-Return to Uzushiogakore-
After a month, Kinji contacted Naruto and informed him that he had a couple experts ready to go to Uzushiogakore and begin planning the resurrection of the fallen city. Naruto was excited to restore his home of origin and it would honestly be a nice fallback if Konoha kept being a pain in his ass. Naruto was packing up and making sure they had everything they needed for three babies to join the trip. The girls insisted on coming and seeing the fabled land of the Uzumaki and Naruto was excited to show them.
Tsunade had mumbled and groaned about travelling with newborns, but she realized it was a futile battle. Her family was every bit as stubborn, tenacious and bone-headed as she was and she really didn't feel like beating her head against a wall. She reluctantly approved, but she insisted that Naruto would have to get them set up in the clan house before anything else was done. This meant that Tazuna was going to get drawn into the trip, which meant Tsunami, Kaisa, Inari and York were coming as well. Tsunade swore that her family was going to become a band of travelling gypsies at this rate.
As Tsunade was packing her things in a scroll, she thought back to the first time she ventured to Uzushiogakore with Naruto and Shizune.
- The Long-Awaited Flashback -
Naruto was eight years old, in this life, and he had requested to make the trip to Uzushiogakore to visit his ancestral home and see if he could find any remaining pieces of his heritage. Tsunade had put the trip off for long enough and knew that they should probably go now that everything in Wave Country and Ushio village was properly set up. Thus, she got Kaisa and York to captain a boat across the whirlpools to the Land of Eddies.
The trip from Wave didn't even take a full day by boat but it was Tsunade's first time disarming the whirlpool defenses that still surrounded the island. Naruto wanted to find the security seals and attempt to replicate them for Wave, which would be a significant boost to the natural defenses of Wave country. That being said, the Wave group made it past the whirlpools safely and they landed on Uzushio and set off to explore the land.
"Be careful everyone and stick together. There are multiple genjutsu barriers and other subtle defenses that will make you walk around in circles." Naruto said with his kitsune eyes active.
"Shizune, York and Kaisa, link up and do your best to routinely pulse your chakra. That is the only way to counter an area of effect genjutsu barrier." Tsunade added as she put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"You should be fine, Momma. According to my mom's journal, the barriers will only block out non-Uzumaki and you are at least one quarter Uzumaki." Naruto said.
"Not taking any chances, brat." Tsunade settled the debate with finality.
Thus, the fivesome walked across the beach and into the jungle of Uzu without properly knowing where they were heading. Naruto created twenty wood clones to go and scout the area as he led his family and friends through the dense, tropical jungle. It didn't take long for the scars of the past to rear their ugly heads as rusted metal weapons, scuffed hitiate and an abundance of skeletons littered the forest and let the explorers know that they were most likely headed in the right direction.
What surprised everyone was the sheer number of skeletons and weapons that littered the jungle floor after nearly 25 years. The forest had filled in the craters and other signs of battle, but the bones were a constant reminder that this land had suffered a serious tragedy. After some encouragement from Tsunade, Naruto began repeatedly casting the minor earth jutsu that was developed to bury people in the field. The earth repeatedly softened enough to swallow its intended contents before setting the contents to rest six feet underground where the remains would no longer be disturbed.
Tsunade began helping Naruto due to the sheer number of corpses and she really didn't want a bunch of skeletons remaining on the island if they ever decided to rebuild Uzushio. The going was slow due to the repeated impromptu burials and the group ended up spending the first night camping out. The good thing about camping out with the Senjus was that fuinjutsu made it infinitely more comfortable than it would otherwise be.
At the crack of dawn, they resumed their exploration in a similar manner and were able to reach the ruins of Uzushiogakore by midday. This was when Tsunade and Naruto began to weep openly as they started noticing more and more Uzu hitiate. Rather than bury them independently, Naruto created a horde of shadow clones to gather the remains of his fallen family. He was going to lay their remains to rest together because family comes before all.
After recovering and burying every Uzumaki and those loyal to Uzushio, the Senju group finally focused on exploring the ruins. Most of the buildings were in tatters but a few remained untouched behind Uzumaki barriers that pulled off of the natural energy of the land. Naruto was able to get through these barriers after examining them for an hour or so and he was able to search five houses that belonged to branch family members of the Uzumaki clan.
After searching those houses, Tsunade guided Naruto toward where she remembered the Uzukage tower was. Unlike the houses that were protected by barriers, it was clear that the barrier surrounding the Uzukage tower was destroyed by overwhelming force. There was a circle of rubble that used to be a building and the devastation around the tower was never healed by nature. Naruto stepped into the tower and began looking around on the ground floor, which was the only remaining floor of the once great command center of the Uzumaki.
"M-momma, is … is this all that is left?" Naruto said despondently with tears trickling down his cheeks.
Tsunade wore a sad frown on her face as she placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I don't know, Kiddo. I am sure that this was the tower though."
Naruto sniffled a bit, "What about the main Uzumaki compound? Did you ever visit there?"
"Yeah Kiddo, it is up the hill a bit. The main branch was set up slightly outside of the village." Tsunade answered softly.
The group stepped out of the rubble and walked up the hill toward where Tsunade remembered the Uzumaki's main house being. It was nearly a kilometer outside of the village on a hill that overlooked Uzushiogakore and Naruto could see why the clan wanted to live up here. It was beautiful and it offered a full view of the southern side of the island. He walked up the remains of a path until he saw a clearing. Just a clearing.
Inside the mindscape, Rias was paying rapt attention and she wanted to help Naruto find any part of his ancestry that she could. "Hey, fox, tell the kid to turn on your eyes. If they went into full lockdown, then there will be more seals and stronger barriers protecting the important places."
"Kit, use my eyes again." Kurama said through the mind link. "Look for any active seals and don't overlook anything."
Naruto's eyes turned red with the black vertical slit as Naruto gained a new view of the old home of his ancestors. "You're right, Kyu. There is so much going on I don't even know where to start though."
Kurama saw the multiple barriers and protections that were erected around this clan compound. He let out a high-pitched whistle in appreciation of the Uzumaki's efforts in protecting their home. "Wow, Kit, that is a lot. Start from the outside and work your way in."
Outside, Tsunade and Shizune were exploring the invisible barriers that were preventing them from taking another step forward. Once again, Naruto pulled on Kurama's chakra and created 100 shadow clones that activated the kitsune eyes and spread out to explore the clan compound. It took hours, then it took the full day and finally Naruto was able to crack the final blood seal that was protecting the compound shortly before the sun set.
The final barrier seal was an Uzumaki blood seal combined with a fuinjutsu puzzle that had to be completed. Naruto was sure that only an Uzumaki would be able to bypass such a seal. That wasn't even mentioning how all of these seals were connected to senjutsu chakra and powered themselves off the natural energy of the island. His clan were truly masters of the sealing arts.
The Senju family was worn out from the long day of exploring and decided to sleep in the clan head's house that was positioned over a cliff with an overlook of the whole clan compound and village below. It was weird sleeping in the preserved home of his ancestors that looked like it was cleaned and maintained for the past 25years. That being said, Naruto was more than ready to cuddle up into Tsunade.
The next day, Naruto explored the clan compound and that was where he found the wealth of Uzumaki knowledge. The clan head's study had a space-time portal to the Uzumaki library and Naruto would later notice that a couple of these seals could be found scattered throughout Uzushigakore. The Uzumaki library was everything Naruto was hoping for and more. Tsunade let Naruto and his clones copy as much as they could for the next two weeks, but she planned on leaving the original scrolls in the library.
-End of Flashback-
The second trip to Uzushiogakore went far more smoothly and they were able to pull into the old Uzumaki ports after Naruto hopped out and built some new docks using his Mokuton. The full training trip and Senju family as well as Haku, Tsunami, Kaisa, Inari, Kaito and Kiko (Tsunami and Kaisa's twin two-year-olds), York and Tazuna were along for the ride this time around.
"Wow, this place looks old." Inari offered his thoughts to the group as everyone was dismounting the ship.
Kaisa ruffled Inari's hair, "I have heard many a sailor talk about how great this city used to be. It is sad to see it like this."
Naruto sighed sadly, "Yeah, I wish I could have seen it. Although, we will be sure to build it up bigger and better than ever."
"Damn straight Kiddo. You have the super bridge builder and master craft extraordinaire here." Tazuna said proudly as he pulled on the ever-present white towel that was slung over his neck.
Naruto belted out a laugh and Hikari chirped, "Old man, don't let the bridge go to your head. This city is going to be far harder to build and we need to make it even more awesome."
"Momma, when is Kinji supposed to be at the Wave port?" Naruto asked.
"Next week, Ruto. I will have you flash back there and then you can get them through the whirlpools." Tsunade answered distracted as she once again soaked in the beauty and devastation of the village.
"Alright everyone, let's get to the clan compounds and get set up." Naruto said in an attempt to take control of the clusterfuck.
-Two Weeks later – Emergency-
The time on Uzu was great for the Senju family. Everyday felt like a productive day as Naruto worked with Kinji and the prospector to rebuild the key parts of the village infrastructure first. Without Mokuton, this part of the process would have taken many months, if not years; however, the legendary ability meant that Naruto could simply erect and adapt the building with his Mokuton, which meant Tazuna could immediately begin planning out the second level construction such as wiring and some standard seals that he was familiar with. Kinji's prospector was astounded at how quickly the new buildings were erected and he bumped up the timeline to open New Uzu by a full year after the first week of watching Naruto work.
"Lord Senju, if you continue at this pace then we will be able to start moving farmers and other developers to the island shortly."
"Thanks, Saiso. I appreciate your help with this. What will be the most time-consuming part of that stage in the plan?" Naruto asked.
"Deforestation and de-rooting. We will need to prepare some of the lands for harvest so that you don't have to import all of your food." Saiso answered.
Naruto cocked an eybrow at Saiso before turning to Kinji, "Uncle Kin, has he never seen how we work? Has he ever worked with shinobi?"
Kinji belted out a laugh loud enough to embarrass Kaori, who insisted on tagging along with her father and Madame Shijimi. "Ho, ho, ho, Saiso just point out where you think it would be best for the farms to be built. This young man will have it done in a week."
Saiso looked incredulously at Naruto and then back at Kinji. "Lord Daimyo, you can't be serious."
"Try us." Naruto said with a cocky grin as he called his study group over. "Oi, family, we have a challenge. We are going to use earth ninjutsu to prepare our new fields. Temari, wind to sever the trees. Make sure to keep them harvestable. Rias and Hikari, enough storage scrolls to encompass all of the wood of this forest. Gaara and Tsunade, we don't want to push the roots down, we want them out. Once that is done, we will need to till the soil and get it ready."
Saiso remained dubious despite the honored Senju family's attitude. That was until he dislocated his jaw four hours later after ten acres of forest were cleared in an afternoon and a newly tilled and prepared field was ready to go. Saiso remained in a state of stunned disbelief until a laughing Kinji slapped him on the back after ten minutes of laughing uproariously.
"Lord Kinji, how come we don't do this in the Land of Fire?" Saiso whispered.
Kinji adopted a thinking pose before answering, "Because old fools keep us stuck in the ways of the past. This isn't that half of what they can do either, Saiso."
That night, everyone was gathered together in the clan head's home, and they were playing cards while sipping on some sake after the kids were put to sleep. Everyone was cuddled up with their significant others, except Hikari and Yami, who decided to cuddle in sibling affection so as not to be left out. The night was going well until Naruto immediately sat up bolt straight and brought everyone's attention to him.
"I gotta go!" Naruto said.
"What's wrong, brat?" Tsunade barked.
"Team 10's Hiraishin beacon was just activated. That means they are in trouble!" Naruto shouted while he ran to put on his combat uniform. He would at least need his vest and jacket.
"Take us with you!" Temari shouted.
"No, not until I know what is going on." Naruto shouted adamantly from his temporary room as he rushed to get into combat mode. "Momma, set up a long-range Hiraishin beacon for me and be ready for wounded!"
Before anyone else could yell anything at him, they all saw a green and red flash come from the room Naruto was using. Ino whispered, "Be safe, Ruto."
Ten minutes prior, team 7 and team 10 were in for a fight for their lives against two members of the Akatsuki in the middle of their 'C' rank mission to Takigakore. They were just supposed to check in with the village and finish off a trade agreement before returning to Konoha. As they were hanging out in the hotel and getting ready for an early night, sounds of battle and chaos began spreading around the city.
Kakashi rushed out onto the hotel balcony and saw that there was a commotion at the front of the city, and he could see Taki ninja scrambling to respond to it. That was when he heard an explosion and felt a surge of chakra coming from the Great Tree that was the cornerstone of Takigakore. He immediately ordered the teams to get their equipment on and remove all restrictive seals.
"Sensei, we have to go check on Fū. She is the only one that resides near the Great Tree." Shino insisted. Shino had been spending the past week getting to know Fū and she was practically royalty to a clan like the Aburame.
"Kakashi, they are our allies and we have standing orders to combat the Akatsuki." Asuma added.
Kakashi sighed before responding, "Alright, Asuma, you go and see if we can offer our support to the skirmish in the village. If they refuse your help, meet us at the lake in front of the Great Tree. Team 7, you are to remain in a support capacity until I call you into the fight. Shino, if Fū is incapacitated, you will be her protective detail. Sakura, you are medical and long-range support. Kiba and Akamaru, you WILL NOT engage unless I call for you."
"Shika, Chouji and Tayuya, you will come with me. We will only offer our support and get involved if Taki requests it. We cannot force our way into the fight while in an allied village." Asuma barked as he released his seals and prepared his trench knifes.
Team 7 arrived at the battlegrounds near the Great Tree around seven minutes after hearing the first alarm. During their travels, Kakashi and Shino felt the release of biju chakra, which pretty much confirmed their worst fears. Kakashi had his team hang back until he could analyze the threat, and things weren't looking good. Team 7 arrived to see a big man and some monstrosity of a creature standing over a mint haired girl who was clearly badly injured.
"Shino, you are in charge. I will try to separate him from Fū. Use your bugs to aid me." Kakashi ordered.
Kakashi opened the engagement with a volley of lighting encased kunai that forced the enemy shinobi to dodge to the side, which at least took his foot off of the jinchuriki's chest. Kakashi followed up the kunai with a close-quarters engagement with the Akatsuki member. As he closed the distance, he lifted his hitiate and brought his Sharingan into the fight early on. Kakuzu turned and met the new threat head on with his 'Iwa style – diamond armor', which made his body super hardened to increase his offense and defense.
The engagement was quick, fast, dirty and quite one-sided. Everything Kakashi threw at Kakuzu seemed to bounce right off of him and it took Kakashi a severe blow to his chest to realize that his opponent was using earth jutsu to harden his skin. Kakashi had fought enough shinobi from Iwa to realize an earth style reinforcement jutsu and he immediately changed tactics. He recovered from the blow, encased his kunai in a potent lightning chakra and reengaged his opponent.
Team 7 watched on and they were scared to see Kakashi failing to land a decisive blow on his opponent. As that fight dragged on, they were forced to deal with a creature that seemed to be made of a bunch of black threads and it wore a mask that bore the Kanji for fire. The original attack from the creature caught them by surprise and the only reason they survived the surprise fireball was a quick 'earth style – mud wall' from Shino. That didn't stop the creature from ramming into Kiba, which sent him sprawling.
Shino reacted immediately by unleashing his kikaichu and biju bugs to launch his initial onslaught on the intimidating creature. He also pulsed chakra into the lid of his senjutsu beetles and prepared to set up the battlefield to deal with this new opponent. Luckily, Kiba was made of tough stuff, and he was able to shake off the tackle from the tentacled and masked creature. He recovered quickly and easily determined that he would need his Inuzuka food pills and threw one to his partner as well.
Team 7's teamwork was shaky at best, but Shino did his best to respond to the evolving battlefield and he played defense for his frontline teammate. That being said, the masked creature's body was iron hard, and it was able to withstand multiple hits from the 'Gatsuga' attack. The creature also withstood the explosions from his Biju bugs, and it was able to burn the kikaichu he had released. This told Shino that the body was not the way to go as he erected yet another mud wall to protect Kiba from the creature's flames.
It was at that time that the lid to his gourd clicked open and he was able to call upon his Senjutsu beetles. He felt the communication link with Chicata open up and he quickly informed her and the hive of his recent discoveries on their opponent. With a new plan in mind, Shino locked the creature in an 'earth style – earthen coffin', which was just four earth walls erected close together around the opponent.
"Kiba, fall back and recover. Sakura, tend to him. I have a plan." Shino shouted to his teammates.
Kakashi was having a rough time against a clearly superior opponent. So far, Kakashi recognized his opponent as Kakuzu the Immortal, and he had briefly recalled his opponent's known abilities. However, knowing your opponent's abilities doesn't make it that much easier to counter them when your opponent displays mastery over four elements. Thus, Kakashi was fighting a defensive battle to buy time for his team to deal with the creature that was attacking them.
Shino used the ten seconds his earthen coffin bought the team to tell them his plan and he could only pray it worked. Sakura didn't bring anything to the fight and Kiba would need far more accuracy if he was going to land a decisive blow on the mask. Therefore, Shino's plan revolved around him and his new Senjutsu beetles that had spread out around the coffin. Team 7 saw a red glow from within the coffin and a second later the coffin exploded outward in a forceful display of fire and earth shrapnel.
Kiba trusted Shino and he listened to the guy's plan. Therefore, he led the renewed assault with a 'Fang over Fang' with Akamaru, which failed once more, before Kiba jumped back and created distance. The Inuzuka attack kept the creature in one place when it was assaulted from all sides by football-sized beetles that were flying at high speeds. The creature attempted an area-of-effect fire attack, but that didn't stop the horde of airborne beetles that were now locked onto their target. The hardened pincers of the beetles tore into the creature and two beetles were able to tunnel through the mask.
After the beetles' attack, the creature let out a screech before the threads suddenly untangled and fell limply onto the groun. Team 7's minor victory was overshadowed by a scream from Kakashi. In that moment, Shino made the call and ran forward to assist his sensei.
"Sakura, use the Hiraishin beacon, now!" Shino shouted over his shoulder as he ran to back up his sensei.
Naruto arrived at a chaotic fight and the immediate influx of negative emotions was overwhelming to the Senju heir that was in Sage mode. He sensed an ongoing fight near him and pandemonium in the village. He decided to focus on team 7 since they were the ones that called for support. Naruto created ten clones to scout the area and then immediately headed towards the biggest chakra signature.
Naruto arrived to see Shino being held aloft by multiple black threads in front of a man that Naruto immediately recognized. Shino's arms were impaled, and Naruto flashed back to memories of Kakuzu trying to rip out his opponents' hearts to replenish his own. With a thought to Kurama, Naruto flickered into KSM1 mode and disappeared in a golden blur towards Kakuzu.
Naruto was so fast that he caught the so-called immortal off guard as a katana encased in copious amounts of wind chakra cut an upward slash through the black tentacles that were threatening his friend. After severing the tentacles, Naruto levied a knee to Kakuzu's hardened gut before Naruto spun on his plant foot and used his right foot to lash out in a bone crunching side kick. Kakuzu went flying off into the distance and Naruto used the time that bought him to take stock of the current situation.
Kakashi was lying ten feet away with burns on his right arm and an earth spike through his left shoulder. Shino was crawling on the ground completely incapacitated due to the injuries to all four limbs. Akamaru was whimpering in pain and distress as he licked Kiba's unconscious face. Sakura had crumpled to her knees, but she didn't look to be in immediate danger. It was then that Naruto noticed Fū's crumpled form lying over a puddle of blood. Naruto formed five wood clones and fed enough of Kurama's chakra into the clones for them to make the jump to Uzu.
Naruto knew that the Hiraishin put stress on the target's body, but that would have to do for now because they were each in critical condition and Naruto knew four great medics that were back in Uzushiogakore right now. As Naruto saw Kakuzu walking towards him, his clones grabbed all of the wounded and disappeared in flashes of golden light.
"I should have known you would be with the Konoha brats, Kyuubi jinchuriki. I am in a rather foul mood, and I am in need of a heart. I advise you to scurry away, brat. You are way out of your league." Kakuzu growled.
Naruto laughed heartily in his best imitation of Hashirama, "Ho, ho, ho, Kakuzu the so-called Immortal doesn't want a rematch? That is a shame because my grandfather should have ended you instead of pitying you."
Kakuzu's growl deepened, "Oh, please, brat. Just because you caught a bunch of Iwa and Sound chumps off guard doesn't mean you can step into Hashirama's shoes."
Naruto's laughter ceased and a serious look found its way onto his face, "No, Kakuzu, you are wrong. Your little band of merry men doesn't know what they are up against, so let me show you how futile your efforts are."
Before Kakuzu could answer the brat's outrageous statement, he felt an overwhelming aura and power settled upon his shoulders and his eyes widened. Then, all hell broke loose and Kakuzu felt fear for the first time in 85years. Kakuzu watched the golden form of the Kyuubi jinchuriki become enshrouded in a wooden armor and Kakuzu saw four chakra chains emerge from the back of the golden cloak. In a golden blur, Kakuza felt pain lance through his arm that blocked the blow as he was sent flying ten meters. As Kakuzu was recovering, he missed the chain that was lanced through his right arm, and he was pulled toward Naruto.
As Naruto yanked the chain back, he also dashed forward with his three remaining chains held out in front of him in a triangular trident form. Naruto heard and felt three squelches before he launched a Mokuton gauntlet at Kakuzu's face. The Akatsuki member was flown backward as chains ripped out of his body due to its sudden change in momentum. That one attack had taken out two of the masks he wore and narrowly missed a third mask. That meant that Kakuzu was unconscious for most of the flight, and it took a second after impact for his new heart to get into place and restore movement to his shattered and torn body.
Kakuzu was a proud man that had lived for a long time. He was alive during the times of Hashirama, and he witnessed the prowess of the Mokuton firsthand. It was that retreat that led to his village's betrayal, which led to him spending years in prison before becoming a missing ninja. After his village's betrayal, Kakuzu only believed in two things: money and power. If the money was good enough, then he would commit himself to any mission that his power could handle. Kakuzu was a firm believer in not signing checks that your body can't cash, and he instinctively knew that his body couldn't cash this particular check.
As one of his two remaining hearts slid into place, Kakuzu immediately decided to retreat. He hoped the Kyuubi brat would go to the village rather than chase him down. He would live to fight another day and he needed to notify the organization of the kid's power. Therefore, Kakuzu put his sizeable chakra to work and performed a long-range shunshin that got him the fuck out of dodge.
Naruto felt Kakuzu leave Takigakore and he was torn between giving chase to him and going to help in the village. He couldn't sustain KSM1 for long and he decided to drop the chakra cloak before he burnt out his tenketsu. He should be able to make do with Sage mode so he spread his senses into the village to get an understanding of what was going on there. His decision to abandon Kakuzu was made for him when he identified the sinister chakra of Hidan the Jashinist and he simultaneously felt the weakening chakra signature of a friend. He locked onto the beacon that he knew team 10 would be carrying and disappeared in a green flash.
Naruto arrived to see the crazy Jashinist in the middle of his ritual and Asuma Sarutobi was once again on the receiving end. Naruto saw Shikamaru struggling to hold the Jashinist from plunging the spiked rod into his heart. Shika was bleeding profusely from a wound on his side and Naruto could tell that he couldn't hold on much longer. For as much as he changed the timeline, some things insisted on staying the same. However, Naruto was not going to let this go down like last time. Naruto whipped out a three-pronged kunai and tossed it at the Jashinist. As the kunai approached Hidan's left ear, Naruto appeared in a greed flash and tackle the crazy motherfucker out of his ritual circle.
Naruto remembered Shikamaru talking about one of the most traumatic events of his past life and he remembered the analytical breakdown that Shikamaru gave. Any damage done to Hidan in the ritual circle would also be done to the individual linked to Hidan's blood ritual. Therefore, Naruto settled with a firm, yet not overly damaging, tackle. The result was Hidan flying out of the circle, which made his markings disappear. It also let Asuma Sarutobi crumble to the ground where Chouji immediately took up a defensive position around him.
Naruto never got to fight the insane fanatic of Jashin last time around. However, Naruto did notice the change in the guy's appearance, and he assumed that would mean that he is no longer linked to the ritual. Therefore, he decided to not risk anything, and he let loose nine Mokuton chains that impaled the man as Naruto recovered from the tumble to the ground. While Naruto would normally prefer to enjoy the fight, he had multiple hurt friends and allies that were in a critical situation, which forced his hand into ending the battle quickly.
As Naruto hoisted the Jashinist up with his chains, he noticed that the religious fanatic genuinely shrugged off the pain of three chains in his gut and one chain in each limb. It was truly an amazing sight to see when the crazy motherfucker kept spouting off at the mouth.
"Oi, shithead, would you shut up the fucking fanatical cunt, our sensei is in critical condition over here and Shika is fucked up too." Tayuya shouted.
That snapped Naruto out of it, so Naruto unsealed Benihime and walked calmly toward the immobilized Jashinist. Hidan saw this and kept spouting off at the mouth. "Oi, Kyuubi brat, what gives you the right to interrupt my sacrifices to Lord Jashin!? Put me down! I need to honor Lord Jashin more!"
"Hidan of the Akatsuki, for your crimes against the people of Takigakore and my friends, I, Naruto Senju-Uzumaki, sentence you to death." Naruto said in an icy calm.
"Shut the fuck up you ignorant child. I am immortal thanks to the glory of Lord Jashin!" Hidan shouted.
"Then I will put your immortality to the test." Naruto replied in an icy calm as he sent a wind blade from Benihime that severed the immobilized man's head.
As Hidan's head clattered to the ground, he continued shouting. "See, mother fucker, I am immortal!" Hidan shouted and cackled insanely. His cackling ceased when a wood clone grabbed Hidan by his hair and the Jashinist watched as his body was shredded to pieces by Naruto's chakra chains.
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the Jashinist before he walked over to his clone holding the head. "Any last words? Oh mighty immortal?"
"Fuck you, heathen." Hidan shrieked before attempting to bite Naruto.
Naruto nodded to his clone who put a glowing blue hand on Hidan's head. Kanji in thick black lines spread out over the head and the screaming ceased immediately. Naruto then turned to the remains of Hidan and sealed them in a scroll before he casually tossed the scroll into the air and burned it unceremoniously. Naruto then got on eye level with the head of the Jashinist that was looking at him with eyes wide in horror.
"Look here, you crazy religious fuck. I don't care what god you worship. They won't protect you from me. Now, let's see if you can survive a storage scroll with no oxygen, no light and no hope of escape." Naruto hissed in a whisper before he began writing on a scroll that he removed from his fuinjutsu kit.
A moment after Naruto sealed the head away, shouts of gratitude erupted from shinobi around the combat zone and team 10 sighed in relief. Naruto ignored them and walked over to Asuma, who really was in a bad condition. Naruto reached down and applied a stasis seal over Asuma before he reached into his pouch and pulled out a medical stasis scroll. He had Chouji lay Asuma onto the stasis scroll before Asuma puffed away in a whisp of chakra smoke.
"Alright guys, I can get him to Tsunade. That scroll buys me 24hours. Shika, what happened to you?" Naruto asked with concern as he turned to his friend who's flack jacket and combat shirt were torn and saturated with blood.
Shikamaru winced as he raised his arm to give Naruto a better look. "That crazy guy got me with his scythe. Asuma sensei immediately tried to stop him from doing his ritual on meand was injured during that attack. That guy got one drop of his blood then began laying into him with that blood ritual. I finally got him with my shadow and then you showed up."
"Yeah, that crazy fucktard wouldn't stop spouting off like a stupid religious cunt, but when my doki hit him, it only hurt Asuma-Sensei." Tayuya added.
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at Tayuya, "Is that so? And when did you get out on good behavior?"
Chouji stepped in, "Naruto, now is not the best time. How are we going to get Asuma to a hospital?"
Naruto put a calming hand on the panicking Chouji's shoulder, "Relax, big man, I will take you out the same way I came in. Before I do that, I need to talk to Taki's representative though. It looks like they took a hit."
At that moment, a formation of Taki shinobi came forward with a man dressed in a dark blue kimono at the front. "Lord Senju, we are most grateful for your help, but I would like to know how you got into my village."
Naruto turned on professional mode and turned to address the newcomers. "My compatriots called in for emergency support. Forgive me for not telling you exactly how, but if you know my father then you should be able to understand. May I ask who I am speaking with?"
The man bowed, "Ah, yes, how rude of me. I am Shibuki, the elected leader of this village. I will forgo my inquisition since we are indebted to you."
Naruto nodded, "Very well, Lord Shibuki, I have a critically injured team member and one that needs immediate medical attention. I do not know what mission they were on, but may I suggest we postpone it to a later date?"
"Very well, Lord Senju. Before you go, were you involved in the battle at the Great Tree?"
Naruto sighed, guessing what information he wanted, but he didn't want to tell him. "Yes, I fought of Kakuzu, you guys should be familiar with him. He severely injured team 7 and they were the ones that called me in for emergency support. Kakuzu fled and I sensed the ongoing battle here and decided to come aid my comrades."
"Can you tell me more about that fight? I have yet to send a team over to investigate." Shibuki asked in a meek and pitiful manner.
"Lord Shibuki, as I have stated, I have critically injured, and I need to evacuate them. If you have an issue, please take it up with the Hokage through the proper channels at a different time. For now, I need to ensure the safety of my teams that helped you voluntarily." Naruto replied forcefully.
"Very well, you may take your leave." Shibuki said with a curt bow.
'Hey, Kyu, do I have enough juice left to go into KSM again and flash to Uzu?' Naruto thought.
'Yeah, Kit, we can do that. We will need to rest tomorrow though.' Kurama replied.
"Okay, team 10, gather around and place a hand on me." Naruto said out loud to his friends.
"What the fuck would I touch your admittedly sexy ass for?" Tayuya asked.
"Tayuya, do as he says. Now!" Shikamaru said forcefully, which cowed the new addition to team 10.
As team 10 placed their hands upon Naruto, he ignited into his KSM mode, took ten seconds to feel out the Hiraishin beacon in Uzu and then disappeared along with team 10 in a golden flash. They left a burning village and a bunch of dumbstruck Taki shinobi in their wake. Team 10 arrived in a bustling house as Tsunade was shouting and coordinating Ino, Hinata, Haku and Shizune while they provided medical treatments to the injured Konoha shinobi.
Naruto handed off Shikamaru to Shizune and called out to Tsunade, "Momma, I need to talk to you outside."
"I am kinda busy, brat." Tsunade said agitatedly.
"It is important Momma." Naruto insisted.
Tsunade relented and followed Naruto out onto the porch, "What is it, brat?"
Naruto held up a stasis scroll, and Tsunade's eyes widened, "I have Asuma-Sensei in here. From what I saw, he had damage to both legs and at least two puncture wounds through the abdomen. There was also a punctured lung. I cannot flash anymore right now, and I wanted to know if you want to handle him here or if we should wait to take him to Wave."
Tsunade thought about it for a bit, "I know you probably didn't have time, but where were the wounds?"
"Right kidney and spleen. The other was probably along the large intestine. The right lung and my best guess imply that it was full of blood and collapsed. The leg wounds weren't spurting so most likely flesh wound, but it was from that Hidan freak." Naruto answered thoughtfully.
"Okay, keep him in the scroll. Naruto, you need to know something …" Naruto looked expectantly at Tsunade, "Fū isn't going to make it. Her wounds aren't healing, and Chomei's chakra is already starting to leak out. I heard Kakuzu was there, and his threads pierced Fū's heart and primary chakra core. By the time she got here, the damage to the heart was too extensive. Chomei's chakra is the only thing keeping her alive right now."
"Fuck." Naruto shouted and punched the railing of the deck, which disintegrated into splinters from the sudden blow.
Tsunade put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Look, kiddo, go talk to her, or at least Chomei, and try to do what good you can."
Naruto sighed and fell into Tsunade's embrace, "Damnit, Momma. This wasn't supposed to happen like this."
Tsunade squeezed him passionately, "We do the best we can, Kiddo. Remember, we can't save everyone. It is not our job to save everyone. We just do the best we can for as many as we can."
Naruto grunted before an idea came to him. He bit his thumb and weaved through handsigns before saying 'summoning jutsu – Shuna the Divine Priestess'. Shuna appeared in all her regal beauty, and she listened to Naruto. She went with Tsunade into the room and took a look at Fū. After ten minutes, the two exited the room with somber looks on their faces.
"Thanks for trying, Shuna. It was a desperation move." Naruto said softly.
"It is quite alright, Naruto. I have come to enjoy this world and I treasure your family. Now, Lady Tsunade, is there anything I can do for the other injured?" Tsunade grunted and led Shuna into the impromptu medical bay.
After the two left, Naruto entered the room Fū was in and saw her crumpled form lying on the mattress. Her wounds had been dressed up, but there was nothing you can do for a wound to the heart that took out the chakra core. He sighed as he knelt at Fū's bedside. He noticed her diminished vital signs and came to the unpleasant conclusion that he couldn't help her. After a resigned sigh, he weaved through some hand seals and placed a tender hand over Fū's heart. He watched the Kanji spread over the area as a thin blue glow encompassed her body and her whole being seemed to still.
He asked for help from Kurama before he placed his hand over her seal on her exposed abdomen. "Okay, Kyu, that stasis seal will buy us some time and slow the damage, but we are on a clock. We need to talk to Chomei, and I have a feeling based on the desperate feeling of Chomei's chakra that she isn't going to want to leave."
Kurama was pacing in the mindscape; it was an uncomfortable sensation for him, and he didn't enjoy seeing this human die. He remembered that Fū was one of the first biju captured and he remembered Chomei telling him about her life experience when the biju were released and in hiding. He was wracking his brain and trying to come up with a way to save the human girl, but if Tsunade couldn't do it then Kurama couldn't think of anything he could do. With a resigned sigh, Kurama answered his host.
"Look, Kit, Chomei was attached to this container. I will take you in there but try to let me do the talking." Kurama said in a somber tone.
"Alright, I trust you." Naruto responded before he calmed his mind and placed his hands on Fū's seal.
A familiar diving sensation washed over Naruto's senses and Naruto opened his eyes to see a replication of the Great Tree of Takigakore and the lake that resided near it. He saw the giant insect form of Chomei hovering over a motionless body by the lakeside of the mindscape. The beetle was speaking frantically and jittering its pincers in an agitated fashion as its wings beat just fast enough for it to hover over the girl. The biju was so distressed that it didn't notice its guests.
"Chomei, sister, we need to talk." Kurama said in a soft tone to garner Chomei's attention.
Chomei spun around midair and took up a defensive position over Fū. "Kurama, what have you done to my container? Why is this boy here with you?"
Kurama sat on his haunches in a nonaggressive pose as his tails waved in a forced calm behind him. "Sister, we have put a stasis seal over your container's wound so that we would have time to talk and come to a resolution. We have brought her to the best medic in the Elemental Nations and … and …"
"Spit it out, Kurama! Will Fū recover?" Chomei shouted agitatedly.
Kurama hung his head and spoke softly, "No, sister, the damage to her heart was too severe."
Chomei buzzed about in a distressed fashion and the feelings overwhelmed Naruto. He focused on linking with his body and accessing the senjutsu chakra. He entered Sage mode within the mindscape and focused on spreading the calmed nature energy through the seal and into Chomei. Chomei's agitation and anger became subdued, and it sounded like the giant insect was mourning the news, but the calming presence of Naruto was helping her think rationally.
"Chomei, I am sorry I didn't arrive fast enough to save Fū. I wasn't called to Taki until her fight was over and there was so much going on. I am Naruto Senju-Uzumaki, and I want to help you." Naruto stepped forward slowly with his hands up and open in front of his chest.
Chomei turned toward Kurama, "How does your jailor know my name? Why does he feel like the one that first enslaved us?"
Kurama watched Naruto do his thing and he decided to assist his container by answering the questions. "Naruto has the Mokuton ability, and he is a descendant of that man. He knows your name from a variety of sources, but the main reason is because he saved you and earned your trust in a previous life."
Naruto stopped his approach and turned toward Kurama, "Way to go, Kyu, just pop the time travel bubble right away." Naruto's tone was playful and sarcastic, which was a startling and abrupt change from his calm demeanor a second earlier.
Chomei's eyes locked onto Naruto and Kurama in a state of stunned disbelief. This night was too overwhelming for Chomei, and it was starting to become too much to bear. "Don't play with me, brother!" Chomei spat.
Kurama's eye narrowed and his gaze hardened upon Chomei, "Look here, little sister, I have come to your domain to speak with you and help you on behalf of this human here. We do not deceive you and if you disrespect me again, I will show you why I am the strongest of the biju. Now, stop your incessant hovering and clicking and listen to my partner."
This startled Chomei, especially the overwhelming power of Kurama's aura that he just flexed in front of her. The words had the desired effect as Chomei became more subdued and she landed in front of Fū. Naruto walked forward calmly toward Chomei and extended a fist to the beetle. With hesitation, Chomei extended a leg toward the tiny human and tapped his fist.
A flood of memories hit Chomei and they were all centered around this boy's interactions with her in another time and place. Chomei saw how the boy had met Fū before and the two became fast friends, at least until she fell into the hands of the Akatsuki. Chomei saw Naruto break Obito's control over her and the many conversations that Naruto had with her and the other biju. She saw how Naruto did everything he could to protect the tailed beasts and shelter them from the greed of the humans. Then she saw the end.
As Chomei was reviewing the memories, she was suddenly hit with a wave of sadness and grief from the human boy. It became clear to Chomei that the child was watching the memories with her, and it opened up old wounds for the child. Chomei saw Naruto drop his fist before he approached Fū and calmed some of her tousled hair before he erected a wooden bed for her to rest in. Chomei was overwhelmed by the sense of grief and regret as the human child looked at her current container.
Chomei forcibly snapped her attention away from the human child and looked towards her brother, "How is this possible?"
Kurama sighed as he lay his head on his paws. "The Juubi was released upon the human world and ended that timeline. Kami sent us back to start the new cycle. We have done everything we can to prevent the tragic end, but my Kit is only one man."
Chomei was forced to stomach that information and her attention reverted to Naruto once more. Amid the rampaging sensations of regret and grief, the human child offered a sense of peace and understanding with his chakra. "Why have you come here, boy?"
Naruto tore his attention away from Fū's motionless form and looked up at Chomei, "Because I want to save you the pain of dying and reforming. I want to offer you a temporary sanctuary in my seal. I did a similar thing with Kokuo, but I had to absorb his natural energy after he had died and while he was reforming."
Chomei clicked her massive pincers in agitation, "So, you wish for my power. You wish to be my new jailor?"
Kurama slapped a tail on the lake and a tidal wave of water splashed into the distant lands of the mindscape, "Chomei, my Kit wishes nothing of the sort. If you would rather die and reform, he will let you. I would advise otherwise." Kurama spoke in a growl; he really hated it when people improperly judged his partner.
Naruto held up a calming hand to Kurama, "I will tell you what I told Kokuo. I am good in the power department and there is a good chance that you will send my chakra out of whack and actually make me weaker for a time. What I am offering you is a choice, Chomei. You can fly around after you reform waiting for humans to attack you and attempt to enslave you. That would be your choice if you remain in Fū." Chomei started stamping her chitinous legs in disgust. "Or you can come with me where I will let you choose your partner. I will construct the seal in a manner that will let you be released, or at least a part of you. Whoever you choose will work with you toward a true partnership, as the Sage intended from the start."
Chomei's buzzing and stomping stopped, "And you can't save Fū?"
Naruto's gaze fell and he shook his head, "No, I am sorry I wasn't there sooner."
Kurama decided to step in here, "Sister, we have stabilized her in a manner that will give you a couple days to decide. Your container will remain unconscious My Kit is tired, and he needs to rest. Think about our offer and we will return tomorrow."
As Naruto left Fū's room and re-entered the craziness of the impromptu medical bay, Naruto was flagged over by Kinji. The two walked out onto the porch away from the craziness. The emotional stress of the evening and the considerable chakra drain was starting to take its toll on Naruto. His eyes were dimmer, his face was fixed into a serious frown and his skin seemed paler. All of this was noticed by Kinji, and the Daimyo was worried about the boy he considered family.
"Ruto, I know you have had a long night and I won't take much of your time. I have notified Itachi of what happened, and a medical team is being dispatched to Wave. He told me that he would handle Taki, but I didn't tell him about the girl." Kinji said softly.
Naruto chuckled dryly, "So, you figured that out, huh?"
Kinji nodded slowly, "Yeah, bud, I did. What did you do in her room?"
"I spoke with Chomei and let her know that there was nothing more we could do for Fū."
"And what is your plan?" Kinji prodded softly.
"Same thing I did with Kokuo. Uncle Kin, you should know I don't give a damn about the balance of power or any of that nonsense. I will free the biju, or at the very least let them choose their own partners."
Kinji nodded once more, "Yes, I figured that. Well, the way I see it, you brought Fū to Tsunade because she is the best doctor in the Elemental Nations. We will need to return Fū's body to Takigakore, but they don't need to know what happened with Chomei."
Naruto growled lowly, "They will not give her the respectful burial she deserves. That town never loved nor appreciated her. Can you push for the rights to bury her in a place of Chomei's choosing?"
Kinji sighed, "I will see what I can do, Kiddo." Kinji pulled Naruto into a warm hug. "You have done so much good for the world, Naruto. I know this hurts, I know this is a setback, but don't let it sway your path."
Naruto wrapped his arms around Kinji and returned the hug, "Thanks Uncle Kin. I won't, I am just tired and stressed."
"Then trust me and your Momma to handle everything else for the night. Go get some rest away from all of this craziness." Kinji said with finality.
As Naruto left the compound and went to rest in one of the other homes that wasn't destroyed, the Uzumaki clan head's house remained in a state of chaos, stress and worry for the night. Tsunade, Shizune, Hinata, Haku and Ino worked through the night with the minimal supplies they had to stabilize Kakashi, Shino, Kiba and Shikamaru. Luckily for them, their injuries weren't fatal, and Tsunade and her apprentices were able to see them through the long night.
Three days later, Itachi and team Rohan were let into Uzushiogakore by Naruto. The communication scrolls made it easy for Naruto to know when to disable the whirlpool defenses and the Konoha group made it onto the island. The Konoha group brought a whole medical suite worth of supplies for the injured patients and Tsunade finally had what she needed to patch Asuma up.
Naruto unsealed Asuma from his third medical stasis scroll and laid him out on the medical bed that the Konoha team brought. Tsunade had already used her jutsu so set up a sterile field in the room and Shinzune and Hinata were ready to assist Tsunade in the surgery. Tsunade visibly winced when she saw the state Asuma was in, and Naruto left the surgical room to let Tsunade work her magic.
Outside of the surgical room, Itachi and Kinji were waiting for Naruto. The trio walked to an empty room and erected a privacy barrier. There was an awkward silence, nobody knowing exactly where to start, and it was then that Naruto that spoke up.
"Itachi, before we have this conversation, I need to know if you trust me."
Itachi cocked an eyebrow and observed how serious Naruto was. He nodded his head slightly, "You know I trust you, Naruto. What is it?"
Naruto looked to Kinji before nodding to himself, "Well, Lord Hokage, I need you to sign an Uzumaki blood contract not to reveal any information we discuss here with the council or Konoha or anybody not approved by me or Lord Kinji."
Itachi once again looked to Kinji and saw that the Diamyo's face matched the deadly serious attitude of Naruto. With a resigned sigh, Itachi replied, "Very well."
Kinji spoke up, "Itachi, this is serious. Far more serious than any village or nation. If this information gets out, it could and would ignite the 4th Great Shinobi War."
Itachi hesitated for a minute and then threw his hands up in exasperation, "Holy Kami, Naruto. Is there anything you do that isn't life changing or world shattering?"
Naruto laughed heartily at that, "Itachi, I am here to change the world. I am here to lead the shinobi world into a new and better cycle. So, blood contract?"
Itachi nodded once more. "I am not the Sandaime. I will choose to trust you. Before we get to that, I need to tell you something." Itachi seemed disappointed and apprehensive now, they were small tells but Naruto knew Itachi well.
"I am listening, Sensei."
Itachi sighed, "A month ago, shortly after the incident in Wave, Kurotsuchi was taken from the political prison that we had her in. There were no deaths, no broken locks, no evidence, no nothing except a ping from the barrier corps. By the time the ANBU responded, Kurotsuchi was gone."
"Fuck." Naruto said as he attempted to stop himself from punching the wall.
Kinji noticed something, "You know who did it?"
Naruto nodded, "It is the shadow of the Akatsuki. It is the Uchiha that put the Fourth Mizukage under his control and caused the bloodline purges. And it is the Uchiha that controlled Kurama and made him attack Konoha. He has a spacetime ability that lets him warp in and out of places. That is what my father told me about when I was younger, and I have protected all of my homes with seals resistant to his spacetime ability."
"Shit." Kinji whispered under his breath.
"That's not good." Whispered Itachi under his breath. "I will need you to install those seals all over Konoha, at least in all of the important places."
"The ANBU aren't going to like that." Naruto said with a chuckle. At Itachi's cocked eyebrow, he explained. "I can key my chakra signature as an exception to the barrier. I cannot do that for everyone else. That means, in those zones, they will not be able to use shunshin or other techniques that manipulate space."
Itachi sighed, "They will have to deal with it."
"Moving on, Itachi, how are the reforms going?" Kinji asked.
Itachi rubbed his eyes, "Your wife has helped calm the civilian population. The shinobi clans have spread the Senju's contribution to Konoha and converted most of the populace. The civilian council is disbanded, and we lost a few merchants because of that."
"What of Homura, Koharu and the old monkey?" Naruto asked pointedly.
"With the help of Kinji, I revoked their rights to be in the council. They are truly forced into retirement now. I am working with the new Utatane and Mitokoto clan heads to ensure that they understand their current situation. They are suffering from severe ostracization of the main shinobi clans."
Naruto nodded, pleased to hear some good news. Kinji spoke up, "You have done good, Itachi. By the end of the training trip things should be settled enough for the Senjus to settle down for a bit."
Itachi offered a sincere smile, "That was the point of all of this. Now, can we get back to the contract and the information you are so protective of?"
Naruto wrote up the contract and all three parties signed it. That was when Itachi found out about what Naruto did with Kokuo and what he planned to do with Chomei. Part of the contract was Itachi swearing to never release this information or attempt to use the biju as an 'asset of Konoha'. In short, Kokuo and Chomei didn't belong to Konoha, even if Itachi could give missions to their jinchuriki.
The biggest stipulation was that Itachi could not and would not inform anyone on the Konoha council of the biju's status. Naruto informed Itachi on how this would have dire consequences with the Akatsuki and Naruto's plans for the organization and the biju. In return, Naruto swore to never use the biju to dominate, terrorize or conquer any part of the Elemental Nations. He was also forced to sign saying that he would return to Konoha until at least his 21st birthday. All Naruto wanted to do was protect the beings he had grown to consider family by proxy to Kurama.
Elsewhere on the island, Tayuya and Yami were walking through the ruins of Uzu. They had spoken multiple times over the past couple days and Yami felt strangely drawn to the foulmouthed beauty. Of the alters, Yami had the strongest link to negative emotions and the mixing of Tayuya's beauty and eccentricity with her darker side truly intrigued Yami to no end. For Tayuya, she felt like Yami understood her and she wanted to understand more about him. It was clear to her that the broody cock sucker had mellowed out a bit and she wanted to find out about that.
"This shit if fucking creepy." Tayuya said as she stepped over some rubble in the center of the ruins. "It is like walking in a flippin' graveyard and I am just waiting for some cunty ghost to jump up and scare my ass."
Yami cast an amused smile at the girl, "This is our home, and a great injustice was done here. Believe it or not, the negative energy has subsided quite a bit since the first time Naruto came here."
Tayuya cocked an eyebrow at Yami, "Care to explain that a little more, emo fucker?"
Yami scowled, "I get your foul mouth, but that nickname sucked." Tayuya threw her hands up in mock apology, so Yami continued. "When Naruto first arrived, nobody was buried. The invaders didn't take their dead or anything, so there were tens of thousands of bodies scattered on the island."
"No shit." Tayuya said surprised.
"No shit. The Uzumaki forces numbered just over 5,000 and they fought off nearly 75,000 invaders. If it weren't for the four jinchuriki of Iwa, Kumo and Kiri then the Uzumaki would have likely succeeded in defending their home. In the end, less than 5,000 of the invading forces left the island." Yami spoke reverently about the feats of his ancestors. He resonated deeply with his home country and all of the lingering emotions in the air.
Tayuya whistled appreciatively, "Sounds like the Uzumaki were some seriously badass mother fuckers."
Yami chuckled, "Yes, yes, they were. Now, all we want to do is rebuild our home country and honor our ancestors. Naruto is the rightful Daimyo of these lands and that is why we are here."
"Yeah, your … brother? You call him a brother, right?" Yami nodded while moving through the ruins. "Yeah, well that guy is a badass just like these Uzumakis. We were fighting against that immortal cunt ass worshipper of Jashin and we couldn't do anything. That cock sucker seriously killed over 100 fuck toys in Taki, and he would have killed us too if it weren't for Naruto. I guess that is the second time he saved me." She finished in a whisper.
Yami smiled again, "Yeah, that is what he does."
"And you used to be synced with him, right?"
"Yeah."
"Are you going to … sync … with him again?"
"No."
"Why not?" Tayuya asked, curious about this guy.
"Because neither of us want that. Over the past year and change, I have changed, he has changed, and we all have changed. We cannot be separated from one another, but it would also be equally as damaging to force us into one." Yami said pensively.
"That was some deep shit for an Emo bastard." Tayuya ribbed him, breaking the serious mood.
"Yeah, well, I guess you could say I respect him. He is teaching me that there is a purpose in overcoming all the terrible fucking shit in this world. Not only is he teaching me, but he is out there showing me how to do it. Then I get the chance to get to know people like you, the people he saved and changed." Yami said wistfully.
"And?" Tayuya pressed.
"And it gives me a purpose to keep on living. It gives me hope that I can change and find my purpose." Yami answered sincerely.
"Look, Emo boy, I like you the way you are. The world doesn't need another fucking super boy scout." Tayuya said earnestly.
Yami paused mid step, "You mean that? You like me?" Tayuya nodded, not willing to said it out loud again. "Can I kiss you?"
Tayuya jumped back and exclaimed, "What the fuck you fucking Emo cunt!?"
Yami held up his hand defensively, "I am sorry for asking."
Tayuya's blush calmed, and she decided to ask, "Why did you ask me that?"
Yami looked down at the ground and an uncertain look fixed itself on his face. "In order to help me, the others have shared memories with me. I watched as they fell in love, I watched them kiss and grow closer. It filled me with a temporary happiness, and I wanted to feel that more than anything. However, it felt like watching a movie. Like the feelings weren't my own."
Tayuya stepped forward, grabbed Yami's head on both sides and stepped up on her tippy toes to place a passionate kiss on his lips. It was impulsive, it was brash, it was rushed, and it was sloppy, but it was Yami's first kiss. Tayuya released Yami's head and stepped back a bit. She laughed uproariously at the blush on Yami's face and the fixed, stunned look he was wearing.
"It is just a kiss, Emo boy." Tayuya forced herself to play down her own feelings. This guy was crazy, creepy and emotional. Just as fucked up and broken as she was, which is probably why she did it.
"Thank you." Yami said as he broke out of his stunned state and a smile fixed itself upon his face.
"Sure thing, fucker. Keep playing your cards right and there may be more where that came from." Tayuya answered softly.