Chapter 23 Aftermath.

The sun rose above the horizon, greeting the land of fire with its golden rays. Fugaku looked off beyond the trees that surrounded him, his Sharingan activated. There were no signs they had been followed and he allowed himself to relax a fraction.

They weren't out of the woods yet, but he prayed to the sage Sakura's plan worked. If you could call it a plan. The operation, "fake the Uchiha massacre" was a mess of a plan that could fall apart at any moment. One of those which, would be her failure to maintain the genjutsu she had cast on the entire village.

Sakura didn't have the Sharingan, so teaching her the Tsukuyomi, or something close to it, was difficult. She didn't have the chakra reserves to maintain it for the length of time needed, so having someone assist her was the only option.

It can't be an Uchiha, was her immediate response to his suggestion. Having any other living Uchiha other than Sasuke and Itachi in the village would, "interfere with her plans." So, they were forced to request help elsewhere. Someone who could blend with the environment no matter where they were spotted.

Enter the ninja cat "Ninneko."

Pretending to me normal cats they could perform the duties of a full-fledge shinobi and no one, not looking, would suspect a thing. Though even if they were looking, the daimyo's wife's cat, Tora, was an example of a cat that could rival a genin's speed.

"No one seems to have followed us, nyah," he ninneko by his side spoke. They, together, were surveying the area to ensure no one had pursued them. Everything appeared to be in order but he couldn't risk it.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Pawsitive"

He grunted at the pun the felines insisted on using constantly.

"Is everything okay at the village?" he looked off to the west where the leaf village was hidden. They were too far to see it through the thick tree, but he had kept track of its location, ever aware of movement in that direction.

"Everything is fine, nyah," the feline paused in grooming itself, which was him hiding his scent, and concentrated. There was a seal on its front paw that linked him with the ninneko in the village helping Sakura with her deception.

"72 worlds of illusion."

72 cats were strategically placed all around Konoha, each a medium for the genjutsu to compensate for Sakura's lack of chakra reserves. Though she lacked the Sharingan, she managed to pull off a, in his opinion, powerful genjutsu.

It was like casting a veil over one's eyes, so subtle you wouldn't notice, he hadn't noticed until she pointed it out. This was her trump card, and the only reason he agreed to her ridiculous plan.

Her stupid plan required the sacrifice of some Uchihas, as the bodies presented couldn't all be fake. He didn't fail to notice it was the one most enthusiastic about a war with the leaf, that was left behind. She had planned this to a frightening degree, getting his wife pregnant as to force his hand and also preparing a cover for them that they wouldn't be missed.

He had argued that his sons she come with him, but she had remained him that Itachi would likely never go with them and Sasuke wouldn't go without him. She was right of course; his son was as stubborn as he was. Leaving them in her hands was his only reassurance.

The Sharingan would destroy the Sharingan in the eyes of the real bodies, fooling the village into thinking they intended to wipe out the Uchiha and their legacy. With all the Sharingan destroyed Sasuke and Itachi would be the only ones left. That they knew of.

She made it sound so easy when it was far from it. she would not only need to kill the real Uchiha, she didn't tell him how she intended to do that but also maintain a village-wide genjutsu. The cats could only do so much, and he doubted she was going to use them to kill the Uchiha.

He sighed, suddenly feeling tired. That girl had brought nothing but headaches into his life the moment they met.

He turned and leaped to another tree, making his way back to the others. His feline companion followed without a word. There wasn't a large number of survivors most being women and children as the men had wanted to fight. There were strong men among them, mostly fathers, but they had refused to go ten feet from their family, fully expecting like him that this plan would fall apart.

He was a child leader first and a father second so he was the one to go out scouting. His wife may be pregnant but she was anything but helpless. Most Uchiha women were capable but their main priority was protecting their children. He could respect that.

As the sun was up, they would have to keep moving they weren't too far from an Uchiha hideout, and only once they reached it would he allow them to stop. Sakura's plan was stupid but he'd be damned if he didn't try his hardest to make it work.

Upon opening my eyes, I become aware o two things. One, the room I was in was white clean, and hella bright. And two, my chakra levels were draining at an alarming rate. One of those things to more priority.

I closed my eyes checking my chakra coils ensuring everything was in order. They were, surprisingly, aside from the rapid draining which I suspect had nothing to do with them, the medical ninjas had down a great job at patching me up.

I wiggled my toes and my fingers, fringing them working as they should. I was sure they weren't working when I had a hole in my chest so I grateful they were now. The only thing left of the hole in my chest was a jagged scar, that looked like a child's drawing of the sun. The pale flesh stood out against my fair skin, the edges were uneven, and hole, not even a proper circle.

It could be worst, I tried to comfort myself while thinking of all the way I would have to hide this from everyone. Making a mental note to thank the doctors, I sat up and focused on the present problem.

The siphoned chakra was going to one place, the hole in my chest. There I sensed a foreign chakra that I didn't put there. I had thought the encounter a dream, but it seemed Obito left me with a parting gift.

"Bloody parasite," I muttered in English, the word feeling odd on my tongue. I hadn't spoken English in a long time, the "dream," or better yet, "memory," reminding me of its existence. I frowned hoping this didn't become a regular occurrence.

"It's too early in the morning for this," I said in Japanese, pleased I could still speak the language. It would be bad if I had somehow forgotten how and got into more trouble.

Tossing the slip-up aside a focused on the lech in m chest. I needed the chakra he was currently draining, the village-wide genjutsu wasn't going to maintain its self. I bit my thump and began to write on the white sheets. It wasn't ideal but it was all I had.

I didn't have time for a complicated seal to stop the drainage, so I settled for a quick and easy containment seal. My research into Naruto's seal held many things, one of which was a prototype seal, the "Bigram" seal. Not as powerful as the trigram seal but strong enough to seal away chakra into an object, as I sealed my chakra into Naruto's neckless.

The seal I place on Naruto's neckless had more to it, conditions that must be met for it to activate, one of which is the nine tail's chakra. I wasn't trying to keep a chakra in, but rather stop His from absorbing mine. I needed a yin and yang balance.

Sure, I could just rip his chakra out of my chest and the problem would be solved, but I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. This could be useful.

I finished the seal and went through the hand seals, as my concentration was busying trying to save my chakra. I finished by placing my hands on the blooded sheets and watched as their blood writing crawled up my arms. They moved to my chest and back over the scar. Forming a yin-yang symbol over my skin, the seal cut off his chakra's access to mine, leaving but a crack for him to feed through.

I sighed as my chakra levels stabilized, the threat of having my work undone leaving me. I could feel the seal I placed on the ninneko accompanying the surviving Uchiha moving further and further away. I could only hope all was well with them.

Suddenly the door burst open and I got a glimpse of orange and pink before I was pulled into a bear hug. Emphasis o the bear.

"Sakura you had us worried," mother said, her voice shaking.

"No more late not picnics for you," father stated, leaving no room to argue.

I groaned, mentally slapping myself for not noticing their chakra approaching. I was losing my touch. As they were so close, I took the chance to do a medical scan. They were both fine it would seem, their chakra not 100% but they bore no injuries.

Father was healthy though mother more so. I sighed in relief. It wasn't my intention to bring them into this fight and so if they got hurt, I would be devastated.

"I'm sorry," I breathe into their chest, brushing mom's hair to soothe her while rubbing my head into dad's chin. "If I was strong enough you won't have gotten hurt."

They released me suddenly as if I had slapped them.

"What?" mom asked incredulously.

"I should have been awake, I was a burden to you, wasn't I? that's why you went to the Uchiha district isn't it?" I bowed my head in shame. "If I had been awake, I could have fought with you and you won't have gotten hurt."

Anbus had attacked them and they had only gone to the Uchiha for refuge and landed into the fire. I hadn't accounted for their actions, and though I'm sure I cleared their names, they still got hurt. We weren't a shinobi clan with a kekkei Genkai, they had no business fighting anbus, elite shinobi! I cringe just thinking about it.

"You have nothing to be sorry for!" mom insisted, "you couldn't have known this would happen!" I didn't flinch at her word; I gave no indication she had hit the bull's eye. I couldn't.

"If I wasn't out last night, you wouldn't have been there!" I yelled; my emotions wired after the memory of the past.

"Yeah, we wouldn't have been there," dad said calmly, "your mother and I wouldn't have gotten hurt, nor would we have to watch you hurried off to the emergency room." I flinch then.

"Darling!" mom chastised.

I smiled sadly, I too regretted their involvement, I could handle their anger and hatred, as I had before. This was my mistake; I deserved the punishment. I couldn't understand why my vision blurred.

"That being said," father began again. "Had we not been there, Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto, they would all be dead!" he declared. I looked up at him my eyes wide with unshed tears. "even though you knew nothing of what was happening you still tried to help, risking your life to protect what is precious to you. I expect nothing less from my daughter!"

Intense.

The moment was, intense.

You see it all the time in anime, where wind from nowhere blows and makes the words of the speaker seem to have physical power. Or a light so brilliant that others look at them in awe.

There was no wind no bright light but there were drums. They boomed like thunder and seemed to shake the very earth. Strong passionate and loving, it was as if he was beating the message into my head. I felt dizzy.

Mom snored.

"You're so dramatic darling," she sighed, "A woman would do anything to protect the ones she loves, our daughter would be no different." She smiled warmly at me and I choked.

At that moment I remembered. This life was nothing like my last my parents here were nothing like the last. My mother was loving and warm, my father loud and scatterbrained, it was lively and I was loved. I was loved.

What happened next could not be described as crying, no, I was bawling my eyes out. Sobs, snots, and all. In hindsight, I should have known that they would present this argument. Had everything not gone south, Obito may have made off with Sasuke and Itachi's eyes. Hindsight was 20/20 as they say.

Just then I was clueless and relieved, crying into my father's shirt as my mother rubbed my back.

Danzo flipped the table in outrage, sending books and scrolls scattering to the ground. The small outburst failed to satisfy his anger, however, and so he moved to his bookshelf and knocked the books off one shelve, in one fell swoop. He cried in frustration when that too did nothing to calm him.

He needed to hit something, break something, fight! He wanted to beat Hiruzen senseless and take his rightful place as Hokage. He wanted to have that stupid Jinchuriki under his control he wanted that pink-haired demon executed.

And yet he could have none of that. As of this moment, the Jinchuriki would be taking under the Hyuga's protection, The Anbu that assigned to protect him, Danzo's greatest investment, the wood-style user, Kinoe.

As if that wasn't bad enough the pink-haired demon would also be protected by non-other than Kakashi Hatake. As if that thing needs protection. She survived a deadly blow that has killed full-fledge shinobi, and they think she needs protection? Ridiculous!

He slammed his fist against the wall, his eye locking on the report of the autopsy. "Ran through by a spear," "eyes destroyed."

Eyes destroyed! That Uzumaki bitch destroyed the only thing the Uchiha was good for! They were no good to him now, what was the point of preparing Itachi to kill them if they were just going to die and lose their eyes.

He screamed his anger intensifying and he punched the wall cracking it but like designed it held. This only to infuriate him more, his hatred overflowed. This was a disaster; nothing was going his way. So what if the threat of the Uchiha was destroyed in their death, the least they could have done was contribute their eyes for the sake of the village.

He punched the wall again, and the cracks spread but still, it stood.

"Wow~."

Danzo wiped around at the sound of a woman's voice. He was supposed to be alone in his office, but on a sofa on the other shit of the room, laying all too comfortable was a redhaired goddess. Her plump lips were pulled in an amused smile her green eyes twinkling behind long lashes.

He turned to face her his eye narrowed. He didn't sense her come in, forget that, how did she get in?

"Who are you?" he demanded.

She gracefully sat up, swinging her pale leg and crossing it over the other, the kimono she donned doing nothing to conceal it. In fact, her attire lured his eyes to her shoulders where the kimono fell off revealing her flush shoulder and the hit of cleavage that peeked from out above her obi. Too late he realized that was the point and met her eyes that said she saw him looking.

He felt embarrassed for a seconded before remembering where he was and that she was an intruder and likely dangerous. She chuckled as he scowled at her.

"Don't worry I have that effect on everyone," she said her euphonious voice soothing his anger. She stood and walked over to him her hips swaying. Deciding to break the spell she had cast he pulled a kunai and throw it at her. He didn't expect a single kunai to do much damage, but he didn't expect her to catch it with a finger, swinging it by the ring on the hilt.

In his stupor, she struck.

The air in his lungs escaped in a whoosh as he buried her hand in his chest. There was no pain but her hand was most definitely inside his body. he looked down trying to comprehend what he was seeing when she spoke.

"I never did like you." she pleasant voice was no helping his mind comprehend what was happening. Something was wrong his senses were… he activated the Sharingan in his right eyes and he saw them, adamantine chains golden and brilliant all over the room. He looked down to find them ensnaring his lower body.

"Oh, you noticed," she smiled at him as she removed her hand. "It doesn't matter now I suppose. I'm done with you." He fell to his knees suddenly dizzy.

"Oh my, it's taking effect already?" she seemed to surprise, "I hadn't expected that but whatever." She walked awake from his downed form as pain shook his body. With each thump of his heart, the pain grew. Was he going to die?

"What have you done?" he asked his voice raspy.

"I'm killing you~" in s singsong tone very pleased with herself. "You caused my family a lot of unnecessary pain so I'm returning the favor tenfold. What I've placed inside you is a disease with no cue. It will continue to eat you from the inside until there is nothing left and you die coughing on your own blood."

She wore an inhuman grin of delight as she looked down at him, her green eyes glowing. He glared back in defiance he wouldn't die like this, not before he became Hokage and saved this village from itself.

He mentally kicked himself for not noticing who this demon what the moment he saw her.

"You're the Uzumaki that massacred the Uchiha clan." It wasn't a question; her smile only grew. "Why are you here, to finish the job?" he snarled.

"Something like that. She said stooping down before him. I just need this." She reached for his face before he could flinch, she ripped out his eye.

He bit back the cry that threatened to crawl out of his throat. He was a shinobi and no stranger to pain, this was nothing.

"Ruby eyes," she muttered looking down at the Sharingan she ripped from his eye socket. It really annoying." She frowned standing over him before walking back to the couch. "They say all men are born equal but I call bullshit. With cheat codes, it's a wonder the world wanted them dead." She said back down crossing her legs as the eyeball disappeared from her palm.

"I think that's all I wanted to do here, kill the Uchihas, and destroy the Sharingan. There are two survivors, but I suppose I can let them live for now." She grinned. "Little Naruto will get closer and closer to them, and when their bond is fully formed ill kill 'em and he'll release the nine tails." Her pleased looked was disturbing. "This village preaches bonds and friendship, it's only fitting that I use that to destroy them."

"I won't allow it!" he spat struggling to stand.

"A bit late for that don't you think, he's already attached to quite a few people." She looked disappointed in him, "I only need to kill one of the many in front of him and god bye Konoha."

This was why he had told them to give the boy to him, had the brat been in his care his emotions would never be an issue. Once again, he cursed Hiruzen for failing to listen to him.

The space beside the Uzumaki became distorted and spiraling into existence was a man clad in black robes and a mask. If she was the Uzumaki then this man was surely the one claiming to be Madara Uchiha. The man looked at him before looking at the Uzumaki.

"Are you done yet?" he asked reaching out a hand which she took.

"I am," she said standing, "just waiting for you."

"Wait!" Danzo demanded as they moved to leave. They stopped looking back at him inquisitively.

"Who are you really?"

He wasn't expecting her to tell him the truth but anything was better than nothing, that, and he was trying to stall until reinforming arrived.

"Inner," she said, "but you can call me "Ina." She winked at him and they disappeared right as his anbus rushed through the door. He looked at the spot they disappeared from and felt his frustration reemerge.

"What now?" Obito asked her as the teleported to the Hokage mountain. She looked at him with hooded eyes and he already regrated asking the question. Ina as she was calling herself was no mere shinobi and certainly not someone he wanted as an enemy. She knew more than she was letting on, and was more than she appeared. No one wore that many seals for nothing.

She wrapped her hand around his neck standing too close for his liking. Her smile was as devious as it was seductive.

"Since you asked, she purred, "won't you help me find my family."

Was it too late to back out of their arrangement?

And there we have it another chapter and more things clarified. Hopefully, you all have a clear understanding of what's happening because the next chapter in a new arc, and I wound touch this again for a while.

Until next time

Night song.