𓍊𓍊 ~ Chapter Thirty-six — Love of the Lie ~ 𓍊𓍊
Ryujin still stared in utter disbelief at the ghost in the flesh in front of him. All Dantai did in return was continue to grin at him—that sly grin that was never up to any good, that he hadn't seen in four years.
"How?" Ryujin managed to ask. The utter shock rattled him to the point where he was forced to sit down.
Without missing a beat, Dantai danced down next to Ryujin and stretched. "Well, you see, after the…" A darkness shrouded Dantai's eyes as he kept up his happy expression. "Uchiha Massacre, I naturally wasn't a happy guy."
Ryujin narrowed his eyes. "Miruni…"
"Yeah," Dantai couldn't hold back his wince. "But uh, I took a mission, a really dumb one since I was half suicidal or something. Then Orochimaru found me! I was just… kept in a cage for years as one of his spare bodies or something like that. But, since he was really fucked up after attacking Konoha, that gave me the opportunity to escape. Now I'm home!"
"I see…" Ryujin said, nodding his head. "I… uh… Thought I saw you before."
"Huh?"
"I was on a mission to the Land of Grass, months ago. You came, then you left… it was like a ghost," Ryujin explained, barely finding the words.
Dantai shrugged. "Well, a couple months ago I was a prisoner eating my own shit off the floor, so uh… maybe you're schizophrenic? Maybe it was the Kyuubi fucking with your head."
Ryujin went silent, then huffed. "Probably the latter…"
The Kyuubi laughed within his head.
Dantai chuckled. "How is 'ol foxy doing nowadays? I miss it!"
"You never met the Kyuubi."
"So? You looked cool as all hell using the Kyuubi's Chakra so yeah."
Ryujin rolled his eyes. "Fine."
"How about Miya? Where is she?"
Ryujin shrugged. "Dunno, don't care."
"Huh? Why? She's your cousin dude."
Ryujin laughed. "Yeah, for sure."
"Damn, she took the stab to the chest that hard? Those heal, y'know?"
"But the scar remains."
Dantai rolled his eyes. "Okay edgelord. What about Naruto?"
"He's alive."
"I'd hope so—" He snorted. "He got any bitches yet? That little man just exuded the type of energy that women love…"
Ryujin gave him a deadpanned look. "He's twelve…"
"So? I was killing fuckers and fucking bitches at thirteen! I had a big body count by both meanings of the term." Dantai groaned. "Man, I haven't had pussy in so long… both lefty and righty have been put to fucking work, let me tell you that."
Ryujin wanted to gag. "I did not need to know any of that."
"You already knew about the first half."
"...unfortunately."
"Okay, what about Shinrai? Funny thing is that I only know his name because Orochimaru would not shut up about the kid."
"Uh… I'm his sensei, actually…"
"You have a fucking Genin team?!"
"For some reason."
"Oh shit! Tell me all about your students! In depth paragraphs," requested Dantai with a devious glint in his eyes.
Ryujin blinked. What did he think of his students? "Shinrai he's… interesting. He reminds me of you a lot actually… in all the best and worst ways."
"So his Genjutsu must be crazy then?"
"It's… pretty good, yeah."
"The ladies love him too, right?"
"...Far from it," said Ryujin, shaking his head.
Dantai scoffed. "Oh then he's nothing like me!"
Ryujin felt the urge to laugh, but he didn't. Whydidn't he? It felt wrong, he supposed. "Next uh, Gosei Senju."
"...Yosei's eldest?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Damn, she must be on your fucking ass," he said with a laugh.
Ryujin shook his head. "Not really. She's barely talked to me about it."
"Huh? Okay. That's… odd."
Ryujin shrugged. "Eh. He's a prick, thinks he's better than everyone he interacts with. The only thing tolerable about him is his talent as a Shinobi."
Dantai cackled. "DAMN! You see, if Yosei heard you, then you'd get a vine ten feet up your ass."
How many more times did Ryujin have to roll his eyes in this conversation? "Kusari's… fifty fifty. She's surprisingly powerful. Can be nice or the literal devil incarnate if she wants to be. She's the most fun to annoy, at least."
"Like Miya!"
"Don't compare her to Kusari…" muttered Ryujin.
Dantai's smile fell into a confused frown. "Man, what the hell happened between you two?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Too late!" Dantai said before dancing up and grabbing Ryujin's arm in such a swift and flawless action that Ryujin had to stand as well. "Because we're going to talk to her!"
"Absolutely not."
"Absolutely yes!"
Dantai groaned. "Why not?!"
"Do you really want to know?!"
"Yeah?! We were all like best friends back in the day, man!"
Ryujin gave him a poignant glare. "Exactly. The past. Not the present, not now—"
"—Why're you being such a fucking bitch Ryu? This isn't like you."
"The Ryujin you knew is dead—"
"LALALALALA!" Dantai yelled, dancing and pissing Ryujin the fuck off. "I don't speak emo edgelord, sorry! I speak regular person. And regular people speak to their cousins! So c'mon!"
Ryujin clenched his fists and glared. "Miya has done nothing but betray my trust and hurt me—"
"Didn't she also save you from those Kiri Shinobi because she literally spent months tracking you? She loves you, dude… and I know what it's like to have love being taken from you," Dantai said, actually being serious for once in his fucking life.
He shook his head in response. "It doesn't matter what she did in the past. Her care—her love it's just fucked me up. That's that. I do not want to talk to her. I'd be better off if I never saw her again in my fucking life."
Dantai blinked. "Damn… I guess I get it—"
"Y'know what, I really thought that everything was looking up when she came back. After Orochimaru, we didn't talk for years. Then we started again… and then I rescued Aiko, she's back in Konoha. Guess how that ended up? Guess how everything ended up again, Dantai?
"If you know what's good for you, you should just leave because there's nothing good that's going to come from talking to me!" Ryujin panted after speaking… he barely expected all of that to—A grit of his teeth as he cringed.
What Dantai did in response was sigh, then smile at him. Dantai had the nerve to fucking smile. "You know me better than that, Ryu. You think something bad is going to come and fucking everything up, eh? Whatever bad comes, then we'll fight it.
"We'll fight it like we used to… together." Dantai stuck his hand out and grinned.
Ryujin stared at it in stunned silence.
"C'mon."
Dantai flexed his fingers.
"Take it."
He waved his fingers to entice Ryujin.
"I know you wanna~!" he drawled in a high pitched voice.
Ryujin rolled his eyes and groaned. "Could you stop?"
"Not until you take my hand!"
Ryujin took his fingers to his eyes and rubbed. "Dantai—"
"TAKE MY HAND RYUJIN!" he announced with grand bravado. "AND I SHALL LEAD YOU TO THE GREATEST SALVATION AMONGST THE HEAVENS!"
Ryujin actually managed to laugh. "You're such a fucking idiot."
"I'm the most intelligent idiot you know!"
Letting out a frustrated groan of frustration, he collided his hand with Dantai's and a clap echoed through the forest.
One. More. Chance.
Dantai cackled and danced with Ryujin's hand in his. "YES! Finally! The Fire and Shadow Duo is back to-fucking-gether!"
"Right…" Ryujin muttered, shaking his head with a chuckle.
The Kyuubi laughed. I can't wait to see how this will fall apart…
Stiffening, Ryujin let out a sigh. It really was fighting against every instinct that he had in order to take this… chance. Honestly, it really felt like a dream—but dammit he had to do everything in his power to stop it from falling apart again.
"Dantai," Ryujin said, tone hard as ever.
"What's up?"
"I'm not who I used to be. I'm far from who you remember me as…" He shook his head. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be, right now. Don't expect me to be who I was, that's all I ask."
"Aww, you want me to accept you for who you are…"
Ryujin pulled his hand out of Dantai's and cringed. "Stop."
"Why? Because I'm right?"
"I—" Ryujin started before stopping.
"See! You know I am."
"Ugh," Ryujin muttered as he looked away.
Dantai cackled. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm happy to be alive, I'm happy to just… be here, man. I'll take any Ryu that I can get."
The wave of relief that washed over him was inexplicable. The weight of a thousand tons that was thrown off of his shoulders really couldn't be explained. All that he knew was that… he could really be whoever he wanted to be.
Right now, he was a pile of ashes.
Ash was like sand… it could be molded into whatever with the right amount of time and dedication.
What shape would Ryujin's Castle of Ash take?
Only time would tell.
—
The morning was maturing, and the growing dread of Karin's final day with Shinrai was getting to her. As they walked, Karin held his hand; because she wanted to. Shinrai's joyous chakra was seeping into hers. Because of that, Karin didn't feel dead; instead, she felt dread.
Dread that it was going to end, and it was all because of her. Where before, she would despair, have her fear consume her and drive her to the brink of her emotions… Now, now the fear made her heart race, it made her mind whirl and everything feel hot.
She hadn't felt that kind of fear since… the day her Adamantine Chains came to her. Something, she needed to do something… she couldn't let it end. No, no, no she refused. Orochimaru was mere hours away. The death of Shinrai was mere hours away.
She failed, she failed him—she failed to love him; she failed to take away every regret he could have. As a matter of fact, she gave him more. It was all because she was just not enough. Never enough, never enough. Her own past weighed her down like a thousand tons… never could she love—but Shinrai thought she could.
Shinrai, Shinrai—she wanted to latch onto him and never let him go.
She thought of him, the purity of his desire for love, the comfort of his presence, the warmth of his chakra. No matter what, she couldn't allow him to die. Why? Why? Because she cared. Somehow, some way, she cared about something. As much as she wanted to make his last time his best time… whenever she ripped Orochimaru out of the equation… she realized that it was her best time, too. It was her best time because she cared.
It hurt.
But it was the truth.
The pathetic truth of who she was, the boy she was leading to his grave… was the one starting to pull her out of her own. The seductress' corpse was starting to give way to a girl, his picking bore fruit, Karin was emerging.
The sight of the light, the warmth of the fire, the lump in her throat.
"Do what you want. Fight to make yourself happy… let yourself grow, Karin. Know that… whether I'm involved is optional. Don't you fucking dare throw away your comfort for me ever again, please.
"It's your life, Karin Uzumaki. Not Seed's, not Blade's, not Orochimaru's and definitely not mine."
Karin cringed. Nothing about her deserved that, but, somehow, Shinrai believed it, he still believed it, even after she took all of his firsts away from him, after she weaved so many lies into everything she did and said. Not that he knew—even still, he picked through everything and struck at the truth like he was a senbon.
Well, it was time she picked herself apart. Shinrai wanted what she wanted. So, what did she want?
Right now, she wanted Shinrai to live. She wanted him to live, happily. To smile every day, to feel all the love he wished he had—that he deserved. Again, she was below that, sunken into the depths of hell.
He wanted her to rise.
He wanted her to rise—to love.
Could she? Was she capable?!
Karin didn't think so.
But, Shinrai did.
What were her own thoughts worth, anyway? They only brought her pain. If she listened to him, if she followed him, his life, used his fire to lead her through the dark… then maybe, just maybe, there'll be something worth it on the other side.
The only way to reach that something better, was to prevent the fire from going out. To keep Shinrai away from Orochimaru.
That, she could do.
That, she was going to do.
Karin squeezed Shinrai's hand as tight as she could. He looked to her, brow raised. "You okay?"
She let out a sigh as she prepared to lie, for hopefully the last time. One last lie—the lie that'll save him. "We… took too long, Shinrai."
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking sharply into her eyes.
Karin bit her lip. "The Snake Sannin, I can sense him better… he's regained a portion of his strength." In reality, he was as weak as ever. Either way, Karin wasn't taking any chances. "We should just head back."
"...Nah," refused Shinrai.
Her breath hitched. "What do you mean, no?!"
"I have Kyuubi Chakra, remember? I doubt that he could take on me, when I was already fighting a Jinchuriki without any Bijuu Chakra, when I do have some of my own."
Karin stepped in front of him. "No! You don't stand a chance—"
"—How do you know that?!" pushed Shinrai, anger burning the warmth in his Chakra to a scorch.
Karin didn't let it phase her, she couldn't. "Because I sensed you! What did you think I was doing during Konoha Crush?! I sensed how powerful you were, I remember how powerful you were, and I'm sensing Orochimaru—"The name made him flinch"—and you don't stand a chance! I'm sorry, but we can't go on! We need to turn back!"
—
Shinrai gave Karin a dangerous look as his Sharingan whirled to life. Her floral firework eyes remained strong, peering into his without an ounce of hesitation. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she was horrified. Not of him, but for him.
"Listen," he started. "You don't have to come with me; I won't make you do that." He flared chakra to his eyes and they glowed. "But at the same time, you're not going to stop me from saving Baiko and eliminating Orochimaru. Do you understand me?"
"And I'm not going to let you get yourself—" Karin flinched away from his eyes, ripping her hand out of his. "Do you have any idea what he'll do to you if you're caught?!"
"Of fucking course I do! You don't think I remember the two years?!" Shinrai nearly yelled. "But, y'know what's more important? Making sure that Baiko doesn't have to go through another day of that!"
Karin let out a pained cry, looking into his eyes once again, pleading. "Shinrai, Shinrai, you're the only thing in my life that's gone right. Do you—I'm…" She took in a breath so deep it sounded agonizing. "Please! I can't… I can't lose that. I can't lose you!"
"You won't," assured Shinrai.
She then glared at him. "You're such a fucking idiot, Shinrai!" Another deep breath, a calmer one. A puff of smoke at her wrist—Shinrai's eyes caught a silver glint—he summoned his white Grass Cutter. He and Karin's blades clashed with sparks flying.
She flickered black, holding her curved, thorny Grass Cutter with both hands. Her rosy hair covered her face as she looked down. "I refuse to even risk losing you, Shinrai." She looked up, her red eyes glowing as her chakra charged.
Dammit Karin—Shinrai gripped his namesake blade and prepared to fight.
"Even If I have to use force," she finished her declaration and the green chakra that whipped around her, with the grass beneath her feet growing… it bled into a violent violet. The grass died, wilting black.
The presence froze Shinrai in his tracks. She has a Curse Mark?!
Karin grit her teeth as what looked like onyx scars ripped across her skin, covering her with Cursed Marks of Scars all over. It wasn't like Gosei's, or Clowui's, or Sasuke's, no. The marks they… they didn't stop spreading. The onyx marks didn't stop spreading until they covered every inch of her skin.
Then… they glowed. Magmic colored marks consumed her and Karin barely held back her scream. Her hair lost all of its thickness, all of its color, all of its life. Thin like dry string, white like bone. Her skin went from full and flawless to thin, wrinkly, as if she aged a hundred years in mere seconds. Every scar her healing chakra erased showed itself against her sickly looking, ghostly pale skin.
It was… heartbreaking, seeing her look like a walking corpse. "Karin!" Shinrai yelled, fighting off the presence of pure death. "Let's not do this!"
"You…" she began, sounding like she was going to cry. "You wanted to fight me, right? Well, here's your chance."
Adamantine Chains launched out of her back and toward him. Shinrai barely had time to evade, instead of the healing green glow, they had a deathly purple glow. His eyes narrowed. That's not her regular Chakra!
As fast as he could blink, Karin was in front of him. Enveloping her Grass Cutter in her killing Chakra, it slashed at his heart. He barely deflected the attack to his shoulder. Blood spewed and his chakra… didn't react. His eyes widened. What the fuck was that?!
He flickered away, she weaved hand seals. "Water Style: Tidal Wave." From her mouth, a lake's worth of water spewed, curling upward, nearly reaching a building's height.
Shinrai saw the seals she weaved. So he weaved them himself. "Water Style: Tidal Wave!" He roared, countering her wave with one of his own. Karin's jutsu killed the chakra inside of his, and continued forward like nothing happened. Shinrai was forced to take the full brunt of the jutsu. He grunted as everything just hurt. There was no energy from his chakra, none at all.
It just hurt. It just took all of his strength from him. His heart raced in his chest, the thumping of his pulse made his ears and fingers throb. Orochimaru's presence was invading him via Karin's Mark. He wouldn't stop shaking. He couldn't stop the feeling that he was dying—everything just felt so weak.
I don't wanna do this, I don't wanna fight her—Shinrai barely dodged a stab to the heart from her Killing Adamantine Chains. She's fine with killing me because she can just heal me—"Karin!" Shinrai yelled. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Then give up!" she screamed back. Shinrai flickered out of the way of a blade of water.
He winced, dodging and dodging and just running. A chain grabbed his leg. He felt it. His foot withered away and he was yanked toward Karin. She stabbed at him with her thorny blade—Shinrai blocked it. His free leg slammed a kick into her gut—it didn't free him from the chain's grip.
Fast—I need to end this fast—she's going to stop mE! Shinrai roared. "Yora!" he yelled, pulling her from his waist and cutting at the Adamantine Chain. It did nothing. Another chain whirled around Shinrai's torso—he couldn't use his chakra. His body was decaying from the inside out—he was actually dying!
That didn't make him slow down a fucking bit. Karin was going to stop him from saving his brother. If he lost then Baiko would be trapped forever! Shinrai roared—his dying chakra spewing scarlet from his skin. Karin used another chain—"Stop fighting me!" Karin pleaded.
Shinrai glared. "Then you get out of my way!" He managed to weave a half seal. Karin crushed a log in her chains and Shinrai was a dozen meters away in a tree. Immediately, he collapsed to a knee. I can't hide, she knows where I am… anything I have won't fucking work! Her chakra it kills fucking everything!
"Water Style: Spiral Blade!" The tree he was on was sliced to pieces and Shinrai flickered away—he was so slow. Her chakra was still inside of him, still killing him. It was like poison. He never felt so weak. Holding on to his strength was like trying to keep boiling water in your hands. It hurt and it was fucking useless.
All the more reason to end this fast.
Fighting her hurt on more levels than he could even fathom.
His Sharingan itched—he dodged an Adamantine Chain. Genjutsu… All he needed to do was look her in the eyes. Shinrai crossed his fingers and he could only muster six clones. All of them used the Body Flicker to try and disorient her. It would've worked if she couldn't sense the real one like blood on a white shirt. A blade strike forced him to block with Yora.
The split second where neither of them could move, he just… looked at her. Everything was slow… and he looked at how much Orochimaru's chakra killed everything about her—destroyed everything good about her.
Despite that, he couldn't help the urge to cradle her in his arms. Even as they clashed blades, as they were locked in the depths of combat, Shinrai needed to feel everything great about her. He was looking right at it. Even in her tarnished state, being near her made him feel calm. Even as her chakra was tearing him apart from the inside out, he bathed in her presence. Because Karin was there, it felt like Orochimaru wasn't.
Shinrai looked her in the eyes, her dead yet, emotional eyes burning with the visage of a wilted rose. "Why? Why are you using The Snake Sannin's power?"
"You don't think I fucking hate this too?!" She screamed back. "I want to love you! Not fight you! But… I hate the thought of you dying even more!"
Karin pushed against Yora and the death in Shinrai's chakra was getting to him, he stumbled back, about to buckle. It would've meant the end had Shinrai broken eye contact. His eyes whirled. "Angels of Within."
A pause and Karin went vacant. Her eyes wide, a smile, a smile so pure, so true crossed her face. The living corpse that her Curse Mark turned her into looked more lively than he ever saw her as before. It made him feel terrible for what he was going to do.
He took the Grass Cutter named Shinrai, staring at the beyond-razor-sharp blade. He looked at Karin's chest, where her heart was. Everything trembled inside, outside, real, and fictional. He looked at the purity on her face, he was going to break it, he was going to destroy it all—
—He was going to…
He could just leave her.
But to have her be defenseless—
No.
He couldn't.
He needed to…
With a cry, Shinrai drove his namesake blade into her heart—She gasped and her face overlapped with Yora's as she did.
The Genjutsu shattered and so did the joy on Karin's face. Betrayal haunted the look she gave her and Shinrai winced, keeping eye contact. "Deactivate your mark. Heal."
She had no choice.
Magmic orange consumed her skin, pulling back into the mark on her neck in seconds. All of the life returned to her body, but her eyes looked as dead as ever. When her mark was fully deactivated, Shinrai took his blade from her heart. Just as he expected, the wound closed in seconds.
"I'm sorry…" Shinrai murmured, kneeling down from the killing chakra inside of him. "I couldn't let you… stop me. Not now."
Karin didn't answer.
Shinrai cringed, deactivating his Sharingan. "Please… go back to Konoha. You said we were close? I can track down the Snake Sannin myself."
"No, you won't," Karin spat.
Shinrai looked up at her. "No, you said you didn't want to!"
"I said I didn't want you to." She sighed, kneeling down, shaking as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "It looks like… there's no stopping that, though. I can't live without at least helping you… I owe you that."
"You don't owe me anything," Shinrai bit back.
Karin paused, looking down with a sigh. She wouldn't stop shaking. "I owe you everything." Her hands glowed green and her healing chakra seeped into his. She wasn't even using the Mystic Palm, just spewing chakra out of her hands. It healed more than any healing he ever felt in his life. Seconds. It took seconds for the gash in his shoulder and the killing chakra in his own to turn into nothing. He was good as new.
"Damn…" he muttered. "You're something else…"
Karin didn't respond, looking hollow as she got up and stepped forward. "Let's go."
Shinrai got up to step beside her, clasping her hand and holding on tight. "We're never going to lose each other, Karin. I put it on everything I love…
"Including you."
Karin froze, slowly looking him in the eyes.
She hugged him.
He hugged back.
"I'm so… so sorry Shinrai—" her voice cracked into a million pieces as she spoke.
"For what?"
Talking sounded agonizing for her. "I… everything—"
Shinrai pulled her tighter. "You have nothing to be sorry for, let's just go, m'kay?"
Without another word, they marched toward hell together.
—
Her father never did tell her about the happening that were in the stars. Hinata was disappointed… but it was to be expected. It seemed to be a secret that even she had to be kept in the dark about. There was only one thing that she knew for sure, that Kusari had something to do with it. Whether it involved Shivua, Bontena, and their conflict wasn't exactly sure to Hinata, but Kusari's involvement? Her gut made her absolutely certain of that.
It was then when she felt a presence behind her… heard the footsteps walk up beside her, felt the sick grin without even having to look at it. Immediately, she tensed up and locked her emotions in a box, all so she could muster the will to speak with him. "I would appreciate if you were to stop looking through my clothes, Shouko."
"Why? You're as good as mine already," said Shouko, his black hair tied back to show off his clear and unmarked forehead.
Shouko Hyuuga, Grandson of the Elder who attempted to assassinate Kusari, prodigy of the Main Branch, and the 'man' Hinata was arranged to marry. There were eight families in the Main Branch, not including the Head Branch Hinata herself was a part of. In order to keep the Head Branch's bloodline 'pure,' it was ordered that the heir or heiress needed to marry another Main Branch member.
It was deemed that eight generations of separation would be acceptable for the marriage to not be incestuous, with all Main Branch members being allowed to marry whomever they pleased in the Hyuuga Clan. All marriages in the Head Branch were arranged… it just so happened her father was able to find love with her mother.
Hinata… was not as lucky. The last thing on earth she wanted to do was marry that man. Man was a strong word, considering that Shouko was barely older than Neji. But… his title as Jonin despite his age earned him the title of 'man' in her eyes. Luckily, she wasn't required to marry him until she was sixteen. All she could do was… stall.
"Are you not going to answer me, Hinata?" he asked, moving his face uncomfortably close to hers.
Hinata kept her composure and slowly moved away. "Apologies, I need to tend to the injured of the Hyuuga."
Shouko laughed, rubbing his arm as his slimy grin spread across his face. His blue robe shifted as he grabbed it, looking at her with an endearing and pleased look as his Byakugan was still active.
She always hated the look in his eyes.
"Hinata, you really are everything a woman should be. Quiet, elegant, caring, obedient…" His eyes looked her up and down and his grin grew. "And oh so beautiful."
"...Thank you," she forced herself to say—whenever she was around him she simply wished she existed no longer.
Shouko shook his head, closing his eyes and finally allowing his Byakugan to fade. "I came here to congratulate you on the speech you gave to the Hyuuga Clan. It moved me on so many levels, it was as if the stars themselves smiled upon me, to allow it to be my fate to listen to you speak."
"I am happy you enjoyed it," she replied tersely, but softly, like she had to. Her smile had never been faker, but if she acted 'out of line,' then that would make Shouko unhappy. There was little else Hinata hated more than making people unhappy… even if it was somebody like him. The added incentive that she had to marry this man made avoiding his displeasure almost paramount. He was no real threat, just the biggest thorn in her side.
Shouko gave a small bow to her. "And I'm happier that I heard it."
Silence fell but Hinata couldn't leave—Please go, she pleaded silently.
Shouko sighed, looking at Hinata. "That is all I have to say for now."
Hinata thanked whatever force answered her prayers.
"I can not wait for the day I finally marry you," he made sure to say, looking her dead in the eyes. The intensity behind his eyes fished for an answer.
Hinata had to give it to him. "Likewise."
"Then why do you not choose to marry me now?" he asked, that intensity amplified.
Hinata screamed on the inside. "I do not want to carry the responsibility of a husband until I absolutely need to. I am sorry to disappoint you." Of all the skills she was forced to develop as the Hyuuga Clan's disappointment… lying proved to be the most useful.
Shouko remained silent.
Hinata tensed, not showing it as she tilted her head with a fake endearing smile.
He groaned and shook his head. "That's so like you… it really shows how amazing of a woman you are."
Hinata bowed. "Thank you."
"Go tend to the injured, please. They need someone as extraordinary as you."
Shouko walked forward and Hinata walked opposite his to direction.
Hinata took her tenth step and Shouko breathed down her neck. She froze in her tracks as she felt the displeasure radiate off of him.
"You didn't say farewell."
Hinata choked down a sigh. "My apologies. Have a good day, Shouko."
He scoffed and walked away from her. "Don't forget it next time."
"I won't."
Finally, she was free from his presence.
—
Hanabi was rarely able to be with her family after the village was invaded. Big sis was busy, and father was busier. It was just… babysitters. A whole bunch of babysitters, she wasn't a baby. She was going to be the Clan Head. It wasn't like anybody was going to try something right after they stomped Konoha to the ground… right? Though Hanabi was finally able to be in her father's presence. He was safer than any babysitter.
Father was strong; he was the Head of the Hyuuga Clan. He kept so many people safe. Hanabi was going to be strong like him one day; she had no doubt about that. But… Big sis was getting strong as well. Those White Eyes everyone loved her for before she was born, she had them back. Everyone loved her again.
The seeds of doubt were planted in Hanabi's mind and she didn't like it one bit. As Father overlooked the building effort, Hanabi grabbed at his robe. "Father?"
"What is it, Hanabi?" He kept his eyes focused on the Hyuuga working in front of him.
Hanabi pursed her lips. "Am I still going to be the Clan Head once you retire? Or… is Big Sis." Her sister always promised that Hanabi was going to be the head… while she was going to go to the Branch Family after that.
All the signs were pointing to the opposite of that. Hanabi didn't like that. She hated the sinking feeling in her gut. Was Big Sis just a liar this whole time?
"When it is decided that you and Hinata will duel each other for the title, you will have your answer."
Father's answer only scared Hanabi. Big Sis always held back in their spars and Hanabi hated her for it. That became especially clear once Big Sis got her 'Blessing.' Hanabi didn't know why everyone called it that. It was still a curse.
Those White Eyes weren't her sister's.
Hanabi had to be the Clan Head still… a Cursed leader was no good for the Hyuuga Clan. But, beating her sister just seemed impossible. That wasn't going to stop her from trying. Not at all. Try, even when it was hard. That was what Big Sis always said. Hanabi had to turn her words against her sister. Maybe the Caged Bird Seal would lock the curse on her eyes away. That was the best-case scenario.
"When will our duel be, Father?"
His teeth grit. "When I decide when it will be."
"But…"
"That is enough about the subject, Hanabi."
His tone made her bite her tongue. "Yes… Father."
Fear and determination made Hanabi stay quiet.
She didn't want to grow up.
—
Walking was utter hell but not one bit did Gosei regret coming on this trip. He was going to help in retrieving Lady Tsunade, and he was going to get some training done on the way. Naruto and Natsuyo were walking ahead of him but dammit Gosei was going to catch up, no matter what, no matter what, no matter—
"Children, listen closely. I need to explain something to you," Yosei stated, all three of them stopping in their tracks.
Yosei… did not stop walking. "Did I tell you to stop?"
Just as quickly as they stopped, they scurried back up to keep pace with her—Gosei still lingering behind Naruto and Natsuyo.
"Naruto," she began. "What I am about to say pertains to the Senju Clan, but I believe that you could find wisdom to use in your path forward."
He grinned. "Oh! Alright!"
"Even you are bound to learn something, Jiraiya," Yosei added, eyeing the Sannin.
His brow raised as he chuckled. "Oh? Is that right?"
"Indeed."
Gosei felt a shiver of anticipation. More knowledge about the Senju Clan that could possibly help even a Sannin? This has to be something big…
He looked to his sister and she had a mad grin on her face—Gosei couldn't help but smile as he looked to his mother's back and listened to her voice.
"Natsuyo, you have fused your Godai. That means you're ready for the next step in Senju evolution, whatever you may choose. Gosei, you haven't… but you've shown that you're worthy of this knowledge."
He clenched a victorious fist as his smile grew into a grin.
Yosei took a deep breath before beginning, truly. "The Senju Clan, despite what you may think… is quite unremarkable."
"...What?" Gosei muttered under his breath—involuntarily. Natsuyo's brows furrowed and Naruto just titled his head.
"Our calling card is mastery over the five elements that any Shinobi could use. If we're lucky, then a Senju may be able to fuse their two most powerful elements into a more powerful one, that multiple other clans of Shinobi already have access to, that they're born with.
"Natsuyo, your Scorch Release is relatively common in the Land of Wind, and my Storm Release is in the Land of Lightning. Most Senju can't even dream of achieving the heights of Sage Mode. The Senju are not prodigies. Amongst the four great clans, the Uchiha, Senju, Hyuuga, and Kaguya, we are the least advantaged.
"We have no visual prowess like the Uchiha or Hyuuga, or indestructible bodies like the Kaguya. Even our Uzumaki brethren have Special Chakra that can grant them extraordinary abilities and the potential to awaken the Adamantine Chains, or rather, the few that currently live do.
"The only thing special about the Senju is the makeup of our chakra, imbued with Natural Energy. Plants, rocks, streams, we have chakra that is assimilated with nature itself. That only really makes us more similar to trees than the average Shinobi.
"Even our Godai isn't truly special to us. Any good enough Sage could produce a Godai with their own elements. Jiraiya, have you noticed your lack of need for Hand Seals for Jutsu once you're in Sage Mode?"
He blinked, brows furrowing. "Yeah…?"
"That, is a Fire Release Godai, I assume."
Mouth gaped, eyes wide, he slowly placed a hand on his chin. "Oh… shit."
"If you reach the level of a Perfect Sage, you could fuse your most powerful elements if you worked toward it. It won't be easy, but it's possible for someone like you," she suggested.
Jiraiya nodded slowly. "Interesting, I… should stop slacking on my training—how did I not know this?!"
"It's a Senju Clan secret… meant to preserve a sense of authority and place in the Shinobi world. I assume you won't leak this, of course." Yosei's eyes then pointed to Naruto. "You as well."
He put his hands up. "Yeah! I won't say a thing! Believe it"
Yosei nodded. "Good."
Natsuyo shook her head in disbelief—Gosei shared her sentiment—"Mother," she began. "Our Clan, the Senju Clan… it isn't special?"
Yosei gave a short nod. "Yes, however, what puts on par with the three other three great clans… is our drive. It is our hard work that makes us exceptional, our capacity to take what we have and let it grow. Bloodlines are not what make you strong, the Sharingan, Byakugan, or any Special Chakra ability can't make you powerful—you make you powerful.
"Minato had nothing and yet he was as great of a Shinobi as I. Jiraiya here, clanless, and one of the most powerful Shinobi our village has ever produced."
The Sannin smirked at the praise.
Gosei just… took all of it in. All he really was when it came down to it was a tree man? That felt so… wrong. But it was the truth—it was reality… and it set in like a ton of bricks. Bloodlines or not, everyone truly was on an equal playing field. Rock Lee proved that, his mother just solidified that.
Natsuyo had a bit of a frown on her face as she walked. Disappointed that she wasn't special? That would've been Gosei's guess. Naruto just had a dubious and kind of bored look on his face. It offended Gosei, but he knew better than to cause a disruption in front of his mother.
"Do you all understand?"
The three Genin nodded.
"Now… I will explain to you the paths that you could grow."
Naruto perked up, looking semi-interested. Natsuyo's smile returned in full force and Gosei intensified his look.
"Once you fuse two elements, it becomes easy to fuse more. Hypothetically, a Senju could fuse and create every single elemental Kekkei Genkai and Tota if they were to put their mind to it. If I so choose, I could fuse Earth and Lightning to create Magnet Release, or quite frankly, any elemental Kekkei Genkai I wish, as a master of all five elements.
"However, there's power beyond that I wish to attain." As they walked, Yosei allowed a vine to flow from behind her, allowing the Genin to see. "This Nature Release. It is the result of fusing all Five Changes in Chakra Nature, and Yang Release.
"The base of Nature Release by itself is… useless. It has so many properties that it cannot choose a correct form. However, using its components, the Five Changes in Chakra Nature, you can turn the Nature Release Chakra into five different forms."
Yosei whipped her vine and it cracked with voltage. "My Vine Release is the result of Nature Release being channeled with the properties of Lightning." The vine receded and Yosei did something with her hands, something that none of the Genin could see due to her body blocking it.
"The result of channeling Nature Release with the properties of Water is…" Yosei outstretched a single finger—it was covered in hard structures of different colors, vibrant and sharp. Gosei furrowed his brow. It was—"Coral Release," Yosei finished. "As you can see, mine is a work in progress, as I haven't had much time to train since my days as the Thorn Wraith."
An excited smirk crossed her face. "However, once Konoha is in a state of stability, I'll have plenty of time."
"So cool…" gaped Naruto in awe, with stars in his eyes.
Yosei sighed, allowing the coral on her finger to drop to the ground. "Unfortunately, I cannot provide a demonstration for the following three applications. Nature Release with the properties of Earth is Wood Release. With Wind's properties, it is Grass Release. With Fire's properties, it is Flower Release. Those Five Elements are the pinnacle of Senju power, due to the sheer improbability of anybody living long enough to accomplish such a feat.
"I doubt even Minato would have achieved Nature Release in his lifetime."
Jiraiya scoffed. "And that's saying something…"
Yosei gave a nod of agreement. "Beyond that, Nature Release is but a pipe dream for most Senju. Any who do are lucky to even achieve one aspect, let alone multiple. But… there was one man who unlocked a complete Nature Release, able to use all five elements from it.
"Of course, it was none other than the Shodai, Hashirama Senju." Yosei stopped walking, and everybody else stopped as well. She turned around to face her two kids specifically. "Gosei, Natsuyo. It is now where you will choose your path to power moving forward. Tell me… what will it be?"
Immediately, Natsuyo answered. "I'm going to learn the other three elements, and one by one, I'm going to fuse them into my Fire Release! Once I have all of those fused elements mastered, I'll unlock Nature Release and have the greatest Flower Release the Senju has ever seen."
Yosei gave a proud smile and nodded. "Ambitious, I would expect nothing less." She looked to Gosei, but he remained silent, thinking over the path he was going to take.
A few pondering seconds and Gosei spoke. "I won't worry about fusing elements all willy-nilly. I'm going to master all Five Changes in Chakra Nature. I'm going to master Yang Release. And then I will be the second Senju to achieve a Completed Nature Release."
Jiraiya whistled and Yosei scoffed with a smirk on her face. "Is that right?"
"You applauded Natsuyo's ambition, didn't you?" asked Gosei, matching his mother's smirk with one of his own.
Slowly, she nodded. "I did. And I applaud yours as well."
Gosei grinned, and Natsuyo gave him a competitive glare. "Don't cry when I burn all of your plants down, Gosei."
"Bring it on, Natsuyo," he responded without missing a beat.
Yosei then asked, "Which Change in Chakra Nature will you aim for next?"
"Lightning!" Both siblings roared in tandem. Immediately, they looked to the other with sparks flying between their gazes.
Yosei chuckled. "Inspired, I see. Take out a Shuriken, both of you."
Just that Gosei and Natsuyo did, Naruto watched the demonstration closely.
"Lightning Release is about the energy in your chakra, Rip its very structure apart and release the latent energy inside, that is what lightning is about. It's easier to practice when you have a conductive material, like a metal shuriken."
They nodded. "So, channel my chakra into the Shuriken," Gosei began, doing as he was commanded. "And release the latent energy!" He tried it and… nothing happened.
Natsuyo repeated the process and there was the tiniest spark. "Aha! I'm already ahead of you!"
"Dammit!" he cursed.
Yosei shook her head and chuckled. "Well, the properties of lightning are more similar to fire rather than water or earth. Her experience allows her to harness it easier. Also, Natsuyo… before you commit to learning lightning, you should focus on mastering your Scorch Release."
The girl nodded. "Right…"
"You can do it once we find a place to stay," Yosei said, continuing to walk with everyone following suit. "It's much more complicated than this, so keep practicing your lightning now."
"Gotcha!"
Gosei, on the other hand, didn't have much of a choice. Dedicated and on fire, he put all of his energy into making that shuriken spark.
—
The amount of times they said fuse made Naruto feel bad but also gave him a thousand ideas. Everything was honestly overwhelming—so many good things and so many bad things and they were all happening at once and Naruto was starting to get sick of it. They were trying to find Shinrai. He had to wait on Scary-Hokage Yosei to use her Sage Mode to try and find him…
Not for a second did Naruto think that Shinrai would die there, hell no, not at all! That made him feel better about… everything. It was why he wasn't stressed and depressed with everything going on. One thing that was pretty hard to get over was seeing Gosei the way he was.
…He did that. He did that because Kyuubi took control. It was his fault that Gosei was limping behind everyone else with pain on his face all the time. Gosei didn't seem to hold a grudge against him, so that was good at least. But that didn't change the fact that it happened—
Jiraiya suddenly locked him in a headlock as they walked. "So, Naruto! You have any idea of what you want to learn? I already taught you the Rasengan, you have the Toad Contract, and honestly, you're already decently well rounded… so all that's left is for you to develop badass new Jutsu!"
That made a smirk as wide as a grin cross his face. "Hell yeah! Uh… you think I could learn Sage Mode?"
"Hah, no," denied Jiraiya flatly. "Sage Mode is way far off for you."
Naruto grumbled, thinking. What… did he want to learn? There were so many things—Gosei growled, falling to his knees behind him, clutching his side. Natsuyo had to help him up so he could continue walking… Naruto couldn't hold back his wince.
But, that gave him his answer. "I need to find a way to control Kyuubi's Chakra better."
"Uh… that's dangerous," warned Jiraiya.
"I'm here," Yosei interjected. "As long as he doesn't go into the upper ends of Version Two, I can take care of it without issue."
"Hmm…" Jiraiya hummed in thought. "Alright."
"Right now, I can only really go into One Tail if I try really hard, but… that's by myself." Naruto took a deep breath. "For a while, Shinrai was working on a combination seal, remember it?"
"Oh yeah… I remember seeing him work on it," Jiraiya said.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, During Konoha Crush, he had the idea to use it to combine my chakra with his, fusing our two Chakras. We were both able to use One Tail of Kyuubi Chakra without an issue, and… when my seal broke, we were both fine up until I went into Version Two.
"A side effect of the Fusion Seal is that… we had a full exchange of each other's memories… so I kinda know how to make it. I was thinking that… maybe I can use that to help with it? Ideas are kinda short, but…"
"Interesting," Jiraiya muttered, rubbing his chin. "Very interesting indeed." His brow furrowed. "Is that what gives him the confidence to try and take down Orochimaru with reinforcements?"
Naruto shrugged. "Probably, I dunno."
"But that is not a bad idea," Jiraiya said, still thinking. His face lit up and Naruto paid attention. "I think you should ask Natsuyo for some tips."
"Huh, why—?"
"Because! She fused two elements into one! That's kind of the same concept, y'know? She could definitely help you with it!"
"I guess, but why not Scary Hokage Yosei? She has more experience—"
Jiraiya grabbed Naruto's shoulders and pushed him toward Natsuyo. "Things tend to sound better from your peers. Now go talk to her!"
Spattering, Naruto found himself by Natsuyo as they walked. She looked up from her barely sparking shuriken looking a bit confused. "Hi?"
"Hey!" Naruto greeted with a wave.
Silence fell and Natsuyo's brows slowly raised—Naruto fake coughed as loud as he could. "Uh! Y'know uh… how you like, fused you Godai? Or something like that, right?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you do that! The whole fusing elements things… It's gonna help me with what I'm planning to do, y'know!"
Natsuyo blinked. "Mother said you need to be a Sage to get a Godai of your own, though."
"No, I don't want a Godai! I'm trying to do something else! But the whole fusion concept is the same between the both of them! I'd really appreciate it if you explain how it works, y'know!" He clapped his hands together and held them toward Natsuyo. "Please!"
She put her hand on Naruto's—he felt his nerves jump—and pushed them away from her. Despite that, she grinned at him. "Alright! So, usually two elements don't mix. Put fire and water together and they cancel out. Put water and earth together, you get mud, they don't evolve into anything new.
"The thing is, though, that Natural Energy is the glue that makes the two elements work in harmony. I'll admit, that it was easy for me since wind and fire are already compatible elements, so they work well together naturally. So, using Natural Energy to make harmonize them into coming together was easy, got it?"
Naruto nodded along. "Uh huh… so what you're saying is that when things don't work out, you can add something else to make it work!"
She smiled and nodded as well. "Yeah!"
"That's great!" Naruto yelled.
Natsuyo's grin grew. "It is!"
"Thanks so much!" Naruto said, clapping his hands together.
She laughed and clapped her hands to mirror him. "You're welcome!"
With his mind whirling, he jogged back to Jiraiya, giggling and scheming. "I think… I have an idea."
Jiraiya let out a belly laugh. "Oh? Is that right? Tell me all about it."
Just that Naruto did.
—
Finding Shinrai was hopeless. Kusari had been put right back in the village… there was no way she could track him with how far he was now. All she had to do was hope that the stars smiled upon him—they had to, it was his fate to return to Konoha alive. Hopefully that girl did too? They obviously had some sort of connection.
With a dejected sigh, all Kusari could do was wish the best for her teammate. Gosei was also out of the village, but so was his sister and his mother. It was safe to assume he didn't sneak out foolishly like Shinrai did. Or… she did.
What dejected her even more was the state the Hyuuga Compound was in. It was just… rubble, destruction, and more of both. She heard it was destroyed—but to this extent?! It was almost unfathomable… that her home could look like this.
She wasn't even in the state to be angry about it, it was just something else added onto the pile of dejection and depression that pinned her down with the weight of a billion sharp needles digging into her back. Every part of life made her not want to live it. Not that she was suicidal, no, she did not want to die.
In a time like this, it seemed that not living was the better option. Alas, she didn't have much of a choice. Even if she tried to kill herself, Kimimaro would stop that immediately. Could he read minds? Kusari wouldn't have been surprised.
But, she had things to worry about other than the state of the Hyuuga Compound, other than the state of her teammates, other than the state of her mind. It was the state of her brother. With her Byakugan, she saw that he was still in a coma. Wishful thinking… that he would've been awake by now.
For once in her life, however, she was glad to see Hinata. Shivua never was. Hinata was tending to Neji's injuries… and even Kusari couldn't deny that Hinata was a good medic. Neji was in good hands… even if those good hands weren't hers—even if they were Hinata's.
Seeing her brother with her Byakugan wasn't enough. She needed to be in his presence. With that, she began her walk to the makeshift camp for the injured in the Hyuuga Compound. It was one large tent, with candlelight and campfires illuminating the inside. The white sheet it was made of was too thick for the sun's light to pierce.
Kusari walked into the front entrance to see the many miniature tents inside the larger one, for privacy and additional shelter from the elements. With her Byakugan still active, it didn't take long for her to find where Hinata healed Neji.
She walked in. Bontena's presence reeked in the room, Hinata having her mark active. Shivua roared but Kusari shoved it down the best she could. There was already a chair set for her to sit in.
"Hello, Kusari," greeted Hinata as respectfully as ever.
Without Shivua's influence… Kusari realized how weak her disdain for the heiress actually was. It made her almost seem redeemable. "Hi," she greeted herself, sitting in her chair beside Neji. He looked… better than he was when she left. Most of the metal supporting his skeleton was gone and he could breathe without assistance.
"When is he going to wake up?" asked Kusari.
Hinata sighed, looking disappointed. "I cannot say."
Kusari cursed under her breath, clenching her fists.
"I'm sorry," apologized Hinata.
That apology pissed her off—it wasn't worth it. Kusari clenched her face with her hands, Shivua was screaming within her with Kusari fighting her off best she could. It was damn near futile. Her body was barely even her own.
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No! Take care of Neji…" she had to force herself not to scream at her.
Hinata pursed her lips and nodded. "Alright."
Silence passed, and Kusari swallowed Shivua like a rock down her throat. "What does fate mean to you?"
Hinata paused at the sudden question. "It is… a falsity that misguides our clan. Fate is not something to be relied on."
"Of course." Kusari rolled her eyes. "The mindset of a failure to deny fate."
"Is that not fair?" asked Hinata in return. "I was told that my fate was to save the Hyuuga Clan, I was told that my fate was to be a star of hope for generations of Hyuuga to look toward… how far has that come true? What reason do I have to believe in fate, when it has done nothing but fail me?"
"You have your White Eyes again, the Hyuuga Clan loves you again, you are what you once were," Kusari countered. "Is that not proof that fate prevailed?"
"How do I know that I won't fail again? How do I know that I won't lose my White Eyes and become the disappointment once again? I don't. I do not have the slightest idea of what's next for me. Of course, I hope that none of this happens—and I will try my hardest to ensure that it doesn't. But, that does not take away the possibility of it happening."
Kusari's eyes narrowed. Why did the words of Hinata give her hope—make her think that the fate etched into the stars for her would not come true? It was going to. That was that. "Then what do you think your fate is?"
Hinata went silent for a moment… before looking Kusari in the eyes, her White poignant. "If there is one thing that I would say is… guaranteed for me, it is to beat you."
A mere week ago, such a statement would've infuriated Kusari… but now… it relieved her. As a matter of fact, she almost wanted it to happen. It wasn't going to. But… Kusari let out the hardest sigh in her life as she started down at the tile floor. "Hinata," she began.
Her eyes widened a bit at the actual use of her name.
"Promise me this, please," continued Kusari, feeling Shivua scream within her—she was trembling.
Hinata nodded, paying the utmost attention to Kusari.
"If I ever become a genuine threat to the safety of the Hyuuga Clan, do not hesitate to kill me," she pleaded, shutting her eyes, holding her breath, swallowing her pride and tightening her fists to keep from shaking.
Stiffly, Hinata bowed her head. "You have my word."
Kusari allowed herself to breathe and relaxed her body. "Thank you."
"Of course," responded Hinata, staring at Kusari as she stood.
Without another word, Kusari left Neji's tent. The presence of Bontena was aggravating Shivua too much—she didn't trust what would've happened had she stayed any longer. What Kusari knew… what was undeniably inevitable… was that she had dominion over own fate.
She hoped.
She wished.
Kusari wished fate wasn't real.
—
"C'mon! Up!" Miya commanded, sternly, yet with all the care she could muster. With the roar of a dozen Shinobi, a slab of stone was erected upward, locking into the foundation that was built before. It was guided by Miya's Adamantine Chains. A cheer erupted out and Miya clapped for all of them. "Good work!" Her chains pointed at either side of the slab, showing the massive gap between it and the torn down village walls.
"We need to patch the holes in our walls as soon as possible! We have to minimize the security risk to our village!" Miya announced, projecting her voice so everyone could hear.
All of the Shinobi and construction workers cheered for her announcement. With the help of Miya and her Chains, they were able to erect an entire bottom layer of the outer wall in an hour. At every section of the destroyed wall, there was a clone of Miya helping to patch it. The one in the Hyuuga Clan was where she hoped to see Hinata… it'd been too long since she'd seen her student. Kiba, she saw often once she got outside of the office. The Inuzuka were ordered by Danzo to be the bulk of the village rebuilding effort, alongside the remaining Akimichi. Of course, there was her, who did a lot of the heavy lifting… literally.
She was the number one strongest person in the village, physically. Hell, she even beat Yosei in an arm wrestle a few months ago—granted she had to use Adamantine Mode, and Gai once he opened the gates was leagues ahead of her… when he was alive. But still. It was her duty to use everything she could to help the village.
But… she still didn't see Ryu at all.
Miya let out a sigh and—
"Oi! Miya! Long time no see!"
That voice stopped her in her tracks.
Slowly, she turned her head to see… "Dantai?!"
He grinned and twirled theatrically, a twinkle in his teeth. "The one and only!"
Keeping her Adamantine Chains active, she walked toward him and just… looked. Curly brown hair—messy as all hell. Amber eyes that were never up to any good, and a height that surpassed hers by a good margin.
It was Dantai.
In the flesh.
Alive.
"No…" she muttered, shaking her head as a genuine smile crossed her face. "What?!"
"What, what? What's up? Oh, nothing much, just showing everyone that my death was… greatly exaggerated," he muttered while examining his nails.
On instinct, Miya pulled him into a hug. It was him. He was real—the body she grasped was real. After a few seconds, she let go and smiled at him, letting out a disbelieving breath. "We are going to catch up later—mark my words, Dantai."
He laughed and twirled his curls. "Why not now?"
Miya pointed back to the constructed wall, while she controlled her Adamantine Chains without looking. "I'm busy right now!"
"Oh…! Makes sense! Why not let me help? I'm good at that sort of thing!" he suggested with a sly smirk.
Barely thinking, Miya nodded, smiling even harder. When was the last time she smiled like this? It hurt. "Great idea!"
"Okay!" agreed Dantai with both of them going back to the section of wall. "So, what's the game-plan?"
"What can you do?" asked Miya in return.
Dantai let out a breath. "Yin Style, lightning, lightening the mood? I dunno!"
"Hmm…" Miya considered. "Just help move the slabs into position!"
"Gotcha!" he said with a dutiful salute. Miya grinned at him—and the gusto that she helped rebuild the village with was increased tenfold. As she watched him work, watched him act… the fact that Dantai was alive became more and more surreal. It didn't feel real. This was the suspiciously best thing that happened to her since… ever?!
Someone she thought was dead just popped up out of nowhere.
Her gut told her to be suspicious but fuck… with how shitty everything else was, Miya was going to enjoy something. Enjoy that her friend was alive and… seemingly well.
—
Hours passed, and the sun began to set. Miya's work was done, so she finally had a chance to talk with Dantai truly, one on one. Of course, one of the first things to be built was a makeshift bar. She rarely drank, but according to Dantai, he hadn't had alcohol in years and was craving it.
It wasn't a proper bar by any means… just someone who could mix drinks and a bunch of scattered chairs with tables. Miya used her Earth Style to make an actual bar as a show of goodwill.
The first thing Dantai said as they sat down was, "I still can't believe you didn't tell me that you're the Hokage."
"Acting Hokage," Miya corrected, rolling her eyes. "I'll be out the office in a week."
He shrugged. "Yeah, Danzo's the one running the show anyway."
"...What?" Miya blinked, tilting her head. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, I used my Sharingan to read your mind and see what the fuck's going on," he answered casually, taking a sip of his sake and letting out a breath of satisfaction. Miya looked to his eyes and saw… no Sharingan.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Miya asked, seriously.
Dantai cackled and spilled a bit of his drink. "I'm joking. I just noticed how the village is being run… I know Danzo's handiwork when I see it."
"I forgot how smart you were—are," Miya muttered with a chuckle. She held her sake in her hands, shaking the bottle irritably.
Dantai scoffed, looking hurt. "Aw, that was the best part about me!"
"Honestly, yeah…" Miya shook her head. "I still remember when you beat Shikaku in Shogi that one time."
"It wasn't just once," Dantai corrected. "We went back and forth all the time. I won six hundred and seventy-eight games, and he won six hundred and sixty-nine."
"...You still remember the exact number?"
"How else am I going to stay entertained in one of Orochimaru's cages?"
Miya frowned. "Fair enough…"
"Anyway, I really wanted to ask you something."
She looked him in the eyes and his amber was hard and analytical. "The hell happened between you and Ryu?"
It felt like a mace was just launched into her chest. "Ah…"
"I went to go find him first, and he was just acting all depressed and shit in a forest. Of course, I made him realize that being a depressed dickwad isn't going to do him any good. But, he also kinda blamed you? He also refused to come here and talk to you! Since he already didn't look to be feeling good, I didn't wanna push him.
"But you look perfectly fine so I don't care about ruining your mood!"
"I wish," she muttered, shaking her head. In about three seconds, she downed an entire bottle of sake. Dantai looked alarmed before remembering that she was an Uzumaki. Would she even be able to hold this conversation completely sober? Probably not. "Uh… Y'know how I didn't really… talk to him after Orochimaru deserted."
Dantai nodded along.
"I…" Miya winced. "It stayed that way for too long. I guess I couldn't just get over myself. Every time I saw him it was like I was living a nightmare. I hated seeing him, but I love him like I did nobody else. Time went by so fast without seeing him that I didn't even notice that it went away… I just hated the thought of having to see him.
"A few months ago, when we both got our Genin Teams, we ended up talking again. Things were looking up… then Orochimaru came back."
Dantai huffed. "Yeah, he was the one who organized this attack on Konoha in the first place."
Miya's brows furrowed. "All of it?"
"All his idea, yep. You overhear a lot of things as a prisoner, surprisingly enough. Coordinated all of those hidden villages, just to destroy Konoha."
Miya scowled. "Right…" she shook her head. "He invaded the Chunin Exams… Ryu wanted to go after him. After what happened last time… I didn't trust him. I can't trust him. He didn't listen, so I forced him to, I made him stay when he wanted to go.
"That pissed him off. A lot. We had a big argument and well… haven't talked since, truly." Miya shook her head and sighed. "He's more entrenched in the Kyuubi's power than ever before… he's more of a possible threat than he ever was before. It's too late—there's no point in trying to help him because he's not going to listen."
The world weighed on her as she hung her head. "It's my fault… If I was a stronger person, a better woman, then maybe none of this would've happened. It's the past, it's done. I can't change it. I just have to be stronger for everyone else… since I couldn't be for Ryu."
"Interesting," Dantai muttered. "Well, that's a bad word, uh… fuck me I guess. Sorry? Yeah! That's the word! I'm sorry that happened."
"It's fine…" Miya rolled her eyes.
Dantai grinned. "Don't worry about Ryu! I'll put him back on the right track!"
All Miya did was look at him—she looked sorry. "I wish I could believe you."
"Wow, you have no faith in him, don't you?"
Miya shrugged, wishing that she had more alcohol to consume. Slowly, Dantai slid his half drunken drink toward her. She looked at him dubiously. Dantai pushed it closer to her. She grabbed it and chugged that one as well.
Sake didn't even taste good.
"If you don't believe he'll get better, do you think he'll get worse?"
"I hope not."
"What if he does?" Dantai pushed. "What if he does become a genuine threat to Konoha? Would you be prepared to deal with him—"
Miya glared. "Don't fucking say that. It won't get to that point."
"What part of me thought it would get to the point where Itachi would snap and massacre the Uchiha Clan?" Dantai countered, a seething hatred behind his amber eyes. "Look where we are."
Miya mixed a frown with a scowl and looked away.
"Ryujin falls victim to the Kyuubi. Are you prepared to kill him?"
Miya's blood went cold at the question.
"I would've called Itachi a friend before the Uchiha Massacre. If it meant stopping the massacre, if it meant saving Miruni, then I would kill him a thousand times. How many times would you kill Ryu if it really came down to it?"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Miya yelled.
Dantai's look stayed flat. "I'm asking you a question. I want you to answer it. I need to measure this situation."
"Is this another one of your ploys?! What's your endgame here?!"
"A world where family doesn't have to kill each other. Now, Miya, please answer."
She thought of Shinrai, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba—if Ryu would dare hurt any of them. She already had Shino and Gai ripped from her—that was never going to happen again.
"I would."
"How many times?"
"As many as I need to."
Miya never felt colder at the answering of a question. Honestly, she wished that if it came down to it, that it was Yosei or anybody but her that would have to be one to kill Ryu. It wouldn't get to that point— but… Ryu was the monster that her countless failures created. The only person that was meant to stop him… it had to have been her.
It wouldn't come down to that. Miya knew it wouldn't.
Dantai chuckled, putting his hands up. "Thanks…" he stood from his seat and left a wad of ryo on the bar. "That was a great first date between us, dontcha think?"
"What?" Miya questioned, looking at him incredulously.
Dantai blinked. "Huh? What? I said nothing. Anyway, uh, goodbye! Best first day back in Konoha ever."
With that, he scurried out of the bar, leaving Miya alone with two empty sake bottles and a wad of cash. Miya picked it up and examined it. "Where the hell did he even get this?"
She sighed and let out an incredulous, surprisingly off putting laugh. I'm losing my mind… After paying the bartender, she left to go… wherever she had to sleep. It was a different shelter each night.
After today… Miya needed it.
—
The sun only barely started to set. Evening faded the blue of the sky as Shinrai and Karin flickered through the trees. Despite their earlier battle, both of them were completely fine. It was the magic of Karin's special chakra.
Before long, Karin flickered to the ground and touched the grass with her hand. Shinrai stopped beside her and furrowed his brow.
With a long, quaking breath, she said, "We're here." A flash of her chakra and the ground split open, revealing a torchlit staircase, with purple stone walls etched like snakeskin.
Karin gulped and stood back, standing next to Shinrai. He peered into the darkness with his Sharingan eyes, clenching his fists as he took a deep, long, breath. "This is it."
Once they stepped foot in this cave, there was no going back.
At once, Karin and Shinrai looked into each other's eyes. Scarlet reflected in the rose. Both of them inched their faces toward the other's before stopping. They peered—their eyes closed and their lips met. Karin and Shinrai held the kiss, not for long.
Their lips separated and they looked down into the corridor.
They took their first steps into hell together.
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