Play to Win (Rewrite)

by SimplyAMonster

she was playing a game, the rules, however, was a different story [Gamer Ability Unlocked] Set in Sunagakure

54. Clemency

The Raikage is undoubtedly an overbearing man.

He is a stern man, outspoken for his village in a way that only indicated that he loved Kumogakure as its whole. Tough when called, hypocritical all the same. He had prided himself prior to the war as the only Village to not have any of their finest to become a part of the Akatsuki. Berated the rest of the Gokage for this shame.

Yet, it was under his leadership that Kumogakure gained a negative international reputation as two-faced due to their unsavory and shameful acts of stealing secrets. Whether be using peace as subterfuge to gain the Byakugan, or kidnapping children of valued lineage in hopes to reproduce such lineage for their own.

Kumogakure became the boogeyman, parents would tell their children that if they were not in bed by nine, men in white uniforms would steal them away.

When Tamako arrived, she had prepared herself to face such an adversary. To heed any indication that the Raikage may throw her way. She identified that she would be met with distrust, perhaps even anger from her past actions as an ex-Akatsuki.

And she was half right.

A had launched himself from his desk the second the door behind her closed. Fist held tight and pulled back with lightning chakra as it raced throughout his body. The only reason why Tamako didn't immediately get her head chopped off was because A had activated his Lightning Chakra Mode only after she entered the room. His spike in chakra had warned her, and that alone was enough.

As he approached, she dropped a kunai to the ground, pulsating her chakra just a fraction before his fist made impact. To others, Tamako had stood in dead shock, sure death just fractions away, then from one image to the next, she was in a deep crouch. A's fist had missed her by two heads, implanting deeply into the wooden door behind her.

The office stood in silence, neither of the two Kage-level shinobi moving.

Only when A had wrenched his fist from the wooden door did Tamako fully stood up, their backs facing each other. Purple paint flickered on and off from her lids before fully receding back.

She would've died if not for the constant intake of nature energy.

"I've only had two people dodge my Lightning Straight." He says, wood crumbling as the air continued to emit static. "The first was the Fourth Hokage. The second, Uzumaki Naruto." His head twisted to the side, side eyeing her. "You've obtained the same technique as Minato."

She mirrors his movement, head turning to face him. "You praise me, but my reaction speed does not prevail either of the two you've named…" Her eyes meet his. "...or yourself."

Without the instant Sage Mode she imbued herself with the little build-up she had, lasting for only a second, two a most, she would've died.

A smirks at her. It's a look that seems demeaning, perhaps even prideful. "You are humble." He body flickers to his desk, taking a seat as his arm leans on the table. "Uzumaki Naruto could only react to me with his Tailed Beast Cloak, and I with my Lightning Chakra Mode." His beard twitches as his mouth pulls into another smirk. "And you, with Sage Mode."

He makes a good point, but it almost sounded like praise to Namikaze Minato who had none of the above mentioned Chakra Modes.

Then, A's face turns not exactly cold, but serious. "I've heard what you did in Akatsuki. Sabotaged on the inside. B told me that you had willingly taken his clone."

She nods back. "Of course." Her eyes slid to his, no emotions betraying her. "Naruto must learn from B in order to win the war."

The office is silent at her declaration with A's assistant, a dark skinned woman in neat and formal attire glancing back and forth at the two frantically, her fingers squeezing the clipboard in her hand. "R-raikage-sama..!" The woman whispered harshly. "This is the third this month that you've destroyed the office!"

Tamako's brow twitched at the woman's claim. The month just turned to June. She was starting to think that all of Kumo's budget went to military advancements and repairs. At the reminder of the month, her thoughts roam somewhere else. Far from Kumogakure's mountainous range, hidden in the clouds. Somewhere warm nearly all year round, humid in the summers and forest that seem to go on and on. Of dark hair and even darker eyes, long lashes that framed the bottom of their lids. A smoldering look, a soft one. One that equally comforted her and frightened her. Her nerves jittery in a way she had trouble understanding. Something that had her heart clenching so painfully in a way that only meant longing.

The month of June, marked by the longer days and warmer weather. Blooming flowers and feelings, a promise of adventures beyond.

"Tamako-sama, please forgive Raikage-sama." The woman turns to her with honest eyes, breaking her thoughts and bringing her back to Cloud.

"Mabui, you stay out of this."

The woman, Mabui, has an exasperated look on her face. "She saved my life. All of HQ has a debt to both her and the Fourth Hokage-sama."

Recognition finally graces Tamako's features at Mabui's words. She was the one who's technique had saved the First Division using her Teleportation Jutsu. Unlike Hiraishin, or Flying Raijin, her jutsu only needed coordinates. The only downside was that it hashed the transported items to achieve its teleport, a living being would be reduced to shreds. With this Jutsu, she aided Darui's division into sealing the reanimated Kinkaku, a legendary Kumo-nin that went down in history as the disgraces of Kumogakure.

"Although she has saved HQ in my stead as former Leader of the Alliance, her past only indicates that she uses deceit for gain."

Her eyes narrow at A's words. He was subsequently saying that she had zero credit. Well… he's not exactly wrong per say, but he was also implying that her deeds during the war had no say.

"Raikage-sama, you were not present and as such, you did not see first hand." Mabui finally says, arms crossed. "She had protected the Alliance in your absence, shielded them, protected and healed. Without her, many more would have fallen."

"Hmmf." A huffs to the side, not wanting to give an inch to Tamako. "If what you say is true, that the girl places the wellbeing of all before herself, then she should have no problem with what I say next."

Instantly, Tamako is put on guard. Because if it was something she knew since the beginning, is that Kumogakure is as dirty as Danzo and Orochimaru. Using deceit the very same.

It seems like he will give her the benefit of doubt, but this was some sort of trap.

"Work for me for two months. Only then you'll gain my trust."

Her mind pauses for a second, because out of all the favors she conjured in her mind that were much darker than his statement, she didn't expect something like this. "You've aided Suna, Konoha and Kiri." There was an annoying twitch to his mouth as he spoke. "If your intentions for my village are truly pure and for the betterment of all, then I will listen to what you say, after you serve Kumo. Don't try to deny, I've heard what you've done to each Village the past months. We have been keeping a steady eye on you."

A scowl manages to break her expression. "Raikage-dono, you play a difficult game." She thinks for a few moments. This was a far better outcome that she initially calculated. If she played her cards right, she could successfully link Kumogakure to the other villages and also rekindle a better relationship with the Village. "Alright, I'll play your game." She raises a palm forward as if waiting for something to fall into her hand. "Since you've planned this out already, you must have a written contract, correct?"

Mabui instantly hands her a scroll which Tamako quickly opens, eyes roving over each and every detail. Just like Kakashi's scroll of contract, this one was straight to the point. The scroll included housing, food, as well as the responsibilities she'll have, the expectations she'll have to uphold as well as her pay among other things. She read in fine print that all activities will stay private between the two groups.. Just like her time when she was a Suna Shinobi, she is to be paid on completion of the mission.

Nothing was written in a way that could be interpreted differently, it wasn't like most standard contracts that she heavily suspected that someone had edited it to format like this. It was edited to be… diplomatically neutral for both parties. It could be that they wouldn't rouse any suspicions, but that only raised her doubts even more. Whatever they were planning, it wasn't through the contract at the very least. Perhaps they'll get her mid mission? What sort of mind games did they create?

It would be hard to corner her anyways, her Hiraishin could take her out of any sticky or suspicious situation.

She bites her thumb and stamps down, handing it back to Mabui with a pout. "Awfully convenient."

Mabui chuckles. "We of Kumo occasionally hire contracted workers. This contract is like the others."

"Good, now that you've signed it." A says, his chakra flashing in a few intervals which summoned two individuals. She blanches at the sight of Darui and C. It was a reunion of the Gokage Summit, and judging by the two's looks, they at least looked a bit peeved at her presence.

"Darui, C, this is your new teammate." A's head juts at her with a smirk. "You three will be reinstated as Team Darui while Atsui is in the hospital."

"What of Samui?" Darui says, thick arms crossing and flexing at the movement. Like most Kumo Shinobi, he wore a black vest that cut off at his shoulders and had a high collar that he zipped down to his neck. The distinctive white one-shoulder strap flak jacket rested on him loosely, and to complete the look, he wore matching black baggy pants. He is a tall man, towering over her easily, with his shaggy white hair contrasting his dark skin, he made a notable and quite possibly intimidating picture. She spotted a few kanji tattoos on his arms for water and lightning. That probably had to do with his Kekkei Genkai, Gale Release, or Ranton .

"Since her brother was stupid enough to walk head on into a trap, Samui will lead Karui and Omoi." A says this with an angry frown. "That boy… almost twenty but still can't keep his head straight."

"We understand, Raikage-sama." C finally says, giving Darui a look. "We'll give her the basic rundown then." C, while not as tall as Darui, still had a couple centimeters on her. Like his partner, C wore a tight black undershirt that cut at his shoulders, the white Kumogakure flak-jacket and black armguards alongside baggy pants that were tightened with red and white shin-guards. He sported short blond hair parted at the front and dark eyes.

Now that she's memorized her new teammates, she listens closely to what the Raikage has to say next.

A nods at C. "Good. Mabui?"

The lady nods, clipboard in hand. "This mission is slotted for two weeks, we need you three to investigate the Chinoike Clan that settled down in the Land of Hot Water half a century ago. According to Yugakure, the Chinoike Clan had disappeared nearly six years ago and left no trace. Due to Yugakure's nature, they had ignored the subject and are only now worried as the Chinoike's Kekkei Genkai, the Ketsuryūgan, could be detrimental to Yugakure's peace if any of its surviving members seek revenge."

"Ketsuryūgan?" C questions, a hand cupping his chin as he speaks. "I've never heard of it."

"The Chinoike Clan was once a noble clan within the Land of Lightning. After one of their members married the Lightning's Daimyo, they were accused for his death that happened shortly after the marriage and were forced to relocate in…" Mabui pauses, papers shuffling. "...Valley of Hell in the Land of Hot Water." The papers flip back and she looks up. "The Ketsuryūgan is a Kekkei Genkai that grants the user to manipulate liquids with high iron content."

"Blood?" Tamako finally says, arms crossed.

Mabui nods. "Their own blood. We don't have too much information as the relocation was nearly sixty years ago."

A leans on his desk, face serious. "Bring back any remnants of the clan, survivors included. I expect a check-in within two days, the mission starts tomorrow at 0400." At his last words, the newly dubbed Team Darui were dismissed, leaving the office with a multitude of different expressions.

"Hot Water, huh?" She says first, breaking the silence. "I haven't been there since the war."

Darui smirks. "This is basically a paid vacation to the Hot Springs." Hands in his pockets, his face relaxes into one where his eyes become lidded and soft. "Boss is treating us."

With crossed arms, C gives Darui a serious look. Mouth pulled tight with a raised finger. "Take this seriously, will you?"

"C, why don't you relax once in a while? This mission's almost perfect, don't be so dull..."

Tamako blinks at his words, mulling them over. The mission parameters seemed easy enough, meet the leader of Yugakure and check out the Valley. All things considered, Darui was right about it being a vacation of sorts, but that didn't really indicate it about being perfect.

C sighs, fingers brushing into his bright blonde hair before waving him off. "Just, be serious." He turns to her, an apology spewing. "Although you just arrived at the Village, we'll be taking off to Yugakure as soon as possible." His eyes traverse her figure, brows raised at the lack of supplies on her body. "Do you need to restock before we leave?"

She shakes her head, "I should be alright." With a hand, it sinks into her breast pocket and pulls out a scroll, letting it sit between her knuckles as she wiggles it around. "This has everything I need."

A look of comprehension flickers through his expression before they harden back onto Darui. "We're heading out now, the faster we reach Yugakure, the faster we'll complete the objective."

Darui sighs, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, alright…" He stretches a little, yawning like a cat that sends C into another bout of disapproval.

The three, now galivating out of the village with the new mission in hand, running full speed towards their mission objective, though everything about the mission rubbed her wrongly. So many questions and whys were left unanswered and they festered in her mind. Why was Kumogakure so interested in a clan they've let banished for all this time? Sure, Yugakure called them up as they were technically more militarily advanced to deal with such Kekkei Genkai. That same reasoning sort of explained why the Raikage sent two of his most trusted Jounin to what seemed to be a low level mission at first glance. Mabui shared a bit of information on this Clan that held a particular dojutsu she's never heard of. Capable of controlling iron rich water… there had to be more to this.

Tamako eyes her team, now trying to recall their abilities.

Darui was their main mode of offense, with his expertise in Kenjutsu as well as Raiton, Suiton and Ranton. C was Kumogakure's best sensor and support, and they've just thrown her into their own pot of a mess. She was their designated long-range, so this team wasn't bad per say but…

If there's one thing she knew, it was that the Raikage had basically assigned his two most trusted Shinobi to her. Either to assassinate her, or lower her guard because this basically meant he trusted her enough to do a mission with said Shinobi.

She was probably thinking too deep on this…

"Sorry." Darui speaks up as they ran around the mountains, using chakra on their feet to launch themselves from one part of the mountain to another. "You just got here, but boss already sent you on a mission. It's dull and annoying but, a mission is a mission."

Tamako perks up, a lazy smile on her face. "It's what it is."

Unlike C, Darui was the easy-going one. He engaged in small talk for most of the run south towards Frost where they'll cut through into Hot Water. At first, they talked about easy subjects. Lazy talk at first, things about the weather and how she was doing. How she found Kumo like, although only being there for just an hour tops. He asked her what Suna was like, then divulging in his own travels. She kept an open ear for what he had to say, the other for whenever C chimed in for his own two cents. The two were good conversationalists at the least when they weren't berating each other, easily flowing from one topic to the next in a natural way that felt trained. Perhaps even preprogrammed and practiced.

She shakes her head from those thoughts. Kumogakure was their ally now, she shouldn't be thinking so negatively. The Raikage had given her a lifetime chance to mend their relationship.

"I've heard you've been to four of the five Great Villages." C says nonchalantly, his breath not even hitching even after they've crossed into Frost with their five hour trek. "So far, which one awed you the most?"

She hums back, pondering his words. Unlike the rest of the world, Sunagakure had sand dunes as far as the eye could see, overarching into the skyline as mountains of sand threatened to tumble down with a hard enough rustle. Canyons that tucked away small remnants of civilization, deep underground tunnels to starve off the warmth on the surface.

If she hadn't spent nearly thirteen years in Suna, she would've said Suna. It was beautiful in a way that none of the other countries could ever obtain. But such beauty came with its drawbacks.

"Kumogakure." She finally says after a few seconds of silence. She quirks a bright smile at the two. "The buildings built into the mountain, skyscraping high into the sky where it touches the clouds. It's an architecture phenenom." It awed her when she crossed the red bridge, stone gray bricks lined up that reached a single double door with a small blue roof. Beyond was the Village Hidden in the Clouds, air thin in a way that ached her lungs but the view was so breathtaking. It felt like she was walking with the clouds as they floated aimlessly by.

The two share a satisfying smile. "Cloud really is beautiful, isn't it?"

Kumogakure truly was a Village floating in the sky, a view unlike any other she's encountered. She was excited to see what the sunrise looked like there, but it seems like that'll be on hold until she returns.

Almost as if they read her thoughts, C gives her a quiet smile. "When we head back, we can show you the best spot for the sunrise."

She grins back, "Alright, I'll take your offer."

The atmosphere between the three was now at a calm, Tamako nearly forgetting her suspicions but the words that came out of Darui next showed off his true intentions directly. "So." He begins, a little awkward. "Tell us about yourself."

C sends him a glare as the white-haired man chuckled nervously, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. Sighing, C waves his hand. "Disregard him, Darui is a meat muscle that only knows how to train and fight."

"Hey!"

C ignores him easily, eyes trained on her. "You're an accomplished Shinobi, and your actions in the war had made waves throughout the continent." He pauses just for a second, dark eyes on her. "Everyone has heard what you've done, especially in the past seven months after the war."

She blinks in surprise at his bold words, then, they narrow. "What do you mean?"

He backs off, his arm raised slightly up. "Don't take this the wrong way, you've became of a celebrity of some sorts, along with Naruto." He turns away from her and towards the trees they flow by. "Everyone who's survived became a war veteran." He shifts a bit. "And you've become a war hero. Don't act surprised if people keep track of you. Your work in Suna is impressive, the network you've spread to both Konoha and Kiri afterwards as well. It would hurt Kumo if we were not able to join it, especially if it was because Raikage-sama distrusted you."

Darui finally cuts in with a solemn look. "It was you who released Edo Tensei. My Battalion was on its last legs against the Reincarnated Enemy, especially against the Gold and Silver Brothers." He winced a bit, recalling memories as he itched his arm. "They put us in a dull situation: sealed my most trusted, Atsui and Samui."

She recalls, those were the same names spoken at the Raikage's office. Samui was a part of the usual team with C and Darui, but was taken off to join another team in her brother's place.

"And the rest were being killed off one by one by the former Akatsuki member, Kakazu."

She winces at the name drop, guilty.

The Akatsuki name was now forever tainted, now recorded in history as the group who waged war with the world, killing half of the army. No matter what the history books said or wrote, there will be a version out there that listed her as a former member.

To her, it was necessary. To join and take on this shame. She could only hope that malice was only aimed at her, and not Suna nor Konoha.

"Without your efforts, many more would have died." A somber silence takes over the three as they all simultaneously recall the war. What a bloody one it was. So many have died, perished, killed. It was a miracle she even made it out, her mind intact. Many shinobi were not so lucky, many retired with missing limbs and minds, irreplaceable in the face of lost platoons, family, friends and teammates. "What we're trying to say, is that you are a valuable friend to have. We want Cloud to flourish too."

"Madara has been defeated, his plan thwarted." She finally speaks, voice low. "And never again will he rise from the dead." Tamako looks up, nodding at the two individually when their eyes meet hers. "And this Alliance will ensure it."

. . .

The Land of Hot Water lies close to the equator, warm and hot in a way that Kumo wasn't. The two men beside her looked less than stellar to be under the sweltering sun as they awaited an audience with the Leader of the Village.

She's met this man once, after they've hired Suna to do some digging on Hidan who had murdered a platoon before making his escape. It had already been months and they've given up and decided to hire an outsider, and while she did finish the mission parameters, she could vaguely remember the Leader not being so happy with her.

What was his name? Ba-? Ta-? Something like that.

A gruff shinobi with the Yugakure headband tied around his forehead beckons to them. "Tamura-sama will see you, please come in." He opened the large purple gates into a large open room. On top was a plump man resting on some cushions, a cup of grapes to his side as he snacked and awaited them.

C took the lead, taking a step forward where both Darui and Tamako quickly followed closely behind, kneeling when C did. "Tamura-sama, we are the Kumo-nin that were hired to follow up on the Chinoike Clan."

"Ahh, yes yes." The man pushed his grapes aside and swept up his stringy bangs. "Kumo Shinobi, as you know, we Yuga-nin have been at peace for nearly two decades. As such, our shinobi are not well equipped to deal with the likes of the Chinoike Clan, if they are any remaining." He leans onto his other arm, shifting his weight before continuing. "We… handled the Chinoike Clan wrongly in our pursuit of peace and demilitarization, which is why I have hired you all." He then waved down and an advisor walked up.

"The Chinoike Clan have a dojutsu capable of controlling water infused with iron as well as casting extremely powerful Genjutsu. Before they had all mysteriously disappeared, Yuga-nin had sent a patrol to the Valley of Hell and discovered…" He trailed off, paling as his eyes trailed down the scroll in his hands. "Blood flowing down stream, foul smelling and staining. Since then, it has been off-limits but recently there have been attacks on Yugakure. We are already stretched thin with our ranks to guard the main roads, but some smaller villages have been attacked and ransacked, most of the victims that came forward said they had no memory of any attack and awoke to blazing fires."

Every time Tamako thought that a mission would be easy, it always had to be something deeper. At this point, Tamako has realized that the era of continental peace has ended. Criminal groups were now on the uprise and it's not all a coincidence that these sorts of things were happening now. It was time to lock in and get serious.

"You believe that the civilians were under Genjutsu?" Tamako finally speaks, earning the attention of the room.

"I-is that—?" The advisor stuttered, clasping his glasses and squinting.

"Yes, she will be aiding Kumo in this operation." C cuts in, "But, please, answer the question."

The advisor coughs into his fist. "Y-yes. We are sure it's Genjutsu. Two weeks ago, one of our patrols was able to arrive on scene, but afterwards they found themselves battling each other and the perpetrators long gone. The only thing they recall are blood red eyes, "

That was some strong Genjutsu, if the patrol thought their own comrades were the enemies. It was almost the level of a Sharingan. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought this was Uchiha handiwork, but she knew all the Uchihas.

Sasuke was off in Iron last time they exchanged letters, Obito was still investigating the insides of Konoha with the help of Itachi. This wasn't some superplot of another Uchiha running around... right? Tamako almost scoffed at her thoughts, yeah right. The plot of the Uchiha is well and done, these three were truly the last Uchiha's on earth so it wasn't them. This almost felt like a set-up for the Uchiha and judging by her companion's looks, they were thinking of the same thing. Her face pulls into a deeper frown. This was very very bad. The Uchiha could not take another slight, their reputation was barely holding on thanks to Sasuke's importance during the war.

Then that could only mean one thing: the Ketsuryūgan was capable of Genjutsu as strong as a three-tomoe Sharingan, and it looked like it too. Or at least, had the same color scheme. Oh, why couldn't this Ketsuryūgan be yellow? Or green? Why red of all the colors? Whatever and whoever this was, they were good enough at Genjutsu to trick most Shinobi.

She sighs deeply, closing her eyes and crossing her arms into a meditative state. The Land of Hot Water was approximately 385,000 kilometers long from north to south and about two-thousand kilometers side to side. It… could be possible. "—ter you doing?"

Her face pinches. "Quiet, I'm focusing." She'll first do side to side, then she'll stretch her bubble down southeast where the coastal villages are. Yes… that sounds good. She can do it.

If Naruto could use Sage mode and sense from Kumogakure all the way to the Frost Country, then she can do the same.

Her mind stills and blanks, black but not the way unconscious sang for, but a way where her body relaxed. No thoughts, no worries, sound filtered and noises compressed. Then her eyes fly open, purple painting her lids, the smallest of horns peeking from behind her ears.

Both C and Darui stare deep into her eyes, an amalgamation of hidden shock and captivation, taking in her reptilian yellow eyes as they glaze around them, her head not itching even the slightest.

Hot Springs, civilians, bathing. Villages, mining, farming, rice paddies. No, she needs to look further. Thick steam, chakra coating, misty, Samurai— no that's too far. That was Iron. Look north-east, stretch to the oceans but not past old Uzu. She could do it, she could definitely do it if she integrates herself into the network. Yes, that was a good idea. Her chakra flushes from her skin in a visible way, her hair flying wildly from the force alone as she digs in, touching the small ripples with her mind. Coastal fishing, a drowning boy, a loud father, and screaming mother. Drying fish, civilian sunbathing, a swimming girl. Marine life, small boats, hot springs. Bird watching, bright beaches, loud waves— there wasn't a single village in the Hot Water Country that has been razed and not accounted for. "Wherever this Chinoike member is, they haven't been razing any villages down lately."

"Th-that's impossible!" The advisor shouts, "They've been targeting us for two months already, a village almost daily! The last we've discovered was three days ago. There should be at least two..!"

"All of your villages are to be accounted for." She sniffs, covering her nose. Heightened senses were nice and all, but her companions desperately needed a bath. She did too. "Perhaps your perpetrator has moved on."

How strange, a village daily meant that the perpetrator has a schedule. To break it off, especially at this timing, was suspicious. Did they know they were coming? No, that's not possible. By the looks of both C and Darui, this mission was a surprise even for them.

She had left Kirigakure six days ago, four days on boat and two on land. It took them three quarters of a day to reach Yugakure from Kumogakure. In all honesty, it would've been faster if she had taken a boat west back towards Fire and used Hiraishin up north and went through Hot Water and Frost to reach Lightning.

At that thought, she freezes.

If she had chosen to head back to Fire and cut through both Hot Water and Frost to reach Lightning, she might've experienced these Village razings herself. Did… was this perpetrator aware of her? Did they account that she may have crossed Hot Water to head to Kumo after Kiri? But then, how did they know she was in Kiri? Unless they've been keeping track of her solely… no that wouldn't make sense. How would they keep track of Naruto as well? His Senjutsu was better than her's, hell, her Senjutsu was a recent development. Perhaps she was being too mindful of herself, maybe they weren't keeping track of her initially, but of Kiri first and she coincidently visited Kiri and stayed long enough to gather intelligence. If they truly were keeping track of her, they would've realized that Kumo was her next destination after Kiri. Her network was world renowned afterall, most Rogue Ninjas knew of her at the very least and they stayed away.

No… none of this makes sense. She had a good idea, but not enough context clues. She could be on the right track, or horribly rearing off to the side and crashing deep into the ocean. They knew nothing of the enemy, none of their move-set, how they looked or even their motive. What kind of person would just attack Yugakure on the daily? It was strange. It was filled with some sort of vendetta but…

"Where is this Valley of Hell?" She finally says, cutting off the prolonged silence.

The advisor flinches and looks away. "T-the Valley of Hell's location was lost to records after it was off-limits."

Tamako sulks. Of course.

A Valley within Hot Water. That was the only clue they had. The only description they got was blood-red streams, staining rocks and foul smelling. It could indicate that the clan were all killed so brutally it stained the nearby streams, but Tamako was willing to bet that whatever was foul smelling didn't exactly smell like rotting blood. That sort of smell would be too distinctive and definitely would've made it on the report that the Advisor has been going on about. Metallic, sure.

Metallic… a Kekkei Genkai that could control iron-rich water. It was the only explanation available. It would give reason to the foul smelling water at least, all too many times she's cleaned Sasuke's chokuto when he himself wasn't capable , water turning red from rust and foul smelling all the same. That was one puzzle solved, at least.

"Thank you for debriefing us." C says, a short bow before rising to his feet. "Our team will search for more clues and details on this culprit but we've been on the road for the entire day. Is there any loggings that we could..?"

"Oh, of course." The advisor hands C a small slip of paper. "Head to Mai's down the street to the right. We've booked loggings for two weeks, and please, feel free to relax in our hot springs."

As C and the Advisor finished up their pleasantries, Tamako released her Sage Mode and exhaled shakily. Her head was swarming at the amount of information she'd processed, but this was… good. A test of sorts, at least now she knew she could stretch her consciousness to the extreme. Probably wouldn't be the thing to do mid-battle, but it was an option as long as someone was around to ensure she wouldn't be attacked.

She gets jolted out of her musing when Darui gives her a look and signals, and she gets the basic gist and heads out. They turn the corner to the left when C breaks the silence. "We weren't aware you were capable of searching through entire countries." Then, he adds quieter as they enter the inn. "Is this what your network is capable of?"

"Not exactly." Tamako says back as a nice little old lady shows them their room. She settles her katana down with a hefty clack, letting it lean on the wall. "Senjutsu allows me to sense in far greater capacities than normal. The network feeds information whatever my clones or shouton find in either words or visions. They can be accessed by anyone my network allows." After her brief explanation, she stares at the room.

Singular.

"Hm, well in any case, I'll take this half of the room while the two of you share the other."

Darui easily unbuckles his cleaver sword and settles it down before dragging a futon to the other side. "Mai's is an expensive inn, I don't think either C or I have enough to rent another room, so this is fine." The futon drops to the ground, slanted and crumbled which C quickly straightens out.

"We shouldn't split up in any circumstance, just in case." C offers, hand reaching towards the sliding doors that were open and shuts a few. "This way, there is more privacy."

She shrugs back. "Whatever works for me." Then a sigh. Hard tatami at her feet, a plush futon to her left and a low kneel table to her right. It was small, and so similar and so different from her room in Konoha. She settles into a cushion and places down a scroll, unsealing her calligraphy set. After all this time, she still hasn't gotten used to a pencil. It just doesn't feel right in her hand in comparison to a brush. Then, she writes. She writes of her trials with the snakes to her time in Kirigakure. How Kisame was doing, the little side-work she'd set up for Karin. The new seal work she had patterned down to a little of her time in Hot Water. The reason why she was here, to her concerns of this Chinoike threat. The possibility of it being a set-up for the Uchiha. Then, the contents of the scroll get lighter. How she was doing, feeling. Her wonders for him, if he was doing alright. If he'd ventured further into his new hobby of baking, if he and Sasuke ever made up before he left.

Sasuke, as much as he loved, cherished and adored his elder brother, also harbored hate and pain to him as well. He understood his brother was not perfect, not invincible nor righteous. Could Sasuke ever forgive his brother for what he'd done when he was young? To subject him in days of torture Genjutsu, to relive the clan massacre for seventy-two hours straight, over and over and over. To nourish a hate that had hurt him, molded him, warped him to Itachi's liking all so he could relieve him. To earn honor for Sasuke, to ease Itachi's burden.

Itachi knew that he was at fault, for his actions were the most cruel. He thought he'd been selfless to take upon the Uchiha burden, but in reality, he'd been selfish for a cruel release. He asked Tamako, late at night when Sasuke was in deep sleep in the other room. Silence seals plastered all over the wooden beams as they conversed in hushed whispers, the sun threatening to rise. "If I had been truthful with Sasuke from the start… could all of this be prevented? His suffering? My suffering… our suffering?"

She soothed him, fingers wiping at his brow and smoothing the fine lines where his skin pinched at his frown. "The Village may call you soldiers and adults, but Itachi you were only thirteen." Her fingers brushed through his scalp, beckoning it back to the plush pillow where they laid. "You made a mistake in your youth, and you'll do your best to rectify it."

He settles back down, turning his head from her. Silent, but shoulders shaking. "Sleep, Itachi." She says one last time, not knowing it would be the last in a while she would say it again. "It takes time to heal and to forgive."

Her mind snaps out of reminiscing when a clatter sounds out, the candlewick illuminating her face and scroll fidgeting before going out. She glances at the window, trying to judge the time before feeling the weight in her eyes. Her eyes turn back to the scroll, almost nearing the end and finishes it off with a few more notes before attaching the few hot spring bath salts packets the room came with. Itachi would enjoy them. She signs the scroll, leaving one last message with a soft hue. Happy Birthday.

Her fingers sign three times before tapping her palm against the ground, a medium size snake appearing with a little pouch that could only carry a scroll. "Yuba, take this." The snake's tail slithers around the scroll in her palm and attaches it to its pouch, shutting it close tightly with the button and nods at her. Its head twitches expectantly before she reaches into her pouch, pulling out pieces of jerky wrapped in white paper. She unfolds it and offers it.

The snake careens with joy, hissing before devouring it whole before slithering out the window.

Now that was done…

She could really go for a soak just about now. This was a good time anyways, with most of the important things done for the night, it was the last thing on her checklist.

A small poof echoes slightly in her room as she unseals a few necessities, throwing them into a wooden basket that sat in the corner of her room and ties her hair high. How many months or years was the last time she's enjoyed onsen?

At her musing, she walks towards the sliding door, gaining the attention of her two teammates. "Going out to try the onsen, don't let me keep you guys up."

"Oh, don't worry about it." C says, already lazing in bed with a book out. "Darui, go with her. I already went earlier and you stink."

Darui shrugs and rises to his feet, stepping to her side as they made their way down the Inn. It's quiet between the two, doding and weaving the civilians around them with their taller stature. Darui gains a little attention with his darker complexion and blindingly white hair but the two ignore the looks. When they reach the onsen, they stare up at two different secions in confusion.

It turns out that Mai's was the few konyoku or mixed bathhouse left in Hot Water. They've been on the steady decline ever since the Third War and Mai's was one of the last remaining, as well as the most famous one.

Tamako couldn't help but think that Jiraiya was partly to blame.

The left side had a sign that indicated it was for both men and mixed. She tries very hard not to look at her companion as a crisis runs through her mind. She really doesn't mind getting naked in front of people she knew, but Darui was first and foremost a new comrade she'd officially met earlier in the morning. And a man. As in, she noticed his wavering looks towards her. It's common for both men and women alike to find themselves distracted by her at times, but Darui was someone who tried to kill her without flinching. Now that he noticed her differently, changed things, but he is still a Shinobi who put the mission before feelings.

Probably.

But in any case, Tamako is an inherently private person who wanted to make boundaries so when she spotted a sign that indicated a private woman only section, she didn't hesitate to enter. She gave Darui a short greeting before heading off, placing her basket down. Stripping off her layers, folding her clothes in the provided small cubbies before undoing the layers of bandages one by one before they pooled to her feet.

Crisis averted!

From then, she enjoyed the warm soak. Heat seeping into her bones and warming her muscles. She didn't know how long she was in there, arms folded alongside the rim made of solid stone, head laying with her back to the entrance. Oh, it was so serene. She should've gone to Konoha's hotsprings when she was there instead of wiping herself down with a wet cloth.

Sometime between sitting down and being in pure bliss, many women had come and gone providing small chats here and there before a kind lady left her some sake that innocently floated on a small bamboo tray.

Well, she was never one to turn down a drink.

The drink was slightly heated from the thermal water, and combined with the bath itself, Tamako was feeling a bit lightheaded. Her face flushed from the hot spring was further heated with the alcohol and she was starting to think that maybe she had a problem.

Well, what was the worst that could happen? She couldn't possibly decline drinking with the older woman who went on and on about losing both her father and brother during the war, leaving her mother widowed. She talked about moving to Yugakure for a fresh start to help out her grandparents who owned a small restaurant with her mother, then complained about the fact that all three were nudging for her to settle down soon since she wasn't getting any younger.

"Marriage? But you're still so young!"

She laughed heartily, taking a deep sip and sighing. "That's what I've been saying. These days, people don't marry 'til twenty-four! I still got three more years." Only twenty-one but the stress and war made her seem older. With more responsibilities than most civilians, Tamako thought she was at least twenty-seven, in demeanor at least. "What about you?" She asked, turning to her. "You look young, and you definitely not around here, I know almost everyone since I moved here. You on a honeymoon?"

Tamako shakes her head, feeling blood rush to her head. "Oh, no no no. I'm here on… a short trip."

"By yourself?" The woman raises an eyebrow at her. "That can't be safe. I don't know how long you been here, but this country has been attacked several times. If I'd known something like this would'a happen, I wouldn't 'ave moved here right after the war." She shakes her head and clasps a solid grasp on her shoulder. "Look, I'll say it now for your own sake. Hire some of the shinobi folk here before you leave, at least 'til you reach the border."

Her heart twitched at her concern. "It's alright, really." Tamako reached for the small towel she left on the side and tapped it against her cheeks, drying them off. "I may not look like it, but I'm trained."

"You?" The lady swivels her head back a few inches, looking at her from head down with squinted eyes. "Could'a fooled me, you look like one of them girls from noble families you know?" Then, her eyes crescents. "Though… a gal like you… you must've had some boys running at you since you were young! My brother beat any boy near me with a stick so I bet your pa had some trouble."

Tamako leans deeper into the water at the woman's words. "Not exactly. Well…" She gives a sheepish look. "I'm actually an orphan, it's 'cuz of that I was put into the Shinobi System."

The woman hums in both understatement and sorrow. "I see." The stares deadstraight. "I get the whole ninja business, I really do." She hesitates for a second before taking another shot, gulping down the sake and relishing the burn. "I'm from down south, ya know, from the Fire Country. When my pa was a kid, the family moved to Konoha because of the infected fish. They say it was some sort of chemical warfare, but pa told me that the stuff they fished poisoned them. They say the Fifth Hokage herself, before she was the Fifth during the Second War, came down to fix the problem. But it had already been three weeks. Pa and his father were the last ones left in the village, so they took refuge in Konoha." She rolls her eyes. "Grandpa only knew how to fish, so he set up a small business that dried and sold salted fish as provisions. Said it was his only way to fight back, said if they had made more provisions that grandma would've made it. Pa on the other hand was inducted into the Ninja Academy. They said it was assurance, said it was the only way for both pa and grandpa to live in Konoha."

She shrugs, sake now forgotten. "I get it though. I may not look it myself, but I was an Academy dropout. I learned history and subterfuge. Grandpa could've been a plant, and pa had to ensure they were loyal." Then a scoff. "And it was the only way to get health insurance too. Ya know that you had'a be a shinobi to be insured?"

Her face frowns as she speaks. "No… I didn't."

"Well, back in the day, you had'a be affiliated with shinobi to see the medical ninjas. When ma got sick, my brother entered the Academy for the extra stipend and moved ma up the line. Helped us get by and he made good money when he got promoted. Those were the old days. Ever since Lady Fifth made Hokage, she got rid of the Third's rules." She huffs a little. "And that apprentice of hers, she came from a civilian background didn't she?

Tamako gives her the slightest nod.

"She and Naruto, they saved Konoha when the Akatsuki attacked. I died and I didn't even know. Woke up next to rubble." She shuffles, hair glistening as she speaks. "Since then, I wanted out, and now I'm out." She sighs, then laughs. "Look at me, talking like I'm old! Simple living is what I want. And simple is what I got." She leans further into the water as she speaks. "Hot Water is what I dreamed of, thought that I'd get the peace we needed."

She stays silent, though Tamako knew what was troubling her.

Anger courses through the Shouton User, the peace that almost felt so close and so attainable. Ruined by bandit-wannabes and the such. This woman, who's name she didn't even ask for, was just one story. Tired of fighting, generations of pain and suffering. Just when she started to heal, a threat came by. It was a cycle that spun over and over.

This was her duty as Shinobi. Maintain the peace.

Tamako rises from the water, her mind even more focused. She was going to find that damn Valley of Hell.

"Going already? Sorry about…"

"It's okay." Tamako replies, water rushing as she wrings out her hair. "You just reminded me of some business I have to take care of. Stay safe, won't you?" She waves back with a soft smile. "Thanks for keeping me company."

. . .

She, Darui and C speak late into the night about their plans. They had zero leads and zero ideas of who was the enemy and Tamako spent the first twenty minutes defending Sasuke and Itachi. "It's not them, Sasuke has been in Iron the past two weeks which doesn't coincide with the attack that happened four days ago, and Itachi is a shinobi of Konoha."

"But Genjutsu of that caliber? Red eyes?" C almost laughs. "You can't possibly deny the connection."

"I swear on my own honor, that they are not our culprits."

"Honor, huh?" Darui says, arms crossed. "Honor is good and all, but as soon as someone dies, it's more than just honor."

" Please." She says quietly, begging. "Believe me. It's not those two."

The two are silent for just a moment, then a sigh. "Fine." C says, glancing away. "We'll investigate under the presumption that neither Uchiha Sasuke or Itachi are our culprits. In fact, this could be a set-up for the Uchiha." His face pulls. "Their reputation right now is…" He trailsl off.

"Thank you." She cuts, face relaxing before turning stern. "Did you speak with Raikage?"

C nods, "We sent an encoded message that should reach them by tomorrow. It'll take another day for a response, maybe longer if the information we requested takes longer to find."

"I see."

They were just sitting ducks now. The longer they let the trail run cold, the more likely the culprit will be long gone with no traces. The faster they found this Valley of Hell, the better. A place of living is the best thing to look at when dealing with something like this. Hidden, all the better since it indicated that it could be a homebase of sorts.

They could find something, as long as they find Valley of Hell.

There was one thing she could do to cover the most amount of land. Thankfully, this country wasn't as large as a major elemental nation. In order to search the lands as efficiently as possible, she'll need the help of C. If her memory serves correct, he's a sensory nin. Perfect.

She sits down on the cushion and relaxes into the lotus pose and carefully carves out twelve wooden clones that fall into a low crouch. Each of their faces were blank, awaiting orders silently. "C, place your palm on my head." Tamako says, closing her eyes.

She could feel his chakra waver in confusion before understanding pulses out. He placed a single open palm on her head, and her own chakra weaves around his before blanketing him and diverts her willing chakra. Sharing her clone's consciousness to him, she's able to control up to twelve clones, almost double the usual.

For the next six hours, the two comb through the entirety of Hot Water. Wood Clones are capable of fusing themselves with nature itself. The vast amount of information nearly overloads her, but with the help of C, they split up the work. With Darui keeping watch, they dive their entire conscious into the search. The smell of sulfur, wet moss and dry grass encompassed her senses. Loud roars of waterfalls, the dripping of water drops as steam wafts by. No, that's not what she's looking for. Small critters chitter, the soft chirps of the morning birds and then, blood.

It's foul smelling and red. But it wasn't viscous.

Her clone sinks her hand into the stream, red liquid staining her hand just for a second before sniffing it. Metallic, grungy.

Both her and C's expressions twitch, and that's all Darui needs.

He grunts, arms falling to his side as he unfolds them with a look. "Did you guys find something?"

C responds, nose wrinkled as the clone's senses reverberate. "Red rivers and a pungent smell. There's no doubt about it, this is it."

Immediately, Tamako unsummons the rest of the eleven clones. Her mind almost sighing in relief now that the delicate string that was under so much tension, her mind, ceases from the impending snap.

"Twelve klicks from here, southeast." C's squints, hand squeezing a little harder. "I don't sense any presence. Not even animals."

"The heavy iron content in the water makes the area almost inhospitable. It's warm too, there must be some kind of underground geothermal activity." Tamako provides blandly. "I can teleport us there so we can check it out in person."

C's palm releases her head and it settles to his side. There's a hint of fatigue lining the edge of his eyes that is quickly masked away when he pops a pill. "The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can return home." Even at C's words who seem serious and fully committed to the mission, Tamako could hear his urgency.

"Just give me a second." She offers politely, her clone itching a chakra print onto a nearby tree before dispelling into chunks of wood, clacking against the nearby stonebed. "There, I'm ready. Place a palm on my shoulders." C takes her left, Darui to her right.

And they're off, blinking away in a dark flash and reappearing beneath shade. Just up ahead was a dank canyon where the smell seemed to get worse. She covered her nose as her face squints. "Over there." She points at the vague direction and follows Darui who takes the first few steps forward. Steam wafts up into the air in light strings, the air around them condensed with moisture that sticks to her lungs in an ugly way. Stifling almost. She could barely see ahead of her with the mist so thick but it isn't so different from the Snake Trials.

Then, they reached a pool of dark crimson, the scent the strongest here. Tamako bends down and sticks her finger in. Warm, soothing even. But seriously the smell…

"It smells like someone died here." Darui coughs wetly into his sleeve, rubbing his nose.

C glances around, looking for clues until he stills. Then with a clear voice, "Looks like someone did."

The three glance down, a skeleton laying in the shallower parts of the pool of water. Where there was one, there was many. Countless remains contrasted heavily from the bottom of the pool. Eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen— "At least two dozen here alone." Her head twitches forward, "Probably more inside the cave."

Darui calls out, having already entered the cave with a grave look. "I found something!"

C gives Tamako a nod and the two venture forth, finding Darui crouched low. Peering to the side, they spot a muddy bedroll, brown stains and countless of stained and molding bandages. She bends down for a closer look, picking the end of the bandage gingerly for a better look. "Recent, perhaps only weeks old." She turns to the broken ceramic bowl and a green rag. "There's still water in the bowl, and the rag is slightly damp."

"It was more than one person." C juts his head forward, revealing two separate bowls and two pairs of chopsticks. "Two people, they left in a rush. One injured."

So two Chinoike members, huh? She couldn't feel any residue chakra left, but it was clear someone was living here for at least six months. Since the war, perhaps after it. Makeshift tables and chairs, a shattered flowerpot and a stomped out fire. "And they're long gone. Crossed the border to either Fire, Sound, or Frost. Maybe they didn't stop moving." If they were smart, they would lay down low for a while.

This was out of their jurisdiction. With the confirmation that their enemy fled the country, there was nothing they could do besides collect evidence and head back to Cloud.

C was already ahead of her, storing the dried bloody bandages into a scroll.

This vacation mission just turned out all the more worrying, but this had solidified her thinking: it would only get busier from now on. Post-War peace had officially concluded.

. . .

Her time in Kumo is… enlightening. It's been awhile since she's stayed put at a village while also being an active shinobi. The Kumogakure headband was offered to her since any mission she took, she was the face for Kumogakure. It was a little weird to be called a Kumogakure shinobi for the first few times, and by the sixth time, she'd given up correcting the clients. Still, Darui and C were excellent teammates. They could handle themselves fine and did most of the talking anyways.

The report to A was quite long since this was apparently an asset that Cloud wanted to requisition and use. It was one thing to reclaim, it was another if the asset they wanted was now a terrorist. With no leads and after securing the entire country, the whole Chinoike business ended with an open ear for any new news.

In regards to her temporary status as a "Kumo-nin" though… she felt a little guilty. Word had spread as far as Hot Water, no thanks to that first mission, that she'd officially "sided" with Cloud. Sasuke had sent her a scathing message that had only four words.

You didn't tell me.

Short as always, Sasuke hasn't changed a bit.

Sasuke,

It's good to hear from you. How was Iron? See anything interesting in particular? The mountainous regions of Cloud are beautiful, nothing can compare to the way the clouds idly float by as if it were saying hello.

Suigetsu and Karin decided to stay in Kirigakure, no surprises there. I always thought Suigetsu would be good for Karin. Stop by Kirigakure, won't you? I'm sure Karin would have developed her seals even further by then, perhaps you'll find some useful.

As for me, well. I'm sure you've heard that I've taken residency up in Cloud. It's not too bad, the view from my place is quite nice, I've attached a photo. Don't worry about me, Kumogakure isn't so bad. You and I already know our transgressions with Cloud, this is my way to say… sorry. A-dono is a proud man, but he loves his Village and I can't fault him for that. We made a deal: I work for him for two months, and he forgives all my wrongdoings. It's really not too bad, I don't think I'm being tricked anyways so don't worry.

It's nice to settle down for a bit and engage in some normalcy for once

How about you? How are you doing? You know I always worry for you, but I know you can protect yourself fine.

Write to Konoha too, alright? That falcon summon of your's isn't for show. I'm sure Itachi would appreciate it.

Always,

Tamako.

She signs her name with all the calligraphy penmanship she could muster and neatly rolls up the scroll into a small scroll sleeve before handing it to her smallest of snakes. Akaba. The white snake sniffs hastily. "I'm the youngest daughter of the White Snake Sage, not some errand snake! Wait for Yuba!"

Tamako laughs lightly, rubbing the small snake's head with a dainty finger in soft circles. Akaba almost seems to purr. "Ffffine. Just this once." With one last tongue flicker, Akaba unsummons herself with her body wrapped around the scroll.

A knock on her window catches her attention and Darui salutes. He gestures a bit in Kumogakure sign language, something that C has been teaching her so she could seamlessly communicate and read.

Lightning, shadow, calls, time, now, urgent.

She had only just begun her lessons roughly last week, so Darui signed easy words.

Acknowledge. She signs back and Darui gives her a thumbs up, disappearing in a poof. With a sigh, she flicks the light switch and her desk lamp shutters off. The chair slightly scrapes against the stone floor as she stands up and reaches over for her resting katana. Her fingers graze the wooden sheath, feeling the lacquer and the engraving on the side.

She slides the katana between her sash and takes off, appearing just outside of the Raikage office and enters with a slight push. A flying chair soars through the office and she ducks, dodging the improvised weapon.

"That damn Hokage!" A seethes, throwing his desk through the window. "How dare he!"

She slowly shuffles next to C with three quick sidesteps and leans close, cupping her mouth to the side of his head and careens her head up. "What happened?"

He tilts his head down and whispers, "A flying boat, they call it Tobishachimaru. There's a lot of Aobiko on board and it was hijacked this morning."

Her face twitches a little. "A flying boat?" Her brows raise. "Since when?"

He shrugs, turning his attention back to A as he throws the last chair out the already shattered window. Mabui is to his side, hands raised to calm the angered man. "Who knows. It was a joint operation between Konoha and the Land of Waves. What matters is that Aobiko is an explosive that can level a Village, and it's heading straight towards Iwagakure."

Oh.

That couldn't be good.

"How long has it been hijacked? What are their demands? How many are on board?"

That's when C's face pulls into uncertainty. "The Hokage hasn't responded to our inquiries, we suspect he's one of the few on the boat. The one answering our calls is Tsunade, but she claims to have it under control."

Her head hurts.

Something like this… how did this happen right under Konoha's noses? This was an international crisis! And it was the most random thing too. When she was in Kiri, she saw a lot of internal fighting that was usually cleaned up by either Haku or Zabuza, but this was a terrorist group. And they were flying across the continent with a stolen Konoha asset.

Historically, Iwa and Kumo have been on and off allies as their geographical locations make it so they weren't too concerned with each other, making them unspoken allies as they shared enemies. The Fourth War had only solidified their relationship after A and Onoki had fought several battles together in tandem, opening new doors. But that also meant that Kumo was very concerned for Iwa.

Home to the Savior of the World or not, Konoha has again and again shown weakness over and over.

To letting Sasuke roam free without consequences, being wiped out by a single member of Akatsuki to Tsunade being comatose and their pseudo-Rokudaime tricking, lying, then dying—Konoha hasn't exactly given the image of exact confidence. And that wasn't including the whole Obito situation.

This was just another mark to the tally.

"A-dono." She speaks calmly, breaking the raging of the older man as he turns to her, face pulled and beard stretched as his face stills in anger. "May I suggest—"

"Silence!" He shouts, banging a fist and splintering his desk in half. "You are a Konoha sympathizer, I will take no advice from you—" He freezes at his own words, mustache twitching down as his face turns stone still. He breathes in deeply, then out. "I spoke rashly." He admits, earning a shock gasp from Mabui. "Two years ago, before the war, Konoha and Kumo jointly operated to stop former prison warden of the Hozuki Castle, Mui. Without Konoha, this operation would have failed." He sighs, and a look of tiredness appears on his face. It was so uncharacteristic of this man, who embodied the idea of proudness, duty, and honor. He turns away to face the broken shards of glass. "Team Darui, I give you a new mission: aid the Tsuchikage and Hokage in regards to Tobishachimaru."

"Understood!"

She claps a hand on her teammates shoulders and sends them through several points of Hiraishin. They appear like blips, three in Frost, five in Hot Water, four through Konoha before they arrive between the Fire and Grass border.

She's spent a considerable amount of chakra to travel half the continent, but it merely took them a minute in total. Darui breathes in deeply, shoulders relaxing before staring straight up. This Tobishachimaru, was a blimp of some sort. Its size, from what C explained earlier during the quick quips between each thrown piece of furniture, was roughly 230 meters long. That's more than ten large clan compounds, like the massive ones the Hyuugas had.

From the ground below, it looked like an ant.

It was very high up.

"There's no way we can bring that thing down. We can barely see it."

Tamako could think of a way to get up there, the only problem was that it would be dangerous for her teammates. What was the excuse that Tsunade gave to A? That the Tobishachimaru was headed towards the Hozuki Castle?

Well, if the Tobishachimaru was so high up that even Kumogakure could spot it earlier in the day, then she should be able to spot the Castle once she makes her way up. "Darui, C, head towards Hozuki Castle for the clean up." A heel clashes against the ground, a solid chunk of earth rises and freezes. It crystalizes in a blink and floats lazily, waiting for her. "I"ll head up and bring it down myself."

Darui's eyes nearly bulge at her words. "Are you crazy? Do you know how much that thing weighs?"

"All I have to do is slow its descent so it won't crash, right?" She grins back at the older man, hopping on the crystal platform. It bops up and down at her weight before stilling. "Piece of cake." She gives them a salute and zooms forward. Wind brushes back her bangs and newly trimmed locks. They fly wildly as she makes her way up, the air getting thinner and thinner. At some point, she feels slightly lightheaded but she pushes forward and reaches the helm of the ship. There, she spots Onoki and a few of his most trusted Shinobi.

"Kakashi!" Onoki shouts over the roaring engine. "Any longer and I'll have to step in!"

"I know!" Kakashi shouts back, sticking his face close to the window as he shouts, eyes widening at the sight of her.

"Hello!" She waves, drifting closer to the window before sticking her hand close to the metal hull and gluing herself using chakra adhesion. "Do you want help?"

Instantly, Kakashi's eyes relax just a smidge, the insanity of the dire situation had stressed the man out so much that his eyes were almost bloodshot. "I'm going to puncture the helium sacs. Ease it's fall!"

"Of course, Hokage-dono."

He nods at her one last time before smashing open the window, his arm fizzling with latent energy as it buzzes purple before shooting towards the massive balloon filled with helium and pierces it in one shot. Instantly, the vessel stutters and begins to lean heavily on one side. Before Tamako could crystallize the ship's hull, the air around her turns cold as ice begins to form at the edges of the ship. It works at first, and Tamako almost thinks that maybe she didn't have to interfere. But as the ship plummets down, the ice creaks at the weight and the air turns dry.

There wasn't enough moisture in the air.

She could easily help out this mysterious ice user, but she had a much simpler solution. Her chakra waves out of her, encompassing the hull of the ship and crystallizing it like a terrible infection. Piece by piece, inch by inch, it turns. She carries the full weight with crystal, the tug almost reminding her of the time she and Deidara dragged the Three Tails to the edges of Hot Water to seal it away.

Carefully, she brings the ship back to the ground, fully intact, mind the huge hole that Kakashi made. Parts of the ship's interior were blackened from the fire still raging inside. With a large suiton, it eats up the flames and leaves the ship soaked.

Kakashi himself finally exits the ship, a little green, slightly drenched and shaky. He seems to absorb the feeling of land for a second longer than normal before turning around. A woman with long curly black hair jumps out, kneeling for a second before standing up straight. She wore snow-white clothes and on her hip, a broken mask with a hook-pattern decorating it.

Then, dozens of civilians begin pouring out. All in various states of shock and injury. Several in tears, many falling to their knees as they ground themselves with earth.

Tamako walks forward and feels the air turn cold. She halts her steps and looks up questioningly. At her look, the woman looks away with downturned eyes. Before Tamako could question the strange woman, who looked more and more like the enemy, Sakura flies in and lands, palms green and healing the grievously injured civilian. "Kaka-sensei, are you okay?"

He winces a bit, clutching his side. "A little bruised, but still kicking."

Sakura sighs in relief and finishes up stitching up wounds before rising and enveloping Tamako into a quick hug. "I wish we met up in better circumstances, but I missed you, and thank you." She lets go and quickly rushes off to start the next round of healing.

Tamako sighs a little when she feels another familiar presence appear. "Shikamaru, it's been a bit."

He mirrors her tired expression. "Tamako." He nods at her, then turns to Kakashi with another.

"Kakashi…" Tsunade growls, stomping forward with her heels clicking. "Arrest her, now!" A rush of Konoha Shinobi appear, approaching the snow-white clad woman, freezing with their Rokudaime holding out an arm.

"Let's not get too hasty, Tsunade-hime."

The woman huffs, "Fourteen dead, Kakashi. Fourteen civilians. Systematically killed to threaten us to give up a prisoner. By all means, she is to be sentenced to death." Tsunade's face pulls, her fingers massaging her temples as she speaks. "This has destroyed the very last credibility of Konoha on the international scale."

The woman, named Kahyō, closes her eyes with remorse, shame painted on her face.

"It's true." Kakashi admits. "She took a part of the plot, but." He pauses, arms crossed. "As Hokage, I'd like to decide her punishment myself."

Everyone's eyes fly wide at his words.

"Before we argue, I'd like to quickly bring up these two important facts: Kahyō is an extremely strong shinobi. I want to utilize her by giving her the seat of warden to the prison. Her ice release is unlike any I've seen. Its capabilities suit well with the role as her Chains of Ice continuously forces trained Shinobi to coat their skin with chakra leaving them unable to use chakra otherwise." He takes a single step forward, not even wincing at his bruised side. "This way, she'll spend the rest of her time inside the Hozuki Castle while atoning her sins."

Shikamaru almost smirks, walking forward with a nod. "I approve. It only makes sense, we've been looking for a warden for nearly three years already and she fits the bill. I can finally go home now that I don't need to act as warden as well."

Tsunade sends a scathing look at Shikamaru who admitted to wanting to skip out on work and rest her eyes on Kakashi. It's silent as the two Hokage's stare at each other. Then Tsunade places her hand on her hip and tilts her head up. "Fine. Have your way, but Kakashi, know this: this will be your first act of Hokage on the international stage."

"Of course." Kakashi says back, his eyes flickering before falling back.

Instantly, everyone panics and even Tamako lunges forward with an outstretched arm— but before she can make it, someone even faster than her catches him.

Obito swirls and materializes, his arm catching Kakashi forward. He wasn't wearing his usual mask or AMBU fatigues, but the newly updated Konoha standard uniform. But like Kakashi, it was a shade darker with the vest gray, his Uchiwa stitched to the back. "Kakashi…" Obito clicks his tongue, shaking his head. "You never told me you were going to board that ship."

"Sorry, Obito." Kakashi sends him an eye smile. "I got a little lost."

Tamako groans at Kakashi's excuse. "So, everyone is okay?"

"Somehow. No one was further injured with the emergency landing." Sakura pipes up, dusting her hands.

"I—!" Kahyō starts, taking half a step. "If that's what you ask of me. I will take the role of Warden." She kneels lowly, head bowed.

Tamako, with the help of Obito, Sakura and Shikamaru, take down and subdue the rest of Kahyō's terrorist group. As a show of power, Kakashi orders Kahyō to subdue her ex-friends with her Chains of Ice. It's successful, even if Tsunade's face scowls all the same with Sakura trying her best to calm her Shishou.

It was an extremely powerful jutsu with its range to initiate being at most ten meters. Through either physical contract or remotely, Kahyō can leave an imprint on her enemies that causes ice particles to form on the target. Unless the target molds and coats themselves with chakra, dedicating their energy to keep themselves warm, they'll freeze to death. Using their chakra otherwise will further the progress.

Very similar to her own technique using shouton, capable of hijacking the target's tenketsu and using the chakra node to fuel her own chakra to consecutively infect the target with crystal that consumes the flesh. Though, she was getting few ideas to heighten her own technique with Kahyō technique in mind.

There was no doubt about it, Kahyō is an extremely talented shinobi. Her knack with ninjutsu was like her own. She felt a little sympathetic for Kahyō. If Tamako had truly snapped, she could've ended up like her. She's gotten the basic rundown of the situation: an unjust death of her son, so Kahyō lashed out. Tamako was filled with condolences.

Their group reached Hozuki Castle in no time, throwing the terrorist group inside a cell before a meeting was held. Tsunade and Kakashi both spoke apologies to the Tsuchikage who imparted with wise words that seemed like he had discovered on his own from the past seven months. "Tsunade-hime, listen well." He starts, releasing his jutsu and his body slowly drifts back to the ground. "The next generation will inevitably replace our own." His head tilts to Kakashi, eyes trailing to each shinobi in the room.

Shikamaru, Sakura, Tamako, Darui, C.

"Sooner than we realize, they'll be the ones to rule the village and make decisions. Rightly ones that we may not agree with. It's a new age."

"Onoki, don't tell me you're retiring? So soon after the war we'd all just fought?"

Onoki laughs, crossing his arms behind his back. "I'm already eighty! Let this old man rest." He stills, face soft. "My granddaughter will take my mantle by the end of the year. I hope that she and Konoha will continue this new legacy alongside Kumo, Suna and Kiri."

Tsunade's lips pull. "Yes. Let's hope."

Kahyō's appointment wasn't as smooth sailing as Kakashi had hoped. It was met with opposition by both the Raikage and Mizukage.

In order to soothe any worries, all Five Kage inspect Hozuki Castle after a week under Kahyō's rule.

A, the confrontalist that he is, manages to earn himself a fight with the Ice User. It goes as well as you expect: Kahyō humiliates A by freezing off his mustache before he could even activate his Lightning Chakra Mode.

This earns a laugh out of Naruto, who came as Kakashi's guard, though she had a sneaky feeling that Kakashi only brought the ramen-lover as both a status show and because of Naruto's insistence. "Gahahaha!" Naruto points and laughs at the scene. "Serves you right!"

A growls, lightning shattering the ice as he sniffles, arms crossed as he stomps away.

Tamako almost rolls her eyes in sync with Darui as she waves Naruto goodbye, quickly trying to match A's pace.

Honestly, things just never change.

. . .

While the international crisis dies down, a stronger bond between all Five villages rises from the ash. With the new Warden of Hozuki Castle now stabilized, the Villages no longer argued on who should take the role amongst themselves.

For Kumo, it becomes imperative to the fact that their once advantageous geographical location is no longer an advantage: they were just too far away from the other Great Villages. Unlike Sand, Leaf or Stone who are merely a single country away from each other, Cloud is two countries from Leaf, five from Stone, six from Sand and an entire sea from Mist.

Darui begins to shadow A more and more, taking time out of missions and leaving Tamako with C. It's obvious what was going on: the Raikage had chosen his successor.

She congratulates Darui in his open secret, holding up a drink which he accepts, sliding into the stool beside her. He downs the drink before gestures at the bartender, ordering something. Tamako nurses the drink in one hand, her other prodding at the pickled radish. He glances over, "You don't exactly seem like a whiskey person."

Tamako shrugs with her heavy shoulders. "I'm starting to like the smokiness." She watches as the ice melts in the cup, tilting to the side.

"What's the occasion?"

"C wanted to get drinks to celebrate the new mission." The cup in her hands is icy cold, sweltering and making her hands clammy. "Looks like he flaked."

The beer that the bartender sets down spills a bit of its foam, pooling in a way that had her mesmerized. Darui picks it up by the handle and chugs it down, sighing at the end while wiping his mouth with his wrist. "That's so."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "What about you?"

He deadpans at her. "You know why."

Tamako rolls her eyes and pours herself another drink, finishing up the bottle she ordered. "Seems like something you would celebrate with friends. I don't see any friends around, not this late at least."

Darui's lips thin as he gathers a response but then chooses to settle down the glass tankard. He looks her dead in the eye. "I won't beat around the bush, C told me to come."

She coughs mid-sip, feeling Darui pat her back harshly as she regains her bearings. "C? Why?"

Darui almost looks uncomfortable with the topic. His easy-going and mellow attitude is long gone but still speaks as casually as he could. "You've probably had your suspicions, but there was a reason why boss had you join our small elite team." His hand reaches to his neck as he rubs it. "It's a set up."

Her confusion brings a groan out of him. "Sorry. About boss, and C too. They were on it. Sorry."

And there it was, Darui's habit of apologizing. Whether it be for things he hasn't done or what, Darui's entire personality seemed to revolve around calling things dull or apologizing. "Sorry for all of it, really. It wasn't my idea, but I wasn't exactly against it. It was dull of us, I'm sorry."

She raises her palms to calm him, "Hey hey, you haven't done anything wrong, I don't think..? And stop apologizing. Just… explain it a bit better. What exactly are you apologizing for?" Her head was swimming. She knew Cloud was trying to pull something, but after a month of nothing too drastic, she'd given up.

What was going on?

He turns away from her, muttering something under his breath, taking another swing and slams it down. "They were trying to set us up."

Tamako chokes into her drink.

"To boss, you're an extremely lucrative asset. To everyone else, well, you may not realize it, but you are… very popular." Darui says this with a shrug. "Being saved by a very beautiful and strong girl, you've made a pretty picture and earned yourself a lot of fans during the war."

She's not… upset. There were worse things that A could've concocted, this was the lesser of the evil. A setting up his successor with a strong Shinobi like her is a good move, a common one too. The words Darui say… they are words that she usually shuts out. She's been asked out many times during her time in Sand when she was young, and after the war it had exponentially grown now that it wasn't just just pre-teens with an interest. She had developed into a young adult, and now the one thing she's been avoiding couldn't be avoided anymore. The only problem with Darui is that…

"Darui…" She says quietly, "You do realize we're nearly a decade apart?"

He coughs harshly into his tankard, beer flying at the action. "Y-you're seventeen? I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry—" He freezes. "You're not supposed to be in here." He gestures at the bar. "You have to be at least eighteen to be in here—" He freezes again, then gathers his head into his arms as he leans onto the bar. "Shit."

She felt a little bad for Darui. It's true, she's technically seventeen, turning eighteen in a month but she's lived much longer than him. Though, that doesn't mean that her mentality is like a grandmother: her brain was making enough hormones for her to feel and act like a young adult. She still had wonders for the world, curiosity to be filled.

"It wasn't like the bouncer was going to not let me in. I'm not exactly a lowkey person, you said it yourself." She reasons. "And it's okay. A lot of people think I'm much older. And I'm turning eighteen very soon, so…"

She may act like Sasuke is her younger brother which she has to watch out constantly for, but he's actually four weeks older than her.

He turns to her. "How do you do it? You must've been…" He pauses just a second. "You would've been thirteen when you infiltrated Akatsuki. I thought you were at least in your twenties now."

"I figured no one else would do it as well as I could. It may sound like I'm bragging but…" She pushes her finished glass, wiping off the residue on her pants. "I really shouldn't have done it alone, now that I think about it." She laughs a little, giving him a grin. "Well, what matters is that I did it, and I think the outcome isn't so bad, right?" Her fingers slip into her hakama, pulling out a few folded bills and coins and places it on the bar. "There's enough for another round for yourself, Darui. Don't stress about it." She twists her hips and hops out of the stool and waves without looking back.

Well, that at least answered her Cloud worries. Even if it was something like that.

. . .

June concludes and July quickly rolls by. She doesn't even realize her contract is almost at its end until the week of Sasuke's birthday.

She'd spent the entirety of June overseeing and constructing the new railway track from Cloud to Stone that cuts through the major cities of Frost, Hot Water, Sound, Iron and Waterfall. This connects the top half of the continent together, and from what she's heard from Darui, Iwa intends to connect this railway with the one that Sand and Leaf had devised last month.

Tamako learned a lot of the legal jargon that comes with the job, and thankfully Mabui is with her each step of the way, though for some reason A had assigned a newly promoted Jounin, Omoi and Karui as her bodyguards as well as C, not that she needs it but she understands. It's for appearance sake, it would be weird if she was off by herself while doing Cloud business. She's shaken hands with several people with political sway, met with Kurotsuchi more times than she could count on one hand and bothered Sasuke less than she'd like to.

She mainly took the job as it allowed her to travel across the continent to the six countries, and the amount of times she's "accidently" bumped into Sasuke was honestly no accident. For his birthday, she finds him in Sound giving away the last bit of allowance she'd given him last month.

Orochimaru has ravaged Sound in a way that it was still recovering. Broken families and clans, the Snake Sannin had taken and purged as he liked throughout the Country, taking advantage of the hopeless war that held the Country in a firm grasp. Orochimaru had lured many with his power and his promises to revive their clans to their former glory as experiments to use, Kekkei Genkai to take.

The family Sasuke has found today is no different. Their home ravaged and burned by nuke-nin whom Sasuke easily defeats after finding out. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and a newborn in the mother's arms.

After Tamako constructs the family a new home in a nearby town, they settle into an Inn she had booked two weeks prior. "How long will you stay in Sound?" She asks, spooning some soup and blowing on it lightly.

"Another month or two." Sasuke says, sipping on tea she had brewed earlier.

She hums in familiarity before pushing forward a neatly packaged parcel. "From me, to you." Tamako says, the box wrapped in black rests on the table between them. Sasuke's hand rests on it, almost unsure. "Open it."

He hesitates again before pulling the string that holds the box together. The paper unravels and the box opens up revealing a set outfit. A black long sleeve with the bottom sides slightly slit and a wide collar that the Uchiha seemed to love so much. Light gray pants and a one-shoulder flak jacket that stopped at mid-chest for extra protection. She's weaved countless seals into the clothes, from the collars to the waistbands and the stitch linings. They are protective amongst the more practical seals such as self-repairing and cleaning. Below it all was a tan poncho she had gotten made in Grass.

She pinches at his black tattered cloak and flicks his forehead. "Your clothes are in tatters, not to mention you must be dying in your black cloak. It's summer for god's sake." Tamako leans into her hand as she stares at him with a frown. "And who knows when's the last time you've washed it too." She sighs. "I've embroidered seals into them, so they should last you longer than—"

"Thank you." Sasuke says, cutting her off. A rare smile on his face.

Her mouth closes and she resumes back to her soup, her face mirroring his own.

She'll rest better now that she knew he was at least clothed a little better… and she's sure she included a purple headband Itachi had sent to her from their last letter. It was snuggled somewhere in the box as well as a few notes from Itachi, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi.

She smiles into her soup as they celebrate his birthday quietly in the corner of a dingy inn.

. . .

"Was Darui truly not to your liking?" A asks, sounding like a disappointed father at his own son.

Darui coughs into his sleeve with C smirking at his side.

Tamako droops at A's words, an awkward smile on her face. "Umm."

"What about C!" A shoves the young man in front of her.

C was even older than Darui… though just by a few months. She had nothing against older men! In fact she spent a lot of her youth fawning over Kakashi… not that anyone would ever find out. It had more to do with what they would think. They had their own morals and judging by C's face, he was not having it. Darui had said the word "sorry" to her at least three times a day. But that could just be his natural disposition.

A easily reads her face and he doesn't pout exactly, but there was almost defeat on it. "Omoi is too immature for you, the same goes with Atsui…" He scoffs. "Dammit!"

"Raikage-dono." She places a hand on her heart. "Thank you for letting me receive such hospitality from you. If you ever need me, reach out through the network."

A stomps forward and crosses his arm. "I've offered you a permanent home, why won't you take it? Cloud will offer you the highest service you can't find anywhere else." He gestures as the new katana, the handle red and white in Kumo's colors that he'd ordered to be made. "You would have equal power to none."

"Cloud has shown me an experience that cannot be experienced anywhere else." A perks at her words. "But my duty lies somewhere else." He frowns. "From now and always." She closes her eyes with a soft smile. "I will answer to Cloud if she finds herself in peril."

A's frown lessens just a smidge, a look of yield on his face, but otherwise satisfying by the edges of his eyes creased. "Hmmf. Don't be a stranger." It's all he says, not even waiting for her to walk away and turns around, heading back to his office.

Mabui's head swivels back and forth from her to Raikage before sighing, exasperated. "Have a safe journey." Then runs to A's side.

"The next time you stop by, I might be Raikage already." Darui notes, a blithesome look on his face.

"Then I'll call you Raikage-dono." Darui's face pulls into an uncomfortable one, not used to the olden way to show equal superiority. "But for now, you are just Darui, my friend." She grins at her, face creasing at the motion. "Take care!"

She hugs Karui, a girl of the same age as her. Their closeness in age has blossomed into a tentative relationship. She's a loud outspoken girl, a little impulsive that has mellowed out as they traveled together throughout the six countries. Strong-headed when Tamako was too gentle, a voice of opposition when some deals were less than favorable. She and Omoi made good conversationalists, especially when the two squabled over the silliest of things.

It… felt good to add more connections that grew to a number she couldn't count with her fingers alone. Each person she's met was colorful on their own.

Darui, who thought anything of mild inconvenience was "dull". Who said the words sorry more than necessary.

C, a voice of reason and someone you could rely on. Who always had her back, who had a silver tongue when it counted.

A, a man who she'd first learned to fear, then a man she respected to she discovers was someone who loved deeply for the Village to a greater degree than she initially realizes. Even if he comes off a bit forceful and rude.

Mabui, who single handedly carried out each contract for the rail tracks and should honestly get a raise.

Omoi, who's caution is overexaggerated to the point of both absurdity and foolishness that always brought a laugh out of her.

Karui, who would one day make a great diplomat with her cool-headedness during disputes.

She ties each of them neatly, folds them into her heart for safe keeping. For now, forever.

Tamako departs with a smile, her lungs lightening and breathing just a little bit better. She'll never admit it, but one of the reasons why she didn't stay a day extra to celebrate the complete railways was because she longed to complete her journey a little faster, even if it's by one day.

After all, someone was waiting for her at home.

. . .

AN

This covers parts of Kakashi Hiden, a novel that takes place several months after the war. I've also included Sasuke Shinden (2015) novel in the short Hot Water mission. Just wanted to reaffirm that yes, these events are happening. I'll get through each Blank Period Novel as best as I could, though, I will be missing a lot of details because of our MC isn't exactly going to be splat in the middle of it all

Most of the BP novels will be told from her perspective, and yes, I will be writing about The Last eventually. It takes place two years after the war, and we're only nine months in!

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I don't usually do this but guys, I wrote this fanfic with an imperfect MC in mind. If you're looking for a Gamer Fic that has a super smart MC and truly embodies the "Gamer" ideal of being the perfect Gamer in all actions, logic, etc, this is not for you. I created a flawed character because I wanted her to be human. There is no [System] and she's not some genius that's born once every century. She's just a normal person coping with her circumstances, growing as she learns.

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15643 words

8/22/24

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