Please Just ignore those disgusting comments from that messed up p3do creep. I've deleted them and I'll try to keep the section comments clean.
Danish78 : Thanks for reading! Fugaku didn't plan on becoming a grandparent so soon, but I suppose he'll just have to give it his all while still freaking out. Jushrio IS Sasuke's first son, and his first student, and somehow the subject of his projection. It's because of him that he reconsidered his life choices. One of my favorite themes about the two (Kakashi) is that Jushiro represents what Sasuke wishes he could be, if there was someone who always had his back and picked him above everything else. On the other hand, Sasuke and Jushiro's relationship has something that Kakashi thinks could've been his role in Sasuke's life if he had chosen his side over the village.
Ficison : I really appreciate you sharing my fic with your readers. It means a lot to me, and I'm truly honored
In Kiri, they call him Suigetsu the elder.
This is, mainly, because his counterpart (Orochimaru's wording), Suigetsu the younger (or 'the brat,' depending on who refers to him), started attending the academy a year ago.
Suigetsu the elder observes him daily, seeing first-hand the life that could have been his if there were no war or bloodline hunters, a life where he's fortunate enough to have his brother alive, just like this bratty version of himself.
Ironically, he can't help but feel like a ghost himself — like an out-of-place entity lingering in a space where he doesn't rightfully belong.
He's usually one careless man; he spent a good chunk of his life right in the thick of the Uchihas' dramatic chaos. And now, he's got this strange feeling and can't help but wonder if all their ridiculously sentimental antics have finally influenced him.
Just a couple of days ago marked his brother's anniversary. His older brother, who had outlived his counterpart by staying alive.
Suigetsu couldn't help but drown his woes in booze until he passed out.
He can hardly even recall Kimimaro hauling him out of the bar or catching a glimpse of Jūgo's disappointed expression as he tucks him into bed.
Suigetsu isn't sentimental, not as much as he claims Sasuke and his spawns are.
Yet, every morning, like clockwork, he's up before the crack of dawn, preparing a steaming cup of coffee before settling onto the balcony. From there, he watches his brother, Mangetsu, bicker and throw hands like there's no tomorrow with his younger self.
Their interactions vary but are still very much the same - his younger self is a bold brat. He's proud to see that his counterpart is not afraid or ashamed to embrace his older brother, belting out embarrassing secrets for all the world to hear. It always ends with Mangetsu jumping in to clamp a hand over that loudmouth's piehole to shut him up.
His counterpart can be really annoying.
That little brat keeps trying to sneak off with his sword. Suigetsu's fine with the kid playing around with it for a few minutes, but it becomes a problem when the brat starts attracting the outraged proudful Kiri-nins' attention.
People start giving him the stink eye as if he has done something horribly wrong, all because he's got what they think is a criminally flawless version of the legendary famous sword.
Things started getting tense when Ao purposely took him aside to talk about the sword maker. At first, Suigetsu found it kind of funny, but then he got worried when he saw Ao looking disapproving and determined. And then out of nowhere, Ao dropped a bombshell—he accused an unnamed Uchiha spy from Konoha of secretly spying on Lord Kiba while the sword was being made.
Suigetsu just stared at him for a whole minute, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know what, that's exactly why Kiri can never have nice things. Before you even realize it, you'll be throwing hands at thin air 'cause y'all are so damn bored with nothing better to do."
The man had the audacity to be offended.
Today Suigetsu slept in. He lied in bed, staring at that ceiling like time isn't moving. The cold of late autumn starts seeping into the room, making snuggling with the thick bear fur seem way more appealing than watching from afar his counterpart and brother's none-stop arguing.
On days like this, Suigetsu grudgingly admits, as much as they drive him nuts, he kinda misses the annoying little brats. He's miss get hustled by Kaisuke, have a duel with Jushiro where he'll either come out on top or bite the dust, poke fun at Sayuri's lame girly poetry books, or fed Kazui some outlandish nonsense and watch the kid wreak havoc, even though Sasuke will inevitably chew his head off for it.
It's a strange thing, that he feels like he belongs there with them more than he does with his own brother, his own hero.
"Damn you, Sasuke." He grumbles, throwing the fur away.
It has been around two and a half months since Sasuke last reported on the situation in the other dimensions. Since he took in those new kids, who, in Suigetsu's humble opinion, are too polite to survive their household, he has cut back on his time away. Any time now, he should be there to report back.
He puts his clothes on and makes his way to the living room. There, he spots Haku, seated on the windowsill, tightly hugging his knees, with an untouched cup of tea beside him. It's a familiar sight. The kid will camp out by the window every morning on the possibly agreed-upon date, awaiting Sasuke's appearance on the balcony.
The sight reminds Suigetsu of Kazui.
He pauses, and the kid's large eyes turn to look at him. "Good morning, Suigetsu-san."
"'Morning, kid." He mumbles. At the kitchen counter, he can spot the breakfast Jūgo made. "Where's everybody?"
"Jūgo-san went to the market, Kimimaro-san went with him."
Suigetsu takes a sip of his coffee, peering through the mist at the bleak and towering architecture. The morning air feels bitterly cold, and the fog wraps the bleak gargoyles perched on the buildings. "Kiri is an ugly village, don't you think, Haku-chan?"
Kiri has that same all-consuming vibe as The Land of Whirlpool: dreary, gloomy, and downright brooding-provoking. The kid blinks at him, right as an ANBU slides in through the open balcony with a sly move and causes him, "that's blasphemy."
"That's the truth, dude," Suigetsu remarks, gently placing his mug on the table. "You won't bug me about my sword anymore, will you?"
Kisame clicks his tongue, saying, "Mizukage-sama requesting your immediate presence."
"Whatever for?!"
"Chūnin exam."
It's Suigetsu's turn to click his tongue. "this winch keeps mistakin' me for Sasuke. I'm not her husband."
"Yo, watch out! If you call her a winch again, she'll tear you up and hang your body on a post."
"Yeah, yeah." He looks at Haku, "kid, he's ain't coming back anytime soon, go back to sleep."
Kisame asks, eyeing the apartment, "where'd he disappear to anyway?"
"Y'know, just out there. Taking on some unfortunate Gods or something. Soon enough he'll have to settle for the kids, anyway."
Kisame stares at him. Like he always does when he hears Sauigutsu's unfiltered mouth speak.
Sauigutsu finds Mei seated behind his desk, her hands neatly folded in front of her as she rests her chin on them. Her long hair fell loosely, partially veiling one side of her face. "Suigetsu-san," she greets with a smile. "Good morning."
He grumbles. "Aye, a good morning, indeed."
"Do you have any news about Sasuke-san?"
He gives her a bored look and says, "Stop wasting your time, his brats are nothing but naturally assholes. They'll chew you up and spit you out."
Mei waves her hand nonchalantly and lets out a sigh of longing. "Never. But speaking of kids, there's something else I wanted to ask you about"
"Shoot," he replies, intrigued.
Mei hums and holds up a paper. "I was checking out the new genin candidates," she says, "and I was wondering if Sasuke-san has any plans to send Haku-kun and Kimimaro-kun to the academy soon. Since he's not around, I thought I'd ask you. Do you know what he's thinking..."
"He won't, actually."
"Why?"
Suigetsu hums. "He's probably gonna talk to them first, considering their history and who they really are. I can totally picture them being like, 'whatever you want, Sasuke-sama.' He knows they're the only ones left from their clans, so he'll want them to train hard and get strong enough to survive. But he won't let them be used as pawns for any village. That's not his thing. Knowing Sasuke, he'll end up training them himself, 'cause that's just how he rolls, you know what I'm saying?."
Ao slips into the office, unannounced, "but they are of Kiri. That's their home—"
Suigetsu waves his hand dismissively, cutting him off. "Yeah yeah, tell him that. He's from Konoha, yet he would rather feed his own kids to Manda the snake himself than let them lift a kunai for that shithole or any shithole, for that matter." He approaches the large window and peers out at the grave gargoyles, dreary clouds, and soggy cobblestones below. "He's a boundless man. That's probably the only thing he loves about himself."
Sasuke isn't as boundless as he likes to portray himself to be. A lie. The reason they are in the past stems from his connections, these destructive ties that he has declared to reject.
Sasuke is chained by his love, his family … his unwanted pride, and even by his resentment and bitterness.
If he is anything, he is bad at letting go of things.
Only a select few can fully see how he is a man chained forever by memories and the lingering thought of what could have been and what should have been.
"Anyways," he claps his hands and notices Mei deep in thought. He asks, "So, I heard you want me for the Chūnin exam, right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Mei responds nonchalantly. "I already told you, that's why I asked about Sasuke-san's wards situation. We have a possible tournament scheduled with Konoha as part of a joint exam in their village in approximately seven months. I want to identify the potential Chūnin candidates from our village."
A whistle. "Konoha, hah? Look at that. Well- what can I say, good luck."
The moment he opens the door of the apartment; a puff of smoke appears. A reverse summoning technique. There, Orochimaru's maybe-oldest-son, Log, stands.
And on his hip is little Mitsuki, looking confused as ever.
"So, you guys not here for a friendly visit, huh?"
"Jiraiya the Sannin is coming to the hideout," Log says, putting the kid down, "to negotiate with konoha."
So it's time.
The journey progressed without much difficulty. Sayuri simply had to flash her Sharingan to the carriage owner, securing a spot in the back.
Sayuri had to make sure she steered clear of the border with the Land of Fire. Instead, she decided to take the challenging high route that led to the Land of Waterfall since Kusa had mistakenly believed she was an Uchiha from Konoha. As they went up, the weather started getting colder and damper, and the once-bright autumn sun was hidden by gloomy clouds.
Sayuri had to ditch her haori and swap it for her trench coat that kept her cozy and protected from the weather. But then, the trench coat ended up being recycled between the three of them, even though Sayuri was adamant about not needing it since her Chakra elements were fire and lightning. So the mom, Kanna, who is also her grandmother and low-key terrified of her for valid reasons, kept the coat because Karin wouldn't quit nagging her for it.
After her meeting with the Uzumaki and her hard-to-swallow realization, Sayuri begins feeling her own chakra becoming erratic, as if fading away, eating itself. It wasn't until later that she discovered the reason—she had been unintentionally activating her Sharingan throughout the journey.
The trip was like a never-ending loop of searching for a place to crash while she tracked down any outlaws in the area to swipe their cash. If any of the Kusa-nin caught even a hint of their presence, she'd confront them, knock them out cold, snatch their gears and wallets, and check up their Pingo Book for any new update. She found it pretty amusing that her picture turned out to be worse than Jushiro, she could almost imagine him laughing about it, and it was also a bit surprising that she ended up with a price on her head.
The Uzumakis would fuss over each other, mostly staying away from her, while she spent her time meditating or using her spiders to spy on others, all while ignoring Kanna's suspicious glances, or Karin's mere existence.
The first thing she finds out is that her siblings are still in Konoha, for who knows why.
Meanwhile, her twin is heading to Orochimaru's new home with a company. Jūgo and Suigetsu are in Kiri, which isn't really a shock in itself.
It's not surprising at all that her dad took care of the wannabe God and his pathetic sidekick. However, what really stings is the fact that he sent her through a time-hole all the way into the future because he believes she's not up to par. It really makes her feel extremely bitter. Only someone as acute as Karin, who habitually casts brief glances at Sayuri, or those unfortunate people who have experienced her anger bluntly, can fully feel the bitterness she harbors.
"So, where are you from, Uchiha-san?" Kanna asks with a terse politeness and strained smile, grave-eyed still. Her gaze is steady on Sayuri's face. Observing. Searching each and every inch of the frosty façade for flaws.
Sayuri is quite pleased with the healthy hue of her cheeks, and Karin agrees. Although the woman's skeletal frame still seems weak and she still has purple rings under her eyes and a pallid skin —like Kaisuke, a voice whispers— her Chakar has much improved.
"Nagi island, mostly." Sayuri replies, "My family and I have been living a nomadic life. I dare to say I lived everywhere, except for The Land of Fire - I've never even been there, I'm afraid."
She pulls out one of the hairpins her dad gave her and starts twirling it with a thick strand of her hair until it reaches the top of her head. Some bits are still hanging by her face, so she gathers them up and joins them with the rest, leaving just a single strand hanging down. A spider creeps to hang over the end of the hairpin, admiring its blade-like shape.
Karin's eyes watch in awe, but she says nothing. Sayuri can see her, however, nudges her mother to look at her, mouthing the words, 'she's so pretty'
"Why, thank you, Karin-chan."
The kid's face turns red like her hair.
Kanna continues, smiling wryly, "Where is your family originally from? Your parents, I mean."
"My dad hails from Konoha, but then he left it all behind. My mom," she glances at Karin briefly, purposefully keeping her tone pleasant and even, "according to what she says, was supposedly from Uzu, but she couldn't recall anything about it. She mostly grew up in The Land of Sound, and before that, she was living in the Land of Grass."
Peripheral glances prickle her skin; more interested than courteous. She forces herself to concentrate on the paper map in front of her. Crude inky dots mark lakes and rivers, woodlands, and towns, while navigable roads are indicated by whorls of fading ink.
The most notable of these lie across the river road as it curves downward from Takigakure's boundary and its sparkling waters, passing through the flat-bottomed Valley of the Mountains' Graveyard to the stony pass below the Valley of The End and its aging, rocky crumbled chunks of masonry. The place where the Red-Eyed Demon in a song that glorified Naruto Uzumaki had danced his last dance.
A part of Sayuri spitefully wished to be there when the songwriter heard about Konoha's collapse over the pail of the rotting corpse of the Red-Eyed Demon's kin.
She smiles, all teeth with no mirth. Her eyes, once again, smolder in their sockets. She wants to dig her fingers into them and stretch until it's all blood and tears. A pain that isn't aching as much as it's annoying.
Sayuri feels the Uzumaki scrutiny, cold and ungentle as a naked blade, as she folds the map to her pocket. The older woman hasn't asked her any personal questions up until this point; all she's done is look at Sayuri attentively while maintaining a firm line with her lips.
If Kaisuk were here, he would probably say something witty that could coax a smile from the woman's lips. Her brother is so charming, and he effortlessly inspires those around him. He is both her antithesis and her mirror image—opposite yet identical.
On the other hand, Sayuri is the one who puts people off, as Suigetsu likes to say. She doesn't know how to charm anyone; most people who are enthusiastically enchanted by her appearance are soon creeped out by her gaze, her spiders, or the way she pays attention to things.
But Sayuri cannot dwell on that now. She's all they have; she's all the sharpness that her gentle twin lacks.
Kanna's eyes burn on her side, "where are you taking us, Uchiha-san?"
Sayuri hums, she murmurs absentmindedly, "We're heading to the Valley of the End first, then either up to a place called Oto or down to The Land Of Fire where I will find you a place to rest, maybe at Sora-ku, until I come back to collect you again, depending on how quickly my family responds to my message."
"You don't know where you are going?"
"I do know where we are going, I just haven't settled on a specific destination yet," she asserts, making it clear that her indecisiveness is not motivated by a desire to be cruel. Pausing for a moment, Sayuri meets her grandmother's sad, attentive gaze and flashes a half-grin. "I thought I had already proven my worth to you when I spilled blood in your name."
Kanna says hoarsely, "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san, I didn't mean to offend you or anything."
Sayuri laughs then, low and sweet as she resumes her walk. "Don't apologize for doubting me," she says. "You're just a mother trying to protect your kid, and I'm just a random stranger with big words. I understand your concerns, but I promise you, you're not my captive."
As they approach from the other side of the glade, the towering trees glare down at them. The broad branches of the woodland tear the sky into blood-red fragments between their leaves and the angry slash of their reddish sharpness against the black trunks. At the bottom, her sandals splash into a sludgy puddle, kicking up wet asphalt dust and mud.
Sayuri spots them first. Surprised, she squints up at the bodies hanging above her calmly, her Sharingan flaring.
Karin glances up at her questionly when she stands in her place. Immediately, her spiders spears dart through the trees, positioning themselves to cautiously observe the unfamiliar presences.
"What is it?" asks Kanna, still blissfully unaware that the droplets pelting her hair aren't caused by the thick clouds or the dew that is gathering on the golden branches, but from the blood.
Sayuri and Karin both perceive the foul hustle of chakra that originates at the other side of the glade at the same time, and it's eager and ravenous.
The shock of its presence cuts through the air, sending a frigid chill that renders Karin breathless. Sayuri bites into her cheek.
This chakra signature is unlike any she has ever encountered before; instinctively, she draws her blade from its sheath on her back. "We have an unwanted companion." She tells Kanna.
At the far end of the mud-soaked road, a half-naked figure is waiting, lurking.
Sayuri's heart sinks.
Hidan of the Akatsuki with a menacing triple-bladed scythe in hand is waiting. An immortal maniac, according to history.
She doesn't know much about him, just the snippet that Kazui read to them from his reading lessons.
"Yo, there! Ladies!" screams the immortal. "Oh, damn, you weren't supposed to witness that so early."
Glancing at the two Uzumaki by her side, Sayuri notices Karin's face drained of color, a clear reflection of her fear. As for her mother, there's a trace of regret etched across her features; she seems to be condemning herself for putting her faith in Sayuri's improbable promises of salvation, which are seemingly unfounded.
The bitter taste of disappointment fills the Uchiha's mouth as she realizes the weight of the situation. All of a sudden, a tiny part of her starts to forgive her dad for chucking them into that time-hole.
The branches above them create a filter for the sunlight, casting a warm and golden glow that dances on the tangled underbrush below.
The dark shadows are scattered with clusters of vibrant red berries, their glossy sheen catching the light and adding bursts of color to the dense vegetation. The terrain gently slopes downward, revealing a rocky streambed that extends deep into the forest.
She is certain, after a day and a half of walking, Hashirama's stony head should be seen from above.
There. She could just take them to Sora-ku, give them enough cash so they're good till she sorts everything out and gets her siblings back, shows who dares to keep her family from her what lengths she's willing to take. Then, wait at Sora-ku until her dad tracks them down.
If she chooses to turn around and walk back onto the same road, it will be such a waste; her siblings need her.
There's a brittle yet cold agitation in her gaze, in the way she tilts her head to soak up the bits of sunshine, in the way she takes a deep breath.
She flexes her arms as she swings her sword back and forth, tearing through the air; "Hey Uzumaki-san, Karin-chan, why don't you stroll back to the riverbank? Take your time and grab a bite to eat while I deal with this gentleman."
Sayuri extends out her hand for a spider to slither onto her grandmother's shoulder, alarming her with it. "What… Why, we can walk around the forest, certainly." Kanna glances briefly at Hiden's figure in the distance. He is swinging his weapon and covered in blood—clearly not his own—the upper half of his face also covered in blood.
An unidentifiable corpse dangling from a tree above him, its limbs drooping awkwardly. Kanna covers her mouth with her hand, stifling a scream from her throat, while Karin is frozen in fear. Sayuri grimly grunts.
"Stay put," she tells them dryly. The only way to temporarily put an end to him is to cut off his head. She can think of something else later.
She appears in front of the gray-haired man and firstly focuses her attention on the lifeless body.
A civilian, perhaps a peasant from the southern lands, his eyes frozen in pain, in fear.
She then shifts her gaze towards the smirking killer, who seems to be in an exuberant state of frenzy, loftily muttering under his breath. "Jashin-sama will have that creepy face of yours removed by my hand, you heathen." Abruptly, he snaps back to reality, locking eyes with her and tilting his head playfully like an inquisitive cat, and questioning, "Why haven't you started running yet?"
He dismissively spares a flicker-brief glance towards the Uzumakis standing behind her. Then sporting a smug, contented smile, he gestures at them. "Look at them. This is the right way to react, ya get what I'm sayin'? This is how people oughta freak out when they find out they get to meet the glorious Jashin-sama! Straight up terror!"
"Do you have to kill us?" Sayuri asks, still eyeing the body hanging over his head.
"Do I have to kill you?" Hidan echoes her inanely, mocking, "Heathen, You're already the next sacrifice for Jashin-sama."
At that, with a swift motion, he propels himself forward, executing a synchronized roll over his triple-bladed scythe, cutting through the air where she had just stood. He blinks in mild surprise as he realizes she has disappeared into thin air.
"Alright," Sayrui says, balancing in mid-air.
Upon closer inspection, Hidan discerns a slender strand of spider silk pulsating with Chakra, connecting both the summoner and the summoned entity, weaving its way through the glade formed by the tree's bone-like branches.
Her eyes are softly, almost arrogantly smiling down at him, and a crimson tinge of her doujutsu can be seen through her thick eyelashes.
Brilliantly blazing with the specter of violence.
A whistle, "you are part of that clan —What was their name again? wait a sec... Uchiha! Yeah, that's it!." He tilts his head, eagerly licking his bloodied lips. "A feisty prey is the lord's favored sacrifice."
The air chills and thickens with Killing Intent. His and hers.
Hidan laughs loudly. His chest arches with eagerness, with zeal. His grin doesn't fade as he clutches his necklace briefly.
Hidan shifts his grip on the scythe, firmly grasping the chain's part of it, and spins the blades in a circular motion, maintaining his balance. Sayuri gracefully bends in mid-air, revealing the peculiar sight of purple chains extending from her back, resembling the delicate strands of cobwebs upon which she stands.
In one fluid motion, he flings the bladed part of the scythe towards her. As it cuts through the air with a sharp sound, she instinctively dodges it, evading the attack effortlessly. Undeterred, he springs forward once more, pulling the chain of the scythe towards him.
All he needs is a single drop. A single drop of her blood.
Yet, she moves with an irritatingly graceful manner, resembling a black widow spider as she slides down the silken strands.
Hidan launches himself at her, his blade aimed to land at her torso. Yet, his attack falls short, merely slicing off a small fragment of her purple haori.
In response, she frowns, her cold face contorting with a mix of irritation and pain, her crimson eyes narrowing ominously towards him.
As Hidan finds himself in close proximity to his opponent, he notices her eyes for the first time.
They appear like a doleful void, their depth unfathomable, with only three minuscule magatama resting in the center. These eyes are distinct from the casually observing red ones he had seen earlier; he's certain, they exude an icy coldness that sends an unusual shiver down Hidan's spine, as if he's staring into the abyss itself.
He takes a sharp breath, slipping into his feet.
The woven cobwebs deepen, confining the range of his scythe.
It seems the spider silk, over time, has thickened, posing an additional obstacle as he relentlessly pursues her. One of the scythe blades becomes ensnared in a sticky web. He skillfully leaps aside, narrowly avoiding her lethal blade aimed at decapitating him.
Before Hidan can react, a barrage of shuriken descends upon him, filling the air with deadly projectiles and effectively blocking his escape route. Reacting swiftly, he deftly maneuvers his body mid-step, utilizing a kunai infused with his chakra to deflect the star-shaped blades. With a nimble leap, he clears a dense layer of cobwebs that stretch out before him.
The previously lush and verdant glade now appears dense and obscured as a delicate haze settles over the area, created by the spiders spinning their shimmering and wispy webs.
Hidan's realization dawns upon him that he has narrowly eluded a well-laid trap of Genjutsu. The intention of the cobwebs was to ensnare him, leaving him entangled in their treacherously sticky strands.
"Like a black widow, huh?" Hidan sneers, his patience growing thin as he tires of this game.
She smiles sharply in response, sharper than her red uncanny eyes, her words carrying a chilling weight, "Exactly. And you are the fly that stumbled into my web..."
Hidan's eyes narrow as a chakra-infused chain swiftly emerges from the ground, its shiny purple hue highlighting its strange nature compared to the other silk. It wraps tightly around his body, constricting his movements.
In that same instant, his opponent delivers a swift kick to his face, flinging him roughly into the dense layers of her cobwebs.
Thousands of spiders begin to crawl up his immobilized form, weaving their silky threads in synchrony. Slowly and deliberately, she approaches him, each step calculated and filled with an eerie presence.
"It seems it's your turn," the Uchiha says, brushing aside a strand of hair that has fallen across her face as she moves, "to meet that God of yours."
The thick web sweeps over his face, shutting down his torrent of vulgar curses.
Under the fog-choked sunlight, his form is gaslit in white feathery threads.
Clearly reaching her point of him, Sayuri lets out an extended sigh.
She stands directly in front of him when her eyesight blurs, turning the scenery into a smear of autumn's somber hues.
Sayuri's head blurs with dizziness. She feels her chakra, finally, after days of uncertainty, trembling under her skin, losing its rush balance.
She, in response, turns off her Sharingan to conserve chakra. It is at that moment that Hidan grabs her wrist, his dirty nails digging into her soft skin briefly before she effortlessly pulls her hand out of his grip.
Her skin bears faint traces of pink and barely-visible splatters of blood from where his grimy nails scratched her.
She feels woozy and lightheaded, and she stares down into her skin while Hidan's form is being pulled back into the web by the spiders. Hidan stands still in the heart of the cobweb, wholly restrained, his hands, from the outlines of the cocoon appear to be crossed over his chest.
A moment of silence. She looks upwards at the whispering branches of the trees, trying to control the effect of what she assumes must be the start of Chakra exhaustion. It appears that she reaches the beginning point of her limits.
"Are you okay, Uchiha-san?" Kanna calls.
Sayuri gazes at her, nodding silently. She rubs her wrist, soothing the slight pain with a gentle touch. Adrift, she leans against the tree, using her blade to balance herself. She closes her eyes and slides her hands over her face to calm the aching pain.
She is startled when she hears Hidan struggling, pushing his arms to reach his face. Sayuri has apprehensions that the poison won't affect him in any case.
Kanna, from where she's standing, beams an upbeat smile.
Once the Uchiha has regained enough strength, Sayuri waves her hand to signal her to stop approaching. Due to her depleted chakra, the cobwebs become lighter around him than usual, causing Hidan to writhe like a fish out of water, desperately trying to free himself.
His feet circle around his body before being dragged back, restrained by the spiders once again, leaving a trail in the dirt.
Sayuri takes a moment to catch her breath before walking towards him.
"Uchiha-san," Karin calls out from behind her mother, where she had been hiding and keeping her eyes shut. The girl appears startled by the sight of the almost-mummified figure. "You've won!"
Sayuri stops in her tracks, surprised by the directness of Karin's address. It's the first time the girl has spoken to her without any hint of fear or hesitation, without seeking refuge behind her mother for an illusion of protection.
A pleasant ache fills Sayuri's heart, a feeling she hasn't experienced since arriving here— delight. Her lips tremble, forming a smile that finds its place on her face as she shifts towards Karin.
Suddenly, a sharp pain courses through Sayuri's body as she inhales. Agony fills her eyes, causing them to widen, and Karin watches on, fear evident in her expression.
Sayuri struggles silently against the unexplainable pain.
Karin shouts out wearily, her mother's hand pulling her back for safety, "Uchiha-san?"
She can't breathe. Her throat is tightening, crushing by unseen force. Sayuri's gaze locks onto the shifting tomb of webs, causing the spiders to release their hold on Hidan's body. Startled, she finds his skin has transformed to a deep black hue and his face now bears ghostly white lines resembling a skeleton. A furious smile appears on the immortal's face as he strangles himself with his own hand, while ripping off the silky threads with his other hand.
Both of them look to be feeling the familiar discomfort of air being stuck in their throats, but for Sayuri, it seems as though there is no more place in her body for anything save the intense pressure pressing against her neck.
Hidan slightly lessens his grip just enough for her to take a breath.
"The judgment has been handed down, heathen," he sneers, curling his lips into a crazed grin. "You have already fallen into my curse. When the other person's pain at the moment of death seeps into my own body, it transcends pain, transforming it into ecstasy."
Sayuri's sharingan bursts in alarm as Hidan dredges up a blade-like weapon from his attire, clutching his neck with a tightening grip. With an unsettling urgency, he demands, "Tell me, girl, where should the pain strike next?"
With a sense of unease, her Sharingan slows the world, creating a morphing flow of sensations that are all concurrent and conflicting. She absorbs the sight of the world with a piercing intensity, an intensity that seems strangely vivid and vibrant. Every tiny detail, no matter how insignificant, comes into her vision. She notices the symbol he had drawn without her noticing; she detects the faint saliva residue on his fingers; and with an agonizing slowness, she recalls a minuscule fragment from the passage Kazui had read to her during their reading lessons at the same moment his weapon stabs deeply through his chest.
She collapses, crumbling into a heap on the ground.
The fabric of her crop top and haori absorbs the spilling blood as her forehead drags along the rough surface. An unsettling, unwanted sensation similar to spiders biting into her sternum or a fine trickle of mud running down her knee is there. It is a disconcerting feeling that renders her own limbs useless and in opposition to her. She identifies it as fear.
Dark stains of warm, almost hot blood blemish the fabric of the purple haori. The scent of copper hangs in the air, fresh and vivid. The pure white of the Uchiwa crest on her back has been marred with blood, with her blood.
Sayuri's fingers dig into the earth, her nails gripping tightly as she drags herself to look upwards. Her eyes remain fixed on him as he abruptly ceases his ecstatic state, murmuring in a joyous tone, "it's not even a fetal nerve—Isn't it just satisfying when the bitch pretending to be a hunter ends up being the one getting hunted?"
Drawing upon the remnants of her Chakra, Sayuri makes a conscious decision to deactivate her Sharingan in order to conserve its potion.
Thoughts of her father, with mist dampening his hair, flood her mind. Thoughts of her foolish brothers, of Suigetsu and Jūgo, and her wide-eyed mother also flood her mind.
Her mother is watching, she thinks, grimacing with determination. If she dies, both of them would too.
Sayuri closes her eyes and defects the annoying overwhelming surge of Hidan's euphoric chakra swirling within the confines of the circle.
The immortal deftly maneuvers his weapon, seeking a firmer grip as he prepares to thrust it into his own heart. . In that very moment, a chain emerges from beneath Hidan's feet, with pointed ends firmly latching onto his heels and forcefully pulling him out of the circle.
The excruciating sensation of the attack on Hidan's heels is felt by both him and Sayuri, though their experiences differ. Unlike Sayuri, the chain had firmly gripped Hidan's heels, piercing into his flesh, and still is.
Meanwhile, the tables have turned, and Hidan finds himself outside the circle. His skin returns to its human complexion, and now it is his face that is forcefully dragged into the muddy ground.
Sayuri's body straightens, as the encircling symbol vanishes. Her fleet of spiders scuttle forth, their legs working to level the uneven ground.
A smile spreads across her face—a smile filled with thirst, the dregs of that rumored madness that has haunted her bloodline, and the blend of anger and the indescribable sensation of narrowly eluding death.
Lifting her hands up from the muddy depths, Sayuri shows the cobweb-like chakra chain with its mesmerizing purple radiance, wordlessly explaining her actions. She had painstakingly pushed the chain underground the space between them, utilizing the last traces of her chakra, as part of a last-second contingency plan to drive him away. "You're gonna regret ever meeting me."
Struggling to her feet, she forcefully yanks on the chain, desperately attempting to keep Hidan down by his bleeding heels. Despite her efforts, luck is not on her side as his flesh tore, causing the chain to lose its grip, ultimately freeing him.
She trudges towards him through the sparkling white coating of cobwebs and silks, her own heels bleeding and spreading a trace of blood behind her.
"You wretched bitch," Hidan spits out, swiftly drawing his weapon out of his chest and dismissing the pain as if it means nothing to him. At that moment, a small part of Sayuri can't help but wonder if it truly doesn't affect him.
She vanishes as the breezes howl and her sword gleams beneath the sun.
In the blink of an eye, Hidan's severed head flies upward in surprise, leaving his body to crash heavily into the muddy ground with a thud.
Sayuri crashes into him in the impact of her Teleportation Jutsu. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself lying almost directly above him, face-down against his sweaty hollowed chest, "ew."
Swiftly, she flips over onto her back, lurching her slumped back away from him, although half of her shoulder is still above his. She finds it disturbing that the headless body's heart continues to beat normally despite the lack of a head.
She fixes her gaze on the almost bare and whitened branches of the nearby trees.
Wiping his blood from her face, yet all she seems to do is smear it even more.
Beside her, Hidan's head curses and rants at her indistinguishable things that are muffled by his face being deep in the muck.
She shuts her eyes as blood pours from her heels and chest, converging on the wet ground and Hidan's blood.
Karin's and Kanna's faces abruptly block her view of the grayish sky, blinding her with their dour visages.
"Yo," Sayuri deadpans, playfully mimicking her twin brother's laid-back tone. To her amusement, her attempt comes out with a strained and hoarse voice instead.
Karin's tears fall onto Sayuri's face, and in that moment, all she wants is to raise her hand and swipe them away. To kiss her between her eyebrows in the same way she would kiss Kazui. Deeply, tenderly, lovingly. But she is too exhausted, too weak, and surprisingly, too afraid. The admission of her fear feels as daunting as it is revealing of her vulnerability.
"Don't cry, Karin-chan." She says instead.
"Uchiha-san! Don't move, let me see."
"Hmm."
Simple and clinical, Kanna yanks her crop top from her shoulders out of the way, shocked at the awful, bone-deep gash in Sayuri's chest. The woman rolls up her own sleeve after evaluating the hole, forcing her wrist into Sayuri's mouth. "Go ahead and bite on me! that'll heal you. Trust me, you'll see the results right away.."
"No," Sayuri says, turning her face away.
"What! Uchiha-san, please.. What are you thinking about!"
"Heal me naturally, or don't heal me at all."
Kanna makes a vague horrified sound, "But—"
Sayur's voice is strained, thin. "No buts. I promised you dignity and safety. Let me uphold my promises."
The Uzumaki draws back, wide-eyed. For a moment, she wavers. She takes a breath, "you foolish, foolish girl."
Kanna touches her wound, just above the sternum. Full hand, flattened palm, with green Chakra glowing. "That's not gonna get better so easily, you know that. You told me I'd be safe; you told me my daughter would be safe, but how can you keep your word if you're dead?" Kanna says, voice thick.
Sayuri glimpse Karin's pale face. She shuts her eyes tightly. There's something sickly amusing about being snapped at.
The older Uzumaki looks at her again, stricken. "Uchiha-san…"
"Okay, just one bite. The usual healing methods will take care of the rest. I will not negotiate with you over it."
"It will leave a scar.."
Sayuri answers harshly, coolly, "And it's my burden alone to bear it, not yours."
Hidan's head and body are sealed within different scrolls.
She's not quite sure what to do with him.
Sayuri flatly surveys her own appearance in the mirror of her private room at the inn they stumbled upon. One fingertip makes contact with the now pink but ghost-faint scar. It's an ugly, ugly thing that stares back at her. Even when she wears her crop top again, the tip of the scar still peeks out, obvious. She had been so close.
She wonders what her father would say about her glaring flaw.
Her eyes shift downward, and she stares at her hands, and flexes her fingers. From her palms emerge ethereal purple chains, an unprecedented type of Chakra chain never before witnessed by the Uzumaki clan. Even Kanna, whom Sayuri had observed to appear composed, is taken aback and unsure.
Could it be a genetic mutation? Or perhaps her summoning contract with the spider has affected her chakra pathways, unveiling a concealed level of the Uzumaki bloodline within her.
At the window, the haori that was brought back to Sayuri by the innkeeper, after being cleaned, hangs, with her spiders tirelessly sewing the fabric together.
She doubts it would be fixed or wearable again, not with the blood stains still there. The innkeeper had assured her that tried everything to remove the stains, but they seemed to have permanently seeped into the fabric.
Jiraya doesn't know what to think of Kaisuke Uchiha.
Before sending away his summon to home; The Uchiha kid just doodled something on the paper and didn't even bother to hide it. It was a silly little drawing of a winking dick. Jiraya paused for a moment and looked back and forth between them. Then he shrugged and tucked it into the toad's back. It's up to his former student to figure out what to do with it.
The mere thought of the things he claimed to be true is beyond his comprehension. Reversing time, as a concept, is the favorite topic of the seals masters. In the days when he resided in Uzushiogakure before its fall, he can vividly recall the yellowed scrolls that Tobirama Senju used to craft his time-space technique. Although the second Hokage found the designs to be practical, Ashina Uzumaki, the original seal designer, remained unsatisfied with his own work.
He insisted that he desired to use it to rewrite history.
According to his sensei, the second Hokage found the concept intriguing enough to consider attempting it.
Now, with Orochimaru seemingly discovering a method that eluded many others before him, he is uncertain about his feelings. It is a perilous prospect. After all, Orochimaru is a criminal with a notorious list of unforgivable crimes. He is chaotic, cruel, and ambitious. He is insatiably power-hungry, and this hunger never dies.
Jiraiya solemnly grimace. His sense of dread is a kunai-sharp against his throat.
After walking for hours, he became aware that the kid was intentionally slowing them down, wasting time on trivial matters. Annoyed, he grumbles, "I thought you said we are going to Reverse Summons ourselves directly to Orochimaru's place?"
The kid doesn't even bother feigning ignorance; instead, he stares him straight in the eyes and states, "I did—but I'm just waiting for my beloved sensei to ditch his shady stuff. Y'know, he needs enough time to hide the bodies, send the kids somewhere safe, the usual shit."
Jiraiya's mouth remains tightly shut for a brief moment, and just as he is about to respond, Kaisuke gracefully interjects, "I must confess, I am not particularly skilled at lying." The Uchiha claims, hands hiding within his pockets, "If you got any questions, go ahead and ask away. I'll do my best to give you answers. But there might be some questions I can't answer, and yeah, you won't find the answers to those, okay?"
Jiraiya takes a moment to contemplate the situation. He carefully watches the boy as he walks beside him with an air of ease, a white snake gracefully coiling around his shoulder beneath his white jacket. There is a certain confidence in his posture, evident in the sideways glances he casts and the faint smile that plays on his lips, unsuccessfully hiding his true thoughts.
"Why do you have to keep them secrets?"
The Uchiha grins, a boyish expression on his face, showing the lone dimple in his cheek. "In truth. I wasn't really paying attention when my dad and sensei were talking about the situation, mainly because I was moderately functional at that time. I mean, I don't want to mess up their plans.." Kaisuke replies, not defensive. It just comes out of him, quick and true.
The Sannin hums. A pragmatic toleration. "I take this as not functional at all. Are you still not functional now?"
"Rude. Skip."
"What brings you here from the future?"
Kaisuke curls up his lips, stroking the snake. "I reckon it's mostly because of Konoha's third destruction, the one that happened right after their chunin exam. I could be wrong, though. It was during that time when their shinobi were dispatched to find my old man and recruit him to deal with the problem."
After staring at him, Jiraiya simply nods. Blankness coats his eyes. "Who did it?"
"Skip," the Uchiha says, voice bored with a hint of lightness that suggests he finds his anger to be amusing, "That answer's too long. Sensei should be the one to respond."
Jiraiya tilts his head, observing. Then he asks, "You're not from Konoha, huh? And it's pretty obvious that you and your father are not exactly loyal to it. Your loyalty, if it exists, is questionable at best. Then what's the deal with you making such a big fuss over Konoha's supposed destruction?"
In an instant, there is a subtle shift in the Uchiha's posture, like a passing shadow that hints at a moment of deep contemplation only to quickly vanish as if it were never there. "Is that a bad thing, Jiraiya-san?—To be unbound, I mean."
Jiraiya fixes his gaze upon the Uchiha, grappling with the best way to respond. After a brief pause, he finds his words. "Not necessarily," he begins, his voice measured. "However, it is worth noting that boundaries serve a purpose. They provide a sense of order. To be unbound may imply limitlessness and freedom—but without limits, there is a lack of structured morality."
"Mmm, a sense of order and structured morality," the boy murmurs, his words trailing off— he seems all of sudden more serious. Unvarnished, unmasked, honest. "Oh, my... You see, the destruction of Konoha wasn't the trigger; it was something that many saw inevitably unfolding anyway. Hidden villages are inherently designed for destruction, for warfare, for killing on behalf of the highest bidders. They prey upon weaker nations or, in the case of major villages, keep them weak to maintain a delicate power balance. Tell me, why should a man who wears a ridiculous hat have to decide who lives and who dies? Yes, shinobi are often treated as mere pawns, some more than others. But I ask you, is that morally correct? What distinguishes a regular man from a slave then?"
Kaisuke takes a moment to digest his own words, a hint of intensity flickering in his eyes. "So, you're talkin' 'bout order and structured morality," he says, his tone laced with a blank scorn. "Sounds like that smug self-righteousness my old man warned me 'bout when it comes to Konoha-nin. Maybe you ain't never really felt the boot on the back of your neck or questioned the whole damn system you're livin' in. I get the appeal of bein' in order, but let's not forget the fact that being tied to a corrupt village that'd chop your head off for sneezin' wrong is nothin' to scoff at. Take a look at sensei, man. All he did was follow orders, but all he got was people disrespecting and insulting him. My old teacher, bless his cold, cold, nightmarish heart, grew up in a world that molded him into who he is now. He witnessed his students fail and his friends suffer from losing loved ones, to the point where he's even chased after death itself until someone smacked sense into him. That someone, I dare to say, is my own dad. So answering your question. Yeah, that's right. My dad absolutely despises that village, and being the good son that I am, I hate it too. We aren't loyal to something we don't like. It's my sensei who's ridiculously loyal to it."
It takes Kaisuke Jiraiya's raised eyebrows to realize that the older man does not really believe him. Jiraiya voices his skepticism anyway, ignoring his rants, "Orochimaru loyal to konoha?"
"I misspoke," Kaisuke replies slowly, without a hint of his boyish levity. "Orochimaru actually gave a healthy amount of fuck about it and went as far as tracking down my pops who was in self-exile. He wanted him to time-travel and rescue that idiot named Naruto Uzumaki from dying by using some shinigami trap thing to kill the bad guys. You see. But, you won't believe it, my old man, who ain't used to using that secret technique because he actually didn't know about it, ended up throwing us into this new timeline, messing up the whole plan. And guess what? They ended up saving Minato Namikaze and maybe even stopping Kiri's civil war earlier. I don't know about the last one, did the war end?"
"Six years ago." Jiraiya replies.
Kaisuke grins. An easy smile, a proud one. "You know, in my timeline it took them fourteen years."
As Jiraiya opens his mouth to reply to Kaisuke's questioning of his beliefs after being caught off guard by the mention of Orochimaru's presumed motives, the earth beneath them rumbles with a thundering sound and splits open, revealing a gaping, serpentine hole as its entrance.
The Uchiha boy grins mischievously, stating, "home, sweet home! Just a friendly reminder, let's keep the peace and leave the brawling and slaying out of the equation, alright?"
"I have to admit, this is quite an unexpected predicament." mutters Shikaku, as he examines the back of the letter to make sure there is no additional message. There isn't.
Jiraiya's message is concise, straightforward, and devoid of any further explanation. Shikaku purses his lips, folding the paper and placing it back on the desk. He asks the hokage, "What do you think?"
It starts to rain—the first pitter-patter in months. The slow pitter-patter shortly transforms into an erratic of heavy droplets pounding the windows of the Hokage tower.
Minato gazes at his village being drenched by the rain, his gaze drifting towards The Hokages' carved-in visage on the rocks. He begins to relate his encounter with Sasuke in an introspective tone.
"When I first laid eyes on him," he says, "he warned me not to let him down, promising that our paths would cross again and expressing his desire for us to remain allies. It felt like both a veiled threat and sincere words at the same time. I was worried about the worst possible outcome, considering he was in close proximity to my newborn son and wife. With his … immense power, I expected him to show aggression, he could, really. But much to my surprise, he did nothing. He simply turned around and walked away, not even attempting to claim the prize for himself. Instead, he only somehow absorbed half of its chakra, which ultimately saved Kushina's life..."
Minato glances at his advisor. "Don't you see? He intended for Kushina to survive. It was his will for her to be here with us. It's because of him that I stand here today. Without his intervention, we would have died that night, I know it." His words trail off, soft and pensive. His eyes darkened, liquid pools of thought.
The Hokage pauses and retrieves Jiraya's letter, which has another letter attached to it that pertains to Jushiro, per the note within.
"It's truly mind-boggling," Minato confesses, flipping the letter over in his hands absently. His eyes are far away. "Just think about it... the concept is almost inconceivable. It's both dangerous and full of endless potential—turning back time to redo things differently."
"It's a terrifying concept," remarks Shikaku. "Such power should never fall into the hands of Konoha's enemies, much less Orochimaru of all people."
Minato pauses, his eyes flickering up at the Nara clan head. "We had never heard from him before Jiraiya's letter," he says, "and he was assumed to be dead at the hands of Sasuke-san. The eyewitnesses who escaped from their fight claimed it to be certain. Just think about it—if Orochimaru possessed such a power, do you think we would be standing here today? Do you think ROOT and Danzō would be dead? Do you think I, of all people, would still be a Hokage? It's clear that this power does not belong to Orochimaru himself. Otherwise, the outcome would have been…drastically different."
Minato's eyebrows furrow.
Orochimaru has finally resurfaced once again. Accompanying him is Kaisuke Uchiha, Sasuke's son from the memories. He boldly bargains for Orochimaru's life, pushing for his death sentence to be dropped. It's a surprising and audacious demand, especially because it seems to be driven by the young boy himself, rather than Orochimaru's own choice.
"Well, at least now we can confirm that this Kaisuke boy actually exists and isn't just some made-up character the kid came up with.." Shikaku's face scrunches up as he recalls Inoichi's exhausted expression as he struggled to explain for the umpteenth time that the memories were raw and untainted by anyone. "He's got some balls for haggling for Orochimaru. But I guess, given the situation, they have the upper hand... it's totally understandable."
Minato hums absentmindedly, he retrieves one of the Hiraishin Kunai and slides it into the bag hanging from the toad's side. "We shall find out.."
Easing his eyes open. Jushiro wills his bleariness into focus, to force himself out of his haze. The harsh glare of the ceiling light blinds him. He closes his eyes again, taking a breath.
Beads of cold sweat cling to his forehead.
He lets out a groan as the memories of what transpired gradually flood back into his consciousness. Taking another sharp breath, he stirs himself awake, his voice hoarse, "Kazui!"
"You snore. Loudly," a voice comes from beside him.
He turns his head to the left and sees a woman with familiar red hair and a strong chakra signature—an Uzumaki. Her familiar face shows a playful gaze, with an inward grin playing across her lips.
This is Kushina Uzumaki, he thinks to himself panicking, the future Hokage's mother.
"The fuck. No, I do not snore, you liar," Jushiro retorts.
"Yes, you certainly do." Kushina pauses, then adds, "loudly."
Jushiro musters the strength to sit up, a wave of dizziness washing over him. He fixes the woman with a stern gaze and demands, "Where is my brother?"
She gestures vaguely towards the other side of the bed, a soft smile playing on her lips. "He's sleeping. He refused to leave your side. Either he's being picky about his food or he's too worried about your well-being to eat."
Jushiro follows her gesture and sees Kazui's small form buried under a heap of blankets in the chair next to his bed. Relief floods through him, instantly calming his racing heart. As he stretches, he reaches out and taps Kazui's face. "Brat," he urges in their shared dialect, knowing that she can understand him too. "Your neck will hurt later."
Kushina keeps her gaze fixed on him, her eyes following his gradual recovery. She watches as his breathing finds a steady rhythm and his thoughts seem to settle before springing to life once again. It almost seems as though she can see the gears turning in his mind, slowly but surely.
Kushina bows her head deeply, her voice unexpectedly soft, filled with emotion. "I want to express my deepest gratitude, Jushiro-san," she says, her words carrying an odd profound sincerity. Something Jushiro unused to be directed at him, "You saved me that night, saved my family. It's a debt I can only hope to fully repay."
Jushiro stares at her, his gaze filled with awkwardness. He shifts his eyes away, fidgeting with his hands as he mutters, "No worries. I'm just happy y'all are okay and safe.. please stop bowing."
He examines the hospital room, which is reeking of alcohol and cleaning chemicals, taking in his surroundings. His eyes land on his cleaned and folded clothes placed neatly on a table across the room, but notices that his sword is nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, a realization hits Jushiro like a thunderbolt.
They are in Konoha, he acknowledges with a pang in his chest. The very heart of the snakes, where Danzō's ROOT operatives thrive, and where the Uchiha clan roam with their smoldering anger.
And now, here he is, a non-Uchiha, in the company of one of their underage members. It's no surprise that the crow-like ANBU, with his Sharingan gleaming malevolently from under the porcelain mask, reacted with disdain. The ANBU sneered at him, treating him as if he were some kind of bloodline hunter.
Yes, he may have helped their Hokage, but that doesn't guarantee him any tolerance or acceptance in the eyes of the village, a village that is awfully known for being overprotective of its bloodline.
"You have been poisoned," she begins, speaking slowly, her hands flattened in her lap. "The poison used is a Suna-made concoction, originally designed to target Orochimaru, the sannin, prior to his defection. Because of his affiliation with the snake clan, those who have allied with them have a natural resistance to poison."
Jushiro lets out a grunt, looking down at his leg where the puppeteer's mark lightly arches, feeling the slight sting of the scratch. He peers under the cover, only to find it warped by chakra-infused bandage. "That fucking slippery cunt. If he isn't yet dead i'm gonna fuck him up."
Kushina's eyebrows twitch involuntarily before she lets out a snort. Her reaction doesn't seem overly mean-spirited. "If I weren't already overwhelmed, I would've called out a certain someone to hear how you curse like a sailor," she remarks. Clearly finding something he doesn't know funny.
Jushiro looks up at her and asks, "And who might that be?" A pang of discomfort ripples through him, as a voice in his head warns him not to play this game, not to engage further, knowing deep down that he might not like the answer.
Vividly, he recalls sensing a lurking mind-reader in his mind, a fleeting intrusion that quickly retreated the moment Jushiro demonstrated awareness of their presence.
Even after years of observing Sasuke's natural cold expression and what he likes to refer to as his "bitch face," Jushiro can't help but resist the urge to snarl. It hits him again that they're completely alone, utterly isolated, within the enemies' grasp, outnumbered, without any family around, no overpowered dad, no siblings.
It's just Jushiro, stuck with his annoyingly exhausted body, and little Kazui who can't do much to help himself. Except maybe harass them verbally
The base of Kushina's seat makes a repetitive, irritating spring-squeak as she leans forward, an amused smirk on her face. "Fugaku, of course."
Jushiro stares at her, arching an eyebrow, "And who might that be?"
He can feel something buried inside his foggy memory stirring up. A face. A name. An article.
"Seriously?"
"What?"
"You don't know who Fugaku is?"
He bites back, "Should I?"
She's now staring at him with something other than strained amusement. Her smile weavers. "He's probably losing his mind somewhere. Probably smoking, no doubt." Then Kushina leans back with another repetitive, irritating spring-squeak, hawk-like, and adds, "It's like one of Jiraya-sama's stories, y'know? It's not every day we come across time-travelers outside of fiction."
Jushiro freezes. Only momentarily. A half-seal and with a puff of a smoke one of his most poisonous snakes appears around his neck.
"Don't be stupid" Kushina says, lifting her hand placatingly, she then takes out a small piece of paper and waves it around with her fingers, adding, "Kaisuke-san wrote this message that's kinda dramatically intense, dettpane. He basically insists that we have to drag you to Ichiraku Ramen and feed you up, or else something called Kirin will destroy the whole village."
Jushiro's shoulders slacken. He's genuinely torn between wanting to smack his head against the wall over and over again, and being ridiculously happy that the dumb kid is safe.
"Of course he did," he grumbles, snatching the paper out of her hand and quickly scanning through Kaisuke's unrealistic demands.
When he catches a glimpse of the silly little doodle winking at him, his eye starts to twitch. Below it, Kaisuke has scrawled a short text with his illegible handwriting. (They know, but that doesn't mean you can't gaslight. Have fun! I'm working on sorting things out with my sensei. Sayuri is okay. I know Kazui is with you. That annoying old man is away modeling eyepatches in another dimension. Do your best to keep Orochimaru out of prison, use whatever you've got. We'll catch up when I come to Konoha later. Guess what? Dad adopted a bunch of kids and a cat! In case you didn't know, now you do..)
The last line doesn't surprise him, Sasuke's always had a tendency to pick up strays .
Jushiro lays back down on the pillow, looking up at the glaring bright ceiling like he's praying for some kind of holy intervention. The temptation to light up a cigarette or bonk his head against the walls starts to bubble up once more.
She looks at him with a twitchy smile. He's aware that she can see the goofy doodle, but he just can't bring himself to give a damn, honestly.
A moment of silence.
"Be honest with me Jushiro-san; I need to know the truth." Her smile melts away as she draws herself in closer, her eyes searching his face for any sign of deception. The room grows tense, the silence hanging heavy between them for another brief moment. "Did I die that night?"
Jushiro's gaze meets hers, filled with a tinge of empathy and hesitation. He takes a deep breath before finally responding, "You did. What exactly happened was…something you should know, yet it's not my place, really, to speak of it."
"My husband?"
"All of you," Jushiro replies, leaning against the bed. "Except for your son. He was the next vessel."
The image of the poster featuring the blond Hokage, the hero of Konoha, flashes through his mind. 'Brave and stupidly stubborn he was', his father had described Naruto Uzumaki, 'dead he is.'
Jushiro knows little about Naruto, little about his fiery temperament, and little about the power he holds to shatter his father's cold uncaring facade and turn him into a bitter man. Jushiro only knows that Sasuke once loved him, once trusted him, and in return, he betrayed that love and trust by denying his alleged best friend the justice and revenge he sought.
'Why should they be held accountable for something that never even occurred?' Suigetsu had taunted while he was drunk, highlighting the lack of any actual accountability, or acknowledgment.
"But Naruro did die, didn't he?— Later, I mean.."
The question withers out to silence. Jushiro's mind drifts to the image of his father's wide-eyed expression upon learning of Uzumaki's death. He contemplates his unbridled, tumultuous Chakra—simultaneously furious and mournful. Perhaps, deep down, he still cares about him, in a way.
Nobody can truly comprehend Sasuke's thoughts, as his mind remains an enigma. Yet, there is a certain predictability, a pattern that emerges when it comes to his strained relationships with others outside their circle. His way of loving is unique, unlike anything else. However, this love is a painful, merciless force that threatens to consume him; and it did once. Maybe he had saved the Uzumaki family as a final act of fidelity.
Eventually, Jushiro mutters, "Everyone dies at one point in their lives."
"Indeed, they do." Kushina gathers the fabric of her green dress into a twist. She looks up at him, "During your surgery; Kazui-kun mentioned some things that … alluded to forbidden secrets, which, according to the village's perspective before learning about your um, supernatural condition, were assumed to be impossible to know unless he had been a victim of Danzō and Orochimaru."
"Speak plainly."
The guilt is obvious. She replies, "Yamanaka— but I promise you, he isn't hurt."
"He better be," he snaps, "how the hell do you think you can stick your noses where they don't belong, you trees-fucking assholes?— with what right?"
The ANBUs radiate a surge of thick Killing Intent, threatening, Jushiro remains unfazed, baring his teeth in defiance. If anything, the audacity makes him angrier.
However, Kushina humbly lowers herself once more, bowing deeply. "I am deeply ashamed, truly I am," she admits. "What we did was unforgivable, and you had every right to be angry. Please accept my sincere apologies. Let me explain to you."
She remains silent, facing the floor.
Jushiro, blank-faced, shuffles back. "What did you see?"
"Only about the time-travel, before Kaisuke-san's letter arrived. Nothing really but the news that Kazui-kun saw."
"Is it worth it, at least? Violating his privacy? Raping his mind?"
She winces, at his tone, at the concept.
"If it means anything, the Uchiha clan head was also there. Fugaku Uchiha," she pauses, adding, "Sasuke's father."
Sasuke did say that his father was a good clan head, but wasn't a good father. It shouldn't be surprising, really.
"Did he take it well?"
At that, her shoulders ease slightly, a smile on her face, "I told you, he's having a mental breakdown somewhere. Probably smoking."
Explanations stumble out, disjointed and pausing. She conveys the dire state of the village after the attack, the truth about Danzō and The ROOT, and the countless crimes they have committed.
Every effort to apprehend them and ensure justice is justified, she emphasizes, looking straight at his eyes. "Orochimaru is just the same. The poor orphans from the village were brutally used as guinea pigs, going through unimaginable pain. Some made it out alive, but others just vanished, maybe still stuck in forgotten labs. The survivors thought they were constantly shifted around over the years they were taken. So, Jushiro-san, when Kazui-kun made that claim, we immediately thought he must be either a kidnapped Uchiha or the child of an Uchiha who was taken before… we needed answers, or a lead to the rest of them."
Jushiro presses his mouth into a tight frown. He does remember the rotten bodies that he had to bury them just to pray for them.
He tsks, rereading Kaisuke's words. How can he defend this man? He huffs. The things he does for this family.
Before Jushiro can utter a single word, Kazui unexpectedly opens one eye, his face still drowsy. Blinking away the remnants of sleep and locks his eyes on Kushina with a look that is equal parts haughty and defiance. "You!"
"Hey." Jushiro whispers.
Kazui cast an instantaneous look at him before tearing down his steely facade."Aniki!"
The kid hurries from his tangle of blankets, leaping onto the bed and sinking in Jushiro's space, placing his head on his chest and closing his eyes. Jushiro's hands come up reflexively to run through the child's hair.
Then, with a solemn nod, Kazui remarks, "Your chakra has improved, Aniki..."
Jushiro doesn't know what to do. He snorts and hugs him tightly. Surprisingly, Kazui, who usually squirms away whenever someone tries to touch him more than necessary, stays right there, snuggled up against his chest.
"Yeah," Jushiro says. They're in an unfamiliar territory, all on their own with no sign of their family. His brother has only him to defend him. His youngest, prideful brother, who would probably be so offended if he could hear his thoughts.
Kazui whispers, in Nagi dialect, "Oto-san would be upset that they got us this easily."
Jushiro tightens his arms around him, "No, listen to me, it's on me, not you. Chill. You were badass, you torched that lame fool so damn well that I guarantee he won't dare mess with you ever again."
He grasps his cheek and gently shoves him; while he does so, he runs a finger down the soft skin around his eyes. The eyes instantaneously light up with the bright red of his Sharingan— with poorly hidden fear.
Fear is a rare emotion to witness in Kazui. Being Sasuke's son and Jushiro's sibling, he has come to believe wholeheartedly that he's always being well protected. Kazui seldom displays fear or concern. Raised in a sheltered and protected environment, he's arrogantly brave and unabashedly cocky.
But he is now no longer as protected from harsh truths or the ways of the world as they had hoped.
Kazui is wary and cognizant of the fact that they are in the enemy's grasp—the same enemy that sent forces to attack their home, the same enemy that hurt their father in his youth and threatened him with hurting them a few months ago.
"Alright, let me put on my clothes, okay? — Whatever it takes, we're in this together. The old man is coming, Kaisuke, too."
A snake slithers from his shoulder, coiling itself around Kazui's neck. The kid blinks but relaxes his shoulders. "Why are we even staying here, anyways?" He glances at Kushina briefly, giving her the stink eye, "this place is full of— whatever this is."
Kushina shoots him the same stink glare, deliberately hidden behind a strained smile that exudes more vaguely menace than cheer, "well isn't he just a little colorful bundle of joy–"
Kazui ignores her, he eyes Jushiro, "let's go home."
Gently, Jushiro whispers, "What home, Kazui?"
"Wherever father is."
"That wasn't home," he explains patiently, "remember? It got destroyed anyway."
Kazui huffs. He glances at Kushina again, then says in Ngai dialect, "this is where people die, dummy. Maybe we should wait for father."
Kushina tenses, she looks away, avoiding eye contact. This makes Juhsiro question how much she actually knows from his brother's mind.
He hums, patting Kazui to make him move aside so he can stand. The hospital gown is annoyingly short and light, making the cold hit him the moment he moves out of the bed. Jushiro then picks up his T-shirt that was neatly folded in the middle of the table. He strides towards the window, a scowl etching deep lines on his face as he gazes at the courtyard, basked in the crimson radiance of the midday sun. The gentle tints of pink and violet dance upon the puddles, while raindrops shimmer on the trees and grass.
"There has never been an Uchiha outside of Konoha before, Kazui-kun." Kushina says to Kazui in Nagi dialect, ignoring the way he narrowed his eyes, tone soft, "you are their blood, their son; they really want to meet you. If you'll allow them."
"I have already met premhead, and I'm not impressed."
As she unzips a bag lying on the ground, Kushina suggests, "Maybe we can talk about why you don't find Shisui-kun impressive, once you've freshened up and had something to eat."
After receiving a look from him, Kazui lets out an irritated sigh and grabs the bag, heading towards the bathroom.
Kushina, meanwhile, straightens her dress and gazes at Jushiro. "If you'd like, we have a meeting with the councilmen. The Uchiha have graciously offered one of their residences within their compound where you'll stay. Of course, it will still be under ANBU supervision until Orochimaru's issue is resolved.… No matter what you say to defend him, I don't believe you can save him."
He grunts. He is already, unfortunately, aware.
Obito curls his fingers around the Gunbai's handle. His mouth dries. "What the fuck is this?"
"The enemy." Sasuke says, his voice toneless.
* Another fanarts of Kaisuke and Sayuri at the end of the chapter on the ao3.
* In case you didn't catch it, Sayuri managed to unlock her Mangekyō Sharingan.
* The Uzumaki chains normally come out from their torso, but Sayuri can pull them out from her hands, just to emphasise the importance of the spiders in her aesthetic.
* The chapter was supposed to be all about Fugaku going through some major life crisis and all, but when I saw that it had already hit the 10k word mark, I was like, "Nah, gotta cut that out." Don't worry, it's not even well-written now that I really read it
* I know Kushina isn't the type to be mean or weak, but she's really feeling emotional about her own death and her family's too. (Her friends' death, the massacre, the destruction) That's why she let Jushiro snap at her without getting hit in the head. although the next time he opens his mouth … well.
* Who is your favorite character in the chapter? Mine is Kaisuke
* What do you think about Sasuke and Mei tying the knot off camera during the time-skip? Originally, I wrote in Kaisuke's letter to Jushio that he mentioned that their dad married to the Mizukage and adopted the kids
(all for political reasons after the drama the court caused— the accident that led Sasuke to adopt Haku). I mentioned earlier that Mei's advisors both respect and fear Sasuke, and they're not sure if they can trust him. Her enemies know this too, which is why the marriage is a solution without Sasuke having to be bound to any specific village. I'm not sure whether to keep this plot, or not. A part of me wants Kazui to bully Mei while having a meltdown over the marriage.
_
Shikaku showing Kaisuke's letter to Hiashi to use his Buakugan : so? What did you see?
Fugaku: it must be something horrible
Minato nodding his head :
Hiashi : …...
