's absence. But there were times when it seemed to fade a little. Somewhat. In those fleeting moments he could almost find peace and believe that everything would be alright. He'd felt that way when he'd shared sake with Sasuke-sama. Even in the wake of his uselessness as Zabuza's tool, Kiyo-sama had deemed him worthy of joining her clan, and Sasuke-sama had agreed. He wanted to prove them right, to be of use to them as he couldn't be for Zabuza.

Zabuza wanted Haku to be an emotionless weapon, and yet his heart often kept him from fulfilling his tasks. It wasn't that Haku had never killed another. He had killed many, many times. Both in Zabuza's service and after. Before drinking the sake with Sasuke-sama, Haku had gone to Gatou's stronghold and dealt with the remaining mercenaries to ensure that they would not harm his new friends. And during the invasion, he'd eliminated the Sound ninja pursuing Sasuke-sama with all the practiced efficiency he'd learned as Zabuza's tool. But he never spoke of his actions to Kiyo-sama. She was too young and too pure to know about such things. But despite the blood on his hands, Haku could not bring himself to kill innocents, children, or the defenseless. It was a flaw in his resolve that persisted into his new life, even putting Kiyo-sama in danger. Though Kiyo-sama tried to reassure him, Haku knew the truth.

No one wanted a tool that only hurt the one who tried to use it.

Of course, Kiyo-sama wanted him to find a dream beyond being used as a tool, and yet finding his own path was difficult no matter how many encouraging words and kind smiles she gave to him. He'd thought that perhaps his dream could be serving the Uchiha clan as their vassal. He swore to live for them. He swore to die for them. But then...Sasuke-sama's only real command was for Haku to guard Kiyo-sama, and yet he'd allowed her to be stolen away under his watch. Not only that, but she was the one to save him by sending Guy to his rescue against the two ANBU. Sasuke-sama had every right to cast Haku out, but instead he'd chosen to give Haku another chance.

His mission was to grow strong enough to join Sasuke-sama in his hunt for the man who had stolen Kiyo-sama.

It was a mission Haku gladly accepted. So he'd walked beside Sasuke-sama into Orochimaru's lair. That was where he stood now waiting in the center of the arena as Kabuto gathered up the next round of test subjects. They filed into the arena, and Kabuto unshackled one, pushing him toward Haku. The man was filthy and old, clearly a civilian, one who knew nothing of battle. He trembled when he saw Haku's placid expression.

"Begin when you're ready," said Kabuto with a small smirk, eyeing the cowering man with sadistic curiosity.

Haku shaped his chakra, silencing the small piece of his heart that tried to stop him even now. He'd tried to kill this part of his heart many, many times before. Zabuza often commanded it. But he had never succeeded. Until now. Because he couldn't stop. Kiyo-sama was the one to bring him into her home. Sasuke-sama was the one to command him. He was their tool.

As long as he was useful, he was not unwanted.

And to be useful, he just had to kill the only thing that stood in his way: the one small piece of his heart that had once refused to die. Haku met the old man's terrified gaze. No, there would be no fault in his resolve, no hesitation. Not now. Not anymore. He would obey Sasuke-sama. He would save Kiyo-sama. He was a tool of the Uchiha clan.

Haku would not fail this time.

Suddenly, the man screamed and thrashed, falling to his knees as his skin split open, revealing the ice forming in his veins as he froze from the inside out.

"Bloody Mist Art: Red Ice."

Sasuke

"That's all for today."

Sasuke relaxed his hold on the curse mark and felt the dark chakra bleed off. It left a slight chill and a vague feeling of emptiness in its wake. Orochimaru stood opposite him with a speculative expression. Sasuke didn't dare lower his guard in the snake Sanin's presence no matter how long they'd been training together.

'That's all' didn't necessarily mean that it was over.

Kabuto stood beside the wall taking notes on Sasuke's progress. At Orochimaru's request, Kabuto began reading off his findings and the improvements made since their last time together. Adding shape transformation to the Chidori was orders of magnitude more difficult than the elemental transformation alone, but the results were undeniable. His Chidori Spear added power and range to what was once a simple melee attack, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

Orochimaru seemed pleased.

Sasuke turned to leave without another word. They allowed him to go. He returned to his room where Kabuto had left a plate of food along with various chemical vials and drugs, most of which he'd been told would bolster his body's natural abilities and immunities. He wasn't sure if he believed that, but he wasn't going to turn down any opportunity to grow stronger no matter how little he trusted the source.

He downed the foul-tasting substances and lay down on the thin mattress. His muscles ached with exhaustion, but it was a distant thing, something he could ignore. Sasuke reached one hand into an inner pocket of his open-fronted shirt and pulled out a bright blue ribbon. He had purchased it on a whim. Kiyo-chan's ribbon, the one she'd worn for as long as he could remember, had grown ragged from age no matter how well she took care of it. He'd thought she might like a new one. That was all. And if she liked it enough, maybe she'd forgive him for what he had to do.

He'd meant to surprise her with it in the hospital.

She'd always been the one to take care of him, often to the point where she didn't take care of herself. Kiyo-chan wasn't meant for a harsh life that turned ribbons into rags. There was no need for her to risk her life. Sasuke tried to look after her. He really did. But he was an avenger. He didn't know how to comfort her or how to soothe her fear when she woke screaming in the night. All he could do was grow strong enough to kill the man who wanted them dead. Through the years, Sasuke had never turned away from his goal. He'd lived and breathed revenge against that man. He had to kill Itachi to save the only family he had left. Sasuke could only imagine the horrors that Itachi was inflicting on her even now.

Sasuke closed his eyes and clenched the ribbon in his fist.

After all these years, after all the training and anger and hatred, what had he done? What was it for? Over and over again, Itachi had beaten him so easily. That man took Kiyo-chan away from him like he was nothing.

He knew the truth now. He knew who was to blame.

Naruto.

Kakashi.

They were a distraction. They turned his heart aside. They made him weak. Naruto was a pathetic excuse for a rival, and Kakashi spent more time reading his perverted book than actually teaching. If he wanted to kill Itachi, if he wanted to protect Kiyo-chan, he had to sever those bonds. He was an avenger. He was a guardian.

Friendship meant nothing.

His teacher was weak.

So he'd cast them aside, and some small, black piece of his heart hated them. If he'd never met them, if he'd focused on training and getting stronger, would he have been able to protect his little sister?

He didn't know.

But the possibility of it burned.

The ribbon crumpled in his fist. With a concentrated effort, Sasuke loosened his hold. He smoothed the fabric and ran his thumb over the crescent marks left by his fingernails.

It didn't matter now.

There were no more distractions. His bonds were severed. They would not hold him back ever again. He would grow strong doing whatever it took to gain power. He would find Itachi. He would kill Itachi. He would take back Kiyo-chan and keep her somewhere safe. And no one would ever take her from him again.

Itachi

In the dark of their shared room, Itachi recalled when he'd first met Kiyo-chan. He was five years old when he'd peered through the viewing window of a sterile hospital room where a too-small newborn lay swaddled in wires and tubes.

The medic had spoken to his parents in gentle, serious tones.

Compromised immune system.

Weak heart.

High probability of physical and mental disabilities.

The girl would never be a ninja and would likely require a caregiver for the rest of her life. The medic offered to discuss 'options', and Itachi hadn't needed to see his mother's stricken face to understand what she'd meant. The war was over, but it was still fresh, still raw. The future held no promises. If the fires of war sparked again, a sickly child would only be a liability, one quickly discarded for the good of the village.

It would be better, or perhaps kinder, to let nature take its course.

"No," said his mother, firm and unwavering. "Give her whatever treatment she needs."

"…Mikoto," said his father, quiet and tired. "I cannot ask anyone in the clan to take such a burden."

"I will take her," said his mother.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

"You already have Sasuke to look after," his father pointed out.

"She is an Uchiha," said his mother, this time with a hint of anger.

His father regarded the infant in stony silence. Itachi did not envy his position. It was his father's duty to look after the clan. Konoha had enacted strict austerity and rationing measures during the war, and those had only recently begun to lift. His father couldn't afford to spend resources on someone that would never be an asset to the clan.

And yet…

"…Fine," he said, relenting with a sigh. "Do what you feel is right."

Some of the tension eased from his mother. She looked down at Itachi with a wane smile.

"Let's go meet your little sister," she said, guiding Itachi into the room.

She wasn't his little sister. Not really. Not the way that Sasuke was his little brother. But she was clan. Itachi reasoned that that was close enough. His mother held her first, rocking her gently and with great care. Then his mother handed the baby to Itachi, and he'd taken her into his arms. As he looked at her too small, too pale face, she blinked awake, looking at him with large, dark eyes.

And she smiled.

He held out one finger, and her tiny, tiny hand wrapped around it.

Something warm welled up in his chest, a sense of responsibility he couldn't quite name.

"Hello, little sister."

From that moment on, Itachi resolved to look after her.

His resolve had been tested again and again. It was being tested even now. The Akatsuki was not an ideal haven, but there had been no choice. None at all. And now she was here, like a candle in the dark. It hadn't been easy. But Kiyo-chan needed protection only the organization could provide. He'd gone to Madara first. The older Uchiha had been unsurprised by Itachi's request, which made Itachi wonder what he knew. Madara had also been somewhat amenable to the idea of taking in Kiyo-chan in exchange for her services. His only condition was that he wanted to meet her first to determine her temperament and personality.

He wanted to know how easily she could be controlled.

Itachi had no doubt of what Madara would find. Kiyo-chan completely lacked the drive to fight or kill. With a few subtle threats, she would bend to his will. Itachi hadn't wanted this for her. He'd hoped to spare her from this life. Kiyo-chan fidgeted in her sleep, her chakra flaring at the nightmare. Itachi stroked her hair and tucked her against his chest until she settled down. He wished her an easy rest, but she often woke screaming in the night and was only soothed when he held her like this.

She did not speak of her nightmares, and Itachi did not ask. He merely offered her whatever small comfort he could provide in the hope that it would bring her peace. Peace that Itachi had not known for a long, long time. As Kiyo-chan settled into a deeper sleep, Itachi closed his eyes briefly, and the newest memory that haunted his dreams appeared before him.

The prison cell. Kiyo-chan curled up with a pillow beneath her head and a blanket draped over her shoulders.

And Madara…

Madara sitting at her side…

Running his fingers through her hair.

Obito

This world was Hell, and it would remain Hell until he had achieved his dreams. But in the quiet of the night when he lay down to rest Obito was free to imagine his own little slice of Heaven. He closed his eyes and carefully constructed the genjutsu. It was a pale imitation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi he would bring to this accursed world, but it served as a taste of what was to come.

Just a harmless fantasy.

Normally his genjutsu dreams followed the same pattern. He was a child once more. Rin and Minato were alive. Kakashi was his friendly rival. They were all together in Konoha, and the world was at peace. Their lives were happy and carefree. Their days were filled with playful training and harmless missions.

But sometimes Obito favored a different dream, and that was the one he constructed on this particular night. The Konoha he imagined was the same, but he was older now. The Hokage monument had a fifth face, a scarred face with the Sharingan.

Obito imagined a beautiful home near the center of the village. He imagined opening his front door. He imagined stepping inside.

"I'm home!" he called as he removed his shoes and the Hokage cap.

"Welcome back!" said a familiar voice from the kitchen. He turned the corner to see Rin looking at him over her shoulder, the Uchiha crest proudly displayed on her back. "Dinner is almost ready, and the kids will be back soon."

At this, the front door opened again, and there was an indistinct cacophony of voices.

Obito could never decide how many children he wanted to have. Sometimes he would imagine a young boy who looked just like him or a young girl who looked just like her. Sometimes it was only a few. Sometimes it was half a dozen.

Today, it was one.

"I'm home!" said a cheerful voice as a little girl skipped into the kitchen. She took after his side of the family with spiky black hair and large, dark eyes, but her kind heart was entirely from Rin.

"Thank you for looking after her, Itachi-kun," said Rin as the girl was quickly followed by a young man. "You're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like."

Itachi smiled easily.

"Thank you, Rin-san, allow me to set the table," he said, gathering up the dishes.

"Tou-chan!" called the little girl as she leaped into Obito's arms. "I missed you!"

He caught her easily, lifting her up and balancing her on his hip. She wore the clothes he'd chosen for her, the black and white from Rin, the purple and crest from him.

"Did you have fun with your cousin today?" he asked.

The girl nodded vigorously, making her blue ribbon bounce.

"We went to the park!" she said.

"Oh?" Obito asked as he carried her to the couch and sat down. The girl snuggled up to his side. "Why don't you tell me all about your day, Kiyo-chan?"

"I helped a Granny cross the street, and she gave me a piece of candy!" said Kiyo-chan, smiling up at him as she went on to share all the little joys of her peaceful, happy life.

She deserved a happy life, just like Rin. Kiyo-chan reminded him of her.

Eerily so.

"Don't worry…I'll…watch over you…Obi…"

'Obi…'

Of course Obito knew that she'd simply slurred 'Tobi' due to her exhaustion. She had fainted immediately afterwards. But for a moment he'd almost believed that she would call him 'Obito'. It was a fanciful thought, this idea that some piece of Rin could still exist in this Hell. But Rin was gone. Right now she existed only in Heaven. His Heaven. It was merely a dream now, but one day it would become his reality. Rin, Minato, and Kakashi would all be there, each of them happy and whole. And he would make certain that Itachi and Kiyo-chan had long and happy lives in his Tsukuyomi dream too.

That way they would always live on in Heaven.

Even if he had to kill them both in Hell.