[Yagura Karatachi]

Lumiere's search for the Akatsuki hadn't bore fruit yet. But that was fine. Yagura knew he had other options if the Akatsuki couldn't be contacted. Orochimaru being one of them. Even though the man was a literal snake Yagura knew he could betray him first.

But that wasn't what he was going to do now. Yagura wanted to do this on his own so he wouldn't have to burn any bridges he wasn't prepared to burn yet. 'Now how do I counter them?' Pakura and Utakata made for a really deadly combo.

If he wanted to capture the Rokubi then he would need to find a way to actually capture it first. Even if he could somehow beat Pakura first then he'd still have to deal with the Rokubi. But since they were together then he had to find a way to deal with both. Pakura would just destroy all the seals his sealmasters made and Utakata's bubble ninjutsu could easily melt his soldiers.

'This is why I need to eradicate those dirty bastards...' Bloodline users were just unfair. Yagura wasn't sure if Utakata's bubbles were just from the Rokubi or a bloodline but Pakura's scorch release was one. They were just so unfair. So cheap. Shinobi should rely on their own hard work to win.

Yagura was going to enjoy killing them all. But right now, specifically Pakura and Utakata.

He needed to trap them first though. He needed to find a way to trap them to actually achieve all of his goals. But how? 'Water Ninjutsu won't work, the Rokubi can just squeeze out of earth and I don't have enough earth users, Fire is just stupid because Pakura has wind release too and can just reverse their attacks, Same with wind, and I don't have enough lightning users to do much.' The fact he had less Lightning users than even earth was a bit saddening but Yagura could sitll work with what he had.

'If only Kiri still had the Kiba blades.' He needed to send a hunter-nin squad out to look for Ameyuri. Maybe have Jinpachi and Zabuza in it too once they get back from their mission? They should be back soon. 'They couldn't do much against either of them, unfortunately...' Jinpachi and Zabuza were incredible shinobi. But they just didn't have the right skills to even think of taking on Pakura and or Utakata.

He didn't either. He mainly used water and coral. Coral was usually great for restraining opponents but this time it wouldn't work. Yagura had to get creative... But what could he do against the might of the Rokubi?

"Boss!" Yagura looked to the side of himself. The look on the chuunin's face meant something important enough happened... At least he managed to get in a few minutes of meditation today. "A few Yuki froze and poisoned some of our water wells again!"

'Froze?' That gave Yagura an idea... "Go get Neko to treat the water again and send a squad of regular Anbu out to look for the Yuki." The chuunin left. Yagura grinned to himself. 'Maybe I can find a way to freeze the Rokubi?' He could fight cheats with cheats. But how could he find a yuki that'd be willing to join him? He knew that no Yuki would trust him. And rightfully so. 'Perhaps I could find a way to use their power...'

The second Mizukage's notes on Kekkei Genkai talked about trying to replicate them through compressed chakra and Bijuu chakra... However, it never worked because it was lacking a worthy container. Not many people could hold the power of a Bijuu. Or even just a bit of its chakra.

But Yagura could.

A dark laughter escaped from the man's lips. "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" He could probably ask Orochimaru for assistance too. God knows the man would be ecstatic to help him if he just offered him a few Kekkei Genkai he didn't have. It meant the man could replicate them but that wouldn't matter for long. "I can simply just copy their cheats and use them for myself!"

What better way to beat the cheaters than turning their own cheats against them?

It was a simple yet beautiful concept.

first, though he needed to capture some Yuki. He foolishly killed all the Yuki in a prison he had close by. They were all the Yuki he knew of this close. But he could set up another prison. Start a few rumors. to get the Yuki to come by. Do some transfers of prisoners.

Of course this time he'd be there himself. Just to personally ensure the safety of this mission.

"Rei," Yagura called for his daughter. "I need you to get all my earth release users. I want them to set up another prison for those dirty bloodline users. I have a plan."

His daughter smiled and nodded. "Yes, Father."

It was time to set the stage.

[Kukui Tanku]

"Shit..." I pulled a few shards of ice out of my chest. 'I'll have to use the majority of my chakra to heal.' I looked at Ameyuri. I jumped in the way of what would have been an ice shard to the head. Her arm looked broken. "Zabuza has a Yuki with him."

It seems that Haku has entered the battle...

"Of course the bastard does. I was wondering why he never defected from the bastard. He's probably been plotting a coup." She then looked at her arm. "We're pretty boned here brat. You think you can still run?" She used her good arm to grab both the Kiba blades. "We can't let him take the Shibuki and the Kiba back to Yagura no matter what. Nor can we let him use them himself."

I looked over to the Ice shard. Then back at Ameyuri. 'Feel no fear, Kukui. We can't afford to be afraid.' Not now... I shook my head. "No. I'm probably dying from blood loss." I then sighed. "I don't have enough chakra for suicide. I got an idea though."

Ameyuri cursed, "Of course you're dying... Alright, I don't like listening to brats but this situation is looking like shit and I've got nothing... My head kinda hurts from hitting the ground too hard." She then tried to stand up. "I can barely walk so I dunno if I'll be much help unless you plan to use me as bait."

That was actually the plan.

"I do." I barely stood up and grabbed onto Ameyuri. "But I can assure you that if this works then you're gonna live." I wasn't too sure about my odds at this point. I was going to try to at least save Ameyuri. 'This is possibly the most evil thing I could ever do but I have to do it.' Ameyuri and I began walking behind a tree. "I'm going to try to catch Zabuza's companion."

"You your insane right." Ameyuri gave me a blank look.

I nodded. "It comes with dying." I grinned. I died once. If I was going to die again then I'd do it saving someone this time. "That Ice shard looked really sloppily made. The Yuki has to be someone inexperienced or maybe even a child. If Zabuza has them with him then he has to care about them a bit right?"

I was really relying on Zabuza having a heart here. One apparently bigger than mine... 'I'm sorry Haku.'

Ameyuri stopped and then looked back before laughing. "Never took you as the type of brat to threaten children but I'm all for it. I still wanna kick Yagura in the balls." I chuckled weakly. "Alright, its our best bet. If we die we die but if we live then hurrah. God, I hope the other brat and Urahara killed Jinpachi."

Me too.

I groaned. 'Where am I?' The last thing I remember was Zabuza- Zabuza. 'I almost died... again...' How did I survive? I expected to wake up in the void again after dying from blood loss or a heart attack from Zabuza's Killing Intent... I flinched upon remembering the pure demonic presence...

Especially at the end.

'He sounded a bit like the Lich...' I looked down and saw my body shivering. It wasn't cold here either... 'Fall...' I decided to just not think about him anymore. I was alive. That was all that mattered... 'I should have died from blood loss.'

Why was I even still thinking about it? I had both the worst and best luck out there... 'I hate my life right now.' I was too weak to do anything... If I was stronger then we could have killed Zabuza. We wouldn't been as injured as we were.

'Don't have a pity party again.' I looked around. I was in a hospital bed. In a hospital. 'I can't sense them nearby so they're either dead or somewhere else.' If I was the only one alive then that'd be terrible... But Ito and Urahara showed up near the end and stopped Zabuza from getting near me.

I was confident they were alive.

'At least that means Jinpachi's dead.' I wondered where Shibuki was. And my swords actually... 'Hopefully with Urahara or Ameyuri.' Zabuza could have taken Shibuki back somehow. But that'd mean he took the Kiba blades too. And that'd mean I'd be dead. If not from Ameyuri killing me then from him killing me.

But I was alive.

'I still feel like shit though.' Both physically and mentally. The look of fea- No. Don't think about it.

I wish I had a drink.

[Ameyuri Ringo]

The last three days after Zabuza and Jinpachi's final attack were peaceful. Ameyuri was glad because everyone besides Ito was still recovering. Her arm was still broken. Urahara's leg was too although the fucker was too stupid to care. The brat was still recovering from blood loss, puncture wounds, and what was probably a heart attack. Last time she checked he was still out cold.

He should have died. But the little shit was too stubborn to die. Hell, he probably would find a way out of hell if he wanted to. Ameyuri was sure of it at this point. The stubborn little shit faced Zabuza and did it with a straight face whilst dying. Ameyuri knew even Mangetsu would struggle to do that.

The brat would grow up to be a monster if he wasn't killed before that. He would probably survive if he had a good enough teacher to make him into the monster he could be.

"So what's on your mind? Arm bothering you much?" The drunk next to her asked. Ameyuri looked down at her arm. Broken limbs didn't really bother her much after they were broken and set. The only thing that sucked was that they didn't have a med-nin with them to heal their wounds. Marineford had good medics but nothing beat a good ol' Med-nin.

Ameyuri shrugged. "Not really. Just thinking about the brat. He's gonna be a monster one day." Ameyuri predicted a future for some poor bastard being filled with lightning and blood. Actually, that would hopefully be the future for a lot of bastards that deserved it.

Urahara grinned. "Think he's the one? I think the brat would do wonders with the Kiba blades personally. Either way, I'll be pitying everyone he fights if he doesn't die by the age of 20." Ameyuri would too.

'Would he be good for the Kiba blades?' That was a question Ameyuri had been asking herself a lot over the last three days. He already used swords of a similar shape, he had a lightning affinity, Ameyuri didn't hate the brat, and he was a quick learner. Ameyuri knew she wasn't getting any younger. Nor was she getting any better. She'd probably die within the next three years.

If she was going to die then she'd want to at least train the next user of the Kiba Blades. And so far the only candidate that actually showed promise was the brat. 'Yeah he would be a good user of the Kiba Blades...' Ameyuri looked at Urahara and nodded. "He's the best choice. So yeah. I'd pick him."

Urahara had a shit eating grin on his face. "I knew it! Just like I predicted with Ito." The man then took a sip of his sake. "So, you think we should go see if the brat's up again and tell him? Or nah?" The brat was probably still out of it.

"Nah. I'd say he'd be up in a few more days." Ameyuri took a swig of sake straight from the bottle. "I'll tell the brat after we get back to base. Gotta let Mei-sama know first so she can prepare. Also, the brat's probably gonna get a chunin promotion from her or something."

"Really?" Urahara asked with a puzzled expression, "I thought Mei-sama didn't give out promotions unless it was something huge or for formality?"

Ameyuri shrugged, "He caused Zabuza Momochi to defect and is the reason why we got the Shibuki blade and are all alive. He'll probably get something. Maybe a promotion to raise morale." The brat was going to be in for a decent few days. That was for sure.

"Oh." Urahara nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Ito's probably gonna get something too for killing Jinpachi. Kushimaru's gonna be happy about that one." He'd also be acting like a mother hen for a few weeks. "The bastard's gonna be gloating about how he trained her to be better than Jinpachi to the man's spirit or something."

Ameyuri chuckled, "He'd probably do that and then yell to the heavens about how good of a teacher he is before hiding Ito for a few weeks." The man was seriously protective. He treated Ito like the most precious Kunai in the world.

"Yeah." Urahara looked to the sky. "Now we're out of booze. We need to get more."

Fuck.

[Obito Uchiha]

Obito enjoyed the show he got from watching Kukui Tanku and Ameyuri Ringo fight Zabuza Momochi. It was nice to watch such a fight. Especially since it showed some of his future ally's potential. Although he wasn't happy to see the boy nearly die to save Ameyuri.

It stirred some emotions in what was left of his heart.

When Obito saw Kukui dive in front of what would have been an ice shard to the skull to protect Ameyuri he almost intervened. It wouldn't have been ideal but he could have used this to play both sides of Kiri like a fiddle. But then he felt a memory he long since buried come up again.

And he wasn't liking how it made him feel.

Obito would never regret saving Kakashi that day. Obito knew that he wouldn't have been able to protect Rin. He would have failed. But he almost wished Madara didn't save him. He wouldn't have been able to see such an innocent soul be taken. But he also would never realize that they were all in hell. The Infinite Tsukuyomi was their ticket out of it. Everything he had done until now had been for the express purpose of saving the world.

Killing the Original Akatsuki and causing Yahiko to die, mind-controlling Yagura, killing his sensei and his wife, and ravaging Konoha using the Nine Tails had all been part of his plan to save the world.

'Konoha...' The Kyuubi Attack shouldn't have gone as poorly as it did. It was originally just get in, Kill Kushina(Why did Obito feel more pain when remembering her?) and get out with the Nine Tails. instead, he went off the script and now the Senju clan was all gone, Minato and Kushina were dead, and a whole lot of orphans were made with one of them being Naruto Uzumaki who was pretty much known as the Nine Tails itself and widely hated in Konoha.

Not the plan at all.

Obito squashed the guilt he felt. It wasn't his fault. It was this hellish world's fault. Once he achieved the Infinite Tsukuyomi everyone that was gone would be alive again. Everyone would be happy and thriving. He shouldn't feel guilty. He just stopped those people from feeling more pain now.

Soon everyone would be happy and thriving. He just needed to finish gathering the tailed beasts... Actually, he needed to start. 'Damn Nagato.' Running a village was hard work. Running a village just after you killed its leader was even more hard work. They needed funds and more ninjas. 'Perhaps I should just kill Nagato and use the Akatsuki myself...'

No that wouldn't be efficient. He didn't have enough chakra for even one at the moment. Plus he didn't want to get rid of Kamui just yet. 'Maybe I should speed up some of my other plans.' "Black Zetsu. How is the situation with the Uchiha?"

"Tensions within the clan are reaching an all time high. Especially since Shisui apparently "disappeared" It seems he hasn't told anyone about his mission yet." The weird goo/plant creature explained as it appeared from the ground.

"Good." Obito looked down. He was in a clearing in the land of water near the hospital in which Kukui Tanku was located. "What about Itachi?" Obito had big plans for Itachi. He knew the boy was intelligent and would likely see through his deceptions. So he would need to do something else to get him to join the Akatsuki.

"Itachi is currently breaking a bit. His mental health appears to be breaking and Danzo is getting ever closer. But he does not have the Mangekyo activated yet. But it seems like the Hokage is doing his best to fix all of that." Black Zetsu was still a mystery to Obito. He could never tell what it was thinking.

Obito nodded. "It appears we need to find a way to fix all of our problems." Obito had a few ideas though. "Orchestrate Uchiha Mikoto's death in front of Itachi and if you can, Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke would be his back up pawn in case his plans with Itachi failed.

"On it."

[Chapter End]

Yagura's got huge plans, Kukui's alive and even more traumatised, Ameyuri is choosing Kukui to be the next user of the Kiba Blades, and Obito's scheming in the background. What else could you want in a chapter? I dunno about you but I think this was a great one. We still got one more chapter left in the arc though. Then we have Arc Four!

I'll admit that arc four is about five chapters. So half the time of the last three arcs. But I plan on there being a longer arc for arc Five which is a really important arc in Kukui's character and story wise. Then maybe another five chapter arc before a time skip? This fic is supposed to be really long and it might only last until the end of the Kiri civil war. I still don't really have an idea of when I'll stop.

In other news this chapter is the seventh one in the stockpile now. So this means I'm building up my stockpile of chapters again. I want to try to get to a ten chapter stockpile like I ahve with my other fic, Gamer of Konoha. Which is actually at eleven stockpiled chapters atm because I have no self control.

Thank you all for reading and hopefully your all having wonderful days!

- Tobi