Betaed by Doodledon122

Chapter: 10 Revelations

The sun was setting over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The camera panned down from the horizon to focus on the Shinobi Bar and Grill.

Inside, Asuma and I sat at the bar, laughing and reminiscing as we shared drinks together.

"I know it might be a touchy subject, but I have to ask—what was the thought process behind you going after Orochimaru himself?" Asuma asked, glancing at me with a curious look.

An amused smile crossed my face as I glanced down at my missing right arm. "Honestly? There wasn't one. I let my emotions get the better of me, and by the time I realized it, it was too late. Although, I'll admit that Senshi didn't help much in that regard."

I chuckled lightly before taking a sip of sake from my dish. The incident still weighed heavily on me. It was by far the biggest blunder of my life. But in the end, it was my own rash actions and idiocy that had cost me my arm. A hard lesson learned, not a mistake to dwell on.

"You're doing a great job with Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru," I said, changing the subject. "Those three's teamwork is exceptional. That Ino-Shika-Cho formation is seriously formidable. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of it."

Asuma smiled, clearly pleased by the compliment. "Thanks. When I was first assigned as their Jonin instructor, I wasn't too sure about it. But seeing how far those three have come always puts a smile on my face. Just like it does with you, Katate."

His tone turned teasing as he elbowed me in the shoulder. "You know we're all proud of you—even if we don't cut you any slack for still being a Genin."

"I know," I replied with a chuckle, though my tone grew somber. "I just wish Hiruzen could've been here to see it. I can't help but feel like I let the old man down while he was still around."

Asuma shook his head. "He was never disappointed in you. None of the Sarutobi clan was. Not everyone is cut out to be a Shinobi, and that's okay."

A few moments of silence passed as we sipped our drinks, lost in thought, before a familiar voice broke the quiet.

"Well, would you look at that! How's my favorite one-armed Shinobi doing?"

I turned to see none other than Maito Gai, grinning as he approached. He threw an arm around my neck in a friendly manner.

"You say that like you know other Shinobi missing an arm," I replied with a smirk, laughing softly as Gai released me.

"Glad to see you haven't let anything get your spirits down!" Gai exclaimed, his enthusiasm as boundless as ever. "But I hate to drop this on you so suddenly—I've got a favor to ask. It's about Tenten. I've never been much of a weapons guy, but you? I bet there's a whole slew of advice you could give her. What do you say?"

I rolled my eyes in amusement but couldn't hide my smile. "You want me to give Tenten some pointers on weapon use? Can't say the idea rubs me the wrong way. My specialty is Kenjutsu, and I've trained with plenty of other weapons too. Send her by my house sometime, and I'll show her a thing or two."

The three of us—Asuma, Gai, and I—sat at the bar for several hours after that, chatting and enjoying each other's company. Eventually, we went our separate ways for the night.

As I made my way down the street, the sky darkening, my thoughts kept drifting to Senshi and Sasuke. They'd been holed up in the Uchiha compound for quite some time. No one had entered or exited, and I couldn't shake the feeling that they might've taken off together.

Navigating to the compound in the dead of night wasn't difficult. The main gate was secured with a sturdy lock and an ANBU-placed seal. Strangely, the seal had been dismantled but not removed.

Fortunately, I'd been working on a project for just such occasions—a tool I called the Mimic Key. The short rod had several adjustable sections with retractable teeth, allowing it to mimic the shape of nearly any key. With it, I easily picked the lock and opened the gate with a loud, audible clunk.

The compound was mostly empty and abandoned, save for the main family branch home. From that building came the sounds of clashing steel and shouted instructions.

Following the noise, I found Senshi and Sasuke caught in the middle of an intense, serious training session. "This doesn't look much like rehabilitation—more like training and preparation. What's going on here, Senshi?"

My words interrupted the session between Sasuke and Senshi. When the young Uchiha glanced over his shoulder at me, there was no mistaking it—Sasuke had awakened his third tomoe, a fully developed Sharingan.

"What's going on here is none of your business, Katate. Go home and forget what you saw," Senshi said in a cold, serious tone as he and Sasuke disengaged from their kunai clash. They turned to face me together.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. Everyone's starting to get suspicious of you two. They think you're plotting something, and now so do I. Answer my questions, or I'll make you answer them."

Sasuke bristled at my challenge. The young Uchiha raised his kunai and shifted into a battle stance.

"Uncle, let me take care of him," Sasuke said, glancing over his shoulder. Senshi gave a simple nod in response.

Sasuke charged at me, slashing three times at my upper body with his kunai. But something strange happened—my Jikugan activated, showing me a faint, purple afterimage of Sasuke moving before he actually did. It was as though I could see several seconds into the future.

Thanks to this odd precognition, I easily deflected his slashes by knocking his wrist aside or blocking the attacks outright. Sasuke's frustration was evident as he jumped back, forming hand seals and unleashing a Fireball Jutsu.

Reacting quickly, I stomped the ground, raising a stone wall to shield myself. The fireball crashed against the wall with the force of a cannonball, sending streams of flames shooting around its sides. When the fire subsided, I noticed the same purple afterimage of Sasuke darting around the wall's right side, preparing to strike.

As the real Sasuke mirrored the image, I jumped over his attack, letting him slash the wall instead. Landing behind him, I quipped, "You're awfully cranky. I think it's well past your bedtime."

I grabbed Sasuke in a chokehold with my left arm, using all my strength to subdue him. The boy struggled, flipping his kunai in an attempt to stab me in the side. Anticipating this, I threw him to the ground.

Sasuke tumbled across the courtyard, but I knew I couldn't let him recover. One slip-up could cost me dearly. Lunging forward, I closed the distance and brought my right heel down hard against the side of his head. The impact rattled Sasuke, his head bouncing off the ground, knocking him unconscious.

I turned to Senshi, bracing myself for what came next. My preparation felt futile the moment his Sharingan shifted into its Mangekyō form.

Instantly, my eyes were drawn to his feet—avoiding direct eye contact was my only defense against his genjutsu. But as I focused, I saw several dozen purple afterimages of his feet splitting away, each one launching attacks from different angles and timings. I couldn't discern the real Senshi from the illusions.

Before I could react, Senshi dropped from above, planting a firm kick against the back of my head. The blow sent me face-first into the ground.

I scrambled to my feet, but a sudden wave of pain surged through my body, paralyzing me on the spot. Every attempt to move only intensified the agony.

"It's no use," Senshi said, his voice calm and calculated. "One of my Mangekyō abilities lets me manipulate my own chakra with unparalleled precision. Right now, I'm forcing my chakra into your body and activating your pain receptors to keep you paralyzed."

Senshi circled around me, looking down into my pained expression.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Kill me already," I spat through gritted teeth, every word laced with agony.

But just as suddenly as the pain came, it vanished. I gasped as I regained control of my body, slowly standing.

"Damn it, Katate. I'm not going to kill you, you idiot," Senshi said, his tone a mix of anger and disappointment as his Sharingan faded.

"Then what are you doing? What's all of this about?" I demanded, my voice sharp and full of suspicion.

For a moment, Senshi remained silent. Then he spoke, his tone softening.

"It's about rebuilding the Uchiha clan without unnecessary restrictions. I will open the eyes of Tsunade and the village—even if it means war. But for now, I need you to trust me. I already have Kaen's support, and with yours, we won't have to go to such extremes."

"That depends," I replied, my voice serious and tinged with aggravation. "What exactly do you want me to do? And how much are you going to tell me? You can't expect me to side with you while keeping me in the dark."

"I just need you to handle the next few missions I'm assigned," Senshi said, his tone almost pleading. "I need time. Agree to that, and I'll explain everything to you."