Chapter Fifteen: What Was Broken
Obito loitered at the hospital, drumming his fingers on his knees. Despite Inoichi's assurances, the ongoing investigation had brought more of Orochimaru's crimes to light, and anything he had touched was being examined with a fine-toothed comb, even previously vetted members of his team.
He had already made his visit to T&I, along with Hitomi, Rei, Yukio, and Nobutoshi, and all of them were officially clear of any involvement in Orochimaru's betrayal. The added benefit of distance prior to the Snake Sannin's defection, it was more a formality for record-keeping than any leveled accusation.
Anko was another story. Despite her condition, her survival and recovery had sparked rumors and speculation. Even when they carried her into the hospital, it had to be seen that she was there as a patient, not as a prisoner, so slow and steady was the order of the day. Being moved into the secure wing had not helped matters.
"Visiting hours ended quite a while ago."
Obito glanced up at Shizune. "And you look like you could use a nap. Or some caffeine."
The dark-haired medic looked haggard, still dressed for work. Sighing, she straightened herself up and smoothed her clothes over, though not out of any need of the gesture. "As much as both of us could use the rest, there's something you need to see. If you're up to it, that is."
Heaving himself up, Obito followed Shizune's lead, idly observing silence as they descended into the basement. He hadn't been personally acquainted with the hospital's layout, but he had picked up some bits from Rin, and there was only one thing of note in the basement.
The morgue.
Now that they were away from prying ears, Shizune began to explain. "The crux of Orochimaru's operations was integrating different kekkei genkai. According to the notes we've gathered so far, he's made attempts with virtually every major clan's bloodline done some testing with them."
"He kind of implied as much when we confronted him. Is there somewhere you're going with this?"
Shizune hesitated, then opened a door, ushering him inside. "I'll let Tsunade-sama explain."
Poking his head in, Obito noted the few medics that were present, along with squad of ANBU strategically positioned around the room. As he eased himself inside, the Slug Sannin looked their way, barely nodding as she focused on the mannequin on the table.
"Decoding his notes is still an ongoing process," she said, clinically detached as she gestured him forward. "But this might be of interest to you, on a personal level. One of Orochimaru's focuses of study was the Shodai's mokuton. We found the project as it was underway, but as you can see, the results are…disturbing."
Obito swallowed nervously as he glanced at the mannequin again, cold realization sinking into his stomach like a bag of rocks. It had been a person. By the size, they had to have been a small child. Any other distinguishing or notable features had been subsumed in growth of the tree springing from what had been a chest cavity.
Tsunade wasn't finished. "Knowing that he planned on integrating other bloodlines, we searched up other instances of families where two or more kekkei genkai might have been passed on or expressed later on. Incidentally, some of that helped with decoding what we have right now." At this, she held out a sheet of paper.
"Yeah?" Obito snagged the translated notes into plain speech in his head and read through them. It was not long before red crept from the sides of his vision. "What?" he asked weakly. "When was he able to…?"
Everyone edged back as the black corona erupted around him. Surprisingly, the report remained untouched, not that Obito was of a mind to notice.
"That bastard!" he snarled, barely managing to push through the red haze clouding his vision to read further. Rage roared in his ears, and the sense of betrayal sharpened to a finer point. There was only one period that Orochimaru would have had such access to him to get the samples he had used off of him.
This wasn't a recent development. The Snake's sick experiments were already underway as far back as the Third Shinobi War, or likely even further than that. Some of the redacted lines of the report raised plenty more questions. Had the Third Hokage been so blind and trusting of his old student, or had this been something that had been sanctioned before Orochimaru decided to take it all for himself?
No! He wasn't going to let himself go down that trail. Orochimaru was on the wind, and if any of these experiments were ever sanctioned, they were well about his clearance level. He could get those answers later. For now, he would focus on what was in front of him.
When he finally got to what those samples had been used for, his found his anger slowly abating.
"He was trying to replicate me," Obito rasped. "Parts of his success were only possible because of me." Slumped against the wall, he ran a hand over his face, letting the report fall from his hand.
"We managed to recover five of his subjects alive. None of the others survived be the time ANBU was able to secure the grounds and recover them for treatment."
"And?"
"Two of them won't last much longer, unfortunately. The progression had gone too far by the time they were transferred to our care. Both of them are suffering multiple organ failures, it's a miracle they survived this long."
"What about the other three?"
"For one of them, I had to suppress his chakra network before he cooked himself to death. I'll know more if he pulls through. The other two, their prospects are dubious, but stable. If nothing else goes wrong, they should be able to make a full recovery."
"Yeah. Recovery." Obito bowed his head. Gulping down a breath, he then asked, "Where are they?"
[NRE]
Days have a remarkable tendency to blur together, Rin thought as she meandered through the records hall, restless and lost in thought. Kakashi was due back within a week, but that could easily change based on his workload, or if any unforeseen events transpired. Going to an empty apartment didn't appeal at the moment, and her father had all but ordered her to go out and spend time with her friends. Friends who were all busy with their own work, missions, or training schedules. There were no patients to be seen, no assignments that had called for a dedicated medic, least of all one such of her potential or caliber.
She used to have hobbies. But she couldn't go out looking for sea shells at the moment, spending time at the orphanage was getting her some strange looks – not bad, but the matron had asked some probing question and went on a long lecture about raising a family that left Rin flushing red when she caught onto the insinuation – and none of her other hobbies were holding her attention, so she fell back to work, looking for something that leapt out at her for her to use as a research project.
Absorbed in this process as she was, she nearly bumped into Tsunade as she walked by, arms laden with some old scrolls and journals. The overcorrection in the woman's balance saw some of them fall onto the floor.
"Rin?"
"Sorry, Shishou!" she squeaked out. "Here. Let me help you out."
Before her teacher could conjure a word of protest, Rin was picking up assorted medical texts, the first being a battered leather journal titled Spiritual Surgery scribed by-
Madara Uchiha?
"What is it?" Tsunade asked, then saw what she was reading. "Oh. That." The words nearly spat out as she recollected herself. "It's rather surprising, considering his reputation in combat jutsu and as a strategist and leader, but Madara made significant contributions to many of the programs within the village after its founding. The medical corps in particular benefited from his guidance. While his departure did require a stringent review of the personnel and procedures in place, the models, practices, and jutsu were all proven things, so getting rid of it all and starting from scratch simply wasn't an option."
"Why have I never heard of this?"
"It's not a comfortable subject, and few were willing to mention it after his fateful battle with my grandfather, even within the medical corps. Hell, my father didn't even mention him by name to the end of his life, not even in private. In most cases, they stripped Madara's name from all of his contributions and left it at that. I only have this-" She waved around the journal around before returning it to the stack. "-because my father was one of his students back when medical-nin were still a rarity. Despite his later betrayal, Madara efforts still laid the groundwork for essentially everything I've done for the medical corps."
"Your father was taught by Madara Uchiha?"
"Mmhmm. My grandfather thought that by placing my father under his tutelage, it would show that Madara was trusted within the village, both with a vital function within the community and with his own son at that." She paused, staring off into the distance for a moment, then shaking her head. "It might have worked, if recognition and trust were what Madara had wanted." Tsunade growled quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, this is going to be a headache as much as a lesson. If you're interested, walk with me. I need to put these back anyway."
Rin fell in behind Tsunade, the older woman's presence sending the few medics in the library scrambling out of her way. "So. Spiritual Surgery? How does it work?"
"Spiritual surgery is one of those theories Madara had penned back when he was still in the village, though I think it was something on his mind long before that. No one gave it too much credence at the time, but more recent evidence gives weight to the idea. I originally pulled it out when trying to piece together your daring surgical procedure concerning Obito's eye.
The young medic grimaced, then sheepishly scratched the back of her head before freezing on the spot.
"Wait, do you think I'm one? A…spiritual surgeon, I mean."
"Kakashi Hatake has no Uchiha ancestors, and despite the suboptimal conditions you conducted the transfer of a newly awakened Sharingan to a new host, it's the theory that holds the most water at this point."
"How do you find out if you are one?"
"There's no indicators to be found beforehand, at least that are presently known. And it's unlikely that any Hidden Village would be serious about making them more widely known if there were. As much as it might benefit their own bloodline hunting efforts, it also means others will do the same in turn. But the underlying principles is there much in the same way chakra is a mixture of physical and spiritual energies, every bloodline in existence must also have a physical component and a spiritual component."
"I think I follow so far."
"You go back far enough in history and folklore, the earliest examples of kekkei genkai were more like mutations that subsequent generations integrated into their family lines, and became a natural part of their physiology and psychology, to the point they're reliably, if not always consistently passed onto children born to such clans. Story goes that many of these bloodlines were effected by their proximity to the demons, some being closer in proximity and contact than others."
"Is any of it true?"
"Hell if I know, but that isn't important. The point is that kekkei genkai don't just transfer from host to host. Not without preexisting markers. Something with how genetic codes work is basically a string of settings and instructions telling that mutation how to function in a reasonably benevolent manner. Madara's theory was that that why most attempts at swiping kekkei genkai failed or maladapted was because you're not simply just stitching the physical component of the bloodline. You're supposed to be stitching the spiritual component as well. And since no one typically thinks of it under those terms, they neglect that aspect, resulting in an array of nasty side effects, if they manage to pull it off in the first place."
"Oh."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Orochimaru hasn't copied this entire scroll down somewhere. And I would be willing to bet money that the bastard used it and information from other texts in his Curse Seal, and that it's likely a cause for some of the more grotesque results of his experimentation."
"Does that mean Kakashi is likely to pass on the Sharingan to any of his children?"
"Doubtful. But it's too soon to tell, unless you plan on testing that theory out for yourself."
Rin flushed beet red. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."
Tsunade hummed, eyeing the girl, then smirked. "Well, if and when you do, make sure you wind up with a good sample size."
"Shishou!"
The Sannin laughed all the way down the hall.
[NRE]
Great pains had been taken to make the recovery ward as warm, comfortable, and bright as possible. That was the first thing Obito noted as he was led into the room. It was higher security and a little further out of the way than most wings of the hospital. And apart from some ANBU lurking in the shadows under genjutu and the attending nurses, most of whom were also ANBU, Obito was likely the first actual visitor to this wing since it had been occupied by the survivors of Orochimaru's experiments.
As one, the three of them looked his way, each of them close enough to reach out to one another. It wasn't as if they lacked the space. The room was meant to hold a dozen, maybe closer to sixteen if you crammed the beds side by side.
It had taken a few days to finalize their transfer to more accommodating quarters before this meeting could be arranged, and he still didn't know what exactly to say.
"Hey," he said, awkwardly waving. "I'm Obito Namikaze, though you can just call me Obito-san."
Three flat stares and silence greeted his attempt at breaking the tension.
"Hm. Strong and silent types, I see." Taking a closer look, none of them showed no overt signs of their modifications. A blessing, really, if Obito was being perfectly honest.
The first one to his left was a boy, the youngest if he wasn't mistaken, had brown hair and dark brown eyes. A similar aura hung about him, much in the same way Obito felt when he meditated in the woods.
The next was a girl. Pale hair, green, pupil-less eyes. A distant Yamanaka branch, perhaps? Or was that a marking of what other experiments Orochimaru had put her through? Regardless, leaves and flower petals clung to her, still vibrant and lively despite being separated from their roots and stems.
The other boy had hair colored like freshly mined slate and hazel-colored eyes, smelling of smoke and burning flesh. If Obito were to venture a guess which one had the suppressed chakra system, this one would be his pick.
Obito grabbed a nearby stool, dragging it deliberately and seating himself in clear view of the young people without them needing to reposition themselves. Suspicious, cautious, taking his measure. All expected after their time under Orochimaru's "care". Even with the recent proclamations against the Snake Sannin, it likely wouldn't foster much trust for any of the shinobi of Konohagakure after one of their own had been allowed to commit his depravities unimpeded for so long.
How to convince them he was trustworthy…?
"You guys like magic tricks?" he asked.
After a trio of vague gestures that could be translated to apprehensive agreement, Obito drew back his right sleeve, holding out his hand and rippled flesh for them to see. Some of his chakra was pushed out through his hand, and a little sprout began forming in his palm. The sprout grew to wrap around Obito's hand, forming a bracelet. Once it was completed, he held it out for the girl to take, offering an encouraging smile. In her hands, it flowered and bloomed.
Pulling his hand back, the wood receded and smoothed over, but never left.
The youngest looked at him, eyes widening. "You, too?"
"After a fashion. He's not responsible for all of…this." No name was needed to guess who they were talking about. Obito grimaced and gestured at the mass of tissue that made up most of his right side. "I was just a resource he exploited in his experiments. Some friends of mine weren't so fortunate."
Between the demonstration and the admission, the trio minutely relaxed. Not completely dropping their guard, but easing enough that Obito could venture with the rest of the news.
"Not going to lie to you, we're trying to find a place for you all that doesn't put you under too much scrutiny. Maybe give you a shot at living relatively normal lives. I was hoping to talk to all of you before that, get a feel for where you want to go. Do you have names?"
"Yuji," the smoky one ground out with a feral vehemence. "That's my name."
"Yuji-san. A pleasure to meet you."
The girl put a finger to her chin, then shook her head. "I don't have a name."
Obito chuckled. "I'm sure there's something around here if you're looking for names. How about you?"
The younger boy just shook his head.
"We'll have to workshop that one, too, I guess."
It was a bitter relief. An unparalleled degree of freedom counter-balanced with no families that would claim them, no place and no one to call their own. As clean a slate as possible, but no idea what to put to it.
The only way left to them was forward.
[NRE]
Obito left the hospital in mixed spirits. The weather appeared to be reflecting this, partly cloudy skies offering bits of shade without blocking out the sun entirely as it began its descent.
Decisions would be made concerning the trio's placement. Tsunade had considered offering them a place with the Senju, much in the same way Obito had been. Inoichi would continue working with them before a call was made in either way.
Rather than curse Orochimaru's name, Obito pondered. If he were to be Hokage, what could he do to prevent similar abuses from ever occurring? What could he do in the future to avoid letting such deeds fester? Or was it an occurrence he would have to endure in a position of power?
Lost in his own thoughts, he barely noticed as Rin jogged up alongside him.
"How's your day been?" he asked.
"Apart from Shishou telling me and Kakashi to…get busy in the name of science? Fairly boring." A blush dusted her cheeks then vanished as quickly as it had come. "What about you?"
"I may have adopted three kids as siblings."
"Damn," said Kakashi, "I didn't think I was gone that long."
Rin and Obito stop mid-stride and slowly turned to their teammate.
"Show off," Obito scoffed.
"Hey, I've got to keep up my own skills. And it's not as if I'm teleporting here, there, and everywhere."
Rin rolled her eyes and started dragging her boyfriend along. "Let's grab something to eat while we catch up."
They made idle small-talk as Rin guided them to a tea house that Obito had visited a couple of times. It was relatively quiet, but also afforded a degree of privacy in the booths. Not enough to stop a determined spy or skilled eavesdropper, but enough to make it harder for idly gossip to extend beyond the property.
An order of pastries was put alongside their drinks, and conversation turned to more relevant subjects.
"So, what's this I heard about you adopting children?" asked Kakashi.
"It's an unofficial capacity," Obito began to explain. "If everything goes smoothly, they'll all have their places to go by the end of the week. But some shared experiences have them latching onto me." Idly shrugging, he took a sip of his tea. "So, what's new for you?"
"I made another trip out to Kanabi Bridge
Obito nearly choked on his tea. "Really? What for?"
Producing a wooden box from his satchel, Kakashi handed it to Rin, who opened it and gasped lightly before handing it to Obito. Inside was a collection of broken bits and slivers of metal, and the hilt of a sword he vaguely recognized as belonging to Kakashi.
"I've been there a few times, finding bits and pieces," he explained. "Nowhere near enough to remake the blade entirely, but...I'd hate to just throw it out."
"Have you visited any blacksmiths?" asked Rin.
"Not yet."
"If you need a place to start, how about Tatara's?" Obito suggested. "They specialize in shinobi tools, so they might be able to come up with something similar. Or at least give you a decent replacement."
Rin tilted her head a little, inquisitive. "Isn't that where Momoe works?"
"Yeah. She just finished up her apprenticeship a while back, so it might be that she helps you out herself. And even if it doesn't work out, if you're keen on keeping your edge, I have something I've been meaning to pass on to you.".
Fishing out Minato's journal from his coat, Obito set it on the table and pushed it towards his friend. Kakashi's eyes snapped to the battered leather cover, recognition washing through his eyes, and asked, "Where has that been? I thought it would have been in storage."
"It was one of the things I was allowed to hold onto, mainly because of this." Obito flipped it open to a bookmark he had left in, and pointed to a section that read, among other things, 'Hiraishin'. "I was trying to decipher some of this, but some things are just flat out beyond me. Figure you could make more sense of it than I could, at least when it came to the math."
Gingerly taking their Sensei's journal, Kakashi slowly clutched it to his chest. "I'll see what I can do."
Any further sentiments were halted by a yelp from a nearby alley, and saw them sprinting to a crime in progress.
[NRE]
Anko was sorely regretting many of her decisions in life, especially the ones she knew she would have done anyway despite the benefit of hindsight. She had hoped to quietly slink off to her apartment. Fewer eyes to see her barely able to stand, unable to meet anyone's eyes, or them refusing to meet hers.
She had managed to get halfway through the walk back to her apartment when she noticed three Genin started following her. Not that she knew who they were at first, and that was embarrassing enough as it was. It had taken every trick and knowledge of every corner to keep them at a distance, but they weren't hampered by a compromised chakra network, and they could cut across the rooftops, which was how they finally cornered her in an alley a block or two away from safety.
She vaguely remembered them from the chūnin exam when she was up for promotion, a Konoha team that her own team had soundly defeated. It had never occurred to her to get their names, even when the Team rumor mill briefly mentioned them, but from she knew that that they had not passed the Chunin exam since.
The leader leaned in, smelling of alcohol. "So you're Orochimaru's little bitch," he rumbled, though he might have thought he was being suave. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"
"Back. Off," she snarled. Even with the counter-seal, pain flared on her neck and shoulders.
Instead of intimidated, they seemed amused. "Go ahead. Show us where your loyalties lie."
The leader reached for her shoulder, at which Anko ducked and tried to make a run for it. A sweep to her legs sending her stumbling in the alley, crashing against a trashcan.
The trio descended on her, picking her up and Anko cursed her state. If she was on top of her game, she would have left the three of them in a broken heap in seconds flat. If not for the very real threat, she probably would have been more distraught that she was being defeated by a trio of low-class genin.
I'm not out of this yet, she thought, twisting around and biting the genin on her left.
He failed to drop her, but he still spout off a chain of curses. Anko merely smirked and kicked with all of her might. The leader hopped back, but he was not the intended target, her foot instead smashing into the third man's face, prompting him to let go, dropping her to the ground.
"Oh, such fangs," the leader laughed, shaking out his hand. "Looks like we'll have to teach her a lesson. Keep a hold on her!"
He raised a fist over her.
"Hey! Idiots!" a voice cut overhead.
The blow never came, and the fist lowered as all eyes turned to the direction they had come from. A young man stared down on them, the full moon behind him shadowing his features.
"What do you want?" the leader demanded.
"That girl you messing with is a Shinobi of Konoha. Your comrade."
"She sided with a traitor!" one of the other goons shouted.
"Yeah!" the other joined in. "She should be punished!"
The pause was rife with tension as the newcomer began stepping into the alley. "As I understand it, she's been cleared of any wrongdoing. I am well within my rights to bring you in if you decide to lay another finger on her."
"Leave us to our work, or you can join her."
"Oh?" the newcomer replied, almost amused. "Was that supposed to be a threat? What do you think, Kakashi?"
Everyone turned to the other end of the alley, where a white-haired individual stood, blocking the main avenue of escape.
"Sure sounded like it, Obito," he said.
The hapless fools began to quake and sweat. Both men had their Sharingan active, dispelling all doubt as to their identity. As both began to advance down the corridor, fight-or-flight kicked in, and Anko's assailants chose the former.
Though, to say it was a fight would be wholly misleading.
[NRE]
Obito tutted disapprovingly at the bruised and battered forms writhing in pain at their feet. "I'm not sure whether this is merely bad luck for you all, or if karma worked faster than usual."
A pair of ANBU appeared tying the reprobates up and placing them under genjutsu to keep them passive. He wanted to chastise them for not keeping a closer watch on Anko, but he figured that was something Kakashi could take care of later. An Uchiha police officer quickly scribbled the report down as heads cooled and adrenaline wore off, and before long, the trio of genin were shipped off for a stay with T&I, and everyone else was allowed to go on their merry way.
"No injuries anymore," said Rin, "but I don't think she's in a state to move under her own power."
"Blrrgh," went Anko. When no vomit was forthcoming, Obito pulled her arm over his shoulder.
"I've got her," he said. "You can go back home."
Rin eyed him for a moment, then shrugged and walked off.
Obito let Anko lean on him, walking the same pace as her. Climbing the stairs proved a bit difficult, the bruises and aches from freshly healed cracked bones made themselves known. Unlocking the door, Anko limped inside, not bothering with the lights as she ambled to her room.
The apartment itself was practically luxurious. Or it should have been. The bedroom was separated from the combined kitchen and living room.
Looking around, he smiled at the contrast between the apartment and how the resident typically presented herself. Well kept, neat and orderly, with a subdued sense of refinement. Furniture was simple, a few scuffs, nicks, and light burns, which did more to add character than subtract. A fine tea set, tucked away on a shelf and bracketed by a couple of picture frames. This trend persisted into her room, which was marked by touches of softness. A stuffed wolf was tucked to the side, as if some embarrassing secret, plush pillows and a surplus of blankets that most would consider excessive, even in the dead of winter.
Anko lazily tossed her hitai-ate to the nightstand and she plopped down on her bed, pulling her legs to her chest. Without anything else to sit on, Obito settled next to her, hoping he would not disturb her.
"You good?" he asked.
She didn't really respond. Instead, she leaned into his chest, clutching his shirt and pulling herself onto his lap, thereby cutting off his original plan of putting her to bed and letting her sleep everything off. When she looked up at him, her hair had fallen to partially cover her eyes, but what Obito could see was all too familiar. Before he could think reflect too much on that, she began to lean in.
He put a hand to her mouth before she could close the gap.
"Anko, I know you're hurting, but I'm not going to do that for you."
Anko shook his hand off, tears welling at the corner of her eyes. "Why!? Not pretty enough?"
"There are a number of issues right now. My own emotional baggage, professionalism, not wanting to take advantage of a girl while she's not in her right mind, just to name a few." Obito let his shoulders sagged. "I can't be that for you right now. But I'll be your friend, if you want me."
He pulled her close into a hug. Anko then hesitantly wrapped her arms around him before pulling tightly against him, shaking like a leaf as sobs wracked her frame.
"Just let it all out. I'll be here as long as you need me."
The girl cried on him for what seemed like an hour, exhausting what energy she had left, she slipped into unconsciousness, though Obito could only hope that it was restful.
Tucking her into bed, he watched her curl into a shivering ball under the covers, looking so much smaller than usual. Her features had softened, no sign of the hardness, fierceness, or the hurt she was enduring.
She's just a kid, he thought, then mentally slapped himself.
He was, what? Sixteen? Seventeen? Was that really enough to make him an adult beyond a legal standpoint?
Standing, he found a ragged easy-chair near the door, Obito settled into a sentry post watching the door and window for signs of intruders. Looking out into the night, he kept his watch, letting nothing disturb Anko's rest.
[NRE]
Anko stirred from her slumber at the faint sound of a sizzling griddle and the smell of bacon and eggs.
Wait. She shot up from her bed, sleep far away from her mind as she took stock of herself, memories from the night before bubbling back to fore. Her state of dress was the same as the night before, just wrinkled from being slept in. The healing aches had faded, though the bruises were still lingering.
Slipping out of bed, she cautiously eased herself into the commons area of her house, where Obito was leaning near the stove, monitoring the progress of the bacon and eggs he had been cooking.
Wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning, Anko thought, then slapped her cheeks.
Obito's head snapped her way, the moment of tension evaporating when he saw her up.
"Had to make sure I wasn't still dreaming." Satisfied she was awake, and hoping the slaps covered any lingering blushing, she sat herself at the table and watched Obito work the skillet. "This is a pleasant surprise."
"I said I'd stay with you as long as you needed me. That includes breakfast."
And once again, the blush fought its way to her cheeks and Anko fought it just as fiercely. "No, I meant you being able to cook."
"My grandmother taught me a little, and Minato-senesei taught me a bit more with Kushina-shishou rounding my skills out."
Anko found a seat at the table, rubbing her shoulder. "Can you forget about last night? I said – and did some embarrassing things."
"I won't say anything if you won't. Besides, it's not as if I'm not guilty of saying the wrong things at the worst moments."
A thunderous pounding on the door interrupted the awkward tension. Anko finished wiping the sleep from her eyes. She hadn't really undressed from the night before and had no issue answering the door in the clothes she had slept in.
Kurenai surged forward as soon as their eyes met, seizing her in a crushing hug and babbling in a barely coherent string of words, "I heard about what happened last night. I was so worried when I heard. Why did I have to wait until this morning to hear it from Kakashi? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Kurenai-nee," Anko answered, awkwardly patting the older girl's back. "Nee-san. Need to breathe."
Kurenai held her out at arms-length and looked her over, but seeing no sign of whatever she was looking for, she let out a breath in relief. "Hm…Obito-san? Can I borrow Anko-chan for a bit? And might I join you afterwards?"
"Sure thing, as long as she's okay with it." Obito answered, waving the spatula around. "It's her place, after all."
"Yeah, sure," said Anko. "Whatever."
"In that case, food should be ready in a bit. I certainly made enough for it."
Kurenai smiled pleasantly at Obito. "Thanks!", and guided Anko around, a hand clamped on the younger girl's arm to prevent her from bolting. It wouldn't be the first time she had restrained Anko from fleeing emotional confrontations, so it was reassuring, after a fashion. Besides, she hadn't talked to her sister figure for far too long, but…
Anko was afraid of what she might say.
"So," said Kurenai. "Did anything happen last night? Between you and the gentlemen you apparently allowed to hang out in your apartment, I mean. I heard about the incident last night."
Okay. That is better and worse at the same time. "No," Anko answered, testily, averting her eyes.
"I see." A teasing smile formed on Kurenai's lips. "Did you want something to happen between the two of you?"
"N-no!" Seeing Kurenai's stare, she bashfully averted her gaze entirely.
"I'll take that as a yes, then." Her pseudo-sister smiled a bit more. "I think I can see why you like him. He's the right blend of strong, dashing, caring, and stupid, and loyal past all reason. Your perfect guy, honestly."
"I-I know-ow." Anko clamped her teeth on her tongue. Of, for the love of fuck!
Kurenai was still watching her, a catlike smile spreading across her face. "Hm~…?"
Anko glowered at the older girl's teasing smile. She hated stammering and stuttering,
specifically out of herself. She thought she had grown out of that ages ago, but the habit had chosen to rear its ugly head once more, adding fuel to Kurenai's speculations.
Taking a moment to wrest her nerves back under rigid control, she said, "So. Are you just going to embarrass me, or is there something else you want to grill me over?"
"As your older sister figure, it is my solemn duty to embarrass you in front of your friends,"
Kurenai shot back, dismissively. "Besides. I wasn't aware there was something worth chastising you over, maybe save for slipping bed rest. Again."
Anko rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just don't pick on Obito too much. I don't think he's ready for your games right now."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Upon seeing her skepticism, Kurenai leaned a little closer and whispered, "I'll let you finish your growth spurt before trying anything."
"Hmph. Now look who's talking nonsense."
The two fell a companionable silence, the younger girl bopping her head against her sister's shoulder.
[NRE]
Kakashi stood in front of one of many blacksmith shops in Konohagakure. This shop in particular had catered to a variety of clients over the years, but had started off as a family of devoted blacksmiths working with and for shinobi. Obito had recommended the place, so it was as good a place as any to start.
The bell range with the door swinging open. Stepping in, he was bombarded by the scents of smoke, metal, and assorted tempering agents, with leather mingling in with it all. Years of practice had him filtering through the smells, letting them flow through his nostrils, then slowly tuning them out to focus on his surroundings.
Presently, a young woman emerged, dusting off her apron before doffing her gloves.
"Hello!" she said, pulling mask off. "I'm Momoe, one of the smiths here. How may I help you today?"
"Kakashi Hatake. And, well, I'm looking at repairing or replacing a blade for a family heirloom."
"What happened to the original?"
Kakashi cleared his throat. "It broke. I still have the hilt." He held out the White Light Chakra Saber, sans most of the blade. "I also have some fragment of the rest, but not enough to remotely reconstitute the original dimensions." He slid a box containing the rest of the blade.
Eying the box of broken fragments, Momoe gingerly took the handle, whispering, "aw, you poor thing." Turning it over, she inspected the stub of metal still attached to the hilt. "You weren't kidding about breaking it, and I know some people get superstitious when it comes to broken swords." The blacksmith bit the inside of her lip. "Replacing it might be easier and more cost effective."
"I wouldn't be surprised. But the sword holds some…sentimental value. And some properties that I don't necessarily understand enough to replace on my own. I'd hate to just discard it without seeing if anything could be salvaged from it, so I figured I'd at least let someone take a look at it, and maybe see about replicating some of its abilities, if that is possible."
"Give me a minute." She pulled some goggles over her eyes, turning the broken blade over in her hands. "Wait, is this chakra-conductive material? Hold on. Is this the Hakkō Chakura Tō?
"It is…Why do you ask?"
Momoe set the broken blade with utmost reverence, then pulled her goggles back up and ran around the counter, seizing Kakashi's hands as she jumped up and down, eyes alight with childlike glee.
"Hatake-san, would you allow me to repair this sword?"
"Y-yes?" Kakashi answered, a bit off-balance from the overwhelming enthusiasm.
"I have the Sensei's notes when he made up the original! You said you have some of the original? How much are we talking?" She looked at the box again. "Right. You already showed me. Yes, I can do this!"
For a moment, Kakashi thought she was going to start running around the shop, but instead, she put her gloves back on and grabbed a shard of the blade.
"This is going to take a little bit of time and testing to make sure I get you the best quality."
"Money isn't a problem."
ANBU missions typically brought quite a bit of money, and Kakashi was a frugal person by nature.
Now…, thought Kakashi, about Sensei's journal...
If it was half as complicated as Obito made it out to be, he'd either have it done in about ten minutes, or he was going to be pulling his hair out for months.
[NRE]
Obito hit the ground, roughly. Again. He had lost count after the first dozen.
"YOUTH!" Might Guy boomed, flashing his sparring partner a smile and a thumbs-up. "That round goes to me!"
If he were in any way conceited, Obito thought, I'd have assumed he was mocking me.
Pushing off the ground, Obito readied for another round with the spandex-clad shinobi.
In other circumstances, he might have hazarded striking up an arrangement with either Kakashi or Rin, but Kakashi was out of the village for long periods and self-admittedly a ninjutsu junkie besides, and Rin had her own duties and responsibilities, and was taijutsu practitioner by necessity with all of the same shortcomings as Obito would have in that department.
Then he had struck upon an idea. Why not seek out an actual taijutsu specialist, or at least someone who favored that discipline? Sure, no one could survive by taijutsu alone, but someone who led with the practice would suffice in a pinch. And among his peers, there was one in particular Obito figured would be both willing and able to put him through the paces and bring him up to speed.
Good news? Gai accepted the request almost immediately, only clarifying when he was available.
Bad news was that it was, to put it nicely, humbling. Humiliating would be more accurate. Hobbling would also suffice, as he was trounced over and over again. Regeneration and virtually unlimited energy did little for the bone-deep aches he was being dealt by Might Gai.
Rising once more, Obito dusted himself and set his stance. "Again."
Might Gai turned, brows furrowing in concern. "It is good to see the Fires of Youth burning strongly in you, but you mustn't burn yourself so brightly you burn yourself out."
"I got my ass handed to me in my fight with Orochimaru. I've trained hard, worked my best to cover my deficiencies, and yet it never seems enough. I-"
Gai chopped his hand lightly against Obito's shoulder, knocking Obito flat on his rear. "You keep saying 'I', Obito-san, but that speaks of arrogance ill-fitting of one such as yourself."
"What."
"For my Eternal Rival to think so highly of you, especially for one whom he once held in contempt, is no small feat. You fared adequately where others failed entirely, and survived to learn and improve for the next encounter. To come so far in such a short time, regardless of circumstances- no, in spite of the circumstances, you are far from hopeless, Obito-san!"
"For all the good it does me now. How many lives has he ruined already? How many more will he go on to destroy in the future?"
"Then attend to the present foundation for future gains. You are still in the Springtime of Youth! Your roots run deep, my friend, but your branches haven't risen and stretched to capture the sunlight to match it."
Obito watched in awe as Gai carried on, as if seeing a new side of the man. The glow he began to cast might have also influenced that.
"You are correct in assuming that Orochimaru will continue his ill deeds until he is brought to justice, but you are not the only one seeking a resolution for his crimes. There will be a time Orochimaru will overstretch himself. Jiraiya is looking for him, as are many eyes of Konohagakure. Both our allies and enemies will be hunting him, hounding his steps, leaving him nowhere to rest and few to trust. Bereft of safe havens and true companions, he could be among an army of gods and still be alone. And when he commits his great error, he will be met with not a single branch, nor by many leaves, but the forest!"
Laughing, Obito sat up straight. "Thanks, Gai-san. I needed that."
"It is of no trouble, Obito-san." Smiling brightly, he gave a thumbs-up. "For now, rest. We shall renew our youthful pursuits at dawn."
Obito held out a hand, letting Gai hoist him up. Tea sounded good.
A/N: Well. That's a fair chunk of angst and emotional turbulence out of the way. Obito/Anko is going to be a slow burn, but since it's not the main focus of the story, both are emotionally compromised,and by the numbers, they're about three and a half years apart, I am entirely comfortable with this arrangement.
Other than that, some down time before the next major event. Which should be starting in about a chapter or so. For those who are familiar with Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, it relates to that.
Aside from that, you can expect there to be more interaction with non-ninja and non-combatant roles, inside of Konoha and outside. Too little of that occurs outside of filler, so I am making some effort to flesh out the rest of the world. Yes, ninja make up a sizeable portion of the narrative, but they are a small portion of the population in the grand scheme of things.
Spiritual Surgery is a term I found in the Nasuverse, and linguistically fits the properties of the concept I'm employing here.
Changes from canon:
Two more survivors of Orochimaru's mokuton experiments, thanks to Obito's unwitting contribution. Tenzou/Yamato is number three. Aside from Tenzou/Yamato, the others will be minor reoccurring characters.
Kakashi is getting the White Chakra Sabre rebuilt. I don't think it was thought of before Kakashi Gaiden, but with its introduction and subsequent destruction, I found an avenue to help Kakashi find a niche his teammates hadn't covered. He will still be "Master of One-Thousand Jutsu", and I will do my best to put it on proper display. And once he learns the Hiraishin…things should get quite interesting.
Some lore on Tsunade's parents, namely her father (Hashirama and Mito's son) and his ties to Madara Uchiha. Much like Minato's canon teammates, you'd think that there would be more about Hashirama's children. One of them lived long enough to have Tsunade and Nawaki, but were there any cousins? Did they die? Who knows? I'll do my best to fill in the gaps and answer these questions in due time.
Coming Up Next:
- Acclimating new friends to the group
- Burning late night oils
- Tragic Backstories
- Land of Snows
That should cover everything for the moment. If not, forward any questions, comments, or concerns in a review or PM. Especially if I forgot something (I probably did). Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
Until next time!
Winterman, out.