Seals of Fate

Back once more. Started writing on 4/23/2020 at 12:41 pm.

Hey, if any of you are artists, I would like to commission a cover for this fic. Message me if you're interested or know someone who might be interested.

We see the debut of a fan favorite characters, one I like as well but not as much as others.

Apparently, I lied when I said it was going to be monthly between chapters.

Fair warning, thing get a little dark in this one, towards the end.

Note: (5/7/2020) this is written as I approach the end of writing and editing for this chapter. This I feel needs to be said. A little bit about myself, I live at home with my mom and step-father. Just over two years ago, in April of 2018, right before I graduated high school, my mother and step father adopted a little Yorkshire Terrier named Hope who was barely a year old and needed to be re-homed. She was a mess, rambunctious, loud, barked at things for no reason, would pee on places she wasn't, would leave "gifts" all over the place, would growl at you if she laid on or next to you and forced her to move after she got comfortable, and did things that would have others take her back. But we loved her, and she loved us. All she wanted was for us to pay attention to her and we were more than happy to provide it. We called her little girl, a demon dog, the little gift giver, the littlest beggar because of how loudly she would beg us for our meals even though she had her own food and water bowls that never went empty if we could help it, the little shit which needs no explanation considering her behavior which I have told you about, Hopey-Dopey, the little heathen dog by my step-father for her loudly barking and begging during prayers at meals, and the literal definition of the word bitch because a week after getting her she went into heat. Early in Hope's life with us, in the summer following my graduation, she swallowed a pill I take at night to go to sleep due to ADHD that had fallen to the floor. We were able to get her to an animal clinic and they were able to save her that time. Today started normally, my mom had a dentist appointment at 2pm and it was 1:30. She opened the puppy gate that separated the house and kept Hope on the side of the house she knew how to somewhat behave in. Hope ran through and ran down the hall to my room to see me, but she slipped and slammed into the wall. She fell to the floor and curled up slightly before going completely motionless as me and my mom called to her before noticing the blood pooling beneath her head. We rushed to get help to try and save her, and rushed her to an animal clinic. Hope didn't make it. An x-ray showed that she snapped her neck. By 3:30 my step father got home and by 3:57 we had her buried in the back yard next to the graves of my step father's other two dogs, both black labs. This was the second time my mom lost a Yorkie to circumstance. Hope was 3, almost 4, years old at the most and we lost her to a freak accident. The grief and reality didn't truly hit me till we had her body in the hole and my step father began burying her. My point is freak accidents can take anything away from us in an instant. So cherish who or what you have while you have it and once it is gone be able to reminisce about the good times. That is the only reason I'm able to write right now despite constantly expecting Hope to do things that I have grown used to her doing only to remember that she is dead now thanks to an accident is because I choose to focus on the good times we had with her rather than the extremely shit ending to it all that felt like a freak nightmare that I will wake up from at any moment only to realize that it isn't going to happen. In honor of a good little girl, who will be sorely missed, I choose to do this.

In Loving Memory of:

Hope Bliss

(Day and month of birth unknown, only know it was late in the year), 2016- May 7, 2020

I love you little girl, and I sure will miss you. But I will never forget the joy you brought to both me and your mommy and daddy.

May you rest in peace, Hope.

This chapter is dedicated to you, Hope. I will put a little sendoff to you in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Wish I did. Though it's probably for the best that I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 9

Calm at Twilight

Akatsuki meeting room

The day of Daybreak

2 hours following the retreat order

Within the confines of the cave beneath Amegakure that had been refurbished into Akatsuki's meeting hall, a gathering of phantoms began to convene.

The phantoms of the nine who made up the current Akatsuki formed first in a circle around the room, before being followed by an additional three in the center of the room.

Pain noticed the tension and dread that hung in some of the members in charge of the invasions and decided that answers were needed: "Report. First the Taki mission, then the operation in Suna, and lastly the Konoha attack."

The ones tied to each nodded.

Kakuzu spoke for himself and Hidan: "We lost the majority of the army we put together to invade Taki. Most were lost trying to get in. The rest who died did so trying to take the village. When we got control of the village, nothing was where it was supposed to be. No Forbidden Scroll, no Jinchuriki, no Funds, and not even their standard Jutsu Scroll. We searched everywhere. Eventually we looked through documents and found that Taki had used all of it funds to pay owed debts and then distributed it to allies. We don't know who exactly and how much each. The jinchuriki was nowhere to be found alongside the scrolls. We tortured the leader Shibuki for information and he revealed everything, saying it was already too late. The Jinchuriki and the scrolls were taken to Konoha by one its best jonins. They knew we were coming for them and sent them away almost a week before we attacked. They'll be arriving in the Leaf soon."

Pain was displeased but nodded: "You did destroy Taki as we wanted. While that last bit is displeasing, we should have predicted that such a large army of Missing Nin would have been detected especially by one as vigilant as Takigakure. You will not be punished, this failure was not on you."

Pain spoke again: "Suna operation, report."

Sasori nodded: "I did as was instructed alongside my partner. We thought about attempting to breach the village and abduct the Jinchuriki but decided against it for other reasons. Suna was too focused on us to notice anything from Konoha or Taki. We both escaped as you can see by our associate's presence here."

Pain nodded: "Very well, we will take the Ichibi another time. Konoha operation, report."

Zetsu and Tobi looked at each other almost asking one another who wanted to give it before Zetsu volunteered. "Well let's start with what went right. The Uchiha have been eliminated down to about five or six confirmed survivors. Oh yes, and we took a reasonable chunk out of their shinobi forces. We were able to acquire Orochimaru's payment. Tobi was able to get in and extract Danzo, but since the recruit is here, you probably already figured that part. But the bad news is we were unable to obtain any of the Jinchurikis. Oh yes that, and we were unable to acquire any of the payment for Nanashi, we were unable to find it. The losses we inflicted were big but not debilitating to the village's strength. We didn't manage to kill any major shinobi from the village. And the Cherry on top to this disgusting mess is that out of a group of forty-two shinobi, Tobi included, only four managed to return. But the fact that we managed to pull of what we did can be traced to Moyo-kun's excellent leadership when our plan went belly-up."

Nanashi's air became one of annoyance when Zetsu mentioned the mission's failure to acquire his payments while Orochimaru's eyes went wide and he began licking his lips in excitement and anticipation at the confirmation that his payment was acquired.

Pain took in and let out a breath in a way that could almost be considered a sigh before he nodded: "I see, I suppose we can make do for now with Orochimaru's pet project rather than the actual Kyubi, Sanbi, Nibi, Nanabi, or Ichibi for now. Moyo's assistance on multiple occasions has been noted to be excellent. He was up for consideration already and this mission was the final test to prove his viability for candidacy. Based on what you have said, Moyo has proven himself." Pain looked towards Konan.

Konan nodded: "You three each bring something unique to the table and have been vital assets to our operation in the past or have offered to be of such assistance. Moyo, Uchiha Shin, and Hoshigake Kisame. All three of you have proven worthy to be part of our plan. Welcome to Akatsuki."

Shin removed his hood to reveal a head shaved and covered in Sharingan eyes that gave him 360 degree eye sight, with one eye in his natural eye socket that was a Mangekyo stitched permanently wide open. His pale skin was clearly noticeable but the bandaging covering one of his arms was also very much noticeable even in hologram form. "I look forward to working among this organization, Pain-sama. The human race has begun stagnating and I intend to correct that, especially now that I have my right arm back from Danzo with all the modifications he made to it."

Kisame grinned with the ferocity of a shark at his work towards making his world of truth a reality, while his sword Samehada the Shark Skin Greatsword writhed in anticipation for the opponents they would be facing. "Heh, heh. This will be fun."

Moyo grinned behind his white mask with black chain decaling, Sharingans glowing with excitement: 'Kudo and Mai is all that is left of your black flames Zetsu, and I will see them snuffed out if they continue to resist me. By keeping your promise, you have allowed me to get into a position to bargain with potential allies. When the Makayu begin writing their history, I believe it will start many years ago, but today shall be noted as the day rebellion began.'

Moyo spoke after he had finished his thought: "It will be an honor to serve you Pain-sama."

Pain nodded and spoke again: "We are currently looking at one more member, a ninja from Iwa's Explosion Release wielding Basu Clan named Deidara, nicknamed the Mad Bomber. He is considered to be one of the best users of the Basu Clan's explosive arts. We believe he will be defecting in the next 2-4 years. When we approach him, we will set the permanent two man team assignments. Kisame, head to Ancestors and meet up with Moyo at his people's hideout. You will be the first permanent two man team unless something drastic happens. Considering Kakuzu and Hidan's success and their temperaments, they will be permanent partners as well."

Moyo and Kisame both nodded: "Of course Pain-sama." While Kakuzu and Hidan both grumbled about Pain's additional announcement.

Kisame spoke to Moyo: "Well, well, Moyo-san. It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other. I have got personal stuff to take care of, then I will be heading to the Land of Ancestors. I should be heading that way in about 2 or 3 weeks."

Moyo nodded: "Of course. Take all the time you need, Kisame-san."

Kisame smiled: "Oho, it looks to me like we shall be getting along just fine."

Pain addressed the entire gathering: "Anything else we need to discuss? Unless so, this meeting is adjourned."

And the phantoms disappeared from the room.

Above in Amegakure

In a room in the basement of Pain's Tower

Nagato and Konan both awoke from the Body Lantern technique. Both groaned from having to readjust to their stiffened bodies.

"Nagato, Konan. Are you two alright?" a man asked.

Nagato responded: "We're fine Shigure. Just need a moment after releasing the technique."

Shigure nodded. He was a middle aged shinobi of Ame, who had brown eyes and black hair, with a strong build. He was one of the few who never used honorifics or titles to refer to The Rinnegan bearer or the Paper Angel. He wore the standard Ame uniform, but over it he wore the uniform of Yahiko's Akatsuki.

The man was older than his leaders and their deceased friend but he had been one of the first to join them when the trio established the original incarnation of Akatsuki. His loyalty to the old Akatsuki saw him to rejoin what he managed to salvage of the old organization with what Konan and Nagato were now building. He now served as Ame's head Jonin.

A new voice sounded: "Father, is everything alright?"

A young man and woman walked into the room where Nagato's mech stood.

Shigure responded: "Arashi, Suzume. There is nothing wrong." He said to his children.

The boy, Arashi nodded. The boy had been assigned to be Nagato's personal bodyguard, to protect him from any and all harm that may attempt to assault the Rinnegan Holder while his attention was divided by the Six Paths of Pain.

Suzume, the girl, was a medic who was assigned to help with the treatment of Nagato's body due to degradation due to his paralysis. Helping to preserve his muscles and overall health in case a way to restore his lower body's motor functions was found. Thanks to her efforts since being assigned, Nagato had only suffered minimal degradation to his body and had begun to reverse some of the worst of the emaciation and muscle damage that had begun to set in.

Both did their jobs silently, without fanfare nor expectance of thanks, and with efficiency. Nagato had begun to truly appreciate their efforts. Every little bit helped ensured that Konan had less to worry about.

Anything that help to lift the burden off her shoulders he was fine with. Konan was the last person that he truly cared about that was still alive.

Nagato briefly closed his eyes and focused to begin sensing through the Jutsu attached to the endless rain above Amegakure. The scope was limited by him not being able to extend the sensing radius past a 7 kilometer radius around the fortified Hidden Village. He hoped that one day he could use the Rain Sensing jutsu as a means to transmit chakra to the Six Paths of Pain, but at his present skill he was unable to.

Nagato searched for a while to find what he was looking for and eventually he found something out of place. "Zetsu has been poking his head into Ame."

Konan responded: "It's been almost a decade since we began our partnership with Zetsu and Tobi and I still feel as though it is a mistake to trust them. They're hiding something. They have always been hiding something. Tobi claims he's Madara but then we got that tip a week ago claiming that he was lying and Zetsu has always had a look in his eye suggesting that he doesn't see us as equals, superiors, or even subordinates. Never mind that the letter we got warning us about Tobi also warned against trusting Zetsu."

Nagato nodded: "I know, Konan. I know. We need to keep our eyes open for any evidence for or against Tobi and Zetsu."

Nagato turned towards Arashi: "Whoever is due to guard the room's entrance next, get them on duty. Go home and rest. I need this chamber under constant guard in case Zetsu or Tobi one decide to kill me."

Arashi nodded: "As you wish Nagato-sama."

Nagato turned to Shigure and continued: "I was lucky that Tobi and Zetsu both bought my story about the new modifications to Ame's defenses and infrastructure being able to prevent Zetsu from entering using Mayfly was an accident and not intentional. But I cannot rely on luck always and Tobi has that blasted Kamui technique. I need someone to start combing both our Fuinjutsu library and the unwritten knowledge of our Fuinjutsu division for anything that may have been developed for blocking any form of space time technique."

Shigure nodded: "As you wish Nagato."

The two men left while Konan sat down as Suzume began her daily check up on Nagato's condition.

Concurrently in the Mountains' Graveyard.

Once Tobi had retrieved the hybrids and sent them to the Land of Ancestors, then he return to the hideout in the Mountains' Graveyard, a mountain region flooded with giant bones.

This large region was the final resting place to many of the great summons. Toads, Snakes, Slugs, Salamanders, Ant-Lions, Hawks. It didn't matter.

All summons who were near the end of their lives and they knew it and came here had come to die in peace.

Beneath the ground lied a huge tunnel network that surfaced in every country that made up the Elemental Nations. But the largest of them led to Ancestors.

Within this network lied Tobi's lab for certain things, the Gedo Mazo statue that was pertinent to the plan, and the White Zetsu flower. White Zetsu Clones attended to both the statue and the flower while attempting to harvest enough chakra from what wandered into the region until the first Biju could be sealed into the Gedo Mazo to begin larger production of new White Zetsu.

There was an eyrie sense of peace penetrating the entire area despite the threat that laid underneath it.

That was why Tobi chose to come here whenever he had nothing to attend to.

But that peace was doing little to help Tobi at the moment.

The moment he was released from the Body Lantern technique, one of the migraines that had been plaguing him since the fight with that damned Minato had hit.

They were absolute agony. And worse they would agitate the numerous scars that covered his face leading to greater pain.

However, the pain on the surface seemed to focus on the scar that bisected his face.

But the worst was the voices that would emerge as well. He couldn't tell how many there were in total, but he could definitely tell that there was two who were far louder than the rest and sounded similar to his own voice in different ways. Whenever the voices started, he always heard them unlike the others who came and went.

But now they were torturing him.

How could we do anything like what you have done? The gruff, elder sounding voice asked.

Why do we even bother? You know Zetsu is using you. The younger and world weary voice said.

"Shut up! I am the great Uchiha Madara and I will not be tortured by voices in my head!" Tobi responded.

The elder of the two voices responded: Are you sure that you truly are Madara? You could be being strung along by Zetsu because it is to his benefit to have you play that role.

The younger of the two posed his own line of thought: Maybe you're a clone of him and you have been lied to. Maybe Namikaze gave you amnesia and the memories that held were ones that seemed to point to you being Madara, when really you were a clone or his apprentice.

A part of Tobi wanted to stop fighting as if it had been convinced but he held strong: "Shut up!"

Both voices answered: Very well. We shall leave you alone for now, but we shall return.

The voices all went silent and then the pain began to recede.

Tobi was left with only himself and his own thoughts.

Xxx

The Land of Wind

Sunagakure, the Village hidden by the Sand

3 hours following the Retreat order for Daybreak

Among the desert ninja village they had legends and great shinobi.

The current Kazekage Rasa was considered to be amongst the best his generation had produced. The village held high hopes for his children, except for one of them.

Gaara of the Desert, bearer of the Magnet Release Bloodline and the Ichibi, unloved by all except himself.

Ever since his childhood, people had sought to end him and his existence. Though thankfully he had been protected by both his sand and his 'mother.'

Any threat to his wellbeing was dealt with by the sand while additional strength besides his own and the ability to function despite not being able to sleep was provided by the Ichibi.

No one cared for him, not his older siblings, not their father, not the people of the village, not his uncle before he attempted to murder him and ended up completely breaking Gaara's desire to not be a monster, and, according to the man's last words, not even his own mother as she pronounced him to be her dying curse on Suna.

Day in and day out, Gaara's life and purpose had become killing to maintain the proof of his existence. Each kill strip away that of his victim and gave it to him.

Gaara would never admit to anyone, but there was more than the monster he had become in his mind broken insanity. He knew there was a large void in his life that no amount of blood or proof of his existence could possibly fill. He also found others abusing those who they knew to be better than them in order to feel better about themselves to be abhorrent and so did 'Mother.' They were among the few that she would never cry for the blood of, lowly growling that they weren't even worth the effort.

Gaara had once questioned 'Mother' about why she hated those bullies so much and her only response was to the effect of that she had asshole older brothers who thought themselves better than her and thus made fun of her.

However unknown to Gaara, the voice of his mother was a bit too real for any seal master to be comfortable with. The voice he had been communicating with was not the voice of his mother, but rather the Ichibi pretending to be her.

Some people in Suna had forgotten the fact that mankind didn't know where he and the other Biju came from, only that they had been around far longer than the concept of shinobi and ninjutsu.

Shukaku, as the Ichibi had been called by his father, used to believe in mankind's potential to reach for Hagoromo-tou-san's dream. But when the humans decided they would rather fight and kill one another over petty things, he became disgusted with them real quick.

It was one of the few times he and Kurama completely agreed on something and that something needed to be done, as well as how to do it.

The two brothers began killing humans, trying to purge those attitudes from humans by acting as nature's wrath and judgement given form.

It worked for a time, but then humans decided to keep on killing one another, instead of trying to figure out how to solve the problem with the two Biju peacefully.

After a time, Kurama gave up completely, deciding to keep to himself and only kill those who came after him and refused to leave when he gave them the chance to do so.

Shukaku kept on killing. But when he tried to stop, he realized that he had gained a taste for it. He had become addicted to the slaughter.

It was like the old story about the beast who killed man tasted their blood and meat, no taste was ever quite as sweet again.

Eventually, some of the people who lived in the desert he made his home in managed to capture and seal him inside one of their own, creating his first jinchuriki.

The guy wasn't bad, Shukaku was willing to admit that he was alright, had some views on humanity that Shukaku could agree with and respect.

However a new level of hatred was inspired in the Tanuki a few Jinchurikis later. The people began to ostracize that Jinchuriki because something happened and he went on a rampage.

What came after was something Shukaku had experienced before and came to despise: being blamed, hated, and demonized for something you had no control over. It wasn't something he would wish on his worst enemy.

He had hated it when his siblings bullied him for his intelligence compared to some of them and for his bloodthirst, but this was even worse.

When the people who had imprisoned him joined with a few other clans to form Suna, Shukaku thought that maybe the world was starting to change for the better.

He came to see that it was partly right, it was changing but not for the better.

Suna did nothing to stop the treatment of his Jinchurikis.

The one who had it worse was Bunpaku. One of the few Jinchurikis of his who Shukaku thought was worth remembering. A Wind Monk from a Monastery that practiced an altered form of the Ninja Arts that were far more in line with Father's dream. Where he was given hatred, belittlement, and demonization for what he had been chosen to hold, he gave back love, humor, understanding, and did it all with good cheer even if he wanted to break down crying. Even when they imprisoned him for doing his duty, he still never broke and became what they thought he was.

Shukaku looked at the man's soul and saw the ideals Hagoromo-tou-san envisioned.

When Shukaku told him as much, Bunpaku broke down crying stating that everything he believed in had been validated with one sentence from another tortured soul.

When Bunpaku passed, Shukaku mourned him. But then his hatred was made even worse by the folktale that emerged regarding Shukaku and Bunpaku. The people had decided that Bunpaku was a monster that was imprisoned and destroyed, but his evil was so great that the Shinigami couldn't take him, so he reincarnated as the Ichibi.

Shukaku felt his hatred soar and decided that his bloodthirst had been suppressed long enough, if mankind was willing to spit on a life as pure as Bunpaku's, then mankind was truly beyond saving and thus utterly without hope.

But then there was his current Jinchuriki Gaara. The boy had a messed up seal from his father having the Biju sealed inside of him while he was still in the womb. The strain caused the boy to be born prematurely and lead to his mother's death. Shukaku didn't know much more than that, but he knew something strange was going on. He didn't control the sand that sought to protect Gaara from all harm, but something did. He could almost feel another presence or chakra controlling the automatic defense, but anytime he drew close to figuring it out with his limited ability to traverse Gaara's mindscape, the presence would vanish.

Something in the story that he and Gaara had heard didn't add up.

'It probably would be easy to figure out if this damn seal hadn't been completely fucked up!'the creature thought to itself.

Even if the seal was proper to contain Shukaku and contain him entirely within the seal and lock off his limited ability to traverse Gaara's mindscape, his mind at least would be able to rest properly and then he might be able to make things add up.

Gaara was the perfect pawn for Shukaku to manipulate, the inability to sleep had led to a rather unique temperament and a mild delirium that could be easily taken advantage of, but the more he looked at Gaara, the more he saw himself staring back.

Gaara was very young when the two first met face to face. Shukaku could have done more to put the boy under his thrall, but he settled for warning him to not fall asleep.

Shukaku wondered for a while about why he did that and came to the conclusion that he was getting sentimental.

But now he saw a bunch of older kids bullying a young girl.

Shukaku could tell with his sensing that the older kids were already genin. But one look at the girl told him that she was already as skilled as them, while still being an academy student.

He could tell she was a student because she lacked any discernible signs that she had been forced to kill yet, either out of necessity or a simple desire to.

The older ones were genin who wouldn't go far, but this girl had potential and could reach higher than them and they knew it. They hated it and they wanted to crush her for it so she couldn't outshine them when her career began. Pest like that weren't worth killing.

It was far more poetic to let them live and force them to see that potential become realized. Even if Shukaku hated poetry.

Gaara's thoughts interrupted Shukaku's own: 'Mother, should I kill them?' feeling his Biju's outrage.

NO! THESE ARE VERMIN! THEY ARE NOT WORTH KILLING! They should be made to scurry like the pest they are. The Biju started screaming before responding with cold, dark venom.

'Understood.' Gaara droned in his thoughts.

Childish yet cruel taunts could be heard clearly as the unstable Jinchuriki approached the vermin.

"She couldn't even…" one of them began before a wave of killing intent washed over the group. One they knew already.

The tormentors turned around slowly to see a boy younger than them but one they knew to fear. A face that was normally stoic and unreadable had the frown that he usually wore made noticeably larger.

"G-G-G-GAARA!" one of them screamed.

His intent was nauseating and overwhelming but they somehow managed to have the food in their stomachs remain in them and remain standing on their feet under it.

"Vermin. That's what you are. Vermin. You see what is better than you will ever be, something that will be greater than you will ever be, and you seek to have it torn down out of jealousy so that you won't be outshined due to your own weakness. I see something that I would normally turn into a pile of corpses. It would be an easy task but you are not worth that effort. Scurry away like the vermin you are. I have a good memory for faces that anger me. If I see you doing this again, the sands will be red with your blood." The small redhead spoke in near monotone.

The tormentors nodded fearfully and ran off.

The girl remained on the ground and appeared to be confused with a slight tinge of red covering her cheeks.

Gaara spoke: "I advise you stay away from me. I may have helped you now but that was because of the vermin. Next time might be very different and end with your blood staining the sand." Before he turned and walked away.

The girl stared for a moment before getting up.

She had heard about Gaara, a monster who killed anyone.

She always thought a monster would have been much bigger than her, that a monster would kill anyone he could, and that monster would never help someone who was being bullied.

The monster everyone warned her about was about her size, spared the bullies that were tormenting her and herself as well, and scared off the bullies because what they were doing disgusted him.

That last one definitely didn't sound like what a monster would do. That sounded like what an actual human being would do.

There was a coldness to his eyes but there seemed to be something else there too.

She heard his speech to the tormentors and heard what he thought about her. That she could be better than what those jerks could ever hope to be. She had never openly received that kind of praise before, only being told that she was inferior to someone else at something. But then the vicious monster actually said something nice about her to the contrary.

Maybe Gaara wasn't all bad. If they were wrong about him being a completely heartless monster, then what else did everyone say about him that was also wrong?

If there was enough good in him to do that, then how much more was buried under the surface?

She felt a certain heat on her face that definitely didn't come from the desert heat and a felt a feeling inside that she couldn't quite identify.

Before she could think on the sensations further, a classmate caught up to her: "Oi, Matsuri. You alright?"

Matsuri turned and her thoughts drifted away from Suna's supposed local monster and over to her classmate: "Yes, I am fine Taiya-san. Just thinking about someone. Someone great."

The girl who possessed green hair named Taiya rose an eye brow at that statement's end but shrugged: "Whatever. Just thought I would ask because I saw those jerks picking on you again."

Matsuri bowed: "Thank you for being concerned enough to actually check up on me."

The green haired girl held up her hand: "No problem, but you don't have to be so stiff and formal all the time. Hell, if anything I should be considering who my mom is."

Matsuri nodded. "I don't think she would mind you being a little less…"

Taiya cut in and spoke: "Crude? Outspoken? Disrespectful?" she kept on running down the list.

Matsuri didn't know quite how to answer but eventually she said "Y-yes."

Taiya shrugged: "Eh, whatever. I don't care. Hey Matsuri, want to go get a bite to eat?"

Matsuri responded: "I would be happy to." Matsuri was happy because it seemed someone was noticing her but not so that they could torment her.

Taiya nodded: "Let's go."

Matsuri followed but was lost in thought: 'Today the village monster stood up for me and I think I made a friend in Taiya. I never thought my life would actually turn out this way. I think things are finally looking up for me. Gaara has a coldness to him that I have never experienced before and yet felt eerily similar to what I felt at the academy with no real friends, but I really want to help him. I know that he is supposed to be our Ichibi jinchuriki and that his father is the Kazekage but I really don't know who Gaara is beyond what he shows to everyone. That doesn't matter. I WILL find answers and I will never stop trying to reach through to him.'

Matsuri went wide eyed and spoke to her new friend: "Taiya-san, do you know anything about what Gaara was like before he started killing people?"

Taiya nodded sadly. "Yeah, my mom used to take me to see him back when his uncle was still alive and took care of him. I was never close to him but I could tell something was tearing him apart. I only found out later that he had the Ichibi in him. He had always been killing people except early on it was just anyone who attacked him with the intent to kill him from what I heard, but then his uncle went crazy and attack the poor kid with the intent to kill him. He said something and it broke Gaara and then he started killing anyone who looked at him funny."

Matsuri's eyes went to the ground: "Oh."

Taiya asked: "Why the sudden interest in him?"

Matsuri's cheeks went slightly red before she responded: "Those three bullies who were harassing me earlier were scared off by him."

Taiya nodded: "Yeah I have heard about him doing stuff like that before."

Matsuri asked: "Do you think there is more to him then the killer he chooses to be?"

Taiya shrugged. "I don't know honestly. I would like to think that but everything shows that he has learned to enjoy bloodshed. But on the other hand you have stuff like him scaring off bullies and sparing some people that really make you wonder."

Matsuri spoke with determination: "I believe that he is more than a killer. More than a monster. I want to reach out and help to show it to everyone. His name means to be unloved by everyone except himself, but I want to prove it wrong."

Taiya stopped walking and looked Matsuri straight in the eye: "That is a tall order. After everything that has happened, I don't think Gaara wants to be helped, nor saved from what he has become. It might be impossible."

Matsuri met her gaze and spoke: "Maybe. But we won't know until I try. Even if I fail the first time I will try again, and again, and again, and so on until I have saved him or died trying."

The gaze held for what felt like a few minutes before Taiya started smiling: "If that's how you feel, then be my guest. Who knows, if that kind of iron clad determination is what you feel about this, then maybe, just maybe you might be able to reach through to him. I'll help how I can."

Matsuri smiled: "Thank you!"

Taiya nodded: "Sure, what are friends for."

And the two continued to walk through the streets of Suna.

Matsuri thought only one thing: 'I really have a friend now. Maybe reaching through to Gaara won't be as difficult as I thought it would be.'

Xxx

Konoha

Hokage Tower

The Hokage's office

8 hours following the end of Daybreak

Within the cramped confines of the Hokage's office a gathering stood.

The Hokage, his advisors and former teammates Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, his head ANBU Guard which was Tenzo, and the Clan Heads, including the newly named Uchiha Mikoto.

The Uchiha Matriarch stood tall and calm despite the devastating losses she had just suffered earlier that day.

The Hokage spoke: "So, what was our losses?"

Koharu spoke: "Considering the suddenness of the attack and the damage that could have been done, they are not as bad as it could have been."

Homura spoke: "Very much so. However numbers must be stated. We lost almost 200 Uchiha Shinobi and with them, we lost our military police. Civilian casualties' number stood at about 60 last time I checked the confirmed ones. Most of the other clans suffered minor losses, about 15 to 20 each, not surprising if it was a distracting action. The Hyuga were hit slightly harder by the masked shinobi, we believe they were looking for someone or something rather than just trying to prevent attention to what they were really after. We have confirmed 30 active members of the Hyuga as casualties, but we should let the Hyuga head speak for the rest."

Koharu nodded, and the mass parted to let two figures through. However neither was Hiashi, it was Hitomi and Hizashi.

Hitomi spoke first: "We have confirmed the deaths of all members to our council of elders excluding Hideki due to being held in a remote secure holding cell till all possible operations he had authorized had been thoroughly investigated and all evidence for and against his involvement had been gathered and documented. I would explain why Hiashi is not here, but I believe the one who was there and witnessed it should explain."

Hizashi nodded: "Hiashi and I worked hard to expel the attackers from the compound and we were alerted by one of our clansmen to a group who had made it in but one was still amongst the living while the rest had been killed. We moved to where the girl said they were heading in the direction of and we found the council of elders dead, each one from a stab wound, but none that should be immediately lethal. We went on alert but the masked assassin managed to get the drop on us with the Hiding with Camouflage Jutsu. He stabbed Hiashi in the back with a kunai covered in a poison that I had never seen before. I managed to disable and kill him before he could get away. Hitomi found us and managed to purge most of the poison from her husband using her medical training."

Hitomi nodded and motioned to her brother in law that she would take it from here: "I managed to stabilize him enough to get Hiashi to the hospital for better treatment. One of the medics managed to fully purge the rest of the poison from Hiashi and identified it as a poison that the division had previously encountered and thanks to recent intelligence now had a name for: Nature's Fury. However a medic performed a full examination and said that the damage done to Hiashi's body is too much. He has been removed from all duties on medical order. They're saying that he might not be able to walk again, and that whatever damage the poison inflicted may have drastically shortened my husband's life span."

Hiruzen nodded: "That is sad to hear. I hope the medics are wrong in that regard. But moving back to Nature's Fury, that information is fairly recently gained intelligence. Nature's Fury is a rare and unique poison that does rapidly crippling damage to any creature who is not plant based in biology, and the poison doesn't affect plant life in the slightest. We have been aware of its existence for a while but one of our information dealers recently gave us the poison's name as well as other information on it. The poison's usage here has identified a key suspect as the organizer of the attack."

Koharu spoke: "How, might I ask, does the poison itself answer anything about who attacked us?"

Hiruzen nodded in acknowledgement: "Thanks to that information that Hisashi-san, the information seller in question, gave us information on where, or should I say who, the poison is manufactured by. The poison is made exclusively by a Shadow Nin Hisashi-san claimed existed and Jiraiya confirmed named Zetsu."

The group understood what Hiruzen meant by Shadow Nin, a Ninja who possessed no notable connections at least to undiscerning eyes, no confirmable location of origin and background, and was successful enough to keep their name out of the Bingo Book.

Homura spoke up: "Interesting but I don't see how the poison connects the attack to this Zetsu."

Hiruzen spoke again: "Zetsu is a rather unique individual. We don't know what is his full capabilities or his age, but information that Hisashi and Jiraiya have uncovered points to either him being very old or being a descendant in a family with very similar appearances and targets. Information ties either Zetsu himself or members of his family to the infamous Senju-Uchiha feud, riling it up when the things seemed to be approaching peaceful resolution."

Mikoto's eyes went wide but said nothing. Everyone else began muttering amongst themselves for a moment. Eventually Homura responded: "I'm assuming this is based on accounts that describe individuals with a similar appearance to this Shadow Nin?"

Hiruzen nodded: "You would be correct. But the poison is attached uniquely to Zetsu due to what we do know about his abilities. He possesses a command over plants very similar to Hashirama-sensei's Wood Release, allowing him to produce a viciously varied tool set. Nature's Fury has been confirmed as a poison created through his ability, and Zetsu does not sell his creations to buyers, he only uses them himself or gives it to anyone who does what we have reasonably deduced were jobs hired out by himself."

Koharu nodded: "If the poison doesn't attack plant life but does attack any other type of biology, then that would make complete sense. This Zetsu is dangerous, I suggest we put him in the Bingo Book."

Homura nodded as well: "Agreed, someone like this Zetsu is too dangerous to be allowed to walk freely. Do we have any clues as to any organizational ties he may possess?"

Hiruzen spoke: "Recent information regarding Zetsu has pointed toward him aligning with a Shadow Nin who goes by the alias Pain, who we believe originated from the Land of Rain. This Pain was noted to have built a mercenary unit named Akatsuki consisting of High A-Rank to S-Rank Missing Nin. Information sent to me recently has identified Five Heart Kakuzu, Sasori of the Red Sands, and Orochimaru as members of the organization."

Nara Shikaku, the head of the Nara Clan and the Jonin Commander of the Village, sighed: "So these guys are some of the worst and most dangerous Missing Nin out there. Troublesome."

Hiruzen nodded: "Indeed. But one of the participants in the attack on our village was sighted wearing the organization's uniform: a black cloak embroidered with red clouds. He has been given the name Tobi by Shisui thanks to one the other attackers who survived saying his name. Shisui previously encountered him and discovered that he shares Obito's Kamui ability that allows him to phase through attacks. Tobi appeared at the Uchiha compound and aided in allowing two of the assassins to escape and we confirmed there that he also possesses Kamui's warping capability. Which means he is an Uchiha or he isn't one but he did steal an Uchiha's Sharingan that possessed the same Mangekyo ability as Obito. Shisui's information about Tobi's appearance from what they could discern with the cloak and mask obscuring him points to the idea that Tobi is a Rogue Uchiha."

Shikaku nodded: "Yep, this is definitely troublesome. We should alert our shinobi about what we can and put these men in the Bingo Book."

Hiruzen spoke: "I agree. I plan on putting Jiraiya on to the organization's trail and see if he can find any more about who is part of it before we start posting bounties. The more we know, the better prepared we will be, should they have been behind this, for the possibility of a second strike."

Everyone nodded.

Hiruzen went to speak before the door slammed open: "HOKAGE-SAMA!"

A ninja stood knelt over breathing hard. They waited for him to catch his breath, then he spoke: "A small girl and a young woman just arrived at the gates. They were wearing protectors bearing the symbol of Takigakure. They handed me a letter and claimed it was for you and that they had bad news."

Hiruzen asked: "Did they tell you what it was?"

The gate guard nodded: "They did and if it is true then today just got worse. They said the letter explained everything. It is better if you read it rather than have me explain what they told me."

Hiruzen nodded and took the message and began reading. Before long he let out a weary sigh and spoke: "Damn. This makes today even worse than I thought it could be."

Homura spoke: "What does it say Hiruzen?" sensing that his friend needed his teammate, not his advisor.

Hiruzen sighed and then spoke: "It was written to us by Shibuki-dono. According to this letter, Taki spotted a Missing Nin army heading towards them over 2 weeks ago being led by Kakuzu and Hidan of the Jashin, both wearing Akatsuki's uniform. Shibuki figured out that they were planning on destroying Taki and retrieving their Jinchuriki. The little girl he sent with one of his jonins, is the Jinchuriki that the two Akatsukis were sent after. He denied them their full victory and sacrificed himself and his village to buy them time to get here safely and undetected."

Koharu spoke: "Taki's loss will be hard to get past, especially after what has happened today. But with its final hour, they denied their opponents complete victory. Let us remember that."

Everyone agreed with the sentiment.

Hiruzen spoke: "We will be taking Fu and Kagome into our village. Any opposed?"

No one said anything other than agreement with his decision.

Hiruzen continued: "Very well, they shall be allowed to join us. But I must inform you all of something."

Everyone, including the gate guard looked at the Hokage.

The Sarutobi continued: "Minato's final act as Hokage was to place an order forbidding the release of any information regarding Jinchuriki we create or gain to the public, to protect the Jinchuriki from the harsh, unforgiving treatment that all who bare a Biju within get for it. Fu's status is not to leave this room, and should any of you figure out who the other Jinchuriki are, you are bound by the order to not allow that information to spread or affect your treatment of them. Even I am bound by it. The punishment is death and he has people loyal to that order ready to kill any who defy it, with only his students having the authority to dissuade them."

Shikaku's eyes went wide: "But that would mean…"

Hiruzen nodded: "Yes, the Kyubi was sealed into a new Jinchuriki. Minato's final order holds. I have no power to overturn it and am subject to the penalty should I defy it. Only his students hold that authority."

Everyone who didn't already know about both the order and who the Jinchuriki were understood the gravity of the situation.

Hiruzen looked towards the gate guard: "You are dismissed, return to your post. And tell the ANBU to have the two brought here."

The man nodded and did so.

Hiruzen spoke: "Now if there is any…"

"HOKAGE-SAMA!" 'What now?' Hiruzen thought in dread.

A Konoha Jonin wearing the uniform given to guards to the maximum security ward of the Prison rushed in: "DANZO'S GONE!"

'Shit.' Hiruzen and everyone else in the room thought.

"How did that happen? Danzo's chakra was sealed." Aburame Shibi spoke in his usual monotone of voice, but those who knew him best could hear his tells for confusion and surprise slipping in.

"There was no sign of forced entry or exit but a sensor did a sweep of the facility and found excess chakra from the usage of a jutsu in a path through walls and doors starting from the outside and ending at Danzo's cell where a similar but ultimately different molding was detected inside the cell. That was how we found out about it." The prison guard explained.

Hiruzen let his head drop: "It was most likely Tobi making use of Kamui to sneak in and extract Danzo during the chaos. Damn."

Shikaku spoke: "Unless Danzo's corpse shows up in the next few days, I suggest we put him in the Bingo Book as well."

"Agreed. If that is everything, then we will adjourn for now." That was all Hiruzen said to the group.

Everyone except Tenzo left.

Hiruzen spoke: "I know you're here. You don't have to hide now."

What followed was Obito walking out of the wall next to them.

Obito tried to smirk but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes, not surprising considering the day that had just happened: "How long did it take to notice me?"

Hiruzen answered: "Longer than I would have liked. Am I going to die for what I said?"

Obito shook his head tiredly: "I think telling them about it to prepare for the eventuality of the secret coming out is a good call. Minato-sensei put those rules in place to protect them, but the secrecy they provide now is not going to last forever. We have to hope that cooler heads will prevail. I think that considering that it has been almost eight and a half years since the attack, I think they have cooled down considerably. I think that it will be far better to have told them now that we have had time to recover and let the deepest wounds begin to heal than having told them that night with all that devastation and carnage fresh in their minds."

Hiruzen nodded after a moment of consideration: "Perhaps you're right."

Obito looked as though he had something to say so Hiruzen motioned for him to speak.

Obito nodded and spoke: "I caught you say that the letter mentioned that Taki sent one of their jonins with Fu and I know I heard you say her name was Kagome. It wouldn't happen to Kowinaga Kagome, right?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes that is who the letter identified Fu's escort as. I know you ran into her a few years ago and unless I'm mistaken she is Kagome of the Waterfall's Searing Mists."

Obito responded: "If it is Kowinaga Kagome, then yes she is on both parts."

Hiruzen spoke: "I'm assuming that you will vouch for her?"

Obito nodded: "Yes. From what I observed of her when I met on that mission, she seemed to be the type who wouldn't try to pull some of Kumo's kidnapping shit. I don't think she is here to do anything like that. If Taki has been destroyed, she will probably seek to join our forces to ensure that what happened there won't happen again here."

Hiruzen nodded after some thought: "I'll take that into consideration. I assume you will be wanting to take a look at Fu's seal, yes?"

Obito nodded with a serious expression on his face: "I haven't heard anything from Jiraiya-sama about an out control Jinchuriki in Taki because of a bad seal, like the one down in Suna, but considering how well Taki was at keeping secrets we might want to take a look to be safe."

Hiruzen nodded and decided to prod that topic that had just been mentioned: "Do you think the one in Suna will be a problem in the future?"

Obito scratched the back of his head: "I don't know, it depends on how well we stay on with Suna. But if they sent him here for the Chunin Exams, I would heavily question their intent if they hadn't realized their mistake and rectified it."

Hiruzen nodded: "And anything for off the record?"

Obito nodded: "If I ran into him on a mission and I get too bad a feel off of how he's acting, I'm going to knock him out and see how badly they fucked up the seal."

Hiruzen nodded: "I would not condone such an action against our ally but, after everything Jiraiya has reported on this Gaara, I would not condemn such an action as unnecessary." Then Hiruzen noticed the document Obito was reading over in his hands.

"May I ask what that is?" the old Hokage asked.

Obito looked up from it and responded: "It was something me and Kakashi drew up with Tenzo after Danzo went down. Danzo built that massive subterranean compound for ROOT beneath the village, right?"

Hiruzen nodded then Obito spoke again: "The document is a proposal to repurpose it for use by the village proper."

Tenzo spoke at that moment: "That's my proposal to convert the ROOT compound into a hiding place in the case of an invasion, use as a facility to keep people from being detected by spies in the village proper, or to serve as either a hiding place and secure location in case of similar circumstances as the night of the Kyubi attack while having the full might of the village to protect us in case someone tries to break in or barracks for people we need to keep separate from the village for safety reasons. The one you, Kakashi-sempai, and I worked together to write up. Hell, the very bottom of the facility is an incredibly large room covered in seals that we can only assume was meant to dump a Biju into using some kind of summons or teleportation method and the seals in the room suppress its power until it could be sealed. The amount of design consideration that went into the compound allows for quite a few uses."

The old Hokage thought it over and nodded at the intelligence of the idea. "I could see repurposing the ROOT compound to be used like that. The problem would be trying to set up a cover for the entrance hatch, as well as making additional exits for the case of emergencies."

Obito and Tenzo both nodded. "That was why we ended up shelving the idea." Obito responded.

Hiruzen began rubbing his chin while he thought about the information: "Perhaps, in light of today's events, we should begin considering it."

Tenzo spoke up: "I heard that Teuchi-san was looking to upgrade from a stall to a full restaurant. We could sell the lot to him and give him certain exemptions in exchange for his restaurant serving as the cover for the bunker's primary entrance."

Both the Hokage and Obito agreed with the idea but after a moment Obito stared at him: "I didn't know you ate at Ichiraku's. I eat there a lot, especially because of Naruto, and I have never seen you there."

Tenzo shrugged: "Eh, only eat there occasionally. Decent, cheap food and excellent in case something happened and I'm short on Ryo. Can't argue with that."

Both Hiruzen and Obito both conceded that point to the ANBU. Obito responded: "Unless you're feeding a bottomless pit, in which case even their prices won't save your wallet."

Hiruzen and Tenzo both chuckled at that one.

At that moment, ANBU appeared escorting the pair that they had been talking about.

Fu of Taki, the youngest of the pair, had tanned skin, amber eyes with no pupils, and mint green hair cut short. She wore white clothes and a red cylindrical backpack. Tied on her arm was a forehead protector for Taki.

Kowinaga Kagome, the eldest of the pair and identified in the bingo book by the title Kagome of the Waterfall's Searing Mists, had lightly tanned skin, emerald green eyes, and light blue hair at mid neck length. She wore a modified version of her village's standard uniform with everything that came with it. Her forehead protector was tied around her head.

Kagome of the Waterfall's Searing Mists was an interesting person, in depth information about her and what she could do was an open secret that Taki managed to cover quite well with few details slipping out. Possessing a bloodline that did not originate from any clan in Taki and making use of it so masterfully and skillfully despite only having herself to train it and reverse engineering any techniques for it she encountered, as well as using it just subtly enough in open situations that plausible deniability could be factored in. Her mastery of Water Release and Fire Release made her a force anyone would think twice about taking head on.

Then there was who she was trained by: Hana the Ant-Lion, one of Taki's former ANBU captains who made her name known with skillful use of Trap based Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Fuinjutsu. Encountering her in any battlefield that she prepared was suicide, and even those ambushing her had to be cautious of the traps she could place at a moment's notice. Her title was reflective of her dangerousness when faced on her turf, like it was for an ant-lion's prey to wander into their pit.

While Kagome preferred a far more direct approach, she learned how to approach a fight like her sensei had before her death on a mission 8 years ago.

Obito and Kogome had met before, 2 years ago while Obito had briefly taken up a genin squad consisting of Aburame Torune, Yamanaka Fu, and the ROOT boy Shin.

It was a c-rank that got upgraded to a-rank that ended with a few Ame Missing Nin being killed while their employer, a Taki Missing Nin named Suien, managed to escape.

Obito spoke: "Hey Kagome."

Kagome nodded her head: "Obito-san, it is good to see you again." The young woman spoke with a near monotone in a slow measured way. One that did not indicate a lack of intelligence but rather an intelligence that made sure that every word that was spoken had the intended meaning to it.

Hiruzen spoke: "Greetings Kagome-san, Fu-chan. I wish the circumstances for our meeting were better than they are."

Fu's eyes communicated so much fear but she nodded.

Kagome spoke: "Yes indeed, Hiruzen-sama. But I must insist that we focus on the matter at hand."

Hiruzen sighed: "Your immigration and integration into Konoha has already been accepted. No one disagreed with my decision."

Kagome allowed a small and warm smile to get on her lips. "Thank you Hokage-sama."

Fu made her appreciation known as well, except hers was expressed as a massive hug. 'Fu has impressive strength for one so young.' Hiruzen thought to himself after the girl released her hug.

Obito spoke here: "However, we would like to know a few things. First off, do either one of you possess the Seal's key and second off, are you willing to allow us to take a look at the seal as precautionary measure?"

Kagome answered: "Fu possesses the key, but the seal does not allow her to access it until she is ready to. It is locked within the seal itself. I don't know how or when it will determine she is ready. Second off, no I do not mind. If I were in your position I would do the same."

They moved to an examination room where Obito went to work.

After a while, the Uchiha spoke: "Impressive, whoever made this knew what they were doing. It looks like the Nanabi isn't actively trying to escape so her seal's integrity is excellent with some minor degradation over the years due to the Biju's chakra. I don't know if her Biju's mind is inactive or not but if it is active yet not trying to escape, then we have no real problem."

Hiruzen smiled: "That's good to hear. Obito, lead them to the apartment complex near the village square, they already had a few apartments available to rent. Why don't you take Fu here to meet the others tomorrow, I'm sure they will enjoy her company."

Obito smiled: "Of course." He turned to the two girls: "Follow me." Before they left Kagome handed two storage scrolls to the old Hokage.

Obito asked: "What's in those?"

Kagome answered: "The Jutsu Scroll from Taki in one and in the other is Taki's Forbidden Scroll, The Scroll of the Cursed Fall, which includes the knowledge of how to activate one our most fearsome techniques: the Earth Grudge Fear."

Obito went Pale: "My suggestion: put that scroll where no-one will find it. Don't even store it with our Forbidden Scroll, the Scroll of Sealing. Lock it up tight and in a spot no one will look. Make the fact that we have it an S-class secret and then carry on as though we never got it."

Hiruzen nodded: "I whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment Obito."

Then the three began walking and left.

Hiruzen sighed. So far no response from Hisashi regarding the letter they found on the old Hokage's desk. It was addressed to the shadow wielder and trap and ordinance inspections determined that the letter contained no form of trap nor explosive. They attempted to read the letter and found it was written in characters that they couldn't read but Hiruzen recognized from some of his time around the shadow wielder. He hoped that the man would be able to discover the message's meaning. The letter had been sent to him using a hawk trained to find the elusive spymaster.

Hopefully it would find him soon.

Land of Iron

A village on the outskirts

Kageyami Hisashi had literally just sat down in an open air bar to get a drink when the hawk had found him.

The town he was in was the last stop he needed to make, holding the last operation authorized by that old Hyuga fuck Hideki.

He had made a detour to the Iron capital to get the man's report, it held a degree of importance considering how high up the man was in this nation.

He pulled both messages out of the hawk's holder, seeing that they both held the kanjis for his name.

Then he opened the first message and took a few swallows of his drink before he began reading what was written on the paper.

Hisashi,

I don't know where you are nor how long it will take this Hawk to find you.

It doesn't matter. Konoha was invaded today. Those who survived and fought back against our attackers indicate that the invaders possessed the Sharingan and a large chunk of them possessed a Mangekyo that had a particularly powerful ability that allowed them to take control of those who made eye contact with them. The ability worked 100 percent of the time when used against Uchihas with activated Sharingans, but was unable to work on any who possessed a Mangekyo. Anyone else and the jutsu had a low chance of working on. The control also shattered if the hijacked were forced do actions that resulted in an awakened Mangekyo.

But that is beside the point, Hisashi, the Uchiha have been almost completely wiped out. Only 6 remain.

I don't have evidence to point either you or Jiraiya to a trail to begin searching, but we have confirmed that an Akatsuki member was part of the attack, one that goes by Tobi. He possesses Kamui just like Obito.

After the attack we discovered a message left by one of the invaders. Cryptology couldn't decipher but I have an intuition that says you will be able to.

Once you're done with investigating Hideki's dealings, I ask you to return to Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

'Hmm, so that is how they bite it here. Wonder what is in the other message?' Hisashi thought to himself as he began thinking of what to write for a reply.

He put that message in his pocket and pulled out a pen and paper for a response before he opened up the next message.

He began reading while taking a drink, until he recognized why Konoha's Cryptology couldn't decipher the message.

The shadow wielder choked on his drink and did a spit take once he realized that the message was written in a code he knew extremely well.

"HOW THE FUCKING HELL DID THEY GET A MESSAGE WRITTEN IN THIS?!" he screamed.

He read the letter and it changed some things but he needed to get answers on what happened and how they had gotten it.

He quickly wrote a response to the old Hokage and before giving it to the messenger hawk and sending it off.

The enigmatic spymaster turned his drink up and chugged it down before paying his tab, rushing to the inn and cancelling his reservations, and began travelling as fast as he possibly could to Konoha.

It would risk blowing his cover that he had to maintain by the order of his superiors; their code of observing from the shadows, fighting from within the darkness of obscurity until their presence in the light was well and truly needed, primarily by solving problems quietly or by dealing information to those who needed it; but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. Something was already fucked up and something or someone had been messing around directly in these parts with how things were progressing and now a message encryption code he helped write had been used to write a message to him. A code that no-one around these parts should have had the knowledge to write in.

Hisashi would be in Konoha in 2 weeks. Answers would be taken.

Back in Konoha

The streets of the village outside the Hokage's Tower

As the three made their way to where the old Hokage had asked Obito to take their new village residents, the Uchiha and the two former Takis were passed by a few civilians who were talking.

Kagome was unable to figure out what they were talking about and was unable to pick up enough pieces of the conversation to figure it out.

But she looked over at Obito whose face began dropping from the tired smile to a frown as his head dropped and a shadow covered his eyes as he moved them towards the ground.

Kagome could hear just a little bit from the end of his mumblings in response to whatever he heard them talking about:"…dammit, even after all these years it turns out that I'm still stuck in your shadow."

Kagome looked at him began wondering what could cause a reaction like this, it almost seemed like a different person from the Obito who she remembered.

Kagome spoke up to try to get Obito focused on another subject: "Obito-san, what did the Hokage mean by others like Fu?" she dropped her voice low: "Do you have other Jinchuriki as well?"

Obito's mood shifted back to his usual more relaxed demeanor before he nodded: "Yeah, three in fact. Two of which are her age. Those two don't know yet, I was going to wait a few years before telling them, but today changed things. Right now I'm waiting for things to calm down enough to tell them and for the gravity of it to really sink in. Does Fu know exactly what she is?"

Kagome shook her head: "I don't think so. She knows that she is a Jinchuriki and that is something you don't tell to strangers but I don't think she understands beyond that."

Before the conversation could go any further, something caused a shiver to run down the Uchiha's spine and led Obito to instinctively react to it by triggering Kamui and phasing. A mere moment later, a green blur slammed through him and straight into Kagome, knocking her to the ground.

Then the blur spoke in an incredibly loud voice: "OH THANK GOODNESS THE VILLAGE IS STILL STANDING AND I FOUND YOU OBITO-KUN!"

Obito instinctively covered his ears to protect them from the sound before responding: "Hey Gai you missed the attack. You probably would have helped out a lot. By the way you knocked Kagome over."

Gai looked over and saw the young woman who had been knocked to the ground by his entrance. "I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THAT TAKI-SAN!" before he dropped his voice to a more appreciable level. "I apologize if I hurt you." He said bowing his bowl cut head.

Kagome looked as though she was trying to process what all happened and the man in front of her before she responded: "It's alright…Gai-san I believe. I have been hit by far worse. I'm Kowinaga Kagome."

Gai nodded in understanding: "Pleasure to meet you, I am Maito Gai. Now I must leave you, for the Hokage needs the report of my mission! Until next time we meet!"

Gai left before Kagome spoke to Obito: "He's strange but there is a certain endearing quality to it."

Obito nodded: "Yeah Gai is like that, he can be annoying but you know that he only wants the best for everyone and the village and there is something that makes it so you can't be completely angry at him. Plus he knows his shit when it comes to taijutsu. He's alright in my book."

They walked for a while before Kagome spoke on something she had observed: "I heard that your clan was a major part of the village and formed its military police, but I don't see any."

Obito grimaced: "Yeah the attack earlier killed the majority of them. We went from just over 200 down to just 6."

Kagome closed her eyes: "That's horrible. But what will happen to the military police?"

Obito responded: "Yeah, it is. My aunt Mikoto is now in charge of the clan and the police by default and she is trying to get measures passed to reorganize the whole thing, take it from a single clan to anyone who wants to join kinda thing. They were already working on it before the attack happened and now there is going to be a real push from a larger faction to make it so. A lot of traditionalist who hold a similar mindset as the Second Hokage have been pushing against it because it would mean that Uchihas who want to take other positions of power besides within the Military Police and as jonin-senseis would be free to do so. Now that only six are left, they are left with either continuing to resist which would risk major public backlash, trying to allow it but have it altered so that Uchihas are still restricted and risk public backlash as well, or allow the measure my aunt is pushing to pass in its untampered state and finally letting Tobirama-sama's distrust of the Uchiha to be laid to rest."

Kagome asked: "Does any of your remaining clansmen want to be part of the military police?"

Obito shook his head: "I do not know honestly. Maybe Mikoto but I don't know about anyone else."

Obito decided to take the conversation another way: "So, are you planning on getting an apartment with Fu?"

Kagome shook her head: "I know about a rule that is in place here in Konoha regarding shinobi teams so I'm probably going to get two separate apartment, one for me and one for her, that are next door to each other."

Obito's mind raced as he tried to figure out the hidden meaning to what she said: "You're trying to circumvent the rule we have here, but Taki didn't have, that states that no family or legal guardian is allowed to be the Jonin-sensei to a genin."

Kagome nodded: "I would still see her expenses paid for, but yes."

Obito cracked a smile: "That's ingenious. Oh man that is a loop hole we never thought of. You're not going to sign on as her legal guardian while still technically serving as it. That is a loophole that only works because of circumstance. And once you're comfortably passed anything that could disrupt it, then you would have her move in with you or something."

Kagome spoke: "That is generally the idea. Teach her some self-sufficiency while still being close enough for her to ask for help. You won't have my work around patched, will you?"

Obito looked at her: "Me? Nah. I don't think anyone should be punished for outsmarting the system on anything unless it is something completely fucked up. But I have to point out that the rule was made to prevent partiality."

Kagome spoke: "I care for Fu but I know to separate my personal feelings from my better judgement."

Obito nodded: "I don't doubt that one bit Kagome, but I'm just saying. You might want to get it cleared up with the Hokage first though."

So they continued walking.

The young Fu's mind wondered about the village that was going to be her and Kagome's new home: 'I hope it won't always be on fire, but the people here seem really nice. I hope there's lots of cool bugs here.'

A voice inside her mind answered: I don't think the fires are permanent, we heard that they had been attacked earlier, and the people here seem wonderful. Bugs are extremely plentiful here and I hear that a clan around these parts even hosts a few types of parasitic insects within their bodies.

Fu smiled: 'I hope it's true Chomei. It would be amazing to meet one of them, maybe one will be in my academy class when I join. Maybe one will be my teammate when I graduate.'

At that moment in the Aburame clan compound, the clan heir Shino sneezed.

Fu could hear Chomei's voice as far back as she could remember. He had been there for her when the few who actually cared for her hadn't been able to. She didn't blame them, Chomei helped her understand that they had duties to attend to. But he helped her learn with what he could. She believed he was an imaginary friend but some of the things he claimed he knew and was right about made her think otherwise. If he was real then that would be a shocker but if he wasn't then that would be a shock as well, he was just a one bizarre figment of her imagination. She tried to ask him about it once and he kind off dodged the question. Fu was sure he had his reasons because Chomei was always so honest with her.

But, unknown to the little girl, her imaginary friend was quite real.

Chomei was the name of the Biju sealed inside of her: The Nanabi no Kabutomushi, the Seven Tailed Rhinoceros Beetle.

Chomei, unlike the rest of his siblings, had never given up on humanity, not entirely. He was disappointed, but he still held hope that they would be able to reach Hagoromo-tou-san's dream. When that descendant of Indra, an Uchiha, began checking the seal, Chomei panicked. He knew they wouldn't actively try to hurt Fu but he was scared that they would notice his mind being awake and active before questioning Fu about hearing a voice only she could hear, her loyalty to Kagome would have her tell them about her not-so Imaginary Friend, the alarming details would point to Chomei speaking to her rather than just an overactive imagination, and then they would out him to Fu which would ruin how he wanted to reveal himself to her.

Chomei was able to regain composure and immediately emptied his mind of all thoughts and went completely still, trying his best to pretend to be asleep. He didn't know if the Uchiha could detect his mental presence, but he didn't chance it with his reaction. If he did possess those capabilities, then Chomei's quick reaction worked and he wasn't detected. He knew that the seal would be alright, Chomei wasn't actively trying to escape, even if his chakra was still degrading the seal. He knew the world was a dangerous place for a Biju to wander and even if men no longer held power like those who were inheritors to Indra and Ashura, like Madara and Hashirama respectively. Even if Ninja of their caliber were no longer common, it didn't change the fact that men with the power and skill to face down a walking force of nature like the Biju still existed.

Chomei found his thoughts wondering to how he wanted to reveal himself to Fu. He wanted to keep talking and encouraging her until he risked being exposed, most likely due to Fu being told what a Jinchuriki was and what came with it. Once that had happened he would go silent, only speaking occasionally to remove any suspicion about being Nanabi. Once Fu had entered the mindscape and his prison, then he would part the veil.

Before he could develop his thoughts further, he began to sense somethings that he hadn't sensed in a very long time: Wait, is that… it is! Isobu! And I sense Matatabi as well! And even Kurama! So that was who they were talking about. But it seems that Mata-nee and Kura-nii seem to be mentally dormant.

Chomei's heart went at ease, knowing he was among family once more.

Xxx

The Land of Ancestors

9 hours following the Retreat order.

Moyo knew exactly what was about to happen. Zetsu was about to chew out the one subordinate who survived but fled before the retreat order was given.

The Subordinate in question, Mai, stood at the center of the room with both Moyo and Kudo in there off to the side.

All three had their masks off. Cause of this it was easy to see that Mai had been blinded in her left eye due to Izanagi. Other than her blinded eye, she had an attractive face with relatively soft features and neck length spikey black hair. The only scar on her face was one that bisected her right eyebrow. Overall, normal humans might consider her "pretty."

Mai had awoken her Mangekyo in an impressive time, but she preferred not to use it, choosing instead to rely more on her other skills far more. Considering her skill with the Genjutsu Sharingan, Fire Release, and the kusarigama she wielded, it seemed to be a smart choice.

Moyo had relatively plain features, with the only stand out being large scratch scars that ran across his face from the encounter with the monster years ago when it got in a shot and dragged it's claw across his face. He refused to have the damaged tissue removed and replaced. It was the injury that killed the fatalist pawn he used to be and birthed the revolutionary he was now.

However, out of the three hybrids, Kudo was the most horrible looking. His face was covered in deep gashes that refused to fully heal and numerous scars that ran deep in his skin. His cheeks were gone in some places, exposing the muscles hidden in them in some places and in others the inside of his mouth. One eye had damaged muscle tissue hanging over it and appeared to be clouded and blinded with his sharingan off, but it was revealed as functioning with it on. Starting at the right side of his chin and running down the right side of his lower jaw was a jagged third degree burn scar that went down his throat and onto his chest. It was fitting in a way, the most monstrous of the hybrids had the most horrifying appearance.

The white half had a distinct scowl on his face rather than his usual unnerving grin. "What happened?"

Mai responded while trying to keep her voice even: "The target was further skilled than expected. She detected the one assigned as her tail and created three shadow clones and sent them off. He chose to continue following her until the target body flickered away to a training ground that her clones prepared ahead of time. Koro engage…"

Before she could speak further, Zetsu's black half's expression got angry and he cut her off: "We already heard the report you gave about what happened! We were asking as in why couldn't you grab her before she started using her Biju's power?! She was tired from fighting your brother and then you had a perfect opportunity to knock her out and take her away and YOU FUCKED IT UP!"

Mai's composure shook and she looked at the ground. Zetsu's white half continued: "Had you teamed up on her with your brother, we might have been able to grab the Sanbi Jinchuriki. But your lust for fighting and battle gave her an opportunity to fight back and escape our clutches. Your failure has delayed the return of Kaguya-Hime-Sama. We had high hopes for you after how useful you proved yourself. It seems that we were misguided." His voice was contaminated with a tone of cold burning rage.

Moyo felt a slight twinge of guilt for his part, he knew she loved to fight and would have taken a chance to fight over quietly subduing her target. He buried it alongside everything he regretted in the name of freeing his clan.

Black Zetsu spoke up again: "This is your first major failure on a mission, so we are willing to overlook it as long as you ensure that it never happens again. You are a tool for us to use as we see fit, but your failure today has damaged you and your use. Next time will break you and you understands what happens to broken tools, they are disposed of. You are dismissed to get that eye replaced. Any punishment Moyo assigns will stick. Anything Kudo decides to do to you will not be punished either."

Mai nodded sullenly while Moyo mentally scowled. This very manipulative abuse was what he hated the most about Zetsu. He turned his attention to Mai and saw that her expression was mostly neutral but Zetsu's dressing down had affected her and her sadness was breaking through. Her face wasn't red, but he could see tears running down her cheeks. But his blood ran cold with Zetsu giving Kudo free reign to do what he wanted to her.

Zetsu exited the compound and left using Mayfly.

Kudo walked towards Mai with a smile on his scarred and deformed face that made Moyo sick: "Well, well, well. Little, perfect Mai-chan finally went and proved that she wasn't perfect. Hahahaha! I don't think Zetsu-sama will mind if I, shall we say, make the point known with a little punishment from me." The tone of voice made it clear what his intended punishment for her was, with the amount of malevolent glee that was overflowing in the sentence, and Moyo felt his fists curl hard.

'Mai is one of the last remaining Black Flames alongside Kudo. She did her best and came back with valuable intel on Nohara Rin's capabilities and what she got in return was a brutal dressing down and thrown to an insane and horribly disfigured psychopath who refuses to die on a suicide mission to do with her whatever the hell he wants. I know the things that Kudo has done. He needs to be punished for his actions, not encouraged to keep on doing them. The only reason Kudo even listens to Zetsu is because that bastard allows him to do what he wants and avoid punishment for it. Mai may be one of my enemies but she deserves better treatment than being thrown to this lunatic and told he can do whatever the hell he wants to her!' Moyo thought as he began reaching to draw his weapon and strike.

Kudo's smile grew even more evil and unnerving as he got close to Mai and stroked his hand across her cheek. The shock in Mai's eyes became apparent and communicated that she realized what he was wanting to do with her. And fear that she couldn't stop it.

Despite it, she pulled out a small folding metal weapon and used it to punch the insane hybrid. The psychopath's eyes lit up with rage and pain as he activated his Sharingan while snarling.

Mai stood firm as she activated her one functioning Sharingan, any fear that was communicated by the look in it previously was gone, and unfolded the weapon she held to reveal it as a small, handheld fan with steel for its internal structure.

Kudo roared as he went to attack his would be victim in retaliation.

Moyo hesitated and almost holstered his weapon seeing as Mai was holding her own and was doing well against the enraged psychopath, but a voice of caution spoke up and warned him to stand ready.

That caution was proven warranted when Kudo managed to land a strong punch to Mai's stomach followed by slamming her into the wall while she was stunned.

"FUCKING HELL YOU LITTLE BITCH! Do you have any goddamned idea how bad the scars on my face fucking hurt when someone hits me there?!" Kudo screamed as he began lifting his hand to deliver another punch, while he switched to his Mangekyo and began generating the shadow doubles.

Before Kudo could go any further, Moyo struck. He threw his blade out and nailed Kudo in the shoulder of his dominant hand.

Kudo screamed in Pain: "AHH! FUCK!" before his screaming intensified when Moyo grabbed a hold of the chain that tethered the blade to his gauntlet and put a great amount of strength in his arm as he pulled the insane hybrid towards him before grabbing Kudo by the neck and using his free hand to retrieve the blade of his weapon from Kudo's shoulder.

Kudo had murder in his eyes and a scowl that looked horrifying on his deformed face as he loudly bellowed: "FUCKING EVERYTIME MOYO! ONE OF THESE FUCKING DAYS, I AM GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" the shadow that formed around him flickered to reflect it's master's rage.

Moyo spoke calmly: "Maybe someday, but not today. You will not touch Mai. You will give her the respect she is owed. If I ever hear about you trying to rape her or another one of our fellow hybrids again or anyone else for that matter, you will be terminated, like you should have been years ago. Now run along, but be aware that you will be given a punishment for this incident to show that I mean it when I say that I. AM. DONE. WITH. THIS. NONSENSE. Do you understand?"

Kudo screamed but gave a begrudging affirmation before he stalked off.

Mai looked at Moyo with wide eyes: "Why?" she asked just barely above a whisper. "Why did you do that? I know about your rebellion against Zetsu and you were trying to have me killed with the rest of the Black Flames. Why did you choose to help me when you could have left me to suffer?"

Moyo answered: "No one deserves to be treated like he was going to do to you. Any animal who would do that to another human, I don't care if we're not entirely human, any animal who would do what he was about to do to you to another sentient being, be the aggressor my ally and the victim my enemy, is pest to be culled."

Mai stared for a moment and her cheeks went red. A gentle, thankful smile made its way onto her lips as she nodded: "Thank you." Before going silent and the coloring in her cheeks started gradually returning to normal.

"You're welcome. Is something wrong?" Moyo questioned her.

Mai responded: "No, not really. Just thinking about some things. And wondering why it took so long to figure out somethings."

Moyo raised an eyebrow, wondering if it had anything to do with a certain abusive creator.

Moyo said nothing and grabbed both of their masks and handed Mai hers.

To his surprise, she immediately channeled Fire Release chakra to her mouth, spitting out a small tongue of flames which lit the mask on fire, destroying it.

Moyo questioned: "Why did you do that?"

Mai responded: "That mask belonged to Mai of the Black Flames, the Servant of Zetsu, who died when Nohara Rin plunged her chakra cloak's claw through my chest and killed me after I set up a time delayed Izanagi. Mai of the Black Flames was buried and had any chance of return destroyed just moments ago by Zetsu and Kudo. In her place, after I returned to life from the genjutsu taking effect and erasing my death, is now Makayu Mai."

Moyo smiled: "Welcome among friends and family Makayu Mai. Let's go get Yaku to replace that eye and then get you a more fitting mask." Mai nodded.

They exited the room and were greeted by a relatively short woman wearing a mask colored green and brown in a pattern that resembled stitching and had the kanji for "Together" written on her mask: "Moyo-sama, I was wondering what took you so long to exit with Mai-san after Kudo left the room screaming. I thought that maybe you…"

Moyo interrupted her: "There is no need to hide information from Mai now, Ashi. She is one of us."

Ashi nodded: "That's good to hear, Mai. I'll have a new mask for her ready once Yaku-san is done with her."

Mai nodded: "Thank you."

Ashi nodded: "Think nothing of it. I'm just glad that we didn't have to kill all of the remaining Black Flames, I'm happy that we managed to save one and bring them into our rebellion."

Moyo nodded: "Do get a mask ready. Also assign Kudo to the scouting mission to the Desert of Pits."

Ashi spoke: "Another suicide mission? Are we going to hope the creatures that make their nest in the heart of that part of the Land of Wind's Wind Desert will finally put that deformed psychopath down or are we going to chance it with one of our own going to make sure Kudo dies and risk getting exposed?"

Moyo spoke: "No assassins sent behind him, but do not let that shoulder wound I just gave him be treated. It lowers his chances of surviving the Summons that make their nest there. If he somehow survives tell him to send a message ahead of him informing us of his return and I will see him dealt with. It is time that the Black Flames sizzle out so that Makayu can truly begin. Though speaking of assassins being sent, if Kage happens to return and you see them, tell them to come find me."

"As you wish Moyo-sama." Ashi said with a bow before she left.

The two survivors of the Daybreak attack traversed towards stairs and found themselves in the lower reaches of the compound where a unique plant sat: the Makahana.

"Yaku, we need a replacement eye." Moyo called out to one of the men.

The man in question, wearing a white mask with a red Kanji for "Medicine" inscribed on it with eye holes that had lenses built into them, turned around and faced the duo. Mai's lack of a mask told far more than words could in a moment. "Take her to the room where we do that in." He said, with a noticeable warmth to his voice.

Moyo took her to a room built next to the plant. In the room was an offshoot of the Makahana. Moyo assisted Mai in getting on the table below the bud of the plant and soon Yaku joined them.

"Lost an eye from Izanagi usage?" more of a statement then a question from Yaku.

Mai nodded. Yaku responded: "I need to extract the eye to produce an exact genetic copy of the part using the Makahana's bud. Do you want an anesthetic, a local, or are you one of the tough ones who would try to bare through it?"

Mai responded: "I would say tough it out but I'll take the local. I don't want Kudo getting any ideas while I'm out."

Yaku looked at Moyo disbelievingly: "Why haven't you just slit that lunatic's throat yet?"

Moyo shrugged: "Harder to deflect suspicion with that."

"…fair enough. But seriously Mai, I recommend that you take the anesthetic, this is going to be excruciatingly painful, enough that a local really isn't going to cut it. We have done a similar extraction and replacement before due to extreme overuse of a Mangekyo, and the patient tried to tough it out and almost died from the pain alone." Yaku said in follow up.

Moyo spoke up: "Kudo won't be a problem, he will be going on a scouting mission in the Land of Wind and hopefully he will not be returning. You will have plenty of time to wake up and get the drug's effects out of your system if somehow he manages to survive and return. I suggest you take it."

Mai's cheeks reddened slightly for a moment and she gave in: "Alright, fine."

Yaku nodded as he began giving the dose to Mai through an IV he had inserted.

"Have you begun considering any candidates for the experiment?" Yaku asked to Moyo.

Moyo nodded: "I have a list of suitable candidates, however most of them are in positions and roles that I need to be active in order for our rebellion to succeed when it comes time to strike. Any candidates we choose have to be in hiding in our secondary compound to prevent Zetsu from finding them if the experiment succeeds and bears fruit. Ashi I cannot afford to be in hiding for the duration of the follow up of a successful experiment due to my induction into Akatsuki that is going to be keeping me away from here, she will be vital to keeping things running smoothly. Kage's work as our primary assassin is too important for them to be suddenly pulled away from it for almost a year. Unless you have a medic willing to do it, I don't see anyone else volunteering."

Yaku shrugged: "I was wondering. Don't worry, we've got 6 years before they are due to begin. I'm sure a change in attitude and other things will happen and we'll have some good candidates."

Moyo raised an eyebrow: "Something about that didn't sound quite right for the context we are talking about."

Yaku thought for a second before responding: "Huh, you're kind of right. Oh well. So when is your partner due to be here?"

Moyo responded: "My partner has business of his own to attend to that should take about 2 weeks and after that he is heading here. I don't know how long it will take for him to get here but we should be prepared for Kisame to arrive any day after 2 weeks, but Kudo will be sent the way he should be going if it takes him out of the Land of Wind's Desert through the east or towards the best road going further north in the Elemental Nations. If I'm lucky, Kudo will encounter Kisame and attack him looking for a kill to satisfy his bloodlust and Kisame will put that lunatic down. If he doesn't encounter Kisame he would still be dealing with the Summon Clan that makes it home in the area where he will be scouting, a clan known to be extremely hostile to anyone not with one of their summoners. If he were to die or disappear it would eliminate the major dangers he would pose to the plan without drawing attention to possible foul play. But if all else fails, I will confront him myself in one of the few areas in Ancestors that Mayfly cannot access. I could use the opportunity to test my new evolution of Possessive Gaze on him."

Yaku responded: "I thought Possessive Gaze couldn't work on anyone with an active Mangekyo, because I know Kudo has one. I don't know how you managed to cover up that fact."

Moyo responded: "It's a new evolution that I discovered, one that I believe will work on him without the Mangekyo shutting it down if he switches over to it. My previous tests showed that it would work much more subtly, allowing me to give orders to the target. It works well enough, it doesn't have the same limited success rate that Possessive Gaze does. It is a derivative of the Technique but I do not know if everyone who possesses the Possessive Gaze technique can reach the evolution I discovered for it. As for how I hid that fact from both the Black Flames and Zetsu, careful manipulation of the data and use of a few underhanded methods. It seems to function similarly to another Mangekyo mind control jutsu but different in some ways as well."

Yaku questioned: "Do you believe that his mental instability will be able to be affected by the jutsu? We know that whatever is wrong with Kudo upstairs is negatively affecting any form of mental manipulation Genjutsu's chance of successfully working on him."

Moyo responded darkly as Mai went under: "If Kudo manages to return despite my precautions and he resists the genjutsu, I will kill him myself. And I won't be going at him alone. Kudo will fall one way or another, be it becoming my pawn to help bring down Zetsu or dying at the hands of those who hate him most." Moyo said this while activating his Sharingan and turning it to the Mangekyo for the jutsu he had discovered. A yin-yang like symbol that was black on both sides with a red divide between them and a single red dot on the outer edges of the two halves and a spike extending off of both halves.

And with that, the hybrid kunoichi went under and the hybrid medic went to work.

Xxx

Konoha

12 hours following Daybreak retreat order

Rin's mind was almost blank as she wandered through the streets of Konoha to the two floor house she shared with her teammates and their charge.

Everything ached from the battles she fought and she had to work herself exhausted to heal the injured, using multiple Soldier Pills over what she would have considered safe for most people. It was a sacrifice and one she was willing to make for her village. Some people desperately needed the medical aide and she couldn't afford not to work herself over to ensure everyone got the care they needed.

Isobu was quiet, like he was sleeping or was meditating. Rin didn't care at the moment, all she could think about was going inside, taking her shoes off, lay down on the futon or a couch and just resting while praying that she wouldn't have to go back to work for some reason tonight.

She made it and opened the door to find Kakashi sitting down at a table reading one of his books. Rin sighed that he had lost the care to have shame to be seen reading Jiraiya's books, but at the same time she was thankful at least that he wasn't reading it around Naruto or Hinata whenever she was around him.

She went to take her shoes off and Kakashi spoke: "Rough day, huh?"

Rin yawned before she spoke: "Yeah, but the problem I had wasn't the fighting. It was the medical stuff afterwards that drained me completely."

Kakashi snorted before he responded: "That doesn't surprise me. I got us all Teriyaki Chicken takeout. Naruto ate his and I ate mine, Obito hasn't gotten home from wherever he is."

That last one made Rin remember something she had been thinking of earlier but then she started smelling the aroma from the food and a second later her stomach grumbled and reminded her that she hadn't had anything solid since breakfast cause of the attack.

Rin immediately changed her path from the couch to the food and grabbed the container that had her name on it. She sat at the table and ate it at comfortable pace, at least she hoped, she might have made Naruto eating ramen might have looked cleaner but she really didn't care after how bad her hunger got after she realized it was there.

After finishing her meal and cleaning up, Rin made her way to the couch and immediately sat down and began nursing the aching muscles of her body after the long day she had.

She wasn't ready to sleep yet due to leftover adrenaline. But rest in any form was greatly appreciated.

I'd say take a well-earned rest, Rin-chan. The ever wise voice of Isobu sounded off,

'Oh I intend to. Say, what have you been thinking about?' Rin thought as she laid back.

Of how well we did today. I think we have made far more progress today then we have since we began working together.

'Really? Huh, I'd say so too.' Rin thought to her partner.

I'm serious Rin. I realize that you're so tired that you might as well be asleep, but I am serious when I say that we have come incredibly far. We can begin with training to control yourself during version 2. Once we have you able to retain your mind in that state, then you're ready to start learning my techniques like my Coral Spikes.

'Sounds great. When do we start?' Rin thought.

Preferable once we have fully recovered from today's events and your abuse of Soldier Pills. I would say once you're not, as you humans say, 'punch drunk' but if we are entirely honest, you're always like that. Rin could almost see her mental roommate smirking at his shot at her.

Before Rin could respond, the door opened and a voice called out tiredly: "I'm home guys."

Rin roused from her daze to see Obito-kun walking in the door. She tiredly got up off the couch and went to greet him: "Welcome home, Obito-kun."

Obito reciprocated before speaking: "Rin, c-could I talk to you. O-outside." Obito spoke with a bit of hesitation and a small blushing on his face.

Rin found it strange but nodded and she followed him to the small turtle pond that was in their yard.

Obito looked around awkwardly before speaking: "N-nice night o-out tonight, isn't it?"

Rin raised an eyebrow, 'He's acting strange just like those times before the attack. What is wrong? Is he actually going to…? ' Rin wondered before responding: "Y-yeah I guess it is."

Obito went quiet for a while before his face twisted around before he spoke again: "AW, TO HELL WITH THIS!"

Rin was shocked by the sudden change in attitude: "Excuse Me?"

Obito breathed before responding: "Rin, you did nothing wrong, I was talking about myself and my attitude towards what I'm about to do. It's been something I have been trying to talk to you about for a month now. I need you to bear with me." Rin nodded.

Obito huffed for a moment: "Rin, you have always been one of the most important people in my life. You were the first one outside of my mom to acknowledge and support my dream rather than putting me down for having it while also being the Black Sheep of the Uchiha. I made sure to return the favor by standing for you and your dream as well as behind you when you were made the Sanbi Jinchuriki. We have been together for almost eight years and I was wanting to talk to you about something for a while now but my own reservations about the conditions and circumstances as well as my own insecurities ran wild and I backed off. That was a mistake, one I'm correcting as we speak. Today's attack reminded me of the truth of this world: that we are living in a world where the certainty of death and unrest is assured and they can separate us forever in a moment which is why I now ask like this." Obito paused before he continued to swallow the dry lump in his mouth and breathe for a moment while grabbing her hand in his own.

Rin's eyes went wide: 'I-is he getting ready to ask me what I think he getting ready to?' No way, it had to be something else.

Obito spoke as he went to his knees: "Rin, you have been the single most important people in my life since they day I met you. You have had my back and I have had yours, I have loved you regardless of whether it was just you in there or both you and the Turtle as it has been for years. But now I have to ask you this:" Obito said as he put his other hand around Rin's.

"Nohara Rin, Will you marry me?"

That one sentence nearly sent Rin into shock.

I believe you are supposed to answer. Isobu's voice sounded

'I know and shut it. I'm trying to calm down enough to not sound like a blunder idiot.'

I know. Just take a moment to breathe and speak honestly. Don't try for perfection. Few things are truly perfect, we must make our best attempt and realize that it is not perfect, but we must make do with it. Isobu responded, almost nostalgically sounding as if he was recalling a memory of someone he cared for.

She stood with a shocked expression for a few moments contemplating it and calming herself.

'Thanks Isobu, I needed that. Where did you come up with that?' Rin asked as she calmed the last of her nerves.

You're welcome. I got it from my first Jinchuriki, a woman named Karatachi. She was wise and mild mannered but she was a hopeless romantic. She originally gave the same advice to a friend. I remember when she was asked by her love for her hand in marriage and I remember her trying to calm down and she gave her advice to herself. She was someone worth remembering. She saw the truth of the Biju. She saw the truth of me. Isobu said with equal fond happiness and mournful sadness.

'She sounds like it. I know what I'm going to say now.' Rin thought as she began to give her response.

Rin got down on her knees as well and put her free hand on Obito's hands: "I don't have a grand speech to give but I will say this. I have always been fond of you, originally I don't think it was love but over time your dedication to proving yourself slowly but surely wormed into my heart. Some of the best memories of my life so far have been made with this family of ours, but the ones with you have been truly precious. I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I love you and nothing will ever change that. Whatever new name we use for ourselves does not matter. To answer your question:

Yes, I will."

Silence ensued, a blissful one.

After a while Obito began muttering with tears of joy running down his eyes: "Thank… thank you, Rin. Thank you so much."

Xxx

Konoha outskirts

The next day

20 hours following the retreat order

Tsunade and Shizune both had their eyes went wide as they laid eyes on Konoha's gates for the first time in years.

For Tsunade, memories from years gone by of fighting in the Second Great Ninja War came back. The scorch marks covering the gates and the smoke from smoldering rubble brought back the images of so many battles' aftermath.

Once they were in the gates, the carnage looked both better and worse somehow.

Tsunade recognized the look of the Shinobi running around trying to sift through collapsed buildings trying to find victims trapped beneath the rubble.

Still trying to figure out who was missing and who was dead.

"Shizune, go find anywhere you can help. I'm going to find sensei and then I'll get to work as well." Tsunade said to her apprentice.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Shizune responded and went to find wherever she could help.

Tsunade walked quickly to the Hokage's Tower and saw even more of the damage to the village, determining that there was no way that people weren't still trapped beneath the rubble.

How many people had lost everything they had because of this?

Eventually she walked in and climbed her way up to sensei's office.

She knocked and was told to enter and found Hiruzen-sensei speaking to his teammates.

"The civilian casualty number have jumped up to about 150. The general clan losses have gone to about 20-25 each. The Aburame clan only lost 10 compared to the rest. The Hyuga losses haven't risen any. That brings our Shinobi losses up to about 230 excluding the Uchiha losses." Homura said.

"Even if that army was nothing but an army of pawns, this Zetsu needs to be held accountable for his actions. We need to start hunting him down." Koharu said.

Hiruzen started: "Right now, we only have a limited idea about what Zetsu is capable of. Even if he managed to breed an Uchiha clan of his own for use as an army, we still don't know how many more there are and what Zetsu's full capabilities are and where his hideouts are. We need more… Tsunade?"

The two advisors turned around and saw Tsunade standing there.

Koharu spoke: "Tsunade. Even if your timing is a bit questionable, it is good to see you home."

Tsunade went wide eyed.

Hotaru spoke as well: "We have finished here. We will be taking our leave. Hiruzen, we suggest that you start planning on speaking to the Daimyo in the next few days about a repair budget."

Both left and Hiruzen spoke: "It has been too long Tsunade. I wish the village wasn't in the state it is in but somethings cannot be helped."

Tsunade answered after a moment: "Sorry, sensei. I w-was just shocked. Koharu has never been too fond of me, yet that was the nicest thing she ever said to me."

Hiruzen spoke: "Koharu cares about the village deeply. She may be a bit of a traditionalist and she may be a stubborn old woman, but she cares for Konoha above all else. You coming home means that things may start improving, with you here to teach the next generation, there is little to fear for them. She knows that. She has a granddaughter that looks up to you."

Tsunade smiled: "Heh, good to know that some still respect the Sannin I used to be."

However it didn't last, Tsunade went serious and asked: "Sensei, what happened?"

Hiruzen sighed and began telling what they knew.

Xxx

Land of Grass

Location unknown

Ninjas and Summoning Clans had worked together since the invention of Ninjutsu.

Every Clan had a long and story filled history.

Many Clans had tragically been destroyed and consigned to the records of history, while some had been forgotten entirely after their destruction.

However the two that held the longest histories were The Toad Summoning Clan of Mount Myoboku and the Snake Summoning Clan of Ryuichi Cave.

The Toads could point to their founding when their founder Gamamaru led the Twin Sages down the path that reshaped the world.

The Snakes could point to their founding when their founder in her youth helped stop a pointless battle, the first battle of what the humans now called the Warring States Era.

Both could claim that one of their members had managed to master the Sage Arts to the point of glimpsing the universe's secrets.

Things had never been entirely peaceful between the two, few clans managed to live in complete harmony. The Slug Clan of the Humid Bone Forest chose to live a peaceful existence, but they proved to be a terrible enemy should their ire be earned.

Toads and Snakes had always had a tension between them, but when the worst had happened and they needed to unite to fight a shared enemy, they could put aside their differences and work together.

Which now led to the present.

Kusahebi had never been the largest or most intimidating member of his clan, but he was one of the eldest and one who understood the necessity of compromise.

His cool head had helped to settle many feuds before they started or help settle some that had been going for quite some time.

When the previous head had retired and Manda took over the Snake Clan, Kusahebi believed it was his time to step down as well.

He had his doubts, Manda was rough and demanding and hardly took compromises unless he came out definitively on top of the arrangement, but the old snake hoped that time and age would temper the boy's actions and decisions.

Kusahebi had started his retirement visiting old friends amongst the different clans before eventually making his way back to Ryuichi Cave to serve as council for the boy.

He should have realized something was going wrong when the boy wasn't seeking wise council.

During this time, Orochimaru had been made the newest Summoner of the clan.

Kusahebi had heard about Orochimaru and Manda's showdown with Ibuse and his summoner alongside Gamabunta and Katsuyu's current summoners. It seemed as though Manda was finally growing up.

But then last year, Kusahebi had decided to go see old friends amongst the different clans once more, only to find himself met with steel rather than open arms like in the past.

Every single one had met with hostility rather than hospitality.

The old snake had tried to negotiate a solution but every time he was met with a threat and the phrase: "We know better than to trust snakes from Ryuichi cave!"

It saddened the old snake to see such hostility and hatred towards the cave. But then it began making him wonder where it came from.

A part of him knew it had to be Manda's doing, but he kept from acting on it out of belief for reasonable doubt.

No answers were given to him and the snake decided to return to the cave.

When he returned he found himself met by the old Boss Snake: Kurohebi.

Kusahebi was asked about his travels and the old snake told his master the truth.

Kurohebi was one who kept his rage in check, most yells of outrage were shows to put fear of betraying him into the rest, but when the old black snake heard about Kusahebi's experience, he began radiating barely contained rage.

A few days later the old snake found himself with a summons and a mission: "Find out what happened and how we can fix it."

The old snake agreed and set out.

What he found so far was disgusting, Manda had been demanding human sacrifices from Orochimaru in exchange for the Snake Clan's support and Orochimaru had been happy to oblige. Sacrificing enemies and towns alike to appease the boy.

The summons who Kusahebi found who were willing to talk told of Manda attempting to destroy any clan who he viewed as a threat to his power in any way through any means.

None had any true success and any that had gained some were undercut by the same flaws that Kusahebi saw in the boy all those years ago.

Apparently Orochimaru had gone rogue from his village of Konoha and following this had gotten into separate fights with both his sensei Sarutobi Hiruzen and his summon King Enma, leader of the Monkey clan of the Mountain of the Heavenly Enlightened Sage, his teammate Jiraiya and Gamabunta the current leader of the Toads. Both times drawing Manda into the fight and not only re-inflaming tensions but causing them to explode and become even worse than ever.

The snake began mulling his options before remembering about the child that Orochimaru had trained and passed the contract onto: Mitarashi Anko.

He had heard some of Manda's most loyal refer to her derisively and grumbled about her not paying proper tribute to the Boss Snake. Preferring to summon members of the Snake Clan who observed the traditions and precedents set by Kurohebi.

If she had anything that could help put an end to Manda's madness, he had to go to her and speak.

He had heard that she chose to remain loyal to her home, Konoha, in the wake of Orochimaru being driven out after the Third Hokage discovered the full extent of his crimes and experiments but chose not to kill the boy he had trained.

Konoha was a little under two weeks away from where the old Snake currently slithered. He decided to take the long way rather than reverse summon himself to her. Maybe others who held the scent of the Snakes of the Cave would be willing to impart information. He doubted it but it was worth considering.

This Anko was probably the best bet for anything that could damn Manda and set things back onto a path that could begin repairing the damages that Manda's idiocy had caused.

With his next step in mind and decided on, Kusahebi began slithering along through the grasslands this country was named for much like his name sake.

'I had hope for you Manda-chan, but it seems it was misplaced. You have ruined our reputation amongst the world, caused old rivalries to return and become truly bitter in nature, and you have ended countless lives for no reason other than because you can. I hope what I find in Anko-san's words to be enough to finally convince Kurohebi-sama to do something about you. If left unchecked, you threaten the balance between us all and leave us without anyone to trust should whatever the darkness that the Great White Snake Sage senses in her vision come to pass. I know you will try to fight us, but I believe that cooler heads will prevail. They must if we are to survive, for cooler heads are the root of compromise, and without compromise, we will be alone and shall not survive.'

The snake slithered along as he thought this, heading to Konoha to find the student of the one who helped ruin the Snake Clan's standing and hoping she would have the answers and be willing to give them.

Xxx

Konoha

7 days following Daybreak

Naruto looked pensively at Rin and Obito as they led both him and Hinata to a place they wouldn't specify.

He really started wondering when they came to the cemetery.

Memories from the funerals from a few days ago filled his head. Rin and Obito insisted on going and insisted that he go with them.

He didn't understand why they were coming now and why Hinata was with them, not that he didn't mind her being with them, she was an absolutely great friend.

Thinking about her drew his mind back to last winter when a couple of assholes started picking on her because of her Byakugan eyes.

She never had the best confidence in herself but what they were saying to her drove him mad and he decided to stand up for her.

Got his ass kicked but he returned the favor and beat them into the ground just as bad if not worse.

Afterwards Hinata had never acted quite the same but as long as she was his friend he was fine.

Though the semi frequent reddening of her cheeks left him somewhat concerned. Another feeling that he didn't quite understand also bubbled up when he thought about her but he just shook it aside.

Worry started rousing in the boy's mind when they begn to head deeper into the cemetery than they had been before.

Eventually Obito-Nii-san spoke: "I'm sorry we have been a little vague about where we wanted to take you kids but we really do have a reason to go this way. Trust us, this needs to be done."

Naruto nodded: "I trust y'all. You haven't given me reason not to."

Hinata spoke: "I-if Naruto-kun trusts you o-on this, th-then so do I." she stated trying to sound confident.

Rin nodded. "We're almost where we are going, someone should be waiting for us there."

Naruto wondered and looked over at Hinata who had the same confusion in her eyes as well.

They continued to walk until they came upon a section of the cemetery that was typically used for clans and families, usually denoted by a symbol or crest associated with that clan being placed on the graves.

They walked to a spot marked with the swirl marking that Naruto had on all his clothes and was found on the Konoha Headband as part of the Leaf Symbol.

Hinata spoke: "R-Rin-san, what clan is buried here?"

Rin looked over: "I'm guessing most of your education on the various clans has mostly concerned the ones that are still considered active. The clan buried here is an old one, one that was allied with the Senju since before the Village was founded. They didn't join the village but they were considered part of it. They were called the Uzumaki Clan."

Naruto spoke up: "I have a clan!? Since when?"

Rin grimaced slightly: "They were destroyed back in the first months of the Second Great Ninja War. Before everyone had realized that it was another Great Ninja War. Other villages and clans sought to seize the Uzumaki clan's knowledge and traits. They formed a coalition and attacked but lost heavily and gained nothing for it except destroying Uzushiogakure, the Village hidden by the Whirlpool."

Naruto was stunned for a moment.

Hinata spoke: "W-why does it look like no one has been here in a while?"

Obito picked up: "Not a whole lot of people come out this way anymore, mainly because a lot of these people have been dead for a while or have gravestones in other parts of the cemetery due to marriage or positions they held."

Rin looked around. "Guess Hitomi got caught up in clan business. Looks like we'll have to take up her part."

Obito nodded: "I was aware that was a possibility."

Hinata and Naruto wondered why Hinata's mother would have been here. They had not time to speculate as Rin and Obito stopped at two particular graves.

Obito spoke up: "Though these two graves in particular are a bit important to Rin-chan, Kakashi, and me."

The two children looked and went wide eyed at one of the names on the stones.

One was Uzumaki Kushina,

The other was Namikaze Minato, The Fourth Hokage.

Naruto spoke: "Wait, the Fourth Hokage is buried with the Uzumaki clan. Was he part of the clan?"

Rin answered: "The answer to that is both Yes and No. He wasn't part of the clan by blood but he was by marriage, Kushina was his wife."

Well that was something for Naruto to hear, not every day you find out you're related indirectly to one of your heroes.

Obito spoke up: "Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei were probably the biggest influences in how we decided to live our lives."

Naruto spoke up: "Is there a reason my name is Uzumaki?"

Obito nodded: "Yeah kid, if you hadn't cut me off I was about to say it. We took care of you on their behalf after they died but we would have done it anyways even if they hadn't asked us to."

Naruto questioned: "Why would they ask you to take care of me?"

Rin put her hand on Naruto's shoulder: "Naruto, they are, or rather were, your parents."

That sentence hit with the weight of a freight train.

Naruto eventually asked once he could form coherent sentences: "Why am I only hearing about this now?!"

Obito spoke up: "Kid, we have been trying to keep you safe. Minato-sensei had enemies who would love the chance to kill you to spite him and Kushina was an Uzumaki which if anyone found out was true they would be gunning for you. The world we live in is messed up and we have been trying to protect you."

Naruto felt his thoughts gear towards why he didn't have parents: because of the Kyubi.

Naruto grumbled: "Stupid fox."

Obito and Rin looked at each other with something in their eyes.

Hinata noticed the air but chose to speak: "I-I don't s-see why I am h-here."

Rin sighed: "We have got more to tell you two and it involves you Hinata. You two have learned about the Nine Biju and the Jinchurkis who have one sealed inside of them right."

The two kids nodded. Naruto spoke up: "But the village was attacked by the Kyubi which was never given to a Jinchuriki and it killed a bunch of people before the Fourth Hokage sealed it away for good."

The two adults winced. Obito spoke: "Well, that is partially true kid. It did attack the village and Minato-sensei did seal it away." He paused for a moment, probably gathering his thoughts.

Obito continued: "But the Kyubi has been held by Konoha for almost 80 years. Only members of the Uzumaki clan with their powerful and unique chakra could contain it within them. In the village's history, the Fox has been held by three Jinchurikis. The Kyubi's first Jinchuriki was Senju Mito, born Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage."

Rin began speaking after he finished: "Its second Jinchuriki was your mother, Kushina."

Naruto spoke: "Then how did it get out and attack?"

Rin answered: "There is a lot to explain but the short of it is that she was about to give birth to you and someone who knew Kushina-sensei held Kyubi found out and struck the night she gave birth. The process of carrying you weakened the seal holding Kyubi in her and the process of giving birth rendered the seal's structure fragile to the point of imminent collapse. Minato-sensei was there to repair it once you had been born, but someone broke in and attacked before he could do so. The man kidnapped Kushina-sensei and released the Fox after placing it under his control and sending it on a rampage to destroy Konoha."

Obito spoke: "By the time Kakashi, Rin-chan, and myself caught up to them, Minato-sensei had severed the man's control over the Fox and pulled it away from the village. Rin-chan tried to save Kushina-sensei while the rest of us helped to set up the sealing for Kyubi but…" he said trailing off.

Rin picked up: "But by the time we had arrived, the damage to Kushina-sensei's Chakra network due to the extraction had worsened beyond my ability to save or repair. She was already dying and decided to use her last moments to help save the village and her family."

Obito nodded: "Minato-sensei used a forbidden sealing jutsu called the Shiki Fuin to summon the Shinigami and sacrificed his soul to it in order to seal the Kyubi into its current Jinchuriki."

Obito drew in a deep breath and exhaled: "Naruto, you are the current Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Kitsune."

Naruto went wide eyed in shock. Eventually he sputtered out with tears running down his eyes: "Wh-why did he seal it in me?"

Obito spoke: "Minato-sensei was one who led by example, asking no more of others than he would of himself. A trait that I believe is important for a good leader. The highest demonstration of which is what he did. But he spared you from the harsh treatment villages where the Jinchurikis' identities are known. But he also did it because he believed in you, that you would be able to achieve the power of a perfect Jinchuriki. Kushina-sensei wanted to drag it down with her but she relented and went along with your father's plan because she believed in you."

Naruto stopped crying eventually.

Rin spoke once Naruto had calmed down: "But someone wanted to use you for his purposes regarding you lineage and leaked your existence to Kumo. A Black Ops team was sent with the Nibi Jinchuriki among them to kidnap you and take you to Kumo when you were a few weeks old. Kakashi, Obito-kun, and I were able to intercept them during their escape and managed to get you back and kill or capture the team. It was decided that Yugito, the Nibi's Jinchuriki, was too much of a liability to be allowed to go free. She had too much intelligence we couldn't allow to get out and we couldn't have her mind wiped by a Yamanaka because her Biju would have remembered anyways. Kumo has been pulling these infiltrations for a while now, it was decided that we had to make a point. Yugito was going to be executed by her Biju being extracted and then it would be sealed into a new Jinchuriki."

Naruto and Hinata began figuring out why Hinata was here.

Obito spoke: "We had no idea what to look for in determining host viability with the Cat so we had to get help. Jiraiya-sama had a lot of knowledge on the subject of Biju and Jinchuriki thanks to his study of Uzumaki knowledge and scrolls. He had known a blanket method thanks to his studies on Fuinjutsu. We followed his instruction and found a potential host who would be able to properly contain the Cat according to the test but the problem was that she wasn't born yet and was due to be born on December 27th, a full two months away."

Hinata began realizing who they were referring to, tears forming in her eyes.

Rin spoke, trying to keep the girl calm with gentler bedside manner: "Yes, Hinata. You are the Jinchuriki we chose. Your father never was told but your mother was told about what we planned and she consented, placing the same faith in you that Naruto's parents placed in him."

Hinata devolved into soft sobbing as Rin began hugging her trying to comfort the child.

Naruto and Obito joined the hug.

Eventually the hug broke up after Hinata calmed down, her eyes still reddened by the crying.

Rin asked: "You feeling better Hinata?"

The Hyuga nodded: "Y-yes."

Rin smiled: "Good."

Obito spoke after a while: "What we have told you, you have to be cautious about who you tell it to."

The kids nodded.

Rin spoke: "The seals that appear on your stomachs when you channel or mold Chakra is the seal that binds the Biju to you. We're supposed to be cursed to harsh treatment but I choose to look at it as we have the opportunity to do things no one else can."

Naruto looked confused and voiced it simply with: "What?"

Rin sighed before unzipping her jacket and lifting up her shirt and making a Hand Seal, causing a seal to appear on her stomach: "I'm a Jinchurki as well. I hold the Sanbi. It is a long story but I almost began to focus on the negative of it before I was convinced of the opportunity I had been given."

Obito smiled: "The two of us and Kakashi have been called the Seals of Fate for a while. When the Nickname was given to us, we began talking about it. Some hold the belief that fate is chosen by a higher power and the ability to change it is held from us. Fate is sealed as the powers that be wills it. But Minato-sensei proposed an alternate meaning with a saying that I will always remember: If Fate is a seal then life is like a Seal Master drawing and creating a seal's matrix, every action done to determine what seal shall be made, we may not be able to choose the lot we're given but we have the power to choose where we go and determine what we shall do; we may have a set destination at the end but we can choose the path to get there or choose to carve out our own."

Naruto began smiling: "Heh, that does sound great. Mom and Dad were the best, weren't they?"

Obito and Rin smiled: "Yeah, they really were."

Silence ensured before respects were payed to the graves.

A grumbling from each one broke the silence.

A few laughs were let out.

Obito smiled: "How about we go get lunch?"

Rin nodded. Naruto screamed: "Let's go to Ichiraku's!"

Hinata giggled at his antics, while Obito shrugged: "Sure, why not."

The group of four moved along.

End Chapter 9

Well that was a chapter.

First off who all had managed to figure out that Akatsuki was trying to recruit Shin? I'm legitimately curious. I thought it would be obvious the moment that the additional extraction target was revealed as Danzo and when Tobi questioned him about his arm.

Akatsuki meeting and aftermaths: there really isn't much to say about this section. It really is just to show how Akatsuki will be developing and changing from here on out. I genuinely wonder if anyone has any guesses about who Nanashi really is. He is a canon character. He also holds the unique title of being one of the few characters in the entirety of Naruto that I absolutely loath. He has a few interesting things to him which I think are wasted on a character as detestable as him. I have been holding off on having him act because it will show off character trait that I believe will ruin the surprise. Any guesses at who he is?

Gaara/ Shukaku/ Matsuri's section: I wanted to make a mirror between Gaara and Fu, similar yet a distinctly distorted reflection. Both could hear their Biju and both were guided by their Biju's voice, but Shukaku mostly manipulates Gaara by pretending to be the voice of Gaara's mother and has him do things that usually only benefit Shukaku while sometimes guiding him to do things that benefit only Gaara and sometimes others but having developed some care for the boy while Chomei chooses to be Fu's friend, albeit pretending to be imaginary, and wants only the best for her, teaching her what he can and being a voice to encourage her. That little remark by Shukaku about the first beast to taste the blood of man is a reference to the Game of Thrones TV Series, specifically to season 7 (episode 2 I do believe) to a conversation between Melisandre and Varys. Varys was the one to make the quote I was referencing but it was in regards to political power and every benefit that comes with it being given to common folk and ones who are foreigners like himself and Melisandre. I thought it would fit in the context of how I wanted to write Shukaku. Gaara's unintended inspiring and standing up for Matsuri and creating the start for her attraction to him here is supposed to create another distorted mirroring, this one to Naruto and how Hinata began being attracted to him. Taiya is an OC generated by one specific character surviving due to the altered events of the Third Great Ninja War. Her name is a bit of a hint when given the proper context and her scant description probably pieces it together.

Hiruzen/ Hisashi/ Obito/ Fu's section: not much to say about the general council meeting, other than talk about Hiashi's absence. I couldn't decide between either sparing or killing him off last chapter, so the section was cut but the attack was still part of the story we just didn't witness it. Hisashi's section is the first time we see things from his perspective and did you notice how odd and alien it felt, like he physically did not belong in the World of Naruto? That is the point. It has always been the point that Hisashi does not belong in the Elemental Nations from the start and has been actively limiting what he does, while at the same time striking at the worst he sees and helping how he can in indirect ways. I hope this helps to explain Jiraiya's observation of him from the section that introduced him back in chapter 6, the idealism of visionary who truly believes in humanity's potential and believes that true peace is possible mixed with the cynicism from witnessing quite a bit of true horror and had known far too much of war. This aspect is based on one of my favorite characters from the Discworld series: Sam Vimes, one of the protagonist of the City Watch theme of the series and the viewpoint through which most of that section of the series is told through. Vimes is characterized similarly, deep idealism in what men could achieve while mixed with some really heavy cynicism about the nature of man and a hatred for the politics and other things of a deeply messed up government and its convoluted policies that prevent him from doing his job as well as he could be doing it. He hates humans despite being one himself and all the fantastical races that surround him not because they aren't human but because he knows that nothing is perfect and everyone is capable of equal good and evil each in their own ways. Things get better over the course of the series. Another similar type of character in this archetype of the odd mix of Cynicism and Idealism would be Vash the Human Typhoon/ the Stampede from the Trigun series. Moving on. I imagine Gai would have a similar friendship or kinship with Obito as Rock Lee would have with Naruto, it is just how I would imagine it. I almost did not include the sneeze gag involving Shino when Fu has that particular thought about an Aburame being in her class at the academy, but I decided to because it felt appropriate.

Moyo's section: let's start with Kudo. Kudo's appearance is meant to be a horror show. I intended him to look pretty average but there being a deeply unnerving air surrounding him (kind of like Kira Yoshikage from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable) at first but then I started rethinking on how to make each hybrid unique and then I remembered a character from The Infamous Man's Amazing Fantasy, a My Hero Academia and Spider-Man/ Marvel Comic Universe crossover for those who don't know. Long story short, the version of Kaine who shows up in the story is based appearance wise on Kaine Parker's appearance from the Ultimate Marvel publication's Spider-Man. That got me thinking and I used that as a starting point. If you want to look at the horror that I used as a starting point, look that ugly motherfucker up: Ultimate Kaine Parker or Kaine Parker (Earth 1610). That face gave me nightmares the first time I saw it. I started from there and turned the genetic damage and deformities into scars that sound horrible just being described (and probably are made even more horrifying by just not talking about how he got most of them), only really preserving the clouded eye and the muscle fibers hanging over it. I probably put in a little Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on Elm Street remake as well with the one third degree burn I put on his neck and jaw. I mixed in a little bit of Tyrian Callows from RWBY for his personality of being violently bat shit insane with brief periods of paper thin lucidity where he is highly over theatrical while still being clearly insane. The difference being that Tyrian is a kind of creepy cool character while still being an unrepentant serial killer with pretty much no redeeming qualities and an assassin working for an evil witch that he worships as a goddess, while Kudo is very much a horrifying monster who is prone to violent open temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way and has no respect for Zetsu outside of him allowing Kudo to get away with his atrocities, which is a trait I procured from the character of Ser Gregor Clegane, The Mountain That Rides, from Game of Thrones/ A Song of Fire and Ice in regards to the reason why he serves House Lannister for the most part, at least how I interpret it. Kudo is an amalgamation of traits from different characters, the sum total of which creates a character which is an unlikeable monster and easy to hate.

Moving on from Kudo, most of the hybrids/ Makayus named have references to characters from other franchises or have a referential theme to their design, usually to a ninja from another franchise or a Ninja like character, or some other type of reference. The reference will usually be either in the name, their fighting styles, what they do, or some combination of the three. The primary reference with Mai is that she is partially based on Mai Shiranui from The King of Fighters and Fatal Fury franchise, with her fire affinity and how she will use it. She also further fills the reference by using a small folding metal handheld fan, Mai Shiranui's weapon of choice, which I imagined as a side arm for her that she can keep hidden for when she is disarmed. Moyo's reference is found in his weapon choice, his name holds no clues but when he starts demonstrating his capabilities with Fire Release it might clue fans of that series in. The brief scuffle with Kudo should start to give who I'm basing his style on away. Yaku's reference is not to another ninja from another franchise, it is to Japanese Folklore. In fact the reference is the same as Yakushi Kabuto's Family Name, to the healer Yakushi, no further explanation needed. Ashi's reference is one that I will wait to reveal but if you hang around in the right community you will probably start figuring it out. Kage, the one named but not shown, is one that I will probably have to spell out unless you are familiar with the series the character they are based on is from. Their name is a reference to the nickname held by the people the character claimed to be a member of.

Rin's section: okay, I will admit that the foreshadowing for this got messed up a little bit. There was supposed to be a little bit between Shisui and Obito in chapter 7 that implied Obito was getting ready to ask Rin to marry him, the current version of that chapter has it there now. Obito's thought to himself about asking her towards the end of his section of the last chapter, was him deciding to power through and asking her in this segment.

Kusahebi: I wrote this section with a little bit of a question in mind regarding how most summon clans demand some form of tribute but Manda seems to be far more violent and brutal, so I interpreted it as a form of policy difference between leaders, Kurohebi (Manda's predecessor as the Boss Snake here in this fic) being relatively relaxed and a good leader who understands the responsibilities of power while demanding tribute but nothing as extreme as human sacrifice, while Manda is violent and a poor leader who seeks to abuse the privilege and benefits of wielding power. I decided on this for my interpretation on Manda after remembering just how demeaning he was to his summoners as well as demanding of his tribute in comparison to both Katsuyu and Gamabunta (I know his summoners were Orochimaru and Sasuke when he summoned him as a meat shield against Deidara but my point stands). The bit about the Monkey Clan making their home on the Mountain of The Heavenly Enlightened Sage, is a reference to Journey to the West, the Heavenly Enlightened Sage is one of the titles that the Monkey King Sun Wukong/ Son Goku fashions for himself. I thought it was fitting considering King Enma's Adamantine Staff form is based on The Monkey King's Ryugi Jingu Bang, the expanding staff and the basis for kid Goku's Power Pole weapon in Dragon Ball. This segment was intended to be the end of the chapter but things happened the day I finally got my thoughts in order and got it typed out.

It was May 7th. Mere minutes before a little girl Yorkie named Hope tripped and broke her neck against a wall. I still see the puddle of blood from after we got her up to try to get her help.

Naruto and the graveyard scene: this section was not originally intended to be in this chapter but circumstances made it so. Originally it was just supposed to be a sendoff to my dog, a way of helping with the grief I was feeling but I decided to add to the preceding scene and make it a scene that I had already planned and move the planned sendoff to the next chapter. In the original version of chapter 8 that was originally chapter 5, Naruto and Hinata both would have found out about being Jinchurikis much earlier (by about a year or so in universe) and in a different scenery. They would have known what they supposed to find out in the original chapter 4 which was originally a collection of segments over a time skip.

Well this chapter was incredibly long. I don't think we will be getting chapters that are quite as long again for a while.

Next chapter is wrapping up certain plots that have been set up.

This chapter was finished on 5/11/2020 at 1:48 pm. Upload will occur soon.

The last week has been extremely draining for me. Exams and then my dog dying and then having to take an exam that day as well not long after it had happened. I'm going to take a few days to a week off from writing to try and get over everything. If we are lucky and writing for it goes like it did for this chapter, we will probably see it soon, hopefully by the end of this month.

Change Log (5/21/2020): minor clean up and some reworking to better set up Kudo for chapter 10.

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See you guys next time.