Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom - ep. 102
"Respice, Adspice, Prospice"
[Ultima Ratio: Epilogue]

Today, our work continues.

Last night was a rotating watch which I was, quite forcefully, removed from in order to rest. As much as Sage Mode enhances my body, it is also tough work to maintain. I felt enough fatigue that I couldn't hide it, and both of our trained medics shut me down for the rest of the day. Konan willingly submitted to our restraints and seals before bed. Hina made sure to fuss over me as much as she could, and took full possession of me at bedtime. As soon as I laid my head down on her chest, the lights went out.

Now on this morning, I awaken and have a wash before a late breakfast. The flavours tell me this is Hina's work. Konan is submitting herself to another series of mind scans with Ino while Erika watches. My head tilts up while eating to see paper sheets floating through the air towards us, then landing in a neat stack next to Hina as she looks them over.

I could ask what they're doing and try to fit myself in, but I don't want to cause any grief. Letting me sleep in like this says enough, I think. After finishing my meal, I walk barefoot into the nearby woods and find a tree to lean back against. The silence is comforting and refreshing after everything that's taken place. About an hour passes before I notice Ino approaching, and she simply lays herself down before putting her head in my lap.

"I'm glad you got the hint and didn't bother us," she says after a minute.

"Good morning to you, too."

"Don't you get saucy with me. Most people don't need to be yelled at by two whole women in order to slow down for a hot second. And after fighting the literal Rinnegan."

"Well, I'm doing as you so politely asked," I say. "Ate my breakfast and stayed out of the way."

"And you know what? I appreciate that. Thank you, Lili."

"You are very welcome, Miss Yamanaka. So, are we done for the day with scanning?"

"Ah, not yet. Just taking a Rika-mandated break, then I'll eat something again to get my energy back up. We'll go back to it in a few hours. I just wanted to make sure you stayed out of trouble, and there's no better way than this. You can't resist a pretty girl in your lap."

"Certainly not."

"All banter and nagging aside, I'm really glad that you're safe. From what Hina told us, and the few glimpses I saw from Konan's memories, you were even more incredible than usual. Maybe we could have all helped in there, but going alone was a good call after all. Sounded like between the what, seven of you, that the latest world war had kicked off already. And then you taking out whatever that freaky black sphere was. Looked like it was gonna pull the whole village up from its roots."

"It was quite an exciting battle, to be sure. When we properly link up later, you can experience everything for yourself."

"Hopefully I don't get a heart attack. At least it's all over. Well, this part is at least. And you got Konan on your side, like permanently. Any plans for her besides the usual magic tricks to keep her out of reach?"

"I have something in mind already."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. But I want to hear more from her first. I have a feeling that she will want to explain everything in her own words, and we should be ready to listen."

"Got it, boss. But that'll be in a few days."

"And why is that?" I ask.

"Because I'm a trained and experienced medical shinobi giving you a highly scientific assessment. Most importantly, Hina will agree with me."

"I see. I wonder if Konan knows where to get good cinnamon rolls in the village..."

"Oh, you are so evil."

"I resent that remark...this time. Most people call that being resourceful."

"Yep. Evil. You know those things are a majorly awful weakness for the poor girl."

"Are you accusing me of exploiting my friends and loved ones?" I gasp. "How awful of you, Ino. I should be offended that you would say such a thing."

"Mm-hm. Less being scandalized, more tender loving care for your good girl."

"Good? Hardly." I smile and stroke her head gently. "I think you're the nefarious one out of us both. Lying here, making me feel so guilty, and manipulating me into doing your bidding. I bet you're going to do something even more terrible, like fall asleep in my lap so that I can't move for the next hour or so."

"Awesome idea. Thank you, honey." She smiles and closes her eyes.

"You're not welcome, you brat."

She sticks her tongue out before relaxing fully. Within a few minutes, she's started her nap in earnest. Happy and content.

"Thank you for worrying about me so much. Being here, like this...that's the very least I could do for my beloved friend."

I brush away the hair from her face, and then rest my head against the tree trunk behind me.

The next few days remain quiet. We haven't received a response to the message that Erika sent out earlier, and Konan is reporting by way of her clone, saying that nothing unexpected is happening within the Hidden Rain either. People are rebuilding and organising quickly under her copy's guidance. She has also managed to convince the resistance groups to help, under the guise of clemency for their past actions. They were smart enough not to question her motives. The time is not yet right to speak of Pain's fate publicly. Obito has yet to arrive, which has been exceptionally good for us.

Konan herself has been cooperative without a fault. She held no admiration for the masked man, as she knew him, only following Nagato's orders. During the breaks in interrogation, she stares out over the lake silently while one of us watches over her. Ino privately tells me that she's still grieving, trying to come to an understanding of her place in the world with her remaining loved one gone. In all other aspects, she is calm, professional, and helpful. The sheets coming down from the sky the other day were her doing, as suspected. Hina says that they're important and revealing documents regarding the administration of Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain.

We've reached six days from the end of our mission, and today is Saturday. Most of the day is spent in our circle with Ino passing on the information she saw in Konan's memories. We take notes and have discussion, then eat dinner and rest.

Finally, on this Sunday, Konan asks to tell her story in her own words. We build a proper shelter for the incoming rain, with no need to worry about enemy discovery at this point. Her restraints and seals are undone. She sits on her knees in front of us, wearing the same stoic expression as always. But there's a softness in the way her face looks now. No worry, no defiance. It helps draw me to her as she speaks.

The rain falls gently in the background, melting into the atmosphere as Konan begins her tale.

"My story began a long time ago. It was during the second great war that ravaged this continent, and its peoples."

All five of the great nations battled their way across Rain Country, as it is known now. Before, it was just a nameless, muddy piece of land to everyone except those who lived in it. The Second Great Shinobi War, a time that gave rise to legends such as the Sannin, three shinobi from Leaf that survived a brutal encounter with Hanzo of the Salamander, the most feared man in the shinobi world at the time. In another place, Sakumo Hatake became immortalised as the White Fang. Many others earned their wings then as well. The Leaf had lost all three of its founding members by this time - Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama. This was the era of a younger Hiruzen Sarutobi, the scion of a great clan and apprentice of the Second Hokage himself. Konan was orphaned during that time, losing her family in the midst of the brutal fighting. She wandered, begging for food and searching for shelter. That was until she met a strange, determined boy with orange hair. He was also an orphan, but he had a spark that so many of those lost children did not.

The boy who said that he would rule the world had a name. Yahiko.

Yahiko and Konan carried on, with her becoming more attached to him each day, and him acting as brusquely as possible to maintain his manliness and composure. At that age, girls were weird and icky. Some things are unchanged by the passage of time, it seems. They found places to hide away for a while, before they were discovered by wandering shinobi, or destroyed by their constant fighting. At one point, after being settled for a while, Konan found someone while walking through the rain.

"I always did wonder how he could see, with his hair like that. But I left it as a mystery. At that time, when I first saw him...I only wanted to save him from dying. He also had a dog with him, even in his state. That never left my mind. His kindness, even in the face of such despair."

Their first encounter with Nagato. The dog was creatively named Chibi.

Nagato quickly fit in, and they all formed a group together. Through their shared experiences as orphans, they became the best of friends, willing to do most anything for each other. They made a way for themselves, taking what they had to and making shelters wherever possible. All the while, they were dreaming of bigger and better things. Yahiko's talk of ruling the world was more than just spirited boasting. He wanted to change everything about his country, and about the world. To stop the endless rain, he once said. Then, a fateful encounter changed everything.

"We stumbled upon a historic battle," Konan says. "The one where legends rose, and remain even to this day."

It was the titanic clash between Hanzo and those who would become the Leaf's Three Shinobi: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. Hanzo wiped out everyone else on the side of the Leaf, and pushed its three rising stars to the brink of annihilation. But this was something discovered later. A stray kunai with an explosive tag landed nearby, and nearly brought an end to the orphans along with their ambitions. Almost everyone escaped unhurt.

Chibi did not make it.

The loss made Konan numb, and shook Nagato to his core. Yahiko was overcome with anger, cursing heaven and earth for the tragedy. He made his greatest declaration on that day, one that must have been burned into Nagato's memory, and served as the reason he became the Deva Path for the Six Paths of Pain. He said that he would bring an end to the strife, by becoming god of the new world.

"We buried Chibi and said our farewells. Yahiko explained what it was he meant. We needed power to become gods, and the way we gained power in this world was to become shinobi. He already knew who he was going to ask."

For days after, they followed the three Leaf shinobi that they saw doing battle with Hanzo. An opportunity came while they were resting. Jiraiya was gracious, offering food to Yahiko as soon as he asked. Hardtack, a virtual feast for three orphans in those days. Afterwards, they followed the three, much to the annoyance of Tsunade. Konan taught herself origami as a means of keeping her mind off the misery that constantly cloaked the land, and made a flower from the hardtack paper as a gift for her saviours. Yahiko demanded ninjutsu training as part of his plan. The Sannin were not moved. Least of all, the usual suspect.

"Orochimaru considered himself a benevolent man, even in those days." A testament to his personality that Konan could even sound that dry when speaking of him. "He offered to send us to the afterlife forthwith, so that we might be spared the horrors of war and strife."

"Yeah, he was a real national treasure," Ino quips.

"I imagine one would feel remorse if they were forced to remove someone so beloved from this plane of existence," Konan says while looking at me.

"Something that remains with me, even now," I say. "Quite the tragedy. I am reminded of it daily."

"Did he make any remarks of note while he was in the organisation?" Erika asks. "I suspect I know the answer, but it is always better to be sure instead of making assumptions."

"A wise policy. Orochimaru did not recall my face, or any other related parts of me, even as we interacted during our time as colleagues. But I did not take it personally. We know that he had little room in his memory for unimportant specimens and the like. Let us move on from him, for our own sakes."

Jiraiya rebuked him, to everyone's immediate benefit. I highly doubt the Rinnegan would let their owner go so quietly into the night like that. He did not agree to teach ninjutsu as Yahiko desired, but he did do something just as good: he would stay with the children and take care of them, at least for a little while before going back. Just to give them a fighting chance. He taught them how to hunt and fish, how to cook, and how to get out of undesirable situations. But no matter how much Yahiko pressed him, he would not give them the power to become living weapons.

Something else ended up changing his mind.

"A lone shinobi from the Hidden Rock was wandering about. He spotted us while we were walking. Yahiko told me to go and run for help, while he and Nagato stayed behind. I ran as fast as I could, praying that I would get to Jiraiya in time...and when we came back, the shinobi was dead. Yahiko was hurt, but not badly. And Nagato...he had a strange eye in his socket. I learned later that he had a power called the Rinnegan. The same eyes that belonged to the Sage of Six Paths, the creator of shinobi and the world we live in now. He awakened that power to protect Yahiko. It was after that day that Jiraiya decided he would teach us all ninjutsu."

From there, the next stage of the journey began.

Three years were spent training. Nagato's control of the Rinnegan grew with each day, and so did his confidence. Yahiko was as strong willed as ever, training to exhaustion and exasperating Jiraiya. But the old man always bragged about his apprentice to the other children as soon as he was knocked out or out of earshot. Konan discovered her own path, learning a bit of medicine on the side but primarily working with paper jutsu, a unique style that was facilitated by her origami skill. The three children became a strong unit, learning the tricks of the trade, building up their chakra, and discovering their own inner strength.

And then the day of departure came.

After one last test, Jiraiya said that it was time for him to go. There was nothing left to teach, and he had his own home and work to return to. The rest was in their hands.

"As you might have guessed, he asked me to visit him as soon as I was of age."

"A little on the nose, even for him," Ino says. "Then again, I guess he was younger then, so..."

"He's given out worse compliments," Hina says.

"Indeed," I say with a nod. "And things worse than compliments, besides."

"So he hasn't changed a bit." Konan smiles fondly. "In a way, I am glad to hear it."

"He's remained an innovative and effective teacher. You might be shocked at the sorts that he's mentored over the years. But seeing your skill and that of the others...well, there's not much love lost between us, but I can respect the things he's accomplished over the years."

"I see."

"You'll be able to see well enough in a while. That is, if you would like."

"I...think I would like that, yes." She brushes back some of her hair. "After our master left...we continued to build ourselves up, and survive in the world. Eventually, the second great war ended. But our country was still in tatters. We went around, helping whoever we could. And when they realised what we were doing, those people started to support us. People who lived normal lives before, trained mercenaries, even shinobi, both retired and current in that age. Yahiko...his charisma only grew after training with sensei. More and more people willingly joined our cause. Eventually, we got so large that we couldn't stay where we were any longer. We set ourselves up in the Hidden Rain itself. And we gave ourselves a name."

Akatsuki. For the coming dawn that would wash over the land and heal it.

When they had enough resources, they added something to their black cloaks. The ubiquitous red clouds that in recent years signified financial relief to some and terror to others. As Konan explained before, they represented the rain of blood that had fallen over the country for too many decades. It was something to never forget, and that's why they were stitched into the cloaks. Akatsuki continued growing, even as they lost comrades in the endless fighting that ravaged the nation. Yahiko never gave up, and it inspired Nagato. Konan resolved herself to be the second pillar supporting their leader and friend. As time passed, Yahiko exited that old phase boys had and started to recognize and understand the feelings Konan had for him.

"We became lovers. I wondered if it would ever happen, but he returned my feelings. Nagato supported us both, and...I had seen this sort of thing tear apart other friendships, so I was doubly relieved to hear it."

Over the decades, and into the third war that sparked chaos across the continent once more. Akatsuki continued to move and work, becoming a formidable force. They had finally gained the power to take their first step in changing the world: grabbing control of their war torn country, and ending the strife that kept it from healing. News of their exploits reached far and wide. Far enough that a certain man would appear to make them an offer.

"That was our first encounter with the masked man. The one who called himself Madara Uchiha."

Obito in disguise offered them support, power, and the ability to unlock the full potential of Nagato's Rinnegan. It's immediately apparent what the issue is with this. He could have possibly heard about the Rinnegan from another source, but claiming to unlock its true power is something else entirely. There has to be something else to that. Yahiko's instincts screamed danger at him, and he made the correct assumption that Obito's only desire was to exploit Nagato's powers for his own ends. With a barely veiled threat, he dismissed Obito and kept an eye out from then on.

In the midst of all of this, Hanzo was the leader of the Hidden Rain, and still the most powerful and influential shinobi in the country. But years had passed since the beginning of his own campaign. He was beginning to become jaded...but the confidence and desire of those three youths, the founders of Akatsuki, seemed to be enough to move him.

"He saw us as an inspiration. He thought that we really did have something to say with our methods, our attempts to try and stop the violence and bloodshed in our own way, gathering more people to our cause along the way. We really thought that he believed in us and our cause. We formed an agreement, and the following day was when we were meant to solidify it."

Konan closes her eyes.

"In that way...I don't think we had truly grown up. We wanted to believe him, and in the promise of peace and unity. We had finally gained the attention of someone so powerful and influential, and it looked like we were doing so well for ourselves. But in the shadows...there was something else waiting for us."

Konan was kidnapped hours before the meeting, and both Yahiko and Nagato were ambushed. The three were there all on their own, with no backup to speak of. Their earnest belief had been rewarded with betrayal. But it wasn't Hanzo alone. His paranoia was stoked by someone else. Someone we know all too well.

"In the earlier days of the Third Hokage's administration, he gave latitude to a variety of characters within the village. One of these was the man most infamously known as the Shinobi of Darkness," I say. "Danzo Shimura. He was the one that framed your group, and gave Hanzo incentive to take you out. He came to the conclusion that your desire for peace was just a front, and that your true aim was for his throne."

"It only makes sense. Hanzo...between the previous day and my kidnapping, he seemed different. Like he was agitated, on edge," Konan says.

I saw this part play out through Nagato's memory. Hanzo demanded that Nagato kill Yahiko, the most bothersome element in front of him. If he refused, Konan would die instead. For all they knew, it wouldn't matter what they chose. Nagato froze, unable to make the choice in front of him.

Yahiko, out of love for his friend, made the terrible choice for him. He guided the kunai in Nagato's hand into his body, sacrificing himself for both his friend and his lover. He left his will to Nagato.

"And after that...nothing was the same. Nagato changed completely. Someone who hated killing, who hated hurting people...suddenly was willing to kill with impunity, and without remorse."

It was the first time that Konan bore witness to the heretical statue, called Gedo Mazo. A massive thing that matched the size of the tailed beasts, and with its terrible sealing arts, could contain them within itself. This was the tool used to extract the tailed beasts from their hosts, only summoned and controlled with the Rinnegan. It is otherwise hidden somewhere cavernous.

Nagato used the Gedo Mazo and its jutsu to devastate the combined forces of Hanzo and Danzo, tearing their souls from their bodies. Hanzo was the one behind Nagato's initial crippling, destroying his legs as he saved Konan. He managed to escape that first encounter, aware of the Rinnegan, but not truly understanding its power. That would come some time later, as vengeance was extracted for the events of that day.

Yahiko's loss hollowed out the others. Nagato became Pain from that day on, and Konan devoted herself to his cause, feeling like she had little else to live for. Obito conveniently appeared shortly after Yahiko's passing, and the two broken souls took up his offer for an alliance without hesitation. The Six Paths of Pain came into being, Nagato holding on to the memory of his best friend by making him into the Deva Path, his new face and the face of his organisation. In this way, Yahiko could become the "god" that he dreamed of being for so long. The vision they had for the Hidden Rain changed entirely. Pain arrived to start a civil war, his incredible feats and powers convincing people that he was truly the god he claimed to be. He not only challenged Hanzo, but ousted him. And then went further, erasing Hanzo's family, friends, and associates. Anyone and everyone with a connection was eliminated. Without a waver, Konan ensured that it was all done efficiently. Under Obito's guidance, Akatsuki formed an inner circle of S-Class criminals from around the shinobi world, led by Pain from afar. They started their long term operations, raising money and causing chaos, all towards their final goal.

"And then, just a week ago...you put an end to all of that," Konan says to me. "You not only stopped us in our tracks, but you reminded us of what we were fighting for. The reason why we struggled for so long. Perhaps I should have died in that explosion. Perhaps you should have killed me yourselves. But I am alive, and the final wish of my friend was for me to live. I want to do that...and make the world a better place. No matter what I might have to give up, or how much pain I might have to go through as a result."

"If it's your wish...I can give you that chance, and in a most meaningful way," I reply.

"You truly mean that. Then I am looking forward to what will come next." She bows her head. "Thank you for listening to me."

"You're welcome. We also have things to reveal to you later on, regarding your former benefactor."

"This is following up on what you mentioned earlier," she concludes.

"Yes."

"Understood. I will be ready, then."

"Go ahead and rest for now."

"Yes, of course." She holds her hands out and Erika places a simple layer of restraints over her wrists. She looks at them curiously before nodding in understanding, and standing up. She walks towards the edge of the lake, as she usually does. The rain falls lightly onto her head.

"It's a lot. She really is strong," Hina says.

"Yeah. And she's still gonna keep going, just because someone she loved asked her to," Ino says. "Enemy or not, that's something you can't help but admire. I'm starting to get those conversations old men have, where they curse someone with one breath and then sing their praises with the next."

There's still work to be done on her part. I won't be one to get in her way...and I know exactly what it is I want from her in the future. But we have to remove certain pieces from the board first.

"Mail's here."

Ino holds her arm up so that the incoming hawk can land on it, while she uses her other hand to pull apart a piece of ham. After retrieving the message, she puts our written one in the compartment on the hawk's back, and feeds it the ham before it leaves.

"All yours, boss."

I catch the scroll with one hand as she tosses it. "Thank you kindly." I open it up while sipping my tea. "Mm. Interesting things afoot. They're sending Uncle Shibi over, along with a couple of administrator types from the Sarutobi clan. Various other clan chuunin, special jounin, and very select jounin for security. A little bit of deception as far as the other nations go...the official report is that Pain's status is currently unknown, and he might be on the run."

"This will allow the Leaf to hold complete and uninterrupted dominion over this zone until a more desirable time," Erika says. "A sound strategy. It also means that we cannot spread news of our exploits at this moment in time."

"Almost unfortunate," Hina says. "News of Lili defeating the Rinnegan would provide an unprecedented boost in profile, not just on a personal level, but for the nation as well. But that would reduce the amount of room we all have to move at such a critical time. The news might be able to spread later..."

"It's for the best," I say. "With all of that said...there is something important that I need to do. And it must be done alone."

"Something that important...what is it, Lili?"

"I need to head out with the Rinnegan in hand, and decide what must be done with them. In the meantime, the three of you need to make your way back to the village and keep an eye on it, along with our other assets."

"You're not bringing the fancy eyes back to the village?" Ino asks. "I'm guessing you want to keep our buddy away from the Leaf, but he could just show up anyways once he finds out that you put down his favourite workhorse. No offence, Konan."

She nods with understanding.

"Yes, I've considered that. But bringing the Rinnegan into the Leaf...that will set off far more problems than a masked freak potentially sniffing around. I could try to hide them, but with Danzo and his ilk still around, I can't risk anything happening. Even those with far better hearts than he would cause issues if they found out what I was carrying around. And least of all, I don't want to burden the old man with something like this. Or any of you. Any liability has to be solely on my head. Nagato entrusted me with the Sage's eyes...so it has to be my decision."

"I don't really like it, but...I get it," Ino says. "We'll keep a lid on it until you say otherwise. Wait, what did you mean by the three of us?"

"I'm having an expert handle Konan's transport and delivery to the Leaf. They will be here by tomorrow morning."

"Ooh. Someone we know?"

"Yes. The rest is a surprise."

"Fine with me. So...I guess almost everything is taken care of. Mission...accomplished?" she asks.

"Mission accomplished," I assure her. "Well done, ladies. Be proud of everything you've accomplished, and that we've accomplished together. We have made the world a much better place through our actions, and I will personally see to it that you earn your proper accolades."

"It was a highly technical mission, and quite intense in some ways," Hina says. "But I know that I am richer for having been tested in this way. And I was able to bear witness to the greatest battle between shinobi in this age, possibly beyond most others as well."

"It was spectacular, I can admit," Konan says. "To defeat Pain was something even I came to believe was impossible, but I was proven wrong, and in a decisive manner."

"We'll pack up tomorrow and make sure that there's no trace of us before the Leaf delegation arrives," I say. "Today, I'll reveal something to Konan here. I mentioned that the masked man was a fake, claiming to be Madara Uchiha. Yahiko must have suspected as much when he rebuked him so long ago, but he convinced both you and Nagato later. There is a reason for that."

"What is it?" she asks.

"The man in question was Madara's direct apprentice. During the Third War, there was an operation by the Hidden Leaf at Kannabi Bridge. It was meant to critically damage the supply lines of the Hidden Rock. This mission involved three members. Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara...and Obito Uchiha."

"Uchiha...of course. It makes sense. But this Obito, did he defect?"

"No. He was supposed to have died in a cave collapse, but must have survived when his Sharingan ability activated unconsciously. It was after that point that he met the real Madara Uchiha, who was somehow still alive and drawing on some sort of life force in his advanced age. Our assumption is that he has either passed on, or is in a state too weak to move about in the real world. In either case, Obito is his avatar, carrying out his will. Your recollection of his offer to help Nagato realise his true potential put a few more pieces together for me."

"The masked man...Obito Uchiha. I can only assume that he's been indoctrinated, perhaps even brainwashed. But his knowledge of the Rinnegan was intimate...does this mean that the real Madara Uchiha knew about the Rinnegan himself?"

"It must be so. Yahiko was right in that Obito only wanted to use Nagato for his own ends," I say.

Konan puts a hand to her mouth. "That would mean...my god. The entire time, our gathering of the tailed beasts, inside of the heretical statue...it would mean that all along, our goals were never the same. A knowledge of the Rinnegan and its power would mean that..."

"He was setting you up this entire time," I finish. "And that final jutsu..."

"Final jutsu?" Ino asks.

"Konan performed a self-sacrificial jutsu in order to stop Lili from reaching the true Nagato," Hina explains. "Lili managed to escape destruction by recognizing the threat and combining two of her own jutsu to protect herself. Afterwards, she and Nagato had a conversation, and Nagato decided to use that jutsu to restore the lives of the villagers lost, as well as Konan."

"And in the process, his life was extinguished," Erika says. "I believe I understand now. The conclusion reached is that Obito, once Akatsuki's task of gathering the tailed beasts into the statue was completed, would force Nagato to use his Outer Path technique to revive someone."

"Madara Uchiha," I say. "All of this is still conjecture, but it all lines up."

Which makes my decision even clearer now. With the eyes of the Sage still in existence, an even worse calamity could be on the horizon if Obito ever gets his hands on them again. I know what the right thing to do is, but is it the right thing for the world? These eyes must have come into the world again for a reason, surely.

But is that reason born of the whims of heaven, as said so often? Or is it the desire of man once again, made manifest? I have to know. I have to understand, and make a decision within myself.

"I never thought it was all so entwined," Konan says soberly. "If that's the case, he could have been manipulating us for longer than we imagined."

"Given how many shady characters we have at the levers of this age, I would not be surprised," I say. "Even Danzo might have been subject to this one's whims. Madara was gathering all sorts of knowledge across the ages, and gifted it to Obito so that he could act in his place."

"Yes." Konan sighs and puts a hand to her head. "My apologies...this is a lot to take in at once."

"It would be for anyone, but you especially. Take your time with it, and everything else. Let's finish breakfast, start packing up slowly, and then get ready for lunch. We can do it again for dinner. Tomorrow is when we leave for good, rain or shine. Put all manner of complicated schemes and revivals and masked men out of your minds for now."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Pleasant morning, Colonel. I will do a check to see if you're able to do the last watch reliably."

"Of course, Mother."

Erika raises a brow while gently putting a hand to my head. She holds it there for a minute, concentrating before nodding once.

"It seems that you are in good condition. I am satisfied enough to allow you to continue."

"Have a good sleep." I kiss her on the cheek. She tilts her head towards where Konan is lying, and I get the message from that.

As she slips into her sleeping bag, I move from mine and take a seat on the log next to Konan. She stirs and pushes herself up from the ground. I help her sit next to me, putting the blanket back around her shoulders.

"Thank you."

"Having trouble sleeping?" I ask.

"A bit. I usually settle in about an hour or less."

"Sounds bothersome." I look up at the starry sky. Her head follows mine. "Mourning is hard. It's especially hard when it's someone you love."

"..."

"Or many someones, I suppose. You haven't had a chance to grieve either of them properly."

"...no. I haven't. At least with Nagato, I got to say goodbye. Yahiko was just..."

"I know some of what you're feeling," I say. "It will take time. The memories won't simply disappear."

"Yes."

"It's painful in some ways, but good in many others. Everything you need to go on will be inside of your heart. Both of those men loved you more than they loved themselves. They counted on you. They trusted you. You were everything. And so, they left their hearts, and their dreams, with you. For that reason alone, I will carry you to the promised land."

"Do you see a future for me? One beyond a...simple existence?"

"Everyone has the power to change the world, as you know. I've already found a place for you. But...as said before, all of that comes later. All you have to do is wait for me faithfully. Act as you see fit, and with the discretion that you are known for."

"Yes. Would it truly be possible to see him?"

"I've left a message for him, regarding you. I think he would be very happy to see your face. For as many wholesome reasons as unwholesome ones. But I suppose you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"

She smiles. "I suppose not. You already have so much of me figured out, it seems."

"There's a lot more I would like to figure out. One day, when I'm a little older."

"We will have to see about that when the time comes."

"Surely. While you're still awake, tell me about your days in the organisation. Equal parts excitement and serenity amongst those energetic fellows, yes?" I take a stick and poke at the fire to keep it stable.

"Something close to that. Nagato saw potential in each of them, and trusted me to help draw it out in person. Some were more obstinate than others, but none were truly unmanageable..."