Chapter 23: A Breaking Point

"Perhaps this is what the stories meant when they called somebody heartsick. Your heart and your stomach and your whole insides felt empty and hollow and aching."

― Gabriel García Márquez


Sakura

It's impossible to see in front of her, dust and dirt clogging both her eyes and throat. Her ears ring from the sudden booms, the eerie rush of quiet that follows after of buildings trembling, groaning, and crackling, screams for help lost in the swirls of smog.

'Pain, he's began his assault on Konoha!' She quickly realizes.

"I need to check in my Dad! I'm heading for my house!" Ino manages to yell to her over the noise and Sakura manages to send a nod her way that she's heard her. She tears at the end of her shirt, will replace it again when she gets paid sometime near the end of the month, forming a makeshift mask to protect her eyes and mouth.

This can only mean the team of jonin sent out to Ame didn't get to Pain's true body in time or worse, have been gravely injured, teetering near death.

She bites her lip, metallic taste splashing the back of her tongue.

Kakashi-sensei was included in that team...

'No, I can't assume the worse right now! I have to believe he, Gai-sensei, and the others just haven't gotten to Pain's true body yet!'

Her wasps attempt to form a protective barrier as streams of dust and earth billow around her, smoke pluming from toppled houses and stores as she make her way towards the hospital.

"Thanks everyone. I'll need half you to help assess the wounded and aid in triaging while the other half will come with me to get a status update from Lady Tsunade or Shizune." Sakura orders.

The wasps buzz their agreement, switch into two formations.

She steels herself as she heads up for Tsunade's office, tiny knots growing in her chest like hives.

The last time they talked her emotions got the better of her, both of them struggling to come to terms with what the future holds.

"I finished my rounding in the intensive care and telemetry units My Lady. Charge nurses Akane and Fuyuko reported no major issues overnight except a shortage of hydrocortisone for inflammatory injections and more concernedly, a low amount of type O blood for transfusions." Sakura reviews from her notes.

It's hard to get donors, even willing civilian squeamish at the sight of blood to keep their appointments when rumors spill across the markets and even in the hospital's very cafeteria that soon Konoha will be at war again; another threat on the horizon.

She can't even tell her patients that they're just lies, the ones who are former shinobi or still in active duty know better.

Tsunade keeps her head rested against a stack of notes and files she's been using as a pillow, moonlight falling along her limp blonde locks, oily sheen creeping by her edges. Sakura fights with the urge to ask how long she's been cooped up in here, notes the smell of fast food and alcohol lingering in the air.

"...Okay." Tsunade mutters, not even meeting her gaze.

Sakura sighs, knows that's all she'll get from her for now before stepping forward to move away bottles of plum and rice sake from her reach. A majority of the sake cups and bottles are empty anyways, ice cubes that remain glittering in the silver light like fallen stars captured in glass. A lifeline her Master holds onto of days long since passed stargazing with Dan or her old team...

And now she is the last of the Legendary Sannin alive.

She feels her amber orbs watching her, burning on her back before finally narrowing as she gathers and stacks up the bottles neatly by the doorway to be recycled later.

"You don't need to do all that Sakura; someone from the cleaning crew would've taken care of it in the morning." Tsunade grunts with a lazy wave of her hand.

Sakura shakes her head, feels the last of her patience start to ebb away. Her hand curls tighter at her trash bag, pointing outside to the stretch of pinks and oranges approaching from the east.

"It is morning My Lady. Or at least the sunrise is getting pretty damn close to coming in an hour or so."

Tsunade shifts her head up at her tone, glare turning frosty.

"Don't take an attitude up with me Sakura. I'm not the one shirking their assigned duties at the hospital to go off on extended 'missions' that involve kissing and more with a certain boy who defected from our village. Red thread or not, I could've and maybe should've taken you off the hospital's roster months ago for such actions and suspended your missions as a shinobi."

Heat crawls up her neck, Sakura's grip on the trash bag tightening enough to risk ripping it open.

"I...I won't lie or make excuses pretending I haven't been going off to see Sasuke, however I've completed and aided all of those tiny villages I went to that don't have the same access to medicines and resources like we do."

Tsunade snorts, leans forward in her chair as a smirk dances to her lips. "I hope it was worth it to fuck him Sakura. You know just because I've been getting drunk here doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention to what's been going on within these hospital's walls and the village in general as the Hokage. The evening shift pharmacist Kanami didn't need to tell me what medications you bought the other day."

Sakura stiffens, she'd made sure the pharmacy had been empty, had been in and out so fast she'd hoped Kanami hadn't even fully realized it was her.

"I can respect she follows through with patient confidentiality and what not even when I attempted to bribe her with ryo and used my authority as Hokage. All I needed to do was ask if you had been by and observed as her ears and cheeks turned a telltale pink to know." Tsunade finishes.

Sakura clenches her teeth at her vulgarity as she sets the trash bag down; it isn't like Sasuke rejected her advances! It wasn't just the pull of them being red thread matches that brought him to come to her during each of their encounters...

She crosses her arms, matches her vitriol. "You know what?! I'm sure that old pervert Jiraiya would be so happy if he were alive still to see you wasting away like this, drinking to numb the pain! All you've been doing since his death is spending most of the daylight hours hidden away in gambling dens when you should be worried about Pain's coming attack to our village and Naruto not being here to aid in Konoha's defense! You weren't even his red thread and you're mourning him like he was!"

Tsunade is up and front her in an instant, slap burning her cheek.

A wasp comes out of her hair before Sakura can tell it to stand down, stinger jabbing into her hand in return.

"Stop! I'm not under attack!" Sakura orders quickly, stepping back as her wasps begin forming a protective shield anyways. Others swipe at her falling teardrops, flutters of their wings tickling at the coming bruise to her cheek.

Tsunade is already healing the growing swell to her palm, auburn eyes murky with tears she too blinks away.

"I'm sorry, I went too far just then." Sakura apologies, Tsunade holding up her good hand.

"No. I'm sorry for speaking that way about your red thread. Though it is playing with fire to be with Sasuke Uchiha and you know it. Though I was young once too...I know what a powerful combination hormones and emotions on top of the thread's pull can do to a person. Jiraiya, pervert as he was, knew when to be serious with me. I really was going to give him a chance once he came back from Ame." She confesses.

Sakura nods, accepts as Tsunade stretches out her arms to her for a hug.

Her head lands at the curve of her neck, fleetingly wishing that despite all she's learned and studied since becoming her student that her body had developed a bit more. (Though Tsunade refused to tell her the secrets to getting a bigger breasts besides to drink more milk and sleep more). Sasuke never complained about it, but her figure is nothing like Ino's or Hinata's, even that woman he travels with could maybe sway him with her curves or bust if Sasuke paid attention to such things...

"I miss him, miss what could've been. Damn it, I even miss the days he would try to peek at me in the baths!" Tsunade laughs between cries.

And now his murderer will soon be here in Konoha, will potentially kill more people before he's stopped.

Sakura nods, burrows her head further into her neck recalling a topic she had discussed with Sasuke earlier, the photograph Itachi left her. The man named Tobi used to live here in Konoha, Tsunade's probably seen his true face at least once...

But that all can be saved for another time, voicing aloud her other suspicions.

"Danzo. He wants to be Hokage badly enough that he may try to poison you or worse, we need to watch out for him and any sabotage he may create to make you look unfit to be Hokage." She asserts.

Tsunade huffs as she wipes at her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of a man even older than me Sakura. Come what may I will defend this village from him, Pain, and any other threats as the Fifth Hokage."

True to her word, Tsunade's office is empty once she manages to make her way into the hospital's corridors. Evacuation orders have already begun, patients being escorted or shipped in wheelchairs down the back elevators, basement tunnels rumbling below her feet.

It makes sense, she is most likely at the Hokage tower making preparations to be on the offensive, ANBU and remaining jonin and chunin in reserve awaiting her next commands.

Her fingers abruptly prickle, gazing down to see her thread shining amidst the darkness.

Sasuke is near the village, probably preparing to hunt down Danzo...

'Well, I can't worry about that right now. Danzo most likely knows his days are numbered. At least that means he won't be fully focused on harming Lady Tsunade.'

She needs to find Shizune, each unit's managers to get an update.

Sakura creates a bridge of rock to get past a sunken in medical/surgical wing, pausing at seeing a long streak of fiery orange hair.

Her breath stills, one of the paths of Pain.

It's hand coils around Shizune's neck as Sakura crouches herself low into the shadows.

The bodyguards Shizune had lay slumped and in awkward angles, blood pooling against broken glass.

"I'll only ask you this one last time. Where is Naruto Uzumaki? Who is his red thread?"

Shizune's eyes fall to her for a flicker of a moment, verdant to onyx and Sakura clenches her teeth, nails digging into the palms of her skin as she whispers to her one word right as the Human path sucks out her soul.

'Run!'

Sakura watches as Shizune's body collapses to the floor, body going pale.

'No, I can't just run.' Sakura thinks as the Human Path turns it's attention towards her next hearing glass crackle by her feet. Her wasps come out at her ready awaiting her command, while she tightens her fists.

'Not until I get rid of it.'


Kakashi & Gai

"It walls upon walls of defense they've put up! However, that's never stopped us, has it Kakashi?!" Gai chimes with out proudly, nodding to himself.

If it weren't for the smell of blood and decay permeating just about everything around them, the mark of a growing bruise on Gai's cheek from a shopkeeper that tossed rocks their way, hissed for them to return back to where they came from he could almost imagine they're just on a particularly difficult S-ranked mission.

Gai turns to look at him properly at his silence, beaming.

"What's say whoever breaks down this wall first treats the other to a hearty, youthful lunch when we get back home!"

Kakashi blinks, shrugging before realizing Gai is waiting for some type of proper answer out of him.

"...Sure."

They turn their attention back towards the surrounding steel towers, Genma reporting in from the south that more of Ame's civilians and shinobi are heading their way.

"You know, I didn't think the people of this nation cared so much for this Pain fellow." Gai remarks more seriously, shaking rain droplets from his dark locks. Storms have battered them since arriving in Amegakure, cold droplets and mud sticking to their skin. Curtains of gray go on for miles and Kakashi can see why many people once they come of age leave this region for warmer and sunnier villages.

Kakashi agrees quietly. "From what Jiraiya said, the people were happy to no longer be under Hanzo's rule. I suppose I can understand a bit of how they feel. Under Hanzo, a majority of these people suffered from hunger, disease, and chronic health issues that Pain/Nagato has helped alleviate some; they feel indebted to him."

Gai scratches his chin, thoughtful before the pair leap back as a sudden smoke bomb falls in front of them.

'He communicates with the Pains using those black receiver rods. I'm sure he's been having a few of them watch our every move while the rest went to Konoha.' Kakashi recalls, flicking a kunai out in preparation as the smog clears.

Indigo-blue hair comes into view, amber orbs shifting between the duo.

Pain's second in command.

"More Konoha shinobi? Jiraiya's death wasn't warning enough not to come here?" She questions. They've already pushed through their first defensive walls, at this rate they'll soon reach Nagato's true body even with the use of the other Paths left here in reserve.

"Ah, that's Nagato's partner, isn't it? The one who goes by Konan?" Gai asks.

Kakashi nods, crackling his hands.

"She won't be an easy opponent, her attacks consist of paper combined with nature affinities for wind, water, and earth." He voices back.

Gai simply nods, grin evaporating. This is a battle they'll both need to take seriously.

Konan opens her palms in response, paper showering down on them.

Explosive tags instantly activate as soon as they land, eruptions of whites, oranges, and reds surrounding them all.

Konan flies up high out of the smoke to get an aerial view of the duo. A moment later Gai leaps up towards her, fist connecting with her shoulder before she can fully get out of his reach, barrage of paper shuriken cutting into his arms doing nothing to stop his speed.

'So fast! Even with my paper streams and bombs, it's slowed neither of them down!'

Pain ripples through her arm, crunch of bone snapping ringing in her ears. Gai doesn't waste a moment, jabbing a kick straight into her stomach setting it aflame, paper wings tearing apart being lurched upward.

Morning Peacock.

Konan bites through the pain, sucks in a breath cocooning herself in paper to cover the punches.

"Water Release: Water Pillar!"

A tower of water instantly separates them, unleashing wave upon wave of water to drown him from both above and below. It briefly slows his assault at least, though it's only a temporary hold.

'That copy ninja, where did he go?' Konan searches.

Lightning crackles from her left side, dodging just as Kakashi's lightning cutter moves in for her chest. She rains down another torrent of paper bombs before he can turn himself back around to face her, tags clinging to his skin from head to toe right as the blasts ignite obscuring him from view.

"It's pointless to believe either of you can win; I refuse to let anyone get close to Nagato! I will carry out his will until my dying breath!" Konan declares.

She lowers herself slowly only for a current of lightning to strike her from behind.

'How?! There wasn't time to use a substitution!'

She gasps, blood rushing out of her mouth.

Her gaze half turns back to Kakashi, to the crimson of his sharingan.

Genjutsu.

She'd probably been experiencing one even before this fight began...

For a flash of a moment her thoughts go to Tobi, the way he had watched her and Nagato before they made their preparations to launch the attack on Konoha.

"You won't be able to capture the Nine Tails. All these plans you've made don't account for scenarios in which he isn't in the village, if his red thread is harmed in the shockwaves or aftermath. The power boost he would gain in such a situation would be one neither of you could withstand. Right now you two are just running on borrowed time until their best and elite jonin come for that true body of yours Pain." He chuckles.

Konan fixes him with a glare, his visible scarlet eye narrowing in return daring her to attack him here and now.

Pain simply waves him away, no need to waste chakra fighting. "We've already accounted for the best and worst case scenarios occurring; we can't afford to waste any further time delaying this attack when so many of their shinobi know about my abilities. You've been assigned to track down and capture the Eight and Six Tails locations; get going."

Tobi lingers for a long moment, stepping back with a bow.

"Good luck! I hope I don't have to hear of your death through the grapevine like what happened with Deidara!" He chirps out.

It was one of the rare times Tobi spoke to them without that goofy lilt to his voice, a knowing probably that they would soon both be dead without him having to bloody his own hands she realizes now.

Nagato had said to ignore him at the time, Tobi promising to be good when Kisame gave him a look to shut up.

Kakashi watches her, twists her open hand back until it pops before she can use another paper attack. Her vision swims, heart sinking that she's losing, that she won't be able to fulfill her, Nagato's or Yahiko's wishes for peace, to even return back to their old hideout one last time...

'If this is the end I should wrap us both in a paper prison, end both our lives here and now!' She decides, but her hands refuse to move, dark spots filling her eyes faster.

Kakashi's voice is sharp in her ears, keeps her upright from passing out.

"Before you die, you'll tell us where Nagato is."

"Get away from her." A voice orders from behind, Gai slamming his leg into the back of a coming hand for Kakashi's head.

Kakashi drops Konan's figure, turns in time to see the Asura Path gearing up to launch a second set of missiles.

"Fireball jutsu!"

The blaze of fire melts the coming missiles, falling to clumps along the floor.

"Just one Path you're using against us Nagato? You're treating both Kakashi and I with such shame and disrespect!" Gai remarks.

'Of course it wouldn't be so easy.' Kakashi sighs, though this means at least there is one less Path for Konoha to deal with.

Still, an uneasiness settles in that Nagato has other traps awaiting them within the maze of this tower that will only keep slowing them down from reaching his body.

None of his past opponents went down without a fight, Nagato is proving to be no different.


Naruto

"I have to go back to Konoha and check on her y'know!" Naruto voices over a breakfast of grasshopper stew, steamed dragonflies, and grilled caterpillars. He wishes he could say he acquired a taste for insects in the time he's been here, but the first thing he's doing when he gets back to Konoha is eating a hearty meal at Ichiraku's or cooking up something, anything with Hinata that doesn't involve legs or compound eyes staring back at him blankly!

It's a decision he came to overnight, ready to end his training a day early.

His thread still looks black as charcoal, an ugly reminder that maybe he shouldn't have left Hinata that day...

Fukasaku simply nods at Naruto's resolve while Shima stirs cautiously at her bowl.

While it's true Naruto's mastered the Sage training, a feat not even little Jiraiya reached, his hastiness puts them on edge.

Gamamaru did say Naruto would be caught in a life-defining situation soon, though of what he could never give the full details on without falling asleep or getting distracted by the prospect of eating the flies hovering nearby him.

Still everything the Great Toad Sage says eventually comes to pass.

'What if it's something that involved that red thread of his and not him?' Shima considers with a look to Pa.

"...Alright, if that's what you wish, we'll support you in anyway we can!" Fukasaku relates, Shima putting on a smile at seeing his confidence.

"Ma, let's alert the other Toads we're going to be heading out this morning. Naruto, you go on ahead and pack up your belongings and meet us back at the main waterfalls in an hour. That sound good?" Fukasaku considers.

Naruto nods brightly, gathering his plate and bowls.

"Yup, I can be ready in 30 minutes y'know!"

As soon as Naruto is out of earshot, Shima turns to Fukasaku.

"You know this is dangerous Pa. This is the man who already killed little Jiraiya and we both saw for ourselves how strong he is!" Shima whispers, unable to keep the tremble out of her voice.

More people are going to die before this ends...

Fukasaku pats at her cheek. "Ma, we can't run away from this as much as Naruto can't either. Nowhere is truly safe for him and a day or two of extended training isn't going to make a difference when his heart and mind are all clouded over worrying for his friends and that red thread of his."

Shima breathes out slowly.

"Alright, Alright. I can admit you've made some good points there Pa." She concedes.

Her worry isn't going to go away completely, though she takes comfort in knowing Naruto won't be going into this fight alone.

They meet back at the center waterfalls an hour later, Naruto practically bouncing on his toes that he's truly heading back.

"Okay, everyone knows their duties! Gamahiro, Gamabunta, Gamakichi, and Gamaken will all assist in dealing with the Animal Path's summons. The goal is to destroy as many of the Paths as quickly as possible before the Deva Path gets to Naruto." Shima reviews.

She looks to each of them as they nod their understanding, summoning them back into Konoha.

Smoke burns his throat upon their arrival, Naruto gazing around through the clouds of smog.

'Are we in the right place?' He wonders.

They've landed in a crater, Naruto searching for something familiar among the collapsed buildings and sunken in streets.

'Hinata. She has to be safe, right?! When did all of this get destroyed?'

He calms his thoughts, his thread may still not be it's normal color, but it hasn't disappeared.

And then he looks up, the Hokage monument just faintly visible through the haze.

This really is Konoha; is home.


Hinata

'He's trying to cage me in again.'

Hinata takes the realization in stride, knows Hiashi is choosing what he feels is the least cruel option for her. Maybe to placate him she should just pretend to drink this poisoned concoction, if only to get him to finally leave her to gather her thoughts alone.

She studies the tea again cautiously, knows Hiashi prepared it himself as soon as the first tremors of an earthquake reached the manor. Outside the sky has taken on a dusky gray, sun blotted out by streams of smoke coming from the center of the village.

Neji's already gone to assess the situation, she should be there with him, with her team.

The worse has already started when segments of Katsuyu's body approached the compound to assist in healing and protecting them from the coming blasts from Pain. Updates them all that each path of Pain is on the hunt for Naruto.

For her.

Hiashi pushes the cup gently towards her. "Go ahead Hinata, it will keep your energy up."

Another lie.

"You can't keep me locked away in here forever Father. I'm a shinobi too and must do my part as a member of the Hyuga clan and as a part of Team 8." She asserts.

A flash of annoyance crosses his face, the beginnings of an argument set to brew between them that she's giving him pushback now of all times.

Right when the danger is already here in the village.

"...No. You don't need to be out on the battlefield. I'm ensuring your protection from that monster who is looking for you at this very moment. I'm trying to make this as comfortable for you as possible, for you to sleep through this and be protected by Ko and the rest of the guards." Hiashi insists, forcing calm and patience into his voice as if she's being a petulant child.

"Lady Tsunade doesn't know what you did, does she? What will happen when she finds out you sealed my thread? It affects Naruto's ability to fight, you know that." Hinata questions.

Hiashi sighs, he's put such questions to back of his mind. She'll understand, his duty as a Father is just as important as being a shinobi.

"Stop worrying about such things Hinata. Come what may, I can handle any reprimand she gives me for my actions; if I even receive any. I didn't commit a crime by sealing your thread!" He retorts.

Hinata blows out a breath, moves the teacup away just as the floor beneath them starts rumbling once more.

This quake is stronger than the previous ones, force enough to make Hiashi order her to wait here, heading outside to check the situation. A team of guards assemble around him as Hinata watches from the hallway, orders barked out to defend the manor while he will check in with Neji at the village's center.

Hinata waits a long minute to ensure he's thoroughly distracted, has momentarily forgotten about her before slipping quickly back into the compound out into the backwoods.

Hanami, Hanabi, and Natsu watch her, stop Ko from yelling out her name as she rushes into smoky air, let her pass with whispers to be safe.

'I need to find a way to meet up with Kiba and Shino, get some type of update on how to help in the evacuations or aid the injured!'

Her chest tightens the closer she gets to what is supposed to be the central point of Konoha, grass beneath her turning into upheaved dirt and stone.

Decimated earth.

She stops to catch her breath, she shouldn't be this winded even with how fast she was moving through the forests, whole body prickling with pain. Her eyes fall to her thread and her vision briefly spins, head pulsing.

'It will hurt you to even get near Naruto.'

Father had mentioned that upon sealing her thread, Hinata pursing her lips.

'Naruto is back in the village.'

Her stomach revolts taking a step forward closer to where he must be, needling sensation turning into sharp, burning jabs as she approaches towards the crater that was once Konoha's main center point that could lead one to the markets, hospital, or business district depending on which direction you walked.

"Naruto, I'm sure he wondered what happened to our thread." Hinata mutters under her breath, pushing herself onward.

She needs to show him that she's alright, that they'll figure out a way to undo the rest of the seal upon their thread after he deals with Pain.

Hinata straightens herself, ignores the thrumming aches pressing on every last joint and bone of her body as she moves towards a gathered crowd, glances down into the middle of the crater to see the ensuing fight.

"I must thank you Naruto; you made things easier by coming to me instead of staying at Mount Myōboku. Your death will be the catalyst towards peace eventually being achieved between all the nations." The Deva Path mentions.

Despite him and those toads destroying so many of his bodies so quickly, he can still accomplish killing him, seal the Nine Tails.

Hinata takes in the black receiver rods pinning Naruto in place, the futility of the situation for him to do another attack...

'No, I won't just stand here and watch him die!'

She barely spares any thought to what will happen to her as she walks towards the battlefield, close enough to get Pain's attention from Naruto to her.


Naruto & Hinata

Their reunion was supposed to be filled with laughter and kisses, talks of what they've been up to over ramen or sweets.

He had it all planned out in his head, after curtailing teasing from Kiba and probably Sakura too, he'd meet Hinata at one of their secret spots and discuss all the training and new skills they have.

It would be a pretty day, cloudless with sunshine warming their skin, sharp blades of green grass and light winds tickling their skin.

They'd have a sparring session most likely and then maybe he would've convinced her to shower at his home to avoid questions from her Dad and the other Hyuga elders. She'd fidget and blush before letting him lead the way, end up curled again amid his sheets, their skin flush to flush as he kissed his way down her body.

Down the line though, he definitely would've change Hiashi's opinion of him, all of the elder's opinions of him the same way he did with Neji (somewhat).

And then Hiashi would be okay with Hinata being his red thread, of them getting married and having kids that are a blend of his and Hinata's features, who will be so cute that he can't help but melt at their smiles.

And then he would be happy; have a family.

Naruto's thoughts stall, mind freezing up.

'And after that...'

Those were just dreams, reality is Hinata here in front of him, trying in vain to remove and burn away these black receiver rods holding him in place. Twin Lion Fists do little to nothing, the Deva Path sees her as nothing more than another annoyance.

"No, you have to run Hinata! Why did you come here?" Naruto croaks out.

Hinata smiles at him, fingers managing to brush at his cheek. "You know why, I love you Naruto; red thread or not."

She needs him to hear this no matter what happens to her next, that he's worthy to be loved and get love back in return.

Naruto tenses as Pain hovers behind her, slowly closing in. "So this Hyuga girl that's your red thread. Unlucky I suppose for a jinchuriki to get one and for one to be attached to one. No matter. Naruto, you'll soon understand why you never should've gotten a red thread in the first place."

Hinata ignores his scathing comments, knows he'll easily move past her walls of flame and lightning in a moment.

"I know you got worried when our thread turned black, right? It was from Father using some type of seal on it; a fūinjutsu. I wouldn't have broken our thread, I just wanted you to know that."

She gets pulled away from him before she can say any more, meets Pain's gaze defiantly as he produces another coal black rod from his sleeves.

"Enough. Your death will serve as a reminder to Naruto that happiness is fleeting, that his death will bring peace."

Naruto watches as he jabs the pole straight down into Hinata's chest without care, her blood flowing out mixing with dirt and rock.

Pain singes through his own chest, eyes widening a fraction before falling to his thread as it flickers in and out like a dying flame.

"Revenge. Kill."

He hears the deep chuckle of the fox rumble in the back of his thoughts that he'll erase this ache, build and mold his malice and rage towards Pain. It was foolish to believe a jinchuriki would ever be seen as anything besides as a weapon; a tool.

"It's time. Destroy this world that keeps taking and taking from you; release me from my jail."

Nails and teeth elongate as his vision goes completely red in frenzy.

His mind shuts out everything else.

-x-


My goal was to hopefully make none of this chapter feel rushed, especially in the buildup to Naruto and Hinata's climatic scene and the changes I've made to canon amid the Pain Assault arc so far! I hope I did it justice! I wanted various characters like Kakashi, Gai, and Sakura with the fore-knowledge they had of Pain/Nagato's abilities to be more on the offensive as much as seemed plausible in the realm of canon.

In my first drafts of this chapter I didn't have the Asura Path aiding Konan and I wonder still if it seemed like she lost too easily. On the other hand, I feel it's reasonable that Gai, who Madara hailed as having the best physical combat skills he's ever faced wouldn't have too much trouble dealing with Konan on top of Kakashi being there as well. Fight scenes are tough for me, especially to not carbon-copy so I hope these changes are unique/interesting. I look forward to some of Sasuke and Sakura's upcoming fights!

Naruto's way of handling Nagato will stray from canon a bit, he isn't as forgiving in this story as you've seen, though he's still trying to pick a peaceful route without needless bloodshed.

As always, your thoughts are appreciated!

Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!