Edit: Big apologies! notices a major error in the chapter. How this exactly happened, i don't know but I somehow managed to turn the entire chapter upside down! Apologies for anyone who read it!
Welcome back!
I went on vacation for two weeks, recharged my batteries and when I came back my hands itched to wrap up this story. This chapter is, I think the longest chapter I've written so far. I hope you've brought a drink!
Without giving away too much, I've currently written the next four chapters, with roughly the same amount left to go. I don't want to rush this, nor want I to drag it out too much. If I manage to write the last chapters at a good pace, I'll be able to release the remaining chapters fast, if not, it will remain the same as it is now.
To everyone who added this story, or my profile to your favorites and alerts, I can't thank you enough. I hope you will all enjoy this chapter!
Reviewers:
Tobi-kun-is-a-good-boy: But…it's Madara? Thanks for reviewing and enjoy!
Nithi velu: it's easier to avoid the truth and pinning it on someone's who's marked as a traitor, rather than face the truth and everything it entails! Enjoy the chapter, and your question will be answered this chapter(ish).
Omegaoof: There's only one other person that's experienced (I think) what Naruto's gone through. It's tough to imagine the strain it has on Naruto.
It's a good question though, what would Obito do?
Stalker1: I'm glad you're hyped! Madara's involvement (or lack thereof) was always been planned like this. I hope I can live up to the hype ;)
Roswell: No no! The pairing is Naruto and Micheru, I'm sorry if I came across as confusing. Naruhina was something readers wanted in the past, but I have decided to keep it true with my intentions with this story.
ArawiguM: I was wondering who you meant with making a mistake, until I saw it was about one of the earlier chapters.
I am very glad to hear you've been enjoying to story so much! It really puts a smile on my face. This story I've always written for myself, regardless of how many readers it would attract. But to see all the reviews and love it's been getting..its amazing!
Enjoy this chapter!
Gamesdean1: Oh the temptation! Its crazy! All your questions will be answered. I promise! Or as I have everything written out, it should be very close to all your questions in any case!
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Guest: your wish shall be fulfilled! Enjoy!
Once more, thank you all for the support! It means a lot to me that after all these years people still enjoy this story.
Let's get this show on the road!
Chapter 55: The past.
The group stared at him with a variety of different expressions. It ranged from indifference to disbelief and even anger.
"There's no way you're Madara!" Kitsuchi exclaimed, jabbing a finger to the masked man, who in turn remained stoic, his arms at his side.
"My grandfather killed you." Tsunade said in a harsh tone, her hands formed into tight fists.
There was a slight turn towards the Hokage. "Hashirama assumed my death. He never bothered to recover my 'body.'"
"This is a farce!" Mei yelled, her face red with anger.
"It's true. He really is Madara." Itachi spoke up, silencing the others.
"Itachi?" Naruto looked at him with a questioning gaze.
"He's the one who inducted me into the Akatsuki. He has knowledge that only Madara knew of." His close friend said, giving a slight nod.
Across the room there was still a lot of disbelief and downright denial, but it remained in quiet whispers amongst the attendees.
Naruto rubbed his forehead. The headache he experienced was increasing with every passing minute. "Where the hell have you been all this time?"
Madara slowly turned his head towards the blonde, unnerving him. "Busy."
"What could possibly be more important than fighting in this war?" Rome asked loudly, causing a murmur of agreements across the room.
"Gathering information on our common enemy. I found it most interesting hearing Uzumaki Naruto's story of the Shinigami. The info I have gathered coincides with his."
"Who would've thought! Rogue shinobi agreeing with one another." Mei snorted, crossing her arms.
"I grow tired of your ignorant and inept state of mind. Be quiet." Madara said. Though it was quiet, it cut through the air and instantly silenced the Mizukage.
Madara once more turned to Naruto. "In order for us to win this war, we need to kill Daghar, and to do that, we'll need to work together, Uzumaki Naruto."
Everyone, except for Naruto started asking the same question, filling the room with chatter.
"Who is Daghar?!" A. growled.
"Daghar is Kenpachi's true name." Naruto answered before Madara could, locking his lone eye with the visible one of the Uchiha's.
Micheru placed her hand on the side of his face, turning his gaze towards her. "How?"
He gave a sad smile in response.
"It doesn't matter what his true name is. All that matters is how we kill him." Gaara said resolutely.
"Which brings us back to the original point of discussion. Killing Kenpachi," Tsunade loudly said, silencing the others as she took control of the room. "You want to be part of the team to kill him?" she asked Madara.
"I am going to be part of the group. Your opinion on the matter is irrelevant."
Everyone quietly stared at the imposing man. It was clear there was little point in discussing it, and Tsunade knew it. Not because he demanded it, but because if he really was Madara Uchiha he would be the only real choice.
"So, Itachi, Naruto and…Madara will be part of the group that will take down Kenpachi. Does everyone agree?" Shikaku's voice boomed across the room.
There was a lot of chatter, but in the end, everyone agreed with the 'proposed' group. Before Shikaku could formally announce it, another voice spoke up.
"We need a fourth to join." Naruto started, gaining the attention of the group once more.
"I thought you said yourself, no more than three." Gaara said, recalling his words during the siege of Sunagakure.
"We need a medic to support us." He slowly said, his eye roaming the room.
"It's logical, who do you suggest?" Madara asked.
His gaze moved towards Tsunade and Mayu, before finally settling on Micheru. "You."
Everyone's gaze turned to Micheru, whose eyes widened in surprise.
"Absolutely not!" Mayu yelled, which was muddled with another protest coming from Rome.
He didn't waver and kept looking at Micheru, waiting for an answer.
Micheru looked towards her mother who was shouting objections and waving with her arms. Her look hardened and gave him a firm nod. "I'll do it."
Naruto gave a sad smile. "Arigato…Micheru-chan."
"I'm not allowing it!" Mayu ordered, stepping closer to Naruto, grabbing him by his shirt.
Naruto looked down to her balled fist. "We need someone who's an experienced medic. We need to change the pattern, otherwise it's going to end up the same way.
"Then we will find another medic! She's not going, period! I'll go!" Mayu ordered, jabbing her free hand towards Micheru.
"Mayu-sama. You're not capable of being a combat medical fighter."
"What?"
"When did you last fight? It's been years. You'll be in the way."
"Then I'll go." Tsunade said as she rose to her full height. "I still need to beat some sense into Kenpachi.
"You're the Hokage. You need to focus on the battle and on Konoha."
"I must agree with Naruto here. Your presence will help our shinobi." Shikaku added in.
Tsunade gripped the edge of her table but caved and gave him a lone nod.
Naruto stared at her, ignoring the stares he could practically feel on him. "Micheru is the best combat medic we have. I'm sure Itachi and Madara will agree." He slowly stepped away from Mayu, pulling himself free from her grip.
"I'll need to evaluate her medical capabilities, but otherwise I –"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
"Mayu-"
"NARUTO NOT ANOTHER WORD!"
"Listen-"
"I AM NOT SENDING MY DAUGHTER TO HER DEATH. THIS IS AN ORDER. YOU BOTH WILL LISTEN!"
Naruto looked at the woman who he had considered his leader for many years. "If you can't look past your own selfish reasons...I'm out."
Micheru reached for the red sash around her waist and removed it, letting it fall to the ground. "So am I."
Breathing heavily, Mayu's eyes watched as the red fabric slid through her daughter's fingers and hit the ground. "What?"
"Mom…You've been trying to keep me out of this fight ever since this war started. I know I can do this; Naruto knows, Itachi knows…Hell even Rome knows. But not you...My own mom doesn't support me." Micheru walked towards the door, ignoring all the stares. Her hand rested on the handle. "I'll be your designated medic. I promise, I won't disappoint."
"Micheru, you never have." Itachi said, smiling at her.
She pulled the door open and stepped outside, leaving the most powerful people of the shinobi nations behind.
Naruto watched as she left. Slowly he turned to face the group once more, his face neutral but inside he felt a turmoil of emotion.
"What if you fail?" Gaara asked, nearing the blonde.
Naruto had been wondering the same thing. Last time they formed multiple squads to try and kill him, but they didn't have that luxury this time. They didn't have the time nor the men to pull all elite shinobi towards the man. "We can't."
"But what if you do?" Rome pressed.
"Naruto's right. We can't afford to fail. If we do, Kenpachi won't engage multiple squads again. If he figures out what we're trying to do, he'll simple disappear and let his army do the work. He's a smart man."
"Then why didn't we assume the same thing in Konoha?" Tsunade wondered.
"Because" Naruto slowly began, scratching his chin. "He knew we kept him away from the fight, to avoid destruction of our wall and our medical hubs, not to mention our supply depots. We don't have those this time. He'll figure that out."
"That's an assumption," The mizukage remarked, disagreeing with the blonde. "We should have back-up ready in case they fail."
Naruto narrowed his eye. "I'm not saying you shouldn't. All I'm saying, he will catch on if we keep the pressure on him. He'll start to wonder, and eventually come to the conclusion that we know the truth. He'll run and let his army deal with us."
"Then it's decided. Naruto, Micheru, Itachi and Madara will engage Kenpachi while we keep his army occupied."
"You better not fail again," A. growled. "Bee needs to be avenged!"
Naruto kept staring at the angered face of Mayu. "We won't."
The seething glare she sent his way nearly gave him chills, but he stood firm and weathered it, drowning out the other voices who were starting to discuss the attack itself.
Mayu stepped closer to him her teeth gritted. "I'll never forgive you."
"This war is bigger than you or me, or Micheru. It's a shame you still aren't able to see that."
"So, you're going to throw the life away of Micheru...of the woman you love…OF MY DAUGHTER?" her voice rose until it finally snapped and she started yelling once more.
Naruto looked deep into the angered eyes of Mayu but remained silent. Their quiet discussion died out and they both focused on the other matters that were being discussed.
The question Mayu asked echoed in his head.
Four weeks of preparation, that's what they had decided upon. After that, they would send out one last desperate charge. thirty thousand shinobi, samurai and mercenaries, against at least one hundred thousand Reavers.
The chosen battlefield was to be in Yuki no Kuni, just two miles north of the village of Yaika. A large open plain. It was to be one final battle, to determine the fate of the elemental nations. It was still entirely in the hands of Kenpachi, who had the final say. But chances were that he would accept. Technically he would have all the advantages.
Apart from the higher-ups, no one knew yet. They would though. There wasn't a place for half-truths. Everyone needed to know exactly what the plan was and what their roles would be.
He held a soft smile as he felt the warm sunlight upon his face. He was sitting on the roof of his old apartment, leaning on his hands as he quietly enjoyed the afternoon sun.
Around him he heard the sound of repairs. Small groups of chunin and genin had been assigned to it, but nothing major. Only the most crucial infrastructure needed to be up and running. Everything else would have to wait until after the last fight.
If they lost, there wouldn't be a point to it. His smile turned into a frown and his lone eye slowly opened. They had experienced defeat after defeat and could barely count on one hand the times they had been victorious in battle.
If Suna had been where they had their backs to the wall, how could they possibly describe the situation they were in now? Mizu no Kuni held the majority of the civilian populace. Supplies were limited and already reports of unrest were starting to surface.
If they didn't win the upcoming battle, the elemental nations would cease to exist, and the Reavers would move on to their next target.
And it all basically rested on the shoulders of him and his teammates. "No pressure…" he softly said. Slowly he climbed to his feet and turned around, looking into the red glowing eye of Madara.
"Interesting way of putting it." His heavy voice rumbled.
"What other way is there? There's no point in stressing about it. We need to be as calm as we can." Naruto shrugged.
"I agree," Madara nodded and stepped past the blonde, looking down over the village. "We need to start training. Make sure our teamwork is impeccable."
"Are you really Madara?" Naruto asked, looking at the back of Madara's head.
"Don't you believe, Itachi?"
"I do."
"Then there's your answer."
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "You think we can win?"
"Daghar is a freak of nature. Defies the natural law of order." Madara never turned to face him.
"You didn't answer my question."
Madara shifted slightly, his short hair ruffled by the gust of wind. "If he bleeds, he can die."
Naruto snorted, shaking his head as he turned to walk away. "We'll see."
"Naruto."
The blonde turned halfway, looking back to the Uchiha, who was now facing him again. Madara slowly stepped over, until he was a few feet away. "The next four weeks we will all undergo an extreme training regime; of the sort you've never experienced before."
"We won't improve enough to suddenly be able to go toe to toe with him." Naruto countered just as quickly.
"We need to close the gap between our powers. Every inch closer increases our chances of victory."
"An inch doesn't matter if the distance is measured in miles," The blonde let out a sigh but nodded regardless. "But it doesn't hurt. I'll inform Micheru."
"No, I will." Madara said before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Naruto narrowed his eye slightly. He didn't trust the man but understood that they needed cohesion. It would do them little good for him to protect Micheru. 'I won't be able to protect her for much longer anyway.'
Micheru looked at the clothing on her bed. It was her former hunter's outfit. She held it in high regards, the moment she had laid her eyes on it. Now she associated it with disgrace.
Her mother had always been fiercely protective of her, always keeping her far from danger. It had lessened the last few years, but she remained insistent on most of the war, hurting her pride and feelings. Increasing the doubt among the other hunters and even other shinobi.
With a sneer she tore off her pouch, containing all her knives and other equipment, tossing it all in the corner.
A knock on the door turned her sneer towards the door. "Leave me be!" She had been visited by everyone, save for Naruto. All trying to convince her to stay and see to reason. That the path she walked on, was complete suicide.
Which only further hurt her feelings. Regardless, another knock broke her thoughts and she swiftly moved towards the door and pulled it open, ready to offer a 'stern' choice of words.
The red mask paused her anger, instead she took a single step back.
"Micheru Sun. A word."
Shook by his sudden appearance, she stepped aside. She knew little of the man in front of her, nor had she ever heard of his name before. But apparently his fighting abilities were held in the highest of regards. His traitorous path less so.
Madara stepped inside and looked around the room briefly. He gave an elegant twirl and faced her once more. "Naruto vouches for you."
"At least someone does." Micheru answered more harshly than she wanted to, regretting it slightly.
"I don't care for the thoughts of others. I care for results. Can you keep up with us?"
She hesitated in answering. In terms of offensive abilities, she wasn't nearly close to the others. She wasn't close to kage level. "I can't. I am not as powerful as you, or the others."
"No. But you have a valuable trait. The ability to keep us upright. What I want to know is, will you be able to continue to do so, regardless of the foe in front of you, of death that ensues?"
The pale face of Naruto floated in front of her. She blinked before answering, a slight tremor in her voice. "Yes."
"Good. Report to training ground 4 tomorrow. For the coming weeks we will train rigorously. I expect your full commitment."
"I won't disappoint." She stated firmly.
"I should hope not. The existence of humankind depends on it."
His words slammed into her like a hammer. Just now realizing the weight that was pressing down on her shoulders. "I-"
Madara slid past her, walking back to the open door. He paused for a moment. "You've witnessed the extinction of your homeland. At the hands of Daghar. Remember this, Micheru Sun…"
"It doesn't matter. He's far too strong for me…he's like a god."
Madara let out a deep, short chuckle. "No. He's merely a man." He rounded a corner and left her behind.
Naruto had remained on the roof for the majority of the day, until the early hours of the evening, when the chill slowly settled in. His death hadn't been the end of the memories that had plagued him since Suna, it had merely been pushed to the back, while his mind was occupied with other thoughts. Mainly of Pein.
He stepped over the edge and landed on the street in front of the apartment block. Slowly, he strolled down the lane and headed in no particular destination. Thoughts of Pein, the Shinigami and Kenpachi were made it difficult to focus on other things.
Unconsciously his hand edged to the wound on his chest but restrained himself at the last moment. He could hear loud chatter coming from the bar to his left, which was a curious thing in itself.
He made his way over to the entrance and peered inside, noticing a variety of shinobi and samurai inside. The sound of a warm melody reached his ears and a small smile appeared on his face.
Slowly he stepped inside, where he gained the attention of a few of the attendees. He gave them a nod and strolled past them, towards the bar, easing himself onto the barstool. His smile turned into a grin when he saw who was standing behind it.
"Orodochi Ghost. I was wondering when you'd show up." The man, revealing himself to be none other than Hawke turned to him, a cheeky grin on his face.
"How is this place even open?" He asked his former sensei.
"Oh, I broke it open. I needed a drink. All civilians are to remain in Kiri." He muttered sourly.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder. "You weren't the only one apparently."
Hawke reached for a shot glass and filled it with dark liquid, sliding it to the blonde. "They…We need more than just a drink. For now, it will have to do."
He looked at the glass with distrust before giving in with a shrug, grasping the glass and downing the drink in one go. Inhaling deeply as the burning liquid made its way down his throat.
"So…No longer a hunter, eh?" Hawke slowly began, leaning on the counter.
"I don't want to hear it."
Hawke tilted his head. "I don't blame you, kid. I think you and Micheru did the right thing. Mayu always found it difficult to put the objective ahead of her own family."
Naruto shrugged. "I'm not an idiot. She lost her entire family. She's terrified of losing Micheru. But…We need to accept that we're in no position to make a compromise. It's all or nothing."
The dark-haired hunter leaned closer. "But…can you?"
"of course." Naruto grunted.
"You say you can, but I wonder."
"Haven't I proven it, these past few years?" Slowly he reached for the cover of his eye, removing it, showing Hawke the mauled eye socket.
"You misunderstand, Naruto. I know you wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice your own life, if it meant that the war would end, "Hawke said with empathy, smiling sadly, while reaching for the bottle to refill both Naruto and his own glass. "But can you sacrifice Micheru's?"
"Y-" Naruto started, but his voice got caught in his throat before he could finish. "I wouldn't let her die, no."
"But what if it came to that? What if your only shot in winning this war would result in her death?"
Naruto didn't answer. Instead, he reached for the glass and downed it, dodging the answer.
"Here's to hoping you won't have to make such a choice." The voice of Kakashi said, originating from next to the blonde.
Naruto gave him a side glance, giving a small nod of greeting. "Hatake."
"Figured I would find you here. How are you feeling?"
He stared at his empty glass for a few quiet moments. "Like crap."
Kakashi patted him on the back. "With what you went through, I didn't expect anything else."
Naruto stiffened slightly at the comforting gesture. His relationship with Kakashi was still a difficult one. The man had abandoned him when he needed him the most. It had tipped him over the edge. But his attempts at reconciliation were genuine. What he had done in Nami, all those years ago. It had stuck with him.
As had been his presence in Suna, during the hell they experienced. He just became confused in his personal feelings for the man. On one hand he truly hated the grey haired jonin for his act of betrayal. But on the other hand, he felt very grateful for everything he did, or tried to do afterwards.
"You're really making things difficult for me, Kakashi." Naruto muttered, tapping with his glass, requesting a refill, which Hawke happily provided.
"How so?" Kakashi asked, turning towards the blonde.
"Our history…everything. I miss the days where I would go on hating you, and you'd go on failing at your attempts of burying the hatchet."
Kakashi gave an eye smile. "I'm never going to let you down again, Naruto."
Naruto stared at the refill he had asked for, Kakashi's promise echoing in his head. Eventually he replied. "I'll hold you to it."
Kakashi stared at him for a while, until he grew noticeably somber. "When you died…It broke me…my failed promise to your father resurfacing again."
Naruto didn't turn to look, nor did he answer, he merely gave a slow nod of his head.
"How about we talk about something else, huh?" Hawke asked, trying to keep the conversation light-hearted.
Naruto gave a shake of his head. "I'm gonna go. Get some sleep. Got to get up early for training." Slowly he slid off his stool, making his way to the exit.
"Let me walk with you. I need to head the same way." Kakashi didn't wait for an answer, and followed in his footsteps, pleased when he saw that his student was waiting for him.
They gave Hawke a wave and exited, walking down the street towards the main market area, which was still being used as the main rendezvous point.
"You think it's really him?" Naruto asked after a few silent minutes.
"I don't really know. But… I can't find a good reason for him to lie about it."
"That's what I was thinking too." Naruto muttered.
"If it is really him, it we might have a chance to defeat Kenpachi. Madara is considered to be the most powerful shinobi to ever live." Kakashi said thoughtfully.
They reached the entrance of the barracks where the hunters and the Akatsuki were staying. "Good night, Kakashi."
Kakashi watched as he stepped inside. "I'm glad you're okay, Naruto."
Naruto stared at him with his lone eye, just before closing the door, giving a sad smile. "Remember your promise, Hatake."
The door clicked shut, leaving Kakashi standing, staring at the door.
Micheru watched as Naruto slowly made his way towards the stairs. "Naruto-kun?"
He slowed down and gave her a smile. "Micheru-chan. Why are you still awake?"
She slid off the couch and made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around him, giving him a warm smile. "I was waiting for you. We've barely had any time together after the battle."
He scratched the back of his head, chuckling in embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that. I needed some fresh air."
Her hands rested on the sides of his face, a sympathetic look on hers. "You look tired. When was the last time you really slept?"
"In the medical hub, after I got back." He said light heartedly.
"That was two days ago. You really need to sleep. I don't want any arguments!" She grabbed him by his hand and pulled him up the stairs.
He obediently followed her, the smile that was on his face, never left. Eventually they neared his room, but she didn't slow down, and she continued dragging him down the corridor towards her room.
"Sleep huh?" Naruto joked.
"YES! Sleep!" she said loudly, but Naruto could still notice the red hue that appeared on her cheek.
"Okay! Okay, just sleep." He grinned and shook his head in amusement.
She opened the door and pulled him inside. She looked at the pile of clothes that used to be her Hunter's garment. She had tossed it in the corner in frustration after Madara's visit.
She jabbed with her finger to the bed. "No funny business, Naruto," she herself moved over to the closet and pulled it open, obscuring her from his sight. "We'll have enough time for that later."
She could hear the chuckle from where she had 'ordered' him to. She slid into her sleepwear, while draped her daywear over the chair at the desk.
When she closed the door of the closet, she was pleased to see that Naruto was undressing as well, albeit a lot slower than she had. The wounds he had sustained was hampering him.
She made her way over to him and with gentle hands helped him pull off his shirt, revealing the bandages underneath. "Are you sure you're up for the training tomorrow?"
Naruto gave a shrug. "I don't know, but Madara was right. We need to train, every bit helps."
She folded his shirt and pants, laying them at the desk as well. "You're no good while you're still wounded. Not to mention your lack of sleep," Micheru turned back and saw that Naruto was slipping under the covers, nearest to the wall. "I'm worried about you."
The lone, bright blue eye stared at her intensely. "I don't know how to respond to that, Micheru."
The former huntress made her way over to the bed, sliding under the cover as well, laying on her side, looking at her partner. "I know your still being plagued with nightmares of what happened in Suna…Or of what he did…to you."
"I'll be okay, Michu-chan."
She let her hand lay on his abdomen, pulling herself closer to him. "You've been saying this over and over again. Let me help you, please."
"I don't think you can."
"Give me the chance." She pressed.
She could hear him sigh. But it wasn't one of annoyance. It was one of defeat. "I know your mind has been plagued with so many horrific things. It can help by talking about it."
He turned his head to stare at the ceiling for a while. He took a deep breath and slowly started.
Flashback – 5 years ago
Ghost watched as people ran towards their home, trying to seek cover from the heavy downpour of rain.
Oto no Kuni wasn't a remarkable place, despite it being under Orochimaru's control. If it could still be regarded as such. The man hadn't been in the country in over a year, with his last visit when he and Itachi were hunting him.
A chilly breeze caused him to pull his hood better over his head, trying to keep him warm. Why he decided to go here was something he still didn't quite understood. 'Maybe it's because he said he was a friend of Itachi's.'
the waitress stepped out of the restaurant and onto the terrace which had a cover overhead, sheltering them both from the bad weather. She made her way over to the hooded blonde and crouched down next to him, giving him a warm smile, regardless of the rain. "Are you sure you don't want to come inside? There's a table free."
Ghost's eyes briefly locked with hers. "I'm okay here. Arigato."
"A refill perhaps?"
He returned her smile and nodded. "That sounds good."
Her own smile widened, and she stood back up. "Coming right up!" she hurried back inside, shivering from the cold.
"And you didn't even get me something."
Ghost looked over his shoulder and saw a large figure towering over him. He immediately recognized him as Kisame. "Kisame? Why didn't you let me know it was you I was supposed to meet?"
Kisame stepped underneath the cover of the terrace and removed his straw hat, giving him a toothy grin. "Just because you're buddies with Itachi, doesn't mean we are. Itachi told me you had become wary of others."
Ghost frowned. He recalled the meeting they had in the very same country they were visiting now. "That's more because of Konoha. We've teamed up before, I trust you."
"The brat acting all grown up, adorable. Now, get up. Time to head out."
His eyes flickered to the heavy rain fall but nodded regardless. Reaching inside his pocket, he quickly placed some money on the table, keeping it in place with the glass from before. "Alright."
Kisame put his hat back on and stepped back into the rain, closely followed by Ghost, who gave a shiver as the rain hit his already cold body.
"What do you need me for anyway?" Ghost called out.
He saw the straw hat turn slightly. "Nasty bit of business."
"And Itachi, or one of the others can't help?" Naruto answered, his frown reappearing.
"The others have business elsewhere, Itachi included."
Naruto frowned but didn't respond and shrugged. "Where are we headed?"
"Hi no Kuni."
Ghost faltered slightly in his step. "Where in Hi no Kuni?"
"We're not going to Konoha, brat, you can relax."
"Baka…" He muttered back but didn't receive a remark back. "So where then?
"A small village, called Irosa."
They reached the edge of the town they were in, and they both briefly looked over their shoulder, completely drenched by the weather. "Never heard of it…Why are we going there?"
"Let's get out of anyone's earshot." Kisame took off, jumping into the nearest tree next to the main road. Ghost quickly followed, and together they dashed from tree to tree, quickly gaining a lot of speed.
The harsh rain made it difficult to see and he constantly had to make sure he didn't slip and fall from the branches they were hopping on.
After a few moments Kisame spoke again. "Irosa is a village that popped up after the second shinobi war. Nothing remarkable about it, at first glance."
He shuddered as the coldness increased now that they were traveling rapidly. "Let me guess…You took a second one?"
Kisame nodded his head, briefly looking over his shoulder. "During the Sengoku Jidai, the area was used as a battleground, and again, during the first shinobi war, long before Irosa was ever built.
Slowly, Ghost's eyes widened. "You mean a chakra tear?"
"Yeah."
"We need to close that, before the Unknowns find out."
"My thoughts exactly." Kisame grunted back.
"But why do you need me for this? You could easily do this by yourself."
"There's a Konoha presence there."
Ghost let out an annoyed sigh. "How many?"
"Fifty, maybe more."
"There's a detachment of fifty shinobi, for a small village. Why?" Ghost asked him.
"They used the village for training and what not, preparing new chunin for their responsibilities."
Ghost fell quiet, but gave a nod, which went unseen by his companion. It mattered little to him. The tear needed to be closed.
They looked from their spot in the tree towards the village, where it was bustling with activity. As Kisame had said, it looked like an ordinary village.
"Take this." Kisame tossed him a scroll.
Unrolling it, he summoned its contents, a generic dark brown outfit. "Smart."
"Let's change quickly, I want to get this over with." Kisame muttered back, who undid his own Akatsuki cloak, and changed it to the other one.
Ghost swiftly did the same and stored his own outfit in the same scroll. He pulled the hood over his blonde hair before turning to Kisame, who had also covered his face with it.
They looked at each other, inspecting their outfits and gave a satisfying nod. They hopped to the ground and made their way over to the entrance of the village.
Irosa village had a simple wooden barricade around it, with watchtowers at key points to prevent anyone from sneaking in. At the main wooden gate there was a group of five shinobi. They weren't checking anyone's papers, but were keeping an eye on any newcomers, typical procedure for the average civilian village.
They walked inside, giving the guards a nod of greeting, who in turn nodded back. There was no need for suspicion. It was still raining softly, and hooded figures weren't a strange sight outside of the major hidden villages.
"Where do you think it is?" Kisame asked him.
"I can find it, but we should first do some scouting, see how heavy the shinobi presence is." Ghost answered.
Kisame stared at him for a moment before nodding and let Ghost take the lead. Together they spend a portion of the afternoon simply roaming the village, pretending to browse the various stores and stalls, while in reality they were gathering intel.
It seemed they weren't very lucky. The village held a detachment of 40 shinobi, of which 15 were jonin. Not that it mattered too much. They didn't need to engage them, but it was better to be prepared.
He looked down towards the gate, at the other end of the village before turning his gaze towards the alley to his right and frowned. "Something doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean, brat? I don't feel anything." Kisame followed his gaze with narrowed eyes, his hand resting on his pouch where he had stashed the scroll that contained his blade.
"I feel a faint demonic presence…" Ghost murmured. He looked back to the gate, as if he was trying to find its source.
"You think there are Unknowns here?" Kisame asked, tensing up.
"I don't know…I never felt this before."
"You can use the power of the Kyuubi to track it right?"
Ghost gave a tiny nod. "Something like that."
"Then do it."
Ghost hesitated. He wasn't completely used to his newfound demonic abilities. It gave him excruciating pain in his arm, where the transformation occurred, and he wasn't sure how to counteract it yet.
Slowly he channeled chakra to the seal on his arm, as well as to his eyes. Slowly they started burning as his eyes started glowing red. Slowly, he looked around, trying to find the source of the tainted presence.
"You see anything?" Kisame pressed.
"Quiet, sushi."
"What did you just call me?!" Kisame growled, grabbing him by his shoulder, digging his sharp nails into the blonde's shoulder.
Ghost ignored him as he noticed a red chakra tendril slithering from the alleyway. "Over there…" he pulled his shoulder free and ran into the alley, following the trail.
Kisame briefly looked over his shoulder, but it didn't seem as if the villagers were paying them any attention. Quickly he ran after the blonde.
The sound of thunder roared overhead as darkening skies formed over the country of Hi no Kuni.
Ghost followed the tendril deeper in the alleyway that stretched all towards the opposite side of the village. The ominous dark chakra felt stronger with each passing step. He rounded a corner and came to an abrupt halt. "There it is."
Kisame dodged his sudden stop and came to a standstill next to him. "In front of us?"
Ghost nodded. "Something isn't right."
"What do you mean?"
The hunter in disguise stepped close to it. "It looks different…Like something was forced out."
The tear looked exactly as the name described it as. Dark chakra leaked out of it, but instead of it being a narrow-looking red and blue translucent chakra tear, it now looked like something tore it open. To top it off, the color was dark red, almost pitch black even.
He slowly inched closer to the anomaly. Never before had he seen a chakra tear that looked like it had now. Nor did he remember Rome telling him about different variations of chakra tears.
The principles of a chakra tear were the same as it always had been. It was created when large amounts of chakra had been used. It was a door that could be opened to let demons into their world. But only the Unknowns held the summoning technique to pull them to their realm.
"What do you see, brat?"
"Like it's cracked open…But there aren't any Reavers here, I don't understand."
"Maybe they sent more scouts? Wouldn't put it past them."
"There's no reason for them to do it. They want to remain hidden. Pulling a demon through would alert the entire village, it's hard to miss…from what Rome told me anyways."
"Then what? They tore it open, but did nothing else with it? Makes no sense!"
Ghost looked at a different tendril and followed it with his eyes, where it disappeared into a dark alleyway. "Nothing about this makes any sense."
"Can you close it?"
"I can. In theory anyone can."" He stood up from his crouched position and his eyes widened in shock and fear, staring straight at the tear.
From the other side he could make out red glowing eyes. Looking straight at him. "Kami…I can see demons on the other side."
Kisame's eyes darted around, as if he was looking for demons. "What happens to the ones that get through?"
Ghost wasn't sure. The Unknowns were known to use an ability to merge with a demon. He doubted it was the only way though. "I don't know."
"It doesn't matter, close the tear before more get through." Kisame ordered.
The technique was a simple concept. Channel pure chakra straight into the tear and it would collapse in on itself. The difficulty behind it was, you had to see the chakra tear, otherwise you'd be stumbling in the dark.
Placing his hand on the gaping hole, he slowly poured his chakra into it, watching as the tear was absorbing it all. Another downside of the technique was the amount that was needed. He could feel his chakra coils burn as he kept pouring chakra into the gateway.
Kisame watched as Ghost wiped the sweat of his forehead. "You okay, brat?"
"I'm almost…done." He panted heavily as well over three quarters of his chakra reserves were emptied into the chakra tear. As he was about to start questioning the success of his jutsu, he could feel a slight tremor from the gate itself.
Pulling his hand away quickly, he watched as the chakra tear glowed bright blue for a moment, before spatting apart, the remaining particles dissolving into nothingness.
"It's done…" He panted, straightening his back. "That took a lot of chakra."
Kisame slapped him on the back. "Good job. Let's get out of here. I don't know if there's any sensors about."
Ghost nodded and followed his companion out of the alleyway, giving one last glance over his shoulder, to make sure there wasn't something that was left behind.
They reached the main street without too much trouble and they both looked in opposite directions. "I need to give Pein an update, you want to-"
Ghost held up his hand and frowned. His eyes still glowed red. "I can still feel demonic chakra…But…It's all around us."
The Hunters watched as a father, along with his young son walked towards the store at the corner. "What's going on?"
"Explain!" Kisame barked at him.
"The villagers…it's now coming from them."
Kisame's eyes widened. "Kingin Kyōdai…"
"What?" Ghost asked him, turning his wide eyes onto Kisame.
"Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the two infamous brothers from Kumo. They were eaten by the Kyuubi. They somehow gained powers of a jinchuuriki!" Kisame quickly explained, his eyes darting around.
"But…that's not what's happening here."
"We don't know how they got those powers, for all we know exposure alone is enough for this to happen!" Kisame hissed, pulling Naruto back to the alleyway, out of sight.
"They are not acting like they've been exposed though…" Ghost muttered as he watched the villagers go about their daily lives.
"I'm not saying they would go crazy. But we both know there's more at hand here than a simple chakra tear!"
Every villager he saw, he could feel the tainted presence within them, like it was a disease. "What now, Kisame?" he whispered.
Kisame motioned for him to follow, and together they went back into the dark alley. "I need to think about this for a moment."
Ghost watched as he disappeared into the darkness, an uncomfortable pit settling in his stomach.
"You can't be serious, Kisame!"
"There's no other way."
He looked at Kisame with wide eyes. "We…we can't do this! This isn't right!"
"I know it isn't, but if we ignore this problem, it will be a disaster waiting to happen."
Ghost's fist slammed into the cold stone wall. "You're talking about killing these people!" he hissed.
"If we don't do this, and the Reavers arrive, where do you think they'll go first?!"
"Then we deal with the problem when we get to it!"
"LISTEN TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!"
It was a good thing, Kisame had used a genjutsu, masking any movement and sound they were making. Otherwise, everyone in the area would've heard them. Regardless, Kisame continued. "IF THEY JOIN THEIR RANKS THEY CAN BE USED AGAINST US!"
Ghost gripped his hood and pulled it back, sneering at the man in front of him. "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"
Kisame gripped him by his hair and jerked him close. "Now you listen to me, and you listen well. You yourself said that the chakra tear was torn open. It's obvious that they are planning on using these villagers for some form of scheme, and I doubt it's as simple as boosting their numbers. For all we know they can be used as sleeper cells, to destroy Konoha from within."
"Let them burn! I don't care about those low life baka's!" he hissed, trying to free himself from Kisame's strong grip.
"We need Konoha! You better get that in your thick skull!" He let go of Ghost, watching as his teammate stepped away to gain distance from him.
"I'm not going to massacre innocent people of what 'might' happen."
Kisame sighed, rubbing his face. "You think I want this?! You know deep down that this is too much of a risk. The Unknowns are responsible for this!"
"We're talking about killing hundreds of men women and children…" Ghost whispered while shaking his head.
"You're a shinobi. Act like it." Kisame harshly said, glaring at him.
"This…This isn't right."
"You knew that there's no such a thing as a clean war."
Ghost turned to walk away, still shaking his head. "I'm not doing this…find someone else."
"You know that my only other choice is Itachi."
Ghost froze. Slowly he turned his head slightly. "You can't ask him that…Not after everything he went through."
"I can't do this on my own." Kisame said honestly.
"You can't ask ITACHI!" the hunter yelled at him, jabbing a finger in his direction.
"Then help me!"
Ghost fell silent. It wasn't that Kisame wouldn't be able to deal with the chunin and Jonin in the village. He would beat them, with difficulty, but he'd come out on top…eventually. During that time the villagers would've fled, reinforcements could've been called.
Kisame wouldn't get the job done. Not properly. He stared at his feet and his shoulders slumped as minutes passed by. "If we do this…people can never find out."
Kisame gripped him by the shoulder, in a bad attempt to comfort him. "of course, Naruto."
He looked up at hearing his old name, a ghost of a smile on his face. "And never call me that again."
Kisame chuckled, slapping him on the back. "Such a demanding brat."
The blonde didn't respond to that. His mind had already wandered to the horrifying task ahead.
The storm clouds overhead thundered, and the first drops of rain slowly descended on the village. It was a typical thing, Ghost thought as he looked up at the darkened skies. His hands both held a kunai with multiple exploding tags attached.
Ahead was a tavern, filled with off-duty chunin. 'I…I can't believe we're doing this…'
~Are you ready? ~
~Hai.~ He whispered back, while in truth he never felt more doubtful. He glances over his shoulder towards the main entrance. If only he could just run. But Kisame was right. there was evidence that the Unknowns had messed with the tear, and that this village would be their number one target.
With a heavy heart he moved forward, passed through the door and stepped inside. At first no one noticed him, only a mere glance or two were thrown his way. They were shinobi though, and they soon noticed what he was holding.
"What the hell are you doing?!" someone yelled, but it was too late.
He tossed both of the kunai inside the room and stepped back outside, shutting the door behind him.
The room erupted in chaos long before the exploding tags went off. Ghost quickly gained some distance, and a mere second later the tavern exploded. Killing everyone inside and showering the streets with debris.
The moment his explosion went off, multiple others were triggered too. Kisame and his own clones were responsible for that.
His eyes glowed red as he went for the nearest source of demonic chakra. Another pair of chunin. He slammed his shoulder into the first one and struck the second one with a new kunai.
The first chunin reacted quickly and tackled him to the ground but was immediately overpowered as he hammered him away, sending him to ground.
"What are you doing?!" the chunin yelled in anger as he scrambled back to his feet.
Steeling himself, he narrowed his glowing eyes. "Wiping this village of the map."his voice purposefully morphed.
"The sheer arrogance."
Turning sideways, he saw a vaguely familiar face. 'That's Kō Hyuuga. He always accompanied Hinata to the academy.'
"Hypocrite."
Kō sneered at him. "Come then, murderer."
Ghost briefly looked at the others. It was one Jonin and three chunin. Wouldn't be the easiest fight. Wouldn't be the hardest either. He dashed forward and swung his fist towards Kō, but he dodged it without too much trouble.
Leaning back, he evaded the counter from the first chunin. He grabbed the limb and dragged him to the other attacker, canceling his assault and went on the offensive once more. "Chakra push!"
He blasted the third chunin into the burning ruins of the tavern while he closed the distance and slammed his fist into Kō's jaw who was sent staggering back.
The chunin behind him had recovered and was speeding through a series of hand signs. "Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu!"
The attack collided against the hunter and was sent crashing into one of the stores next to the tavern. Shaking his head, he charged forward again, ignoring his painful body. He dodged multiple shuriken while grabbing a kunai and blocked the others.
By now the Konoha-nin had regrouped and were in a defensive posture. His mind filled with anger for his foe in front of him, he smirked. Disappearing from sight, using his ability 'flashstep'.
He appeared behind the chunin and struck with his kunai, tearing open the throat of the young shinobi. He dropped to the floor while the other chunin were screaming his name.
But Ghost wasn't finished. He slid underneath the wild, but inaccurate attack of the second chunin, ending up within his guard, slamming the already blood-soaked kunai under his chin, killing him instantly.
Kō came with the counter and swiped with a kunai of his own, cutting open Ghost's wrist.
Hissing in pain, he quickly jumped back, gripping his wounded arm. Staring at his two remaining foes he became aware of the sounds of screaming around him.
"Why are you doing this?! What have we ever done to you?" Kō asked, seething in anger.
Ghost didn't respond, instead he let go of his bloodied arm and charged forward. "Chakra push!"
This time they were prepared and countered with a quick doton jutsu, causing them to lose sight of Ghost, but negating his attack.
He appeared from above just as quickly, ramming into Kō, who managed a half block, causing them to both roll to the ground.
From both sides of the Doton wall, two clones of Ghost appeared and struck the Chunin. One holding him down, while the other went for the killing blow, ignoring the pleas for mercy.
His whimpers died out quickly as only Ghost and Kō' remained, struggling for control, while the two clones rapidly closed in on them.
Gaining the upper hand, Ghost repeatedly slammed his gauntleted hand in the side of his face, blood pouring from various wounds. Kō was unwilling to accept his defeat and desperately tried to break free, but by now the clones had arrived and pinned him to the ground, while the real Ghost rested on top of his chest with one of his knees.
"Tell…me! Why are you attacking Irosa!" Kō grunted in anger and desperation as he saw the man on top of him reach for another kunai.
"It doesn't matter to you. Goodbye, Hyuuga." He slit his throat quickly and efficiently, ending the man's life.
Panting, he slowly stood up. His gaze went up to the apartments above the stores, he could make out figures moving around behind the windows. 'Now comes the difficult part.'
He jumped up and crashes through the window, coming face to face with a small family, huddled together.
"Please! Please! Don't do this!"
Shutting off his emotions, he stepped forward and killed everyone in the room.
One hour later.
With trembling hands, he pushed himself back to his feet. He was completely drenched in blood. Eyes full of regret staring at the parents that lay dead at his feet, desperately trying to save their daughter. It had been a futile attempt. Closing his eyes for a moment, he forced his emotions back and locked it far away. It did him little good. He needed to be quick…he needed to be cold.
He felt a bile rise to his throat and he quickly looked away, mind filled with regret once more. Slowly he clicked his microphone on. "Kisame?"
~one second! ~
He could hear a crash on the other end, indicating that Kisame was preoccupied for now. He focused his attention on his own objectives and moved further down the street where he sensed the last of the villagers to be.
Passing by a small inconspicuous house, he tossed an exploding tag through the window, blowing up the building, along with the elder man hiding in it.
He reached an alleyway and walked towards the dumpster that stood there. With his gauntleted hand he grabbed the handle. Grunting he pulled the dumpster and tossed it onto the main street behind him.
A scared man was looking up at him, while trying to keep his daughter hidden behind him. He shook his head fearfully. "Please, I beg you, shinobi-san. Let us go! We won't say anything…Please!"
He struck them with his kunai, watching as their blood dripped on their white clothing. He turned around and resumed his trek towards the edge of the village.
~Ghost! Are you finished at your side of the village? I got a couple of baka's who are actually putting up a fight.~
~I am almost done. I'll make my way over soon. ~ he made his way over to the last house on the left, staring up at the upper floor before tossing an exploding tag there, blowing away the wall. He jumped up and landed in the newly created hole.
He stared at a very young boy, who was looking at him in surprise. Next to him lay a dead woman, one he presumed to be his mother. The boy didn't seem to mourn her loss, and he doubted he understood what was going on. His question came soon after.
"Mister? What's going on?"
He ignored the question and looked to his right, where a man was stuck under the debris of the explosion he had created. He looked back down at the boy with cold and calculated eyes, his hand reaching for his kunai pouch.
The man struggled to get free. "Stay away from my son! Please just let him leave! Let me take his place! Please!"
"What you fail to understand is," his fingers wrapped around the handle of the kunai. "That no one leaves this village alive."
With a swift strike he ended the youngster's life before tossing his kunai to the crying man. His death was as swift as his son's had been.
He exited the same way he came in and made his way over to the western part of the village, where Kisame was finishing up.
~There's a girl who escaped. Can you go after her? I'll kill the last ones here. ~
He looked around briefly and found her soon enough. she stood out like a fire in the middle of the night. Looking over his shoulder, he took in the scene he had created. The streets were littered with bodies, young and old, of shinobi and of civilians. Blood spatters colored the walls and whole buildings were destroyed.
Stepping over the body of a young woman, he dashed towards the fleeing girl. regret threatened to bubble back up to the surface, with gritted teeth he pushed it back and increased his pace.
By now the little girl had reached the edge of the village and had just crossed the tree line. Not that it mattered. With two dashes he was within shuriken distance. He could make out her brown hair. She was very young, no older than 8 years. She stumbled and fell face first into the mud.
He watched as she kept laying there, crying her heart out, begging for her mom and dad to save her. He walked over and crouched down next to her.
"p-please! D-don't k-k-kill me!"
His gauntleted hand reached for her head but paused, staring at her dirt-ridden and tear-streaked face.
"I-I w-want t-to go t-to my mom." She cried, burying her face in her hands.
"Ghost? What are you waiting for? Kill her." Kisame landed next to him.
He looked briefly to his ally, before looking back down to the girl. "Sweep the village. I'll join you shortly."
Kisame walked over, his face still obscured by his cover, his hand held a kunai. "You know we can't leave any survivors."
Ghost didn't respond, instead his gaze remained focused on the sniffling young girl. Slowly he stood back up.
"Fine. I'll do it." Kisame tried to pass him but was stunned by the sudden fist that slammed into his face.
"NO. You're not touching a single hair on her head."
Kisame growled at the man. "We've killed everyone in that village, why is she the exception?!"
His red glowing eyes narrowed. "BECAUSE I SAID SO. NOW GO BACK TO THE VILLAGE!" He roared.
"Don't you order me around, you, snot-nosed punk! I will put you in the dirt alongside them!" Kisame yelled back.
Ghost slowly inched his hand down to his pouch. "I'm not the same kid from years ago. Threaten me again and I'll show you."
The two stared at each other, both slightly lowered into an offensive stance, ready to strike. But before either could react, the sound of yelling could be heard from the village.
"What the? I'm sure there weren't any survivors." Kisame muttered, turning away from Ghost and looking past the trees, towards the village.
Ghost did the same and soon realized where the yelling came from. "Konoha sent reinforcements." Soon enough they spotted shinobi on the rooftops and in the streets.
"That's too soon. We've been here for two hours at the most. There's no chance they could've received a distress message in time. These must be shinobi passing through."
Ghost's eyes widened when he recognized one of the shinobi to be none other than his old sensei. His gray hair being a dead giveaway.
Kisame did as well, muttering quietly. "That's Sharigan no Kakashi."
"We need to leave. fighting against him is not a smart plan."
"I could take him." Kisame whispered back.
"We've done our job. There's no point in fighting them. Let's go." Ghost turned his gaze back to the young girl, who was still quietly crying.
Kisame did as well. "So, we're keeping her alive then?"
"Yes, we are. Don't fight me on this."
"Fine! Let's get going then!"
Ghost grabbed Kisame by the shoulder, more forcefully than was needed. "Alright hang on."
"What are you doing?" Kisame asked as he glared at the hand on his shoulder.
Ghost gave one last look at the young girl, who was now staring into his red glowing eyes. Slowly he exhaled and stepped forward, both he and Kisame disappeared instantly.
They both came to a stumbling halt in the middle of a clearing, somewhere in Oto no Kuni.
Kisame slowly straightened himself and looked at Naruto in bewilderment. "What jutsu was that?!"
"a teleportation one. It's powered by my demonic chakra. I can cross a great distance, but it puts a significant strain on my body." His glowing eyes reverted to his ocean blue once more.
Kisame looked around, noticing they were once again near the village they had departed from, the previous day. "Handy."
Naruto straightened his outfit and gave him a nod.
The Akatsuki agent took off his straw hat, drilling his gaze into Naruto's. "Leaving her alive could come and bite us in the ass."
"I doubt it."
Kisame stared at him for a moment. His glare had turned into a frown. "We did what we had to do. The Unknowns would've used those villagers as sleeper cells, I'm sure of it."
"Just because you're sure, doesn't mean that it was the right thing to do."
"You're a shinobi, brat. Nothing's ever black and white."
Ghost sighed, pulling his hood back. "You're remarkably okay with this."
Kisame gave him a toothy grin. "Why do you think leader-sama recruited me?"
The blonde shook his head. "You disgust me."
"You'll realize soon enough, that to win this war, we can't hold onto our moral compass. Anything we can do to gain an advantage should be gripped tightly. Let others worry about whether we did the right thing," Kisame turned his back to him and slowly moved away from the village. "Anyway. I'm going to inform leader-sama of what happened. I'll see you around, brat."
Ghost gave him a shrug, barely paying attention to the man's departure. Instead, he sat down on a fallen tree trunk, staring at his boots, which had dried up blood spatters on it.
His vision became blurry, and his breathing increased rapidly. "W-what have w-we done?"
He shook his head and kept shaking it as the events from the last hours played on repeat in front of him. Regardless of what he thought, or what anyone else thought of the matter. He was sure of one thing.
He would burn for this. If there was such a thing as an afterlife, he was sure Kami would toss him into the pits of fire for it.
Despite those thoughts, there was also a voice in his head that kept repeating over and over again. Slowly he whispered those words aloud.
"You're a shinobi…"
End flashback
Micheru had known for a long time that Naruto had committed the atrocious act in the Irosa village. She had always convinced herself that he must have done it for a reason.
And hearing it from him made her come to a certain conclusion. 'I never could've been able to make such an impossible choice.'
She stared at the Naruto, who had his eye closed. What Kisame had said made sense back then. "Kenpachi…confirmed what Kisame had always suspected…He was right in the end."
"There was no such thing as the right choice…only the wrong ones." Naruto whispered regretfully.
She slid her hand through his blonde hair. "If you hadn't, they would've used those people to destroy Konoha from within."
"When it involves innocents, it's never justified…" Naruto said softly, recalling the words, Hinata had said to him when they were travelling to Yuki, which felt like a lifetime ago.
She kissed him on the top of his head. "Maybe, but because of what you've done, Konoha's still standing. What if you didn't attack Irosa? Konoha would've blown up. We wouldn't have retaken Nami, wouldn't have warned Suna…wouldn't have beat them here."
"A lot of what ifs." Muttered Naruto.
"It adds up, and you know it as well as I do, Naruto."
Naruto turned his back to her. "Let's just go to sleep."
Micheru stared at his back for a few moments, a sad look on her face. "You had an impossible choice, and you went with you thought was the best option."
She slowly made herself more comfortable, sliding underneath the cover. She stared at the ceiling for a minute before speaking up again. "If I were in your shoes…I hope I'd be able to make the same decision."
There was no response and instead, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to reach her.
The long awaited Irosa massacre. I hope I managed to make it an interesting read!
Initially I wanted to expand on Kisame and Naruto's conversation more, but it would just be reiterating what was already discussed and drag it out more than it had to.
Also keep in mind, none of the villages were even aware of any incoming threat. They couldn't be alerted, nor could they be convinced, just look back at the early part of the story, before the Reaver arrived. Irosa was a ticking time bomb.
Until next time!