Lol y'all are somethin else-- but I love and appreciate every single one of you.

Anyway, my apologies for an extremely late update. Health reasons, other media capturing my entire creative mind, and life are my pitiful excuses. Enjoy!

Sasuke hated to admit it, but his cousin was right. They got all of twenty minutes into their trip before Naruto invaded his personal space and whispered in his ear.

"The two of us can take them, yeah?"

To think the little maturity Sasuke thought Naruto gained was just his imagination. It infuriated him that his cousin had them both pegged for what they were. Naruto, the loyal to a fault friend that never thought anything through. Sasuke, loyal to his loved ones and thought everything through. In excruciating detail. He knew the pros and cons. What could kill someone versus what could save them, no matter what his personal feelings on the matter was.

Itachi and Shisui taught him that over the years. They knew he was an emotional kid, albeit a tad constipated in some areas. But he was impulsive when he took stock of the situation.

They called him cute when they pointed out that fatal flaw of his and promptly reworked his behavior to oppose that instinct.

He could only imagine how uncontrollable he would be had he never received their strict words and comforting smiles. Like now-- he wouldn't have entered that tent once he found out Sakura was taken. He would have gathered his pack and left the village walls before his cousin placed his brother down gently on a medical cot.

Naruto would be right behind him, of course.

But as it was, Sasuke saw the repercussions of that choice. Charging in blindly could get them all killed. Naruto would be captured and his tailed beast would go with him.

"You and the fox playing nice?" Sasuke asked, much to Naruto's displeasure.

"No," Naruto rolled his eyes, finally leaning away from Sasuke. "He's being a dick about me using his power. Wants to set up a bargaining system. He thinks I'm desperate enough to agree."

Sasuke didn't need any visual prowess to see Naruto's clear desperation in the way he pressed his lips together and scrunched his eyebrows in frustration. Sasuke felt the same, admittedly. But if they could get the fox to agree to somewhat reasonable terms. . .

"What's he bargaining for?"

Naruto opened his mouth, before his gaze went out of focus and waved him off. "He says for you to stop butting in. Well, that's the nice version of what he said. Huh, it's weird that he has such a grudge against Uchiha's. It's not like we grew up together or anything."

"The Sharingan can control the Kyuubi," Sasuke reminded him. "The Fox probably doesn't like that you've been constantly surrounded by people who can stop him from doing anything. But he hasn't seemed very intent on causing ruckus."

"That's the seal," Naruto said. "Not him. He's in it to have some power in this. I don't know why we can't just get along-- hey, what's that?"

He pointed to the side, making large gestures and stopping the group in their path. There was nothing where Naruto pointed; trees and foliage bordered the path, nothing out of place.

Sasuke felt the flicker of chakra changing to his side, so he shot his hand out and wrapped his fingers around Naruto's neck.

"That was a pathetic distraction," Sasuke told him with a raised brow. Naruto's hands broke the seal he was trying to form, probably one that would cause a scene so he could slip away.

"Not so tight!" Naruto complained, smacking Sasuke's wrist until he let go. He took in an exaggerated breath of air. "Man, I thought you would be on my side."

"Naruto," Yamato came up, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I understand your frustrations, but running from this won't help."

"He's not going to help," Naruto said, pointing at his stomach. "He's being a jerk."

"And you're being an idiot," Sasuke droned, whacking Naruto's head. "Focus on the jerk. I'll put a stop to anything if it gets bad."

Naruto's nose scrunched in disapproval, but he only muttered something before crossing his arms and falling silent. It was a pitiful sight, but it would have to do.

"Thanks," Yamato said with a heavy sigh. "I'm not keen on having to interfere."

Sasuke shrugged. "He's an idiot, but he's my idiot."

Yamato raised a brow, before Iruka clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't even try to understand them," Iruka told the captain. "I taught the three of them when they were younger and I still haven't figured it out."

Sasuke scoffed, resigning himself to focusing on the mission at hand. Don't let Naruto run off, don't let the Kyuubi manipulate Naruto, and don't let the thought of Sakura currently being held hostage somewhere overwhelm his mind. He had to trust in his cousin, teacher, and allies.

The next time they would see her, she would be alive and have her memories back. That's what he had to hope for.

And when their party grew with the appearance of another Jinchūriki, a loud and bothersome fool with no sense of rhythm, that was the mantra Sasuke continuously repeated in his mind. Hopefully, he wouldn't go insane.

If he did, he would have Shisui to blame.

The trip to this sanctuary they prepared was hellish-- on the account of reanimated enemies and general bullshit spewed by his idiotic best friend. But they did make it, to a place where Sasuke had to simply keep watch.

It was terribly boring, even compared to the two years spend with the Feudal Lord doing the same thing. At least then, Shisui made it a point to teach him something everyday. Here, he listened to reminiscent stories from Iruka and almost complaints from the captain trying to suppress the Kyuubi but not force it to his will.

And the damn wannabe-rapper came up with the worst rhymes.

Naruto remained unreachable when they arrived, as he caught himself in a mental battle that took far too long to win. And then they all spoke of how Naruto would need to train his new allied power. Train.

Sasuke was no fool. Training was a commitment, a time span he would never get back. It yielded results consistently, but what would Sakura endure while he stood motionless keeping guard?

Torture, specially the mental kind no doubt.

He knew Sakura's mental strength was one of her greatest strengths-- though life made it its mission to test that fact. When they were kids, he saw her undeterred determination, the unfettered power behind her eyes, and the stubborn sense of knowing she exudes whenever she spoke. Naturally, he knew the reason as to why she carried herself so differently one day.

She was no longer an innocent child. She was the product of a war-ravaged future with a single mission.

Itachi mentioned it before, but this ridiculously long mission allowed him to ponder on it further.

The day she spoke to Naruto, claimed him as her friend for everyone to hear without any fear of backlash changed everything. She managed to weasel her way into his life too, with the generous and eager help of Naruto. Somehow he let them and ended up here.

But she befriended them, changing the future by the simple inclusion of their bond earlier on. How fickle was fate to be swayed by stupid kids training together and bickering? The answer showed itself to be incredibly fickle, if what Sakura said about her past is true.

Sasuke glanced back at the cave, where Naruto was undoubtedly struggling to converse with the fox, and wondered how different life was now.

Hopefully, it was worth whatever she endured in her past life and this one. He despised the idea that he would never fully understand her, especially when his cousin of all people could.

When all of this was over, he would ask her. About everything.

He would make sure this second chance wouldn't go to waste.

Shisui knew that times of war and strife affected the military power at every level. Root and ANBU were deployed constantly, the general shinobi picking up higher missions, and even the little ones who dreamt of becoming a shinobi participated actively in the war efforts. Unlike him and Itachi, those kids would be proving watch over the village and maintaining the peace, akin to a police force.

But the team he had now was not one he anticipated ever dealing with, especially without Itachi or even Sasuke by his side.

The team Kakashi put together was much like the one that faced the Akatsuki mere months ago when the Hidden Sand was attacked. He had strength and determination covered with Guy and Lee. He had cool headed, offensive skills plus the Byakugōn in Neji. And the strategic presence of Shikamaru, whose brain was decent to pick.

Cal him spoiled, but he loved volleying ideas with Itachi because he was a literal genius in every aspect. And he had Sakura, who had the wisdom of the future and maturity of someone his own age at this point.

But the Nara kid would do.

It was a small team considering their objective-- extract Sakura from wherever Obito was hiding her. Kakashi had sent his ninja dogs across the land, but so far all they got were shaking heads and demands for a treat.

Kakashi was an old teammate, so he had no issues with the infamous Copy Ninja. That wasn't even mentioning how often Shisui sat in on lessons for Team 7, watching his cousin's progress and that of Naruto and Sakura's.

It was more than a hassle to wrangle those three together, especially with their seamless teamwork and ridiculously strong bond. Shisui respected anyone who dared attempt to understand the three kids. As one member of the party said, Team 7 was odd.

That very person knew Sakura's secret. It was hard for him to adjust to another person understanding the depth of Sakura's everyday actions.

And while they unveiled the secret to the leaders of the Great Nations, it would remain quiet everywhere else.

Shisui knew Kakashi would respect any withheld information, even when it concerned his student. While Kakashi knew pieces of it from comments in the past, Shisui wasn't sure to what extent Kakashi suspected of his dear student.

But. . . Sometimes feigning ignorance was the best course of action as a shinobi. Shisui would have to accept that perhaps Kakashi knew more than he let on.

Guy and Lee were too busy discussing rigorous training plans at the head of the group to be of any concern. Neji fell behind just far enough to mutter and be heard by his teammates-- he was smart and observant, but he lacked the open mind needed to understand their reality at times.

Kakashi fell into step with Neji, passing through the woods with little care and an almost bored look.

"Tell me," A voice muttered. It belonged to the only member who knew the stakes. "What's the information you couldn't say earlier?"

"I locked down Sakura's memories," Shisui said, keeping his voice low. It had to be light enough to fade into the wind, the notes too muddled to recognize any coherent thought. But loud enough to cross the small space between the two.

Shikamaru managed to hear him. "Why does that sound more like a drag than a good thing?"

"Because Naruto and Sasuke are incredibly stupid and powerful," Shisui muttered. At a raised eyebrow, he repeated it louder.

"Everyone here knows that," Shikamaru said. He closed a single eye. "But I know what you mean. They're bound to react irrationally if something is wrong with her-- Naruto especially. How did you manage to get both of them to go on a separate mission?"

"The future of the world isn't a good enough reason?"

Shisui almost laughed at his own response. Of course it wasn't a good enough reason.

"Sasuke has some common sense, fortunately," Shisui continued before Shikamaru could scoff at his words. "He's logical enough for the both of them."

"And Itachi?"

Shisui frowned. "He needs to be in the village for the time being."

Or, as Tsunade put it, 'he needs to rest before his entire body crumples to the ground because his own weight is too much.'

The withdrawal was one problem, but the backlash of the disease ramping up and mutating was another. It wasn't something Sakura could help at this point, but her theories held some promise. Itachi would discuss them with Tsunade and hopefully come up with a solution. Or at least find a way to stop the progression while they figured it out for good.

Rhetorical thought that perhaps there was no answer. . . It sent a pang in his heart that he wasn't sure he had the emotional capacity to feel right now.

"Regardless of whatever is keeping him there, I am happy that there are still a few people at home to keep things running," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "With reanimations cropping up everywhere... best we have all bases covered."

Shisui's eyes flickered over to the strategist, where his features had grown grim and his gaze distant.

To watch your sensei die and then have to kill him again. . .

"It's shitty what this war is making us do," Shisui said, as if war was ever easy. "Fighting lost loved ones, choosing to leave the fate of your teammate in another's hands, and locking away memories of those you hold dear. . . It sucks."

Shikamaru let out an amused huff of air. "Sucks is a pretty lame way of explaining it, but I agree."

He glanced at Shisui. "What do you expect to happen?"

"Something inconvenient," Shisui answered honestly. "Part of me wants to just have myself warped to Kakashi's pocket dimension, where I can wait for Obito to use it."

They pushed off a thinner branch, both of them taking care to balance their weight. When the thing didn't crack and fall to the ground, he supposed they were all successful.

"And if she isn't there?"

"I'll busy myself with knitting a sweater," Shisui responded dryly. "I heard pocket dimensions get a little chilly."

The humor didn't go over well, if Shikamaru's lack luster expression said anything about it.

"He uses that pocket to hide away in," Shisui continued. "Eventually he would have to be there."

"Do you plan on forcing him to bring you to Sakura?" A new voice asked. Shisui glanced to his other side where Kakashi fell into their step.

"It's an Uchiha fight," Shisui shrugged. "I don't plan on anything. Trying to lay down your every action. . . That doesn't always yield the best results. Besides, this is a useless scenario meant to simply kill time."

Well, at least that what he hoped it was. Entering into Obito's domain would be dangerous, but it was one he unfortunately did have to consider.

All this running and not a single whiff of her scent to go on. Neji couldn't get an accurate read in searching for her chakra specifically. Said it was 'fuzzy' for some reason.

Shisui let Shikamaru voice his theories for a bit, some of them not so bad and others a real stretch. He chose to simply feel his surroundings. From the insects crawling on the tree leaves, birds flapping their wings through the foliage, to the worms underground, Shisui focused on his senses.

He could smell pine and maple, a familiar scent only altered by the addition of. . . smoke.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, Kakashi's hand lifted into the air and signaled an immediate halt. Everyone landed on the nearest branch, turning towards Kakashi.

"Do you smell that?" Kakashi asked, nose turned upwards. He bit his thumb and placed it onto the large tree branch they rested on.

"Smoke," Shisui answered quietly, his eyes flashing a dangerous scarlet hue as they scanned the area. There's no one two miles out at the very least."

"I can confirm that," Neji said with a frown. "But to smell the smoke all the way from here?"

"Can you find the source?" Kakashi asked, this time directing his words at the dog that appeared.

It sniffed the air a few times, before turning its nose to the branch they were on.

Just as the dog found the direction, a dozen presences suddenly surrounded them. Shisui stiffened, his eyes crossing the area as he attempted to identify whoever had decided to interrupt their party.

He blanketed the area in a genjustu, just in case. It was one to mimic reality, without a single trace of false consciousness.

Without a moment's notice, a man leapt forward, a tall thick blade is in his hand as he sliced through the branch he, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and the dog were on. Shisui reacted immediately, jumping upwards and preparing to teleport elsewhere before a starkly familiar presence appeared behind him.

He twisted his body, his sword in hand as he swept it upwards before taking the moment it collided with the man's kunai to disappear.

He appeared next to Guy, Lee, and Neji. They all had their backs to each other and took count of the enemy at hand.

They were no reanimations.

The people surrounding them were, at one time, comrades. They all fought for the same village.

"Root operatives," Guy muttered. "What are they doing here?"

"They're under orders, it seems," Neji said, pointing towards the one that had been behind Shisui. "But I thought he was in containment."

Before them stood Danzō, the older man draped in white robes and for once not covering his arm. The eyes were all closed, having used up their potential in the fight against Fugaku.

Shisui's eyes narrowed.

"You should've accepted reality, old man," Shisui said, pointing his sword towards him. "How did you get out of it?"

A wicked smile grew on Danzō's face. "Accepting reality and learning a lesson doesn't always guarantee that your side is what I'll choose. I did learn something."

Shisui remained quiet, watching the man and counting the additional presences appearing around them. From a dozen to two, this time the newcomers didn't bother concealing their chakra. All of them were wild, a bit deranged. Perhaps, almost mutated.

"I learned that Konoha cannot be saved if this is the path they choose," Danzō continued. "And if they are rotten at the core, I must simply start over. A new beginning, some might say."

"I'll take Danzō," Shisui muttered to his teammates. "Can you all handle the rest?"

"What about your genjutsu?" Neji whispered, already moving into a ready stance.

"I already blanketed the area in one, but I have a feeling it won't be so easy," Shisui replied in a low voice. "Root operatives are aware of my tricks."

And though he didn't say it, he was saving his most powerful weapon for his cousin. The cool down period wasn't as long as the duration of the genjutsu, but the longer he waited, the more seamless the ability was. His trump card was one he used sparingly, for the simple belief that the world was not his to make his own. Using it on his uncle was a choice made to save his clan and his village.

Using it here would mean sacrificing it in his fight against Obito, which he would never do.

So, he would simply have to rely on the effects of his normal genjutsu. Perhaps some of the operatives weren't as mentally tough. And for the ones mentally unstable. . . He wondered how it would affect them.

"This delay wasn't in the plans," Shisui said, much louder this time. "Let's finish this quickly."