Chapter 54: Resting Within

Sitting in a fake rock made out of paper, Konan dispassionately watched as the newest sandstorm swept across the desert. She had been stationed here for a while now, waiting… It would be another day before she would be able to return to Amegakure.

Although Konan wasn't fond of the constant rain, she had come to miss it. The desert was just too dry. It was the polar opposite of what she was used to… But she volunteered to be here, so she had to deal with the weather.

Spotting the ground shift as something burrowed beneath it, Konan arched an eyebrow. Perhaps she would be heading home sooner than she thought… Unless this was an attack from Suna, in which case, she would have to move her hideout to a new location.

Breaking free from the ground, a puppet head with sharp teeth burst from the ground, spider-like legs carrying it towards Konan's hideout.

"Mukade… You're late."

"I almost didn't make it to begin with," Mukade rasped. "No one told me that I would be facing the Nanabi Jinchuriki along with Konoha's last loyal Uchiha. If I hadn't followed in Sasori's footsteps, I would be dead."

"You're still late," Konan repeated. "If you had taken a day longer, I would have left. If we found out you were still alive afterward, we would have assumed you defected and the Akatsuki would have hunted you down."

"Then it's a good thing that I arrived when I did," Mukade chuckled. "With Suna believing that I had died, I was able to steal a few scrolls that could be useful in the future."

"More of your control seals?" Konan pressed.

"All in good time," Mukade said, his mechanical legs clicking as he walked closer. "I assume you're my new partner… After all, the Akatsuki's got you waiting for me," He chuckled. "I'm going to have to rebuild my body. Sasori must have had a workshop while he worked for your group. You can lead me there."

"No."

"No?" Mukade asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I am not your partner," She replied, looking down at Mukade with disgust. "And I won't be leading you anywhere."

"I don't think you get how this works," Mukade muttered, skittering forward. "You don't get a..."

Paper shot out of the floor, wrapping around Mukade's bladed limbs as it hoisted him in the air in front of Konan's outstretched hand.

"You're the one that doesn't understand," Konan said, twisting her hand, the paper began to pull at Mukade's limbs. "Madara might have a use for you and your talents, but I do not. Civilian casualty is inevitable, but what you did to those people was a step too far, one that I am not willing to tolerate."

Attempting to pull his limbs free, Mukade's face morphed into a look of horror when he found himself well and truly stuck. He was completely at her mercy.

"Wait now, let's talk about this," Mukade tried to bargain. "You don't like me, I get that. If you let me go, you won't ever have to see me again… No one will be able to find me, not even Madara."

"You're right," Konan muttered, tilting her head to the side. "No one will ever find you."

Clenching her hand closed, the paper tore Mukade's mechanical limbs from his body, dropping him to the ground. Pointing at his helpless body, the sheets of paper began to tear into him, stopping once all that remained was a pile of scrap and a fleshy tube left in the sand.

"Madara might have tricked you into thinking that you could join the Akatsuki, but we have standards that you failed to meet," Konan muttered, wrapping Mukade's remains in explosive tags.

Spotting the scrolls Mukade was bragging about, Konan had her paper bring them over to her outstretched hand. While the technique Mukade had used to enslave those civilians had been vile, it was better to know how it worked, than to remain ignorant.

Leaving the cover of her fake rock, Konan detonated Mukade's remains, reducing him to even less of what he was. She slowly began to make her way back to Ame, Mukade's scrolls stored in her cloak. It would be a long journey, but at least she had reading material.

He mentioned that he stole it from Suna. Perhaps she would find something that she could use against Madara when his time finally came… Or at least something slightly useful.

"Peacock Wisdom Queen?"

"So this is where you're building your new lab, huh?" I hummed as I examined my surroundings.

I stood on a white stone path in the middle of a thick forest. A very small amount of light filtered through from the tree tops, but not nearly enough to cast a shadow. The entire forest seemed to be stuck in a perpetual twilight, being just light enough to see where everything is, while also obscuring the finer details.

The air itself was thick and held an earthy smell to it along with something else… A strangely sweet type of smell that came from something rotting that, while not overpowering, was present. Anyone would be able to pick up on it.

Crouching down, I touched the stone path to get a feel for it with my Chakra only to pull back when it didn't work. Looking down at the ground quizzically, I tapped it with my knuckles, immediately realizing why my first attempt had failed.

The pathway wasn't made of stone… It was bone.

Miles upon miles of bone laid out in a clear pathway through the forest. From what I could see in the dark of the forest, it was one single piece. The scent of decay made sense now, I was standing on something dead… Something that had died a while ago and was still decaying.. And it was absolutely massive.

Standing next to me, Tsunade folded her arms under her chest, watching me with an amused look on her face. "As it stands, the Shikkotsu Forest is the safest place for my new lab."

I nodded. She wasn't wrong. The forest was hidden fairly well and was practically bathed in Natural Energy. I felt that even Zetsu would have trouble navigating this place. Then there was Katsuyu who lived here and would be guarding it… Speaking of which.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to be here?" I asked. I was technically an outsider to the Shikkotsu Forest, after all. "I mean, I did sign the contract for the Toads and I am a Sage…"

"Hoh, you're worried about that?" Tsunade hummed. "You can relax, I've already talked it over with Katsuyu. You're allowed to be here… Welcomed even, Katsuyu doesn't get many chances to talk with others. For the most part, it's been Shizune and myself."

Good. I didn't want to leave a bad impression with two of the three summoning clans that taught Sage Mode… The Snakes likely weren't very happy with me seeing as I killed Manda along with their previous summoner... Then again, I didn't really get to interact with them outside of the short moments when Anko summoned them.

"Let's get going," Tsunade suggested. "There's a lot to get to and I don't want to spend too much time outside of Konoha, especially after the attack. My clones are able to keep things running and they will alert me if my actual presence is needed, but I would prefer to be there in person."

That was understandable. Although Konoha was well protected, especially with Fu's presence, there were still a number of people out there that would be able to level it within an instant.

I looked around the forest with interest as I walked alongside Tsunade on the skeletal path. The deeper we made our way through the forest, the stranger it became.

The foliage grew thicker and the forest grew darker, however, the tree leaves gave off a soft glow. A small amount of light radiated from the end of the pathway. The chirping of nearby birds and crickets began to fade as even they didn't dare to venture any deeper into the forest.

Stopping at the end of the bone pathway I found myself standing at the entrance of what appeared to be a dimly lit cavern, except it wasn't a cavern… At least, not initially. Looking up, a portion of the ceiling was lit up with just enough light for me to see that it was made out of bone, similar to the path I'd been following.

A large portion of the Shikkotsu Forest existed inside of a massive ribcage.

Taking a step into the cavern, I felt my senses expand as I was forced into Sage Mode. I could see now why Tsunade had chosen this location for her new lab. Only a Sage would be able to safely enter this place. Anyone else would find their body overwhelmed by the dense Natural Energy, turning them to stone.

"This place is amazing," I hummed. "What exactly is this thing?"

"Something that died long ago," Tsunade explained. "Long before, well… Anything. I tried to test a sample of its flesh to see how old it was, but that ultimately led nowhere. With the rate at which it decays, it very while may have already been dead during Kaguya's time."

That was a little crazy, but definitely possible. Pa and Ma are both over 800 years old after all, so this thing could have predated them as some kind of natural Sage that's body continued to attract Natural Energy long after death.

Still, it was incredibly impressive. This thing was absolutely massive.

"But enough about that," She continued, leading the way. "We can explore this place a little later. I need a little help transporting some of my more… Delicate samples to my new lab."

"Yeah, about that… How is this all going to work?" I asked, following after her. "Won't the Natural Energy destroy your samples?"

It had already forced me to enter Sage Mode. If Tsunade brought a blood sample here, it would simply turn to stone.

"I've already considered that issue and come up with a countermeasure," Tsunade said, smirking confidently. "The Snakes can inject Natural Energy into inanimate objects, bringing them to life, the Toads can use it offensively to launch attacks that only another Sage can see… The Slugs however…" She trailed off, coming to a stop in front of a building formed from an Earth Style technique.

"The Slugs?" I asked.

Placing her hand against the stone wall, it shifted open, revealing a well lit interior. "Instead of using Natural Energy offensively, I wrap it around my body creating a cushion that's capable of deflecting and absorbing Ninjutsu and Taijutsu," She explained, stepping inside. "When used on a larger scale… Say, through a building that has my Chakra flowing around the outer walls, it can be used to redirect Natural Energy to a degree."

Entering the building, I let out a sigh of relief as I felt the Natural Energy grow thinner. While it hadn't been debilitating, it was more than a little distracting.

"That's a little better," I breathed as Tsunade sealed the wall closed behind me. Turning my attention to the newly made lab, I found her clones were already at work setting up various pieces of equipment. A few familiar looking machines sat untouched in the corner. "Is that…"

"It is," Tsunade nodded. "Kidomaru mentioned that you told them to grab anything interesting while raiding the Sky Nations fortress. I'm planning on studying them once I've finished setting up my lab."

The Sky Nation's technology was fairly advanced. Learning even a single thing from them would be nothing but beneficial. While I didn't think too highly of the devices they used in order to fly, that didn't mean that they couldn't be useful.

Then there was Shinnō's regenerative technique which would have seemingly allowed him to survive the Eighth Gate, if my final attack hadn't ended up killing him. It was definitely something that I wanted to learn.

"Assuming that you could even use it," Kurama pitched in. "Maybe that dark Chakra from that worm Anko and Shizune faced was the regenerative aspect of his technique and all his technique does is siphon Chakra from it."

'That's definitely a possibility. Your Chakra also has a healing effect on my body,' I thought back. 'But that still doesn't change the fact that healing a body that's opened all 8 Gates is possible. If I lack the dark Chakra he used to heal himself, then all I need to do is find a suitable replacement.'

The Six Paths Yang Seal had the ability to save someone that opened all 8 Gates. If Shinnō's technique truly required dark Chakra, then maybe pure Yang Chakra would be a suitable replacement.

"I don't see why you're so focused on learning Shinnō's technique. You've already enhanced your healing factor with Hashirama's cells," Kurama muttered. "The only thing that could do any lasting damage to your body would be something instantly fatal. You've got no use for his technique."

'…Who said that I wanted to learn it just for myself?'

"I see," Kurama chuckled.

"You wanted me to transport a few things from your old lab, right?" I asked, turning towards Tsunade.

Stepping out into the dimly lit forest, I felt the notably thicker Natural Energy wash over my body. Entering Sage Mode only took a few moments.

I'd been ready for it this time.

"Is there anywhere in particular that you want to go or should we just wander around?" I asked. "Seeing as you've been here before."

"For the most part, the Shikkotsu forest is just that, a forest," Tsunade hummed, lightly tapping her chin. "There aren't many places that are noteworthy, we could go see where Katsuyu keeps most of her body, or… There is a section of the forest that I haven't been able to explore due to how dense the trees have grown."

Well that was interesting.

"And you didn't force your way through them?"

"I don't think Katsuyu would be very pleased with me if I did," Tsunade deadpanned. "Besides, you're here now. Moving a few trees shouldn't be too difficult for you."

I let out a short chuckle. She wasn't wrong. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Turning to lead the way, Tsunade paused for a moment. "I should warn you, the higher up we climb, the denser the Natural Energy becomes."

So I just needed to keep an eye on how much Natural Energy my body absorbed, that shouldn't be too hard.

"Alright."

I kept an eye on our surroundings as we headed off deeper into the forest. True to her word, the Natural Energy grew thicker and almost seemed to weigh down on us.

There was absolutely no sound in the deep of the forest. The only thing that could exist here outside of a Sage was plant life, everything else that ventured in had long since been petrified.

I followed behind Tsunade in silence, before suddenly coming to a stop. A literal wall of trees twisted together stood in front of us, the foliage above was tangled together in thick knots of leaves and branches that connected to the ceiling.

"This is it, the heart of the creature. All of the Natural Energy in this forest circles this area," Tsunade announced. "I've walked around it a few times, looking for an opening, but haven't been able to find one. The wood is harder than it looks. If I wanted to break it, I would need to use my full strength."

And risk damaging whatever remained inside.

"That's where I come in, I guess," I hummed, stepping forward.

Placing my hand on the wood, I slowly began to stream my Chakra into it, getting a feel for how dense the trees were. There was a loud crack as the trees began to bulge and shift. Wood groaned as the roots began to move, shifting a pair of tree's out of the way, opening a small pathway into the heart of the beast.

"That was a little harder than I thought it would be," I muttered, stepping back to admire my handiwork. It was almost like the trees had tried to resist, before relenting "Shall we?" I asked, gesturing towards the entrance.

"After you," Tsunade smirked.

Right… Send me into the creepy murder hole first. Holding my hand up, a small flame burned to life, lighting up the woods as I walked through the newly formed entrance.

Following eagerly behind, Tsunade pressed into my back, her head peeking over my shoulder.

"You know, you could have just gone in first if you're really that eager," I said… Not that I wasn't enjoying our current position.

"I think I'd rather let you light the way," Tsunade hummed directly into my ear.

Rolling my eyes, I continued forward. It only took a few steps before the tunnel ended, leaving a hollow spot of incredibly thick Natural Energy at the center that was becoming increasingly difficult to resist.

Tsunade's Henge had fallen away, revealing her Sage markings as she focused on balancing the Chakra inside her.

"This place has an eerie feeling to it… Almost as if we're not welcome," Kurama muttered warily. "Try not to stay too long."

Yeah, that would probably be for the best. "Tsunade…"

"I'm fine," She answered, her golden eyes snapping open. "Let's…" She paused as we both turned to the side, hearing a dull metal clank. "Naruto…"

"Already on it," I hummed, stepping towards the noise.

Holding my hand above my head, I briefly flared the flame, lighting up the hollow, revealing the area around us which was filled with flowers of all kinds, blooming in the darkness.

Catching sight of something in the distance, I flared the flame again, revealing what appeared to be a human sitting at the center of the field, their back towards us.

Great, there just had to be something else in here with us. This was really beginning to feel like a horror movie… Well, I was definitely strong enough to deal with whatever was locked in here.

Stepping towards the figure, the flame in my hand slowly began to reveal its form. Sitting on the floor with his back turned towards us was a man with a set of heavily rusted armor lying on the ground to his side.

Feeling the Natural Energy grow denser around him, Tsunade and I instead stepped around, only to pause when we saw his face.

"Holy shit," I muttered softly.

"I wondered what happened to him," Kurama commented idly.

"Grandfather?"

The body of Senju Hashirama sat in front of us, a content smile graced his face, looking as if he had just fallen asleep. There wasn't even a hint of decay. If I didn't know any better, I would almost say that he was alive. There wasn't even a single drop of Chakra remaining in his body, only Natural Energy that thrummed through his veins.

"I guess this is why Tobirama wouldn't let anyone see his brother's body," Tsunade sighed. "He wasn't able to get near enough to move him."

"We should leave," I suggested, placing my hand on her shoulder.

"I originally wanted to get a sample of what was in here, but I think I'll pass," Tsunade said softly.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, I led her out of the hollow, back to the forest outside. Clasping my hands together, the trees shifted back to their original spot, sealing the hole, leaving Hashirama's body undisturbed in its final resting place at the heart of the Shikkotsu forest.

"His body may be resting, but his soul isn't," Kurama hummed. "Or have you forgotten where it is?"

Shit, right… The Shinigami's stomach. I'd been distracted by everything that was going on and had pushed it aside until I forgot about it.

'I'll get right on it when we get back to Konoha.'

"There's no need to rush," Kurama commented. "I've already waited this long, waiting another day won't kill me, besides, I think your attention is needed elsewhere right now."

"I need a drink," Tsunade sighed, having been taken off guard by today's discovery.

"If you're sure," I muttered under my breath, before I offered Tsunade my hand. "I could bring us back to Konoha… Or Kumo… Or pretty much anywhere you want to go."

Letting out a snort of laughter, Tsunade smiled. "Konoha's fine. You don't need to take me anywhere special to try and cheer me up, Naruto. I've long since made peace with my Grandfather's death… I was just taken off guard by his body," She said, taking my hand

I gave one last look to the Shikkotsu forest before the world shifted around us and we found ourselves back in Tsunade's apartment just as Shizune stepped out of the Kitchen with a cup of tea that she dropped in surprise.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, seeing the startled look on Shizune's face. "I didn't think I would be bothering anyone by coming here."

"No... It's alright," Shizune replied. "I was waiting to see if you two would return tonight… Anko was looking for you earlier today, Naruto, although she wouldn't say why."

Glancing out the window to see that the sun had already turned to night, I sighed. I was going to have to talk to her tomorrow instead.

"It's dead," Obito muttered, staring at the deflated remains of the tree that had been growing from his body.

The main room of his hideout had been thoroughly destroyed. All of the Sharingan from his clan was lost in a single moment along with his plan to throw the world into chaos. Feeling anger and hate well up inside, he smashed his fist into a nearby wall.

"I didn't save your life so that you could throw a temper tantrum and break your new hand," Black Zetsu ground out, still attached to Obito's body. "We need to take stock of what wasn't damaged and form a new plan."

"The only thing of any use here was the Sharingan," Obito replied.

"And the Zetsu clones in the other rooms. If you want to keep using your Sharingan without having it degrade, then you're going to need one of them. I suggest that you go and inspect them now," Zetsu replied, anger simmering in his tone. "Unless you want me to remain attached to your body."

Obito stepped into the next room where the other Zetsu's remained. It seemed that they had been far enough away to avoid being consumed by that tree. Feeling his body lurch forward. Black Zetsu shot off, attaching itself to the nearest clone..

"This will serve as an adequate replacement," Black Zetsu muttered. "The original Tobi should still be around here somewhere. You will have to wear him once more."

"That's me!" The Spiral Zetsu cheered as it rushed forward. "My word, Obito, you've certainly grown since I last saw you. I don't know if I'll be able to stuff all of you inside of me… tee-hee."

Obito groaned tiredly.

"Just kidding," Tobi said, before he suddenly engulfed Obito's body. "It's just like old times again, like… When you saw your best friend kill your girlfriend."

"I'm starting to remember why I separated from you," Obito all but growled.

All that pain and suffering he had gone through and he was back where he started, forced to continue as if nothing had happened.

"And now we're back together again," Tobi laughed happily.

"You mentioned that we should start planning," Obito said, his patience quickly running out as anger and frustration boiled to the surface.

"All in good time. You will need to get reacquainted with your body first," Black Zetsu replied. "You've been altered once more. It wouldn't do for you to misjudge how it works and end up dead, especially after all the work I put in to keep you alive."

And that's Chapter 54 done.

First off, Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a good start to the new year, and if you didn't... Eh, shit happens, but that doesn't mean the rest of the year's ruined. You just have to get through the bad parts and you'll make it to the good ones.

A few important things happened. Konan made an appearance and took some reading material from Mukade's body. Naruto got to explore the Damp Bone Forest with Tsunade... One of the few locations that's never been shown in Canon. They came across the heart of the Forest... Specifically Hashirama's body (Something I've been looking forward to since chapter 17) and Obito's stuck with the spiral Zetsu. Aka Tobi.

Anyways, I'm up to chapter 61 on the spooky P word website.

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I go by the name of ThatKircguy. Just copy the name and paste it in the Patty Rio On search bar. It'd help me out immensely, but don't worry if that's not your style. I will be uploading weekly, so it's not going to be stuck there permanently.

Also, I post my original stuff there as well. It's nothing much, just two short stories for now, but I'll post more as I write them.

The next Chapter will be posted on the 10th of January
See you all then dudes and dudettes.