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.

169. Chapter 168: Welcome Home

Chapter 168

Welcome Home: Clash of the Leaf's Light and Darkness!

Fū had an idea. Admittedly, it was a dumb idea. Super dumb, actually. Dumb enough to make smacking a large beehive with a stick seem smart and reasonable. Even Chōmei thought so.

Yet as she stood at the foot of the enormous defensive wall surrounding the Leaf Village, where it appeared the precipice touched the sky, she couldn't help but grab the stick a little tighter and prepare to bludgeon the beehive just to see what might come out.

What did it look like inside the Leaf? Sure, Naruto had told her a whole lot, but she wanted to see it. Touch it. Smell it. Taste it—through their cuisine, of course. She didn't want to lick buildings or eat a mouthful of dirt, not unless their buildings were gingerbread houses and the dirt was actually brownies in disguise, which would be tasty! And super weird.

Weirder than that story about kids following a trail of breadcrumbs; like, why breadcrumbs? What if other animals ate them, or the wind blew them away, how would they find their way home then?

Fū pursed her lips. She rocked up onto her toes and then back onto her heels, back and forth, lightly swinging her arms at her side.

A whole new world was just beyond the wall.

The curiosity needled Fū. It left her antsy. In her heart, in her core, she knew she shouldn't fly up the wall. In fact, she was certain it would startle the guards, and that would probably blacklist her among the Leaf shinobi. It'd cause Amari a whole bunch of trouble.

Humming a single, low note, she rocked back onto her heels and quickly sprang onto her tippy toes, the momentum nearly enough for a small hop. Then, reluctantly, she lowered onto her heels again.

Ugghhh. The suspense was killing her. She just wanted to take a tiny peek over the precipice of the wall. Really, that was it. She'd just fly up, see what the Leaf Village looked like, see Hokage Mountain and if it was really as big as Naruto said, and sort of compare it all to the Waterfall. Then she'd come right back down. Promise.

…Okay, that wasn't it. She really wanted to try and see where Amari was. Some older guy with scars on his face and black hair pulled back in a high ponytail had retrieved her newest friend for the big meeting. A sort of mission debrief and fight for her, Chōmei, and Karin's protection.

And knowing that was not helping her curiosity. Like, at all.

Fū puffed her cheek out in a pout, still swaying back and forth. Heels, then toes, then heels again. Back and forth. Sometimes springing up quickly, but always pulling herself back at the last moment.

Why couldn't she go with Amari? If she was fighting for their safety, she wanted to be there fighting, too.

Besides, she could totally make a good impression. She made the best first impressions, you know. She proved that with Amari, her friends, and Karin, right? She could do the same with the Hokage and whoever else was there. It'd be a cinch!

"I'll be back as soon as I finish this troublesome meeting. Until then, please stay with Karin and the others," she recalled Amari's parting words.

It wouldn't take long to scale the wall. It'd just be a harmless peek…

"Ughhhhh!" Fū let out a miserable groan and flopped down onto her back.

From the ground the peak of the wall seemed even farther away than before. But the needling curiosity slowly faded, like the pins and needles sensation she got whenever she napped too long on one side and her arm fell asleep because of it.

Fū exhaled a frustrated, resigned and, admittedly, childish sigh.

She was definitely not the most patient person. Shibuki used to scold her all the time for giving in to impulses. And for her flickering attention span.

"You're too impulsive, Fū," he would say. "You need to always consider— hey, wait a minute! We're not through training yet!"

Fū squeezed her eyes shut tightly. A faint and wistful smile tugged at her lips, but she shoved the memory away, after hugging it as tightly as she could, like hugging a favored childhood toy before putting it away in a trunk for later.

It was frustrating to wait. But…this was important to Amari. She really wanted to protect them—her, Chōmei, and Karin. She wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.

Fū wasn't stupid. She could see how far out of her way Amari was going to protect them; this stranger, this foreigner, this girl who Shibuki entrusted her to had damaged her eye on their behalf against that Akatsuki guy, she was putting herself at risk against her own Village now.

All for them.

Fū didn't want to make it harder. She didn't want to cause Amari a bigger headache, not over something like curiosity when, if all went well, she would see the inside of the Village, the Hokage Mountain, and Amari's house all in one day. And then she'd have a chance to make more friends than before. She'd have something like home.

Something like what Shibuki tried to give her. Tried to be for her.

For him and Amari, she'd stay on her best behavior.

Still, Fū gazed at the blue sky, I wonder how it will go. I wonder what's going to happen after all of this.

What did the future hold for her? For Karin? Now that the Stone was set on waging war with the Land of Fire, what did that mean for all of them?

Fū could only wait and wonder.

And hope everything went well.

---

Along the staircase coiling around the body of Hokage Tower, Amari ascended with her uncle at a leisurely pace, the two Nara's took their time to discuss what awaited them at the end of their walk. Also because she was exhausted.

The motion to climb was unconscious, yet arduous all the same. She could feel herself on the verge of sweating again. Her thighs were definitely filled with lead, a fire was burning in her calves, sharp needles pricked her aching feet from her toes to her heels. Worst of all, some idiot long ago decided,

"You know what would be a great idea: Let's have the Hokage's office near the top floor, that way, after embarking on taxing missions, our shinobi will have to climb a long flight of stairs to deliver their reports."

Amari didn't bother to groan, no matter how troublesome it was. She focused on the next stair and all the stairs that followed. She focused on their objectives for the battle quickly approaching.

Every stair they climbed was one step closer to the inevitable. From the gates to these stairs, and eventually the halls of the tower ahead, they marched towards a battle not waged with shining steel or visceral violence, but with carefully chosen words and the invisible, intangible power of political influence.

A battle, of course, where she would willingly cast off her feathered cloak of shadows and finally stand face to face with the Foundation leader.

Finally she would see the face of the man who had poisoned Shisui, the man who had orchestrated the Uchiha Massacre, the man who had some hand in the murder of her parents, and the man she had been hidden from since that fateful day.

He was a man they would one day bring to justice. A man, mortal and fallible, who skittered around in the darkness like a rat, spreading disease and sickness as he greedily feasted off any scrap of power he could nibble into.

Some, like Sasuke, wanted to burn him and his Foundation to ashes. After all, burning away the disease was a natural reaction. One, Amari had to admit, she harbored herself.

Others, like her uncle, while harboring desires to kill the man, would control his emotions in order to deconstruct their enemy and his organization meticulously. Eliminating the cause of the disease—the rats—wasn't enough on its own. While important, they also needed to create a vaccination for the virus the rats were spreading to prevent any chance of reemergence.

All in due time, Amari thought as she climbed the stairs, attired in the sweaty, blood-splattered clothes and gear she'd been wearing since she first set foot in the Waterfall. But that isn't the battle for today. As long as he doesn't try anything, at least. If he does…

Someone would kill him. Miss Anbu, her uncle, or Atsuko would end his life without a flicker of hesitation. Or, perhaps, his old bones would be ground to dust beneath Lady Tsunade's fists.

Who could say? It would depend on who got their hands, feathers, swords, or shadows on him first.

I'd be rooting for everyone, she thought in grim humor. But no real point in getting my hopes up. From everything I've learned, he's not an impulsive moron.

Based on all she had heard, the Foundation leader was the kind of man to play a longer game. He was patient, methodical, not swayed by reckless impulse or emotion; he was too cold and calculating for that.

He wouldn't act while the Hokage, the Jōnin Commander, the Head of the Crows, and an Anbu agent were between him and his goal.

I'd almost be disappointed if he proved me wrong.

Almost. But not quite.

"They may try to antagonize you. Rile you up. Provoke you into reacting emotionally," her uncle reminded calmly. "It's a drag. But it's all apart of the dirty game of politics. Raise your voice and they will scold you as a child. You will lose ground—standing within the political sphere as the Head of a Clan. Your age and their prejudice for the Uchiha will worsen the damage that causes, which you cannot afford in this first encounter.

"To achieve your objectives in an indisputable victory, as you seek, hold yourself to the highest standard you can imagine."

"Would presenting myself like Lady Mito help?"

Her uncle nodded. "Yes. She is a perfect example of how you must present yourself under their scrutiny."

"It's sort of a drag," she said, frowning and picking at her tangled and dirty hair. Some strands, she noticed, scrunching her nose, were matted together by dry blood. "I'm all gross and unkempt," she complained. "At least with Lord Hiashi I had a chance to bathe and look the part of a Clan Head."

"Frankly, this is a mission debrief, so your appearance isn't an important factor, as it was with Lord Hiashi. They know the perilous position you found yourself in, they know what it is like to be shinobi, even if their appearances don't suggest that.

"Additionally, meeting the Elders and letting them voice their thoughts as advisors is a formality. Nothing more. Lady Hokage has the final say on what happens. Besides," her uncle added, "from the perspective of cold calculation, you brought us back a war asset that they wouldn't risk shoving out into the world. Your appearance, or how it makes you feel, is not among their concerns. They seek only to gain control over a powerful asset."

Amari frowned, lowering her hands back to her sides.

"She isn't a war asset."

"No. She's a person, just like Naruto. Just like you and I, and all of our comrades. Yet we are also soldiers, which makes us all war assets. We're all apart of the Leaf Village's military might," he reminded.

"Mm," she hummed lowly, pursing her lips. "I get it. I don't like thinking of it that way, but I understand the reality of it."

"In this situation, you must keep in mind how your adversaries think in order to counter their most unreasonable demands. That will bring you closer to your indisputable victory."

"Right."

They had started reviewing strategies as soon as they entered the gates. Now, it seemed, they were in the final preparations. He'd begun offering seasoned reminders from one Clan Head to another. Or, rather, from a protective and wise uncle to his less experienced and emotional niece.

Crossing a landing, they started up the next flight of stairs. Amari withheld a groan. God, she was so done with walking. And running. And just…everything today. She just wanted to go home, take a shower, and sleep.

One more battle to go. Then you can rest. Then you can process everything. Until this is over…

Amari took a breath and pulled her shoulders back, straightening her posture. It lasted only a moment or two before her shoulders slowly collapsed inwards again. She was too tired to fight it.

Until this is over, everything I experienced will stay under lock and key. At least until we finish this stupid formality with stupider old people.

She couldn't wait for the day to end. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

God, she needed tomorrow to be better.

"You have influence, you have our support, but every political encounter you face in these early days will either build or damage your reputation by significant margins," her uncle said. "Harsh as it is, until you have a few decades under your belt, and more political goodwill, you'll be walking on egg shells."

"I know," she sighed. "Being an Uchiha has already cracked those egg shells, too. It's such a pain."

"With the Elders that is true," he replied. "However, that influence remains untainted to the eyes of the rest of the Leaf. Presently, they cannot diminish it in any capacity. Rather, they cannot risk diminishing it."

"How come?"

"Were they to change the narrative the Village knows of the Massacre, it would lead to unsavory questions. Questions they wouldn't want asked. By civilians or by the Clans."

She sensed her uncle's eyes narrow. "After all, what if several major Clans pull their support for the Hokage and the Elders? What if, in their horror of the truth, they decide the only possible remedy is to remove all of those involved from power and install a new Hokage and new Elders? What if, in their new distrust of the current leadership, they decide to leave the Leaf as we now stand at the beginning of a war?"

Amari felt her pulse quicken. "That's… Those are frightening scenarios, Uncle Shikaku. You're talking about a coup of such size and magnitude… The entire Village would collapse."

"That is the power of united Clans, 'Risu," her uncle stated emphatically. "The Village System brought together warring Clans. It is from those gathered shinobi the Leaf now draws its military might. It is our children we now send into war for the Leaf's future.

"So, if the Leaf's leadership threatens those very Clans existence, why would they continue to support the Village? If stepping out of line after consistent years of sabotage leads those in power to wipe out the very Clan they were sabotaging, are we truly safer in the Leaf than we were in the Warring States?"

"Do you…" Amari hesitated. "…Do you think it will come to something like that?"

"We will do everything in our power to prevent it. But if you and Sasuke were to be killed…"

Since becoming a shinobi Amari had seen the more serious side of her uncle a few times. However, at that moment, his expression became twisted by grim resolution, his aura darkened, devouring the light of his Will of Fire in cold shadows, leaving only a desolate wasteland scarred by wars. It was a place—a person—where no new life, light, or hope could ever grow again.

Chills shot down Amari's spine. Her hands, she realized, were trembling. Her heart rate was elevated, and each pulse felt like a mallet against her chest. Her heart spasmed in her throat.

This feeling… I know this feeling…

I'm afraid.

For the first time in her life, in that moment, she feared her uncle. She feared the man he could become, the man shoved past his breaking point, past a pronounced line in the sand from which he could not and would not ever be able to turn back from.

In that moment she glimpsed the shinobi behind her loving, laid back uncle. Not a Leaf shinobi—just a shinobi. A fractured but determined man who had lost a sister, a brother-in-law, a nephew, and a niece to the Village they'd all loved, they'd all sacrificed for, and the Village they sought to protect from a coup.

In that moment, it was as though she could see into an alternate world—perhaps she was.

Too afraid to consider if they were memories of the other Haya, or merely her terrible imagination gripping her, she witnessed in her mind's eye a world wholly different from her own—a world where this man, this heartbroken man filled with darkness, was the catalyst of change.

He was the hero and the villain. The savior and the executioner.

It was a world where her loving, laid back uncle ceased to be. A world where she and Sasuke were slain by the Foundation, a world where Shikaku's Will of Fire, like their lives, was snuffed out. Never to burn again.

By crossing one line too far, the sharpest mind in the Leaf, the Jōnin Commander, their chief strategist, she witnessed in her mind's eye, would then orchestrate and lead a civil war unlike any seen in history before. It would be swift and bloody, for the Foundation and their allies would not die without fighting, but against the might of the united Clan's they would pose an insignificant challenge.

Shikaku had already predicted all of their moves.

At its end, the man that caused her fear would eliminate the entire Foundation and the Elders, and for the latter he would do it as slowly as he could, drawing out their agony so they might feel a fraction of the suffering they had inflicted.

Although he knew in his heart their deaths wouldn't bring them back, it would ensure the Leaf never again raised a hand against its own.

For decades his actions would be a reminder to the leaderships that followed that the power of the Leaf came from its united Clans, and if they spurned them, they would turn that might against the leadership and wipe the slate clean, if necessary. Even if it meant shedding blood.

What was a little more blood, after all, in a world that demanded they sacrifice their own children to war?

Amari quivered visibly. The world shuddered away and the staircase returned; she was still climbing despite the horrifying thought or memory—she wasn't sure which it was.

"We won't be," she quickly assured, clenching her trembling hands into fists, if only to make them stop. "We won't be eliminated. That won't happen."

"I know," he replied, and the man she glimpsed vanished. The dark aura and fear drifted off like smoke on the wind.

Amari hoped she never witnessed it again.

"Of course, the current Hokage wouldn't truly lose support; Lady Tsunade bears no responsibility for the actions of the previous leadership," he explained. "The only ones at risk of losing power, in such a frightening scenario, as you say, are the Elders. And they know that. They can't risk altering the narrative of the Massacre to damage the Uchiha Clan's reputation. Not presently, anyway."

"But some day they may."

"Some day they may," Shikaku nodded once. "Yet by the time that day comes, you will have already built a new reputation under your new leadership, just as Lady Hokage is building a reputation of her own as Hokage, separate and distinguished from those that came before you."

Amari promised herself to build that reputation. She swore that dark future she glimpsed would never come to pass.

At the next landing they entered the tower. They proceeded into the relatively quiet hallway, sparsely populated by shinobi on the move.

A member of the Intelligence Division was skimming over a document as they walked; another member jogged up and fell in step beside them. An adult Akimichi she didn't recognize was debriefing a young squad, likely two or four years her senior, pausing only to greet Shikaku with a warm and wide smile. Two separate administrative assistants hurried between the shinobi, their missions of equal importance to keep the well-oiled machine maintained and organized.

"Remember, you are acting as a Clan Head in this meeting," her uncle continued as they passed the large double-doors of the Hokage's office and made their way to a private meeting room. "No matter what they say, no matter what you feel, you mustn't react emotionally. You cannot give the slightest inclination their words have an effect on you."

"I'll do my best."

"Don't overthink it," Shikaku calmed. "It's just a mission debrief. Report the facts, stay on point, and use your advantages when they'll be most effective. And don't forget, you won't be alone in there. Atsuko and I will both be present at all times."

Amari nodded to herself. Knowing that actually kept her calmer than she expected to be, now so close to actually speaking face to face with the Elders.

It wouldn't be a three against one conversation against the Elders like her one on one with Lord Hiashi, but a four on three conversation in her favor, if she included the Hokage.

As long as she kept to their strategy and kept her emotions in check, it would be a quick and relatively painless conversation. Little more than a mission debrief and a face to face introduction to the enemy she'd only heard spoken of in a roundabout way since Shisui first mentioned him.

When they finally reached the door to the meeting room, her uncle looked at her, asking with his silent expression if she was ready to proceed. Amari shut her eye, inhaled, then exhaled.

No turning back. No more hiding.

She opened her eye and nodded to her uncle. He raised his hand to the door then knocked on it twice before drawing the door back, allowing her to step through past the point of no return.

It didn't take more than a glance to find the Hokage or the Elders. They were seated in a booth on the right side of the spacious office, the Hokage and Shizune on one side and the three Elders seated together opposite of them. Atsuko perched on top of the booth seat, beside the Hokage.

The door slid shut behind Amari. Her uncle walked past her, taking the lead again.

Amari followed behind, already noting the appearance of the Foundation leader among the group. She recognized Koharu and Homura from the Third Hokage's funeral, they had eulogized him and the shinobi to fall during the battle.

The third man, however, notable by his black hair and the bandages covering his right eye and the x-shaped scar on his chin, was a stranger.

Although it could not be seen, there was no doubt in her mind the blood of her family and Clan soaked his hands. It dripped off them even now, as fresh as the day of the massacre.

"It was the three of them who desired the eradication of the Uchiha Clan. And it was them who ordered Itachi to slay his Clan and spare only his little brother, or die alongside them."

Amari quickly silenced the voice of the Masked Man. Thinking of his honeyed words now of all times would only hurt her chances of successfully attaining an indisputable victory.

At their approach, the Fifth Hokage nodded her head in greeting and rose out of the booth.

"Ah, Shikaku, Amaririsu. There you are."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Hokage," Shikaku apologized.

"It's nothing," she waved it off. "You weren't gone that long."

The Hokage approached Amari. The young girl began to bow her head, only for the Fifth Hokage's gentle and strong hand to rest against her forehead, abruptly halting her movement. The soothing green hue of Medical Ninjutsu emanated from her palm.

"Your favoring your arm. Any injuries you want to fess up to before I find them?" the Hokage asked.

"No. It's just a muscle cramp. It's about gone now."

"Mm."

The hue faded a moment later as the Diagnostic Jutsu ended.

"We'll do a more thorough check later."

You mean a vision check. I'm really not looking forward to that.

Lady Tsunade then gently ruffled her hair. "I'm glad you made it back in one piece, Amaririsu."

"As am I," Atsuko said.

"I'm glad to be home. It's been a long few days," Amari sighed softly.

"We'll do our best to keep this brief so you can rest," Lady Tsunade assured.

She couldn't wait to sleep. That her exhaustion provided a real excuse to keep the Elders from poking and prodding for too long made it even better.

"Now then," the Hokage half-turned to have her and the Elders in sight, placing a hand on her hip, "you've never been formally introduced to the Leaf Village's Elders, have you?"

"No, ma'am."

"All right. These are Homura Mitokado," she gestured to the old man with glasses, and then the woman with a hair needle pierced through two buns, "Koharu Utatane, and Danzō Shimura," she ended on the Foundation leader, the only one who hadn't bothered to look her way.

"Greetings," Amari bowed respectfully. And go to hell.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Amaririsu," Koharu greeted. "Although we wish it were under better circumstances."

"We've heard your name a great deal since your battle in the final round of the Chūnin Exams," Homura said, nodding in agreement. "Yours and Mimi Inuzuka's exhibition, in addition to your acts to aid the evacuation and stop the One-Tails jinchūriki, proved the Leaf's next generation of shinobi are blooming, as Hiruzen believed."

"We'll do our best to continue to prove Lord Third's faith in us wasn't misplaced," Amari said, bowing slightly in gratitude for Lord Third's faith. She doubted they felt the same; in fact, their past skepticism was clear to hear despite its subtlety.

"I am certain Hiruzen would be pleased to see how far you children have come since the Invasion," Koharu said.

"Before his death, he made it clear he wished for you, Mimi Inuzuka, and Shikamaru Nara to receive promotions," Homura followed. "He believed the three of you were ready to take on roles of leadership. Truth be told, he believed you were already inhabiting those roles. He was certain each of you would rise to the occasion to lead your generation through the years to come."

"Out of curiosity, is that why you argued against their promotion?" Tsunade drawled as she returned to her seat. "Because Sarutobi-sensei believed in them?"

Amari nearly choked on her own spit at the effortless jab the Hokage threw. The sight of their glares made the corners of her lips itch with a yearning to rise. And god, was it so hard to keep down.

Atsuko made no such effort. She hummed a soft, elegant laugh, but offered no cutting remark of her own. Shizune squeezed her eyes shut and visibly fought back a sigh; she looked like she was trapped in the midst of war zone and was barely managing to hold on.

Her uncle maintained a neutral expression.

I guess we're drawing lines in the sand early, huh, she wanted to ask him.

Knowing her uncle, he would have sighed and said something like, "Looks that way. How troublesome."

It took an even greater effort not to snort at the thought.

"The Invasion complicated our situation," Koharu argued. "Offering promotions to three young children after such an incident, regardless of Hiruzen's belief, felt reckless. How could we be certain they were ready for what their roles would entail if conflict continued with the Sand and Sound Villages?"

"Easy. You could've actually read their mission reports, spoken to their proctors, observed their training, and spoke to their Sensei's. Then you could've tested them. It's what I did," Tsunade replied.

"We wanted to make an informed decision. Hiruzen's fondness for the children of the Leaf could have potentially obscured his judgement," Homura argued calmly.

"First step to making an informed decision is actually gathering information on the subject at hand. It isn't burying your heads in the sand and letting kids like Amaririsu, Mimi, and Shikamaru flounder aimlessly as Genin for several more years unnecessarily."

Lady Tsunade's haymaker of truth caused Koharu to flatten her wrinkled lips in a disapproving frown. Clearly they weren't meant to have this particular discussion in front of her.

It's almost as if Lady Hokage wants me to know their true feelings instead of their pleasant façades, Amari mused.

"This conversation is leading us nowhere," her uncle decided for the group. "Promotions have already been given. So far all three have proven they're prepared to lead their comrades, on and off the battlefield.

"Right now, our main priority needs to be learning what we can about the Stone's forces from the individuals with firsthand experience. Starting here and now with one of our own, and then later with the Waterfall and Grass shinobi presently sitting outside our walls."

"Indeed," Danzō Shimura agreed, dipping his chin once. "Let's not waste time debating amongst ourselves over past decisions. Koharu, Homura, I understand your hesitation, but although Hiruzen had an unmatched fondness for the next generation, his keen eye for talent has proven itself to us once again through the three young shinobi he gave his blessing to before his death.

"Were it not for that judgement, many of the recent major incidents we endured would have weakened the Leaf's perceived capabilities. Those three have found themselves at the center of each of these incidents, such as Orochimaru's attempt to kidnap Sasuke Uchiha, the traitor Mizuki's prison break, and more recently the invasion of a foreign continent we only learned of as a result of the Crows unrivaled spy network and the alliance Amaririsu Yūhi herself secured in the Land of Tea with the Wasabi Family. We cannot dispute that."

"I suppose you are right, Danzō."

"Our true enemy has already positioned itself on our border. Shikaku is right. We must learn all we can from a shinobi with firsthand experience. Fortunately, despite the unfortunate circumstances she found herself in, Amaririsu Yūhi has successfully returned to the Leaf. Let us learn all we can from her. It is only then we can make an informed decision." He directed a self-satisfied smile to the Hokage. "Isn't that right, Princess Tsunade?"

Lady Tsunade looked like she wanted to catch the sound waves of that nickname and smash them down his throat, pulverizing his skull with her inhuman strength.

"Right," she grunted.

"Where should I begin?" Amari asked, hoping to cut straight to the point so she could finally get home to a shower and bed.

"We'll start from what you found at the inn," Lady Tsunade directed.

And with that, under the scrutiny of the Elders, the debrief began.

---

They were surrounded.

Sitting on the grass, wrapped in a blanket as the sun crawled towards the horizon, Karin shut her eyes. She ducked her chin into her chest in an effort to somehow make herself smaller, small enough to be invisible to the shinobi surrounding them.

The shadows invisible to the naked eye weren't like the other Leaf shinobi. Their chakras were like a void—frighteningly empty, cold, and emotionless. It felt like reaching out to a sentient sword and drawing her fingers over its sharpened edge, only to feel the sudden sharp sting of pain as it split open flesh.

Their chakra is horrible, Karin shivered. Why are they here? Who are they? What do they want? Am I the only one who can sense them?

Shino, Naruto, and Ino were standing guard around her and Fū, however she could tell the latter two Leaf shinobi were more or less relaxed already now that they were huddled together outside the Leaf's walls.

As usual, Shino was more difficult to read; he never seemed at anything less than attention, yet he also was cool, calm and collected at all times.

Fū was lying spread-eagled beside her, eyes shut, perhaps napping. Or maybe she was just relaxing. It beat the antsy pacing, the bored groaning, and million questions she already tried to fill the silence, but…could she or the Seven-Tails sense the people?

Could the Jōnin like Anko feel the eyes on them?

Who were they? What were they after?

"However, the Leaf isn't without its flaws. It isn't without its darkness or its scheming politicians. Some will see your abilities as useful for the war."

Karin hugged her knees to her chest and buried her forehead into her knees.

Were these the people Amaririsu was fighting against? The darkness within the Leaf that saw someone like her and Fū as tools or threats?

Were they here to capture them? To kill them while Amaririsu was away?

"Karin."

She nearly jumped out of her skin at Shino's calm voice. Head snapping up, she looked to the Aburame. He had his pointer finger extended out, a buzzing insect was slowly descending towards it. He didn't look away from the insect when he spoke next.

"Everything is under control," he stated calmly, and she was ready to believe him. "Trust in Amaririsu. Trust in us."

Shino knew about the new shinobi. He didn't need to say it implicitly, he didn't need her to tell him what she sensed. He saw the signs in her body language. He had his insects already searching for the shadows long before they appeared, because he, too, knew of the darkness of the Leaf.

"Yeah, you've got nothing to worry about," Naruto said. He jabbed his thumb out at her and grinned. "That's a Naruto Uzumaki guarantee. And once I promise something, I never go back on it. No matter what!"

"You'd melt a girl's heart if you weren't such an idiot," Ino said, placing a hand on her hip.

Naruto recoiled, then slouched in frustration. He made a face. "C'mon, are you ever going to let that go?"

"Would you let it go if I said a girl was more handsome than you?"

"I would if you were concussed!"

"That's not an excuse!"

"How is that not an excuse? I can't even remember talking to you!"

"But it's how you really feel, isn't it? You think this Haku boy is prettier than me and Sakura."

"Ughh," he groaned, rubbing his temples. "Why is that the part you're so hung up on? Shikamaru said I called you and Sakura the prettiest girls in the Academy—and you two were. But I say one dumb thing and you totally ignore the compliment and flake out about the stupid thing."

She jabbed an accusatory finger at him. "I refuse to believe a boy is somehow prettier than me and Sakura!"

"If you actually knew him you'd get why I thought that," he grumbled, lowering his hands. "He could totally pass as a girl without makeup, a Transformation Jutsu or anything."

"Pft! Get real. I've never known a boy who could do that."

"Didn't Sakura agree with me?"

"She was just teasing me," she brushed him off with a flippant wave of her hand. "She was trying to rile me up and protect you. It worked, too."

"Trying to protect me? Are we talking about the same Sakura?" Naruto crossed his arms, skepticism crossing his face. "Don't get me wrong. Sakura is my friend and teammate, and we get along really well now; we'd do anything for each other on the battlefield. But she would totally pulverize me for saying something stupid.

"Actually—wait, that's right!" His eyes lit up. It was his turn to point a finger at Ino. "She just tried to do that on our last mission! Amari had to hold her back and everything. Sooo…" He drew the word out, lowered his hand, then shrugged. "Maybe she was serious that time?"

"No. No. No!" Ino brought her arms up to form an X-shape. "Absolutely not! There is absolutely no way Sakura believes this Haku boy is that pretty."

Karin was so focused on watching their debate, head shifting back and forth, she forgot about the dark shadows surrounding them.

This is the strangest argument I have ever heard…

"Oookay," Naruto rolled his eyes. "But why would I lie about something like that? Do you know how embarrassing that sounds—its super embarrassing to even talk about it now, you know! Still, it would've been so much easier to research the Sexy Jutsu if I could pull that off…"

Fū snorted beside her. Then broke into a fit of giggles.

"Sexy Jutsu? Hehehe! That is the best jutsu name ever!" she snickered, lifting her head back and opening her eyes to look at Naruto. "What does it look like? C'mon, you've gotta show us!"

"Ehhh…"

Naruto took a hesitant step back. To where he intended to retreat, Karin wasn't sure. He glanced around, as if expecting someone to appear and attack at the mere mention of the technique.

"Maybe another time, Fū," he said. "It's a, uh, pretty effective and dangerous jutsu. And there are a lot of potential victims here."

"Perverts, you mean," Ino grunted.

"He's not wrong, though," Shino piped in. "From what I've heard, it bested the Third Hokage and Master Jiraiya of the Sannin. No matter its nature, the jutsu is clearly powerful, effective, and dangerous. Against a certain group of individuals, anyway."

"Again. Perverts."

"Anyway, there's nothing to worry about," Naruto switched the subject. "We've got you covered. Those Grass guys and anyone else won't hurt either of you. Trust us."

Karin was trying to.

---

The debrief was proceeding as ordinarily as any other.

Starting from the ambush at the roadside inn, Amari detailed the events of the mission and the Intel she acquired in chronological order, pausing only to elaborate further or postulate on a matter of importance, such as troop estimates based on the number of corpses she'd seen, and made, whenever her superiors desired it.

Reciting it all, again, it almost didn't feel real. Amari knew it was. She felt herself balancing on the edge of present and past as she recounted the events, at times nearly slipping back into a world of fear, combat, and death.

It was real. Terribly real. Yet they all spoke of it as some distant thing, a vague shape of such unknowable size, depth, and proportion, it was essentially fantasy. No more real than a genjutsu of a utopian society.

They spoke of it like any ordinary mission, as if it wasn't a war. Like it wasn't less than twenty-four hours ago that she was running for her life, hounded by Stone and Waterfall shinobi in numbers they couldn't fight. Couldn't defeat. Couldn't push back over the border into their own Nation.

All they could do was retreat, leaving the Waterfall and its people in the control of another Nation and the puppet government they installed.

"There was no way we could defeat them," she recalled Kakashi's voice, and the guilt laced into it, lingering on years later after he had escaped the Land of Snow with the Princess.

"We had to keep running. We had to get away."

So had they. There was no other choice, for him back then, or for her in the present.

Amari kept her expression neutral. She didn't clench her hands into fists, nor did she bother to straighten her slightly hunched posture. Her weary eyes, dry skin and matted hair, clumped together by blood, didn't even bother her.

It didn't bother the Elders, the Hokage, Shizune, Atsuko, or her uncle, either. Their discussion went unimpeded by her gross appearance or state of exhaustion.

It required a great effort to keep it that way, to stay focused, on point, and out of the past, who's cold hands grasped at her sore calves and aching ankles, trying to pull her off the precarious edge of reality and memory, of present and past, so she might drown in the bottomless sea of blood churning below her.

She didn't want anyone to sense her dark thoughts, least of all her broken heart. She didn't want to appear weak. Couldn't afford to. She could only keep running, just as she had from the Stone and Waterfall shinobi, leaving behind a Nation of innocents in their clutches.

There was no way we could defeat them, she repeated Kakashi's words, expression deprived of nearly all emotion.

There was nothing she could do. Nothing at all. And yet she felt the same guilt. She understood Kakashi's feelings more intimately than ever before. For the loss of Shibuki, who she'd been too late to save, as her Sensei was too late to save Princess Koyuki's father, and for the Nation she couldn't do anything for.

She could do nothing except flee. She could do nothing except protect a handful of shinobi loyal to Shibuki, and the young girl he sacrificed his life for. The kunoichi who, Amari believed, would one day help them take back the Waterfall. Just as Princess Koyuki returned to take her rightful place on the throne.

In a just world, this familiar story wouldn't have to follow these tired beats over and over again, she thought. In a just world we wouldn't even be speaking of this war today. Yet here we are. Talking about it like its totally normal.

I want to go home. I want this day to end.

Amari exhaled imperceptibly. She buckled down the feeling and pushed on.

There was no other choice.

After going over Shibuki's death and regrouping with the Waterfall shinobi, their discussion turned to the grim theory that the Stone's true forces had yet to enter the battlefield. That all those she'd seen, fought, killed, and escaped from were merely conscripts, gung-ho and green as grass recruits, and mercenaries looking to cash in on the war. It left the Hokage and Elders visibly troubled.

Lady Tsunade tapped her finger roughly on the wooden table, silent as she digested all of the information; she had been briefed on the main points by Shikaku and Atsuko earlier, but the more intimate details were new. And worrisome.

Her uncle was neutral, standing with his arms crossed. He had already heard most of the details through their discussions via the Chakra Transmission Communication Devices and Atsuko's reports. He was focused on the reactions of the others, all as he considered their next step.

Koharu's lips flattened together, head lowering as she considered the events. Homura hummed once to himself, a question already forming within his mind.

Danzō, Amari noted, was impossible to read. He reminded her of a veteran shogi player; every move, every question, everything about him was calculated and cold.

Shizune looked worried. She had bitten her lip a few times, looking like she had questions, but knew here and now wasn't the time to ask them. Not while the enemy was before them. Atsuko was silent on her perch, listening intently.

"Do you believe the Stone's forces within the Grass were conscripts as well?" Homura finally asked.

"From what Miss Anko and her unit told me, that's how it sounds," Amari answered, nodding once grimly. "It's reasonable to believe they held back their elite shinobi and primary forces. They're probably the ones they distracted us with, the ones they stationed on the border with the Grass.

"Meanwhile they greased the palms of the easily corruptible, gathered rogues and traitors to the Waterfall, hired mercenaries, and sent their 'expendable' conscripts en masse to install their puppet government, intending to secure the Nation as quietly as possible.

"Then, utilizing their new strategic position, I'd say they filtered in those same forces into the Grass to perform a similar silent coup, relying on spies to gather Intel and locate traitors, rogues, and mercenaries willing to overthrow the Grass and hand it over to the Stone. Likely in exchange for money, promotions, or influence.

"However, this is only speculation," she explained, making a small, unconscious gesture with her hand. "It's possible these conscripts, mercenaries and the like make up the bulk of their forces. That's the more optimistic possibility."

"It is possible," her uncle concurred. "For now, we should expect and prepare for the worst until we learn more. I suspect it won't be long before we do, if the Stone decides to abandon subterfuge for a more direct approach, as they have in the past."

"These tactics to overthrow the Waterfall and Grass are unlike the Stone of the last war," Koharu noted, worried. "Are we certain the Third Tsuchikage maintains control over their Nation?"

"The Stone shinobi my Shadow Clone encountered spoke of the Third Tsuchikage as if he was alive," Amari offered.

"You won't be so bold when you face the Tsuchikage."

Beneath the eyelashes of her half-lidded eye, the onyx orb darkened for a brief moment.

The Stone shinobi's accusatory eyes absorbed her vision. She could see his bloodied and broken face in intimate detail, see him writhing helplessly, weak as a newborn caught in the teeth of a hungry wolf.

His screams and howls burst to the front of her mind. Next, the scent of blood, of burnt clothes and flesh filtered into her nose, and she was there again, standing in the forest surrounded by combat. The piercing cries of metal left her ears ringing, red sparks and blood rained from the canopy, and over the drumming of her heart she heard the shouts and screams of shinobi fighting. And dying.

She was there again, looming over his bloodied corpse.

Amari could only stare at it in contempt.

Maybe, maybe not. But you won't be there to see it.

"Their change of tactics could mean they have a new Jōnin Commander in charge of their forces," her uncle theorized, drawing her from the darkness. "Or, perhaps, they learned from their substantial defeats in the final battles of the last war. It was likely their intention to catch us off guard completely."

"An effort they nearly succeeded in, were it not for Shibuki's attempt to contact us," Danzō agreed.

"It is unfortunate he perished," Koharu said. "His final act reminds me of Lord Second's sacrifice. And Hiruzen's."

"Mm," Homura hummed. "Yes. It can be said the true mark of a shinobi is witnessed not in how they live, but in how they die. Shibuki was a man worthy of his title. It is unfortunate he could not be saved."

"And yet he may prove more useful to us in death," Danzō said. "We can use him as a means to rally the Waterfall under our banner. Once that is done, we will have our own foothold within their Nation."

Amari bristled. Her shoulders pulled back, her spine straightened. She couldn't clench her fists or her jaw, she couldn't reveal how his cold statement, his callous remark about a man—a person worthy of respect and decency—being more useful to them dead instead of alive ignited a terrible fire in her belly.

The fire, black and malignant, swirled into an inferno quicker than she could control. It demanded to turn him into a corpse. Right here. Right now. Damn the consequences. Damn them all for this stupid war, for this stupid meeting, for the pointless suffering their warmongering caused, and the stupid burden it forced her to bear.

She couldn't act on it. She couldn't reveal that dark feeling. Not here. Not now.

Instead, Amari calmly turned her head to Atsuko.

"Atsuko, may I ask a favor from you and your agents?" she asked, perfectly calm. Perfectly in control.

It wasn't without effort.

"Always, Young Amari. How may we aid you?"

I won't let this bastard use you as his personal tool, Shibuki, Amari promised. And I will not let him use you for his own imperialistic, warmongering desires.

"Shibuki's greatest fear was the people and children of his Nation suffering under Suien's cruel reign. He never wanted them to be caught in this war. Most of all, he regretted he could not be there to lead them. To fight beside them, shoulder to shoulder, to take back every inch of their Nation until it was free once more."

"I hope you do not intend to ask the Crows to take back his Nation for him," Danzō mused. "It would be a childish request. For all their strength, Atsuko's agents are not capable of freeing a Nation on their own. In truth, it will be some time before the Leaf will be in any position to free the Waterfall. So though it is unfortunate, his people will have to endure this Suien's rule, for now."

Just shut up, she wanted to say. Shut your damn mouth. I can't stand your voice. I can't stand you're presence. Your very existence pisses me off.

She said nothing. She never had a chance to.

"For as long as I've known her, Young Amari has never been an imbecile, Danzō," Atsuko replied politely, and yet so sharply, Amari was certain the Foundation leader should have been bleeding out on the floor. "She has never made an unreasonable request of me or my agents, or wasted our time or resources with them; I say that not as a companion, but as the Head of the Crows."

The Crow didn't bother to look at him, either, which only made her retort, polite as it sounded, cut deep enough to sever several arteries. He was beneath her, she said without ever saying it. And he had no say or authority over her, her agents, or any request Amari made.

The frown on his lips made it clear he heard that unspoken statement loud and clear.

Amari wanted to hug her companion then and there.

"Now then," Atsuko said, dismissing him, "what is your request, Young Amari? Or would it be more appropriate to ask what you promised Shibuki? I trust it is far more tangible than retaking a Nation, no?" she added with amusement.

Amari smiled slightly. "Far more tangible. And you're right," she nodded as she spoke, "I did make promises to Shibuki. One of those promises was ensuring he'd be remembered. It wasn't what either of us wanted, it wasn't how we wanted any of this; I believe had he survived, he would've been a staunch and powerful ally of the Leaf. Likely resulting in an Alliance our Nations would have upheld for generations."

So you can go to hell in saying he's more useful dead than alive, she wanted to say to the Foundation Leader. But didn't.

"Its our actions that we are remembered by," Amari said. "And I want to ensure his are never forgotten. Not by his comrades. And not by our shared enemies. Suien and the Stone sought to silent his dissenting voice.

"So, what I wish to ask is for us to amplify that voice across the shinobi world. If it's possible, I'd like Shibuki, the Hero of the Waterfall to be known by all who live in this world. I'd like his name to light the way for his people towards freedom and a return to neutrality and independence."

That way it can return to the Village Shibuki loved, she kept to herself. The Village he fought and sacrificed his life for. The Village that made that Sound kunoichi, a so-called Clan-less nobody, finally feel at home.

"I know it's a lot to ask," she added. "But it's all I could promise him."

"Ah, is that all?" Atsuko asked sincerely. "I expected a more daunting task. I am strangely disappointed."

"You…are?" Amari tilted her head. "Are you sure this isn't a big deal?"

"Young Amari, I fear you've forgotten the vast network I am in command of. I could create an identity for an S-rank criminal who does not exist and have their name known by all Five Kage's by sunrise tomorrow, if I wished to.

"I could even create a rumor about all Five Kage. Within a week the whole world would think the Raikage is a perverted fiend, the Hokage collects vintage dolls, the Tsuchikage enjoys the stench of cow manure, the Mizukage is a kleptomaniac, and the Fourth Kazekage still lives, if I so desired it."

Amari couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped her.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side, Atsuko."

"You have no fear of that, Young Amari," Atsuko reminded. "Information campaigns are our speciality. If you wish for Shibuki of the Waterfall's Will to live on within the hearts of all those we call allies, and for his name to haunt our enemies, then I will ensure it is done."

"Thank you, Atsuko," Amari bowed.

She was grateful. Keeping Shibuki's name and spirit alive, Amari believed, would be another blockade between the Foundation leader's desire to establish a political foothold within the Waterfall.

As long as the people remembered him, as long as they remembered what his Village and his leaderships was like, they wouldn't forfeit their Nation's independence to the Foundation or the Leaf.

To her ears, what Danzō wanted sounded suspiciously like installing his own version of a puppet government. The only difference was for the Leaf to seize control, instead of allowing the people to rule themselves, as they had for years.

Same intentions, different warmonger. He and the Tsuchikage would probably get along swimmingly.

"On the matter of Shibuki," her uncle began, directing his attention to Amari, "we should discuss the situation with Fū. We are all aware she contains within her the Seven-Tails. It cannot be understated what your success in evacuating her from the Waterfall has achieved for the Leaf."

"True," Lady Tsunade nodded, and there was a silent consensus among the Elders as well. "No one would have faulted you for retreating; its safe to say your D-rank mission turned into an A-rank. We could even argue it was an S-rank mission due to its significance in the war effort.

"Yet your stubborn decision to push on despite the dangers, your ability to improvise on the fly, and access to the Crows secured the Leaf on two fronts. First, it prevented the Stone from gaining a war asset in the Seven-Tails itself, since they would have discarded Fū for a compatible Stone shinobi.

"Second, and connected to the first point, we've gained two valuable advantages by rescuing Fū. One of those is a bond between the Leaf and Waterfall for the duration of this war, at the very least, gathering more allies to what will eventually be a coalition of shinobi standing against the Stone's attempt at an Empire. The other is Fū herself.

"I know your feelings on jinchūriki," she added. "We're of the same mind on that. Don't forget, my grandmother was the first jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, so trust me, I understand how you feel when it comes to Naruto, Gaara, and now Fū as well, if I had to guess. But, like it or not, they possess extraordinary power that, when they harness it, has the potential to shift the tide of important battles."

"I understand," Amari replied neutrally.

Arguing that they were more than assets, that every shinobi was more than a tool, served no purpose. And without the rage coursing through her, she was too tired to bother trying.

Besides, Lady Tsunade didn't need convincing, she felt the same way. But she was the Hokage and had to think as one.

Whether she liked it or not, as Hokage, Tsunade couldn't ignore the reality that Naruto and Fū would one day wield power capable of changing the tide of a war. It would be the equivalent of ignoring a vital shogi piece because she thought the writing was ugly on it; it'd handicap the Leaf while gifting an additional advantage to the enemy. And they couldn't afford to gift the Stone any more of those.

Eventually, Amari knew, Naruto, Fū and Gaara would likely be the shinobi they relied on to defeat the Stone's and Cloud's jinchūriki, if the Cloud decided to join the war. They alone were possibly the only three capable of fighting them on equal ground.

I can't shelter them, Amari thought. I can't coddle them and try to keep them safe from the reality of the burdens they've been forced to bear. Just as I can't be sheltered or coddled from my burdens. We have to face them. It's the only way we can get stronger. It's the only way we can change this world.

"Now," her uncle spoke up again before the Elders could input their thoughts or opinions, "I'd like for you to construct a personality profile for Fū. Specifically your impressions of her as a shinobi and as a person. Consider what you've learned of her mental stability, her strengths, weaknesses, her attitude, emotional state, abilities—anything that will give us a better understanding of who we are dealing with."

Amari brought a hand to her chin. Again she was amazed by how smooth her uncle was. He all but opened the door, and the floor, for her to make the necessary case for Fū to be assimilated into the Leaf, all on the pretense of learning more about a foreign shinobi—a jinchūriki.

By presenting a compelling case, as they had discussed before stepping foot into the office, they could potentially bring the Elders over to their way of thinking with minimal friction. They were already waiting and listening intently for what she would say next.

If all went well, they may be able to hold onto their advantages for another day. Another battle. But Amari had no qualms or fears of revealing her hand—or, more specifically, her heritage.

I won't let them hurt Fū, Shibuki. You have my word on that. I'll do everything in my power to protect her.

Again the claws of the past pulled her into the fog of a memory. Again she felt the rage flicker in her heart.

"So tell your Tsuchikage the Uchiha Clan still lives! You hear that, you bastards! Tell the Tsuchikage the Great-Great Granddaughter of Madara Uchiha lives! Tell him that I, Haya Uchiha, now lead the Uchiha Clan, and under my leadership the Uchiha Clan will thrive once again!"

Even if I must step out from the shadows I've been sheltered by, I will, she thought, feeling the same determination as she had then. Gladly, if it protects Fū and Karin from men like Danzō.

"Fū's personality is…well, she has a heart of gold, honestly," Amari began. "Despite the abuse she suffered at the hands of her Village for being a jinchūriki, she isn't any less determined to make a thousand friends. At the minimum.

"Honestly, despite the short time we spent together, there's already a familiarity and intimacy I feel with her. Not romantic intimacy, mind you," she quickly corrected, "but a warm closeness I'd expect to feel from my own teammates instead of someone I've known for a little more than a day now.

"She's excitable. Curious about everything. I think it's because she hasn't had a lot of interaction with people outside of Shibuki, who trained her personally, so to have someone to speak to, and who doesn't mind speaking to her, is a dream come true for Fū. I can't tell you how many questions she's asked," she added with a slight chuckle.

Every question led to another. And another. And another. It'd likely take several lifetimes to answer everything Fū was curious about.

"She's honest and sincere; Fū would make a terrible liar," Amari explained. "She's kind and very perceptive, despite her excitable nature. She shows high levels of empathy for total strangers. For instance, I saw her comfort a crying refugee by hugging them and holding them until they pulled themselves together."

That detail visibly stumped the Elders, except Danzō, who maintained his thoughtful and unreadable expression.

Surprise, you old fools, jinchūriki aren't demons or monsters. Maybe if you actually treated them like human beings they wouldn't have to suffer nearly as much.

"She sounds a lot like Naruto, in some respects," Shizune noted.

"They definitely have similarities in personality," she agreed, nodding and lowering her hand from her chin. Like being brain-dead idiots. "I don't sense any ill-will in her. She's optimistic and cheerful, I've heard her laugh—made her laugh—and seen her smile like any ordinary girl. So she's solid mentally and emotionally."

"Even with Shibuki's death?" Atsuko posed the question.

"Yes. I'm not saying she's not feeling it," she added, shaking her head. "She is. She is without a doubt feeling the anguish of losing her mentor and only friend, as any of us would in her position. She's good at hiding her pain behind a smile, and that speaks to her emotional and mental fortitude to me."

"I've seen adults crumble on the battlefield under the same circumstances," her uncle said, lips flattening together in sincere discomfort. "It isn't a pretty sight. Losing a comrade, a mentor, a friend, and then watching the one they were closest with fall apart in the heat of battle, or die because they lock up in despair and denial."

"Fū's doing her best to keep moving forward. For Shibuki," Amari said. "Once she finally settles in, though, I think it'll hit her. She's had distractions, objectives to focus on."

Amari struggled not to clench a fist, a lump growing in her throat as memories of the dead Crows pushed to the front of her mind.

Instead, she rubbed the tip of her left middle finger on top of her pointer finger's nail plate, and shoved the memories and the lump into the depths of oblivion.

"We can't mourn on the battlefield," she said, reminding herself. And this was still a battlefield, no matter how cordial it was.

Again there was a silent agreement among all those present.

"Other than that, she exemplifies what we knew about the Waterfall," she continued. "They train their shinobi well. She could hold the rank of Chūnin right now, at least once she has some leadership skills under her belt. She'd probably make a solid new Jōnin in two or three years based on her abilities now, and where I think her strength will take her in time."

"What of her weaknesses?" Homura asked.

"I'm not sure I could tell you. I would if I could, but…" Amari shrugged helplessly. "Our priority was retreating and survival, I wasn't focused on studying her specific weaknesses in combat. I had to keep a constant awareness of the enemies position and ours. Strengths, like supreme agility, are easy to notice when you're fleeing."

"A fair point," he conceded.

"Are there any other strengths you could tell us?" Koharu asked.

"What I can tell you for certain is she was willing to coordinate with strangers, capable of defending herself, and didn't want or try to abandon our unit. She wasn't overly reckless, either. That's all I could ask for and more in that life-or-death situation we were in."

"Mm. Well, it is clear she is a kind and capable child."

"If she is as Amaririsu describes, she will be useful to the Leaf," said Homura.

Amari struggled not to squint. Remember, useful is good. It means they won't be against granting her access to the Leaf.

"However," Koharu continued, turning to look at Danzō, "kind though she may be, I am concerned her excitable and kind personality will one day lead her to despair. She may lose control of the Seven-Tails within the Leaf were that to happen."

"That's—"

"Additionally," the woman didn't stop speaking at the sound of Amari's voice, "although she appears attached to Amaririsu now, there is no guarantee she will remain loyal to the Leaf."

"Should the Waterfall regain its independence, she will also likely return to their Nation," Homura agreed, and Amari felt as though she was standing on hot coals. "It would be foolish to relinquish a military asset such as a Tailed-Beast."

You bastards. Amari clenched her hands into fists, realizing she'd been dismissed from this particular conversation. They had gathered all the information they desired to form their own stupid conclusions.

Why can't you bastards just roll over and die already, the darkness in her seethed. Just die. Leave this world alone and take your outdated ideologies with you!

"I will not allow you to cage this child as my grandmother was caged," Tsunade stated emphatically.

"Do not be so impulsive, Princess Tsunade," Danzō replied calmly. "Koharu's concerns are warranted, and Homura is right—the Leaf cannot afford to lose this asset Amaririsu has delivered to us."

Amari felt her fingers twitching. She wanted to grab her blade. She wanted to rid this world of these old warmongers already.

I'll do it. I'll burn you all away. I'll rid this world of your darkness, one by one if I have to. To hell with advantages, to hell with influence and patience, and all these stupid political games you play. I just want you dead!

Her hand didn't leave her side. She couldn't act on rage, grief, despair, and darkness, no matter how gratifying it would feel. Too many had sacrificed their lives for her to be here. Too many had entrusted their Wills and hopes and dreams to her to throw it all away in a selfish, childish, reckless act.

So she opened her mouth to cut him down with words instead.

Her uncle's sharp look silenced her.

Stay calm and be patient, he commanded without a single word.

The opportunity was coming.

"Lady Mito Uzumaki was as free as any jinchūriki should be, given the risk they pose," Danzō continued. "Like Hiruzen, you have been far too soft on Naruto Uzumaki. You cannot afford to be as soft on this child when we know too little of the Seal containing the Seven-Tails.

"Until we know more, there is a danger the loss of a beloved mentor will cause it to falter, thus endangering the Leaf at such a crucial time. You cannot allow that as Hokage, as you know.

"However, for the time being, her personality is advantageous to us. It seems she has already become quite attached to Amaririsu; we can use her attachments to keep her calm while we search for a compatible Leaf shinobi to replace her with."

"Absolutely not," Lady Tsunade replied firmly.

"My subordinates will take her into our custody to study the Sealing work," he continued, as if he hadn't just been told 'no' by the Hokage.

Amari's eye went wide. "You already have her surrounded," she realized, spinning to look in the direction of the walls.

He's actually going that far. I knew it was a possibility, but… Dammit, she ground her teeth together. This bastard's hunger for power knows no bounds. He'll do whatever he wants whenever he wants, regardless of what the Hokage says.

So why do I have to play by the rules, huh? He's already broken them. That means there are no rules anymore. So why, she grated her teeth and clenched her trembling hand into a fist. Why can't I break them to kill this bastard?

"This is what is necessary to protect the Leaf," he explained calmly. In control. "I am certain you understand."

"Hmph."

The arrogant snort from the Hokage caught Amari off guard. It startled her, frankly. Turning back to the booth, Lady Tsunade's youthful face was calm. In control.

"Is that so? Let's see how that gamble of yours is paying off, shall we?" She lifted her chin but cast her eyes away, as if trying to look behind her. "Raidō, you've returned."

From thin air the Hokage Guard materialized between Shikaku and Atsuko, the weal-like scar along the bridge of his nose and the left side of his cheek distinguishing him from his fellow Guards.

"The Seven-Tails jinchūriki is secure, Lady Hokage," he informed.

"Oh? Was she in danger?" she pretended to sound surprised, cold eyes locked onto Danzō, who could only frown. "Please, surmise the situation for us."

"Of course, ma'am."

---

Detaining the Seven-Tails for Lord Danzō would be a complex task, the nameless Foundation agent knew.

From his position hidden in the swaying shadows of the fading canopy, through which thin rays of sunlight filtered through, he had a perfect sight of their target.

The mint-haired girl appeared oblivious to their presence. Yet he recognized the attentive guard detail formed by the Leaf Genin and their Jōnin Captain.

Technically allies, these particular obstacles to Lord Danzō's mission could not be eliminated. Not yet, anyway. It would endanger the Leaf's already precarious situation, in addition to sowing unrest in front of Waterfall and Grass shinobi.

They couldn't afford to reveal an internal conflict, it was crucial they present a strong, unfettered front to their allies. In doing so they would be one step closer to gaining an eventual foothold in their Nations, expanding the Leaf's presence and strength, and thus securing their borders.

It was clear the Grass and Waterfall were too weak to maintain that buffer on their own. Were they stronger, the Stone would not be ruling their Nations now. Of that he was certain.

No-name hummed, resting his hand on the trunk of the tree.

He had hoped the jinchūriki would part from the group; as an active threat to the Leaf's security and stability, her detainment would be far easier without the company of Leaf Genin and a Jōnin around.

Obviously an incident with the Waterfall or Grass had occurred. They were too alert, too attentive, too guarded despite the safety the Genin felt here, sheltered by comrades beneath the Leaf's secure walls.

They had no way to know of Lord Danzō's mission. It was impossible. They would not possess the skill to sense his presence or that of his fellow Foundation members.

What had the Waterfall or Grass attempted? No-name could only speculate. Yet their vigilance over the jinchūriki was commendable; it had secured and isolated her from past allies and kept the wounded Grass shinobi's worst impulses at bay.

Now they could detain her, study the Sealing work of the Waterfall, expanding Lord Danzō's vast wealth of knowledge. Eventually they would transfer the Seven-Tails into a compatible Foundation member, guaranteeing the Leaf's future security; it was a necessity given that the Nine-Tails jinchūriki was too free, too untrained and inexperienced to be of any real aid.

He was also too protected by the Sannin to be detained as of now.

In time, that would change.

The Seven-Tails jinchūriki showed no inclination of separating. She had lay in the grass for the period of his observation, resting or napping was difficult to discern at this distance. What was certain is she did not move an inch, save to sit up and speak to the other children.

They had to secure the jinchūriki. Now. While pointless discussions and debates with the soft-hearted Hokage worked themselves out, they would detain the Seven-Tails for the safety and future of the Leaf.

"Oh ho ho, what do we have here? Doing some research, huh?"

No-name went stiff at the boisterous and self-amused voice right above his head. He ceased to breathe as the sudden presence of power crushed his diaphragm, despite not a hand or fist every touching him.

"I understand," Master Jiraiya of the Sannin said, sounding cheerful, and yet crushing No-name with killing intent he shouldn't have felt.

His hands began to tremble—they never trembled. He'd never felt this before. He did not know what it was. Unable to breathe, he withstood the harsh palpitations of his heart. His eyes were wide, his skin hot.

"Researching is a bit of a hobby of mine. It's actually why I'm here, believe or not. I wanted to get a good look at the special guest we have, so I hope you don't mind the company. You picked the best spot in the house."

The man—the legend—leaned over No-name, resting his own palm against the trunk of the tree as he, too, spied on the jinchūriki down below.

"Well, well, that's quite a catch down there, isn't it? The Seven-Tails jinchūriki—I believe her name is Fū. Hmm. Yes, I can see there is certainly some potential in her. It's really no wonder Danzō sent you and your little pals to detain her. Although, I suspect your Master had other plans for her."

No-name knew he should have been dead. It was by Master Jiraiya's whim that he still lived. Still breathed. And this strange new feeling…

How did Master Jiraiya know of Lord Danzō's plans? When had he returned? He was meant to be in the Land of Sound. He was meant to be searching Orochimaru's hideout, far from the Leaf, where he would not pose a threat to their plans.

How did he get so close? I am a Sensory Type, one of the best in the Foundation, No-name thought, breathing heavily. I should have sensed this immense presence long before now.

Is this…fear? Is this what humans feel?

He moved his trembling hand to his thigh. His body suddenly seized up beneath a Paralysis Jutsu.

"Let's not do anything rash."

The bored drawl came from below. He could barely make out the head of Ensui Nara in his peripherals below, head frozen stiff and angled towards the jinchūriki.

"Stand down, all of you," Genma Shiranui commanded from a nearby tree, also standing behind a Foundation member.

"I'd take his advice," warned Anko Mitarashi materializing below. A snake emerged from her sleeve, slithering over the shoulder of another of his paralyzed comrades. "Or don't. I'm all hot and bothered and looking to cut loose, hehe!"

The children below moved into a casual manji formation, drawing no attention to themselves. A former comrade, a traitor to the Foundation they once called Kinoe, now known as Tenzō, approached them with Hana Inuzuka and her three ninken, as though interested in speaking to the children.

They weren't. They were merely concealing their true purpose—guarding them.

A Crow with iridescent black and blue feathers was perched on the Anbu agent's shoulder.

The Crows. The sworn enemies of the Foundation, and yet staunch allies to the Leaf; they occupied a strange space as valuable assets they could not remove, and threats they had to navigate around.

Were they the reason so many shinobi had slipped past his impeccable senses? But how? How had they known of Lord Danzō's mission?

Master Jiraiya let out a boisterous and buffoonish laugh. "Now, now, I know this is all very surprising, but let's all stay calm. Okay?" His feigned cheerfulness didn't hide the command beneath the words. "Imagine what sort of image we'd give our guests if they saw Leaf shinobi battling Leaf shinobi. They'd probably run for the hills! Maybe to the Cloud."

No-name clenched his jaw, not in frustration, but due to the presence of the legendary Sannin.

He was using Lord Danzō's orders against them, risking a show of weakness, disunity and unrest in front of the Waterfall and Grass all to protect the jinchūriki. Such an act was nothing short of traitorous. Yet…

We won't be able to detain the Seven-Tails, No-name realized. We cannot kill Master Jiraiya, not with our limited numbers, not when he has three elite Jōnin and the Crows on his side.

"Since you're here, though, that gives us an opportunity. You can deliver a message to your Master for me. Tell him not to worry, because Master Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku is here! I'll keep Fū and Naruto under a close eye at all times. So you and your pals can head back. I have it all under control. All right?"

No-name heard the command. And the threat beneath the pleasant and cheerful façade.

You will not detain them, Master Jiraiya had declared. I will be guarding them both. Do not send another unit or I will take matters into my own hands.

"Am I understood?" Master Jiraiya repeated, voice dipping into a dangerous tone that made his senses tremble.

"…Yes."

I'm sorry, Lord Danzō. We failed.

---

"You are out of line, Princess Tsunade."

"I'm out of line?" Lady Tsunade's disbelief was only matched by her searing gaze.

A gaze Amari decided she never wanted to be on the other side of.

"You intended to detain Fū without permission, without consulting me—your Hokage. You intended to snatch her right out from under my nose, waiting until the last minute to tell me what you had already done, and I'm the one that's out of line?"

"Everything I do is for the safety and security of the Leaf. You may not like my methods, but your soft-hearted approach to the jinchūriki's will only endanger the people of the Village. Hiruzen's same approach, passed on to the Fourth Hokage, led to the Nine-Tails attack on the Leaf. Had he only followed Tobirama's protocols—"

"The tragedy that befell Kushina and the Fourth Hokage had nothing to do with the Third Hokage's protocols with the jinchūriki, as you are keenly aware," Atsuko interrupted sharply.

Amari shivered at the cold intonation of her voice.

"However, if we are to play this pointless game of casting blame, we could just as easily blame you for the tragic losses we suffered in the Nine-Tails attack, no?"

"And how is it I would bear the blame for our losses?" Danzō questioned.

"It was you who commanded the entire Uchiha Clan to stay behind," Atsuko explained, voice sharp as a serrated blade of wind. "It was you who held your subordinates back during the Nine-Tails attack and the Invasion, I might add.

"The Fourth Hokage may not have needed to sacrifice his life had you not commanded the Uchiha Clan to stay behind. We could argue it was necessary to protect civilians, for a time. We could also argue a few platoons of Uchiha shinobi—at the time, the strongest Clan in the Leaf—could have aided our efforts to evacuate and push the Nine-Tails back, thus sparing more lives in total.

"Your agents, well-trained as they are, may have changed the tide of battle as well, then and more recently with the Invasion. At the very least, we may have spared more lives had you not hid within the shadows while a war was being fought in the light."

Danzō opened his mouth to counter. Atsuko made a small gesture with her wing, equivalent to a human dismissively waving their hand.

"And do not claim you are stronger in the shadows; my agents are as well, yet I summoned all those available to defend the Leaf on both occasions.

"So, if all you do is to protect the security and safety of the Leaf, why is it when the Leaf is in the most need, and you stand to gain the most, that you seem to hold back? Quite the strange coincidence, no? Shall we explore it?" she posed the question, eyes glinting dangerously. "We may, if you wish to play this pointless game of casting blame on the venerable dead."

Danzō could only scowl at the Crow. Atsuko held him beneath a cold, dark gaze, and there was no doubt of the friction—the enmity—they shared. It was in the air, tense and thin.

Amari felt her heart beat a bit faster. Things were heating up fast. Atsuko was going straight for the heart and core of the issue, utilizing her superior Intel to drive the blade deep into Danzō's heart.

She wanted him dead just as much, if not more, than Amari did.

"Atsuko isn't wrong, Danzō," Koharu judged, causing his scowl to deepen. "Under scrutiny, many of your actions could be cast in the same light you cast Hiruzen's and the Fourth Hokage's."

"Atsuko was also right in saying casting blame on each other at this junction is pointless," her uncle interrupted in a calm, authoritative tone.

You feel like you're babysitting old children, don't you, Uncle Shikaku?

"In the end, we report to the current Hokage. We abide by their decisions and protocols, whether we personally agree or disagree. Acting on our own, and convincing ourselves we are justified for doing so, would make us no better than rogues like Mizuki.

"The Second, Third, and Fourth are all dead. Now it is up to Lady Tsunade to decide how we handle the jinchūriki," he stated. "Not me. Not Atsuko. Not any of us here. We can only caution, advise, and make requests on how best to handle any given situation and how it pertains to the Leaf's safety. That is our roles as advisors. It is the role of the Hokage to have the final word and live with the rewards or consequences of those decisions—a role that Lady Tsunade and Lady Tsunade alone wields now."

"No pressure, Shikaku," Lady Tsunade drawled.

"Just stating facts, ma'am."

"Shikaku is right," Homura nodded. "So, Tsunade, what is your intention for the Seven-Tails jinchūriki?"

"I already have Jiraiya investigating the Seal. We'll know if its secure or not before she enters the Village."

---

The disturbingly cold, empty, void-like chakras were gone. The Leaf Jōnin and the summoning Crows Amaririsu relied on scared them off so quickly, so efficiently, Karin couldn't have been more fascinated.

I didn't sense any of them, she thought, startled and impressed by the feat. One moment I knew where they were. And then…they vanished.

It happened simultaneously. The Hokage Guard, Amaririsu's Clansmen, and the crazy proctor were separated as they patrolled their encampment; Anko Mitarashi had been the closest to her, physically, standing guard over their little group, pacing around casually with her hands in her coat pockets.

Then Amaririsu's Clansmen vanished. The Hokage Guard was next. Then, as Karin snapped to attention and whipped her head around to locate where they had gone, the crazy proctor's chakra vanished, too.

It'd be but a moment before she located them by eyesight, positioned behind the dark chakras, but that was because a new presence—powerful, mighty, gallant—had revealed itself.

It was then Karin had a gut instinct, a rational but primal understanding that the man responsible for the chakra had been there far longer than his sudden appearance suggested.

For the dark chakra shinobi it must have been like hearing the snap of a twig beneath a stalking panther's paw. One moment they were safe. Secure. They were alone. The next a predator was there, it'd been there for some time, actually, and it was only now, right as it pounced, that they realized it was there.

Far too late to save themselves.

That man, the white-haired one now approaching their group with a casual gait and calm demeanor, he had let the dark shinobi sense his presence. He wanted them to know he was there.

He wanted them to know he could and had managed to slip past their senses, that he was within reach to take their life, and, had he desired it, he could have without the shinobi ever realizing it.

It was certainly effective in scaring the shinobi and his comrades off. The man had to be the elite of the elite. A shinobi beyond even the elite Jōnin of the Leaf to slip past all of their senses. A man on the level of Kage's.

I understand how he managed that, but how did the Jōnin?

Karin's eyes were drawn to the other three shinobi as they stood near the edge of the trees. They were discussing some serious matter out of earshot, if she had to guess.

Each had a Crow on their shoulder. Beneath the thin rays of light their dark wings glinted iridescently in regal, shadowy shades of purple, green, and crimson.

Is it some sort of special ninjutsu the Crows possess? Some sort of chakra suppression or something?

"They shouldn't be a problem now, but he's capable of anything," the white-haired man's deep voice startled Karin from her thoughts.

"Stay alert," he commanded of the Anbu agent, the Crow with feathers that glinted blue on his shoulder, and Hana Inuzuka and her ninken.

"Of course, Master Jiraiya," the Anbu agent replied. Then vanished.

"We'll keep our senses open," Hana Inuzuka promised. She then turned away to return to her patrol with the three ninken padding beside her.

With his orders delivered, he turned his attention to their group and offered a friendly smile, which was when Naruto decided to speak up.

"Where the heck did you come from, Pervy Sage?"

Pervy…Sage?

The accused adult faltered, then let out an exasperated sigh.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?"

"Well? Where've you been?"

"Investigating Orochimaru's hideout in the Land of Sound. Remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Karin could almost see the lightbulb flickering on inside Naruto's dense brain. "Did you find anything interesting or helpful? Like maybe other hideouts or something. Anything we could track that rotten snake and Kasai with? Oh! And what about Daisuke and Manzo? Have they recovered at all?

"What about Sasame? How's she been? I bet she's training super hard, but still, is she doing all right? I've thought about her a lot since we left."

"I'm sure you have," the man grinned cheekily. "A boy never forgets his first kiss."

"What?" Ino recoiled in horror, slapping her hands to her cheeks. "How is this possible? How did an idiot like Naruto have his first kiss already? Before me?!"

"I suspect it was his heart this Sasame was drawn to. However, technically she isn't his first kiss," Shino observed calmly. "Why? Because: His first kiss was actually with—"

"We're not going to talk about that!" Naruto cut of the Aburame, flushing red.

Karin blinked. Now she was curious. Was Amaririsu his first kiss? They seemed exceptionally close, even when considering they were teammates.

Would that be so embarrassing?

"Anyway, did you check in on Scotch, Biscuit, and the other kids, Pervy Sage?" he quickly changed the subject. Then seemed to be struck by a new thought. "Oh, and your training advice was surprisingly helpful. By the way, we have to talk! I met Granny Mito, and she told me about my mom, and Granny Tsunade said you could tell me all about her."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I know I've been gone a while, but you've got to slow down, kid," the man known as Pervy Sage said, raising his hands in surrender. "I can't answer all of your questions at once, you know."

"Sorry, but I've just…I've got so many questions about my mom and I'd really like to know how Daisuke and Manzo, Sasame and Hanzaki and all the kids are doing, that way I can tell Mimi, Aoko, and Sakura."

"I understand. But there's no rush. I won't be leaving the Leaf for a while, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss all of your questions. For now, I'm actually here to speak to Fū."

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head. "Wait, really? I mean, I know you scared those guys off, but—"

Fū, who had been watching the conversation in curiosity, suddenly sprang to her feet, hopping a step closer to the Sage of Perversion.

"Hold on, you want to talk to me? How do you already know my name anyway? Who the heck are you, gramps?"

"Who am I?" Gramps grinned and whipped his long ponytail with flourish. "I'm glad you asked, young lady!"

"Oh great, here we go again," grunted Naruto.

"I am the hermit of Mount Myōboku! The wise and immortal spirit! That's right, it is I the Toad Mountain Sage!"

"Whoaaaa!" Fū awed. "You're a Toad Sage?"

"Indeed I am!" He placed his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm glad to see someone here recognizes the awesome stature I have reached!"

"That's so cool! What's a Toad Sage, anyway? Do you like turn into a toad or something?"

Jiraiya faltered and winced. Karin felt something strange and odd bubble in her chest.

Fū suddenly sucked in an awe-filled gasp. "Wait, are you like Amari? She said she has a Dragon Form, so does that mean you have a Toad Form? Wait! Does that mean Amari is a Dragon Sage?"

Sparkles danced in the Waterfall kunoichi's eyes as her imagination ran wild. "Ohhh, that would be so cool! C'mon, c'mon, you've gotta tell me!"

Oh god, Karin felt an odd tug at her lips she wasn't certain the nature of. She can't be serious, can she?

"I think I may have lost you a little back there," the Toad Mountain Sage sighed. "Let me try to introduce myself again."

He cleared his throat. He threw his left arm back and extended his right arm forward, palms out, and hopped laterally three steps on his right leg.

"The Toad Sage is only my cover!"

On the final hop he planted his left foot forward, thrusting his left palm ahead and throwing his right arm back as he grinned.

"Allow me to reveal my true identity!"

Gripping the strands of spiky white hair framing his face, he began to whip his white ponytail in large circles as he spoke.

"From the North to the South, and the East to the West," relinquishing his hair he threw his massive scroll into the air, "not even the spirits can defeat this Sannin!"

He created a half Tiger handseal, vanished into a plume of smoke and reappeared standing on top of a toad the size of a person. Somehow his scroll was on his back again.

"The white-maned Toad Charmer!"

The Toad vanished and the so-called Toad Sage marched in place as he turned three hundred and sixty degrees in place, once more stepping his left foot out, thrusting his left palm forward, and throwing his right arm back with his fingers spread.

"A red-hot ninja who strikes fear into the hearts of men! Master Jiraiya, ha ha ha! Yes, I am speaking of none other than myself! Hahahaha!"

"Whoaaaaa, you're Master Jiraiya!" Fū declared in awe.

"That's right! Feast your beady eyes on my awesomeness, young chiclets, and be amazed, for I am the one and only Master Jiraiya!"

"Awesome!" Fū cheered, pumping a fist. Grinning, she pointed her finger at Jiraiya. "I don't know who the heck you are, Gramps, but you totally know how to make an entrance!"

Karin swore she saw the color leave Jiraiya's face and his spirit leave his body.

"Heh," Naruto sniffed, crossed his arms and smirked. "So much for the mighty Master Jiraiya, huh, Pervy Sage?"

Just like that the color returned to his face. His eyes, on the other hand, went white.

"Little brat! You have no idea how amazing of a guy I am! My name is known far and wide! With a single glance I can send men retreating for the hills and cause ladies to faint!"

"Hey, uh, Naruto." Fū, ignoring the strange speech, moved behind the blond with her hands clasped behind her back and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You call him Pervy Sage, right?"

"Yep. Why?"

Fū grinned. "You've gotta use your Sexy Jutsu on him! C'mon, show me how effective it is against perverts!"

Naruto paled. "Uhhh."

Jiraiya was on Naruto faster than a pervert on a famous idol. He wrapped the boy in a headlock.

"You little fool!" he bellowed. "Tell me, how much have you slandered my good name while I've been gone?!"

"Gahhh! It's nothing like that, Pervy Sage! Geh! You weren't even apart of that conversation!"

"Oh like I'm buying that!"

"Ahhh! Hey! Pervy Sageeeee!"

"And I told you to stop calling me that!"

Karin watched the strange, one-sided brawl, blinking in surprise. Then she made a noise she barely recognized. It puffed out of her without warning, and then she brought her hand to her mouth, as it, too, made a strange shape she no longer knew. Her shoulders began to shake for some reason.

Before she knew it, Fū was suddenly kneeling beside her, all but tackling her in a warm hug.

"Hehehe! Hey guys, do you hear that?" the Waterfall native giggled.

"Of course," replied Shino.

"Yep, I hear it loud and clear," said Ino, and it was obvious she was smiling.

"Fū, wha— what are you—" Karin could barely form the words over the strange, warm noise she was making.

"I'm hugging you, duh."

"But why?" Karin heard the strange amused whine her voice made. It didn't sound like her, at least not the her she'd always known.

"Because you're laughing and smiling, so I thought I'd join in! Hehe!"

Suddenly Karin realized Fū was right. The shake of her shoulders, the tug at her lips, the warm and strange noise she was making. She was laughing. Or, at the very least, giggling a little.

These people… These insane, kind, generous, compassionate, stupid people…

Karin couldn't help but tuck her chin in and savor it.

Thank you. All of you.

For the first time in years, Karin felt good.

---

Debates and discussions regarding Fū ceased to involve Amari. In fact, it was as if the Elders and the Foundation leader had forgotten she was there. Or, more likely, actively decided to treat her like she was a potted plant, audience to their debates and discussions but wholly unaware of them.

It irked the Uchiha. She understood it, to a degree. She was a Chūnin, and they were her seniors; her only purpose was to offer information about the mission, but from a perspective of ranking and ranking alone, she had no say or opinion in what occurred with Fū.

Yet the Elders leaped to bold conclusions with the agility their old, decrepit bodies lacked, they disregarded valid arguments made by the Hokage for their "greater experience" in handling matters with jinchūriki.

They didn't bother to ask what manner of control Fū exhibited over her powers. They didn't care. All they saw was a threat. Not even a person.

Anytime Amari would open her mouth to explain how different the relationship between Fū and Chōmei was, as well as how generally calm and passive the Seven-Tails was when compared to the Nine-Tails, someone spoke before she could form a word.

A heated word from the Hokage. A careful and effective riposte from Danzō. An elegant and intelligent parry and counter from Atsuko or her uncle. A scolding from one of the Elders, or a reminder of how Lord Second and Lord Third operated.

Amari found herself shifting one foot to the other in agitation.

These old fools, she shifted her jaw. They're just digging their heels in because they refuse to accept the changing world. That's why the world only moves ahead in inches. Because the people who are trying to move us forward have to drag people like them kicking and screaming towards the future.

They don't bother to consider whether or not their view of the world is inaccurate, not when their stationed in decade old trenches, wrapped in the comfort blanket of Tobirama's protocols.

I want to go home.

I want this day to be over.

Her hair, matted with blood that wasn't hers, was beginning to irritate her. Her skin was itchy and dry. Her feet hurt. She needed a shower, she needed to rest. But to do that she needed to leave so she could get Fū and Karin settled in for the night so they, like her, could bathe and rest.

Amari shifted off her heels, onto the balls of her feet, but they, too, ached. She suppressed a grimace and a frustrated growl.

It was easy for them to drag this out. They didn't have a booked to-do list to fulfill tomorrow. She still needed to go shopping with Fū and Karin, both to familiarize them with the Leaf and to gather new clothes and supplies. Not to mention grocery shopping—two new mouths needed to be fed.

There was so much she still had to do for them, in addition to training and all her other responsibilities.

And she wanted to mourn, dammit. She'd lost comrades on this mission, comrades who had given their life for her sake.

Yet these old fools… Amari clenched her hands into fists.

They wanted to pretend their opinion shared the weight of the Hokage's. And why wouldn't they feel that way? Obviously Lord Third gave them far too much freedom when he was in power. He allowed the bandaged bastard to make attempts on his life and walk away freely, without punishment, without reprimand, without taking away all the power he sought to wield.

And because of that, the Uchiha Clan was down to a grand total of four members. Five, including the Masked Man.

Because of the bandaged bastard's greed for power, his desire to be the Hokage, Shisui, her parents, and countless others were dead. Itachi and Aimi were "traitors to the Leaf" and somehow he still held enough power to sit at this table, attempt to steal Fū away, and try to force Lady Tsunade to adhere to his stupid ideas of turning her into a caged bird. Just like Lady Mito.

And he held enough power to do it all without facing any punishment.

Because of him she was still in this stupid meeting.

I'm tired. I'm gross. My heart aches. And I'm stuck here listening to politicians—and one of them I know for certain bears my family's blood on his hands.

Amari shut her eye, and exhaled a rough breath.

I'm going to snap, she realized, and a humorless laugh escaped her lips. If they don't shut up and fall in line, I'm going to say things I shouldn't. I'm going to disregard advantages and end this whole little charade we've played up until now.

I'll be their devil. Their nightmare. I'll be the darkness they fear from my bloodline, because I am so done with today.

"Amaririsu."

Amari opened her eye lazily at the Hokage's voice.

"I'm sorry," she opened with a half-hearted apology. "Everyone was so busy arguing pointlessly over what to do despite the obvious answer, I nearly dozed off there."

The nonchalant disrespect surprisingly earned her a snort of amusement from her uncle. She expected a scolding. A reprimand. A warning, even. Not that. Yet it seemed they were of the same mind, more or less.

He was ready to finally conclude this troublesome meeting. Fortunately, the bait she dropped was adequate enough to achieve that end.

"Like teacher like student," Atsuko hummed a short laugh.

"I know you've had a rough few days, but try to hold on a little longer, Amaririsu," Shizune tried to be supportive, smiling faintly. "We're almost finished."

Oh, she intended to finish it sooner rather than later.

The Hokage cocked an eyebrow at her, but the glint in her old and young eyes revealed approval and appreciation for the less than subtle bait she set.

All three Elders scowled at her. They could see Kakashi Hatake's influence clearly now.

"Oh," the Hokage decided to snap up the bait and force them down the path of no return. "And what, pray tell, is the obvious answer to our debate?"

"Yes, I am intrigued to hear what manner of simple solution you believe there is," Danzō remarked.

"Fū will stay with me," Amari decided for the group, then half-turned to feign leaving. "So will Karin—a Grass refugee Miss Anko's unit rescued. I'm almost certain she's an Uzumaki, since she has hair like Lady Mito's, but we can figure that out tomorrow."

"An Uzumaki?" Koharu recoiled.

"Wait a minute, this girl—this Karin you neglected to mention—is an Uzumaki?" Lady Tsunade was taken off guard by the reveal she kept close to her chest.

"I'm pretty sure. Anyway," Amari stuffed her hands into her pockets and copied her Sensei's nonchalance and aloof nature, setting off for the door, "the Seal will be secure, so there's no point talking about this further. I'll grant Fū and Karin sanctuary at my home. Problem solved. Good night."

"So, this is your easy solution?" Danzō asked. "Offering sanctuary to foreigners without approval or permission?"

Amari made a calculated pause. "Well, what can I say? I was inspired by your attempt to detain Fū without Lady Hokage's approval or permission."

"On who's authority do you believe you act, Amaririsu Yūhi?" Danzō wondered calmly, but not without annoyance.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied in the same tone without turning around. "You may be an advisor and an Elder, but that doesn't give you permission to attempt to detain, study, and later kill the person I risked my life saving. You aren't the Hokage. And from what I've seen and heard today, we're better off for it."

I can't kill you today. I can't say everything I want to say. I can't scream and curse you for all that you've stolen from me, Amari thought. But I can cut you down like this. I can thwart your plans and make your life reflect the suffering and anguish you made Shisui, my parents, and Miss Anbu feel.

"A Chūnin, let alone a child, cannot grant refugees sanctuary on a whim," he retorted calmly.

A devilish grin the mirror of her great-great grandfather's crossed Amari's lips for a moment.

I was hoping you'd say something like that.

"A Chūnin and a child, huh? Well, lucky for me I'm more than that. Uncle Shikaku," she dropped the formalities, and felt the jolt of shock the Elders suffered, "if I'm recalling correctly, sanctuary can be granted to refugees, immigrants, and orphans like me by the Hokage, as well as Clan Head's. Right?"

"Overall, yes. There have been a few other rare cases, but those are exceptions to the rule. Generally speaking, the Hokage can grant sanctuary to any individual they desire, while Clan Head's can grant allies to their Clan, refugees, and immigrants sanctuary, so long as they have the approval of the Hokage, of course.

"Although, 'Risu," her uncle was tired of formalities, too, "you should know, it falls on the shoulders of the Clan Head to provide and accommodate for those they grant sanctuary."

"Mm. Sounds reasonable." Amari half turned to face the group again, removing her hands from her pockets and placing her right hand on her hip. "I'll be willing to take on that burden.

"Lady Hokage, as the Head of the Uchiha Clan, I would like permission to grant Fū and Karin sanctuary."

"Head of the Uchiha Clan?" Koharu gasped.

Danzō merely squinted, glaring at her in silence.

"Wait a moment, does that mean it's true, Shikaku?" Homura turned to look at her uncle. "Is Amaririsu truly your niece's daughter?"

"Let's not pretend you didn't already have your assumptions," Shikaku replied calmly. "Or that you haven't attempted to gather personal records behind closed doors."

The Elder's frowned. Nobody like being called out onto the carpet, especially by the Leaf's chief strategist.

"Hiruzen must have known about this," Koharu said.

The unspoken, so why didn't he tell us was heard by Amari loud and clear. She sensed the Elders finally realizing the rift that had formed between them and the deceased Hokage.

Because the answer was so obvious.

He didn't trust any of you. Not by the end, anyway. The man I knew as Hokage was trying to right the wrongs he allowed by giving you three so much power. He was correcting the mistakes his weakness caused.

"It was clear to Lord Third the day she arrived who 'Risu was." Her uncle looked at her, his expression neutral, but his heart in his eyes for a brief moment. "As it was to me when I first saw her. I knew she was my niece."

He looked back at them with his calm, emotionless expression. "However, she possesses no memory of her past. She looked at me as a stranger. She saw this Village as a whole new world, instead of the home she was taken from.

"Lord Third decided it was safer to keep her heritage secret, in this way we could protect her from the enemies her parents made in the previous wars, and from Itachi, should he seek to end her life."

"She has no memories? Nothing of the Leaf or her family?" Koharu asked.

"None," Amari answered for herself. "My memories begin at the orphanage, when I woke up as a seven year old child to a stranger flicking my forehead. I can't tell you anything about who I was or my family. I only learned I was an Uchiha and a Nara when Lord Third explained it to me. I didn't even know my original name until others told me it this year."

A half-truth. It was all they deserved to know. And keeping them in the dark only increased their advantage.

"Do we know the cause of this memory loss? Was it a jutsu of some kind?" Homura asked.

"From what I've seen," Tsunade spoke up, "Amaririsu appears to suffer from a strange form of amnesia, or, perhaps, a memory wipe. Whatever caused it, whether trauma or a jutsu of some kind, has left no trace we can follow."

"If anyone were capable of such a deed, it would be Itachi Uchiha," Danzō decided confidently. "It is likely he spared her that night, as he spared his brother. Yet, strangely, he removed Amaririsu from the Village and erased her memories. I suspect he possesses some manner of plan for her, one we should be inherently cautious of."

And so the sowing of distrust began.

"Inoichi has already examined her thoroughly," Shikaku brushed off the remark. "Had Itachi implanted a suggestion of any kind, he would've located it."

"And yet we cannot find a trace of what causes her amnesia. Do you not find that suspicions, Shikaku?"

"Regardless of what I feel, I have to follow the facts and act on them. In addition to Inoichi's thorough investigation, 'Risu has lived under the constant scrutiny of individuals like Lord Third, Kurenai Yūhi, Kakashi Hatake, the Crows, and she has been investigated independently by Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya. Each of their reports came back the same.

"Furthermore, were you to argue that I or Yoshino are compromised by our ties to her, you would then need to call into question the loyalties of all those I mentioned. So unless you have something other than suspicions of that murderer for me to act on—which we all already bear—then we're left with what we know given all of their observations: 'Risu is clear."

And go to hell for all you've done and daring to question my loyalties, scumbag, Amari added silently.

Her uncle was taking no prisoners today. He even went so far as to lay out some of their advantages perfectly, disarming any potential concerns or fears of what she may or may not know, because how could she know anything about the events of that night, how could she feel anything towards the family she lost without memories or ties to it.

Now it was her turn to step up and take the wheel.

"Leading and rebuilding my Clan is something I've only taken a recent interest in, due to Orochimaru's attempt to kidnap Sasuke and I, and the war," Amari began.

"Calling what you believe you oversee a 'Clan' is hardly an accurate representation of the situation," Danzō interrupted without looking at her. "In truth, you do not oversee a 'Clan' at all, nor would it be responsible for us to entertain such a fantasy. The Uchiha Clan was destroyed by Itachi Uchiha, it cannot be salvaged or rebuilt."

"Hmhmhm," Atsuko hummed a menacing laugh. Amari felt a chill in the air.

"Fantasy, you say? No, what we speak of is reality, Danzō. The honorable Uchiha Clan will be renewed and reborn beneath Young Amari's leadership," she said, gesturing to Amari with her wing. "That is how it should have been, and that is how it will be," she stated emphatically.

"The Uchiha Clan was destroyed by Itachi Uchiha. It's bloodline is all but extinguished, it cannot be salvaged now in the hands of two children. It cannot be rebuilt."

"I do not believe we were asking for your permission, were we, Young Amari?"

"Hmph. Not by a long shot," she replied coldly. She was done acting pleasant. "My Clan's fate isn't yours, Orochimaru's, the Stone's, the Cloud's, or Itachi's to decide. I've chosen to rebuild it. I am the Head of the Uchiha Clan now. Lady Tsunade approved of it."

"Truly? Princess Tsunade, do you support and approve of taking Amaririsu's leadership claims over a dead Clan?"

"I do," the Hokage replied seriously. "Also, they aren't a dead Clan. Far from it. They weren't dissolved, either, so their political will and influence remain intact, as does their treasury."

Wait. Amari blinked. We have a treasury? Am I super wealthy now?

"That is true," Homura noted hesitantly. "It was Hiruzen's hope, when Sasuke grew older, he would take on the role of Head of the Uchiha and rebuild his Clan. Was Sasuke consulted in this decision?"

"He was the one who decided it," Tsunade said. "Sasuke didn't want to be the Head of the Clan. He entrusted that to Amaririsu and has dedicated himself to supporting her rebuild their Clan."

"That is unexpected," Koharu said, clearly surprised by the outcome. "However, Danzō may be right. The Uchiha Clan will never be the same as it was."

"They may lack numbers presently, but there are ways to rectify that, in time. It will never be a Clan of full-blooded Uchiha's—Itachi saw to that. But Amaririsu has her own dreams and goals for what the Uchiha Clan can become."

"Dreams and goals I will achieve," Amari stated. "Now, with my status as Head of a Clan confirmed, may I grant Fū and Karin sanctuary? These circular arguments and unwarranted suspicions are becoming a drag."

"Why would you suspect your status as Clan Head would alter our arguments?" Danzō asked.

"Pardon my informal behavior, but I wasn't asking you. I was asking the Fifth Hokage."

"You are out of line, Amaririsu. Or should I call you Haya."

"I'd rather you call me the Queen of the Uchiha Clan. Preferably Queen Haya, but Lady Haya will do, if you can't bring yourself to that, Lord Danzō."

God, the disgust on the Elders faces felt good. Nearly as good as Atsuko's jubilant laugh and the Fifth Hokage's sharp grin. Shikaku snorted, shut his eyes, and shook his head; she was resembling more of her mother than Kakashi now.

Shizune didn't appear to know whether to go pale or smile. Somewhere in the shadows, Miss Anbu was struggling to withhold a smile.

"Do not be absurd," Danzō chastised. "This is still a matter regarding a jinchūriki and an Uzumaki Clan member. You are far too young and inexperienced to be given authority over either."

"It was your idea," she pointed out. "I'm just improving on it."

"I do not recall ever suggesting giving you authority over the jinchūriki."

"Oh. Let me remind you, 'It seems she has already become quite attached to Amaririsu; we can use her attachments to keep her calm while we search for a compatible Leaf shinobi to replace her with.' Sound familiar?"

His deepening scowl filled her with satisfaction near on the level of ice cream.

Amari smirked triumphantly. "I can think of no better way to 'use' Fū's attachment to me than to grant her sanctuary with the one person who can keep her calm. Plus, by default she and Karin will have one of the Leaf's elite Jōnin and the Crows watching over them at all times."

She spread her hands out. "Both of them will be safe and the Leaf will be secure. Win-win, wouldn't you say?"

It was her uncle's small nod that confirmed their indisputable victory. No matter how much longer debates went on, no matter how much longer they tried to argue, their group effort had ended the battle in that single moment.

Further proof of that fact was the Fifth Hokage's reaction. Looking as if she'd regained the wind in her sails, she smirked and leaned back in her seat, resting her arm over its back as she crossed one leg over the other.

She knew it, too.

That's checkmate, bastard.

---

"Amari!"

Fū all but skipped and hopped up to her when she arrived, smiling with the bouncing excitement she'd come to know the Waterfall kunoichi for.

Behind her, Karin watched them both from her seat in the grass with hope in her eyes. Naruto, Shino, and Ino stood guard over them.

"We've been waiting for you," Fū greeted.

Amari smiled tiredly. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The troublesome Elders tried to be unreasonable."

Danzō in particular persisted in the debate of what was to be done for some time after his defeat. He argued for the Hyūga Clan to take her in instead, due to their greater resources and security.

The clash of personalities was one of the reasons it inevitably fell through, besides Amari's silent and steadfast refusal to let the Hyūga Elders anywhere near Fū.

She and Hiashi Hyūga were more or less on the same page. Perhaps not fully aligned, but close enough to be considered faint allies.

The Hyūga Elders were an entirely different animal. An old, scrappy and battle-hardened beast, not at all unlike the Elders, that would dig its heels in against any changes to tradition. Lord Hiashi would have his hands full, if he intended to fully change his Clan's ways.

Our journeys are similar in that way, she thought.

Regardless, Fū would not be staying with the Hyūga Clan. Or the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Aburame, Sarutobi, or any other Clan for that matter.

"Amaririsu Yūhi, I hereby authorize your request to grant sanctuary to the Waterfall kunoichi and Seven-Tails jinchūriki known as Fū, as well as the refugee known as Karin. They're your responsibility now, so keep them on their best behavior."

The sour look on the Foundation leader's face when the Hokage granted her request, it was as though Lady Tsunade had actually handed over the title of Hokage to her.

Amari wished she could have taken a picture and framed it.

"So, did you win your battle? Did you go bam, and pow! And whamo!" Fū threw two jabs and an uppercut with her sound effects. "I bet you totally kicked their butts."

"Nothing so extravagant as that. But, yes, we totally kicked their butts. With words, anyway."

"I knew it!"

Fū clenched her hands into fists and leaned in way too close, nearly bumping her nose against Amari's as her eyes glinted and glittered with excitement.

"So, what does that mean for us? Does that mean I get to finally see the inside of your Village? Are we going to live together? Is Karin coming with us? Because we can't just leave her on her own, you know. Also, she totally laughed and smiled while you were gone."

Amari reached her hand up between them, poked the Waterfall kunoichi in the forehead, and used it to move her slightly back out of her personal bubble.

"I'm sorry I missed it," she said.

And she was. But there would another day to see it, another day to help Karin slowly laugh and smile again. To find joy in life once more, even with the scars she bore.

"The Fifth Hokage has granted you both sanctuary," she informed. "You'll get to see the inside of the Leaf, and you'll both be staying with me and my mom. For now, anyway. So," Amari smiled, "it may not be entirely accurate, but welcome home."

"Wahoo!"

The Nara's eye went wide at the sight of Fū diving straight at her.

Ah, cra–

All of Fū's bodyweight suddenly crashed into Amari, tackling her to the ground and knocking the air from her lungs.

"Hehehehe! You're the best, Amari!" Fū declared while hugging the Nara. "I won't make you regret this at all. I promise."

Laying there, trapped beneath Fū and tangled in her tight and warm embrace, Amari shut her eye and exhaled softly. She lazily wrapped an arm around the back of the Waterfall kunoichi.

No turning back. No regrets.

She'd survived a brush with the war and the first encounter with the Foundation leader. This wouldn't be the last time, Amari knew; more battles awaited, tougher battles that she didn't possess the strength, power, or influence to attain victory in just yet.

But today they had secured victory. Today they had successfully protected Fū and Karin from the Foundation, foiling Danzō's plans at every turn and attaining the indisputable victory she'd sought.

There were still issues to handle. Threats to prepare for. Groceries to buy and accommodations to take care of in order to properly host Fū and Karin. There were medical checkups to be had, there was training to perform, and eventually new missions to undertake.

Haya Uchiha's name would spread through the grapevine within the Leaf and within the Stone. All would come to know the Great-Great Granddaughter of Madara Uchiha still lived.

And the war would rage on.

For now, though, in Fū's embrace, Amari let all of it wash off of her. The fears, the hurts, the darkness, the anxieties, the to-do lists, and all else that weighed on her tired mind and broken heart, she let it all go with Fū's help.

After a long, calming inhale, she exhaled just as long, just as calmly, and felt her heart and mind settle for the first time in more than twenty-four hours.

We did it.

We're finally home.