Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

167. Chapter 166: The Man of Darkness Emerges

Chapter 166

A Vow of Protection, a Vow of Vengeance: The Man of Darkness Emerges!

For a moment the world was enveloped in the radiance of a supernova.

Flaring brighter than a thousand suns, the sky burned with the unfettered wrath of a god sundered from its power and cast out of the heavens by its own traitorous kin, where for eons it festered beneath the surface, chained in a waking and dreamless slumber upon the mortal plane in the darkest, dankest pit, where it was sentenced to an eternity of isolation.

With the passing of each millennium, separated from the world, betrayed and alone, the god's intense desire for justice had slowly twisted into unyielding vengeance. It crawled and skittered beneath its undying flesh like termites, corrupting its purity, degrading its beauty, breaking down its virtues until only a rotted shell remained.

Now, in a searing flash of burning vengeance, with a violent, earth-trembling roar and a terrible low howl that clawed and twisted the insides of all those nearby, it was finally freed from the ancient sealing, its power rekindled through the blood sacrifices of mortals.

On this day of rebirth, sheathed in the radiance of red death, the god commanded the absolute destruction of all its kin and all they had once created.

Or so the Amenominakanushi appeared to all who dared to feast their eyes upon it.

At the center of devastation the harsh, hot winds peeled paint from buildings. It flattened and crumbled businesses, homes, and shattered and pulverized bone without effort.

Outside of the epicenter the wind slashed through flak jackets as though they were made of silk, unzipping the fragile flesh beneath.

Full-grown adults, laden with equipment and armor meant for war, were whipped through the air as though they were straw dolls, and as they crashed, tumbled, and flew as a kite flies when caught by a light draft, the fierce gales tore off chunks of their flak jackets, it confiscated their pouches, holsters, weapons and forehead protectors, stripping them of protection, pride, and paltry national identifications.

Against the wind they were merely human. Mortal and frail, united no longer by birthplace, but by their own fragility in Mother Nature's hands.

She refused to relent throughout that short eternity. She refused to show pity for those tangled in her fierce gales. Humans, her children, were warring once again, and she no longer possessed the patience to coddle them.

If they were to war, then she would show them war. Or so it felt.

For that moment, near and around the epicenter, the gales of hot wind drowned out all else; the world was nothing but Mother Nature's frightening howl, cast in the red afterglow of an erupting star.

Beyond, at the encampment of refugees and shinobi within the Land of Fire, the star could be seen shimmering over the trees, flooding the horizon in a sea of blood. Then, without warning, the howling shockwave of wind swept through.

Trees creaked. Branches bent and moaned, the oldest and weakest snapping off as dying leaves were torn away like helpless children caught in a tsunami.

The civilians and shinobis cowered. They ducked their heads as they hid behind the moaning trees, they hugged their loved ones close and shielded them with their own bodies as domes of wood sprouted from the earth to defend them.

Many screamed and wailed. Yet not a scream or wail could be heard over Mother Nature's tremendous howl.

The gales would finally pass after an eternity, and in the deathly silence that followed those among the encampment would stare in awe off into the horizon.

Among the Leaf shinobi, some would recognize the power from tales of the last war. Only a small few would know precisely who wielded it on this day, and they knew what it heralded:

After many long years, Haya Uchiha, daughter of the Burning Light of the Leaf and Mistress of Shadows, had finally stepped free of the shadows and into the light.

Near the erupting star, however, for those known as Sensory Types there existed another layer of terror, for they felt the immensity of the devastation as only they could.

They felt its raw power. They felt it in the gooseflesh pricking their skin. They felt it in the shivers shooting down their spines. They felt it in their pounding hearts. They felt its rawness intimately through the vanishing of life—enemy shinobi—at the epicenter of destruction.

The red star, the Amenominakanushi, as it was known, tightened a tourniquet around their lungs and stiffened their muscles. For seconds at a time they were incapable of breathing over the pressure crushing them from within.

Then the world fell silent and utterly still.

No more did a hot wind howl over the fields. No more was the world painted in wrathful incandescence, the red afterglow fading, as all things inevitably did.

However, the light of the sun did not take its place, nor did the Amenominakanushi leave without carving its memory into the minds of its survivors, and into the very earth itself.

Dark, cumulonimbus clouds and thick plumes of black smoke obscured the sun and the blue sky, leaving the world in a stale, colorless wold of grey. As though the colors of the world, like the paint upon the buildings, had been peeled away by the hot winds and searing light.

And the town? Now naught but a ruin of scorched and displaced rubble. A fresh and brutal scar of war etched into the world.

Never before had Yūgao witnessed anything so magnificently terrifying in her life.

She hoped she never would again.

As the light faded, Haya collapsed shoulder first into the Earth Style barrier she erected, but she fell no further. She utilized the solid base to hold herself up as trembles seized her body.

The sight of her snapped the Anbu agent free from her awe. Without conscious thought, Yūgao swiftly began to unbuckle her katana's harness—Haya would need to be carried.

"Tsugumi, Kazama, please gather those final Grass shinobi," she directed calmly despite her pounding heart. "Naruto, I need you to stand up. We must leave this conquered Nation. Immediately."

The Crows, though breathing heavily, did not hesitate to take flight in spite of the strain visible on their feathered features.

Yūgao wished there was another option. Someway that would not push the pair any farther, for they, like Haya, were at their limits.

War was unforgiving, however. Cruel. No matter how hard she wished it, the Crows knew, just as she did, they were out of options. And time.

Although the world had gone still and silent, and though no enemies presently posed a direct threat to them, they could not linger at this new scar of war like shellshocked refugees.

Any reinforcements beyond her senses would be dashing straight for the town to locate survivors—ally and enemy alike. They would come in search of answers, drawn by the irresistible gravitational force known as curiosity, yearning to locate the source of that red light, and the source of the primal terror that gripped their heart beneath icy claws.

They would come for the Amenominakanushi.

Seated behind the Earth Style barrier, Naruto squeezed his eyes shut tightly. After a moment he opened them again. He shook his head rapidly, as though trying to physically shake off the awful feeling permeating within his body. Then, after one final shake of his head, he finally began to rise, stunned—shellshocked, perhaps—by the experience.

His legs were trembling. To her eyes they seemed to be be made from a similar constitution to jelly now.

Yūgao was not surprised; her legs felt weak, too. Her hands, she noticed, were possessed by the mildest tremble.

Such enormous power…

As her sheathed katana hit the dirt she turned to Haya.

Spasms and convulsions afflicted the young girl. Her muscles resembled the vibrations of a harshly plucked guitar string. Her breaths were rough, erratic, causing her whole body to heave at times. A sheen of perspiration coated her skin and visibly stained her clothes.

Yūgao's experienced eyes took in every little detail. Every convulsion. Every failure to catch her breath as she gasped and heaved for air. She followed a wet trail of crimson from the cloth of her forehead protector, up the length of her neck, past her jaw and cheeks drained of color to the eye responsible for the bloody tears she now shed.

The Byakugan was deactivated. The fuchsia coloration had filtered away, returning to its natural state of lavender. Even at an angle it was clear the piercing eye had been rendered dull, like an ill-maintained blade stripped of its edge, its sharpness, and its purpose.

Blind. A single use of the Amenominakanushi had rendered Haya blind, it strained the Byakugan to its absolute limit. And her chakra… Even with the Crow's support it was but a few fray threads, the final flickering tails of a fading aurora. Haya felt so…small. So frail.

So, this is the price of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Prior to the Vault of Gelel, Yūgao had never witnessed the Mangekyō Sharingan utilized in combat before. She certainly had never seen that power in person.

Around the time she first began to train beneath Lady Miyako, she recalled hearing vague rumors of Kiyoshi Uchiha's devastating ability murmured through the grapevine of shinobi gossip. Most were stories some shinobi had overheard another shinobi gossiping about. Little of substance, in other words.

Despite her own curiosity, Yūgao never pursued the rumors. It felt too intrusive in those first years.

To her younger self, the secrets of the Mangekyō Sharingan weren't for outsiders of the Clan, in the same way the secrets of the Nara Clan's techniques weren't hers to know and learn.

Years later, when Lady Miyako and Kiyoshi treated her as their own child, they would broach the subject of the Mangekyō Sharingan on separate occasions, all without prompting. Together they taught her of its powers, its drawbacks, and its Forbidden Techniques.

At that time, Yūgao thought, kneeling beside her Master's daughter, I merely felt honored you two trusted me enough to discuss such intimate secrets. Now, in hindsight, I understand why you passed on your shared knowledge.

Kiyoshi, you taught me of the Mangekyō Sharingan as a wielder of the power. And Lady Miyako, you taught me as a shinobi who had learned to counter it.

In hindsight, their true reasons for those lessons became clear, and it humbled Yūgao.

You were both preparing me, she realized. So I would be equipped to face Uchiha Clan members, should they perform a coup. And for the possibility you would not be here to teach Haya personally.

The measure of trust Lady Miyako and Kiyoshi had placed in her…

"Haya, let me—"

Haya's jaw suddenly tightened. She all but slammed a trembling palm against her left eye, fingers digging into her skull as she tried, and failed, to silence a whimper.

This is a complete contrast to her time bound to the other Haya, the Anbu agent observed.

In the Vault, while fused, there was no visible strain on Haya's face or in her body language. She stood tall, proud, exuding the confidence and power of a being who had witnessed and survived millenniums of conflict.

She'd utilized the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan seamlessly, without risking damaged vision thanks to the Vault, going so far as to unleash the power of the Susanoo without so much as a trembling muscle or a grimace. Yet now…

"I'll carry you," Yūgao stated, pivoting slightly in order to piggyback her Master's daughter.

She secured Haya's right arm around her neck and chest first, which provided a two-pronged anchor for the young girl; the first prong acted as a physical aid to climb onto the Anbu agent's back, and the second acted as a focal point for her mind—a task to focus upon through the haze of pain and exhaustion.

Haya locked her ankles around Yūgao's waist as she secured her right arm along the woman's collarbone, as though attempting to lock in a rear-naked choke to minimal effectiveness. She kept her left hand pressed against her eye.

With Haya's head now near her ears and her chest pressed against her back, the harshness of her breathing was more apparent. She could hear the desperate gasps clearer than before, feel the arduous heaves of her chest and sharp, sudden compressions of her diaphragm.

It left a terrible knot in her stomach. But she wasn't alone in that feeling.

After buckling her katana's harness around her waist, Yūgao secured Haya's legs and turned to Naruto. His shock had finally worn off. Now his heart, it appeared, was being torn apart by a war as several emotions began vying for dominance.

She could feel the conflict within his chakra, see it playing out on his face. Several times Naruto opened his mouth, likely to ask if Haya was okay, if she would be okay, if there was anything he could do to help. That was the kind of person Naruto was, from what she had observed.

Yet he never made a sound. His mouth shut before he could speak each time. She noticed the tensing of his jaw, the way he unconsciously held the wide-eyed, bewildered girl closer to his chest as frustrations overcame concern.

Frustrations, Yūgao sensed, at the Akatsuki for existing at all. Anger at the war, and his own weakness.

If he wasn't so weak, Haya wouldn't have been forced to rely on such a self-destructive power to guarantee their escape. If he wasn't so weak, she wouldn't need to use that power to kill an Akatsuki member; she wouldn't have to damage her vision and suffer so greatly to protect him from capture and death.

Those harmful feelings would need to be ironed out. Later. When they were no longer within enemy territory.

"Naruto, let's move," Yūgao ordered. "Haya's technique has bought us precious time to escape unnoticed, yet it will also serve as a beacon to any reinforcements the Stone or Akatsuki may possess."

"Okay," he agreed quietly. "But…is Amari gonna be all right?"

"It'll…" Haya grimaced. Her arm tightened around Yūgao's chest. "It'll pass," she forced the words out quickly. "Let's… Let's get going. No time…geh! No time to lose."

"The QRF Lady Hokage sent to regroup with our unit will have a medic-nin among them," Yūgao said. "They should be able to alleviate the symptoms. However…" she trailed off.

"The price of the Mangekyō Sharingan, it really can't be reversed by Medical Ninjutsu, can it?" Naruto asked.

Yūgao shook her head once in silence.

No. Medical Ninjutsu, even of Lady Tsunade's caliber, is insufficient to reverse the damage attained by repeated use of the Mangekyō Sharingan. It cannot even delay it. Lady Miyako and Kiyoshi were certain of that. There is but one known way to regain eyesight.

Historically, members of the Uchiha Clan went so far as to kill each other to—

A fat, wet plop of rain slapped against Yūgao's skull, snapping her into the present moment.

Her eyes, Naruto's, and the red-haired girl's all lifted to the sky as raindrops slapped against the earth, falling from the dark clouds over the smoking and smoldering ruins of the border town.

Several raindrops burst off the Anbu agent's cat mask. Others obscured the lenses of the red-haired girl's glasses. Naruto winced when a particular drop caught him in the eye.

"It's…raining…" the red-haired girl said, the raindrops streaming down her cheeks like tears.

"Whoa. It changed the weather," Naruto awed in a murmur.

Such unbelievable power…

"We can't linger here," Yūgao said, turning away from the border town.

The warm rain fell quicker as they dashed off for the border. The Crows, who had gathered the few remaining Grass shinobi, trailed behind them.

They hadn't crossed more than ten meters before the clouds opened up and unleashed a downpour upon them.

Their sandals squelched and splashed through quickly formed puddles, and as they left the ruins of the border town behind, their trail washing away in the rain, the Leaf shinobi knew this was only the beginning of a longer war. A minor and temporary victory that came at the cost of two Nations.

For the red-haired girl, however, the pouring rain battering her weak body and roaring in her ears was the sound of liberation.

Finally, she was free.

---

Passing through the Land of Fire's border had served as their objective since the ambush at the roadside inn. Now that they had made it… Fū expected to be relieved. She expected to feel like the whole incident was over, but…

It wasn't, was it?

Sitting on the outskirts of the Leaf shinobi's camp, legs bent towards her chest and arms wrapped beneath her thighs, Fū rested her chin on her knees as she looked off towards the border.

Behind her were members of the Leaf's QRF, a whole bunch of Crows, refugees from the Grass, and injured Grass shinobi—the last group had nearly attacked her unit on sight. Simply because they were Waterfall shinobi.

If it weren't for the Crows and that woman in skin-tight mesh armor, things might have gotten bad. Or worse, she supposed. Things were already bad. Really bad. So it would've made things worse than they already were, and their whole situation was awful enough.

She had a whole town of people within reach now, yet Fū felt lonelier than ever. Sure, she could go introduce herself to a bunch of strangers, she could try to make new friends; Chōmei even said Amari's best friend was among them, which was totally awesome.

After all, if Amari was her friend, then surely her best friend wouldn't mind being friend's, too. That was just common sense, right? And it wasn't like she didn't enjoy introducing herself to strangers. Every new person was a potential new friend, and every new friend brought her one step closer to making a thousand friends.

Just like Shibuki wanted.

Fū squeezed her eyes shut, briefly, heart pinched in a burning vice grip.

Shibuki… Why did you have to die? You were my first and only friend.

"I was the first, but I won't be the last," his final words rang in her mind. "This world is full of kind people. People who will see the true nature of your heart, and they will cherish you, as I did. Hold those people close, Fū."

It didn't feel like the world was full of kind people. Shibuki was the only one who ever showed her kindness.

Still, Shibuki never lied. Not about important stuff like that. And he was proven right, in the end. Pretty quickly, too.

The person who he spent his last moments with, the girl who'd come out of nowhere with all those Crows to help them, she proved Shibuki was right all along. She was the one who had taken on his final wish and vowed to look after Fū.

Her. A complete stranger. A jinchūriki. It didn't make a whole lot of sense.

Why would some Leaf shinobi make a vow like that?

Why would she go so far for a stranger?

"I told you already, you were precious to Shibuki. That makes you precious to me as well."

Opening her eyes, Fū scanned the forest for any sight of Amari. A sign. Anything that might prove she was okay, that she was on her way right now.

The forest provided no answers. No signs or omens. It was still and shadowy, calm and quiet now despite the terrible hot wind that plowed straight through a little while ago. The late-afternoon sun didn't shine on them, trapped behind a curtain of dark clouds and smoke.

Her second friend was somewhere out there now, somewhere near the border trying to ensure they were all safe. To protect her from some unknown threat, a threat Amari conveyed vividly through her expression and tone of voice alone.

Shibuki had a similar tone and expression whenever he needed her to really listen. Maybe Amari mastered it to handle Naruto. Or maybe she had someone like Shibuki who used that tone on her. Amari was troublesome, by her own admission.

Fū decided to ask when Amari returned. She promised to answer all of her questions, and she totally had a whole bunch.

How could she not? Amari was someone totally new—a stranger she'd barely known for more than a few hours. They hadn't talked a whole lot, either. Most of their time together was spent running for their lives and fighting off the shinobi that betrayed Shibuki.

They hardly knew each other.

"True. But I'd like to know you better. You and Chōmei. If you'll let me."

She wanted to know Amari better, too. That way they could be real best friends.

Sure, she had made strides already. Amari gave her permission to use the nickname only her friends used, after all. They were also totally hitting it off, she could tell. Plus, Amari made her laugh.

More than all of that, though, Amari saw her.

Only Shibuki had ever truly seen her.

Strangely and awesomely, Amari could even see Chōmei. She wanted to know the Seven-Tails better. She hoped for a future where people and Tailed-Beasts could coexist, like the way she and Chōmei did.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot, huh?" Chōmei said from deep within her mind.

Mmhm. Oh, sorry by the way. I totally forgot to count you as my second friend back there. When Shibuki was…you know…

"He was your only human friend. Lucky for us we met one of those kind people he mentioned. Never imagined it'd be an Uchiha, though."

Fū rested her cheek on her knees.

Amari was definitely the kind of person Shibuki wanted her to meet, she was certain of it. Even Chōmei believed Amari was sincere, and apparently nothing like her weirdo Great-Great Grandfather. At least from what little the Seven-Tails knew of the guy.

"I'll be right behind you, I promise."

The Waterfall kunoichi swore she wouldn't budge until the Uchiha returned. No matter how long that took. She promised to come back, after all. They were friends now, and friends didn't break promises.

Then, once Amari made it back, she could meet all her Leaf peers, and then she would make even more friends. Hundreds of friends. A thousand, at the minimum.

In the distance, a waterfall of purple hair flickered through the trees. Fū's heart jumped. Springing to her feet, seven insect-like wings sprouted from her lower back and suddenly the kunoichi was flying to meet them halfway, lips split by a wide smile.

"Woohoo! There you are!" Fū cheered when she spotted Amari piggybacking on the Leaf Anbu's back.

Trailing beside them was another Shadow Clone of the blond—Naruto—who was carrying a red-haired girl with glasses. Both went wide-eyed at her sudden appearance. And her loud cheer.

Fū rolled through the air as she flew between the Leaf shinobi, excitement causing her to pass them by. She then twirled around with flourish and joy and flew to the Anbu agent's side.

"Careful, Fū. She's almost exhausted entirely of chakra," Chōmei informed.

It was pretty obvious Amari was exhausted. She also hid her left eye behind a bandana for some reason—and was that blood staining into her forehead protector?

Also, all the Leaf shinobi were completely soaked. Had a downpour suddenly opened up over them?

Where had the storm come from anyway? It wasn't all stormy before…

Now gliding beside the Anbu agent, Fū felt her excitement bubbling over.

"You came back," she stated the obvious, grinning from ear to ear.

Although she was so obviously exhausted, although she was soaked to the bone, and although her face was pinched in pain as the Anbu agent leapt from branch to branch for their encampment, Amari smiled sincerely.

"I promised, didn't I?"

"Hehe! Yep, you did! And I've got a whole bunch of questions for you, you know."

"Can't wait." Once again Fū sensed sincerity instead of annoyance.

"First, are you gonna be okay? You look like a stray cat. A stray cat that was kicked out into the rain and hasn't groomed itself at all since."

Naruto snorted and snickered.

Amari shut her eye and smirked. "Careful, this kitten has dragon claws."

"No way!" Fū gasped, slapping her hands to her cheeks. Sparkles glinted in her eyes. "You have dragon claws!"

"Is…is this girl serious?" the red-haired girl murmured.

Fū tilted her head. Oh, she'd almost forgotten there were strangers she hadn't met or introduced herself to. Potential friends in the making.

"I can, in certain occasions," Amari replied sincerely, and with amusement. "I'll have to show you my dragon form. Someday. Too tired now. Way too troublesome."

"Awesome!" Fū pumped her fist. "I can't wait to see it! But first—wait, no, this will be second and then I won't bug you until after you're feeling better. Can you introduce me to your best friend? You promised you would."

"Easy enough."

Without opening her eye, Amari pointed lazily with her right finger to the Waterfall kunoichi, and moved it to the blond leaping beside them.

"Fū, meet Naruto Uzumaki. My best friend. Naruto," her finger lazily moved back to the Waterfall kunoichi, "meet Fū of the Waterfall. My newest friend. How we met is a long, complicated story, so ask me later."

"All right. It's nice to—"

Naruto nearly choked on his words as Fū suddenly swept over to glide beside him.

"Hi there! I'm super excited to meet you! Who's this girl you're carrying? Is she your girlfriend?"

The red-haired girl ducked her chin into her chest and flushed as red as her hair.

"Uh, well, no," Naruto replied awkwardly. "Me and Shino rescued her from that town back there."

"Cool! Can you introduce me?"

Naruto blinked. In his startled silence Amari snorted. The hyperactive number one knucklehead was being outdone in hyperactivity. The world was a strange place.

"I mean, it's not like I don't want to. But I…actually don't even know your name, now that I think about it," Naruto realized, looking down at the girl.

"…My name is Karin."

"I like that name. Let's be friends, hehe!"

She was totally going to make a whole bunch of friends!

"Follow your heart. Make friends. Live and be happy. That's my final wish for you."

She'd make Shibuki's wish come true.

---

The reek of wet, charred carcasses drifted half a furlong out from the town like a miasma of death, intensifying the closer he approached.

Deidara ignored the putrid stench. He descended outside of the broken walls upon his Clay bird. The light shower pattering on the ruins nearly drowned out the furious screaming and thrashing of his heart.

He hopped off his creation into the saturated mud before it could fully land, sandals sinking and making a rude gaseous sound. With a snarl he stomped of, splashing carelessly through puddles. His teeth ground together and his tight jaw ached. His nose scrunched unconsciously.

That light. That damnable light!

Behind him, Sasori dropped off the back of the bird; his heavy frame made a similar splash amid the mud and sitting water. He slowly followed the young blond with an unconcealed, annoyed sigh.

Deidara's eyebrow twitched.

The hell was his problem, hm? Acting like some kind rope was tying them together, and he was dragging his massive body through the mud. Like hell he was, hm! Sasori could act all high and mighty, he could pretend he wasn't interested in the slightest.

Oh, but he was. No amount of denial could hide the truth. His annoyed sighs couldn't project an air of apathy anymore than Deidara brush off his fury with an easy-going smile.

No, no way, Sasori didn't get to pretend he wasn't interested, not when he was frothing at the mouth to see the aftermath of that damnable light, too. He was here on his own volition, unable to deny or satiate his curiosity until he saw the devastation with his own eyes.

He was drawn to the light like an aesthete to a legendary work of art. Sasori wanted to study every little detail he could.

Deidara merely wanted to find a flaw. A defect. Something—anything!—that would alleviate the absolute fury boiling in his veins. Once he found that, oh, once he found that he would hunt down whoever was responsible for it.

Then he'd show them the consequences of messing with his masterpiece!

I'll find them, he growled, stomping past the charred bodies of the Stone's forces. I'll find them wherever they hide. And then—then I'll show them how inferior they are as an artist when compared to me, hm!

Whoever you are, there's no place on this planet I won't flatten to erase your existence! So savor your life while it lasts, hm!

He could barely stomach to look at the corpses, but he did. He eyed each and every one, searching for the flaw, the defect, the failure in that magnificent explosion.

Their flesh, ripped, peeled, or stripped off the bone, turned his stomach, and inflated his inferiority. Each corpse was charred. Grotesque. Their faces stricken and frozen in their final moments of agony, mouths agape in now silent and eternal screams. The epidermis appeared to be turned inside out and overcooked on a spit.

Some of their faces, while unrecognizable, were held together by the few threads of tissues that survived the blast. It left a cold feeling in his belly.

Beyond the corpses were the buildings. Their paint was peeled off the stone. With a few exceptions, nearly every building had collapsed, but not thanks to his explosives. No, he knew the targets his Shadow Clone struck.

How could someone else's art be so far beyond his own?

How could someone else possess an explosive technique that surpassed his newest masterpiece in every conceivable measurement?

Was he the inferior artist?

"Grrh!" Deidara turned down another street and strode for the epicenter.

No. No, that couldn't be it. There had to be some manner of flaw here. That's right. None had a keener eye for art than him—he was the master of true art. He would find the flaw somewhere amid the rubble, it would be something only a virtuoso like him could see.

Once he found that, then he would erase the foolish poser.

At the epicenter, Deidara halted, heart stilling and going cold. A sick churning overwhelmed his stomach. His mouth hung open slightly. His lips trembled. In awe. In contempt. And in heartbreak.

Sasori, who had studied the destruction and devastation for his report, finally crawled up beside him. He did not gasp at the sight. Instead, he hummed in…appreciation.

"This is the ultimate form of your 'art,'" declared Sasori in his rough, gravelly voice.

Deidara felt a serrated blade pierce his heart. On weak legs he staggered towards the ruins, rain pattering around them, world spinning beneath his dragging feet.

There were no bodies. However, he could see the shadows of objects and people who died in the blasts, captured in their final moments.

Deidara collapsed to his knees before such a shadow—human in shape. He brushed his hand over the darkened patch of stone. His eyes burned and fogged.

The shadows, they were magnificent.

"How… How is this… How is any of this possible!" he demanded, voice breaking in emotion.

"The light and heat of the blast 'bleached' the surrounding area," Sasori replied calmly. "But there were obstructions. Bodies and objects that protected the span of earth and stone behind them. It's not that the shadows were left behind, it's that everything else around their shadows were bleached. Or cleansed.

"As I said, it's the ultimate form of your 'art.'"

"Stop saying that!"

"It's the ultimate form because it's actually turned what you call 'art' into real art. These shadows may not be eternal, but they will live beyond this fleeting moment in time."

"Shu- shut up, Sasori!"

Deidara hunched forward, eyes wide. He dug his fingers into the wet mud, and in his heartbreak and rage he considered throwing it at the shadow. And at Sasori.

His arms lacked the strength to do it, hanging at his sides like wet silk ribbon.

"How can this be?" he murmured, shell-shocked. "Who could've done this? Who could be responsible for such… For such…"

Deidara slammed his eyes shut. He couldn't bear to admit to the magnificence out loud. He couldn't bear to admit his newest masterpiece was utterly lacking when compared to this.

It was in the darkest pits of despair that a thought struck him out of the blue. A memory, to be precise, of a useless orange-clad boy and a Leaf Anbu agent.

His eyes snapped open.

"Them," he snarled. "It was them!"

"Who?" Sasori questioned.

"That Leaf shinobi I saw! She was a member of the Leaf's Anbu. It must've been her!"

Deidara felt his fuse ignite and his fury combust instantaneously. Sasori merely hummed.

"That is possible," his partner considered. "Although the man to wield that power is dead, the Leaf may have implanted it into another."

"What? What are you talking about?" Deidara hissed, whipping around. "What do you know about that power?"

"Do you want me to tell you? You won't like what I have to say," Sasori claimed, a sadistic amusement dancing in his words.

"Sasori, my man, don't play games with me, hm!" Deidara demanded.

"Fine. That power belongs to the Uchiha Clan."

His heart jumped then stopped. "It what?!"

"Kiyoshi Uchiha, the Burning Light of the Leaf, the Reincarnation of Madara Uchiha, once wielded the power you witnessed," Sasori explained calmly. He was savoring Deidara's despair. Every drop of it. "It was a highly coveted ability, granted to Kiyoshi by his kekkei genkai. The Sharingan, in case you're too slow to catch on."

"No," Deidara felt his stomach drop. "No. No, no, you're lying. That can't be true! I refuse to believe something as inartistic as the Sharingan could be capable of…"

Deidara cut himself off, fire coursing through his veins and heart, and stomach churning a whirlpool of bile up into his throat at what he nearly said.

It didn't matter. Sasori already knew.

His partner's dark eyes squinted, revealing that he was smiling behind his mask.

"Capable of capturing the true essence of your art?" he finished for the young artist, goading him. "Capable of surpassing every piece of 'art' you've ever created?"

"You're lying."

"Whatever. Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. However, that power was without a doubt Kiyoshi Uchiha's."

No, no, no. Not again. His fingers curled deeper into the mud. Not the damn Sharingan again!

And he'd been so enthralled by it. So mesmerized. He still was.

"It couldn't have been him! It had to be something else. Someone else!" he declared wildly, throwing his arm out. The mud in his palm flew through the air and splattered against a collapsed wall.

Anyone but an Uchiha. Anyone but another member of that disgusting Clan!

"It had to be that woman," Deidara decided. "She must have some kind of kekkei genkai, something that resembles that power. Nothing more."

"You're right about one thing: Kiyoshi Uchiha wasn't responsible for this."

"See!" Deidara perked up, a weak smile forming on his lips. "Sasori, my man, now you're talking sense. It can't have been the Sharingan."

"You're right. It wasn't the Sharingan. It was the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Again a cold blade pierced the young artist's heart.

"N- no. C'mon, Sasori, my man—"

"Shut up. I've had all I can stand of your whining," Sasori cut him off harshly. "It can't have been Kiyoshi Uchiha because he was slain by Itachi and Aimi Uchiha when they massacred their Clan. However, if they left his eyes behind, which seems to be the case, the Leaf may have implanted it into another.

"That means there may be another shinobi like Kakashi of the Sharingan who possesses Kiyoshi Uchiha's power. It may be that the woman you saw now wields it."

Deidara curled his shaking hands into fists.

"So…my art was defeated by the power of a dead Uchiha? An Uchiha of renown that Itachi and Aimi were capable of murdering? Is that what you're saying, hm?"

"Yes."

So, from beyond the grave, another Uchiha had spurned his art? Another Uchiha had held his life in the palm of their hand, and had he chosen to take this town instead of sending his Shadow Clone, yet another Uchiha would have soundly defeated him. With their damnable Sharingan?

Deidara's knuckles went white. His molars ground together, and bile rose up in his throat, made sick by his own inadequacies.

Over and over, he growled. Over and over and over again! No matter what I do, their eyes always step all over my art! And this guy, Kiyoshi Uchiha, he was some major player in the Leaf, too? And those two, those damn Uchiha, they managed to defeat him and his art?

Did that mean…they would always be ahead of him?

Would their Sharingan deprive his art of reaching its ultimate potential?

I won't…stand for this. I can't let those inartistic eyes surpass my flawless art, hm!

He didn't have much Clay left. Yet…

Driven to his wits end, Deidara sank his hands into satchels of explosive clay. Fury, and perhaps a bit of insanity, tugged his lips into a wild grin.

"What are you doing?" Sasori questioned, bored and annoyed.

"I'm going to find that Leaf woman and kill her. I'll blow her away with my masterpiece, hm! And I'll destroy that inartistic eye!"

"If she was Anbu, you won't find a trail. The rain will have washed any traces of it away, you fool. Besides, pursing the Leaf shinobi into the Land of Fire isn't apart of our mission."

"Like I care, hm. Our mission is complete."

"We're leaving, Deidara."

"Then go. I don't need your help hunting down or killing some— "

For the second time in a day Deidara narrowly evaded the iron tail of his partner, the thick and heavy blade slamming where he'd knelt moments before.

As Deidara landed out of a leap, he felt invisible wires—chakra threads—suddenly bind his entire body. He grunted and winced.

"I've had enough of your ego today," growled Sasori. "First, you make me wait. And I hate to be kept waiting. Now you intend to invade the Land of Fire, where the Leaf shinobi are likely waiting for us or the Stone, just to soothe your broken pride. You're nearly out of clay, too.

"You're an adolescent fool. But the Akatsuki still has use for you, fool or not. I can't let you die. Yet."

"Hey! Let go!"

"Shut up. We're leaving. We need to get paid for our mission, and then we need to report this incident to the Leader."

Sasori slowly turned away, but sent a harsh glare over his hunched shoulders.

"Try to run away or pursue the Leaf shinobi and I'll consider you a traitor to the Akatsuki. I'll kill you before you have a chance to flee."

The chakra threads vanished. Deidara considered ignoring Sasori's threat, briefly. Then relented with an annoyed grunt.

Fighting Sasori, with his limited Clay, was suicidal.

"Fine. Let's go. I'm sick of this place anyway, hm."

The humiliation remained.

On that day Deidara swore to have his revenge upon the Uchiha Clan and anyone who wielded the Sharingan.

Even if it cost him his life.

---

"Is this all that's left of the shinobi loyal to the Grass and Waterfall?"

Tenzō's calm question didn't surprise Yūgao. Standing upon the branch of a tree, where they had a birds eye view of the encampment and privacy to speak unheard, it took but a glance to see the surplus of civilians, and stark lack of Grass and Waterfall shinobi.

"I cannot say for certain," Yūgao replied, crouching low as she examined the camp.

Five Waterfall shinobi. Could they be all that was left of Shibuki's loyalists?

"The Crows were spreading a network through the Waterfall's Nation before we discovered the attack at the inn. We will have to wait for a full report to truly know. Assumptions are dangerous. Especially in a time like this," she said.

"Mm," Tenzō hummed in agreement, resting his hand onto the trunk of the tree. "The Waterfall was the last Nation I expected to fall."

"I do not believe any of us expected it. However, we never anticipated a traitor willing to surrender the independence of their Nation for power and profit."

"Neutrality was their power. And very profitable."

"True. That's what makes the Waterfall's capture baffling. They stood to gain the most from this war by maintaining neutrality. Wealth, power, security—they would have had it all. They may have stepped onto the grander political scene as a peer to the Five Great Nations. Now they are subordinate to the Stone. Beholden to them. They will remain a minor player when this war ends, no matter who wins.

"Still, Shibuki was beloved by his people. For that reason alone it is difficult to believe the slain Waterfall shinobi we discovered and these five survivors are all that is left of the loyalists."

"Hm. It's possible we'll learn there are pockets of resistance that remain."

"We can only hope. It's far more likely we will learn loyalists of the Grass have escaped across other sections of their borders into the surrounding Nations."

"They won't find a warm reception in the Rain."

"Actually, they may," she countered calmly.

Tenzō glanced down at her. "How do you figure?"

"Consider the circumstances that bind the Grass and Rain Villages. Time and time again the Five Great Nations wage their wars on the soil of smaller Nations; we turn their lands into battlegrounds, and as a result their people suffer from food shortages, homelessness, powerless to stop the tremendous war machine that fuels the development of the Great Nations. Now once more they are displaced by one of the Five.

"It's true the natives of the Grass will bear resentment towards the Stone. In these first days of the war the Stone will serve as the focal point of their hatred.

"However, as the war continues, as more are displaced and more of their land's are razed, that seed will bud beneath the surface, it will spread its roots through the survivors of this war until, eventually, it will no longer be the Stone alone they resent. They will come to resent all five Great Nations, as has happened in the past.

"The Rain Village's leader may take advantage of that."

"They could use the displaced Grass shinobi to build up their military strength," Tenzō followed along the dark thought her mind knitted together. "Then they may attempt to step out as a peer to the Five Great Nations."

"That's a possibility." Yūgao shook her head. "Rather it is speculation based in my own concerns."

"Speculation or not, it'd be an expert play by the Rain Village's leader."

"Let's hope they do not think of it. Presently, the priority of the Grass shinobi should be gathering any survivors still loyal to their previous leader. If this is all there is…" she trailed off, thoughts too grim to voice.

There may not be a Grass Village once this war finishes. It may merely become a part of the Stone's Empire, if we fail. If we succeed, if there is nothing left of the Grass, it will likely become a subsidiary of the Land of Fire, or the borders will change and it will be the Land of Fire.

If the Feudal Lord was hungry enough. If he had an appetite for imperialism once the dust settled and the battlefields became dinner plates for scavengers.

"What do you make of the Stone's forces?" Tenzō asked.

"I believe we didn't see their true military might. Based on what little I now know, the Stone conquered the Grass and Waterfall by turning their own shinobi against their leadership.

"The Stone relied on sabotage and deceit. They relied on spies to bribe, turn, corrupt, and spread misinformation, which they were clearly successful at. Then, once everything was in position, they committed conscripts, Genin, mercenaries, and anyone willing to throw a uniform on to finish the job."

"Throw enough numbers at the objective and hope it gets done, huh? That isn't the wisest counsel."

"It is when you think of them as pawns and nothing more."

"That's some cold calculation."

"True, but it is nothing new."

"Yeah."

The Stone Village built a reputation for cold calculation. Their Will of Stone was as cold and heartless as its namesake.

"The Stone Village performed silent, 'bloodless' coups," Yūgao explained. "They drew our attention to the Grass's border with their 'training exercise' while their spies worked on the Waterfall and the Grass from within. That we learned about it now is by chance."

"It's not their usual style," Tenzō judged. "Acting in silence when conquering a Nation, I mean. In the past they committed to massive ground campaigns. All 'in honor of the Stone,' as they say."

"Perhaps the Tsuchikage learned from their mistakes of the last war."

"Mm. What if we have seen the true strength of their military?"

"Our casualties won't be nearly as high as theirs."

"Hmph," Tenzō exhaled a dry, humorless chuckle. "Not much of a silver lining. But that's war."

Yūgao hummed but said nothing. In silence she scanned the refugees and Grass shinobi.

There were far too many potential security risks to grant them entry to the Leaf Village. Even the injured were suspects. Far too many, from her point of view, had willingly thrown away their loyalty in the Grass and Waterfall for trust to be given non-conditionally.

Her comrades were clearly of the same mind. Members of the QRF patrolled the outskirts of the camp, but they also patrolled within, discreetly disguising their actions under humanitarian motives.

Among them were three full-fledged medic-nin and a trainee. Of the three, Yūgao only recognized Hana Inuzuka, though she noticed one was of the Hyūga Clan. The third had no distinctive traits to determine Clan heritage, if any.

Finally there was the trainee—Ino Yamanaka. She shadowed her superiors, offering rudimentary Medical Ninjutsu to the refugees and injured where she could.

Haya's peers were coming along nicely. However, they still had much to learn to be truly prepared for the war.

Yūgao's eyes drifted to her Master's daughter. She was seated against the trunk of a tree, eyes shut, fast asleep beneath a heavy blanket. Tsugumi was perched on her shoulder. Kazama patrolled from the shadows, hidden entirely from her keen senses.

The bloody tears on Haya's face had washed off in the rain, and with it any evidence of responsibility for the Amenominakanushi. She breathed evenly now. The pain pinching her expression was replaced by physical and emotional exhaustion built up over the last several hours. She looked worn down. Older, even.

Nearby were Naruto, who stood guard over her and the girl named Karin, Fū, who quietly and eagerly waited for Haya to wake, doubtlessly nearly bursting with questions, and Shino Aburame, who silently leaned against an adjacent tree trunk, guarding over both Karin and Haya.

"That Mangekyō technique is going to send shockwaves through the world," Tenzō stated, following her gaze and picking up on her thoughts.

"Yes, it is," Yūgao agreed reluctantly, resigned to the truth they could not escape anymore than Haya could escape the progressive damage to her vision.

"There is no turning back now," she said. "Anyone within visual range of the blast will have seen its glow, others will have heard its roar. And those close enough will have felt the shockwave, as we all did.

"By now," she continued, voice soft and grim, "the Stone's forces have likely found whatever is left of their comrades amid the ruins. From what I was told it will be a scene of death and devastation they find. Of scorched corpses buried among rubble, and bleached stone where the featureless shadows of their dead comrades remain, frozen in their final moments before their fragile bodies were incinerated."

Kiyoshi had described the devastation of the Amenominakanushi with such terrifying and solemn intimacy, Yūgao swore she had stood at the epicenter of its destruction at least once. Yet she had never seen it in person, not until today.

Now she understood why he hoped Haya would never inherit its power.

"The eyes of all our enemies—Stone, Cloud, Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and the Foundation—they will all be drawn to her as moths to flame," she said. "Word of her existence will spread beyond the relative safety of the Leaf. The Tsuchikage will see to that.

"Soon enough a bounty will be placed on Haya's head. The bounty for one of the last Uchiha will be naturally higher than normal, but knowing the power she wields, and if knowledge of her heritage becomes widespread—that will double or triple it."

Yūgao clenched a hand into a fist. She could see it all unfolding before her. She could see it so vividly, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"All manner of scum will come searching for her," said Yūgao. "Bounty hunters, kekkei genkai collectors, and rogues will think she is an easy prize, and when the first wave inevitably falls, the bounty will increase. Then even more dangerous individuals will seek her out."

"Enemies lurk in the darkness. Inside the Leaf and beyond its walls. They seek to twist her, to claim her, to break her, or to simply make her disappear forever," Yūgao recalled Atsuko's grave voice.

"Whether it is because of her kekkei genkai, or simply her ancestors, this current world will never allow Young Haya to know peace. She will be forced to fight all her life in a never-ending cycle of bloodshed, until eventually she, too, perishes, leaving this cycle to the next generation to solve. Unless the world changes."

There was no escaping that reality. No sheltering Haya from the world, hoping she would simply…stay. Stay a joyful child without adult burdens, stay within the shelter, within the Leaf, as Amaririsu Yūhi instead of rising to embrace the immense burden of her true lineage.

"There's no turning back now," Yūgao said again. "Not for Haya. Not for any of us. War was declared, and now we must face it head-on."

Tenzō tilted his head to look down at her. "Does she realize that?" he asked, gesturing to Haya with a small dip of his head.

Yūgao nodded once. "Yes, she does. She made that decision after Shibuki entrusted Fū into her care."

"Don't you mean to say he entrusted her into the Leaf's care?"

"No. Shibuki's dying wish was for Haya to take care of Fū, and she swore to protect her. From the Stone's forces, and from the Leaf, if she must. Even if that meant abandoning the shadows and embracing her role as Head of the Uchiha Clan, she swore to see it done. And Haya never breaks her promises."

"Oh boy," Tenzō sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He then let out an abrupt, short chuckle. "She's definitely Lady Miyako's daughter, all right. And Kakashi's student."

Yūgao exhaled a soft breath. Her hand relaxed, if only slightly.

"Troublesome is in her genes, just ask her."

"Heh. Yeah. Still, that's going to be one hell of a fight she's taking on. Bringing back the Seven-Tails jinchūriki makes this politically sensitive as it is. For Amaririsu to claim protection over her as Head of the Uchiha Clan?" Tenzō shook his head. "I don't see that sitting well with the Councilors or the Foundation."

"Nor do I. However, they agreed to put two Uchiha on the same team as Naruto; it's likely they intended to have them use their Sharingan to pacify the Nine-Tails, should Naruto ever lose control."

"So, we're hoping their fear of Tailed-Beasts overrules their prejudice against the Uchiha Clan, huh?"

"All while we prepare for the worst."

"Hm," he hummed a short chuckle. "Roger that."

---

"Holding up all right?" Hana's voice was gentle and calming.

Eyes shut, Amari hummed, savoring the lukewarm sensation of Medical Ninjutsu flowing into her body as it untangled and massaged away the knots and aches that afflicted her.

At the same time she threaded her fingers slowly, gently, through the thick winter coat of one of the Haimaru Brothers, who laid his head in her lap. Hana knelt on her opposite side, resting her hand, shrouded in the soft green hue of Medical Ninjutsu, against her forehead and skull.

Perched on the Nara's shoulder was Tsugumi, head bowed, sleeping while the opportunity presented itself.

"Damp and tired. A bit cold, but I'll be okay," she murmured.

She would survive. She had to.

"If you have some spare clothes, you should change into them."

"Mm. I would, but I gave them to Karin."

Hana exhaled a short breath that sounded like a laugh.

"I should've expected as much. You're like a smaller and younger Mimi: Stubborn as all hell and always forgetting to look after yourself."

"…Did you have to mention the 'smaller' part?"

"Ha!" Hana let out a genuine bark of laughter.

The Haimaru Brother exhaled a rough snort. Furry jerk. Even he was laughing at her tired moping.

Hana's grin was tangible in her voice when she said,

"I could always call you the little squirt or Shortcake. Those have a better ring to it, you know."

"Ugh," Amari let out a tired and weak groan. "Please don't. I don't know if I can survive another short-based nickname."

"All right, all right," Hana chuckled. "I'm sure you catch enough hell from Mimi."

"Sometimes I don't know why I try to tease her back. It never ends well for me."

The lukewarm sensation faded. Amari opened her eye as Hana patted her on the head. The grin she sensed all but stretched from ear to ear.

"Sounds like you need to sharpen that wit of yours. Say something she has no chance of coming back from."

"Any secret tips?"

"Oh, you don't need those from me," Hana replied, shaking her head with a smile. "You know Mimi's heart and personality as only a sister can. That means you already have all the tools at your disposal. You just have to learn to use them at the right times.

"Besides, from what I hear at the dinner table, everyone is afraid of your unique sense of humor."

"Even Mimi?"

"Especially Mimi," Hana, grinning, pat her on the head again. "So go wild. I want to see why they're so afraid."

"I'll do my best," Amari smiled tiredly.

"It'll take some time for your chakra to replenish naturally," Hana continued, dropping her grin for a serious expression. "I'm sure you don't need a lecture from me about the dangers of that technique. Given your current state," she added, making a small gesture to her covered left eye.

"Still, the dangers of that technique cannot be understated. If you use it while your running low on chakra, you will die."

"I know," Amari admitted softly.

She had thought Hana would bring up the progressive deterioration of her vision. Perhaps she should've known better. Members of the Inuzuka Clan always cut straight to the heart of an issue, they weren't the type to dance around an uncomfortable subject.

"Itachi saved you the first time. A Food Pill granted you the strength the second time. You relied on the Crows this time."

Hana's dark eyes became hard, scolding, even. But her tone when she spoke again was well-meaning. Sisterly.

"They would sacrifice their lives in your place, without hesitation. Just to ensure you wouldn't run out of chakra. Don't take that loyalty for granted."

Amari shut her eye and nodded. She knew that. Dammit, did she know. She'd always known, but now… Now more than ever before did she see and feel firsthand the lengths the Crows would go. Even for a Shadow Clone.

"I won't. I…"

She wanted to say she was sorry. She wanted to apologize to them for being too weak. For being too slow. For relying so heavily on them. But she couldn't.

Not anymore.

"You and the Crows, your bond is like the Inuzuka Clan's bond with our ninken," Hana said, rubbing the Haimaru Brother's head. "Cherish them. Protect them. Just as they cherish and protect you."

Amari nodded in silence. The lump in her throat kept her from making a sound.

"Make sure you have your vision checked when we get home," Hana said. "In the meantime, you'll need to stay underneath the blanket as much as you can. It's only going to get colder and colder as the night progresses."

"Right. By the way…"

Amari's eye drifted away. Hana's eyes followed her gaze to the other two Haimaru Brothers, both lying down adjacent to their position.

Resting over the back of one, arms hugged around its large furry body, was none other than Fū.

"Will he be all right? I think she fell asleep like that," Amari judged.

"Ah, he's loving it," Hana smiled. "If he wasn't, with his strength, he'd have whipped her halfway across the camp for latching on like that. And that'd be a slight warning—a slap on the hand, by our standards."

Now there was a funny image. A human being flung through the air by a full-grown ninken?

Amari snorted.

Note to self, always ask for permission to hug a ninken from now on.

"Rest while you can," Hana instructed as she rose. "We'll likely move farther inland from the border before night settles in."

As Hana departed to continue her duties, the only Haimaru Brother not latched onto by Fū or lying their head in Amari's lap stood up, stretched his back out, then padded after her.

Heeding the medic-nin's advice, Amari leaned her head back and shut her eye.

Part of her couldn't wait to get home. Yet another part dreaded it, knowing another battle was already waiting for her.

A war of words. A war of the past and the present colliding.

For now, though, she could rest.

And she did.

---

On the outskirts of the camp, Karin hurried in disrobing out of sight behind a tree, peeling off the saturated shirt, shimmying out of her wet pants and underwear, and then using the spare blanket provided by the Leaf kunoichi—Amaririsu—to dry off her damp skin.

The cold breeze caused her to shiver. Her gooseflesh covered legs trembled, still weak from…her 'duty' to the Grass. She tried to ignore the bite marks decorating her chest, her abdomen, her thighs, calves and ankles. Some were fresh, some were old.

So much of her skin was scarred. Unhealed. Tainted by those who'd used her.

She was tainted.

Yet she was also free.

Quick as she could, Karin pulled on the purple leggings and black shorts from Amaririsu's spare equipment, thankful for the warmth of the leggings, and that they hid her hideous scars.

Karin's heart jolted when she let go of the waistband and the shorts nearly slid right off her skinny waist. She snatched the waistband in a panic, pulled them up, and searched for drawstrings. Thankfully there were some.

After pulling the drawstrings as tight as possible, and then tying them equally tight, the shorts still were a bit loose on her hips. A vast difference in food intake and exercise, clearly.

Amaririsu was so physically fit as a trained shinobi, while she never had any formal training whatsoever.

Even when Zōsui sent her to participate in the Chūnin Exams, all he had done was stick a forehead protector on her, claim she was Genin level, and then sent her alongside two boys—two strangers. She wondered if they were even alive…

Zōsui hadn't sent her to the Exams because he believed she could pass, though. He only sent her as a tool of healing for those boys.

And a tool she had been. For whatever that had been worth.

Karin bit her lip in frustration and embarrassment as she snatched the mesh long-sleeve off the ground first.

Once it was on, she became even more grateful to Amaririsu; it provided an instant layer of warmth, doubtlessly due to the material of the armor. Though it, too, was loose on her small frame, hanging a quarter of the way down her thighs as it drooped off her shoulders.

I've…never experienced generosity like theirs, the young girl thought, gripping the hem of the mesh layer. Shino and Naruto, and now Amaririsu, it's like second-nature to them to just…help.

Just like that boy I met in the Chūnin Exams. Another Leaf shinobi. He stepped in and stopped that massive bear from killing me without hesitation. He didn't even care about our scroll.

She hadn't seen him well—her glasses had been knocked off. Without them she was relatively nearsighted, although even up close her vision was often an indistinguishable blur.

All the same, Karin remembered a small smile, she remembered his voice, and recognized him as a Leaf shinobi from the previous exam. And she recalled a vague shape and its colors.

White and red shaped like a fan. Some form of Clan Crest in the Leaf, obviously. But not one she knew.

I never thought I'd see a Leaf shinobi again. Least of all four I recognize from the Exams.

Shino Aburame she hadn't known the name of until today, but she could vaguely remember his strange chakra from back then. From those gathered Leaf Rookies all milling about at the entrance.

Naruto Uzumaki's ridiculous and bold declaration at the start, to defeat them all, and his rallying speech at the end of the first Exam were memorable. His chakra bright and bold just as he was, energetic and warm…and yet there was another presence. A darker, hatred-filled presence deep inside him.

Amaririsu Yūhi, too, her incident with the shinobi from the Sound Village as they attacked that other Leaf shinobi stood out. Just as her chakra, so strong, so warm and full of…well, life and color, strange as it was to say.

Chakra like hers… Karin shifted on her toes, feeling awkward and warmer than before.

That blond girl, too, the one fawning over that boy who saved her was here, too, and stronger than before. She could feel it. She could feel it from all of them. They'd all gotten so much stronger since the Exam.

Shino and Naruto, they intended to save me from the moment they saw me. Amaririsu offered her spare clothes without hesitation, even though she's just as wet and cold as I am.

Their generosity, their convictions, their willingness to just…help me, without asking for anything… I don't understand. I'm an outsider to them, and yet…

Why wasn't there anyone like them in the Grass?

Karin picked up the dark blue long-sleeve and shifted it around after nearly putting it on backwards.

Cold suddenly washed over her senses, quickly approaching from the other side of the tree. The sensation paralyzed her. It caused her weak and quaking muscles to go rigid, leaving her head, arms and collarbone hidden beneath the long-sleeve she hadn't finished pulling on.

"Hold it! Where do you think you're going, pal?" Naruto demanded, and it was obvious he already had his suspicions.

"This doesn't concern you, Leaf shinobi. Step aside."

"Like hell I will!" Naruto growled.

She heard and sensed them both shift laterally; the Grass shinobi trying to move closer, and Naruto blocking his path.

"I don't care if you are our allies. No way in hell am I letting you or anyone else put their filthy hands or mouths on Karin ever again," Naruto swore.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, kid."

They shifted laterally again. The Grass shinobi first, and Naruto nearly in synch to block his path.

"That's where your wrong. I saw all I needed to see to know what you and your comrades were doing to that girl. You would've killed her and left her body to rot in a dumpster, because that's all she is to— hey, I'm not through with you yet!"

Naruto didn't just step in the path of the Grass shinobi. He advanced on the man by a single step, and would've been nose to nose if he wasn't a small boy against an adult.

"Step aside, Leaf shinobi," the Grass shinobi's teeth were almost audibly grinding together.

"Not a chance. I told you already, I'm not letting you or your comrades near her ever again."

Naruto, it seemed, knew he was in the place of authority despite his rank and age. The Leaf shinobi had come to rescue the Grass, after all. They were offering them aid and shelter; it was hamstringing the Grass shinobi's efforts to reclaim their property, but they were crafty men.

Karin knew that better than anyone.

Shivering and shaking, with the agility and elegance of a fish floundering on dry land, Karin pulled her head and arms through the long-sleeve.

Naruto couldn't sense chakra like her—few, if any, could. Even among Sensory Types she was…special. Another 'gift' of her bloodline.

He didn't personally know the Grass shinobis under Zōsui's command. He didn't know how far they'd go to keep her imprisoned. He didn't realize there were already other Grass shinobi moving in from the shadows.

"She's a Grass shinobi—"

"I'm not buying that for a second. You sure don't treat her as a comrade. You treat her as a thing. A means to an end to heal your people, regardless of how it effects her. Medical ninjas from the Leaf are already tending to your comrades. You don't need Karin's abilities."

"Everyone has to pull their weight."

"Pull her weight? She's nearly out of chakra!" Naruto boomed, again moving laterally to stop the man from approaching. "How much more does she have to give, huh?! How much more will you force her to sacrifice before you see her as something other than a tool?!"

Karin shivered and leaned forward into the tree. Tears, stinging like bees, blurred her vision.

Naruto… Why are you fighting so hard for me? Why do you care so much? I'm just an outsider. A stranger to you. Yet…

"The Leaf will do what it can to save your comrades. But Karin is apart of the refugees now; she's under our protection and care. So get lost, all right!"

Yet he wasn't wavering. She could feel his passion, his fire, in his words and in his chakra. Just like when he made that outrageous speech at the end of the first exam.

What were his words then? Something about never quitting or going back on his word?

"That goes for your pals, too! Tell them to back off."

Karin barely heard the Grass shinobi's sharp intake of breath over her own. She felt the other two leap out of the shadows, but her body refused to budge.

Their harsh hands didn't snatch her by the arm or collar of Amaririsu's shirt. The men halted a few feet from her.

"Didn't you hear my comrade? Karin is under the Leaf's protection now. Back off," Shino Aburame warned, standing in front of the red-haired girl, hands stuffed in his jackets pockets. "Otherwise I can't promise your safety. Why? Because: Our team captain is in a vile mood thanks to you. She's capable of anything."

"That girl is property of the Grass," said one of the newcomers.

"What'd you'd say?" Naruto growled.

Shino's eyebrows furrowed. "Leave. Now," he commanded. "Karin is no longer under your authority. She is no longer your slave. My superiors have informed me she will be provided treatment for the trauma she sustained through Zōsui's abhorrent conduct. These are highly respected Jōnin, shinobi with authority far above my own. In fact, one is a current member of the Hokage Guard.

"So, understand these aren't the words of some young Genin you can ignore and dismiss as ignorant, reckless, or emotion driven. These are orders straight from the higher-ups of the Leaf."

Was he bluffing? No. Chakra fluctuated when people lied, a response to the emotions and personality of the individual.

Shino's chakra didn't fluctuate. It was as calm and as strange as ever.

The Leaf higher-ups—a Hokage Guard—are offering me their protection?

"Furthermore," Shino continued, "I have been told to inform you the Head of the Uchiha Clan has granted Karin sanctuary and protection. I'd take that seriously, if I were you. Clan Head's in the Leaf, especially the Uchiha Clan, don't offer sanctuary or protection lightly."

The Head of the Uchiha Clan…offered me sanctuary? When? Who even is the Head of the Uchiha Clan?

"Who you trying to fool, kid? The Uchiha Clan is extinct."

"A common misconception. One I have no need or desire to elaborate on. Karin is now under the supervision of the Leaf, under the direct protection of the Uchiha Clan. I shouldn't have to explain what that means to shinobi as old as you. You've been warned, and you should heed it while you can."

"Yeah, so back off!" Naruto declared.

Karin dug her fingers into the bark of the tree.

Naruto and Shino…they weren't going to back down, were they? They really wouldn't let her ever be taken back?

"I'm going to repeat myself one last time, kid. That girl is the property of the Grass. You have no authority over her."

"Just hearing you call her property makes me wanna—"

The whistle of a kunai was so sharp, so quick, Karin didn't recognize it until the blade thunked into a tree trunk behind the two Grass shinobi.

The young girl sensed but did not see the proctor of the second exam suddenly appear behind the two men. She didn't see why they gasped or why the woman's chakra flared, at first.

Slowly, Karin turned around, heart pounding in her chest. She swallowed roughly at what she saw.

The proctor, that crazy woman, stretched her left arm out, and from it several dozen snakes—maybe more—built a tangled, writhing bridge of scales from her trench coat sleeve to the Grass shinobi beside her. They constricted him from knee to neck, and unleashed an aggressive chorus of hisses and growls that left Karin's heart tight in her chest.

Her right arm was wrapped around the neck of the Grass shinobi she stood behind, as though in a friendly chokehold. Blood trickled down the man's cheek. Truthfully, he looked like a snake was swallowing him whole, and he could do nothing except watch himself be digested.

The crazy proctor, however, had her eyes shut and a wide, seemingly cheerful smile on her lips.

There was nothing cheerful about it. Like that other chakra within her, like the killing intent pouring off her, it was sinister and malicious. Violent and murderous.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said. "You see, I heard my adorable little subordinates raising their voices. It sounded like they were all riled up and ready to brawl, so I, being the responsible adult here, decided I needed to step in. Don't want any misunderstandings, right? You know how hotheaded kids can be," the woman purred with that same cheerful, sinister nature.

The man she had her arm wrapped around didn't seem to breathe. His airways weren't even constricted.

"Then I heard the word 'property' like Naruto." Two snakes slithered out of her right trench coat sleeve. They flicked their forked tongues and bobbed their heads, eyes locked on the man's neck. "Now, I'm sure he was about to say he'd like to pummel you. He's one of the boys who can't communicate properly without a fist or two thrown."

"I…can't move…" the original Grass shinobi grunted.

"Consider it for your own protection," drawled the other Leaf Anbu agent, the man of the pair.

"But I'm not like that little hothead," the crazy proctor purred, caressing her finger along his neck as her snakes licked the air. "Hearing you call that girl property makes me wanna splatter your blood all across this little camp of ours. Wouldn't that be fun?"

She leaned in and licked the blood off his cheek. The man was stiff as a rod, sweating. His comrade was visibly struggling to breathe. Shino watched on, undisturbed. Naruto scrunched his nose and shifted uncomfortably—bad memories.

"Mm," the crazy proctor licked her lips, painting them crimson, and hummed. "Unfortunately, you're still our allies, so I can't just kill you. Not without being provoked, anyway, hehe," she added with a dark chuckle. "Funny thing is, you're really provoking me right now. My precious subordinates were being well-mannered and well-behaved. They told you almost word for word what we asked them to.

"You're clearly hard of hearing—those explosions took a toll, huh? Well, I'll just repeat it for you. Nice and slow so there aren't any misunderstandings.

"If you ever touch a hair on that girl's head, try to sink your teeth into her, or come near her again…"

Lips painted with blood, the woman's cheerful smile didn't abate. It became more sinister, more malicious. More violent.

"I'll kill you," she declared like it was completely normal. "Got it? Good!"

The vipers retreated beneath the proctor's sleeves, vanishing altogether. She released the man she wrapped an arm around. She sauntered forward, then turned around to face the two Grass shinobi, placing her hands on her hips.

Neither man moved. One still frozen in fear, the other was inhaling air greedily.

"Now, here's how this is going to work," the proctor said, lacking a single hint of amusement in her voice. "You're going to walk away and act as if you live in a world where this girl is an average civilian, unremarkably normal and boring. And if you know what's good for you, you'll operate as if you never knew she existed to start with.

"Now scram!" The proctor shoved her chin out, indicating which direction they should leave. "Go back to your units and don't provoke me again. Otherwise I won't be so gentle next time," she warned with a dangerous and seductively violent tone.

She calls that…gentle?

What the heck did this crazy woman consider violent or harsh?

The two men gathered their wits and retreated. Quickly. The original shinobi grunted and followed as soon as he was released from the paralysis.

Karin gripped the hem of both loose and large long-sleeves draping over her thin and trembling thighs like a dress.

"Tch, jackasses," the proctor cursed under her breath.

"Are you all right, Karin?" Shino was the first to ask, turning ever so slightly to look at her.

"Bet that was pretty scary, huh," Naruto added as he hurried around the tree. "But its like we said, you don't have to worry about those guys ever again. You're never going back to that hell. I promise, and I never go back on my word."

"Nor do any of our comrades," Shino agreed. "Why? Because: Our word is our bond. When we make a vow, we follow through with it. Always."

She lowered her head, eyes stinging. "Th- thank you. All of you."

The words were meek and pathetic. They didn't encompass what she was feeling, they didn't express the feeling of liberation they provided her, or the safety and security she continued to feel for the first time in her life.

"Ah, don't mention it," Naruto said, and she could feel his warm smile despite being unable to look at him. "We're happy to help."

Why? Why were they so willing to help? Why did they go out of their way for an outsider like her? In the middle of a bombing, as the Stone was conquering the border town, why did they come back for her?

Some nobody. Someone they didn't know or have attachments to. Someone they owed nothing to.

None of it made any sense. Were these people just crazy or something?

"All right, you two, let me take a look at our precious stray kitten."

The proctor—Anko Mitarashi, she recalled finally—approached. Karin didn't raise her gaze from her toes.

So, Anko lowered into a crouch, bracing her forearms on her knees with a passive expression on her face. Her eyes noticed every little tremble. Every quake. Even the glistening in her eyes.

"How old are you?" Anko asked gently. "Twelve? Thirteen?"

"Thirteen," she answered meekly.

"And how long has this been going on for?"

"Since my mom died. Um…five years ago."

"Mm. That adds up." Anko nodded once, but flattened her lips together.

"What do you mean?" Shino asked.

"Around five years ago the Grass sustained heavy casualties in a surprise attack. Had it been one attack and then nothing else, things may have been different." She shook her head. "Instead the fighting went on for months. I bet they used her mother to mitigate catastrophic losses.

"You see, not every Nation has a Medical Corps as large and as talented as the Leaf. We're an exception, not the rule. It took years and a lot of money to build the Medical Corps to its current size. The kind of money smaller Nations don't have access to. And the other four Great Nations didn't have the Fifth Hokage advocating for medical-ninja.

"So, at a guess, they were forcing her mother to heal their injured day in and day out. She was like a fountain that never ran dry. A healing miracle. At least until she reached her absolute limit. Then, with the battles still going on, they turned to you. Sound about right, Kitten?"

Karin nodded silently.

"Been through hell, huh?"

She nodded again.

"All right. Let's get you back into camp and under a blanket." Anko rose to her full height. "Naruto, Shino, don't let her out of your sight. That may not be the last attempt they make to take her back."

"Don't worry. We'll keep her safe," Shino said.

"Yeah. Those guys will regret it if they try again," declared Naruto.

"Hehe," Anko chuckled. "Well, would you look at that? My precious subordinates are chivalrous knights. Looks like you struck gold, Kitten. Between them and Shortcake, you're more secure than a Hyūga's virtue before their wedding day."

Karin felt her cheeks flush. I'm…what?!

Anko laughed and tousled the young girl's hair. "Aw, she blushes!" Sauntering off, she waved for the trio to follow. "All right, enough standing around! We're still on high alert here and we have a hike to prepare. So let's move!"

Karin picked up her wet bundle of clothes and followed Naruto and Shino back into the camp.

She had questions. Concerns. Suspicions. She'd never known anyone to be as kind and generous as the Leaf shinobi were being.

But most of all she had hope. Hope that maybe they weren't the crazy ones. That the place she was coming from, the place that was normal for her, was actually the crazy house.

And maybe, just maybe, she'd find something like home with these crazy and kind and generous Leaf shinobi.

Karin could only hope.

---

The members of the QRF were scattered throughout the camp, readying the refugees for the journey ahead.

Concerns were prevalent among the shinobi. Chief among them was a sudden drive by the Stone's forces to gain ground or eliminate the survivors; they were still too close to the border, much too close when the enemy's capabilities were unknown.

For that reason the decision to push on and settle deeper within the Land of Fire was unanimous.

Finally able to sit, if only briefly, Ino leaned back on her hands and dropped her head back, trying to regulate her breathing.

It had been a stressful…she didn't even know how long they'd been at it anymore. Tensions had sprouted and bloomed over such a short period, ever since that Grass shinobi first showed up at the border—she hadn't been able to process everything.

Now, after pushing herself to help and heal as many as she could with rudimentary Medical Ninjutsu, she was so ready to lie down. Better, she couldn't wait to get home and take a shower. Wash off this whole day and every terrible thing about it.

Sweat dripped down Ino's nose and cheeks. She could feel the build up of perspiration on her back, soaking into her clothes. The contrast of her warm body and the cold air felt good, while also being utterly awful.

God, she was gross. No boy in their right mind would want to ask her on a date in her current state.

"You've improved."

Ino furrowed her brow and turned her gaze to Amari, who'd only recently awoken at Tsugumi's beckoning. She sat bundled beneath a blanket, accompanied by the Haimaru Brother and the Crow, the former still resting his head in her lap and the latter perched quietly on her shoulder.

"You say that like you're surprised," Ino retorted.

"I'm not surprised. I knew you'd improve as long as you took your training seriously," replied Amari. "I was just making an observation. Between my time in the hospital, physical therapy, and the missions that have taken me out of the Village, I haven't really seen you. We haven't trained together since before the Sound Four incident, so I haven't seen how your training has progressed for…a few months now.

"You've made some serious improvements in Medical Ninjutsu," Amari complimented. "It wasn't that long ago that Mimi was the only one among our peers who could heal any of us. Now you and Sakura are healing people."

Ino pursed her lips. She appreciated the compliment, but…

"It's only rudimentary," she deflected. "I've got a long way to go to even reach where Mimi used to be when we all met."

Sure she could heal people now, but her grasp of Medical Ninjutsu was only that of a fresh novice. And Sakura…she was already ahead of her. Maybe not by much, at least in Medical Ninjutsu, but everywhere else? Her friend had taken so many strides since the Exams.

Ino frowned, feeling the ache of her bruised ego. She hated to be the one chasing after Sakura now. For so long it'd been the other way around, but now she was the one trailing behind her friend, awing at her growth, and trying desperately to match her stride for stride.

Sakura is starting to grasp how to utilize the Fifth Hokage's legendary physical strength, while I'm struggling to just keep up in Medical Ninjutsu.

It was utterly frustrating.

"True, you do have a long road ahead of you," Amari agreed, nodding her head once. "You, Sakura, and Hinata. Mimi, too. We all do. Still, don't let that take away from your successes. You can look at it as a long road ahead of you while also seeing the leaps you've already taken."

Amari smiled and looked off into the distance. "Not that I'm one to talk. I'm rarely ever satisfied by my own progress. I'm always trying to figure out how to improve, despite how far I've come since becoming a shinobi. I'm troublesome that way."

Ino said nothing for a moment. Then let out a long, painful sigh.

"…Do you have any tips for me on how I can improve?"

"I can't really help when it comes to Medical Ninjutsu," she admitted. "That's a realm of ninjutsu I have no grasp of. Still, if I were you, I'd utilize the chakra control training from Medical Ninjutsu to strengthen your Clan Techniques.

"Your style of fighting isn't like Lady Tsunade's or Sakura's. You shouldn't neglect your taijutsu and strength training, of course; someday you will end up in close-quarters combat, and if you don't train in taijutsu, you'll end up on the losing side of the exchange.

"But where Sakura has to learn to master that monstrous strength, you should focus on mastering your strengths."

"My strengths, huh…" Ino ruminated.

"As an example, chakra control from Medical Ninjutsu will make your Clan Techniques less chakra intensive. In other words you'll be able to do more with less. With Mind Destruction Jutsu that could mean a firmer control over a larger group of people. It could mean increasing the distance you can utilize it at.

"For your telepathic abilities it could mean relaying information more smoothly to comrades, quicker, which could change the fate of an entire battle. There's no discounting the incredible power and versatility of the Yamanaka Clan Techniques, and I only actually know three. Imagine the techniques your father can teach you. Imagine what you could create."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You," Amari said like it was obvious. "You could start thinking of how to incorporate your Clan Techniques and Medical Ninjutsu together. Not sure how or what you could do," she shrugged, "but you may be able to figure something out that I don't know. Additionally, you could learn how to use Medical Ninjutsu offensively. Also learn your Chakra Nature and combine them with Medical Ninjutsu or your Clan Techniques, if at all possible.

"Your strength is ninjutsu, just like Shika's," she explained. "So, think of how to add more tools into your arsenal with ninjutsu. There are plenty of avenues for you to pursue."

"I…guess I never thought about it like that," Ino admitted quietly, lowering her eyes in thought.

Offensive Medical Ninjutsu, her Clan techniques, her Chakra Nature, she'd never considered any of those as potential avenues.

"I was so focused on trying to catch up to Sakura," she said, thinking out loud. "I was trying to be more like her and Lady Tsunade…instead of improving my own strengths."

"It's not wrong to aspire to be like someone, but you are your own individual. You have your own strengths and weaknesses," Amari said. "Focus on being the best version of Ino Yamanaka you can be. That's how you'll surpass your father and stand shoulder to shoulder with your comrades."

"I'm going to surpass you and Sakura, too, you know."

"I'll keep my eye out for you, then," Amari smiled serenely. "Like I said before, you've really improved. I expected as much, since Sakura has talked about it." She shrugged. "But it's one thing to hear about someone's improvements, it's another to see them. Like hearing me talk about how amazing ice cream is. If you've never tasted it, you can't really know how delicious it tastes."

"It's always super weird to hear you talk about your obsession for sweets," Ino said, shaking her head slightly. "I expect it from Chōji. But he eats without restraint."

"It is necessary for his Clan techniques."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "But you don't have that excuse. I'm always worried if I eat that sweet or this I'll end up getting fat."

Amari's one-eyed eye rolls were familiar. And as annoying as ever.

"That's because your idea of dieting was starving yourself to be thin," she chastised. "I probably ate twice as much as you before we started training together. Maybe more. No one ever accused me of being fat."

Ino opened her mouth to argue, her defensive response kicking in. She stopped short when Amari shrugged and kept speaking.

"Although it's not entirely your fault. The Academy did little to teach us or our parents about proper nutrition. They basically said, 'make healthy choices,' pat us on the head, and told us to run around the track.

"Boys decided that meant eating stupid amounts of food regardless of nutritional value and training harder to build big muscles so they could impress us girls. To girls that meant eating less to be thin in order to be attractive to the boys.

"It's a strange societal construct, especially for a military where physical activity and nutrition go hand in hand. Teaching better strength and endurance training regimens and how to fuel the body with proper nutrition would actually aid the longevity of shinobi."

What's stupid about that whole thing…is it totally makes so much sense. Ino did her best not to sigh. Ever since I started training and eating right, I've felt so much better. Mentally and physically.

I can see how much my endurance has improved, I'm so much stronger physically, too. I used to be the first to collapse during Asuma-sensei's training.

Ino lowered her gaze to her bandaged abdomen and legs. And the other day, when I was looking at myself in the mirror, I felt super confident about how I looked. More than ever before. My legs look really good. I can see the muscles in my abdomen. I can even see where my biceps and triceps are supposed to be.

If she had started sooner, how different would the Academy have been? Would she have actually excelled in training? In practical tests? She definitely wouldn't have had to play so much catch-up these last several months.

It's pretty dumb Amari has this figured out but the Academy hasn't.

"Being around you is like being around Shikamaru sometimes," Ino decided.

"I'm nowhere near as lazy."

"No, you aren't. But you have an annoying habit of making everyone around you feel dumber."

Amari blinked. Then let a slight smirk pull on her lips. "That was almost a compliment. Keep that up and I may swoon at the sight of you like all the boys."

"Tch," Ino looked away. "You should stick to purple. Green may be the color of your chakra, but it's also the color of envy. It doesn't look good on you."

"Duly noted," drawled the Nara. Just like Shikamaru would.

"Anyway…what was I even talking about?"

"How weird it is that I'm a sweet fiend despite my strict training and nutrition and your fear of eating sweets because you don't want to get fat."

"Yeah. It's totally weird," Ino judged. "When you were in that Hero World on your date—"

"Careful, green isn't your color, either."

Amari was smirking again. Ino felt her eye twitch.

"Also, best date ever," she added.

"Grr! Stop rubbing it in!"

"Hehehe!"

"Ugh. What I was trying to say is that you ate stupid amounts of sweets at that confectionary. You didn't even think twice about it."

"Yep. And I'd do it again tomorrow if I could. One non-nutritious meal out of a whole week of good nutrition isn't going to ruin your physique. You can be a sweet fiend like me or Miss Anko more often than you think if you buckle down the rest of your nutrition and stay active. As long as it's not every meal, every day, you can treat yourself to treats now and then."

That was…good to know, she supposed. It didn't change the weird mental block she had whenever she saw sweets, like an alarm bell suddenly sounding off, declaring that a single sweet would lead her to becoming unhealthy, overweight and unattractive to boys. But maybe with time that would change.

Because she wanted that confectionary date someday dammit! Or at least something like it. She wanted to be swept off her feet by someone as deeply in love with her as Yukiko Igarashi was with Amari, and vice versa.

How did Amari get her first kiss and first date before me? I mean, its Amari. She's as shy and awkward as Hinata.

How did she even manage to speak to Yukiko after they kissed? I thought she would've fainted for sure.

A thought occurred to Ino. A question that was incredibly invasive, but now that it was there she couldn't let it go. It'd eat her alive if she never asked.

"Hey, I need to know something."

"Huh? All right. Why are you so serious all of the sudden?"

"Yukiko Igarashi, you said she was your first kiss, right?"

"Yep," Amari answered, nodding once.

"And it happened right before that Villain attacked, right."

"Right…" Amari's eye squinted in uncertainty. "Ino, are you trying to ask me what kissing is like?"

"No!" Ino retorted, cheeks flushing pink

But now that you mention it, I really want to ask that at some point!

One invasive question was enough. And this one had the utmost priority.

"Okay. So what do you want to know?"

"Yukiko and you… Did you… Well, this is more awkward than I thought…"

"Did we what? Spit it out, Ino. It's probably not as awkward as you think."

Oh, Amari was so wrong about that. Ino bit her lip, considered if she should push on, then, with a breath, decided to jump into the fire, just like Amari had in the Hero World.

"All right, you asked for it. Was Yukiko your first for anything else?"

"First for anything…"

Amari's face flushed a shade of red Ino had never seen. She swore she saw steam shooting out of her ears.

Abruptly Amari's head slumped forward. She didn't move again.

The Haimaru Brother raised his head, looked at Amari, then at Ino, and exhaled a long breath as he dropped his head back into Amari's lap. Tsugumi hummed, laughing softly.

She passed out! Ino realized, feeling both horrified and amused.

Did that count as an answer?

I'll just have to ask Sakura when we get back home. She'll know for sure!

---

Tsunade had had her hands full ever since they first learned of the Stone's forces conquering the Waterfall. It'd only grown more hectic with the news of the fall of the Grass Village and its Nation.

Sprinkle in the issue of the Seven-Tails jinchūriki, the reality of the war now on their doorstep, in addition to the normal influx of work, and it was clear she would be spending the next several late nights and early mornings working herself to the bone.

And, if she was lucky, a bottle of sake would be on hand to help her get through it with some measure of satisfaction. Even if only a tiny bit.

The good news? Amaririsu's unit were safe and under the guard of the QRF. Amaririsu and Yūgao, along with the Seven-Tails jinchūriki, were secure. They also managed to secure a few of Shibuki's direct subordinates, who could help paint in the parts of the picture she was missing.

Additionally, the forces to pursue them were beaten back and had, as of the latest report, shown no sign of returning. The same could be said at the section of the Grass's border where Amaririsu's unit linked up with Anko's. There was also the potential of one less Akatsuki member walking about.

Still, although the reports seemed to point in that direction, she wasn't ready to celebrate yet. One dead member didn't destroy the organization. They hadn't cut the head off, whoever it might be, of that she was certain. That would be way too easy.

However, if Amaririsu had killed an Akatsuki member then, to put it simply, the kid went far and beyond her mission parameters, and in the process delivered a serious blow to both the Stone and the Akatsuki by rescuing the Seven-Tails and killing their bomber.

Talk about overachieving, she thought dryly, a grim sense of humor overcoming her momentarily.

Overachieving also had its consequences. Namely—

Tsunade perked up at the sudden knock at her door, followed by the door creaking open. Immediately her eyes narrowed.

"Princess Tsunade."

The greeting was far from warm, and it was echoed by the thump of a wooden cane every other step.

Speak of the devil.

Walking into her office, flanked by Koharu and Homura, was a frail old man in need of a cane, who's chin was marked by an x-shaped scar.

He attired himself in a white shirt, worn beneath a black robe that covered him from his feet to his right shoulder; the robe concealed his right arm, which seemed to be permanently held in a cast beneath the garb. His right eye was bandaged.

Tsunade, and Shikaku through her, had a good idea of why his eye was bandaged. Such a good idea she now had a Sensory Type Anbu agent monitoring her at all times.

Folding her hands into her lap, the Fifth Hokage physically relaxed into her chair, but did not lower her guard. Not for a moment. Not around him.

"There is much we need to discuss about these recent events," he declared.

On that day a man walked into her office as though he owned it, stepping out of the shadows and into the light after many years.

His name was Danzō Shimura.

The Leader of the Foundation.

---

Review Response to Isobel Bauch: Glad this story is something you can look forward to every other Friday! We'll have to wait and see how Naruto and Karin figure out they come from the same Clan, and how they react to it. Definitely not something I'm skipping over, I can say that much.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for the review!