Will of the Damned

by Noveletta14

Summary:

Mastering the art of Fuuinjutsu was the natural path for Iruka. It was the jutsu that the Fourth Hokage used to save his village from the demonic Nine-Tails. Investigating Konoha’s restrictive archives leads him to gain the Tenshigan, allowing him to see the once invisible forgotten ghosts, terrifying spirits, and sadistic demons walking the world and seal them within himself. However, Iruka’s struggle to control these forbidden powers may have cursed himself and his village.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Chapter 1: The Birth of Umino Iruka

On the afternoon of May 26, when the sky was a cloudy silver and a light rain shower gently pattered against the window of the tiny home, Umino Iruka was born to jounin kunoichi Kohari and shinobi Ikkaku. It was a reasonably quiet birth, with Kohari biting into a wadded cloth as she lay in the cool water bath, gripping onto the sides of the wooden tub in pain, hard enough to dent it. Ikkaku sat opposite her, steady and calm, prepared for who was to come. The light patter of rain, water sloshing inside the tub, and Ikkaku's soft words of encouragement were the only sounds in the home. The first cries of a newborn child drowned them out, being the only sound in the world for the first two people to hear it. That day, Iruka lay curled on his mother's slowly falling and rising chest in sound sleep. Meanwhile, his father guarded them, lying beside Kohari with keen eyes and a comforting aura of chakra securing their safety.

A day old, Iruka would be formally introduced to the Umino clan of Kirigakure.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka was always fearless of water.

It had always been a part of his life. Along with the skills of reading, speaking, and writing his parents taught him, they also taught him how to swim in Kingyo Lake, a large body of glistening blue water that was a walk away from his home. He would hold onto his father as he effortlessly drifted through the shallow waters. Iruka eventually would gain the courage to paddle over to his mother when encouraged, remembering the joy on both their faces. Even though he was curious, he was never allowed to go to the deeper parts of the lake where the water turned dark blue. That was without Daigyo, a giant dolphin-like beast with glittering sea blue skin that was smooth to the touch and kind golden eyes that would appear out of nowhere with a wave of his parents' hands. He remembered the first time being placed on Daigyo's back, clinging onto his dorsal fin as he glided above the water and even under, creating a protective bubble of air from his blowhole that allowed Iruka and his mother to breathe and stay dry as they explored the depths of the lake.

There was only one week a month when he was forbidden to approach any body of water as it was a unique holiday, The Hoshigaki Gorge. His parents explained that it was a special occasion when the lakes and rivers of Kirigakure belonged to the Hoshigaki clan for them to treat themselves to a feast of fish and sea creatures. He was warned that the clan members may mistake him for a fish with their bad eyesight and gobble him up. That warning alone kept Iruka on dry land, even though he thought it was selfish and rude to hog all the fun lakes and rivers for an entire week.

Besides that monthly holiday, Kingyo was one of the few places a four-year-old Iruka was allowed to visit and never alone, which he never minded. He enjoyed swimming while his grandparents watched from the docks, and his cousins were able to join him in the water when his parents sadly left for missions.

"Think fast, dum dum!" Yuzusa, a young girl, gleefully warned with a smile, showed off her sharp teeth, her hands dancing together as she stood atop the water as if it were solid ground. "Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!" The blue-tinged water churned and bubbled, and a spout of lake water shot out at Iruka. He would've had no chance to dodge it, not knowing how to walk on water himself. That's why he clung onto his older cousin's back, who skillfully leaped out of the way, Iruka giggling as they flew into the air and landed effortlessly on the water's surface.

"Yay, Zabu!" Iruka cheered.

"Too slow, Neechan," Zabuza jeered, flashing his own serrated grin. "It'll take more than that to beat us."

"How about this, shark teeth?" Shachi boasted from behind, already weaving signs with a devious glint in his rusty brown eyes. "Water Release: Water Strike!" a stream-line current of water shot out at the boys with the speed of a racing sailfish.

"Look out!" Iruka called out, tugging on Zabuza's shoulders, who turned around to take the brunt of the attack.

"I got ya!" Hamago leaped in front of them, smacking his hands on the shifting water, "Water Wall!" A water barrier swiftly formed and blocked the water bullet with a loud splash. "Watch it, Otouto. Our team's got precious dolphin cargo."

"Then shark teeth shouldn't hide behind the pipsqueak."

"Hiding?" Zabuza scoffed, cracking his knuckles. "Let's show 'em what we got, Ru-kun!"

Iruka fought alongside his teammates, trying to copy Zabuza's hand signs for support; he swore he saw the water bubble when he tried a Water Bullet. Shachi was the first out when Iruka and Zabuza provided a distraction for Hamago to hit him with a Water Ball from behind. Shachi initially argued that they cheated but ultimately went to sit on the docks with their grandparents to grumpily watch the game with his arms crossed. Hamago was the next one out as Yuzusa fluidly dodged a combined attack and struck back with a water stream that Hamago dodged but looped around to hit him in the back. He took his loss more gracefully, wishing Zabuza and Iruka good luck before sitting beside his younger brother on the docks.

"It's just you two left, huh?" Yuzusa grinned as she wiped her damp brow with her hand. "Easy enough."

"Don't go underestimating us," Zabuza smiled back, licking the edge of his teeth. "Ru-kun and I have the combined power of a squad of shinobis!"

"Yeah! Be afraid!" Iruka exclaimed in agreement.

"Alright then, fearsome warriors," she took a fighting stance. "Show me what you got!"

"What the hell are you all doing out here?!" The excitement welling up inside Iruka was immediately vanquished by the fierce shout. He looked at the dock. Aunt Takomi stood with radiating anger that turned her ruby eyes into red hot irons and grided her teeth in her scowl. Hamago and Shachi shied away from her despite her dagger-like glare being honed on the Momochi siblings. "You're supposed to be training!"

"Okaasan, we were—"

"No, excuses," Takomi cut off Yazusa's explanation. "The both of you, get over here, now!"

"Yes, ma'am." "Yes, ma'am." Yazusa and Zabuza both relented and made their way back to the dock. Iruka frowned.

"Are we in trouble?" he asked, clinging tightly to his older cousin.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, Ru-kun," Zabuza reassured him.

"Tako-chan, please don't be so harsh," Grandma said, rising from her chair to grasp Takomi's shoulder. We agreed to bring the children here."

"They need time to enjoy their youth," Grandfather added in a quiet, gravelly voice.

"They don't have time to waste, Otosan. I thought you both would understand that." Tamoki argued, pulling her shoulder away from her mother's touch. "The graduation trials are only two weeks away. If they are to pass, Yazusa and Hamago must put their blood, sweat, and tears into their shinobi skills." She turned her attention to Shachi and Hamago for the first time since her arrival. "Does your father know you're out here being irresponsible, Hamago?"

"Well, yes, Obasan," Hamago answered. "I asked him if Shachi and I could go to the lake, and he told us to do whatever we wanted."

"That apathetic fool, Kurage," Takomi groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose before refocusing on Zabuza and Yuzusa, who had just climbed onto the docks. Zabuza set Iruka down and wrapped a towel around his small shoulders. "Where is your mind, girl?" Takomi questioned the downcast Yuzusa. "You know you must polish your skills to perfection. Your finals are bearing down on you. You—"

"That's why I wanted to play!" Yuzusa spoke up, surprising herself and everyone else. "I want… I want to have fun with everyone and see them smile while I can." Slowly, she looked her mother in the eye with steady emerald eyes. "Gentoku never got to play before his exam. He told me to spend time with everyone before I took my exam… Just in case I—"

"Fail?" Takomi scowled, "Don't ever speak like that, Yuzusa. You're going to pass, you and Hamago. Take your brother home and return to the training grounds, Yuzusa." She redirected her attention to Shachi and Hamago. "I'll escort you two home to talk with your father."

"Don't be too harsh on your brother." Grandmother advised.

"I'll be as harsh as need be," Takomi countered. “Kurage is too aloof for his children's own good. We'll see if Ikkaku fathers any better." She turned her steel gaze to Iruka, the young boy shrinking under the scrutinizing glare. "For our clan's sake."

She left with Hamago and Shachi, and Iruka left with the grandparents after saying goodbye to Zabuza and Yuzusa.

"Ojiisan?" Iruka mumbled, wrapped in a warm towel in his grandfather's arms as they walked home.

"What is it, little one?"

"… Is everything going to be okay?" There was a pause before his grandfather answered, his brow creasing with a low hum.

"I have all the hope that it will. We'll survive."

"Don't trouble yourself, dearie," his grandmother added, stroking Iruka's hair. "Be excited to see your parents this weekend. We'll have family dinner, and I'll cook buri no teriyaki."

"Mm, sounds tasty!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

It was a rainy day with dreary grey skies when Iruka was dressed in black by his mother. He knew it was a sad day from the gloomy aura that plagued the air around his clan as they gathered in the garden of tombstones. They weren't alone; many other clans were present, clumped around their respective memorial stones in their sorrow. Iruka clung to his father's side as he watched his aunts, uncles, and cousins mourn at their respective Yuzua Momochi and Hamago Umino gravestones.

"Otosan?" Iruka spoke shakily, tugging on his father's black yukata. His father bent down to his level, grey eyes as downcast as the stormy clouds above.

"Yes, Iruka-kun?"

"I don't want to come here again."

"… Me neither." His father hugged him tightly as if Iruka would disappear like a scream in a thunderstorm if he let go for a moment.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Almost a year later, Iruka was dressed up again—not in dark and mournful drapes but vibrant blue robes that emulated the crystal blue waters of Great Lake Tomoyo and a bluish silver sash decorated with illustrations of fantastic sea creatures in raging waves. The back of his robe proudly bore his clan's crest. His brown, grown-out hair was tied back in a bun with a few locks left out to frame his childish face. It was decorated with a silver pendant of a leaping dolphin.

"Stop pulling at your obi. You'll undo it." His mother chastised him as they walked down a hall of the Umino estate, his anxious hand that tugged on his belt immediately brought down to his side.

"Sorry, Okaasan… I'm just scared of messing up." They arrived at a door with murmured voices on the other side, and his mother turned to him to crouch down, the amber fabric of her kimono dress pooling on the floor.

"My dear, Iruka," her warm hands cupped his flushed cheeks. "There is no right or wrong when it comes to this. You have no sway in what your nature will be. No matter what you are, I'll never be disappointed. Neither will your father." She placed a reassuring kiss on his temple. "Steady yourself." She stood up and opened the door to the main hall of the home, a modest room with grey walls hanging paintings of great beasts and previous Umino clan members. His fellow clan members populated the room, and the furniture was moved out so they could all sit on the wooden floor.

They sat in two groups to create an aisle leading to the front of the room where his grandparents and father sat in a row on a decorative matt. The room went silent, and his relative directed all their attention to him; Iruka felt suffocated by the stares of anticipation, doubt, excitement, and desperation. His mother grabbed his hand and moved him to stand before her, nudging him forward to walk down the aisle, keeping his eyes focused on his father. He sat beside his father, who wore a sapphire kimono, behind his grandparents and mother. His grandfather spoke up.

"Thank you all for gathering here for the last Nature Ceremony for many moons. My youngest remaining son and daughter-in-law, hailing from the Hino Clan, have gifted our clans a final potential heir to bring glory to all our clans and raise us to greater heights." He pressed his palms together, fingertips pointed at the ceiling. "May Iruka bring grace."

"May he bring grace." The crowd repeated, hope lingering in the air. His grandfather sat back and gestured to Iruka and his parents.

"I am Umino Ikkaku," his father announced. "I harbor Water and Yin nature." He grabbed the wooden bowl behind him, each symbol for the five standard chakra natures carved into it, and set it in front of Iruka.

"I am Kohari Hino," his mother said next. I bring Fire nature." She scooped up the small plant behind her from the pot, cupping its roots and soil in her hand, and placed it in the bowl, pressing down the soil. It was a small tree, its trunk a slender stick with multiple closed buds on its branches that had yet to bloom.

"Go on," his father quietly urged him, and Iruka shuffled closer to the sapling tree. He reached out gentle hands to caress the trunk's soft bark ever so carefully, as if it'd shatter at too rough a touch. He glanced up and met Zabuza's expectant gaze in the front row, giving a reassuring smile with shark-like teeth. Zabuza only had one chakra nature and was capable of incredible feats Iruka had seen firsthand. All Iruka needed was one chakra nature, which he begged for. He shut his eyes and tapped into the pool of energy waiting eagerly inside for him to take a dive. Chakra spread from his core outward into his chest and through his arms to reach his fingertips, the tree immediately sucking in his energy.

He heard the quiet ruffling of the tree blooming, then the audience's silence.

"Oh, Kami," his mother's shocked gasp was muffled by her hand.

"What a terrifying sapling," his father muttered. Iruka opened his eyes to see the wonder. The tree's buds had bloomed into different fantastical flowers made of amber blazing flames as calming as a candlelight, sparking sea blue water that twirled like a miniature whirlpool, and one of translucent white petals that wavered like a mirage on a hot summer day. He was so entranced by the sight and overwhelmed with emotion he almost forgot to complete his part of the ceremony.

“I am Umino Iruka,” he proudly announced with a growing smile. “I’m gifted with Fire, Water, and Yin chakra nature.”

The following celebratory dinner was a far cry from the anxious and dreary air that had permeated the ceremony hall as the dining hall was filled with ecstatic toasts, hopeful conversation, and sporadic cheering.

“Three natures?! There is hope in this cruel world,” Aunt Saki blissfully blubbered, her face flushed red from the few sips of sake she had.

“Didn’t I say that little dolphin would be something special, dear,” Uncle Kurage said as he poured another drink for his wife and himself. “We’ll finally afford some quality sake. What emperors indulge in.

“My Gentoku had three natures, too,” Uncle Zaemon skeptically said, his razor-sharp teeth making quick work of the sliced swordfish. “It’ll take more than raw power for the boy to survive.”

“Precisely,” Aunt Takomi agreed with her husband, her plate already cleaned of food. She looked up at Iruka’s father sitting across the table. “Ikkaku-nii, you will start Iruka’s shinobi training immediately. Both you and Kohari-san take leaves from active duty when you can. You’re the only one who can develop his Yin nature and Kohari-san his Fire. The more skilled he is before he enters the academy, the more edge he will have over his competitors. If we play our cards right, he’ll be a chuunin by nine and jounin by eleven with enough successful high-ranking missions to surpass his parents and give our clans recognition.” For the first time in many solemn months, Iruka saw his aunt smile, a gentle pull of her thin lips. “Great things await us all.”

“… Certainly.” His father didn’t return the smile, and neither did his mother.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The training was more challenging than Iruka thought. There was so much to read about shinobi procedures, hand signs, and fighting styles that left him with little to no time to play at the end of the day. Not to mention how painful it was to learn those fighting styles. He'd accidentally cut his fingers on his kunai and shurikens when his mother taught him kenjutsu, trip and fall from trees when trying to jump across branches, trying to keep pace with his cousins, and give himself migraines trying to transform his chakra for ninjutsu when his father taught him the basics of Water Nature. He was nearly chakra exhausted, and his body ached after it was all said and done. The best part of the day was indulging in a bowl of his mother's ramen while nestled between his parents as they ate dinner in their cozy little home by the lake.

"Ow," Iruka hissed, waking up from his dream of running alongside dolphins across the ocean. He must have accidentally rolled onto his bruised side from where Zabuza had landed a kick on him during their sparring session earlier that day in his sleep.

“What hurts, Iruka kun?” Iruka bristled at his father, who lay beside him on the shared futon, his mother on his other side. The moonlight streaming from the open window illuminated his father's tired and worried face as he propped himself on his arm.

"My side stings a little, that's all. Sorry to wake you."

"Don't worry, little dolphin," his mother cooed behind him, stroking his hair. He leaned back into her chest. “We know it hurts."

"When does it stop hurting?" he asked. His mother took a sharp breath, and his father's eyes glistened like cool spring waters.

"… I can't say." His father muttered.

"I'll get strong," Iruka promised. "I'll be the strongest shinobi in the Umino Clan. So strong that the Mizukage himself will notice me, notice all of us down here. You'll see."

A single tear escaped his father's sorrowful eyes.

"Iruka… let's play tomorrow."

"Huh?" Iruka blinked, confused.

"Yes, that's a beautiful idea," his mother agreed, hugging Iruka close. "We'll go down to the river, have a picnic, and play whatever games you want, little dolphin."

"You sure we can do that?" Iruka asked, hesitant. He wanted to play again so badly, but… "I'm supposed to start training with my Fire Nature tomorrow. Obasan says I have to practice every day to pass the exam. So, I don't end up like—"

"That won't be you, Iruka." His father made a promise of his own. "No one will be able to take you from us. We won't let them."

"Ever," his mother added with a kiss on his cheek. In the dark of his home, nestled between his loving parents, Iruka smiled.

"Let's have fun tomorrow!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

One day of fun, exploring the beautiful nature trails to the river, playing in that river with his father and mother, eating onigiri by the bank, and watching colorful fish run down the river, turned into two days and then three and four. Seven full days of harsh training became four hours five days a week, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Even that schedule was subject to change if he ever got severely injured, which didn't happen as often as before, and he was given an extra few days for rest. It was a secret that he happily kept from the rest of his clan.

Unfortunately, now was the week he wasn't allowed near the water, so he was hauled up indoors. However, he was allowed to go to the town market with Zabuza to buy ingredients for a good-luck family dinner.

"So, what do you want on the menu, Zabu-kun?" Iruka inquired as they walked down the quiet trail through the forest to the market, the usual dense mist hanging low in the air and smelling of fresh rainfall.

"Anything but raw vegetables," Zabuza apathetically muttered, his dark brown eyes constantly scanning the surrounding trees instead of focusing on his chatty cousin.

"But what do you want though? I already know what you hate." Iruka prodded again.

"You like ramen, don't you? We can buy ingredients for that." The same disinterested response.

"But this is supposed to be your dinner, Zabu-kun. I'll have ramen for my special dinner when I enter the academy." At that, Zabuza growled, teeth grinding together and glaring eyes narrowing, and Iruka flinched under the wave of bitter chakra emitting from his cousin, though he wasn't surprised. The thick cloud of dark chakra had hung around Zabuza like the mists of Kirigakure for the past couple of weeks. The closer his induction to the academy approached, the denser the chakra fog; Iruka felt like he could almost see it.

"Don't be scared, Zabu-kun! You're already so strong!" Iruka tried reassuring Zabuza. "And you'll learn so much at the academy that by the time you graduate, you'll beat that mean exam with one Water jutsu." Zabuza stopped walking, and Iruka stopped talking. Confused, he looked up at his older cousin; Zabuza's glare narrowed into one point in the dense bush clouded by mist that Iruka couldn't see. "Zabu-kun?"

"Iruka—" A dark blur shot out from the opposite side of the forest, cutting through the dense mist and Zabuza's neck. Iruka watched, horrified, as Zabuza stumbled backward, dark blood spewing from the kunai sticking out of his neck. In a silent breath, Zabuza's chakra signature disappeared, and his body poofed into smoke, a block of wood left in his place to clatter to the forest floor. 'Substitution. Ambush.' Iruka's panicked mind supplied him, and his training kicked in, pulling out his kunai with trembling hands and leaping for the trees.

The dull thunk of kunai burying itself into a tree trunk told Iruka he had nearly dodged getting hit himself. He hurriedly leaped from branch to branch, head whizzing around for his attacker in the dizzying fog. 'Who's attacking me? Why would they even want to kill me? Where's Zabu?! I'm scared.' The hairs on Iruka's neck raised, and he instinctively pushed off a nearby tree trunk to fling himself to the side and evade the blade that carved into the bark a moment later. As he tumbled to the forest floor, he saw his attacker, a grown Kiri shinobi wielding a katana, and his scowling face marred with scars. Iruka hit the ground, and his soon-to-be killer jumped down after him, katana raised. 'Why?!'

A roaring blur raced down from the tree tops with something sharp and glistening, dropping down onto the attacking shinobi and sending him crashing into the dirt right in front of Iruka. Zabuza barred his fangs and growled like a wild beast as he pushed his tanto deeper into the gasping shinobi's back, blood spitting past his lips.

"Damn Momochi," was the shinobi's dying curse before Zabuza bit into the man's neck and jerked. The gruesome display, the sight of the man's last fleeting moments of life reflecting fear in his glossy eyes, clung onto Iruka’s young mind like a wolf unyielding to let go of its prey. Zabuza spat onto the ground, spewing blood and meat that Iruka told himself was beef.

"Akira!" came a woman's anguished cry, and a kunoichi dropped down onto the trail, hands already weaving signs and a vengeful fire burning in her dark eyes.

"Iruka, run!" Zabuza shouted, pushing the stunned boy away.

"But I can't leave—"

"Just get out of here, please!" Zabuza shoved him harder, desperate and pleading.

"I'll go get help!" Tears in his eyes, Iruka turned on his heel and ran down the trail into the mist. He didn't know where he was running, only that he had to escape. With his senses now on alert, his instincts told him that he had a pursuer, a predator with its fangs barred, aching to take his life.

In his panicked dash for survival and mist choking his vision, he didn't notice his feet hitting a wooden deck, before running off into the water below. He sank into the water until he mustered the chakra to hurriedly pull himself to the surface and continue his sprint. A quiet ripple of water splashing the back of his calves told him he wasn't alone on the water. He needed to get off of this lake and find help. He tried evasive maneuvers, zig-zagging across the water as his mind raced with what jutsus he could use to defend himself. He muffled a cry as a barrage of shuriken sliced through the mist, one lucky one getting stuck in his back, a burning sting of pain shooting through his spine. He stumbled and fell, bracing himself on the steep, muddy shores of the lake.

'Can't stop now!' Despite the pain coursing through his back, he slowly pulled himself up the shore, very aware of his attacker rushing across the lake to finish him. Reaching the embankment, he dared to look back, eyes widening in fear. A young boy stood on the lake's edge, no older than Zabuza, with a tanto on his back and a kunai strapped to his thigh, stared him down as he weaved hand signs. The boy’s steely eyes wavered, meeting Iruka’s tearful gaze, but his hands never stopped weaving. The water underneath him bubbled and rippled. Iruka reflexively ducked down, clinging to the earth to brace for the incoming attack.

An attack came. One that disturbed the water with tremendous force, creating a great splash, and roaring like a ferocious river bashing against rocks and earth. A frightful scream was muffled in all the chaos and immediately silenced with the dooming chomp of jaws snapping together. Drenched and cold but only harmed by the shuriken in his back, Iruka remained still in the eerie quiet of water rippling and the deep rumblings of a satiated beast. Iruka didn’t move, breathe, or dare to imagine what lurked behind him. He strangled the fear that made his body tremble, his breath stutter, and his mind panic. He was as still and uninteresting as a passing blade of grass, blending in a field. He waited until the rumblings went quiet as the Hoshigaki retreated under the lake’s water and waited some more to be safe.

Snapping out of his daze, he shot up to his feet and continued running until he returned home to tell his parents that Zabuza needed help. The image of a deep red blood pool staining the lake’s blue water was still fresh in his mind.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

“I knew you were up to something behind my back, Ikkaku! But I never thought you weren’t training the boy!”

“We are training him, Takomi! We’re also giving him time to be a child while he still can. He deserves that much.”

“He deserves to learn how to be a proper shinobi. The Kamado clan isn’t the only lowly clan full of cowardly cheaters. How many more clans do you think will try and murder your son before he gets into the academy? A cheap shot to give their own incompetent heirs a chance. Unless you’re going to play just as loathsome as them.”

“No, I—"

“Then train Iruka for Kami’s sake! He only survived that ambush because my Zabuza was there. Even he got injured. Right before his induction! If either of our sons had died, their blood would be on your hands, Ikkaku!”

Iruka silently sat outside the room where his father and Aunt Takomi were arguing, listening to every insult and accusation they threw at each other. His bandaged back throbbed with pain.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"What's the Will of Fire?" Iruka asked as he sat in front of the lit fireplace, a ninjutsu book with his mother's notes written in the margins laid out in front of him. His mother looked up from her sewing of a torn shinobi uniform, and his father stopped packing kunai for an upcoming mission.

"Where'd you hear about that?" his mother asked, setting down her needle and thread.

"It's in your notes," Iruka pointed to the book. "It sounds like the Will of Water."

"They're not the same," his father said.

"What's it like then?" Iruka shifted to his parents, sitting in front of them with curious eyes. His parents looked at each other, and there was a silent conversation between them before they nodded.

"The Will of Fire is Konohagakure's promise to its village." His mother said.

"Konoha?" Iruka tilted his head. "Isn't that the hidden leaf village on the mainland?"

"Correct." His father nodded. "The Will of Fire is Konoha's vow that its shinobi are not only to fight to protect their village but also the King." 

"Who's the King?"

"Anyone," his mother answered with a smile. "Anyone you hold close to your heart, who you want to protect with all your power. Shinobi with the Will of Fire fight to protect those they love. They were always our most determined opponents, giving us plenty of scars."

"But you always won?" Iruka asked.

"… Not always," his father quietly replied. "Before you were born, your mother and I faced against Konoha's White Fang during the Second Great Shinobi War."

"The one that battled Jimbesame?! How'd you beat him?"

"We didn't. Despite how many shinobi the White Fang had vanquished, he was gracious enough to spare your mother and me."

"Why?"

"He never gave a true answer to that," his mother said. "He didn't say much, but he did tell us about the Will of Fire and why he was fighting as hard as he was. I'm very grateful for that day."

"Of course you are. You lived!" Iruka cheered, and his parents chuckled.

"That's one reason," his father smiled and scooped his young son up in his arms to the boy's laughter. His mother joined in the family hug, both of their chakras being a bright beacon promising warmth and safety. His mother and father locked eyes, a silent exchange between them both. "Iruka, for our next mission," his father's voice was quiet and soft. “We'll be bringing you with us."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka was ready to go on his first mission with his parents, though he had no Kiri-nin outfit to wear. He had finished packing, which had taken all day. He packed nearly everything he had, and so did his parents, using scrolls to help minimize luggage.

"Are you ready, Iruka?" his mother asked. He climbed onto her back, locking his legs around her midsection and small arms around her shoulders. He gave one last look around his home. Their home appeared bare, with no trace of the family that had once lived there.

"Yes, Kaasan."

"Then hold on tight."

They left in the middle of the night when the village was quiet and dancing with shadows. His parents leapt swiftly and silently through the mist and trees, Iruka holding on tightly to his mother as the chill air rushed past his face. Faster than Iruka could have managed on his own, they made it to Kingyo Lake, reaching the empty docks.

"We're here," his father quietly said, and not a moment later, Zabuza crawled out from his hiding spot underneath the docks to greet them with a worried look.

"You've been keeping secrets long enough, Ojisan," Zabuza said, eyes flickering to their luggage scrolls and Iruka on his mother's back. "What did you want to ask me?"

"You probably figured it out by now, but I'll still ask.” His father said. “Would you like to join us, Zabuza-kun? We're leaving tonight."

"… I hoped you'd ask me something else," Zabuza frowned and sighed, looking out onto the lake and slowly blinking twice.

 "I understand, it's probably better this way, for Ru-kun…" he looked back at the Uminos and tilted his head. "But I can't go with you."

"No, Zabu," Iruka whined, and his mother quietly soothed him, rubbing his small hands. He bit his lip. "Right, I have to be silent."

"There's a purpose for me here." Zabuza continued. "Our clans will need a new protégé to look towards. That pressure would crush Shachi if I were to leave." His eyes narrowed, and his posture tensed. "I hope you understand?"

"I do." His father nodded, body tensing in a similar fashion. "I wish you the best, Zabuza."

"The same goes for you." He shot Iruka one last smile, plagued with pain, before clasping his hands together in a sign, Inu. His father reacted a moment after Zabuza's attack launched, dodging the water bullet shot his way. Iruka didn't see his next attack as his mother spun to face the forest and flung a pair of kunai to intercept the darts flying towards them from the dark.

"So, quick, Kohari-chan," Uncle Kurage teased as he slipped out from the dark forest, twirling his mother's kunai around his finger. Shachi was right behind him, a smug smirk on his face as he hid behind his father.

"See! I told you they were trying to leave!" he proudly stated, pointing an accusatory finger at the family, more so at Iruka.

"What was that, Zabuza?!" Iruka looked over his shoulder at the scolding voice and saw Aunt Takomi pulling herself out of the lake and onto the surface, her dark kimono soaked. "You had him!"

"Ojisan reacted faster than I thought," Zabuza answered, now on the lake by his mother and adorning a bruised cheek to go with his bandaged arm. "There wasn't much time to practice this ambush either."

"Shut up, boy, and focus," Takomi snapped, her rage redirected towards Iruka's father. "Ikkaku, stop this foolishness now!" she demanded. "You are a shinobi of Kirigakure and a member of the Umino clan, and you are to fulfill your duties as such. Do you forget yourself?"

"For a time, yes I did!" he shouted back at her; Iruka was surprised to hear his father shout so fiercely. "I wasn't fighting for anything, killing for nothing! It took me too long to realize that. But now I finally figured out why I'm a shinobi, who I'm fighting for." He clasped his hands together, ready to sign. "To give my son the future he deserves."

"Even in death, Konoha's White Fang has its twisted grip on your soul." Takomi sneered. "I'm done arguing with you, Ikkaku. I told Zaemon to alert the Hunter-nins that you and Hino could be traitors kidnapping Iruka from the Umino Clan. There will be nowhere you can run where they won't find you." She calmed the burning glare in her eyes, but only a few cinders. "Unless you decide to stay, then I can say it was all a misunderstanding, that you were sick and spewing nonsense."

"Our mind is made, Takomi!" Iruka's mother didn't look away from Kurage as she proclaimed as intently as his father, feeling her powerful voice rumble through her. "Like you said, all the arguing is over. It's time to act. It's our duty to leave this cursed place, and it'll be your duty to try and stop us!" His father finished the jutsu, and a sudden thick mist sprouted around them like a gushing geyser.

"Ikkau!" Takomi's ireful scream was lost to the mist as his parents took the chance to flee, flickering away from the lake and deeper into the forest. Iruka felt a little nauseous from the teleportation, but his distress about the sudden ambush from his own clan weighed much heavier in his gut. Iruka shivered as he felt the first droplets of a storm fall on his face, wiping away the water and tears on his shirt.

"We're almost to the coast, Kohari," his father said as they made it out of the forest, yelling over the heavy rainfall. The moon brightly illuminated the bluff they were running across. It was the furthest Iruka had ever been from home. "The Hunter-nin shouldn't reach us by the time we get to the boat."

"They're dead if they do," his mother affirmed. The sound of waves crashing against the shore was the first sign that they were reaching the beach, then the sand crunching underneath their feet, and finally, the salty smell of seawater wafting in the air. They made it down the beach and ran west along the shoreline, stopping when they came across a small canoe hiding behind a large boulder. Iruka looked up the shoreline as his parents dragged the canoe to the water, eyes widening in fear, seeing multiple figures rushing down the beach at a frightening speed.

"Kaasan, Tosan," he whimpered, anxiously tugging on his mother's flack jacket.

"We know. Everything's gonna be alright, little dolphin," Iruka's mother reassured him with a grin, the waves lapping up the side of the canoe. She took him off her back and set him in the canoe as they walked deeper into the ocean. "Once we get out far enough, we'll be able to summon," she said to his father, who nodded. Once the water reached their chests, his parents pulled themselves into the canoe, Iruka sat between them. His father pulled out a smaller scroll, weaving only two signs before a puff of smoke revealed a pair of oars.

"Here," he handed the oars to her, and she immediately began rowing as he faced the shore. The Hunter-nin stopped on the shore, although they could've effortlessly run across the water to face the Uminos. However, the reason for their inaction was apparent in the sudden appearance of the hulking figure that stood heads above them all, a long serpentine tail whipping in the rain and sharp dorsal fin looming in the night. A glow of amber rippled down the tiger-like stripes on the creature's back, and the pale, reflective glare in his circular eyes showed his predator-like focus on the Uminos.

"Hoshigaki," Iruka's father's voice was stressed with fear.

"The bitch sicked the Hoshigaki on us?!" his mother cursed angrily, worry also etching itself onto her face. The Hoshigaki crept into the ocean, only taking a few long strides to reach deep waters and slinking underneath the waves, dorsal fin disappearing into the sea.

"Hold on!" his father ordered as he weaved another jutsu, his mother grabbing Iruka and gripping the boat's edge. "Water Current Jutsu!" Iruka jolted forward as a sudden water current propelled the canoe onward as if they were in a racing river.

"Ikkaku, how's your chakra level?!" she yelled over the rush of water from the sky and the sea.

"I still have enough!" there was an evident strain on his face, working to maintain the jutsu while preparing for the Hoshigaki's attack. "We're almost there. Get ready!" he bit down cleanly on his thumb, drawing blood.

"Right!" she bit her hand harshly, another freshly bleeding bitemark to join the others. She held out her hand, and Iruka's father reached for her. There was a terrible rumbling through the water that racked a haunting fear within Iruka, memories of a beastly roar and ripping flesh assaulting his mind.

"He's coming!" His urgent warning was followed by an attack that struck from underneath and hit harder than a paper bomb. Iruka didn't know what happened after that; he only felt himself become weightless in a storm of stinging droplets and flailing limbs before hitting the cold water, where everything sunk into darkness.

…

… …

… … …

Iruka awoke to a burning in his chest and a violent cough that had him rolling onto his side and spitting up seawater.

"Oh, thank Kami," above him, his father, beaten and bruised, cried in relief, drenched and bleeding from a nasty cut across his shoulder. His soaking hair was down on his shoulders, and his hair was hanging around his neck.

"How do you feel, little dolphin?" his teary-eyed mother asked in just as bad condition, her forearms sliced open as if she defended herself against an animal attack.

"… My head hurts," he replied, voice rough, and reached to touch his head, feeling that it was already wrapped with bandages.

"You'll feel better soon," she reassured him, helping him sit up.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around. Above them, the sky was filled with grey clouds, having already wept through the night. They were on a beach, but a different one from before. The sand was more pale tan than sickly grey, and the calm waves were a clearer blue.

"We made it, Iruka," his father smiled so brightly it could have replaced the sun. We reached the mainland."

"Really? How did…" he paused before he finished his question, catching sight of a massive boulder washed up on shore. No, a boulder wasn't right. It was grey like one, but too long, and it went thinner on one end. There was a triangular, jagged edge sticking out from the top. Boulders also didn't bleed.

"… Is that—"

"Daigyo, yes." His father interrupted, putting his hands over Iruka's eyes. "He helped fight off the Hoshigaki and brought us here with the last of his strength. He said 'he was honored to have given his life for such a promising young dolphin.' Don't be too sad." He removed his hands, and Daigyo was suddenly gone. Iruka sensed his father's chakra at work but made no attempt to break free of the genjutsu. He fell into his parents' embrace, exhausted, curling up in their warmth to fight against the chill winds.

At six years old, Iruka went on his first unofficial mission: to travel to Konohagakure alongside his parents, leaving a pair of Kirigakure hitai-ate to rust in the sand.

By chance, the day after the Umino family embarked on that mission was also the day the Third Great Shinobi War was declared.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka rose early in the morning for another day of travel when the spring sun was starting to greet the horizon, and the morning bird was chirping their tune. Strangely, he was the first to wake. His father and mother passed out exhausted on either side of him. Carefully, he maneuvered from between his parents and crawled out of their makeshift tent of leaves and sticks. He did his grown-out hair, tying it up like his father. The forest trees provided good cover and shade for Iruka to relight the campfire and warm up a pot of morning broth. As he frowned at the meager amount of broth that was left, a sudden thought came to him. "Oh, yeah, it's my birthday. I survived a whole eight years. Congratulations to me!" He prepared three ceramic bowls, one chipped, creating a sharp edge Iruka carefully avoided. He looked back at his still-sleeping parents. "They're usually up by now. Kaasan always wants us to use every bit of daylight."

"Kaasan, Tosan," Iruka softly spoke, poking his head in the tent. He got no answer. Brows furrowed in worry, he nudged his father's shoulder, careful not to disturb his scars. "Tosan?" 

"Hm… Iruka?" His father groaned, voice drained, and weakly opened his eyes. 

"It's morning," Iruka said. "I made breakfast!"

"Good job," his father tiredly praised him, still managing to smile. His stubble was grown out, and he'd given his last hair tie to Iruka, leaving his long, unkempt hair down. He gently caressed his mother's cheek.

"Kohari, you're still with us?"

"… I wouldn't leave my boys," she muttered, just as exhausted as his father, but still smiling, her hand entangling with his. Her brown eyes opened, a flame flickering inside. Iruka waited a little longer for his parents to get out of the tent.

"Here," he held out a bowl to his mother, who shook her head.

"If I remember, it's some special boy's birthday today." She smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's all yours today, little dolphin."

"It's our gift to you, " his father said. Iruka frowned, seeing how much muscle and weight his parents had lost when food was getting scarcer in the last few months. He didn't argue and started eating, knowing how fruitless it was to try to convince his parents otherwise.

"I think today may be our last day out here," his father said after reviewing the old map.

"Really?!" Iruka gasped, nearly dropping his bowl in surprise.

"If we keep going South, we can reach Konoha by this afternoon, but…"

"But what?"

"We'll have to cross, Tone River." His mother said.

"We can't go around?" Iruka asked.

"That'd add another week. We don't have that time."

"It's risky no matter what option we take," his father sighed.

"Let's go across the river!" Iruka determinedly insisted. "We have to if it's quicker. I'm not scared." His parents looked at each other to have another silent conversation, solemnly nodding.

"If you're not scared, why should we be," his father smiled, rolling up the map.

"Eat up," his mother said. "We'll be heading out shortly."

"Right!" In Iruka's excitement, his thumb drifted too close to the sharp edge and— "… Ow," he quietly gasped, more out of shock than pain.

"What?" his father worriedly asked. Iruka shamefully showed his cut thumb, a warm droplet of blood already seeping through the broken skin.

"I-I'm sorry, it was an accident."

"It's all right," his mother reassured him, and his father was already getting up and packing what little supplies they had left. “We'll just leave sooner rather than later."

…

… …

… … …

The family traveled for two hours before they came across shinobi. Or rather, they found them. The forest's camouflage worked in favor of both friend and foe, though his mother was aware enough to notice the wire trap even in her tired state. It wasn't the first time they'd encountered shinobis from other villages. Iruka remembered when he saw his first Iwa-nin hiding in a cave his family tried to rest in, his red shinobi outfit dirtied and torn from warfare and missing fingers on his left hand. There was a frightened look in his eyes as he fled without a word. These shinobis showed no fear on their stoic faces as they glared down from treetops and circled around them on the dirt path.

The Konoha crest emblazoned on their shinobi uniforms told how close they were to the Hidden Leaf Village. Though their uniforms weren't red like the Iwa-nin's, their eyes were, irises burning a brilliant crimson that pierced through any mask to peer into the soul. They were the eyes of Konoha's Uchiha Clan, the clan his parents told him so many stories about. However, seeing them in person and hearing their tales were entirely different experiences.

"Stay behind me," Mother whispered to him, making herself a shield for him from any surprise attacks.

"We mean no harm," Father calmly announced, holding his hands up. "We only need to pass through to Konoha."

"You're not civilians," the lead Uchiha replied, kunai at the ready. "We know shinobi when we see them. Whose village do you belong to?"

"None at the moment," Father steadily continued. "We originally hail from Kirigakure, but it's no longer our home. They have their hunters after us even during times of war."

They may have a good reason to. 

"We don't have time to be arguing!" Mother harshly interjected, making the shinobis tense up. "There is a Hoshigaki Hunter on our tracks, and the longer we stand here, the closer he'll get." A troubled whisper rose through the crowd, and Iruka saw the first hint of fear in the leader Uchiha's eyes. It was promptly replaced by anger, his unsheathed tanto glinting in the sun. Father got his signs ready, and Mother reached for her kunai's.

"You brought one of those demons here?!"

"Yashiro," the smooth voice said in a tranquil tone that negated the tense air of a brewing battle. The voice's wielder was a man who had suddenly appeared by the lead Uchiha's side, grasping his wrist and gently lowering the tanto. The man was also dressed in a Konoha-nin uniform, though more pristine, with the only imperfection being a tear on his pant leg.

"They're missing-nin from Kirigakure," Yashiro spat, never taking his eyes off the former Kiri-nin. "There's a Hoshigaki tailing them."

"Is there?" the shinobi turned his attention to the Uminos; his messy black hair fell over his hitai-ate, and his eyes were black orbs, glittering like obsidian. He calmly approached the family, hands at his sides and wearing a neutral expression that didn't pose confrontation. He stopped a couple of paces away. "Now, what does the Hoshigaki want with a family like yours? You don't seem all that troublesome." Mother and Father glanced at each other.

"They want us dead," Father answered. He didn't lower his guard but stepped aside enough to show the shinobi Iruka. "And want to take our son back to Kirigakure. He'll die there. We're just trying to find him a new home, so at least let him pass through."

"Tosan," Iruka whined and gripped Father's dirtied yukata robe.

"We can lead the Hoshigaki away," Father continued. "We don't intend to bring his carnage upon you all."

"… You believe Konohagkure to be your son's new home?" the shinobi inquired, sounding more curious than threatening.

"Indeed. The Will of Fire will protect him more than our clan could give him a fighting chance in this unfair world."

"… May I speak with your son?" the shinobi politely asked.

"No sudden movements," Mother warned, but allowed the shinobi closer.

"Of course, ma'am." He bent down on a knee to look into his eyes, seemingly studying every small emotion on the boy's face. "You seem tired. You must have traveled far."

"… We did," Iruka found his voice, facing the shinobi head-on. "It took us so long to get this far, and I couldn't have gotten here without my mom and dad." He clung onto both of his parents' robes. "I'm gonna go across Tone River, and they must come with me! There's no other way I'll accept."

"Your fiery resolve is admirable," the shinobi offered a smile. "What's your name?" Iruka looked up at his parents. After a little hesitation, they nodded. "I'm Umino Iruka."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Iruka-kun." The shinobi held out his hand. "I'm Uchiha Denzo," he introduced himself, and Iruka shook his calloused hand. He stood back up to address his parents.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Ikkaku," Father answered first, lowering his hands.

"… Kohari," Mother let go of her kunai strapped to her waist.

"Well, Ikkaku-san, Kohari-san, if you have no issue, I'd like to personally escort you all to Tone River."

"Denzo-san, that's—" Yashiro quieted his retort when Denzo raised a hand.

"Madness? No. Dangerous? Of course. But such is a shinobi's duty.” Hee looked to the Umino family. “Can you accompany us back to base? I'll need to prepare."

"… No," Father answered.

"Did you ask if we'd mind?" another shinobi spoke up, a scowl twisting her features.

"This falls on my shoulders," Denzo replied. "The Uminos will be my responsibility, alongside the Hoshigaki. Come." He gestured for the Uminos to follow as he leaped through the forest. They could keep pace, though his parents were weary of the shinobi giving them skeptical glares. The Konoha base was hidden within the forest and wasn't as big as Iruka thought, with about ten shinobi present. An interesting group of four shinobis stood around the biggest tent talking to a Konoha-nin who seemed to be the captain. They didn't seem to have any Konoha identifying insignia and wore white masks that mimicked animals and creatures with colorful markings. As Denzo led them to his tent, Iruka watched Yashiro run up to the displeased captain.

"I'm sorry for the mess. I wasn't expecting any visitors." Denzo apologized, reaching underneath his cot.

"Why are you doing this?" Mother asked, still shocked. "Did you want something in return?"

"Young Iruka's safety," he pulled out a pair of sheathed katanas with red handles and slung them on his back. "I know of Kirigakure's bloody graduation ritual, something that the both of you survived, but weren't certain your son would. That and the Hoshigakis feastings. I assume that's why you defected, to escape death." He went over to his small desk and went through the drawers. A picture frame rested atop it, Denzo in the picture standing beside a smiling woman and holding a young boy who shared his looks. "I have a young boy myself. I would've also run away if I had to put my Shisui through that." He grabbed a small pouch and stuffed it in his back pocket. He turned to the family. "I'd want someone to help my family if I were in your position. So, I'll be that someone for you."

"Denzo, what are you doing?!" the captain questioned as he marched over. Iruka's parents stepped back and pulled their son with them to give the shinobi a wide berth. The captain glared at them, and Iruka saw the crimson flare of the Uchiha in his eyes. "You brought missing-nin into our camp."

"We were just leaving, Fugaku-san," Denzo smiled, bowing to his superior officer. “This is a matter I'll handle on my own; it won't affect your schedule."

"It will if you get yourself killed."

"I have no intentions of dying today. I'm strong."

"Not strong enough to take on a Hoshigaki by yourself. Let the missing-nin handle their own mess."

"They hardly have enough chakra for a body flicker jutsu." He sighed and shook his head, his resolve still firm. "We must face these demons at some point, Fugaku-san. If we don't, then our children will have to fight them. I may not have total victory, but I can at least give our children a leg up in their future battles." Fugaku grumbled, fists curling in frustration.

"… If you're not back by tomorrow, we'll move on without you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Still growling, Fugaku turned to leave, though he stayed a moment longer to glare at Iruka with crimson eyes.

"Be worth all the trouble, boy." He left with that, passing by the masked shinobi that had come to the tent.

"… You're doing this today, Den-kun?" One of the more muscular shinobi asked. His black hair was cut short, and his mask resembled a bear with dark blue markings. A large scroll was strapped to his back, no doubt containing a fierce weapon.

"There would be no better day." Denzo grinned. The Bear sighed deeply.

"Mizunoto," he said, turning to address the other masked shinobi.

"Yes, Kuma-san," the shinobi wearing the mask of a snarling monster with red fangs and dark-teal-dotted brows stood at attention. The Bear pulled a smaller scroll from his pocket and held it out. "You'll oversee the group in delivering this. I'll rejoin you later." Mizunoto stiffened, hesitating to grab the scroll.

"… Jakkaru-sama ordered all of us to deliver it," the shinobi, also wearing a bear-like mask, politely insisted, though hers had red markings and a stitch-like scar painted across the eye.

"Tell him complications arose. Now," his voice firmed, "the three of you continue the mission. I trust you will complete it."

"… Yes, Kuma-san!" Mizunoto finally grabbed the scroll and turned to his teammates. "Let's go." The three of them disappeared in a puff of smoke, no doubt already flying through the trees. The Bear turned to the Umino family.

"You can still travel, yes?"

"We still have life in our veins." Mother confidently answered, still having a protective hold on Iruka.

"Good. Let's get moving."

…

… …

… … …

They reached the river in under an hour. About ten minutes into their trek, Mother had tripped on a branch and would've fallen with Iruka if the Bear hadn't caught them. After some persuasion, he carried her in his arms as she held Iruka close to her chest, the Bear's potent chakra being a thick cloak that wrapped around them, ensuring security. Denzo also had offered to carry their supplies to take some weight off of Father. They had encountered a couple of Iwa shinobi groups, but after a flash of Denzo's haunting eyes, they dared not attack. The Konoha-nin fearlessly ran across the open field leading to Tone and overcame the river itself; Iruka shut his eyes and held his breath, preparing for the monster to strike any moment. It didn't. They safely reached the other side.

"This is as far as we go," The Bear said as he carefully set them down. "Continue forward, and you'll reach Konoha before nightfall. However, there will be more guards who will cut you down without hesitation." He looked at Iruka. "You're hand." After checking with his parents, Iruka held his hand out to the Bear, who gently grabbed his wrist as his other hand signed. "True Kuma Seal," he pressed two fingers on the back of Iruka's hand, and the young boy felt his hand tingle from the flow of chakra. What was left behind was a dark symbol of a bear's snarling head tattooed on his skin.  "You need to show this to them and say, 'The Jackal grants us passage.' Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Iruka saluted.

"I know you're both drained, so," along with handing Father the bag of supplies, Denzo handed over two pills from his pouch. "Take these. They'll give you a chakra boost." Father gratefully took the pills, eating one and giving the other to mother, though she inspected it first.

"How will you be certain that you'll intercept the Hoshigaki?" Mother asked, already looking invigorated from the pill.

"I have a way of drawing its attention," Denzo smirked and pulled out a kunai, running its blade across his palm and letting it bleed into the river.

"Lunatic," The Bear scoffed.

"You followed this lunatic for so many years, you must've lost some screws yourself." A sincere smile formed on Denzo's face. "Thanks for being here, Kugami."

"Of course," The Bear nodded, unhooking the scroll and setting it on the ground with a hardy thump.

"You should go now," Denzo said to the Unimo family as he unsheathed his katana, the blades decorated by blood and sunlight. "Hopefully, we'll meet again in Konoha."

"The both of you, thank you so much," Father bowed his head in gratitude, and Mother gave a small bow of her own. "May you be glorious in battle." With that, the Uminos took off for the leaf village, Iruka looking behind him at the pair of brave Konoha-nin prepared to face one of Kirigakure's monsters.

…

… …

… … …

The scent of swampy rain filled the air as a thick mist settled around the running Umino family. The potent smell triggered a primal fear within Iruka, who clung on tighter to Father.

"We're almost there!" Father exclaimed, constantly looking over his shoulder as he carried himself on exhausted legs, the last of the chakra waning. "Don't stop no matter what!" The mist growled, and Iruka cowered.

“… Give… Me… Little dolphin!”

"Come any closer, monster, I dare!" Mother challenged the Hoshigaki as she pulled out a pair of kunai in each hand, turning around in the air. She weaved hand signs in a flash and breathed a stream of hot flames to coat her kunais. "I'll rip you apart!" she hurled the flaming ninja weapons, and they ricocheted off the trees to disappear in the mist. An all too familiar angered hiss vibrated the air and shook the young boy to his bones. Iruka felt the attack coming before it hit, the air shifting as a rushing force pierced through the mist, like a hungry shark flying through the ocean to bite down on their prey. In one moment, he felt Father shield him, and in another, he was batted out of the air and crashing to the ground, though he landed on Father's chest.

"Tosan!" Iruka cried, seeing his father knocked out cold, bleeding from a gash on his head.

"Iruka," Mother groaned, gasping in pain and clutching her slashed side as she tried to get up. She spat blood on the ground. Iruka could have guessed she would tell him to run and escape to the village, but she never got the chance to tell him as Iruka felt a thick tail wrap around his waist and whisked him into the air. He cried and reached for his mother as if he could grab her outstretched hand; a horrible scream tore her throat, and her eyes flooded with tears as she tried to stand. The mist soon swallowed his parents, and Iruka could hear the shark monster's heavy panting as it swiftly leaped from tree to tree.

"Finally… Have… Little dolphin!" the monster's rumbling voice giddily rejoiced. Iruka desperately tried pushing himself free of the tail, cutting his palms on rough scales. Though he could see that the tail was already marred by many cuts and bruises, much of the Hoshigaki’s body was. He could see a deep gash across its dorsal fin and his mother's kunai lodged in its back. The most prominent would be a katana that was lodged in the beast's shoulder, slicing in deeper with each movement. "Fight, Iruka! I have to make sure Kaasan and Tosan are okay!"

A new sound assaulted his ears, like nails slowly dragging down a chalkboard to accompany an earsplitting siren that gradually grew louder. He saw a spark in the forest that came arking down, carrying the piercing sound with it and traveling in the blink of an eye. It tore through the Hoshigaki's tail, freeing Iruka and making the beast roar in pain. Iruka expected to hit the hard ground, but he didn't fall very far before he was caught by strong arms that carried him gently to the ground. Tears clearing from his eyes, he looked up at his rescuer to see another masked shinobi, one dawning a mask of a loyal hound with grey and red markings. He appeared much younger than the other shinobi, but his chakra was more fierce and biting, warning everyone that his fangs were ready to strike.

"You… Mutt!" the Hoshigaki growled on all fours; turning around to face them was a snarling muzzle, blood, and strips of clothes caught between his serrated teeth. The Hound held onto him tighter, clawed fingers poking his skin and a growl of his own rumbling his chest as he stood his ground. "Give… Him back!" the monster roared, and the mist suddenly boiled, stinging to the touch as his markings burned a hot amber. The air became hotter, and it took a moment for Iruka to realize it not only came from the Hoshigaki but from above as a massive roar of fire came down, burning the beast and creating a wall separating him from Iruka and the masked Konoha-nin.

A gust of wind rushed in as a shadow descended, and the creature that had been soaring above landed with a heavy thud that shook the ground. At first, it appeared to be a giant bird with crow-like features, ebony feathers coating its massive wings, and a dark-curved beak. However, Iruka noticed its reptilian lower half, its haunches reminiscent of a silver-scaled lion with its long swishing tail lined with spikes that ran up to its shoulder blades. Raised on its haunches, the creature gave an avian screech though it packed the rumbling echo of a hissing gator and roaring lion, flames dancing from its maw. Standing atop the creature's back, silhouetted by the brilliant blaze, was a shinobi dressed in a dark cloak, dawning a black mask that mimicked a conniving jackal with gold lining around the eyes.

"Itsumade!" he called out with a powerful yet controlled voice, hands signing Tori as the bird-like creature opened his wings wide. "Wind Release: Great Hurricane Jutsu!" Itsumade snapped its wings shut with a thunderous clap, creating fierce gusts of winds that sliced through the air, blowing out the flames with its intensity, breaking off branches and kicking up rocks towards the Hoshigaki. Iruka closed his eyes and held on tightly to the Hound as the wind attack disturbed the entire area. When the dust settled, Iruka opened his eyes. He could see the sun again, the mist having been blown away to let the sunlight warm away every chill from his frightened body. The Hoshigaki had been blown back into the tree despite his efforts to ground himself, the wound on its side now deep enough to expose the bone.

Iruka didn't see what happened between the two ferocious creatures next as the Hound retreated back towards the village, towards his parents. His parents had remained where he left them, his father out cold on the ground and his mother managing to sit herself up, protectively leaning over his father. A group of five masked shinobis surrounded them, their weapons drawn as they stared down the missing-nin.

"Kaasan!" he called out, climbed out of the Hound's arms, and ran towards his mother. Her angered scowl immediately transformed into tearful relief as she embraced her son despite the pain she was in.

"Oh, Iruka!" she cried in joy. "Thank you." She tearfully thanked the Hound.

"You brought Torasame to our village," the shinobi wearing a cat-like mask with blue accents accused, angling her sword towards them, ready to attack.

"No, that's not it at all," Iruka retorted, pulling away from his mother and approaching the shinobi despite her protests. He held out his tattooed hand to the shinobi, not flinching when she flashed her sword. "The Jackal grants us passage." The shinobi paused, no doubt looking surprised underneath her mask. She tightly grabbed his hand, examining the tattoo.

"Well, Hinoto?" a shinobi whose mask bore decorative red markings spoke up.

"It's Kuma-san's seal, Kinoto." She let go of his hand. The shinobi lowered their weapons, though they didn't put them away. A shadow passed over them with a distant screech, and a moment later, Itsumade landed beside them with a gust of wind that was just as grand as before. Iruka noticed that one of its intelligent yellow eyes was clawed out, and the remaining eye looked down at him with a slited pupil. The cloaked shinobi stood tall atop its back, holding the bloody katana that had been lodged inside the Hoshigaki.

"Torasame flees. Ensure he leaves our territory."

"Yes, Jakkaru-sama!" the group of shinobi simultaneously replied and dashed off into the forest, tailing the creature. Only the Hound and Umino family were left behind. The Jackal whipped the katana to flick off excess blood before sheathing it to his side and hopping off Itsumade's back, landing more silent than a corpse. He approached them with controlled strides that verged on intimidating as his mask hid away any emotion the man underneath could have felt. The Hound moved aside, watching the other shinobi stand before the family. An icy, bitter chakra exuded from the Jackal, making Iruka's insides twist anxiously, and he kept himself from stepping away as the shinobi silently looked down on him.

"Th-The Jackal grants us passage," Iruka anxiously stuttered, holding out a shaky hand. The Jackal snatched his hand in a vice-like grip that made him gasp in surprise. The shinobi examined his hand, a glint of gold in one eyehole while the other strangely shimmered crimson.

"Kuma," the masked man frustratedly sighed and weaved signs too fast for Iruka to see before jabbing his hand with two clawed fingers, a jolt of chilling chakra rushing through his arm. The young boy yelped in pain and retracted his hand. The tattoo had disappeared, with two small puncture wounds taking its place. "Escort them to the Intelligence Division, " the man ordered the other Konoha shinobi, turning back to Itsumade.

"I don't take orders from you," the Hound retorted, and the Jackal eyed the other shinobi. The sound of a group of worried people approaching came from further down the path.

"Then do what you will," the Jackal relented, heading onwards to Itsumade, who lowered its head to allow the shinobi to climb on its back. "Keep your fangs sharp, Ryoken." Itsumade reared back on its haunches, wings spread, and leaped into the air with its powerful back legs, flying into the sky.

"They need medical attention!" the Hound called out to the approaching shinobis, ones that didn't hide their face behind a mask and let their worry, determination, and resolve show on their faces. His father and mother were handled with careful hands, being given temporary chakra stitches and tourniquets from the medical-nin and loaded onto stretchers. He was carried by a gentle medical-nin who assured him he was safe. As they headed to the village, Iruka saw that the Hound stayed back. He waved to him.

"Thank you, Ryoken-san!" He gratefully thanked the shinobi with a beaming grin despite the grime, blood, and bruises dirtying his face. After a moment, the Hound waved back.

With the rush of emotions and adrenaline slowing down, Iruka only realized he and his parents finally reached Konohagakure when the great gates closed behind them. The memory replayed in his head as he was curled between his parents in the hospital bed, enjoying their warmth after a day of suffering and survival. It had been as if the village was wrapping its arms around them, welcoming the Umino family and promising them security in their new home. It was best birthday present he could have asked for.

Chapter 2: Lunch with a False Uchiha

Summary:

A year after the demonic Kyuubi’s attack, Iruka’s research leads him to learn about the forgotten Tenshigan. He’s unsure whether to look further into the doujutsu until he goes out for lunch with his favorite kunoichi Yuuhi Kurenai.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Shisho– Librarian
Tsuki no O – King of the Moon

Death, destruction, and desolation that was what greeted Iruka when he crawled out from under a chunk of debris where he had been hiding. The death rattles and battle cries intertwined with streets crumbling and homes bursting into flames were replaced with an eerie silence that suffocated the ruined battlegrounds. The horrible burning chakra that drowned the village and weighted on Iruka's chest like a boulder was also gone, leaving a frigid still air behind. The dust had yet to settle, lingering in the air, and the sun was hidden by dour grey clouds, giving the young boy no warmth. Tears were streaming down his face as he sniffled, the motion disturbing the deep gash across the bridge of his nose. The pain now was a dull ache, and most of the blood had dried.

"Kaasan, Tosan," Iruka's trembling voice called out, getting nothing but chilling silence in response. There were plenty of people around him, but none gave any chakra signatures, made any movements, asked for help… or breathed. They were hollow shells with their dark insides strewn across the dead battlefield. Iruka searched through the death and destruction for any signs of his parents. He remembered where he left them, but it was challenging to navigate with the dust clouding his vision and landmarks being nothing more than rubble. He didn't know how long it had been before he felt the heat of another's chakra, like finding a lit candle in a pitch-black cave. He latched onto it and followed after it, climbing over the rubble of homes and stepping over pieces of corpses.

"Kaasan, Tosan!" he cried out when he saw figures forming through all the muck in the air. Getting closer, he saw that they were a group of shinobis standing in an open field lined with bodies draped in white cloths, hiding them away from all the devastation. He slowly came to a stop, staring at the hope-shattering amount of white cloths that seemed to be endless. "You can't be here… can you?"

"We have another young one over here!" one of the shinobi called out, his green jumpsuit clashing with the greys of the air.

"I'm on it!" another shinobi replied, heading over to Iruka. The kunoichi's long, messy black hair was dusted grey from all the debris. She crouched in front of him, and he saw just how ruby red her eyes were, pulling him in like an Uchiha's gaze. "Would you like some help?" she asked, her voice gentle like a reassuring caress.

"H-Have you seen my mom and dad?" he sniffled.

"Hm, I don't believe so," she tapped her chin in thought. "Where did you last see them?" Mother embraced him, cold and breathless, with her back a mangled mess. Father collapsed in the dirt with his chest crushed in and ribs jutting out. The fresh memory's assault on his mind sent him back into a sobbing mess of snot and tears. At once, comforting arms wrapped around him, and a calming chakra like a warm summer breeze blanketed him.

"It's all right, I have you," she soothed. Iruka wrapped his arms around her, clinging onto the only warmth he had, and sobbed onto her shoulder, not protesting when she picked him up.

"Kurenai, is everything okay?" a different shinobi asked, an unlit cigarette forgotten behind his ear.

"No," Kurenai sighed, rubbing the young boy's back. "But we can try to make it better. I'll be back, Asuma. Continue without me." She walked away, humming softly. Where to, Iruka didn't know, but it didn't matter. No matter where he went, he wouldn't be in the loving embrace of his parents. Never again.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka was going to learn fuuinjutsu. It was a simple decision on his part after hearing from the Sandaime how his successor used the sealing arts to defeat and imprison the Nine-Tailed Fox and save Konoha from further destruction. Though the Sandaime had assured him that the Nine-Tails was to never escape again, Iruka wanted to be prepared. He listened closely in class when Hokoto-sensei went over basic fuuinjutsu in class and checked out extra books from the Shinobi Academy library on the ninja art. He read and took notes during his spare time in his dorm at the orphanage and the Sarutobi estate when Asuma was home from missions.

Mizuki teased him occasionally about 'how sticking his nose in a book wasn't the same as physical training,' but it didn't deter him. Kotetsu and Izumo didn't mind his studies, and Kotetsu even let him practice some seals on him, though that ended when Kurenai found them trying to test a seal's durability with a kunai. The Sandaime enjoyed seeing him studious and passionate about the jutsus, even letting him study in the Hokage's office—like he was now.

Iruka was sitting on the couch rereading the same lesson on The Parts and Functions of a Barrier Seal for the fourth time. He was reaching a barrier in his learning; the foundations had been drilled into his head with the more complex principles out of his reach. There wasn't a need for chuunin-level or higher jutsus in the academy library for students just learning about the basic skills of being a shinobi.

"Hey, Sandaime-sama," Iruka spoke up, looking from his book to the leader of Konoha sitting behind his desk with a pipe smoking from his lips. He politely held up a hand as he finished reading the last part of the proposal on his desk before giving Iruka his full attention. His old eyes were tired but still focused.

“What is it, Iruka-kun?”

"Do you have any scrolls or books on fuuinjutsu? If I keep reading the same thing over again, I'll drive myself crazy."

"You've already outgrown your sources? You learn fast when you set your mind to it," Sandaime smiled, amused. He breathed out a puff of smoke and tapped his chin. "Well, you have been on good behavior lately unless you've pulled some prank I have yet to learn about."

“Oh no, Sandaime-sama! I'm reformed." Iruka said in his most innocent voice, holding his hand to his chest. "I've grown and changed my wicked ways."

"Is that so?" The Sandaime chuckled. "Here," he reached into his desk and pulled out a set of keys with the Sarutobi crest. "You can search the entry level of the archives for any scrolls to scratch your intellectual itch."

"Thank you!" Iruka raced over and went to grab the keys, but the Hokage lifted them out of reach.

"Only the entry-level, understand?" he reinforced.

“Yes, Sandaime-sama.” The Hokage relinquished the keys to him. He grabbed his book bag and was on his way to the archives. After months of passing it by, but unable to enter, he opened the old archive door and stepped inside. The towering shelves that filled the tall halls held a mind-blowing array of informational scrolls and books. Once he had found the fuuinjutsu section on his own, as there was no librarian to ask for help, he realized it would have taken him years to read it all. The surplus of information was chaotic and overwhelming, but he found his eyes constantly drifting to the same place as he filled his bag with books and scrolls. In the further corner of the archives was a door shut by many locking seals. It screamed confidential and off-limits, which tempted Iruka to investigate even more. "I know Sandaime said I've been on good behavior… so if I break this one rule now, he would be too mad, right?"

Iruka went to the door and tried to open it with the keys. None of them worked, stopping halfway or not moving at all. "Duh, of course, the key won't open the door on its own. It needs a chakra push to trigger the seals." He tried the keys again, but this time, he sent a controlled push of chakra into the keys, attempting to find the right path to unlock the seals. On his fourth try, the key turned the whole way, and the lock clicked out, the seals flashing blue. He gave himself a proud pat on the back and pushed open a door, revealing a set of stairs that delved deeper into the archives. The stairway was chilly, and his tiny footsteps echoed, growing louder the deeper he went. The door at the bottom had the exact mechanism but twice the number of seals, taking double the time for Iruka to crack. He was nearly chakra-exhausted when he got the door open. He needed more practice in controlling his chakra output.

The room inside was unlit, but Iruka could tell it was smaller from the light at the top of the stairwell. There was an unlit candle hooked to the wall that he jumped up and grabbed. He signed Tora and focused on the warm chakra in his chest. "Fire Release: Coating Blaze!" he exhaled sharply, and a pathetic spark popped out his mouth, practically spitting on the candle. "Kaasan made it look so easy." A piece of floating dust tickled his nose, and he sneezed. A burst of small flames shot from his mouth to light the candle. He used the candle's flickering flame to light his way through the dusty shelves, cobwebs, and aged grime coating many of the old books and scrolls.

"Does no one come down here? Wait, what's that?" He turned his gaze upward to a book on a higher shelf whose spine was jeweled with red and black agate. He put the candle in his mouth and carefully climbed up the shelf to grab the heavy book. It slipped from his hand and landed with a loud bang on the hard floor. He cringed and listened for anyone coming to investigate the sound, sighing relieved when no one came. The faded blue cover had the symbol of a full moon with three four-pointed stars surrounding it. The title was in a language that Iruka had never seen, but underneath, written in harsh red ink, must have been the translation. 'Journal for the Tenshigan and its Sealings' "Sealings? That must mean fuuinjutsu. But what's a 'Tenshigan'? It sounds like those kekkei genkai the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans have." He excitedly stuffed the book in his bag and heaved it on his shoulder. He turned to a scroll on the adjacent shelf with markings similar to the book's. He reached for it, and a hand from the dark reached for him, gripping his hand like a snake would latch onto its prey. Iruka internally yelped, a frightened shiver running through his body though he remained perfectly still.

"What are you doing in here?" a grumbling voice questioned him, and Iruka looked to see an unfamiliar older man standing over him, wearing black and white robes and a deep frown. Bandages were wrapped around half of his face, tousling his shaggy black hair and covering one of his eyes. The exposed eye glared down at him accusingly, golden iris gleaming in the candlelight. "Dang it, I should've thought of a genjutsu to hide myself. I should've asked Tosan to teach me one."

"Just browsing, Shisho-san," Iruka sheepishly smiled. His smile wasn't returned.

"How did you get in here? This area's off limits." "He's the grumpiest-looking librarian I've ever seen."

"The Third Hokage himself let me have access," he answered more confidently. Gripping the candle between two fingers, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the archive keys. "See!"

"He… gave them to you?"

"Yes!" he proudly held up the keys. The librarian's frown deepened.

"That fool," he growled and snatched the keys from Iruka's hand, the boy noticing that the man's hand was also bandaged like his head. "Follow," he ordered but dragged Iruka by the hand out of the room and up the stairs regardless, not giving the boy a choice. "Wait, 'fool'? Is he talking about the Hokage?"

"You can't talk about Sandaime like that!" he tried, pulling his hand away, but the older man's grip held firm. The librarian didn't respond, continuing to lock the door and march Iruka out of the archives and down the hall. “You can't just drag me around like some dog," he protested, dragging his feet to no avail. I'm a future shinobi. I can blast you away with a fire jutsu, Shisho-san."

"You can attack me with one of those whenever you feel ready," the older man disinterestedly responded. Iruka took up the challenge, gathering the remaining chakra he had.

"Trap of Burning Punishment!" he grabbed the librarian's arm, expecting to see a web of seal marking form. Nothing more than a whimpering spark of chakra sputtered. The librarian stopped and scowled down at him as if insulted he'd been struck by such a weak attack.

"… It has a delayed effect?" Iruka embarrassedly smiled. The older man huffed and continued his march, barging into the Hokage's office unannounced.

“Sandaime-sama, help me!” Iruka pleaded, still trying to break free. "This librarian is kidnapping me!"

"Librarian?" Sandaime looked up from his report. He smirked to himself. "Please let the boy go, Shisho," he ordered as he finished signing his signature. "I allowed Iruka into the archives."

"So, you did give Umino the keys to the restrictive archives, Hiruzen?" the man's tone edged on fuming.

"That's Sandaime-sama to you!" Iruka finally wrenched himself free, retreating and rubbing his sore wrist.

"Iruka-kun, did you go past the entry-level?" Sandaime questioned, and Iruka guiltily looked down at the floor.

"I, uh, got lost?" he knew the flimsy excuse wouldn't be believed. "But I didn't get the chance to look at anything." Sandaime groaned but didn't question him on his second lie.

"My apologies, Danzo," the Hokage apologetically sighed. "I'll be more thoughtful with whom I lend my keys." He held out his hand, going back to his report. The librarian stared at the hand incredulously.

"I'm confiscating your keys."

"What?" Sandaime looked up, annoyed. "You can't do that. Librarians don’t outrank Hokages!" the librarian rolled his eye and stuffed the keys in his pocket.

"I'll return them once you complete today's paperwork." He turned to leave.

"Danzo!" the man ignored Sandaime as he left the office. "Asshole," the Hokage grumbled and leaned back in his chair. He gasped and quickly covered his mouth, looking at Iruka. "You didn't hear me say that." Iruka nodded and zipped his lips.

"It's okay, Sandaime-sama. My mom said a lot worse." It was surprising seeing Sadaime lose his usual professional tone and regal appearance, arguing pettily with a rude librarian and cursing. Though the Hokage quickly regained his composure and returned to work, it was a memory Iruka would keep.

About an hour later, Asuma came to the office to pick him up and take him out to ramen before he went on his mission. He was happy to share a bowl of delicious ramen with the Sarutobi, excited to delve into the old book inside his bag.

…

… …

… … …

Iruka sat at the small desk in his shared bedroom. All his roommates were out, Mizuki practicing his kenjutsu and Izumo and Kotetsu doing their chores around the orphanage. Sat in front of him was the massive book from the restrictive archives, waiting to spill all its secrets to him. He opened it, careful with the aged pages. It was filled more with the unknown language and detailed sketches of symbols Iruka had never seen. Red writing was also included, squeezed between the margins, and notes were made where the translator could decipher any meaning. The opening line read: I birth the Tenshigan to connect mine soul to the mortal world and the astral planes ruled by the long forgotten and the malevolent, to guide lost souls to thine final resting place and defend the mortal life from the depraved demons' ire and seal them away. Here swears I, Truest Tsuki no O.'

"Truest king of the moon? Tenshigan? Connect with the dead?" Iruka muttered aloud, eyes growing wide and stomach fluttering excitedly.

Iruka read what he could, getting bits and pieces of information about cursed seals, Aether chakra releases, and a recurring date: September 6th. He came across a loose folded page in the book and gently unfolded it. The entire page was written in red, and at the top was scrawled: Tenshigan Ritual: To Be Blessed with Angel Eyes. He continued to read with hungry eyes.

Closely follow the steps below to successfully complete the ritual. Beware if any ingredient/supply is missing, rule broken or step skipped, the consequences will be damning. Continue at your own risk.

Supplies:

• Blessed Ritual Knife
• Clay Bowl
• Red Wax Candles
• Silk Blindfold
• Blank Scroll
• Three Diospyros kaki Fruits
• Black Ink
• Paintbrush 

Rules:

1. The ritual must be completed on a full moon between three and four thirteen in the morning. If done outside of this time frame, the ritual will be unsuccessful.
2. For your and others protection, do not let anything or anyone interrupt the ritual. Once it starts, it cannot be stopped.
3. Under no circumstances do you remove your blindfold until sunrise. It is for your protection and sanity.
4. After completing step four, do not trust anything you hear. Their tongues will lie.
5. After completing step four, do not trust anything that touches you. Their hands will deceive.
6. After completing the ritual, do not let them know you see. Their eyes will be your undoing.
7. If you have any doubts about what you have read so far, do not continue the ritual.

Steele your heart, and may Tsuki no O be your guide.

Steps:

"Iruka-kun," Iruka internally flinched at the call of his name, gently setting down the paper. He turned around and saw a young woman standing in the doorway wearing an orphanage caretaker uniform resembling a maid. However, she was one of the few wearing a shinobi head protector. It was Sarutobi Emi, one of the primary caretakers, though her most notable duty was to care for the fox on the highest floor of the orphanage. "You're reading something fun, I bet." She gave him a sly smile.

"Fuuinjustsu is always fun," he returned her smile, turning in his chair and laying his arm to cover the book. "Did you need something?"

"Yes. Kotetsu and Izumo would like some help stocking the pantry. Kotetsu already dropped a water jug while climbing the ladder. No one was hurt this time, thankfully." Iruka remembered when Tsubaki had accidentally fallen off the ladder and broken her wrist before a Transformation Technique quiz. She wasn't the only one to break something, with many other kids managing to break a bone.

"I can help. Just give me a second."

“Thank you, Iruka-kun.” She lingered by the door, waiting for him to leave.

“Oh, Emi-san?”

“Yes?”

"How… How's the fox doing? Is the seal still stable?"

"You have nothing to fear, Iruka-kun," she sighed, reassuring him. "As long as Naruto is happy and healthy, there's nothing for the demon to feed on. And toddlers don't have much to worry about for a few years." She smirked. "Good. There's plenty of time for me to prepare." Iruka stowed the book underneath his bunk bed but kept the paper in his pocket. He was sure that his lie wouldn't hold forever and that the grumpy librarian would notice that one of his books was missing. But Iruka would ensure he held onto the paper… just in case.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"What's the hand sign for wind release again?" Kotetsu asked, rubbing his head as if he were fending off a headache as he stared at the practice quiz his schoolbook supplied him.

"It's Inu," Mizuki smirked, having already finished his practice quiz.

"Don't listen to Mizuki," Iruka said, bopping the white-haired boy over the head with his fuuinjutsu scroll. “It's Tori."

"Ugh, I'm gonna fail this so bad," Kotetsu whined, sniffling. "You all will become shinobi without me, and I'll be stuck being the janitor or something."

"I'll be a janitor with you then!" Izumo said. "But that won't happen because I know you'll ace this exam. You've been working hard."

"Hokoto-sensei said we only need eighty percent on our paper exam," Tsubaki said, a taijustu book open in her lap. "We have room to make errors."

"Like you're gonna make a mistake, bookworm." Mizuki teased, earning him another whack upside the head from Iruka.

"What Mizuki is trying to say," Iruka said, "is that you're too smart to fail, Tsubaki-chan."

"Oh… thank you for the translation, Iruka-kun," Tsubaki returned to her book with a light flush of pink to her cheeks. Iruka didn't catch the glare Mizuki shot Tsubaki's way as a pair of shinobi entered the orphanage dorm room.

"I see Konoha's future shinobi are already hard at work," Kurenai smiled, Asuma standing beside her, hands in his pockets. The children's faces let up, worries of the genin entry exam washing away.

"Asuma-san!" Kotetsu jumped to his feet and pointed an accusatory finger. "I want a rematch. I'll beat you two outta three." The young boy flexed his small biceps, and Izumo rolled his eyes.

"Sadly, I'll have to do our arm-wrestling rematch next time," Asuma said. "I've gotta mission today."

"Another one?" Iruka frowned.

"Yeah, sorry, kiddo," the shinobi ruffled the Umino's hair. "The old man wants me to go kick someone's ass." Kurenai elbowed Asuma's side. "Butt, I mean." He corrected, rubbing his side.

"Hopefully, you'll make it back in one piece, Asuma-san." Mizuki gave a thumbs-up and an exaggerated smile.

"Your worry assures me," Asuma sarcastically replied.

"Are you ready to go, Iruka-kun?" Kurenai asked.

"Just a second!" Iruka quickly gathered his red coin pouch, even though the Yuuhi insisted she would pay, and slipped on his sandals on his way out with the kunoichi.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

They took the long walk from the orphanage to the Uchiha Clan compound so Kurenai could run her errands. Iruka didn't mind trailing behind the kunoichi as she delivered mail to the Uchiha police department and picked up handmade shinobi uniforms from the seamstress. They also ran into Denzo while he tended to the community garden. The wheelchair-bound Uchiha gave a happy smile and waved, and they also made a slight detour to help an older woman pick up her dropped groceries. They made their last stop at a quaint Uchiha Senbei café. Iruka remembered passing by but never going in. The bell above the door chimed as they walked in, the delicious smell of rice cakes and pastries hitting Iruka's nose.

"Good afternoon, Uruchi-san," Kurenai greeted the shopkeeper, who swept the floor, smiling wide when she saw the kunoichi.

"Oh, dear Kurenai-chan, how nice of you to drop by. Your young love isn't with you?"

"Asuma's on a mission," Kurenai blessed bashfully. "But I did bring a guest." Uruchi glanced down at the young boy whose face was hidden behind his big shopping bag. The kunoichi grabbed the bag to properly introduce the boy. "This is Iruka."

"Hello, Uruchi-san!" he waved with a grin.

"Oh, my," the older woman gasped, putting a hand on her chest. She shook off her surprise and continued to smile. "You came around a little sooner than I thought, but no matter. I promise to feed you well, little one. Please, the two of you, grab a table. Teyaki!" she called out to her husband as she rushed into the back of the store. Kurenai and Iruka folded their bags and took the table in front of the window.

"How are your studies coming along?" she inquired.

"Good, I think." He responded. "I got the basic techniques down, but my genjutsus are still sloppy. They don't fool anyone. Could you give me some more lessons, please?"

"Of course, I can. Genjutsu is a difficult art to master, even for some of the highest-ranking shinobis. Regardless, I know you'll pass the entry exam."

"I hope so, too."

"Keep hoping and wishing. Believing you can achieve something makes it all the more plausible." Her red lips smiled, and she paused, taking a moment to watch the old woman they had helped earlier stroll past the store. "How's your fuuinjutsu coming along? Did you break into another archive?"

"No," Iruka scoffed at the light teasing. "I've been working on sealing away things. I sealed six kunais yesterday. I'm gonna try a whole set of shurikens next."

"As long as you don't experiment on your friends."

"Kotetsu wouldn't have minded if he got a scar."

"That's the issue," she softly sighed with a smile. "The positive is that you know your friends care about your goals."

"Right. I didn't think they would care about me at all… but they don't know I'm from Kiri, so…"

"What would that have to do with anything?" she quirked her head.

"I don't know…" he shrugged, looking down at the table. "They may think I'm some spy or secretly a shark monster."

"They wouldn't think anything of the sort." She reassured him, and he looked up at her. "But if you don't want to tell them, you don't have to… Do know that when I learned you were from Kirigakure, I never thought you were secretly a shark monster, Iruka-kun." She winked, and he giggled.

"We brought you both some fresh senbeis and green tea," Teyaki announced, carrying a tray of rice cakes. Uruchi followed with a steaming teapot and cups. They set the food and drink on the table.

"Thank you so much," Kurenai respectfully bowed her head.

"You're welcome, dear," Uruchi bowed back. "We'll be giving you a discount."

"What for? There's no special deal today."

"We just wanted to relieve you of some financial stress," Teyaki said. "I know the Sarutobis' have their wealth, but we wanted to help where possible. Raising a child is no easy task." Kurenai blinked, stupefied, and Iruka joined in the confusion.

"Pardon?"

"You're an honorary Uchiha in our eyes," Uruchi patted her on the shoulder. "We're here to support you." She leaned over and pinched Iruka's cheek. "Your little Iruka here has his daddy's eyes." "No, I don't. Why would she think—Oh, I get it!" Iruka laughed as Kurenai flushed in embarrassment, explaining through stutters that she had yet to bear any children of her own, and the Uchiha couple's faces shared the same apologetic pink.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka waved goodbye to Uruchi and Teyaki as he and Kurenai left the shop, his stomach full of delicious rice cakes and herbal green tea. The sun was setting, and chilly wind gusts signified that night was soon approaching. He held onto Kurenai's hand when they left the Uchiha district, and as they were crossing the bridge over one of Konoha's many streams, Iruka watched the dark waters glitter from the night stars. About halfway across, he noticed that an elderly woman was also crossing the bridge and coming towards them. The same old lady he'd seen earlier, the one they had helped.

"Iruka-kun," Kurenai spoke quietly, keeping her gaze forward, her grip on him tightening.

"Yes?" He nervously responded, feeling her normally calm chakra spiking sharply.

"When I give you the opportunity, run." Before he could ask her why, she retrieved three kunai with a flick of her wrist and flung them toward the old woman, who hurriedly ducked underneath the attack, being more than agile for a woman supposedly her old age.

"You've got a keen eye," she croaked, her sweet old face twisting with glee. A puff of smoke engulfed as her transformation ceased, revealing a much younger woman wearing a patched-together Kiri-nin uniform with a ragged dark purple scarf around her neck. "Shouldn't expect anything less from a Uchiha." Iruka spun around as a startled gasp came from behind, eyes wide seeing another supposed Kiri-nin being entrapped from a tree sprouting out from the cobblestone, his sword clattering to the ground.

"You've mistaken my ruby eyes for another," Kurenai said, dropping her bags to level a kunai towards the purple-scarfed shinobi. "I'm no Uchiha. I am Kurenai of the Yuuhi clan."

"Our buyer told us otherwise," the Kiri-nin's green eyes narrowed. "Doesn’t matter, as long as he pays up, I don't give a damn what you are." She unhooked the hefty kusarigama off her back and wrapped the chain around her arm, the nasty blade of the dangling sickle serrated and covered in dark stains. "We don't need to kill you honestly, but it's easier to collect your eyes, False Uchiha. Unless you're willing to give them up." Kurenai flashed her weapon in response, the trapped shinobi gasping for breath as vines wrapped around his neck. "Naturally." Her cruel eyes shifted to Iruka, the boy internally cringing. "What about the boy?"

"What of him?" Kurenai stood protectively in front of Iruka.

"He's Iruka, the kidnapped Umino of Kirigakure. His clan wants him back home. Willing to pay anyone top dollar for him. Wanted to take out two birds with one stone."

"You can't take me back! I won't go!" Iruka shouted back, a burst of anger burning his chest. "They're still after me?! Where'd they even get the money for a bounty?" "This is my home now!"

"That's what they all say," she snickered as she whipped around the chain, sending the sickle flying toward Kurenai's head. A glint in the dark snatched Iruka's eye, and he turned to the left to see a barrage of six shurikens zeroing in on the kunoichi, who was already in motion to fend off the sickle. "Hurry, Iruka!" He quickly pulled out four kunai and, trying to keep his hands steady, threw them at the approaching shurikens. He only managed to get two of them out of the air, and without a moment to waste, leaped up to catch them before they could strike Kurenai as she blocked the sickle with her kunai. He stifled a cry of pain as one of the shuriken lodged into his hand and the other two cut deep into his shoulder and side.

"Iruka-kun!" Kurenai cried out in alarm, turning her attention to the wounded boy.

"Water Release: River Strike Jutsu!" Iruka only had a moment to process the shout in the dark before a rush of water shot over the other side of the bridge and crashed into them with the strength of a charging bull. The world spun as he was knocked to the ground, their bags and coin purse lost to the river. Dazed and coughing up water, he saw Kurenai in no better position, having been thrown against the railing and left to gasp for breath. The tree trapping of the shinobi fizzled out of existence like a mirage, the man gasping for breath. A collector-nin stood atop both sides of the railing. "Don't make this too easy, Uchiha-chan," the one that had thrown the water jutsu boasted, an ugly grin marring his face.

"I'd prefer she stay down. Less work for me," the other said, twirling a shuriken around her finger.

"Kurenai-san!" Iruka tried running to the downed kunoichi but was grabbed from behind by the strong arms of the collector-nin, now free from Kurenai's genjutsu. Iruka’s arms were kept restrained in the bear hug-like hold. "Let me go!" he screamed, his legs kicking but too short to hit anything.

"Wait—" Kurenai's cry was cut off as the lead collector-nin whipped her chain to wrap around her neck, dragging her to the middle of the bridge with the sickle burying itself into the ground.

"Hurry up and take her head," the shuriken shinobi practically yawned as she moved to step on Kurenai's back, keeping her in place and flicking her blonde hair out of her face.

"Yeah, yeah," the ugly, smiling shinobi pulled his axe from his back and slowly approached the restrained kunoichi.

"Please, stop!" Iruka pleaded, thrashing with all the chakra he had coursing through him like lighting burning through a tree. "You can just take me, okay!"

"We were gonna do that anyway, kid," the axe-wielding shinobi smirked as he raised his blade, already stained with the blood of other victims.

"Kurenai, please—" the axe swung down, blood sprayed up like a fountain, and a head rolled. "… get up." Iruka's broken whimper left his trembling lips, the fight leaving his body and a petrifying shock settling in. "Why?... Why again?" "It's not fair…" he whispered, glossy eyes staring off distantly. Seeing Kurenai's head callously picked up by her silky black hair in the dirty hand of the lead collector-nin made his previous anger return with a fury, a seething snarl taking over his young face. "Why can't you leave us alone?!" he screamed, every word fueled by ire. "We fight so hard to live in peace. Why do you monsters have to ruin everything?! It's never fair!" his hands balled into fists as hot tears fell from his eyes. “Give, Kurenai back!” “… I want Tosan and Kaasan back.”

"Life's not fair, kid," the executor said, leaning against his bloodied axe.

"He's right. Life isn't fair for anyone," the shuriken shinobi agreed, tightening her grip on her ninja tool. "Including the cruel." In one sharp motion, she flung her shuriken squarely into the executioner's forehead, a moment of fright frozen on his face as his body hit the ground. Iruka stared in confusion as the traitor sent another shuriken at the leader.

"What?!" the leader gasped in shock, barely stumbling back to dodge the attack. "But—why?" she looked down at the head, and her eyes widened. Wrapped around her dirty fingers was silky blonde hair, and she dropped her teammate's head to the ground. "Witch!" she cursed and violently yanked her sickle out of the ground to slice into the "traitor's" head, whose body burst into a batch of lovely pink tulips, their sweet smell familiar to Iruka and emboldening him with a rush of joy and furious chakra. Moving his arms to sign painfully twisted the shurikens deeper inside of him, but he finished the seal, nonetheless.

 "Trap of Burning Punishment!" he managed to grab the collector-nin's thick arm, black seal marking spreading over it that quickly turned a hot amber. He screamed in pain as the seal went through his patchwork uniform to burn deep into his skin, dropping Iruka as he waved his smoking arm.

Once again, the tree sprouted from underneath the burned collector-nin, snaring him in its bark. Above him sprouted Kurenai's sleek form, phasing through the trunk, a kunai in hand that she swiftly sliced through the trapped man's neck. A beautiful array of colorful flowers spouted from the open wound in his neck, some sweet-scented petals tickling his nose and cheeks. The tree faded, and the dead man collapsed on a cushion of red roses and pink poppies. Kurenai safely landed on the bridge, unscathed.

"Damn you!" the only collector-nin left standing furiously swung around her kusarigama, sickle flying through the air.  Kurenai was ready to dodge the attack; however, with a burst of chakra, the sickle sharply changed its trajectory towards an unprepared Iruka. The young boy threw up his arms to shield himself. Even so, he could see Kurenai throw herself in front of him, watching with wide eyes as the sickle ripped across her chest. The kunoichi's successive movements were too quick to follow, but he felt himself picked up and fall through the air, landing gently. Opening his eyes, he found they had suddenly jumped down to the river below, finding his footing on the running water. The final collector-nin stood opposed to them, holding out her sickle that dripped with fresh, rosy blood.

Iruka whipped his head up to Kurenai. There wasn't a scratch on her; her unique shinobi uniform was intact, and her chest was unscathed. "But I saw the sickle cut Kurenai-san. Did she use substitution?"

"Iruka-kun, you need to escape." Kurenai's voice was strained, but she maintained a calm strength, holding a hand to her chest.

"We'll escape together!" the boy argued, planting his feet. A sorrowful shine raced across her eyes.

"You said you weren't from the Uchiha clan!" their attacker sneered, leaping from the bridge and readying her weapon.

"Indeed," Kurenai replied, "However, I never said I wasn't a genjutsu prodigy in my own right. For a hunter, you have yet to prove you have the mental fortitude to face me, let alone a true Uchiha." She clasped her hands together, chakra surging as her crimson eyes gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. "Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu."

"Just die!" the collector-nin furiously signed, the water around her starting to writhe and bubble. However, she suddenly broke the jutsu when a spindly spider with prickly legs and beady red eyes crawled from underneath her sleeve and hurriedly crushed it with a slap of her hand, mucky green blood seeping into her skin. It wasn't the only one. "What the hell?!" she cried out in panic as more skittering spiders crawled out from her clothes. No, they were starting to tear through her skin, serrated pinchers chewing through the soft skin to free themselves from their fleshy cocoon. She frantically tried killing the bugs, tearing at her skin and ripping out chunks of her white hair as they infested her scalp.

"Hurry, that won't hold her forever!" Kurenai grabbed Iruka's hand and ran with him out of the river and into the woods for cover. Iruka took the lead as Kurenai started to slow down and pant. "Is she chakra exhausted?"

"C'mon, Kurenai, we have to keep going!" He encouraged her, practically dragging her down the path.

"Go on ahead of me," she hissed out, clutching her chest. "I'll catch up."

"No—no, we stay together," he shook his head and gave one final tug to encourage her. She collapsed with a pained grunt, his eyes widening as he saw a dark pool of blood seep into the ground around her. "Kurenai!"

"Iruka—" she weakly raised her head and coughed, a stream of blood dribbling out of her mouth. "She's coming." Iruka's eye caught the whizzing shadow in the trees and grabbed the last kunai strapped to his leg, keeping track of the collector-nin's jumping pattern from branch to branch. "Focus, Iruka! Breathe…” Letting out a breath, he flung his kunai at the attacking shinobi, it flying past her bleeding head.

"Lousy ai—" her taunt was cut off as the kunai ricocheted off a tree behind her and boomeranged to stab her in the back, knocking her out of the air. She hit the ground hard.

"Get up, Kurenai!" he pleaded, hooking his hands underneath her arms, trying and failing to pick her up, falling down himself. "We have to—"

"Stop," she gasped and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, the remainder of her warmth comforting him like a lit fireplace on a winter's night. “It's alright, Iruka," her drained voice comforted him, blood seeping from her mouth and mixing with her cherry lipstick. “You'll be alright…

"… You need to run, little dolphin," Mother pleaded with her last breath, a smile on her dying lips.

"I'm not running!" Iruka declared with tears in his eyes, managing to drag the injured Kurenai to a tree and propping her up.

"… Little brat," the collector-nin hissed, pulling the kunai out of her back and getting to her feet.

"Iruka, please…" Kurenai coughed, now failing to hide the deep gash sliced across her chest.

"No, I'm not leaving." He ripped out the shurikens in his side and shoulder and gripped them tightly, staandig protectively in front of Kurenai, the chilly winds tossing his hair as he stared down the collector-nin despite his fears, fueled by anger.  "I'll save you this time." He promised.

"Your clan will have to settle for you in pieces," his attacker growled, raising her sickle, and Iruka raised his shurikens in kind.

The black-and-white figure came from above, racing down from the sky like a shooting star and colliding on top of the collector-nin with a bone-breaking crunch and spray of blood. A ghostly white mask silently stared back at Iruka. The Hound stood atop the downed assailant, wiping his tanto clean on his arm protectors.

"… Ryoken-san?" Iruka whispered the name in quiet surprise, the flood of relief cooling the burning sting of his wounds, the shuriken slipping out of his relaxing grip. More Konoha shinobi appeared, most wearing Anbu masks, except two.

"Kurenai-chan!" Raido called out, rushing to the kunoichi’s side, his worry stretching the scars on his face.

"Still… here," she mumbled, exhausted.

"Raido-san, get Yuuhi-san medical attention," Hound ordered.

"Right!" Raido carefully picked up the injured kunoichi, Kurenai giving Iruka a small smile before she was flickered away.

"Iwashi-san, Tori-san, stabilize this intruder and send her to the intelligence division. The rest of you get this mess taken care of."

"Yes, sir!" the shinobi responded, immediately going to accomplish their tasks. The Hound approached a numb Iruka, looking down at him.

"You're wounded," the Anbu observed.

"It doesn't hurt that much," Iruka replied, trying to keep a tough face.

"I'll escort you to the hospital," he said matter-of-factly, turning around.

"Okay," the boy still had the energy to climb onto the shinobi's back, who flinched terribly. "What?"

"I didn't mean—Never mind," he sighed and leaped through the trees en route to the hospital, holding onto the boy's legs to keep him from falling at his fast pace. Iruka held on tight to the Anbu.

"Thank you for saving me again, Ryoken-san," he thanked the shinobi.

"I'm only doing my job," the Hound responded. "If I didn't, you'd be dead playing shinobi."

"… I want to be a real shinobi one day. I want to be so strong that I can fight off all the monsters and protect the people I love. Just like you, Ryoken-san." Iruka grinned.

"… Sure," the Anbu didn't say anything else on the trip to the hospital.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka only had minor injuries. He needed a few stitches and bandages, but he was out of his hospital bed by the time Asuma returned from his mission. His panicked and terrified eyes that he rushed into the hospital with were gone the second he saw Iruka running down the hall to greet him. The Sarutobi was silent, though words weren't needed as his warm hug spoke for him, I'm so happy you're okay. The pair of them waited by Kurenai's bedside, her chest wrapped tightly in bandages that rose and fell with her soft breathing as she slept off the anesthesia from surgery. Sandaime checked on their status and informed them of the collector-nins' buyer.

"Some high-ranking gangster from the Kisigari village wanted to include the Sharingan in his collection. He was clearly ignorant of what a true Sharingan is if he targeted Kurenai specifically."

"Give me his name, and he'll be dead by tomorrow," Asuma threatened, a death grip on his unlit cigarette.

"No need, Asuma-kun. Anbu's Root has already handled the perpetrator."

The next day, when Iruka was starting to fall asleep in Asuma's lap, Kurenai opened her ruby eyes.

"Kurenai?" Asuma gasped, and Iruka immediately sat up, grinning from ear to ear as he saw the young kunoichi slowly wake. She returned the smile.

"Are those my boys?"

"Kurenai!" Iruka gasped and restrained himself from practically throwing himself on top of her and instead gently grabbed her waiting hand, careful of the IV. "Are you okay?"

"I still get to open my eyes and see you, both of you," she smiled at Asuma as she rubbed the bandages over her chest. "That's okay to me. What about you, Iruka-kun?”

"I'm good as ever. I only got a couple of scratches."

"I'm sure," her thumb rubbed over his bandaged hand.

"Look, we got you flowers," he pointed to the bouquet of cherry blossoms on the nightstand.

"They're so beautiful. You have great taste."

"Well, Asuma-san picked them out, but I agreed."

"Thank you," she softly chuckled, wincing slightly when she strained her chest. "You've been up all night, I bet. You need to get some rest."

"No, I don't," his ensuing yawn betrayed him. 

"Seems my brave hero could do with a nap."

"You're the one who saved me, Kurenai," he hugged her arm, clinging to the soothing warmth of her chakra as if it would disappear at any moment. “I'm so happy you're still here."

"Me too," she managed to sit herself up and lean over to kiss Iruka atop his head. When she pulled back, Iruka saw her eyes waver with glossy tears. Asuma called in Emi to escort him back to the orphanage. Iruka heard Kurenai's gentle cries, which went silent as the door shut behind him.

"Let's get you home, Iruka-kun," Emi said, holding his hand as they walked back to the orphanage. "You had a long day."

…

… …

… … …

When they reached the orphanage, it was nearing dusk, and Iruka planned on climbing into his bed without waking Mizuki above him or any other kids and sleeping off his nightmarish night. So he was more than surprised when he opened his dorm room and was bombarded with a spray of confetti and a chorus of "Welcome back!"

"Huh?" Iruka muttered, stunned, pulling a string of pink confetti out of his hair.

"What is all this?" Emi asked, an amused smile on her face.

"We wanted to throw a little celebration for Iruka," Kotetsu explained, spitting out confetti.

"We heard that you and Kurenai-san were ambushed," Izumo said. "We knew you were gonna be fine, but still."

"We put our money together to get you a present," Tsubaki said, holding out a poorly wrapped box with a crooked bow. “We let Kotetsu-kun wrap it.”

"Hey, I didn't do that bad a job," Kotetsu crossed his arms, and Iruka grabbed the present, tearing off the loose wrapping paper and opening the box.

"Oh," Iruka gasped, and his eyes widened as he pulled out a blue dolphin coin pouch, a green patch sewn to its side.

"I hope my patch job isn't too bad," Tsubaki said. "Mizuki-kun thought your stuff would've been lost in the fight. The dolphin was his idea."

"Really?" he turned to the white-haired boy who had been unusually silent, his arms crossed and looking off to the side.

"You said you loved dolphins, so…" Mizuki shrugged, trying to put on a nonchalant demeanor.

"Thank you!" Iruka hugged the other boy, and after a moment of surprise, Mizuki hugged back. "Thank you all. It was really nice of you guys to do this."

"We can have a special dinner tomorrow," Emi suggested. "Tonight, get some sleep. All of you."

That night, Iruka slept deeply, and though the book from the restrictive archives was long gone, the paper for the Tenshigan ritual rested underneath his pillow.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The sun smiled brightly on the clear day as Iruka stood before the Memorial Stone, the names of Konoha’s fallen heroes etched into it. This time, there were no tears in his eyes.

"Kaasan, Tosan, guess what?" he grinned brighter than the sun. “I’m a genin of Konohagakure! I know you'd be smiling right now if I could see you," he tapped the metal plate of the head protector where the Konoha symbol proudly stood. "I'm getting strong, but not soon enough… I found something that will make me stronger, and I think it'll let me see you both again. There's a couple of… difficult steps in the instructions, but I think I'll be able to pull it off." He placed a hand on the cool stone, determination rising within him. "Please, wish me luck. I hope to see you soon."

Chapter 3: To Be Cursed with Angel Eyes

Summary:

Soon after joining his genin team, Iruka finally gathers the rest of his supplies and is ready to complete the Tenshigan Ritual: To Be Blessed with Angel Eyes.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

yukidaruma – snowman
budou – grape
Hiruma no Kyoudai – Brother of Daytime
Yakan no Kyoudai – Brother of Nighttime

Iruka carefully wrote on the paper, keeping his pencil steady and grumbling in annoyance when he felt the tool slide off onto the table.

“What are you doing, Ruka-kun?” He opened his eyes at Mizuki's question and saw the young boy standing over him with a questioning stare.

"You finally made it, Mizuki-kun!" Iruka moved his book bag so his friend could sit beside him. "I was just seeing if I could write with my eyes closed," he looked at his paper and frowned, seeing the illegible scribble that was supposed to be his name. "And I'm not very good at it."

"Why?"

"It'd be something cool to brag about," Iruka shrugged. 

"I think being a shinobi would be something cooler," Mizuki kicked up his feet and, grinning, pointed to his forehead protector. "Just watch. We'll both be some of the greatest shinobis in history."

Iruka himself had walked into the classroom with his head held high and proudly wearing his hitai-ate, seeing which of his classmates passed the entry exam. He wasn't surprised to see Uzuki Yuugao sitting in the front row. She was a very talented student in ninjutsu and sensory abilities, albeit a bit standoffish after Iruka had pulled his first prank. She even gave him a surprised look when he walked into the classroom. Tsubaki chatted beside her, who gave Iruka a thumbs up when he passed by. Gekko Hayate sat in one of the back rows, the quiet boy keeping to himself as usual. Iruka wasn't sure where he excelled, but he saw the boy practicing kenjutsu occasionally. Izumo and Kotetsu sat in their usual seats behind his, still riding the high from becoming genins. 

"Attention, young shinobis of Konoha," Hokoto, their teacher, announced as she entered the classroom, and the children quickly quieted, eager to begin their first day as genin. "Congratulations to all of you for earning your shinobi title. I'm pleasantly surprised that so many of you passed. Now," She adjusted her red-rimmed glances as her black eyes examined the paper in her hands. "I know you're eager to know your teams." Iruka glanced over at Mizuki. "I hope Mizuki's on my team." "I chose these teams based on your compatibility and skill level to properly balance them. Team Four will consist of Uzuki Yuugao, Mizuki, and Umino Iruka." "Yes!" He turned to Mizuki with an elated grin, the white-haired boy staring right back at him with a smile of his own. However, when Iruka looked down at Yuugao, she seemed less than thrilled, staring up at the two boys. Tsubaki patted her back. “Your teacher will be Hyuuga Naota.” "Huh, never heard of him."

“Team Five will be Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo, and Tsubaki.” Kotetsu and Izumo high-fived while it was Yuugao's turn to comfort Tsubaki. "Your team's instructor will be Shimamura Rise."

"Who?" Kotetsu asked, quirking his head.

"Your teachers will tell you about themselves plenty, Kotetsu-kun," Hokoto said, looking slightly annoyed she'd been interrupted but continued. "Now, Gekko Hayate," she addressed the last student yet to be put on a team. "Don't worry; you're not on a team by yourself. You have teammates, but they're not in this class. Yamanaka Inoru's Team Two recently lost a member. You'll be their new teammate." Hayate silently nodded, quietly coughing into his hand. Mizuki leaned over to Iruka and whispered:

"Isn't that the kid that coughs all the time?"

"Don't know about that," Iruka shrugged. "I just always see him practicing with a katana."

"Your teachers will arrive shortly to start your shinobi careers," Hokoto said. "Good luck to all of you."

Inoru was the first instructor to arrive to collect his new student, politely asking if he was in the right classroom when he peaked inside. Iruka remembered seeing the blonde shinobi around the Intelligence Division. The two exchanged a few words before they were out of the classroom. Rise was the second, the kunoichi barging into the room as if she were commanding a battlefield, her head held high and chest puffed out. Her shinobi uniform was sleeveless, bandages wrapped tightly around her arms, and her long, shaggy black hair was tied in a high ponytail. There was a beauty mark above the left corner of her stern lips. Her left eye was covered by a black leather eyepatch, and her exposed eye was a striking gold with a piercing glare. It looked almost familiar.

"Team Five, I'll be your instructor. Follow me, and don't fall behind." That was all she ordered before leaving, and Tsubaki quickly followed her.

"Aw, come on, are you serious?" Kotetsu groaned but followed after Izumo's reprimands. Waiting for his instructor to arrive, Iruka tried to strike up a conversation with Yuugao but was mostly brushed off with short replies and minimal eye contact. "She's probably just shy. I'll just have to bring her out of her shell."

"Hey, Iruka's trying to talk to you stuck-up, Budou-chan," Mizuki snarkily chastised, not helping the interaction at all. Yuugao turned around, sending a steeled glare at Mizuki.

"I didn't know they gave delinquents hitai-ate's," she snapped back. "Okay, maybe she isn't so shy."

"Delinquent? My grades are nearly as high as yours!"

"Yes, nearly," she smirked, and Mizuki's face burned red. He stood up from his desk.

"I'm not afraid to pummel chicks."

"Probably because you hit like one."

"Okay, so we're getting off on the wrong foot," Iruka stood between the glaring teammates, standing on top of the table. "No biggie, we can fix that. Mizuki-kun, apologize."

"What, why me?" Mizuki crossed his arms.

"Because you called her a grape first. Apologize."

"Ugh, Ruka-kun, you're such a goody-two shoes." Iruka shot him a scowl, and Mizuki rolled his eyes. "Fine." He turned to Yuugao.

"I'm sorry I called you a big ugly stuck-up grape whose eyes are too big for her stupid face."

"You just added more insults, Yukidaruma!"

"Are you making fun of my hair?!" Iruka groaned as his teammates continued to bicker about who had the weirder hair color. "Off to a great start, aren't we? As long as I can practice for the ritual, they can fight all they like for now." Only Iruka heard their instructor walk in. A shinobi wearing the standard uniform without any tears or imperfections as if it had never seen the field. He had snowy white hair that fell over his forehead protector and pale pupilless eyes that seemed to peer through everything and everyone. "The Byakugan. I've never seen it so up close." Though with eyes that could see everything, they only seemed centered on Iruka, making the boy anxious about whether to say something or look away. Naota politely smiled, maintaining it, as he clapped his hands together once, the crisp noise grabbing the arguing students' attention, who looked embarrassed, realizing their teacher had finally arrived.

"This is Team Four, yes?" he asked in a well-mannered tone as if he were a professor presenting a lecture.

"Uh, yes, we are," Mizuki stumbled down the steps to greet his new teacher. Iruka climbed down from the table to join him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Yuugao greeted, standing and wiping away the angry glare she had been shooting at Mizuki. "And your white hair looks good on you, Naota-sensei," she sheepishly smiled, and Naota quirked his lip, amused.

"Seeing as we'll be a team for the foreseeable future," he started, his hands clasped together in front of him, "getting to know each other earlier on will increase our compatibility. Something that already needs my attention." He didn't point directly at Yuugao and Mizuki, but he didn't need to to call out their earlier behavior. "I'll treat us to lunch. Do you all have any restaurants or cafes in mind?"

"Oh, there's a ramen shop I like!" Iruka suggested.

"Blah, ramen's gross," Mizuki stuck out his tongue. "Chirashizushi tastes so much better."

"Yeah, if you're fried your tastebuds with that crap," Yuugao countered, arms crossed. "Geppeis is the superior dish."

"Hm, Hokoto's given me a handful, hasn't she," Naota curiously observed, never losing his smile.

…

… …

… … …

"Why did you all decide to become shinobi?" Naota asked them as they sat around a dining table, having already finished his bowl. The teacher had helped them compromise and settled on a nearby restaurant selling Miso soup, quietly enjoying their meal with a few questions here and there.

"My family needs money," Yuugao answered, politely wiping her lips of leftover broth.

"Ew, so you're poor?" Mizuki's commentary earned him a knock upside the head from Iruka.

"We're not destitute, no," Yuugao continued, shooting a glare at Mizuki. "But my father got injured and can't take as many missions as he used to. So, I joined the academy early to double our income sooner than later."

"That's so caring of you, Yuugao-chan," Iruka complimented, and Yuugao shrugged.

"I'm just doing what my family's been doing for me."

"What about you, Mizuki-kun?" Naota asked.

"Me? I want to become the greatest known shinobi who ever lived," Mizuki arrogantly grinned.

"If you're well known as a shinobi, that means you're doing a crappy job at being stealthy," Yuugao smirked, and Mizuki scoffed.

"If you're strong enough, it doesn't matter if people know your name. Just watch me. I'll be climbing the shinobi ranks in no time."

"Why did you decide to become a shinobi, Iruka-kun?" Naota inquired.

"Because I want to fight to protect the people I love," Iruka answered easily. "But I'm not really strong enough yet, so that's what I'm gonna work on. Getting stronger!"

"How do you plan to do that?" Naota tilted his head curiously.

"With your teachings, of course, Naota-sensei."

"You already have faith in me as a teacher?" the Hyuuga's routine polite smile returned. "I'll try not to disappoint."

"Hey, Ruka-kun," Mizuki whined, slinging an arm around Iruka and pulling him close. "Do I count as one of those people you love?"

"Sure, you do, Yukidaruma-kun," Iruka started to chuckle at Mizuki's annoyed expression, which deepened when Yuugao joined in on the laughter.

"The both of you can't team up against me already!"

 

~ ✧~

 

Shinobi training was just as draining as Iruka thought it would be. Naota would have them on a tight schedule, learning new techniques and drilling them into their heads, or have them run around the village doing D-ranked missions. Iruka found himself the last one to learn a new technique and rarely ever the one to catch the runaway cat. Mizuki and Yuugao were excelling faster than he was… For now, that was. The extra time he could have spent on his shinobi training was used to prepare and practice for the ritual. After months of practice, he could complete a mock ritual blindfolded and recite it backward. Though it led to his poor performance, it wouldn't last forever. Once he gained the Tenshigan, he would be right beside his teammates in regards to strength.

He was nearly ready, except he was missing one last ritualistic supply, the blessed ritual knife. He couldn't find anything that matched the illustrations in the instructions inside Konoha, which he soon learned was the problem.

"For our upcoming mission, we will need to travel to the island of Uzushiogakure," Naota announced on a Sunday afternoon.

"What's that?" Mizuki asked, taking shade underneath a tree as sweat from training made his hair stick to his face.

"I remember reading about it somewhere," Yuugao shrugged, taking a break from fighting against the training dummy, its head missing.

"The abandoned village of the Uzumaki clan," Naota explained, not looking nearly as exhausted as his students, though he had been alongside them working on ninjutsu and basic taijutsu. "They used to be allies of Konohagakure and were renowned for their fuuinjustu abilities."

"Fuuinjutsu?" Iruka sat up from where he had been lying down beside Mizuki.

"Yes, they were fuuinjutsu masters. They shared a lot of their sealing techniques with our village. It is where the Fourth Hokage learned of the Eight Trigrams Sealing Jutsu to defeat the demon-nine tails."

"What happened to the village?" Yuugao asked, going to her teammates in the shade.

"Terrible civil war tore the village apart," Naota answered.

"Why were they fighting each other?" Mizuki inquired despite initially looking disinterested.

"That, I do not know. Only that the aftermath left nothing behind but ruins and corpses."

"Then why are we going there?" Yuugao looked confused.

"Because it's suspected a chuunin died while crossing the island, and he was handling important documents. We're tasked to go retrieve them."

"When are we leaving?" Iruka asked, trying to control his excitement. "Please be the right date."

"We'll be leaving tomorrow, and it'll take us a day to travel there. Exciting, isn't it?"

"Very," Iruka grinned. "That means we'll be in Uzushiogakure on this month's full moon. If this village was full of fuuinjutsu masters, I'm sure they had their own ritual knives. Maybe they even had some Tenshigan users? This could be my time to really do the ritual!"

…

… …

… … …

Uzushiogakure was just as Naota described: a maze of ruins, destroyed homes and stores, and rubble scattered everywhere. Vegetation started to overtake the abandoned village, giving the aged stones a deep green coating of vines and moss. The cliff edge Iruka's team stood atop let him see the morning sun illuminate the vast ruins of the abandoned village, where many forgotten secrets were undoubtedly hidden in the shadows of decay. "How am I supposed to find a blessed ritual knife in this?"

"How are we supposed to find some scroll in all this?" Mizuki groaned.

"Naota-sensei has a Byakugan, Yukidaruma-kun," Yuugao said, tying her long purple hair into a low ponytail.

"It'll certainly help some," Naota smiled softly and activated his kekkai genkai. Even with the Byakugan's aid, they spent most of the day searching through old scrolls lost in the rubble and exploring the decrepit village with help from Naota's direction. The shadows made chills run down Iruka's spine. Along with the scroll, he kept an eye out for anything resembling a ritual knife from the illustration, so far being unsuccessful.

"Iruka-kun," his teacher called out as the boy looked through children's abandoned drawings underneath an old bed.

"Yes, Naota-sensei," Iruka stood at attention.

"I think there could be something in that fallen temple over there," the Hyuuga, his Byakugan activated, pointed to a building barely standing further away. "Go investigate but be careful. These buildings aren't stable."

"I'm on it," The young shinobi took off, careful when landing on the unstable foundations of the old buildings. The temple's remains didn't look any better than the rest of the village; its stone structures were littered with deep cracks, and only two pillars were left standing to keep the entrance open. Iruka's footsteps echoed in the dark halls of the temple, using a torch he found to light the away, forgotten symbols and faded paintings on the walls. His senses told him that aged seals were lingering around the place, though for what he couldn't tell. It took a while for him to find his voice in the eerily quiet halls.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he called out and only got echoes in response. Or, no, echoes were supposed to speak back from the opposite direction, not clearly whisper behind him. "What was that?!"  His body tensed, and he reached for his kunai, fighting his fear and casually turning around, not letting the fright show on his face. The edges of his torchlight caught a small figure standing in the dark, unmoving. "Does it think I see it? Is that okay?" "Is anyone where?" he repeated, giving whatever it was the chance to retreat to the dark.

"… I'm here," the figure responded and stepped into the light. It was a young shinobi, only a few years older than Iruka, with short black hair and wide blue eyes that had been hiding in the dark. Even though his uniform was scuffed and dirty, Iruka clearly saw the Konohagakure symbol on his crooked forehead protector, which relieved his stressed heart.

"You must be the chuunin that got stranded here," Iruka sighed and let go of his kunai. "The administrators thought you would have been dead by now. Your name's Hideki, right?" the boy looked down at himself, poking his flak jacket and flexing his fingers.

"I should be," Hideki awkwardly smiled, his wide eyes latching back onto Iruka. "What's your name?"

"I'm Iruka. Do you still have the scroll you were transporting?"

"Nope, I've got nothing. See?" Hideki waved his empty hands.

"What happened to it then?"

"I lost it somewhere," he shrugged. "Maybe he hit his head. Hideki wasn't described as being so aloof." "What are you doing here, fellow shinobi?"

"My team came here looking for the scroll."

"Then I'll help you look for it!"

Hideki joined him in looking for the missing scroll, the dark, empty halls becoming less intimidating with the curious boy searching by his side, fearlessly walking into rooms and managing to move furniture twice his size with some exertion. In what seemed to be sleeping quarters, he moved one old bed, revealing a loose floorboard underneath that Iruka had moved out of the way. He doubted the scroll was hiding underneath the floor, but he still anticipated seeing a metal box with the moon symbol from the tomb engraved on top. It took him longer than he liked to undo the fading seal keeping the box closed, though the mild chakra exhaustion was worth it when he finally opened it.

"Yes!" Iruka cheered, seeing a sheathed knife whose decorative gold handle matched the illustration resting on torn papers.

"That doesn't look like a scroll," Hideki squinted in confusion, looking over Iruka's shoulder.

"No, it's for my super-secret mission. So, you can't tell anyone."

"I'd have no one to tell, so your secret's safe with me."

Iruka took the knife and sealed it within an empty scroll he had brought. The fuuinjutsu master-in-training felt another seal suddenly break after the action, one that helped the rotted wood and cracked stone still stand. The ground started to shake, and the walls cracked underneath the weight of the building as its structure started to fail.

"AH! It's Iruka's time to go!" Hideki scooped up the younger boy before he could move, sprinting down the halls and leaping down the stairs they had climbed. You know, you're a real interesting boy, Iruka," Hideki said over the loud crunching of falling rubble. Finally, reaching the bottom floor was the end in sight, the exit light scattered by dust and small debris. "You think we could be friends?"

"Sure!" Iruka nodded, exalted from finally finding the last ritual supply to fear imminent death.

"I'll see you later then!" Hideki happily beamed, bounding with joy as he threw Iruka out of the temple, out of harm's way. Iruka tucked and rolled onto the grass, a wave of dust shooting out as the temple fully caved in on itself like the many other buildings of Uzushiogakure. Iruka got to his feet and dusted off his scrapped knees.

"Hideki-kun!" he called out and rushed back to the collapsed temple. He gasped, seeing the dark stream of blood leaking out from underneath the rubble. "… Thank you, Hideki-kun."

His somber mood wasn't shared when he returned to his team.

"Ruka-kun, look what I finally found," Mizuki proudly held up the scroll they had all been looking for. "You can hold your appreciation. I know you're amazed."

"Yeah, it was really amazing how you almost got yourself crushed," Yuugao rolled her eyes. "I told you not to snatch it out like that."

"We don't need to fuss over the details of my success."

"Where'd you find it?" Iruka asked, trying to blink away the bloodied rubble from his mind.

"I found it in the old lookout tower. It was still in the chuunin's hand. Yuugao had to pry open his fingers."

"Chuunin?" Iruka repeated, confused. "You mean Hideki?"

"If that was his name." Mizuki shrugged. "He'd gotten his arm stuck underneath some rubble and was trapped for who knows how long. He was practically skin and bones. What a sucky way to go."

"But I— He was…" Iruka stumbled off into stunned silence.

"What did you find in the temple, Iruka-kun?" Yuugao asked, looking him over. "You gave yourself a dust bath?" He wasn't sure how to respond at first. "Hideki was real. I felt him touch me. He saved me!..."

"… No, there wasn't anything useful in there." He lied.

"Then let's find Naota-sensei and celebrate my victory!" Mizuki cheered, and Yuugao looked unimpressed as they started their trek back to base. Iruka ran his fingers over the scroll where the knife was stored. "Either I'm losing my mind, or the Tenshigan left its influence on Uzushiogakure. I'll find out tonight."

…

… …

… … …

"Have you ever heard about the old king of the moon?" Iruka instantly focused on Yuugao at her question. The four shinobi sat around a campfire, enjoying their dinner and telling stories. Mizuki hadn't told one, saying that his parents never told him any stories, and Naota's tale was more of a parable about always listening to your sensei unless you want to get eaten by a giant toad. It was Yuugao's turn to tell her tale, and Iruka was hooked on the first line.

"No," Mizuki shook his head, teething on a fishbone. "You gotta have a big ego to claim to be king of the moon."

"Even bigger than yours, Mizuki-kun?" Iruka commented, pulling an annoyed frown from Mizuki and a chuckle from Yuugao.

"He didn't do it out of arrogance," She clarified. "You see, many years ago, before ninjutsu and the way of the shinobi, there were two kings, brothers. They ruled over the same village as peaceful leaders until horrible monsters crawled from the dark to feast on the villagers' souls. The brothers were strong, and while one fought during the day, the other ruled. And when the night came, one fought while the other ruled."

"Wait, when did they get to rest?" Iruka asked.

"They didn't," Yuugao shook her head. "For years, they went on like this. Yakan no Kyoudai realized that if they were to continue like this, one of the kings would perish, then the other, and the village would be nothing more than prey for the monsters. To save his brother and his village, Yakan no Kyoudai sacrificed himself to the will of the moon, trapping himself inside along with the monsters plaguing the world. Hiruma no Kyoudai could again rule the now peaceful village from below, while Yakan no Kyoudai reigned from the moon." She looked up, and Iruka followed her gaze, seeing the bright full moon crowning the dark sky full of stars.  "Vowing to eternally watch over the world and defend us from the creatures of the dark, Tsuki no O."

"That's quite the tale, Yuugao-san," Naota commented, holding his head in his hands. "Where'd you hear it?"

"My mom had a book of old fairytales that she'd read to my brother and me. That one was my favorite."

"Could I borrow your book some time?" Iruka asked. "I want to know what kind of stories your parents told as a kid."

"Sure, my mom won't mind."

"You all did good work today," Naota said. "I have my role in this mission, which I have yet to fulfill. I'll be gone for the night but will return soon enough for us to leave in the morning. I trust you all to man the base in my absence." "Naota-sensei's going to be gone. That'll make sneaking out so much easier."

"Of course, sensei," Mizuki said.

"We won't have any issues." Iruka agreed. "I'm too tired for mischief." He added a yawn to his performance. "Tonight's the night. I'm going to gain a Tenshigan!"

 

~ ✧~

 

At 2:40 a.m., Iruka awoke from his short nap to check that he had everything in his backpack before quietly sneaking out of the shared tent and leaving a sleeping Mizuki and Yuugao at camp. By 2:45 a.m., he reached the small, abandoned cabin they had passed by. It was fairly intact compared to the other buildings, though the wooden door creaked eerily as he entered, locking the door shut behind him. He opened up all the ragged blinds, letting moonlight fill the cabin. At 2:50, he laid out all of his supplies in the center of the room, placing each item in the order he would need them. By 2:55, he grabbed the ritual instructions he had repeated ad nauseum and, for luck, reread them one more time,

Tenshigan Ritual: To Be Blessed with Angel Eyes

Closely follow the steps below to successfully complete the ritual. Beware if any ingredient/supply is missing, rule broken or step skipped, the consequences will be damning. Continue at your own risk.

Supplies:

• Blessed Ritual Knife
• Clay Bowl
• Red Wax Candles
• Silk Blindfold
• Blank Scroll
• Three Diospyros kaki Fruits
• Black Ink
• Paintbrush

 

Rules:

1. The ritual must be completed on a full moon between three and four thirteen in the morning. If done outside of this time frame, the ritual will be unsuccessful.

2. For your and others' protection, do not let anything or anyone interrupt the ritual. Once it starts, it cannot be stopped.

3. Under no circumstances do you remove your blindfold until sunrise. It is for your protection and sanity.

4. After completing step four, do not trust anything you hear. Their tongues will lie.

5. After completing step four, do not trust anything that touches you. Their hands will deceive.

6. After completing the ritual, do not let them know you see. Their eyes will be your undoing.

7. If you have any doubts about what you have read so far, do not continue the ritual.

Steele your heart, and may Tsuki no O be your guide.

At exactly 3:00 a.m. on the night of a full moon, Iruka was ready to take the first step of the ritual.

1. Go to an isolated location to perform the ritual. If someone else is present, they are not to enter the ceremonial room.

Iruka looked around. He was alone, except for the spiders hanging from the silky threads of their cobwebs.

2. Use the black ink and paintbrush to paint the symbol shown above, big enough to fit you in the center. Do not leave the center.

He dipped his paintbrush into the black ink vile and painted on the wooden floorboards with a steady hand a five-pointed star encased in a circle with cross sections to create a smaller four-point star in the center.

3. Light nine candles and place them at the points around the symbol. If they are to go out, relight them as quickly as possible.

He used his fire release to ignite all nine candles, bringing a warm glow to the cabin that danced on the rotted walls. He gently placed a red candlewick on each point of the stars. He sat down in the center of the symbol. Laid out in front of him were the fruit, clay bowl, blank scroll, paintbrush, white blindfold, and blessed ritual knife. He knew step four was next. He'd memorized it perfectly. "There's no stopping now. Act!" He picked up the knife with shaky hands and unsheathed it. The short blade glinted sharply as if bearing its fangs.

He breathed in. "Don't stop, Iruka." He breathed out, raising the blade. "Don't stop." He breathed in, leveling the knife to his right eye, the pupil constricting to a pinprick. "Don't stop!" He breathed out and let the blade pierce the bottom of his eye, half the world immediately going dark and biting his tongue to keep from screaming. "Agh! Don't… Stop!" A raging pain shot through his head like a fireball as the knife snapped something akin to a rubber band. He held back bile as his disconnected eyeball loosely rolled in its socket. He leaned his head over the clay bowl and sharply jerked his head, his eye falling out to plop into the bowl like a ripe cherry falling from its branch. Tears of his pain streamed down his remaining eye, and his jaws locked so tightly it hurt.

"Keep going, or it'll make the pain worse. Focus!" He breathed in, raising the knife to his teary eye, forcing it open as it stared down the bloody blade. "Go!" He couldn't hold back the scream that slipped from his lips as his hands, slick from blood, overshot and stabbed the knife into the center of his eye. Everything was thrown into a shapeless black abyss, and Iruka had to force himself not to lose his mind to finish what he started. "It's… o-okay," he whimpered, feeling his eye deflate like a gooey water balloon. "Get it in the bowl." Taking deep breaths, he calmly reached out for the clay bowl and held it underneath his eye. He leaned over it to let the remains of his eye ooze into the bowl.

Once the traumatic ordeal was over, he set down the bowl and the knife and picked up the blindfold, wrapping around his empty eye sockets, the cloth instantly soaking in whatever fluids the wounds seeped.

4. Use the ritual knife to remove your eyes and then wrap them with the blindfold. It is acceptable to pop them as long as you collect the remains. As you have now blinded yourself, the following steps should be memorized.

Step four was finally complete. Without sight, the sounds around him seemed to amplify, his ears trying to fill in the situational information his eyes could no longer relay. "No turning back."

5. Put the remains into the clay bowl. This will be your paint for the following step.

Iruka searched for his paintbrush and, once he had it, used it to mix the remains in the clay bowl to a smooth and mushy consistency.

6. Paint the Hell’s Gate Seal onto the blank scroll. Do not make a mistake.

He felt for the scroll and rolled it open, feeling the edges of his canvas before putting brush to paper. The leftover ink and blood mixed together as he painted. He drew the seal as if his eyes were open, taking his time and breathing steadily. He set down the brush when he finished.

7. Place the three Diospyros kaki Fruits onto the seal and begin to knead chakra.

He reached out and grabbed the three mango-like fruits, placing them in the center of the seal.

8. Perform Tsuki no O’s Grace Jutsu with the following hand signs: Tori, Inu, Ne, Uma, Tatsu, Mi. Repeat three times without interruption.

Iruka clasped his bloody hands together, letting his chakra flow freely through every point in his body. He took a final breath and started to sign. "Tori… Inu… Ne… Uma… Tatsu… Mi…” Hives grew on his skin as a sudden cold chill washed over him. He heard the wind whistle outside. "Tori, Inu… Ne, Uma… Tatsu, Mi." His body started to go numb, hopefully not from blood loss, and the whistle grew to an almost piercing degree. He swore he heard whispers within those winds. “Tori, Inu, Ne, Uma, Tatsu, Mi!”

Everything went dead silent as if the world around had been snatched out of existence by a greater force. He stood in the dark with nothing to anchor him besides the cool splash of water on his feet and moisture from the air. It was dark, but not empty. Though his eye sockets still burned with painful emptiness, he could see dark twisting shapes on the other side of the blindfold. It was a strange sensation he couldn’t get distracted by. He remembered step nine it was—

"Iruka-kun?" a voice cooed right by his ear, sickeningly saccharine. Iruka's chest tightened with dread.

“… Ignore it.”

“Oh, is Iruka-kun here?” More mocking voices.

“Focus, Iruka.”

"Oh, I missed you so much."

"They're not family."

"Open your eyes for me," A chilling touch grasping his shoulder.

"Remember the next step."

"Do I need to punish you?" a painful grip strangling his wrist.

9. If the above steps were completed correctly, you shall bow before the feet of Tsuki no O and humbly ask to be bestowed the Tenshigan.

Ignoring the conflicting mix of cold caresses, heated grips, and eyelids firmly shut, he got to his knees. He humbly bowed, his forehead touching the water, a position of vulnerability and humility.

"Oh, Truest Tsuki no O," he spoke confidently and clearly over the muttering voices hissing in his ears. "May you bestow upon me your greatest gift, the Tenshigan." Quiet and meandering footsteps approached, making gentle ripples in the waters. They stopped. “Do I need to say anything more? Did I sound too weak or worse demanding. Did I insult—” A hand, soft like clouds and soothingly tender, reached his downed face to cover his wounded eyes. It felt like the cool waters of the most perfect ocean, chasing the biting cold and silencing the lying voices, silencing everything once again. The pain in his head intensified as he felt something bitterly cold and slimy crawl into his empty eye sockets, but he never cried or screamed. It would have been rude to do so when receiving such a gift.

“… This is no gift, Umino Iruka.”

…

… …

… … …

If you are still alive to read this, congratulations, you are now the proud wielder of the Tenshigan. Welcome to the world of the dead and terrible.

 

~ ✧~

 

Iruka opened his eyes as he gradually returned to consciousness, feeling warm sunlight kissing his skin, and the whistle of the night winds had gone silent. Spots of light shined through his dirty blindfold, and his eyes devoured every bit of the sight. "I… can see?" Groaning, he picked himself up from the heap off the floor, his body aching like he ran a continuous lap around Konoha and his chakra was nearly completely exhausted. "Wait…" his fingers brushed over the crusted blindfold. "I can see!" He repeated, finally processing his own words. He hurriedly undid the blindfold, letting the bloody cloth fall to the floor, and slowly opened his eyes.

It took a moment for his vision to unblur and steady, seeing the remains of his ritual surrounding him. The candle wicks had burned out, the clay bowl was shattered, and the three fruits he placed on the seal looked like they had been eaten, with only the stems and cores left. The ritual knife's blade had completely rusted over, and the golden handle tarnished. "I did it!" He sprung up to his feet, his head rushing from the quick motion, and went to the cracked mirror in the corner of the cabin, examining his eyes… They didn't look any different from before, maybe a bit pinker and more irritated, but nothing out of the ordinary. He didn't feel much different either; he was only sore and exhausted, far from the powerful rush of chakra he was expecting. "I probably just need some rest. I'll practice with the Tenshigan later."

He repacked the scroll and the ruined ritual knife before leaving the cabin to return to camp. Too tired to leap through the trees, he walked down through the forest. Something in the air feeling… Off. Everything looked the same; the morning sun made the scenery less intimidating than when he passed through last night. However, something foul lingered in the air around him, weighing down on his chest and tying his gut into knots.

"Iruka-kun?" Yuugao's worried voice was a comforting sound compared to the cruel whispers that had hissed in his ears, the kunoichi leaping down in front of him from the trees. "What are you doing out here? Mizuki thought you'd been kidnapped and—" she cut herself off as her eyes widened. "Is that blood on your shirt?"

"What?" he looked down and realized that the ritual had stained more than the blindfold. "Um—"

"Are you hurt?" she questioned, feeling over his chest and arms for any wounds, finding nothing.

"No, I'm alright, Yuugao-chan," he reassured her, grabbing her hands. "I just fell into some mud. I was just looking for firewood and got lost."

"… Okay," she didn't look wholly convinced but didn't pry further. "Let's get back to camp before Naota-sensei gets back." She slowed down from her usual pace to keep close to him as they returned to the camp. Mizuki was pacing in front of the dwindling campfire, the worried look on his face bursting into relief seeing Iruka.

"Ruka-kun!" which lasted for a moment before switching to anger. "Where the hell were you?! I thought you got snatched up."

"Sorry, Mizuki-kun. I just got lost." Iruka apologetically smiled.

"Well, don't get lost again, idiot!" Mizuki jabbed Iruka's chest, finally noticing the stains. "Is that blood?"

"Mud," Iruka lied. "I'll change before Naota-sensei gets back." He went to the tent where the rest of his clothes were packed. He pulled back the flap and immediately froze. Someone was curled up on his bedroll. The figure was emitting an inky dark chakra that rolled off its emaciated form, its ribs sunken in, and bony limbs lost all fat and muscle showing underneath its shredded clothes. Long, greasy black hair hung from its head, clinging to its face.

"Get… Out…” Its distorted voice creaked as if its throat was ripped sore from screaming bloody murder. After completing the ritual, do not let them know you see. Their eyes will be your undoing. "Ignore it, Iruka." Iruka strengthened his resolve and kept an expressionless mask as he crawled into the tent. His bag sat in front of the ghost, and he reached inside it as if he didn't feel undead eyes watching his every move. He grabbed a fresh shirt and took off his dirtied one, momentarily blinding himself as it got stuck on his ponytail. The eyes of a corpse stared directly into his when he finally managed to take off his shirt, the thing's face a breath away from his.

"Get… Out!" Its horrible voice raked his spine with quivers, its piercing blue eyes boring into his. Almost familiar eyes. "… Hideki?" Iruka thought of the dead chuunin as he slipped into his new shirt, ignoring the freezing shivers that bit his skin whenever he brushed through the ghost who sat all too close to him. He grabbed his backpack and finally got out of the tent; the blood was drained from his paled face.

"Are you ready to head to shore, Iruka-kun?" Naota asked, having arrived recently. "Our boat's almost ready."

"Get out!"

"I'm ready to go, Naota-sensei," Iruka smiled away the dread creeping on him. He was more than happy to leave the camp, but he would be lying if he said he didn't feel some sort of pity seeing the ghost try to follow after them as they leaped through the trees, his bony legs only able to weakly hobble his fragile form. "That was a ghost, wasn't it? But I didn't activate my Tenshigan, did I? My chakra didn't mold in any way. Maybe I can ask Naota-sensei if his Byakugan can activate on its own… That nasty feeling still hasn't gone away. If anything, it's gotten stronger."

"Are you alright, Iruka-kun?" Naota's concerned question pulled him out of his thoughts. "You look a bit sick."

"I'm just getting homesick." Which wasn't a complete lie. He never liked leaving Konoha for any lengthy period. "I'll feel better when we get back to Konoha."

"Very well."

They reached the shore, and Iruka could see their boat coming closer in the distance. He enjoyed seeing the sandy beach and breathed in the salty sea air. He scrunched his nose, the foul scent of rot and decay assaulting his senses.

"… get… out…" the whimpered warning was carried by the winds, and his curiosity outweighed his fear. "He caught up to us?" He looked over his shoulder and nearly instantly regretted it. Floating in the tree line was Hideki. His head rather, as it was clutched in between the jaws of a tall, ghoulish figure whose bloated gut writhed as if panicked hands were pushing out from the inside, its pale skin oozing a dark green chakra like old vomit. It swallowed Hideki's still-speaking head whole, a black tongue lapping at its cracked lips and bulging red eyes rolling in its sockets, two black pinpoint pupils settling on Iruka.

“… Can you… see me?" its deep, grating voice grumbled, the corners of its mouth tore into something resembling excitement, and its stringy white hair bounced on its twitching head. Iruka snapped his head forward, eyes locked onto the slowly approaching boat. "Please hurry!"

"What victory meal do you wanna have when we get home, Ruka-kun?" Mizuki asked him.

"Whatever you want is fine." He quickly responded, trying to block out the loud smack of feet trudging towards him.

"Can you… see me?"

"Really?" Mizuki looked surprised. "I was willing to go to the ramen shop with you. My treat."

"Works for me." He nodded as the stench burned his nose.

"I'll come along too," Yuugao said.

"Boo! No purple-haired freaks allowed, Budou-chan." Mizuki gave an exaggerated thumbs down.

"Fine, then. Iruka and I will go on our own dinner where no rude snowmen are allowed, right Iruka-kun?" He faced Yuugao, who smirked smugly. The drool of the jagged-toothed creature fell straight through her as it loomed behind her, leaning its head down to stare directly into Iruka's eyes, breath smelling worse than death.

"Do you see me?"

"Sure, Yuugao-chan!" Iruka forced himself to smile and never broke eye contact with the girl.

"What? No way!" Mizuki stomped his foot. "Fine, you can come. You're so annoying."

"Right back at you." Yuugao childishly stuck out her tongue, which was short and pink compared to the long, wormy black slug of a tongue the creature had. The boat blared its horn, signaling for the shinobi to come and board.

"The last one to the boat has to pay!" Mizuki challenged as he took his head start, running across the water.

"You're on," Yuugao laughed, running right after her teammate. Even though he was the last to move, Iruka was the first to reach the boat, sprinting past his teammates. He had finally indulged in his flight response, running as fast as he could away from the creature.

"You're fast when you wanna be, Iruka," Yuugao said, coming in second.

"No fair, Ruka-kun has home advantage on the water." Mizuki griped, coming in last. "I couldn't get a good grip."

"You had a head start, dummy." Mizuki rolled his eyes at Yuugao's comment.

"Technically, Naota-sensei came in last."

"I didn't know I was invited," Naota smiled. As his team discussed plans for their victory dinner, Iruka was silent, his mind drifting elsewhere. "My Tenshigan wasn't activated. If it was, Yuugao or Mizuki would've said something about it… I never activated it, but I could still see that thing… Is it… always going to be like this?"

 

~ ✧~

 

Iruka stood before Konohagakure's Memorial Stone, his gaze firmly set on the ground. He wasn't alone. He never was since the day he left Uzushiogakure.

"Hello, Tosan, Kaasan," his tired voice sounded strained.

“… Little boy…”

"This… This'll be the last time I visit."

"Can I… get a hug?"                    

"I'm sorry. I just don't think you're here anymore… If you ever were."

"I can smell… tears…"

"I promise to find you, though, wherever you are."

“I want something sweet… My teeth ache…”

"I love you, Kasan, Tosan.” With his head hung low, he turned around and walked away, ignoring the frightening pack of ghosts and spirits that lingered around the stone, trying and failing to grab his arm to stop him from leaving.  

Chapter 4: The Boogeyman

Summary:

After successfully completing the Tenshigan ritual, Iruka realizes he’s in for more than he bargained for as he’s constantly haunted by the dead, monstrous, and wicked. Hopefully a day out with Asuma can make him feel better.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hiruzen yawned as he finished filling out his last report of the day, stretching his tense back with a groan and a few pops. Sitting at his desk for hours a day was doing worse for his back than that time a precocious Iwa-nin took a cheap shot to his spine with a mallet. "Genma-san," he said aloud, and a young shinobi appeared in his once solitary office, bowing respectfully.

"Sandaime-sama?"

"Could you please deliver these reports to be filed?"

"Certainly," his bodyguard teethed on the senbon in his mouth as he gathered the massive pile of reports. "You finished early."

"Did I?" His tired eyes glanced at the clock. 8:30p.m. "Hm, thirty minutes ahead of schedule." “I'm finally getting the hang of this Hokage business.” Genma humored him with a chuckle before leaving to complete his task. A polite knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he said, trying to wipe the tiredness from his face. Koharu and Homura's stoic faces were on the other side of the door.

"Good evening, Sandaime-sama," Koharu greeted with a slight bow. "Hm, I keep telling her to stop calling me that."

"What brings both of you here? Something exciting, I hope."

"If a meeting for the upcoming Chuunin exams excites you," Homura pushed up his blue glasses. "We'll be having it tomorrow at five."

"That works for me." Hiruzen picked at a loose thread of his robes from underneath the desk. "Perhaps we could share a meal afterward? We haven't done that in a while." His advisors' brief pause of silence already told him their answer.

"We'll have to respectfully decline," Koharu said bluntly. "Homura and I already have something planned."

"Those plans can't include me?" Hiruzen clicked his tongue.

"Not particularly," Homura's glasses fogged up, and his face was dusted the softest pink. "Have a good night, Sandaime." His advisors left, and he was once again alone in the office, the repetitive tick of the clock on the wall starting to get on his nerves. "So, I’ve got thirty minutes free… I'm gonna call Danzo." He dialed the archive phone number on his landline and waited. It took three rings for the other end to finally pick up.

"What?" Danzo's gravelly voice greeted him, already sounding annoyed.

"I didn't even say anything yet."

"The only reason you call this late is to distract me with whatever nonsense plagues your mind."

"And yet you still pick up."

"You'd abuse the line otherwise. What do you want?"

"There's a meeting tomorrow at five about the Chuunin exams."

"Yes, I was informed."

"… Are you doing anything afterward?"

"Filling out paperwork."

"Well… I won’t be filling paperwork."

"Get to the point, Hiruzen."

"Share dinner with me, please. Koharu and Homura already declined… My sons will be out on missions, and Biwako won't be able to attend like she used to, so… Some company would be nice."

"Tch… I can free thirty minutes from my schedule," Danzo relented, and Hiruzen gave a silent victorious smile. "But our hijiki will be prepared with aburaage. Torifu believed it amplified its nutritional properties."

"Damn, now you have me craving his cooking. The best part of getting paired with him for missions was that he'd always make dinner."

"Yes, I remember you stealing extra rations when we were sent to fight Suna's puppet masters."

"Yeah, you sent Kagami to chase and pin me down while you beat the shit out of me," Hiruzen chuckled as he revisited the memory, Kagami's mischievous smirk and Danzo's annoyed scowl flashing across his vision.

"You're being dramatic, I was just taking back what you stole."

Another knock came at the door, except the person on the other side didn't wait to be let in.

"Can we talk, Otosan?" Asuma asked as he shut the door behind him. Hiruzen nodded, surprised his son had come to visit so late.

"I'll leave you alone for now. Goodnight."

"Night." He hung up the phone to properly address his son, who clearly had something distressing on his mind with how tense his body was and how his gaze focused on the Hokage, not drifting all over the room like it usually did.

"What is it, Asuma? Is everything alright with you?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine," Asuma came much closer to the desk than any reporting shinobi would. "It's Iruka I want to talk about."

“Iruka?” Hiruzen lifted a brow.

"Yeah, he's been… Really quiet recently, haven't you noticed?"

"He hasn't visited as often, so I wouldn't be sure."

"Well, he's not talking like he used to, and when he does talk… He stares at you too much, like he hardly blinks, like he's having a one-sided starring contest. I know that sounds silly to get upset about," Asuma sighed.

"No, if you feel this is a concern, I can talk to the boy."

"Thanks, Otosan," some relief smoothed out his son's stressed features. "I was just at the Hot Springs with him today, and he was too scared to get in the water; he even begged me to get out. And this kid loves to soak in the hot springs." He shook his head. "And when we went to get food afterward, he ran away before finishing his ramen. Something just feels off, and Kurenai thinks so too. Ever since he came back from his mission in Uzushiogakure."

“Uzushiogakure?” the Hokage gasped.

"Yeah. Iruka was really quiet about that mis—"

"Wait!" Hiruzen interrupted and held up a hand, his refined senses telling him something was amiss. A loud crash and glass breaking rang through the hallway.

"Get away!" a terrified screech joined the chaos.

"Asuma, ready yourself." Hiruzen stood up from his desk, narrowing his eyes on the door.

"That sounds like—" Asuma was cut off by the door flinging open and banging hard into the wall.

"Iruka-kun!" Hiruzen gasped, shocked, as the bleeding boy slammed the door shut, clumsily locking it. "What happened?" he asked, concerned, walking around his desk.

"Help, please, Sandaime-sama!" Iruka sobbed, dressed in messy blue pajamas. He ran to the Hokage and latched onto his robes like his life depended on it, smothering his face into the white cloth and staining it red. "It wants to hurt me!"

“It’s okay, Iruka-kun. Everything will be alright," Hiruzen tried comforting the clearly distressed and injured boy. He carefully picked up Iruka, who clung onto his shoulder so tightly that his nails bit into his skin. He kept his face hidden in the crook of the Hokage's neck. Hiruzen finally noticed the boy was covered in cuts with small shards of glass sticking out of him. There was a deep slice on Iruka's shoulder, and his left arm bent in an unnatural direction, hanging limply at his side.

"Iruka-kun, what happened?" Asuma questioned, also realizing the boy's injuries. "Were you ambushed again?"

"I'm so sorry!" the boy continued to cry his lungs out. "I-I didn't think it would be l-like this! I'm sorry!"

"Shush, you'll be okay. I'll keep you safe," he said, gently swaying the boy like he did with his newborn sons. He waited until Iruka's breathing calmed somewhat to ask, "What could you be sorry for?"

"I lied," Iruka sniffled before going off a quick-paced tirade interrupted by hiccups and whimpers. "I took something from the archives, something I shouldn't have. Th-There was something about a ritual, and I did it, and it hurt so much, but I finished it anyway. Then after that, I started seeing all these horrible monsters, and then my parents weren't at the memorial stone, and then something in the orphanage tried killing me, and then—"

"Take a breath, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen patted the boy's back, trying to catch everything Iruka had rattled off. "You said you did a ritual?"

"Yes, it changed my eyes!"

"Let me see," Hiruzen prodded as he brushed back Iruka's hair from his face, keeping his rising worry pushed deep down inside of him. Iruka finally pulled back to look him in the eyes. Hiruzen’s heart skipped a beat.

"Otosan, what's wrong with his eyes?!" Asuma gasped, taking a step back. Hiruzen couldn't form the words to respond, his mind reeling.  "No, no, no. It can't be. Iruka couldn't have… Hiru, you damned fool!"

"There was something awful trying to kill me. I'm sorry I brought it here. I didn't know where else to go," Iruka started sobbing again and screamed, horrified, when something banged furiously on the door, the lock keeping it shut.

"Damn!" Someone cursed furiously on the other side before the door was sliced cleanly in half, breaking the lock, and kicked it in. Danzo rushed into the room with his sword in his hand, already stained a fresh coat of red, and a streak of blood running down from a cut on his cheek. His eye narrowed dangerously, seeing the Hokage holding the distressed boy. "Hiruzen, get away from that boy now," the burning anger in his eyes and his tense body betrayed the calmness of his voice. "Let me handle it."

"You won't be doing anything to, Iruka," Asuma stood in front of the older man, easily standing taller than him.

"Command your son to move," Danzo practically growled.

"… Let's not act so hastily, Danzo," Hiruzen held on tighter to the sniveling boy.

"Now isn't the time for hesitation! That boy will damn this entire village if we don't handle him now."

"There's another way to solve this," the Hokage argued. "We can do it if we work together. I know there is a better way to go about this than…" he sighed in frustration and looked his oldest living friend in the eyes. "Help me fix this, Danzo."

"… Out of all the things, this is what you fight me on," Danzo muttered under his breath but sheathed his sword regardless as racing footsteps approached.

"Sandaime-sama, are you alright?" Genma questioned as he charged in with his two teammates and a couple of Root members.

"Where's the threat, Danzo-sama?" the Root member wearing a mask resembling a wildcat with red and gold markings demanded, her black shaggy hair tied up in a high ponytail and her clawed hands ready to strike.

"There is none at the moment," Danzo turned around to address the newly arrived shinobi. "Iwashi-san go restrict sector nine of the hospital. Genma-san, Raido-san, you'll accompany the Hokage and the Umino boy there." He looked at his Root members. "Yamaneko, Kuma, tell Kaira she'll be needed at the hospital to perform Procedure Eight."

"Yes, sir!" The Root members were the first to leave, with the Hokage's guards waiting for Hiruzen's nod before acting.

"Otosan, what's happening?" Asuma asked him, reaching out to touch Iruka. Hiruzen moved the boy out of his reach.

"Asuma, please, keep your distance for now," the Hokage said, knowing that telling his son not to get involved was futile. Wait in the hospital lobby for now. You must keep quiet about this. For Iruka's sake." His son's worried eyes told him he had more questions, but he silently nodded. You'll be okay," he reassured the boy as he rushed down the hall with him, keeping his broken arm steady.

"They're still here," Iruka somberly muttered into his shoulder. "I can see them looking at me. They won't go away."

"I know, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen sighed, a guilty weight pressing against his chest. "I know."

 

~ ✧~

 

Iruka could see them now. The hideous creatures of the dark were never meant to be seen by living eyes. The undead. He knew the Tenshigan would give him some form of connection with those who had passed. Though he didn't believe it'd be every day, every minute of the hour. From the moment he woke up, waking to some ghoul watching him brush his teeth in the morning, a slobbering creature joining him at the dining table with his friends, to when he went to sleep at night, a leering figure standing over his bed. One particular thing lurked in the shadows of the orphanage, never fully revealing itself. Iruka only caught sight of a few claws darting out of the darkness. However, he clearly saw its aftermath, a child tripping over nothing and breaking a wrist, another losing their grip on the ladder and snapping their leg. Iruka was weary of the orphanage's shadows after seeing the fifth child end up in an arm cast.

Talking to other people was also a hassle. It was too nerve-racking to talk and have a monster think he was speaking to it directly or try to converse with anyone and have a creature mutter cursed words too close to his ears. Even then, he remembered rule number six, having yet to react. Though above all, the Nine-Tailed Beast's chakra was the worst. It felt like a fog of hot steam that burned his skin and made his eyes water from the sting. His heightened demonic senses allowed him to see the thick cloud of angry amber chakra that fogged the stairs to the upper floor. He rarely went upstairs and banned himself from going up there entirely. Even passing it by alerted his fight or flight response, the chakra whispering damning threats of revenge.

Was this all the Tenshigan had to offer? Witnessing the horrors of the dark. It couldn't be. There was more to these eyes, a way to fight back... But he was too fearful to try without the journal's guidance. Even then, reading what to do may not be enough without a proper teacher. He didn't know what the specific consequences would be if he fell into the hands of the dead, and he wasn't keen on finding out.

If he wasn't training or out on a mission with his team, he retreated to his dorm room, reading anything to get his mind off the things peeking in the edges of his vision or simply sleeping. He was trying to fall asleep in his bed, though it was difficult with a humanoid creature that had a spider-like body and chattering teeth crawling on the ceiling when the door opened.

"Iruka-kun?" he heard Asuma say his name or something that sounded like Asuma. He didn't move or respond. "You're not sleeping, are you?" he heard the being walk to his bedside and crouch down to his bottom bunk. "I can see you're your eyes are open. I know you're not asleep." It touched his shoulder, a warm, firm grasp, and Iruka melted with relief, rolling onto his back.

"Hey, Asuma-san," he tried smiling, keeping his eyes locked on the Sarutobi. "Wandering eyes invite unwanted attention."

"What are you doing in bed? It's only three."

"Just getting some rest since Naota-sensei was training us so hard yesterday." He lied.

"I talked to Naota. He said you didn't train with him yesterday."

"Well… I uh…" Iruka stuttered, his stressed brain unable to think of another excuse. Asuma's brows furrowed in worry.

"If something's going on, you know you can tell me, right?" he smiled, and so did the thing that poked its head down from the top bunk. Its beady black eyes peered into him with a gummy grin, and its long sewage-green hair fell through Asuma's shoulder.

"What's… the matter?"

"I know, Asuma-san," Iruka forcibly widened his grin, hurting his cheeks. Asuma looked more off-put than convinced by the gesture.

"Hey, how about we go to the Hot Springs?" he offered. "A hot soak will surely relax you after all your hard training. We can stop by the ramen shop afterward. Wanna do that?"

"Wanna… go soak? I wanna… go soak… inside of you."

"… Sure," Iruka weakly agreed, not wanting Asuma to stay any closer to that thing than needed.

They arrived at the Hot Springs with Asuma paying despite Iruka offering to pay for himself.

"Aren't you gonna get undressed already?" Asuma asked him in the changing room, his shirt and pants already off. Iruka never really felt too embarrassed to undress in front of other people. That was people, not whatever was poking its head in the doorway, its grim face cluttered with too many leering eyes to count, and the giggling ghoul hiding underneath the bench, flicking its tongue out at those who passed by. "I'll look outta place if I just stand here doing nothing." Turning his back to the creatures, he undressed himself, quickly wrapping a towel around his waist. 

"Let's go before our spot is taken," Asuma said, heading out to the Hot Springs. Iruka followed but took a different route around the bench to avoid the gross tongue. He wasn't shocked to see the springs were infested with nasty spirits and leering ghouls invading guests' personal space. Their usual spot was void of any perverse spirits, being underneath the shade of a tree to keep the sun out of their faces. However, the shade seemed too dark and… writhing for Iruka's liking. He grabbed Asuma's hand and dug in his heels.

"Can we sit here?" He asked, pointing to a spot ride beside them.

"Wherever you want," Asuma nodded and took off his towel, settling into the hot spring with a tension-relieving sigh. Iruka started taking off his towel.

"… Keep me company…" a wrinkly bloated hand with long dirty nails poked out of the middle of the hot springs, motioning for the young boy to come forward. Iruka froze.

"You coming in anytime soon?" Asuma asked, poking Iruka's leg.

"I'll just sit on the edge," Iruka mumbled, leaving his towel on and letting his legs soak in the hot water. The cool fall winds pinched his exposed skin. 

"… Cruel boy…" the hand silently went under the water.

"What's the matter?" Asuma asked.

"Nothing, I-I just need to adjust to the temperature." Iruka excused, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll hop in later." He held back a yelp as he felt the familiar biting chill of dark chakra around his ankle. "Don't move. Don’t move," he repeated to himself as he felt it crawl up and down his shin.

“Come in… keep me company…”

"The Chuunin exams are coming up," Asuma said, leaning back fully relaxed in the water. "Are you going to participate?"

"Naota-sensei is encouraging us to apply, but I don't know," Iruka answered, fighting the urge to kick as the thing grabbed his other leg. "I haven't been able to study much for it. I'll probably fail."

"Well, you don't have to take it so soon. It's hardly been a year since you've been a genin." The boy silently sighed in relief when he felt the hand let him go.

"When did you become a chuunin, Asuma-san?"

"Let's see," the older shinobi tapped his chin in thought. "I was thirteen." The pale, rotting hand reached out from the water to grip Asuma's arm.

"Someone… keep me company." A needy voice whined.

"No, twelve," he corrected himself as another hand reached to grab his chest. "But I graduated from the academy when I was nine, so I had three years to train before taking the exam." Another hand grasped onto his shoulder, and another wrapped around his throat.

“Give me… company…”

"You don't have to rush things," Asuma assured the boy, scratching his neck. "You can—"

"I want ramen now!" Iruka declared, jumping out of the water and to his feet.

"We just got here?" Asuma quirked a confused brow. "Something wrong?"

"I haven't eaten at all today, so I'm starving," he said, grabbing Asuma's arm and trying to pull him out. "Let's go right now!" 

"No, stay!" The hands dug their claws into the shinobi's skin. 

"C'mon, Asuma-san, I'm hungry!" "Get off of him, you disgusting thing!" 

"Alright, I'm coming," Asuma sighed and got out of the springs, the hands losing their hold on him and, with a distressed cry, sunk back into the waters. Iruka didn't look back as he dragged Asuma back to the changing rooms, away from whatever lurked in the hot springs.

…

… …

… … …

Iruka calmed down somewhat when they reached the ramen shop and even more so when he had his own bowl to eat.

"What was all that back at the hot springs?" Asuma inquired after sipping down the rest of his broth.

"I think I'm just stressed about the upcoming exams," Iruka mumbled, looking down into his bowl.

"Like I said, you don't have to rush." Asuma poked him with his chopsticks to get the boy to look at him.

"But then Mizuki and Yuugao won't get to participate, and they are way more ready than I am. I don't want to hold them back."

"I'm sure Yuugao would understand if you wanted to wait an extra year. Mizuki…” Asuma paused and scrunched his brows. "I'll have to talk to Mizuki."

"You don't have to—"

"Is that… ramen?"

“… do all that…” Iruka's shoulders tensed as the dark presence came to loom over his shoulder. "Just focus on Asuma. You're talking to him right now."

"It won't be a problem."

"I smell ramen."

"I'd be happy to do it, really."

"Can I—"

"Oh, I also wanted to ask how did—"

"—have some ramen?"

"— your mission go?"

"… Sorry, what?" Iruka muttered, trying to stay locked onto Asuma's eyes despite the hungry aura begging for his attention.

"I want—"

"You're mission—"

"—some ramen—"

"To Uzushio—"

"—please. Give—"

"—gakure."

"—me some—"

"How was—"

"—ramen."

"—it?"

"… I-I don't know," Iruka stuttered, biting his lip to try and relieve the stress that made his eyes burn with brewing tears. His heart painfully drummed in his chest as arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, trapping him in a tight grip. He remained still despite the revulsion twisting his guts. "Please go away." 

"I wanted to drop in to say 'hi' to my favorite genin," Kurenai hummed sweetly in his ear, holding him close to her chest.

"You're gonna leave me out in the cold?" Asuma pouted.

"I don't hug strangers, mister." She playfully smirked.

"You can be so cruel, Kurenai-chan."

"Certainly." She turned her attention to Iruka. "So, how have…" she stopped, eyes widening with worry. Iruka couldn't stop the tears that had escaped his eyes, silently weeping. “What’s the matter, Iruka-kun?”

"I gotta go!" Iruka slipped out of Kurenai's grasp and ran away, ignoring the concerned shouts of his name.

 

~ ✧~

 

"Iruka-kun, the bathroom's open for you," Izumo said as he walked into their dorm room, dressed in light green pajamas.

“Your… turn…”

"… Okay, thanks," Iruka mumbled, crawling out of his bed to avoid the green hands dangling over the ledge.

"Did everything go okay with Asuma-san?" Kotetsu asked from atop his top bunk.

"Yeah, it was really fun," Iruka tiredly smiled as he grabbed his pajamas from the dresser.

"He's been a real mopey slug lately," he heard Mizuki complaining after he left the room. The hall lights were dimmed to signify it was time to prepare for the night. Thin shadows stretched along the walls. The bathroom was located down two halls to the left, and he noticed that Izumo was considerate enough to clean up the mess Mizuki and Kotetsu surely left behind. Iruka sat in the tub, hugging his legs and enjoying the brief moment of quiet he was given, only the gentle drips from the faucet hitting the water and the hum of the lights being his ambiance.

"I'm making everyone worry so much about me. I hate it… Maybe I should tell the Hokage what I've done? He'll know what to do surely… But if not, I'll expose him to the dangers that should be hidden away." The lights flickered, for a sudden moment drowning the room in darkness, the only light coming from underneath the door, casting shadows that stretched along the floor. He didn't see anything or hear any demented voice. He got out of the tub and put on his light blue pajamas before going to the sink to brush his teeth. "I don't know. I just know I can’t live like this forever."

"Hey, Iruka-kun," Izumo's voice startled him, though, of course, he didn't let it show. His tired eyes glared in the mirror to see the young boy peeking in the corner.

"What is it?" Iruka asked after spitting into the sink.

"Did I leave my hitai-ate in the bathroom?" Izumo asked. The Umino glanced around the counter, not seeing the forehead protector.

"No, sorry. I'll help you look for it later."

"It's alright. I have something else to ask, though."

"Sure," Iruka bent over the sink to wash his face.

"Can you see me?" Iruka tensed, slowly lifting his head as the pit of his stomach dropped like a sack of rocks.

"… What?" he muttered, focusing on the boy in the mirror. He watched with a horrific realization as an excited grin slowly crawled across Izumo's face, eyes going wide like a cat posed to strike.

“Can you… see me… Iruka-kun?”

The lights flickered again, and Izumo's small form crawled through the closed door, smiling all the way as his body began to contort and twist, limbs elongating and horns piercing through its forehead. The inky black mist started to cling to his distorted body as he crawled closer to the terrified boy as if the shadows were eating him alive, the sound of bones snapping complimenting his twisting form. Iruka was rooted to the spot, heart racing so fiercely that he feared it would burst from his chest to run away on its own. In a short breath, the humanoid creature came to stand directly behind him, so tall it had to hunch over, coated in writhing shadows, and its face concealed by a cracked white mask that mocked a frowning face. Its dark eyeholes started back at Iruka through the mirror.

His eyes started to burn, but not only from tears. A pitch-black darkness crept into his eyes, taking over both his sclera. Once it reached his irises, it turned them from a rich brown into a ghostly white. His Tenshigan activated for the first time.

"You see me..." The boogeyman murmured with brewing excitement, its neck cracked painfully to turn its head upside down, turning the foul frown into a gleeful grin. It reached out a spindly hand that cracked with every little movement and touched Iruka's face. It didn't feel like the cold, tingling sensation when a ghost passed through him, but felt as if a corpse reached its decaying hand out from the grave to caress his cheek, sharp nails cutting into his skin, drawing blood. The lights went out, and Iruka screamed in terror, making a break for the door. He felt something wrap around his ankle tightly and fell to the floor, kicking and screaming as a shadowy tendril dragged him back to the monster, its white mask seemingly glowing in the dark. He panickily signed a jutsu and grabbed onto the tendril, the texture cold and slimy.

"Trap of Burning Punishment!" He successfully completed the jutsu, the seal burning red hot on the limb, but it didn't even flinch, the boogeyman shaking its twisted head. The tendril released only to wrap around his arm, pulling him into the air. Clawing and scratching at it didn't stop it from tightening around him.

"Bend until you break!" His arm broke in the monstrous limb's grasp like a fragile twig with a sickening snap and a whole new brutal burst of pain shot through him, making him scream. The thing released him, and he painfully fell on his broken arm, giving a satisfied hum all the while.

“Iruka-kun, what’s going on in there?!” Emi’s concerned shouting came from the hall as she fiercely banged on the door.

“Is there something wrong, Iruka-kun?” It mocked cruelly, reaching out for the bloodied boy.

“Get away from me!” Iruka screeched and ran for the window, not stopping once he reached it, crashing through the glass just as the bathroom door was flung open. He tried clinging to the wall as he fell to slow down his descent, the cold night air stinging his face. He landed harshly on a bush but didn’t stop, climbing out of the thorns and leaves to continue his mad dash, holding onto a broken shard of glass. “I have to get to the Hokage!”

“Are we running?” he heard it groan behind him as he crawled out of the broken window, slinking through the shadows to pursue him. “Just keep going. You’ll make it, Iruka!” he reassured himself as he reached the busy night streets of Konoha, cradling his broken arm and his adrenaline pushing him forward. The people he passed gave him strange looks, oblivious of the boogeyman phasing through them as it threatened to break more than his arm. Those who did notice the monster were other monsters, their creeping eyes shifting to focus on the fleeing Iruka, their quiet murmuring turning into an excited cacophony of screeches and howls. Their menacing chakra seemed to be much more potent and odorous than usual. One tried snatching up Iruka as he ran past, ducking underneath the claws that tore through his hair tie, his hair coming undone.

“Come ba—" Its keening wail was silenced as the boogeyman ripped it apart like a child dissecting a fly with his fierce tendrils. The Hokage Tower was right around the corner. “Almost there!” He burst through the entry doors, startling everyone in the lobby, but he ignored them and the guards as he entered the stairwell. His legs ached from the exertion, and his lungs burned whenever he breathed.

“Don’t trip. You’ll get hurt,” It taunted as it slinked through the shadows of the stairwell, racing up after Iruka. “I’m not going to make it! Think!” He stopped on the next floor he reached, so close to the top, and dashed into the hall. He was suddenly stopped in the hall as something snatched his broken arm, another monster surely. He spun around and lashed out with the broken shard of glass he saved from earlier, his eyes widening in shock as he slashed the archive librarian across the cheek, who flinched in response and snatched the glass shard out of his hand.

“What’s going—"his question ran into silence as his golden eye widened, connecting with Iruka’s Tenshigan. He stepped back, releasing the boy, repulsion molding his expression. “What have you done, boy?!” he questioned, reaching into his robes. The lights in the hallway flickering signaled the boogeyman’s entrance around the corner.

“Found you!” 

Iruka screamed and continued to run, throwing himself against the window as a sharp pain cut across his shoulder, too long and clean to have been from broken glass, but he didn’t stop. Running up the Hokage tower to reach the top, he came to another window and tried breaking it with a punch, only managing to crack it, his tiredness catching up to him. He glanced down. The thing was crawling up the wall after him.

“I’ll catch you if you fall.”

“No!” Iruka punched through the glass, slicing his hand, and tumbled into the hallway. “Get away!” he didn’t look back, running down the hall despite the pain he was in. He successfully reached the Hokage’s office with the hope that he’d find safety and relief from the nightmare he had thrown himself into.

 

~ ✧~

 

Hiruzen paced back and forth outside of Iruka's surgery room. He had a section of the hospital sectioned off with Anbu guards patrolling the halls to hide the boy from curious eyes and any interferences. It had taken sedation to quiet Iruka's cries as he had refused to let go of the Hokage. Anbu medical-nin had finished tending to him, and Hiruzen didn't doubt their work, but they couldn't care for the infection rotting the boy's eyes. "How could I have let this happen? Right under my nose."

"Hiruzen, reign in your chakra," Danzo chastised as he sat on the floor, painting symbols on chakra-infused tags. "You'll disturb the seals."

"Will those even work?" Hiruzen paused his pacing to ask.

"We'll see." The advisor weaved signs to finish the seals, turning the black paint a vibrant red. “Mito-sama would place these around her study and on her person whenever the beast inside of her rebelled," he explained, placing the three seals on the surgery room door. "Perhaps they'll ward off whatever being was attacking the boy earlier."

"You sound so doubtful," he tugged hard at the loose thread of his robe, not having bothered to change.

"Pardon if I'm not well versed in the arts of devilry."

"Out of everyone, I thought you would be," Hiruzen snarked, stress sharpening his tongue, and Danzo turned to him with an annoyed frown.

"The downfall of Uzushiogakure is a lesson enough not to disturb the dead. Tobirama-sama himself ended his studies on his reanimation jutsu when he saw where it led. All it promises is damnation."

"So, you think Iruka's already a lost cause?" The Hokage groaned.

"Not entirely," Danzo gestured behind him, and he turned to see an older woman walking down the hall flanked by a pair of Root agents, her long white hair tied in a low bun with slim fringes and dressed in elegant white robes with a dark violet obi. She possessed the Byakugan, though her right eye was sealed shut, and her forehead was dressed with a lavender cloth bearing the Shimura clan symbol, the ends tied back in her bun and left out to flutter. She held a small black rectangular case in her hands, with symbols scrawled on it in white. Her stern and stoic expression didn't change as she approached the men in front of the surgery room.

"The boy is still sedated, yes?" Kaira asked. Her lip quirked in annoyance at seeing Danzo's face, and she brought two chakra-infused fingers to his cheek.

"He should still be under for the next couple of hours," the advisor answered as Kaira healed the cut on his cheek with a swipe of her fingers.

"What are you planning to do?" Hiruzen questioned, eyeing the case in her hands.

"To gift the boy a new pair of eyes." She tapped the case with her nail. "Ones that aren't cursed."

"That won't harm him, will it?"

"He'll wake with a headache at most," she assured him.

"And there won't be any lingering dark chakra in him after the procedure?"

"… That, we can only hope," she said before entering the surgery room.

"We'll need to destroy those eyes once she's done," Hirzuen said, leaning against the wall, Danzo standing beside him. "How could Iruka even manage to complete that damned ritual? Konoha doesn't have all the supplies necessary—Wait! Asuma told me Iruka started acting strangely after his mission in Uzushiogakure. I swore I had assigned that mission to a jounin team. I'd never allow genins to go to that island."

"Hm, I'll see who was assigned to the mission desk the day Iruka's team was given that mission," Danzo said. "They're either an incompetent fool or a troublesome schemer. Either will be dealt with accordingly." The surgery room door opened surprisingly early. Kaira peeked around the door frame, and a surgical mask was now on her face.

"You're finished already?" Hiruzen asked.

"Unfortunately, no," she shook her head. "There's an issue," she motioned for Danzo to come in, but Hiruzen followed as well, silencing any of the advisor's protests with a glare. The door shut behind, two Anbu members taking guard. Iruka was lying on his back in the hospital bed, bandages around his hand and chest with a cast on his broken arm. A paper seal was placed on his slowly falling and rising chest as well as all along the walls of the room. His left eye was propped open with a speculum, pupil dilated and lazily staring off into space.

"What's the problem?" Hiruzen asked, and Kaira activated her Byakugan as she grabbed a scalpel from her tool trey.

"There's a barrier of dark chakra encasing his eye, sealing it in the socket and shielding it from damage." She poked the eye with the scalpel, and it reacted immediately, the Tenshigan activating, pupil contracting to a pinprick. The sharp tool harmlessly slid off. The eye returned to normal when she pulled it away. "I'm unable to remove it."

"No," the Hokage denied, shaking his head. “You may need a refined chakra needle to pierce through the barrier.”

"I tried that." Kaira stepped away from the bed. "The barrier didn't give. It's of hellish design."

"Hm," Danzo hummed, stroking the bandages covering his eye. "Let me try something."

"Don't harm him," Hiruzen ordered.

"That isn't my intent." The advisor stood over Iruka, holding his head still and raising his bandaged hand, fingers positioned as if he was ready to pick a cherry from a tree. He breathed in slowly, his sharp breath out signaling his strike, his fingers fighting to dig around the boy's eyeball and only managing to slide off. It looked painful, nails scratching across an open eye, but Iruka's remained unharmed.

"A cursed seal is keeping it protected," Danzo hissed out as he applied more pressure, arm visibly tense from the strain. "It's made it so that…" he paused, sighing in defeat, leaving Iruka's eye be. "It only responds to the creator's chakra." The lights flickered, and a cold chill settled in the room, making Hiruzen’s hairs stand on end and the paint from the seal tags start to bleed down the wall. Danzo stepped far away from Iruka. "I'm certain we shouldn't summon whatever crafted this abomination." He turned to the Hokage expectantly. “What now, Sandaime-sama?”

"I… We…” Hiruzen sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I need time to think. Leave the boy be for now. We'll keep him monitored."

"I don't believe that's wise."

"Danzo, just…" he paused, taking a breath. "Do what I say. We'll discuss this with Homura and Koharu later." He left the surgery room to collect his thoughts.

…

… …

… … …

"Later" arrived sooner than Hiruzen was ready as he found himself in the cramped meeting room with his three advisors stuck in a draining discussion.

"You're just cooping him up in the hospital?" Koharu made her disapproval evident in her tone.

"For now, yes," Hiruzen defended, the drain of being awake for nearly an entire day, slouching his posture.

"We need a long-term solution," Homura said. If the issue is the boy's sight, we can fix him with a permanent blindfold and keep him under Anbu's supervision."

"I said we are not blinding, Iruka."

"You said you didn't want him maimed," Koharu said. "A blindfold wouldn't harm him. It'd be more protection than what the boy has now."

"Still… it's more extreme than necessary."

"Extreme is letting boy walk around free," Homura argued. "He's dangerously unpredictable and a threat to everyone in the village."

"Well… Danzo, contribute." Hiruzen looked to the bandaged man, who had minimal input throughout the meeting despite having so much to say earlier.

"… I agree that the Umino is dangerously unpredictable," Danzo started, "but if we can't dispose of him, blinding him isn't our most beneficial solution. We should send him to Uzumaki Uma."

"That…" Koharu paused, giving the idea some thought. "Isn't a horrible idea. It removes him from the village and gives him to someone who can handle his condition."

"And if the boy is unfit to return, we can leave him in her care," Homura added. "What do you think, Sandaime-sama?" Hiruzen didn't answer at first, burning a hole into the coffee table with his stare.

"Let's… think of another solution before we get to that point."

"Why?" Koharu sounded frustrated. "Let the Onmyoji handle this demon nonsense. It's her duty."

"Getting her involved would mean she'd want to mentor Iruka."

"What's inhumane about that?" Homura asked.

"You don't want him to become an Onmyoji," Danzo concluded. "It's the only path the Umino has now. Anything else would be punishment."

"Being an Onmyoji itself is punishment," Hiruzen argued. "Iruka would be battling monsters for the rest of his life."

"So, he should cower for the rest of his life instead?" Danzo calmly clasped his hands in front of him, watching Hiruzen take too long to retort. "Him learning to control and access the full powers of his Tenshigan will help him with his condition. His Tenshigan can also be used to aid the village."

"You just want another soldier, don't you?" the Hokage growled, narrowing his eyes at his advisor.

"It's up to the boy if he wants to fight. I figured he was a fighter," Danzo stroked his cheek where Iruka had slashed him earlier.

"Our goal should be getting rid of this curse, not weaponizing it." Hiruzen ran a hand down his face and leaned back in his armchair, his tiredness creeping on him. "… Those books may have a way to reverse the ritual or break the cursed seals protecting the Tenshigan. Let's go that route first."

"And if we can't find anything?"

"… Then we'll get in contact with Uma."

"If that's your decision, Sandaime-sama," Danzo curled his lip in disapproval but didn't argue further. "He's getting tired of arguing too." "If catastrophe happens before then, it'll be on your shoulders."

"I'm aware."

"What do we do with the boy in the meantime?" Koharu asked.

"… We'll let Iruka choose."

 

~ ✧~

 

Iruka couldn't see anything, a blindfold sealed over his eyes. It wasn't a complex seal; given time, he could unlock it with his remaining chakra. He left it on. He knew he was lying in a hospital; he could smell the sterile air and hear the beeping of a heart monitor. He couldn't move his left arm, feeling a constricting weight around it.

"Are you awake, Iruka-kun?" Kurenai's voice asked beside him. He didn't respond until he felt her comforting chakra as she ran a hand through his hair.

"I've been awake."

"Then… you heard about your eyes?"

"Yes. I'm not any better."

"Don't lose all hope." Asuma's voice reassured him. “My old man's gonna do some research on… your condition to find a way to help you."

"… Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, everyone is safe," Kurenai answered. "We also kept your secret. We told the orphanage that you were under a genjutsu that made you see a monster, and you broke your arm jumping out of the window."

"… What's going to happen now?" Iruka asked.

"That's up to you. You could stay in the Sarutobi estate. There's a room where you can stay and be monitored, and if you want, keep your blindfold on. Or you could continue as you were until we find a solution. You can still go on missions, and we'll keep an eye on you in case anything goes wrong. Either is perfectly fine. It's whatever you want." Iruka sighed, leaning back into bed, feeling Kurenai's nails gently massage his scalp.

"I'd like to rest, but… I don't want everyone to constantly hover over me. Everyone will be busy working to fix my mistakes while also preparing for the exams. The Chuunin Exams are next month; if I still have these nasty eyes by then and I'm locked up in the estate, Mizuki and Yuugao won't be able to participate. They've worked so hard. I don't want to hold them back… That thing is still out there somewhere. If I stay in one place, it'll find me eventually, right? It's smart enough to trick me… I'll just have to avoid it until the Hokage can fix my eyes… I can do that."

Iruka sat up and removed the blindfold, opening his eyes, ready to face his longest nightmare.

Chapter 5: What Lies in the Forest of Death

Summary:

Iruka decides to participate in the Chuunin exams for his team and ends up separated from his team in the Forest of Death. Luckily Mizuki sweeps in to save him just in time… He is Mizuki, right?

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Iruka went back to ignoring the dead, being extra cautious of any tricks. Those who knew the true nature of his eyes would send him chakra signatures to get his attention and did their best not to startle him. He appreciated the gestures. He hadn't seen the boogeyman again, thankfully, neither at the orphanage nor the Sarutobi estate, which he switched between. However, he still didn't let his guard down around shadows.

"Making yourself at home, Iruka-kun?" Isamu had teasingly commented when seeing the young boy sitting in front of one of the many fireplaces in the estate, Yuugao's storybook in hand and his casted arm, decorated with many colorful signatures, propped up on a pillow. Despite being older, Asuma's brother was shorter than him and had short brown hair that teased over his dark lashes. His warm-toned skin and light brown eyes were illuminated by the glow of the fire that matched the flaming end of his cigarette as he stood in the doorway, wearing his shinobi uniform.

"I know you're feeling under the weather," Isamu continued. "Genjutsus can be very debilitating. I hope you feel better before the Chuunin Exams."

“Thank you, Isamu-san,” Iruka said. "I'm starting to feel better and get my cast off next week!"

"I forgot you lived here," Asuma remarked, lying on his back and kicking his feet up on a footstool. Isamu's kind smile wasn't reserved for his younger brother; his expression went stern and soldier-like.

"And you need to go ahead and take your jounin exam, Asuma. You're stalling."

"But I'm a little sick too," Asuma did an obviously fake cough.

"Childish," Isamu rolled his eyes and went on his way.

After getting his cast taken off, he was back in the field with his team. Training for the Chuunin Exams with his Tenshigan went smoother than Iruka initially thought. His teacher being informed of his condition played a big part in his acclamation. Naota would be attentive to any signals Iruka gave him that they were too close to a ghastly ghoul and needed to train elsewhere.

"Good training today, you three," Naota complimented his team after a long day of training. As winter approached, autumn's orange and yellow leaves were turning grey and falling off branches. The chill winds were refreshing and a quick way to cool down after a harsh day of training.

"Do you think we're prepared enough for the exam though?" Yuugao asked. "Do we need to learn anything else?"

"Relax, we're totally gonna crush this," Mizuki beamed, a mischievous smirk forming. "And by we, I mean Ruka-kun and I," Yuugao grumbled, annoyed.

"I bet you won't even get past the first phase!"

"Wanna make that a bet?"

"Remember, children," Naota grabbed the attention of his bickering students. "This is mainly a collaborative exam. If one of you fails in the earlier phases, your team fails."

"So," Iruka said, pulling his teammates into a hug, "you two need to pretend to be friends for the next week if we're going to pass."

"Ugh, fine," Mizuki relented. "It'll be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'll manage. I won’t call her Budou-chan."

"And I'll reframe from calling him Yukidaruma-kun," Yuugao reluctantly agreed. "As fun as it'd be watching you fall flat on your face, becoming a chuunin is more important to me."

"See, you're already working things out," Naota smiled. "Iruka-kun, could I talk to you for a moment in private."

"Oh, is someone in trouble?" Mizuki teased.

"He's not in any trouble." Iruka followed Naota to a secluded area in the woods, away from listening ears.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, worried he'd receive bad news.

"Nothing," his teacher assured him. "I have good news. The Hokage believes he's found a way to contain your Tenshigan."

"Really?"

"It's not guaranteed, but he wanted to try something before your exams. Later tonight, Yamaneko will pick you up from the orphanage."

"I'm willing to try anything."

"I do have a question for you myself," Naota crouched down to Iruka's eye level, his large eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What do they look like?" he whispered.

"What?" Iruka looked confused.

"What do the spirits look like? My Byakugan can hardly sense their negative auras despite being 'all-seeing.'"

"Well… I try not to look at them, but they're really similar to corpses, I guess. Some look less human than others; others can talk, and a lot just groan. They're not the prettiest things."

"I suppose there's a reason we're not meant to see them," Naota smiled, "but I can't help but be curious. “Thank you, Iruka-kun.”

“Sure, Naota-sensei.” His teacher stood back up, and they returned to the rest of the team. Mizuki and Yuugao immediately stopped whatever they were arguing about when they saw Iruka's displeased glare.

 

~ ✧~

 

Iruka snuck out of bed at 10:30 at night, careful not to wake his roommates or disturb the crawling spider spirit on the ceiling as he crept into the hall. He was surprised to see Emi waiting for him in the hallway, holding a lit candle to chase away the shadows. Her chakra felt… frazzled and unsteady, struggling to keep itself calm. "She must've had a hard time with the Nine-Tails tonight."

"Oh, Iruka!" she gasped happily and excitedly waved, but she slapped a hand over her mouth at how loud she was. "It's me," she whispered, but she didn't lose her enthusiasm. "… At least she's happy? Probably just going delirious from exhaustion again."

"Yes? I guess we're going together?"

"Oh, right." She smacked herself up the head before smiling again. "Follow me." They quietly walked through the halls, heading for the entrance. "How have you been?"

"Not the best," he honestly answered. "But I'm getting better. I really feel confident about the Chuunin Exams."

"Chuunin exams? Sounds like fun."

"Fun and deadly. Naota-sensei warned us how dangerous the exam is. But that's why I have my team. We'll have each other's backs."

"That sounds so nice to have," she sighed. "Do you have room on your team for one more?"

"Don't think so. Why are you asking?" Iruka scrunched up his face in confusion.

"Well, uh, just making sure you have a full, uh, team. I want to make sure you're okay while having fun in the Chuunin Exams."

"Thanks for caring, Emi-san," he smiled, grateful. He walked down the stairs from the balcony in the main hall and… saw Emi waiting for him at the open front doors, talking to someone at the door.

"Oh, Iruka-kun, you made it," Emi said with a tired smile as she turned to face him. I hope you didn't cross anything… unsavory." Iruka whipped his head to the side. "Emi" was gone, and the candle tray was left precariously balanced on the railing.

"I'm not entirely sure," he confusedly stared at the candle. "Was that another ghost? It interacted with the real world, though. And it didn't attack me or activate my Tenshigan… I’ve become a beacon for everything strange."

"Are you ready to go?" Emi asked.

"Yes, sorry. " Iruka went to the entrance and saw that Wildcat was accompanied by another Anbu member wearing a cat-like mask with red whiskers. "Zō?" "I thought you were coming alone, Yamaneko-san?"

"That was supposed to be the plan," she grumbled, arms crossed over her chest. "But it appears I need supervision."

"The Hokage just wanted to assure you were escorted safely," Zō clarified.

"Two is better than one, Neko-chan," Emi hummed, waving as the trio set to leave. "Please, be safe out there. All of you."

…

… …

… … …

They went to the outskirts of Konoha, where the forest was overtaken with thick foliage and vines, and went to an old temple that was suffocated by the greenery. It seemed to have been abandoned as vines wrapped around both entry gates, and moss grew over the stone steps leading up to the temple itself, a tall and daunting structure with black roofs and faded red wooden beams. He counted eight Anbu members guarding the area, patrolling the territory from any wandering civilians or enemy shinobi, he guessed. "Is all of this necessary? I'm not that much of a threat… Am I?"

Iruka could feel the chakra radiating off the complex seals before they entered the temple's main hall, with paper seals lining the pale walls and aged wooden beams. At the center of the great hall, on the stone-grey floor, a circle of lit candles was connected by black ink painting a sealing symbol.

"You made it, Iruka-kun," a familiar Anbu guarding the entrance said. "Hopefully without issue?" The Bear asked, looking similar to when Iruka first saw him all those years ago, except his right arm was wrapped entirely in bandages.

"Yes," Iruka nodded, "all thanks to Zō -san's excellent supervision," he smiled at Wildcat's annoyed scoff and Zō's hum of appreciation.

"They're just about ready for you," the Bear gestured to the Hokage, sitting on the floor reading the journal that started this entire fiasco, and Danzo, who was polishing a kunai. Iruka took a step back and grabbed Bear's pant leg, vividly remembering the bandaged man attempting to claim his life with his sword.

"What?" the shinobi bent down to the boy's level.

"I think that guy wants to kill me," Iruka whispered, pointing to his previous attacker. "And he's a mean librarian."

"Such a dishonor to our library," the Bear shook his head. "Though Danzo-sama has promised to help you, but we'll keep an eye out. If he tries anything, I'll defend you, okay?" Iruka nodded.

"Thanks."

"Do you want to start, Hiruzen?" Danzo asked Sandaime, who sat on the other side of the circle. "You bury your head in that book any deeper, and you'll speak in tongues."

"… Yes, I do," the Hokage sighed and closed the book, setting it on the ground. The tiredness in his face vanished when he turned to address Iruka with a reassuring smile. "Ready to get started, Iruka-kun?"

"Yes." The boy nodded.

"Then come sit in the circle." Pushing down his hesitation, Iruka approached the black ink circle, sitting inside it and bringing back memories of the night he cursed himself.

"Give me your hand," Danzo ordered.

"What are you gonna do?" Iruka questioned, eyeing the polished kunai in the man's hand.

"A variation of the Evil Sealing Method," the Hokage answered as he cracked his knuckles in preparation. "The two of us will try to seal the dark chakra in both of your eyes simultaneously. It won't rid you of the Tenshigan, but hopefully, contain its power enough to keep you from… seeing anything unsightly."

"It is a type of blood jutsu," Danzo said. "We'll need to add your blood to the formula markings. You could gouge out your own eyes for the Tenshigan ritual, so I thought a cut to your thumb wouldn't phase you."

"… Fine. I'll only let you do it since I cut you earlier," Iruka held out his hand and shivered, feeling Danzo's cold grip, his kunai swiftly slicing his thumb open and then squeezing it to let his blood flow into a small clay cup. Iruka sucked on his cut thumb as he watched Danzo perform the same act on himself, further filling the cup with his own blood before handing it to the Hokage to do the same, blood now teasing the rim of the cup.

"You can lay on your back, Iruka-kun," Sandaime said. "You don't have to do anything except keep your chakra flow calm and steady." Iruka did as he was told, lying on the uncomfortable stone floor facing the ceiling. The tall ceiling was on the fourth floor, and two lower balconies ringed the main hall. Leaning over the banisters were dark, misty figures, softly murmuring and shifting in the dark, though it was clear that their attention was focused on the ceremony below.

"… We have a big audience," Iruka said, hopefully not being too vague. The Hokage's eyes widened for a brief moment before he smiled.

"Certainly," he said as he gestured to the Anbu members around the hall. "Is there anyone here that's particularly distracting? We can make rearrangements." The figures above didn't do anything but stare, and Iruka couldn't make out that what they were saying was either promising threats or rambling nonsense. "… We're already here. I want to get this other with so everyone can stop worrying and work on more important things. Sandaime-sama already looks so tired."

"No, I don't think so," he said.

"Good, then we can get started. Close your eyes." Iruka did so, feeling fingers, no doubt dipped in blood, painting markings around his eyes and down his face. After completing the formula, Sandaime said, "Be warned: When we form the seals, it will be painful."

"So many… meat bags…" a cruel voice echoed from way above, something cold and rancid phasing through his face. "Keep steady and calm…" he slowly breathed in and out, keeping his heart rate down. "It'll all be gone soon. Just keep your eyes closed."

"Iruka-kun?"

"That's okay with me," Iruka assured him. "As long as you hurry."

“Who… bleeds…?”

"Of course." He heard Sandaime take a deep breath. "Ready, Danzo?"

"I must be."

“Ushi, Mi, Uma, Hitsuji,” “Ushi, Mi, Uma, Hitsuji,”

“Is it… for me?”

 “Tatsu, Tora, Ushi, Mi,” “Tatsu, Tora, Ushi, Mi,”

“What a… sweet gift…”

 “Uma, Hitsuji, Tatsu, Tora,” “Uma, Hitsuji, Tatsu, Tora,”

“From such a… precious boy…”

“Ushi, Mi, Uma, Hitsuji,” “Ushi, Mi, Uma, Hitsuji,”

"No… Nothing precious!"

 “Tatsu, Inu, Ne!” “Tatsu, Inu, Ne!”

A searing rush of pain burned his eyes as the forming seals attempted to contain the dark chakra of his cursed eyes, a terrible hiss scratching against his eardrums and skin crawling with stinging hives. He could feel the Tenshigan resist the seal  that tried to contain it, keeping the seal’s couplings from forming by reflexively pushing out with pinpoints of defensive chakra. The dark aura started to bundle into an aggressive ball, storing pent-up energy to lash out and break the containing seal and whoever dared to cast it.

"Stop!" Iruka screamed and tore himself away from the circle, accidentally knocking over a few candles. The jutsu broke like shattered glass, the structures of a seal that took so long to build broken in an instant.

"Are you okay, Iruka-kun?" the Hokage worriedly asked.

"You said you could manage the pain," Danzo said, restraining his frustration to a frustrated glare. He put out the fallen candles with his bare hand.

"It wasn't the pain," Iruka explained as he rubbed his agitated eyes. "It felt like the Tenshigan was about to attack you guys. I couldn't control it," he exhaled to release the tension that had pent up, guilt starting to settle in. "I'm really sorry. You all worked so hard."

"It's alright," Sandaime sighed, pulling a cigarette from underneath his robe and lighting it with one of the candles, taking a breath and exhaling a puff of smoke to the ceiling. The balconies were empty of their previous audience members. "We may be able to try again before the Chuunin Exams. If I move some of my meetings around and—"

"You don't have to do all that, Sandaime-sama," Iruka insisted. "You should focus on the exams instead of stressing about how to fix my eyes." "I can manage 'till after the exams. I'm getting really good at ignoring them. I only had that one incident."

"Participating in the exams in your state is a foolish decision, Umino," Danzo advised. "The Tenshigan is a hazardous weapon that can curse nations. Look no further than—"

"You need not say anything more, Danzo," the Hokage boldly interrupted him, shooting him a warning glare to keep quiet. Danzo grumbled in annoyance but kept silent otherwise. "Wait, was he going to say the Tenshigan brought down a village?... Uzushiogakure?" Images of the ruined villages flashed in his mind. The Hokage looked at Iruka with much kinder eyes. "Are you certain you want to do the exams?" “I have been doing better. I won’t mess up so badly that I’d bring down Konohagakure.”

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. I'm ready for my exams!" The Hokage looked him over carefully.

"… Alright then, Iruka-kun." He took another drag, and for a moment, he looked like a regular old man to Iruka. One that he would see leaning on the banister of a balcony, smoking a cigarette, exhausted as he watched the children play recklessly in the street.

 

~ ✧~

 

Iruka was cold and in pain, which wasn't a new sensation, but why was he feeling it. Tiny snowflakes had started to fall from the sky, and the air became frigid as winter finally settled in, so the cold made sense by why the pain. He only felt this sore and aching after a long day of training, and Naota had been pushing them extra hard since the Chuunin Exams were coming up and— "Chuunin Exams!" Iruka shot up from the grassy ground and nearly fell back down as his head spun from the blood rush.

"That's right. The Chuunin Exams are today. I remember we made it to the starting building, and Naota-sensei told us good luck. The first phase was a written test. I tried looking at Yuugao for answers, but that slimly long-leg ghost kept getting in the way. Mizuki was able to help me, though, and we passed! But our second phase was…" Iruka looked around at the wild forest around him; it was nothing like the usual forest his team trained in, with massive trees, snaking vines, and a thick stench of death to accompany the growls and screeches of the predatory wildlife.

"Is in the Forest of Death." He was alone and, worse, injured, with his chakra levels depleted.

"Riku-kun… is that you?" a pained voice called out in the distance. Iruka ducked behind a bush to hide himself, ignoring the pricks of the thorns. "We were supposed to collect our team's flag and any competitors' until we got enough points."

"Riku-kun… where are you?!" the voice sounded more pleading as the examinee approached. Iruka was almost tempted to help but knew that they would attack him. This was an exam of life and death. "I think we got our points and were heading to the main base to pass the phase. We tried traveling high in the trees so no one would find us. What happened then?" He hissed as a sharp pain pinched his side, and he opened his flack jacket before pulling up his shirt. A dark bruise had formed on his right side, covering a couple of his ribs, too.

"Right, we got ambushed! A Suna team tried taking our flag, and one of them tried attacking Mizuki with a paper bomb. I pushed him out of the way but got caught up in the blast and fell. I probably hit something on the way down. I'm lucky I didn't break anything."

"Riku-kun…" Iruka saw a small figure hobbling closer through the bush, stepping into the light. It was a young Suna-nin with messy sandy blonde hair and weary dark eyes. His red vest was shredded, with a deep hole burned through his chest. The boy walked with a terrible limp, the bone in his right calf jutting out and scraping against the dirt with every step.

"I can't… find you!" the ghost wailed as it shuffled along at an agonizingly slow pace, a sorrowful aura dripping off him like tears. Unlike Iruka, the ghost wasn't alone. More ghosts of the fallen examinees trudged forward from the dark forest in a sad crowd. Their ripped shinobi uniforms were from many different villages, including Konoha. All of them had some form of fatal injury distorting their bodies, but they moved forward regardless, even one missing half of his head. Their young childish faces twisted in anguish and agony as they wailed on their march of sorrow.

"I'm such… a failure!"

"My tummy… hurts so much?!"

"Shin-kun… you liar!"

"Kaasan… I'm scared!"

Iruka silently watched the ghosts pass him with horrified eyes. "There are so many of them… Some of them probably didn't even die during this exam. How long have they been here?" A horrendous scream came from the further end of the crowd that had yet to reach the light. The ghosts started to panic, and those who could run fled in clumsy, jerky movements, with the less mobile left unfortunate victims of whatever crept into the darkness. A ghost crawling on the ground with its legs missing cried out as it was snatched up by a large, gnarly gray hand on a long, spindly arm, a nasty creature slinking out of the dark. Iruka put a hand over his mouth to mute his gasp.

"It looks like that thing I saw on Uzushiogakure island. The one that ate—" The creature tossed the screaming ghost into its waiting maw, swallowing it whole, as its large red eyes spun in its sockets, searching for its next victim. It lazily sat in the center of the crowd, snatching up child after child to gorge itself on. Iruka's hands curled into fists, and he gritted his teeth as his fear and repulsion churned into rage and indignation. He leaped out of the bushes like a snarling animal.

"I can see you!" he screamed, pointing an accusatory finger at the feasting monster. The creature jumped as if surprised it had been caught in the gross act, dropping the child it had in its hand, who scurried off into the bushes. It whipped its head around to face Iruka with a crack of its neck, dark pupils blown open wide.

"You see… me?" It asked, tilting its head as if confused. Iruka felt the familiar burn of his Tenshigan activating, the dark chakras in the air becoming more vivid. "How… strange?!" Its maw grinned wickedly, and it got onto all fours, writhing gut scraping along the ground. "Let me… taste!" It rushed him like a spider skittering across a kitchen floor, and Iruka jumped out of the way of its mashing jaws, straining his injured side but having the resolve to get to his feet and run.

"Wanna taste? Better chase me!" he taunted as he ran away from the crowd of ghosts, his anger enough to temporarily suffocate the fear that would turn him into a useless statue.

"Come back!" It screeched and gave chase, having no need to avoid the thorned shrubbery and trees like Iruka did as he raced through the forest, jumping over fallen branches and ducking under massive spider webs. "I gotta figure out how to get away. I think I have a smoke bomb left I could use!" He pulled out a smoke bomb from his pocket and tried to light it. Something grabbed onto him from above, making him yelp and drop the bomb, which exploded in a giant puff of thick smoke as he was carried into the air and onto a high-up tree branch. The creature charged through the smoke and continued frantically searching for the boy.

"Yes, that worked!" Mizuki cheered, letting go of the vine he had swung on as he victoriously fist-bumped the air.

"Mizuki-kun?!" Iruka happily sighed in relief, feeling his Tenshigan retreat, though he cringed as Mizuki's tight hold around his abdomen agitated his bruise. "I'm happy you found me, Mizuki-kun, but I got a bad bruise on my side and—"

"Oh, sorry," Mizuki carefully set him down on the branch, holding his shoulder to keep him steady as he got his footing.

"Where's Yuugao?" Iruka asked, huffing to catch his breath.

"Oh, she's still heading for the main base while I went to look for you. I saw you running from something awful, so I thought I'd rescue you."

"Thanks," Iruka smiled.

"Of course! We gotta go somewhere safer. There's a bunch of snakes and creepy crawlies that wanna eat you. C'mon!" They went of their way, leaping from branch to branch in search of security.

…

… …

… … …

After spending a day with Mizuki, hiding in a hollowed-out trunk of a great tree, Iruka could tell there was something off about the boy. First, he wasn't making snarky remarks to break up the tension like usual and was too agreeable with all of Iruka's decisions. Second, he let Iruka have the rations of protein bars without eating anything himself, which was unheard of with Mizuki's appetite of a full-grown man. Thirdly, Mizuki hadn't called him "Ruka-kun" once. Lastly, and most noticeable, Mizuki's chakra was unstable. Iruka had thought it was nerves at first disturbing his core, but as he studied it, it appeared more like it was trying to cover something else, like a poorly wrapped present. It clicked on a cold night that Mizuki's unsteady chakra matched Emi's the night she escorted him through the orphanage.

"This isn't Mizuki." Iruka thought as the person or monster wearing Mizuki's face was curled up next to him for warmth. "They haven't attacked me yet, but they could have an ulterior motive."

"Hey, Mizuki-kun," Iruka said, grabbing the other's attention.

"What's up?"

"Could you check to see if anyone is outside? I thought I heard something."

"On it!" "Mizuki" got up and peeked his head outside while Iruka pulled out his kunai. "We're good. It's all clear—" They turned around and froze as they faced the end of Iruka's kunai.

"You're not, Mizuki," Iruka bluntly declared, keeping his guard up for retaliation. He didn't plan on killing them but would fight if need be.

"What? Of course, I'm Mizuki! I—" The imposter flinched as Iruka waved his kunai dangerously close.

"If you keep lying to me, I'll attack you," he threatened.

"Okay, I'm not Mizuki," “Mizuki”, guilty, confessed, looking towards the ground.

“Where is he? Did you hurt him? Yuugao?”

“No, nothing like that I swear! Mizuki didn’t even notice me nab some of his dew. I’m sorry for lying. I was going to tell you, but I got nervous. I really liked spending time with you, and I didn't want to scare you off. So, I was… kinda hoping you'd figure it out."

"Of course I did. You weren't doing a good job of imitating Mizuki. Who are you?"

"I'm not a stranger, promise! We've met before."

"You pretended to be Emi too, didn't you?" Iruka jabbed the kunai closer, and "Mizuki" stepped back.

"Yes, that was me. But before then," they looked almost… hurt. "You said you'd be my friend."

"I did?..." a memory flashed in his mind.

"You think we could be friends?"

"Sure!" Iruka nodded, too engrossed in riding the high of finally finding the last ritual supply to fear imminent death.

"I'll see you later then!" Hideki happily beamed, bounding with joy as he threw Iruka out of the temple, out of harm's way.

"Hideki?" Iruka gasped, stunned, lowering his kunai.

"Yes!" Hideki(?) cheered, practically bursting with joy, but settled down with uncertainty. "Or no. I just ate some of his dew so I could change into him. But it's all gone now."

"So…" Iruka took a cautious step back, still holding onto his kunai. "Who are you? I saw you get crushed under those rocks. I thought you were a ghost."

"Oh, I did get crushed, and it hurt so much! But I was able to dig myself out after a couple of days. It took me so long to find you again. But I don't think I'm a ghost. I…” He grumbled in frustration and sat on the ground, looking down at himself. "I don't look human."

"… You can show me," Iruka said, also sitting down.

"I don't know. Too many people have run away from me."

"Trust me, I've seen plenty of scary things," the Konoha-nin assured him. "I don't think you'd top the list."

"… Okay, but please don't run away."

"I won't," Iruka promised, preparing to see anything.

"Get ready then." He let out a deep breath and began to change. Mizuki's outfit dissolved to nothing. His skin became as white as a sheet, and his white hair also shifted colors to dark green. A dark crease zigzagged from his chin down to his exposed chest, and his fingers formed into small claws. His eyeballs sunk in his head until they were consumed by the dark pits that replaced his eyes. Despite his prominent inhuman features, he still had a boyish look. "… Is that all?" "Yay, you didn't run!" the plant boy cheered victoriously.

"You don't look all that scary to me," Iruka assured him, setting down the kunai. "What are you?"

"… I don't know," the plant boy shrugged with a frown. "I just woke up one day and crawled out of the dirt all by myself. I didn't know much of anything, but I knew I felt so alone. Not long after, I found a sick little girl in the woods, and she was wrapped in this sweet-smelling dew. She let me taste it if I brought back her apple basket to her hive. When I got to her cabin, her hive was so happy to see me and let me stay with them. The older ones cared for me and I had brothers to play with. They kept me safe. I love that time so much!"

"Why didn't you stay with them?" Iruka asked.

"Because," the plant boy's grin fell into a frown. "I ran out of the girl's dew, and I didn't know where she ran off to, so I couldn't ask for more. One morning, I got out of bed to join the hive for breakfast, and they... All screamed at me like I was the most horrible thing in the world. My brothers ran away from me, and my mother cried so much. My dad started hitting me and it all hurt so much, I had to go."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Iruka gave him empathy. "I had to leave my original cla… hive too. So, I get how horrible that feels. But I was able to find a new home."

"That's what I've been doing. Even if that hive didn't want me anymore, I still remember the love they gave me. I wanted to find that warm feeling again. So I've been wandering everywhere, looking for a new hive."

"And… you think you found it here?"

"Maybe? You have your own hive, but I don't think they'd want me in. But you're different." he looked as hopeful as an eyeless creature could. "You were nice when we first met. Hideki was nice, too, and he even let me taste some of his dew. But we couldn't talk for long because he was too sick." He clutched at his chest as he winced through his teeth. "Ew, bad taste." his smile quickly returned. "But you're not sick, Iruka, and I think you'll let me stick around. You don't seem to mind me much, Iruka, even like this." "He's still weird, but…"

"I've seen stranger than a plant boy."

"Yeah, you're strange too. You're the only human I've met that could see all the things making those icky dews."

"Wait, you can see the ghosts?!" Iruka sat up, surprised.

"Not really see, but sense and feel," he gestured to his empty eye sockets. "Even when I'm mimicking someone, and I can really see, all I can do is sense these angry, awful dews everywhere. But you really see them."

"Yeah," the boy sighed, trying not to remember the earlier day's carnage only he could witness.

"Were you born like that? With those eyes?"

"No, I did it too myself."

"Why?"

"To…" “See Tosan and Kaasan again.” "To get stronger so I can protect people and be a better shinobi, but I don't think it's helping much. Even in this exam, I'm supposed to be with my team so we can all pass. The deadline's tomorrow night, but I don't think I'll make it with how many… evil things there are in this forest."

"That does sound scary, but," the plant boy moved to sit beside Iruka, his skin feeling like the velvety texture of a Venus flytrap he felt while visiting the Uchiha's garden. "Earlier today, it looked like you were trying to help someone, and I think you did them some good. So, it can't be all bad."

"… Yeah, that's some good." "Maybe there was a better way I could have helped. I just hope those little ghosts got away when they could."

"And I can help you get to the base!"

"Really? You know jutsus?"

"Jut-susus?" the plant boy squished his brows together, confused. "Right, he says he crawled out of the dirt. He probably doesn't know much about chakras and the shinobi world." "I don't know who Jutsusus is, but all you'll need is me." The plant boy shot to his feet, holding out his hand. "We can do this!" Iruka eyed the pale, clawed hand. "I'm not sure… He can't seem to die or, at least, takes more than fallen rubble to keel over. He's also helped me before… All strange creatures aren't naturally evil, I guess. So…" Iruka took the plant boy's hand.

"Let's do it!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

By noon the next day, they had made a good distance through the forest with minimal battles. They combined their sensory abilities, the plant boy's not going as far as Iruka's but able to pick out more details about the examinee's chakras and lurking spirits. They'd done a good enough job avoiding enemies and not getting lost in the dense forest, though Iruka learned the plant boy couldn't or didn't know how to knead chakra to climb handless, so he dug his claws into the thick bark to traverse, not that he seemed to have much issue doing so. Plenty of terrible sights weighed on Iruka's mind, but the plant boy's determined and optimistic attitude helped push him forward. Going through the Forest of Death all alone could have been his undoing. They were getting so close to the base when a sudden question crossed his mind as they leaped through the trees.

"Hey, what's your name?" Iruka asked the plant boy, who hummed in thought.

"Um… I haven't really thought about it."

"You don't have a name?"

"No one's ever needed to call me anything."

"… Well, if I'm going to talk to you, I have to call you something. Do you have any ideas for names?"

"Oh, how about 'Iruka'?"

"That's just mine," Iruka frowned. "You need something for yourself. Plus, it'd make things confusing."

"Hm, then how about… Akuri!"

"That's better," he complimented, and Akuri smiled happily. "What made you—wait, isn't that just my name spelled backwards?"

"It doesn't sound like your name, so it's mine. Now we won't get mixed up."

"Hmph," Iruka smirked, amused, "'Akuri' it is then." The boy's attention snapped away from the conversation as he felt familiar chakra signatures hiding in a nearby clearing. "That feels like… Team 5!"

"Hold up, Akuri-kun," Iruka said, stopping on a branch.

"What's up?"

"I think Team 5 is nearby."

"Is that another hive?"

"Sure. I need to see if they're all right, so I need you to hang back, okay? Don't let yourself be seen."

"I'm really good at that." Iruka left the shapeshifting creature behind to leap down and carefully approach the clearing, pushing through the bushes.

"Who's there?!" Kotetsu angrily questioned, turning around from the downed Izumo to flash his blade at the intruder. The boy looked worse for wear, with bloodied bandages tied around his left arm and a dark bruise on his cheek. His fierce snarl immediately disappeared when he saw Iruka approach. "Iruka-kun! You're still alive!"

"Just barely," Iruka gave a tired smile. "What happened?"

"Sword through the leg," Izumo groaned in pain as he laid down propped up on a log, his injured leg being healed by Tsubaki's blossoming healing jutsu. "I'll live."

"Almost done," Tsubaki said, wiping the sweat on her brow from the exertion of chakra. "I can't completely heal it, but I can stop the bleeding long enough to reach the base." She took out a roll of gauze from her medical pack and carefully started wrapping Izumo's leg.

"Where's Yuugao and Mizuki?" Izumo asked to distract himself from the pain.

"They're at the base waiting for me. We got separated deeper in the forest, and I'm trying to catch up with them."

"That's terrible to hear."

"I'm actually happy Mizuki isn't here," Kotetsu smirked.

"Kotetsu!" Izumo wasn't in enough pain to not reprimand his friend.

"I'm joking."

"Did you guys get enough points?" Iruka asked. "My team did before we got split up."

"We did until a Kiri team just came by and stole our team flag," Kotetsu angrily explained. "We were so close!"

"At least they didn't kill us," Tsubaki reframed, finishing Izumo's bandaging. She flashed a smile towards Iruka. "I'm glad you're okay too unless you have any injuries I could treat."

"Nothing serious," Iruka said. "I can help carry Izumo to base."

"I can do it!" Kotetsu argued. "I always beat you in arm wrestling, Iruka-kun."

"Well, your wrestling arm is wrapped up like a chimaki," Iruka pointed out and crouched down beside Izumo so he could carry the other boy on his back, careful not to grip his injured leg too tightly. Iruka had enough strength and energy to carry Izumo through the forest with Kotetsu and Tsubaki close by, watching out for ambushes. 

"Ugh, I feel so gross," Izumo groaned. "I can't wait to get a bath and sleep in a real bed."

"Camping hasn't been fun for you?" Iruka smirked.

"Not since I woke up one morning with a spider on my face. I didn't think being a shinobi would be so dirty.”

"It's not that bad," Kotetsu said, his uniform caked with dirt and leaves.

"Kotetsu, I've seen you pick up food from the floor and eat it." Izumo deadpanned.

"Look out!" a warning shout came from above. Iruka didn't take a chance looking up, nor did the others, leaping out of the way of a giant snake striking the ground and missing its prey.

"It's winter! Shouldn't reptiles be hibernating!" Kotetsu angrily shouted as he unhooked his kunai blade from his back, holding the heavy weapon awkwardly due to his injured arm. "Keep going! I'll be right behind you."

"You're gonna get yourself killed, idiot!" Izumo yelled back. He tightly gripped Iruka's shoulders. “Don’t go, Iruka-kun. He'll be that thing's dinner."

"We're not leaving without him," Iruka promised, setting Izumo down to let the boy lean against a tree to stand before rushing to aid Kotetsu. "I don't have much chakra left. I have to use it wisely." Kotetsu just managed to leap out of the way of the massive snake's speedy strikes, twisting around in the air to sink his blade into the creature's neck, making a long gash, but nothing deep enough to mortally wound it. Iruka was there to catch him when he fell back to the ground, almost buckling underneath the weight of the kunai blade, saving him from a twisted ankle.

"I told you to get out of here," Kotetsu panted, leaning against his blade for support.

"You know Izumo would kill me if I left you behind," Iruka replied, facing his kunai towards the snake. The beast hissed, flashing its fangs and spitting venom; Iruka pulled Kotetsu to help him dodge the assault. A soaring kunai from Tsubaki pierced its eye, interrupting its following attack that would've hit Iruka head-on. Earning its hunger, the snake violently changed its path, whipping its long body around to target the young kunoichi.

"Tsubaki-chan!" Iruka cried out, knowing he wouldn't be fast enough to intercept but moving anyway. Thankfully, someone was faster. Someone swept the exhausted Tsubaki off her feet and out of harm's way, letting the beast crash its head into the thick tree trunk.

"Not too late, am I, Tsu-chan?" Mizuki smirked proudly as he carried the stunned girl to safety.

"Mizuki-kun!" Iruka grinned, relieved to see his teammate alive and well. Yuuago wasn't far behind, flying through the trees and sending three bombed-tagged kunai toward the snake, further distracting it with the explosions. It was a brief sight, but Iruka swore he saw something creeping and pale white crawl into the open wound on the snake's neck Kotetsu made earlier. She landed beside the other Konoha-nin with her sword drawn. 

"I could sense that you guys were in trouble," She said, not taking her eyes off the snake.  "How do we get out of here? My chakra's near drained."

"Same for a lot of us," Tsubaki said, getting out of Mizuki's arms to check on Izumo.

"I have an idea," Iruka said, pulling out a pack of sealing tags from his pouch. "If you three can distract it," he gestured to Mizuki, Yuuago, and Kotetsu, "I can try binding it."

"Can you bind something that big, Iruka-kun?" Kotetsu asked, readying his blade.

"I don't know, and if I can, it won't stop it for long, so we'll have to flee quickly."

"No way, we're killing this thing!" Mizuki growled, eyeing the beats with disgust as it hissed, posing to strike.

"Then let's go!" Yuugao ordered as the snake attacked, the group springing into action. Iruka started working on his perimeter, hurriedly placing the sealing tags on the surrounding trees and infusing them with chakra. "The more tags I use, the stronger the binding, but it'll take more chakra. If I exhaust myself before getting the jutsu off, it won't work. But a light bind won't restrain that thing. I've gotta give this my all!" He placed the last seal tag as Mizuki was knocked out of the air by the snake's whipping tail, landing hard on his back and rolling to his feet, though pain was evident across his face.

"Everyone, get out of the way!" Iruka shouted as he started signing the jutsu. Saru. Yuuago stalled for Kotetsu to jump out of the bindings range, showering the beast in shurikens that bounced off its scaly skin. Uma. She leaped over the snake's striking head, rolling down its back and using the momentum to throw herself out of range. Inu. The snake whipped its angry jaws toward the closest living thing: Iruka. Hitsuji. It charged.

"Sealed Binding Formation!" Iruka completed the jutsu with a determined shout, the seal tags glowing a brilliant white. He could smell the beast's foul breath as its maw bared down on him, its motion coming to an abrupt halt as if frozen in time. Its muscles tensed as it tried to break through the invisible chakra bindings, Iruka straining to hold it.

"Now, atta—" The snake suddenly gagged, coughing up a gout of blood as it hissed in pain, spewing Iruka in a fresh coat of rancid red, the boy resisting the urge to spew up himself.

"What the hell?" Mizuki questioned from where he leaned against a tree, watching the beast spasm and tongue wildly flicker as it bled from its mouth and eyes. "Since when does that jutsu go on the offensive."

"It doesn't?" Iruka replied, confused, and released the jutsu before he was utterly exhausted. The snake collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, giving one final sputter before the light in its eyes faded, and its body went still.

"I guess we caused it internal bleeding," Yuugao deduced, sheathing her stained sword.

"We still win!" Kotetsu cheered. "Let's get the hell out of here before anything else shows up, 'cause we're not pulling that off again." Kotetsu, Yuugao, and Mizuki took off, with Iruka ready to follow until he heard the snake shift, whipping back around. He watched the gash on the dead snake's neck shift, the ripped flesh pushed apart by an arm shooting out of it. Akuri pulled his torso out of the snake's wound. His white skin turned pink and now covered in viscera.

"I found the heart!" Akuri gave a toothy grin and a thumbs-up.

“You coming, Ruka-kun?!” Iruka heard Mizuki call from ahead.

"Coming!" Iruka called back. "I'll catch up with you later, Akuri-kun."

"See ya!" Iruka took off after his friends and successfully reached the base.

…

… …

… … …

Iruka was sitting in the waiting area for the next phase of the exam, drenched in foul snake blood and his adrenaline waning, welcoming the aches and pains back to his drained body, when the intrusive memories of the Forest of Death's tragedies, the boogeyman's brutality, and all of the monsters flooded his mind.

"Did you… pass?"

The ghost sitting next to him wasn't helping stop those memories either, the dark-eyed genin full of kunais like a pin cushion.

“I’ll pass… next year…” She grinned hopefully, disturbing the blade jabbed into her cheek.

"Are you doing okay, Iruka-kun?" Yuugao asked as she sat beside him, her warm touch reassuring it was truly her. 

"Good enough for barely surviving the second phase," he was too tired to force a smile. 

"You've been really quiet for passing the second phase. Did... something happen while we were separated?"

"... Nothing really," Iruka shook his head as he lied.

"If anyone messed with you, you can tell us, Ruka-kun," Mizuki said, making a fist. "I'll beat them up in the next round."

"No, it was nothing like that."

"Then what was it like?"

"I..."

"I'll make... Ojiisan proud."

"I don't really wanna talk about it," Iruka mumbled, clutching his legs to his chest and hiding his face. "Please don't make me say anything."

"C'mon, you gotta—"

"Let's not press him anymore, Mizuki-kun," Yuugao interrupted the white-haired boy's questioning, who surprisingly listened for once. "You did really good during these trials, Iruka-kun," she complimented. "Your fuuinjutsu skills are improving so much."

"Thank you," Iruka weakly smiled at the praise.

"You know... when I was first put on a team with you, I thought you'd just be an annoying prankster who didn't take anything seriously and get in my way. But you proved me wrong with how strong and reliable you really are. I'm sorry I thought so badly of you," she apologized, looking remorseful. 

"I forgive you." His forgiveness made Yuugao smile. "Though I was a bit of a brat in the academy."

"You've changed your opinion of me too, Budou-chan?" Mizuki coyly smirked, and Yuugao playfully rolled her eyes.

"Of course, and for all the better, I promise, Yukidaruma-kun," she sarcastically replied, and they laughed, though Iruka couldn't find himself enjoying the moment of levity. Even his teacher's appearance in a puff of smoke with a congratulatory smile didn't lift his spirits.

"Oh, dear," Naota softly gasped, seeing the blood-coated boy sulking before him, maintaining his smile. "You looked possessed, Iruka-kun."

"We got separated in the last few days," Yuugao said. "He won't say, but I think he saw something awful out there."

"You will see awful things everywhere you go, Yuugao-san." Naota agreed. "Hopefully, it won't affect your performance in the preliminaries. Regardless, I'm proud of how far you all have progressed." He patted each of their heads, wiping his hand with a handkerchief from his pocket after touching Iruka's blood-soaked hair. He opened the door leading to the main hall of the base to let his team in for their next challenge.

"Come on, Ruka-kun," Mizuki encouraged as Iruka stopped in the doorway. "We're so close."

“Go on, Mizuki-kun,” Naota said. Though reluctant, the white-haired boy obeyed, joining the other genins that both passed and survived the second phase of the Chuunin exams.

"Iruka-kun, tell me, please," he spoke softly, looking out into the hall as his smile remained firm. "What do you see?"

"… Awful things like you said, Naota-sensei," Iruka honestly answered and turned away from the sickening number of weeping ghosts and gruesome ghosts lurking within the hall, a place many a promising genin had met their end. "Can Mizuki and Yuugao fail because of me?"

"No. From now on, your individual performance will earn you the rank of chuunin."

"Then… I'd like to pull out of the exam."

"Now? But you've come so far."

"I'm too tired… I can't go in there with them." Iruka grabbed onto his teacher's pant leg. "Please, don't make me go in there."

“As you wish, Iruka-kun.” Naota nodded, signaling to someone Iruka couldn’t see. "Let's get you cleaned up."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka sat alone on the steps of Hokage Tower. The medical room of the chuunin exam base had been too crowded for his liking. He wore one of Asuma's coats with fur lining inside from when the Sarutobi was younger, though he still felt a numb chilliness inside of him. Most everyone was still swept up with the Chuunin Exams, and all he could do was hope Mizuki and Yuugao hadn't joined the sorrowful in their endless march.

"I thought you'd still be in the Chuunin exams, Iruka-kun." Iruka immediately recognized the voice behind him, getting excited to look over his shoulder. The Hound stood behind him, his uniform dirty as if he just returned from a mission, a smear of red on his mask. While Iruka was still happy to see the Anbu, he was less happy to see his guest. It was Iruka's first time seeing the Hound after his Uzushiogakure mission, so he should have expected such a sight. Clinging onto the Hound's back was a ghost who looked like a young girl whose small hands gripped his shoulders like a lifeline. Her Konoha forehead protector was askew, leaving a messy fringe to obscure her eyes, though Iruka could still see the tears running down the dark purple markings on her pale cheeks. A heavy dark chakra lingered around her, reeking of despair. Her head lay in the crook of the Hound's neck as she quietly wept.

“I’m… sorry…” "Has she always been there? Who is she? Someone Ryoken-san knew?... Or killed?"

"I pulled out of the exams," Iruka finally answered, focusing on the Hound's mask. "Ran out of chakra."

"Hm, how far did you make it?"

"I passed the second phase."

"Don't be… sad…" "She looks sad herself…"

"That's an accomplishment."

"I doubt that's anything compared to what you've done, Ryoken-san. You have to be super strong to be an Anbu!"

“I’m… sorry…” "What for?"

"… You just have to be a decent enough killer," the Hound shrugged, walking down the steps. “Stay well, Iruka-kun.” Iruka saw the ghost’s back as he passed. A clean hole where her heart should've been, went straight through her, occasionally sparkling with glimpses of electricity.

“Please… be happy…”

"Ryoken-san, wait, please!" Iruka called out, shooting up to his feet after the other shinobi. The Hound didn't have to listen to him, but he did, stopping his body flicker jutsu and giving Iruka his attention.

"Mah?"

"Could you, um… please, teach me some kenjutsu?" He humbly bowed his head.

"Huh? Where'd this suddenly come from?"

"My kenjutsu skills aren't that great, and that's one of the reasons I couldn't pass the exam. I'd like it if you could teach me some of your moves, Ryoken-san."

"Mah, I don't know," the Hound scratched the back of his neck, phasing through the weeping ghost girl. "I'm not the teaching type, and I leave for another mission soon."

"You can just show me one move then, please!" Iruka pleaded, one step away from falling to his knees. "It'll help get my mind off of the Chuunin exams. There's… a lot of terrible things I saw I'd like not to think about."

"… I'll give you three days, Iruka-kun." The Hound eventually agreed, and Iruka let his excitement known with a beaming grin.

"Thank you, Ryoken-san!" "That should be enough time for me to try and help that girl. It can't be good for either of them for her to constantly send negative chakra into Ryoken-san. I'm not really sure how, but I have to try. I have to do at least one good thing with these eyes.' "When did you want to get started?" he asked as the Hound started to walk away, not stopping as he responded:

"Follow me, and we'll start as soon as possible."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka followed closely behind the Hound as they strolled deep into the woods to a clearing where a quaint cabin sat, dusted white from the falling snow. The front yard was cluttered with training gear and ninja tools. A small shed was beside it, covered in overgrown bushes and moss.

"You'll be staying here to train," the Hound said. "Do you have any issues with that?"

"I'm… so sorry."

"Nope," Iruka shook his head. "Everyone will be too busy with the Chuunin exams to notice me being gone."

"Good, you passed my first challenge. Now for your first physical challenge," the Hound gestured to the messy yard, "is to organize all the training tools and put them in the shed. Meet me inside when you're done." He went to the cabin, turning the lights on inside, making the frosted windows glow warmly. Iruka started the challenge by collecting the shuriken, kunai, tantos, and swords and cleaning the snow off the training dummies.

"What are you doing, Iruka?" Akuri's sudden question startled him, but he calmly turned to face the creature. Akuri's head was stuck out of the ground, with a pile of snow on his head, blending in with the white powdered surroundings.

"It's good to see you made it out of that forest," Iruka smiled, looking back at the cabin to ensure the Hound wasn't peeking through the window. "I'm training with Ryoken-san for a few days."

"Who?"

"He's a powerful Konoha-nin who's saved my life many times. He's one of the greatest shinobi I know."

"If he's a friend of yours, then he's a friend of mine."

"But I don't think he's doing the best."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He has a… ghost there's always clinging to his back. I think it's hurting them both."

"Oh, no!" Akuri gasped. "I'll rip that foul ghost right off his shoulders!"

"Don't do that, please!" Iruka quickly stopped the creature before he did anything rash. "I don't think he could even do that, but better be safe than sorry." "What you could do to help is find any information about her when she was alive."

"How should I do that?"

"Find any pictures, letters, or notes she may have written. I don't know her name, but she's a young girl who looks around my age and is in a Konoha shinobi uniform. She has shoulder-length hair, but I can't tell if it's black or dark brown. What I noticed most is that she has purple markings on her cheeks."

"Little girl with brownish blackish hair and purple cheeks. Got it!" Akuri gave a thumbs up and disappeared back underneath the snow. "Hopefully, he doesn't get caught. I know if Shisho takes one look at him, he'll think, 'That Umino boy must have summoned a demon. Let's kill it!'" Iruka returned to his challenge, finishing quickly and then entering the cabin. It was mostly bare, with a bean bag in front of the lit fireplace and a few appliances in the kitchen area. The Hound lounged on the bean bag, having changed out of his Anbu attire for the black undershirt and pants for the standard Konoha-nin uniform. He kept his Anbu mask on, now cleaned of blood, and looked over his shoulder at Iruka as he entered. The ghost lingering on his shoulders paid the boy no mind as she wept quietly.

"Did you finish already?" the Hound asked.

"Yes, it wasn't that hard." Iruka proudly grinned.

"Hm, we'll see if that's confidence or arrogance. In the box over there," the Hound pointed to an aged cardboard box in the corner of the room, "There's a set of barrier seal tags in there. Set up a ward around the area. I heard you're a studying fuuinjutsu master, so that should be easy for you."

"Uh, of course!" Maintaining an air of confidence, Iruka collected the tags and went outside to set up the ward. "I've only warded rooms, not an entire cabin and clearing… Hm, if I pushed my limits to stop that big snake, I'm sure I can do this." It took nearly all of his chakra to complete the ward, the final couplings locked together to finish the admittedly unsound barrier. He also left a small gap for Akuri to come through. When the sun was setting, he returned to the cabin and found the Hound hadn't moved from his spot in front of the fireplace, nor did the tearful ghost. Though he was now reading a book in his hand, which he didn't look up from as he said:

"You done?"

"Took longer than I wanted, but yes," Iruka tried to hide the fatigue in his voice.

"I feel safer already." The Anbu's dry tone made it hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. “Next up, I need you to boil a pot of water." He pointed to the kitchen area. “You have a fire nature release, don't you?"

"Yes, that and water and yin!" the boy happily bragged.

"You've got a trio of natures. You should ace this challenge then." Iruka took off his coat and got started on the challenge. The task of boiling a pot of water with a fire jutsu took less than five minutes.  The next challenge was quick, too, suspiciously so, as he easily unpackaged the supposedly impossible-to-open mission-styled ramen packets and put them in the boiling pot. By the time he was tasked to clean two bowls from the kitchen and place them on the chabudai, he realized he was cooking a meal. But he wasn't entirely upset that he had been tricked into making dinner for the both of them. His empty stomach was grateful for any nourishment as he scarfed down his bowl, though the Hound, sitting across from him, had yet to touch his food.

"Does it smell bad?" Iruka asked after swallowing a mouthful of ramen. "I know it isn't as good as the ramen shop. We should go eat there sometime."

“I’m… really sorry…”

"Doesn't smell bad at all," the Hound said, his head resting in his hand and drummed his long claw-like nails on the table with the other. "I just like to eat at the right time." Iruka glanced to the window behind the Anbu member, the night shadowing the surrounding forest. "It's pretty late not to be eating."

"Please, don't… be so sad." The ghost's small hands gripped tighter to the Hound's shoulders.

"… Do you have any hobbies?" Iruka inquired, weary of the ghost's every movement.

"That's classified information." "I had a feeling he'd be closed off."

"I saw you reading earlier. What books do you like to read?"

"The ones with words. They're my favorite."

"C'mon, you have to tell me something you like, Ryoken-san!" Iruka pleaded though it was difficult to tell if it was working with the shinobi's face hidden behind a mask.

"Likes?" the ghost's head twitched as it wheezed a depressing sigh. "Likes… Love."

"You know what… you seem like a romance type of guy." He shivered as the ghost stilled, slowly raising her head to peer through her tangled hair with sorrowful dark eyes tinged with mild surprise. "Crap! Was I too obvious?"

"Not really," the Hound shook his head but stopped, taking a moment to think. "Well, there's one romance series I read occasionally."

"What's it called?" Iruka prodded, not paying attention to the weeping ghost's gaze or the dark, ghoulish figure that he could see out the window that stood outside in the snow, two pinpricks of gold light leering through the night's frosty winds.

"I-I shouldn't say," the Hound stumbled over his words, sounding surprisingly embarrassed. "It's uh for mature audiences."

"I'm mature! I can handle it."

"No, I won't get in trouble with Asuma and Kurenai for ruining your childhood innocence. Could you hand me that cloth, please?" he pointed behind Iruka, who turned around and grabbed the small handkerchief on the nearby counter. “Thanks." Iruka looked shocked as the Hound took the cloth to wipe underneath his mask, his bowl suddenly empty. "Get good rest tonight. I'll teach you some defense techniques tomorrow."

"So I get actual training tomorrow!"

"What do you mean 'actual training'? I taught you how to prepare dinner on a mission."

"I already know how to do that. You just tricked me into making you dinner!"

"I gave you more practice." The Hound set down his handkerchief and let out a sigh. "Thank you for making dinner, Iruka-kun. Sometimes I get too tired to make it myself."

"Oh…" Iruka felt his stomach tingle strangely, like a fluffy moth was tickling his insides, and his face warmed to bright pink at the shinobi's gratitude.

"Thank you… Iruka-kun." The ghost bowed her head, a motion of gratitude.

"You're welcome, Ryoken-san," "and ghost girl." Iruka smiled proudly. Though the ghost didn't attempt to smile; the flow of her tears stifled. "I'll figure out how to help you. Both of you."

Chapter 6: Iruka's Guardian Angel

Summary:

Iruka starts his three-day training with the Hound at the isolated cabin while also trying to find a way to help the crying ghost girl that is constantly clinging to the Anbu agent’s back with his new shapeshifting plant-friend Akuri’s help. Just as he’s starting to think the Tenshigan is far out of his control, an angelic visitor comes to his aid… Rin isn’t sure if the genin Kakashi decided to entertain can see her or not, living people aren’t supposed to see her afterall. But she swore this Iruka looked right at her this morning.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Shishi - Lion
Kumo – Spider
Karasu - Raven

Iruka woke up at the crack of dawn the following morning full of energy despite his night being plagued by the sights of monsters and a gigantic beastly fox. He was excited to start training with the skillful Hound. However, the Anbu member didn't leave his sleeping spot until ten o'clock, and that was because the boy kept on pestering him. After eating breakfast, they finally got started around noon. The Hound had a… different teaching style, to say the least, from Naota. Naota favored a lecture on a technique's functions, strengths, and weaknesses along with a demonstration before letting his students try the move themselves, correcting them until it was perfected by genin standards. 

The Hound simply handed Iruka a tanto and told him to attack. Though confused, Iruka did as he were told, attempting to strike the Anbu. He wasn't surprised that all his swings and strikes missed their target, the Hound hardly putting any effort into dodging.

"Please… don't get… hurt." The ghost groaned, and Iruka wasn't sure if she was talking to him or the Hound.

"Don't make your swings so wide." The Anbu made his first critique, lazily side-stepping one of the boy's attacks and yanking on his outstretched arm to send him down into the snow. "Or else I can do that." With chattering teeth, Iruka got back to his feet. "Keep it close to your body and make your movements sharper."

"Like this?" Iruka tried a quick, more controlled jab, taking the Hound's advice. As they continued to train, he noticed that the ghost's cries had quieted, her eyes following his every move wearily. "Can't look her in the eye just yet. Royken-san doesn't need to know how cursed I am."

"Whatcha thinking about?" the Hound asked, swiping Iruka's blade away with his kunai.

"What your chakra natures are," Iruka answered as he continued to attack, making sure to avert the ghost's gaze. "You gotta have more than two if you're— Woah!" He yelped as the Hound kicked his feet out from underneath him, sending him back into the snow.

"Trick question," the Hound chastised. "At your current level, during a fight, you should only think about how to kill your opponent."

"I won't think about killing you, Ryoken-san," Iruka said as he picked himself back up. "You're a friend."

"I'm not your friend right now," the Anbu member pushed him back into the snow. "I'm a horrible Hunter-nin," he pushed the boy back down with his foot, "trying to take your head." Iruka jumped over the Hound's leg sweep and regained his footing.

"I'm starting to learn your tricks, Hunter-san," he smirked, raising his tanto. All things considered, Iruka thought he got pretty good at sparring with the Anbu member, learning his patterns, and listening to his advice. Granted, the Hound fought him as hard as he would with a kitten, but still. The ghost girl's dour demeanor had yet to change, and Iruka couldn't help but think of a mischievous solution. For the brief moment that the Hound had his back turned, Iruka dug into the snow and surprised the shinobi with a calculated snowball throw. He sharply angled his head to dodge the attack, the snowball phasing through the ghost's surprised face. 

"Changing your strategy?" He mused.

"If my kunai skills won't defeat you, Hunter-san," Iruka started as he made another snowball, "my snow jutsus sure will!" He started a glorious snowball battle, though it took the Hound some encouragemen. Iruka finally got the upper hand with a substitution jutsu he had been waiting to use, tackling the Hound from behind as he turned around, knocking him off balance, and sending them both to the ground.

"I finally won!" Iruka cheered, exhausted but still elated. He quickly realized that he hadn't landed in the snow this time, but the Hound's warm chest, feeling it rise and fall with his panting breaths underneath him.

"You've defeated me, Iruka-kun," the Hound congratulated him, and Iruka could feel the shinobi's voice vibrating through his chest. The excitement in Iruka’s chest from his victory fell into his stomach, making it tingle as if a rabble of butterflies were fluttering inside, heating up his body and turning his cheeks bright pink.

"Sorry, Ryoken-san!" Iruka yelped as he clumsily scrambled off the shinobi, putting a reasonable distance between them. "What in the world was that?! My stomach was twisting so much, it felt like I was gonna throw up!"

"Oh, you're fine," the Hound said as he stood up, dusting off the snow. Let's take a break." As they walked back into the cabin, Iruka glanced at the ghost and was satisfied to see her grip starting to lax on the Hound. Her mournful expression had melted into something closer to cheerfulness but not yet close enough.

…

… …

… … …

"Psst, Iruka."

Akuri returned later in the night before the sun could rise on the third and final day, scaring Iruka out of his skin as he woke up to the plant-like creature leaning over him in the dark. He slept in the makeshift bedroom, where it was warmer and had a mattress to sleep on, while the Hound slept on the bean bag in the main room despite Iruka being willing to share the mattress.

"You're back," Iruka whispered as he sat up, wrapping the blanket around him. "No one saw you, right?"

"Nope. I was in and out in no time."

"Where'd you go?"

"Well, you said she was a kid, so I went to where all the other kids were and looked through the books in this big book room." "He must be talking about the academy library." "I couldn't find anything, but the lady working there was nice enough to help me. I told her who I was looking for, but she didn't know. However, she did hand me this old book." He pried open the zigzagged crease in his chest and reached inside the dark pit, pulling out a brown leather book with gold lettering. "She said it was a yearbook, and the girl could be in it." Iruka took the thankfully dry from any plant juices book and opened up the curtain to let in the moonlight so he could look through it and see pictures of all the academy classes of that year.

"What… are we reading?" Iruka ignored the question from the window, though he was startled when Akuri started grinding his teeth in agitation.

"You have to ignore the cold, Akuri-kun," Iruka quietly said, making room on the mattress. "Here, we can share the blanket." Akuri contained his excitement to a wide grin as he joined Iruka's side, snuggling up in the blanket, the nagging ghost forgotten.

Iruka stopped on a page when he saw a familiar face in a class picture. "It's a little Asuma! Oh, and Kurenai is right next to him." He examined the young faces. Some he recognized, others not at all. "There's a lot of faces I've never seen. Does that mean they're—" his eyes caught the familiar purple markings of the ghost girl, except her face was rid of the mournful gloom, wearing a cheery grin. "Dead." He flipped to the page with individual pictures of the students and their names. "Maito Gai, Hatake Kakashi, Shiranui Genma, Uchiha Obito— There!" His finger stopped on the girl's face, and he read her name.

"Nohara Rin."

"Is that the ghost girl?" Akuri asked.

"Yes! I didn't know Asuma and Kurenai were in a class with her. She looks like a sweet girl… What happened to her?"

"Do you think Ryoken would know?"

"If her death is as terrible as I think it is, I don't think he'd want to talk about it."

"So… are you thinking about talking to Rin herself?" Iruka sighed, looking down at the dead girl's gorgeous smile.

"I may have too. If it's the only way I can help." Iruka gasped as he heard a creak outside of the room.

"Are you up, Iruka-kun?" the Hound asked as he peeked inside the room, seeing a curled-up Iruka bundled in his blanket.

"Hm, what's the matter, Ryoken-san?" Iruka yawned, stretching exaggeratedly. "Is it morning already?"

"No. I just thought I heard you talking."

"Oh, sometimes I talk in my sleep. I don't always have the best dreams. Sorry if I woke you up." The Hound scanned the room, eyeing the closet before saying:

"It's fine. Is… there anything you need to go back to sleep?"

"Well…" "I don't like sleeping alone, but I won't force Ryoken to spend the night in here." "I just close my eyes and count jumping dolphins until I get sleepy. That's what my dad taught me… Do you have any sleeping tricks, Ryoken-san?"

"Mah…" the Anbu tapped his mask in thought. "My dad used to lick my head, but I don't think you'd want me slobbering in your hair."

"Well, I-I wouldn't mind a goodnight kiss from Royken-san," Iruka hid his flustered face with the blankets, making his heart race when he was supposed to be sleepy.

"Mah, how about I just pat your head?"

"I'll take it!" "Why am I disappointed?" Iruka pouted at his confused feelings as the Hound walked over to sit beside his mattress. Rin looked down at him as she rested her head on the Hound's shoulder, dark eyes holding a glint of concern. The shinobi very carefully brought his hand down to Iruka's head in so light a touch they might as well have been from a ghost, and the boy, displeased, scrunched his face.

"Am I hurting you?" the Hound asked, pulling his hand away. Iruka gently grabbed his clawed finger before it could fully retreat.

"No, I hardly felt anything. Here," Iruka said, properly placing the shinobi's hand on his head. "You can keep it like that if you don't want to move. Feeling your chakra is comforting enough." He nestled underneath the blanket and closed his eyes.

"When I couldn't… sleep," he heard Rin's soft voice reminisce. “Kaasan would always… sing a lullaby… Hmm… mm… Hmm," her sweet humming gracefully danced through the room, the gentle tune soothing and warm like an embrace from his parents. When the Hound gained the courage to start tenderly massaging his head, weary of his claws, Iruka let out a relaxed sigh. Sleep never felt so tempting. He was near dreamland when he felt the Hound pull away, and Rin's lullaby came to a beautiful conclusion.

"Good night, Ryoken-san," he sleepily mumbled as the Anbu walked away.

“Good night… Iruka-kun.”

"… See you in the morning, Iruka-kun." The Hound shut the door, and Iruka breathed a silent sigh of relief. Akuri poked his head out of the closet. Iruka put a finger to his lips and pulled out the yearbook from under his pillow before motioning for Akuri to leave. The plant creature gave a thumbs up before silently crawling across the floor, grabbing the book along the way, and up the wall to open the window and squeeze through the small gap. "Nohara Rin. Tomorrow's my last day to help you and Ryoken. I promise not to let you down."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"How was school today, Rin-chan?"

"Great, Kaasan. I made so many friends!"

"So.. uh... you wanna play today, Rin-chan?"

"Course we can, Obito-kun!"

"Why don't you stay a bit longer, sweetie? I've made extra cookies."

"You know I have to go back home, Obaasan. I'll visit you next weekend."

"Why did you want to become a shinobi, Rin-chan?"

“Simple, Minato-sensei. I want to help save the world!"

"Rin-chan… Please, hide…"

"No! I can save you, Kaasan!"

"Kakashi-kun, take care of Rin."

"Obito-kun, what are you saying?"

"Stay home a bit longer, sweetie. You need rest."

"As long as people need my help, I have to fight. But I'll still come back for your cookies, Obaasan."

"Wouldn't it be better for you to take more time to recover, Rin-chan?"

"No, Minato-sensei. I have to fight alongside Kakashi-kun. He needs more support than I do."

"Don't fool yourself, you stupid child. The longer you contain me, the fiercer I'll rip you apart!"

"No, Rin! I'm taking you back home!"

"I'm so sorry… Kakashi-kun…”

One day, on a cold night, Rin opened her tired eyes and found herself staring at the moon, lying in a lake of blood, the crimson waters lapping at her cheeks. That didn't disturb her as much as she thought it would. The world around her looked darker as if an ever-present dark fog had shaded everything into almost shapeless silhouettes. She felt numbly cold and in so much aching pain. Her chest hurt the most, a hollow agony that throbbed terribly with a shocking pulse. "Why am I here?... Why am I alone?... Where's my team?" Her throat was too dry to call out. She turned her head, uncaring half her face was drowned in the bloodied water, to see bodies floating in the lake with her, their ruined and disgraced uniforms from a vicious battle lost, declaring them shinobi of Kirigakure.

"Right… It was only me and Kakashi on a mission. The shark man kidnapped me, and then those Kiri-nin…" She slowly raised a numb hand to her stomach. "Put that horrible beast inside of me… My belly still aches, but I don't feel his angry chakra or hear his awful threats anymore… Kakashi did it… No, I made him do it… But… Can I go back home now? I have to say I'm sorry to Kakashi and Minato-sensei for getting caught. Obaasan and Ojiisan are also waiting for me. They'll have dinner ready. I have to go home."

Gradually, she sat up, using the remnants of her chakra to stabilize herself on the water. She sluggishly trudged across the lake, feeling unbalanced as she avoided debris and bodies. She noticed the glint of curious bird eyes perched on the trees of the surrounding woods, waiting for what she didn't know. She tripped as her foot got stuck, and she still had the reflex to catch herself, but looking back, she saw that a hand jutting out of the water had snatched her ankle.

"Complete the mission…" the Kiri-nin groaned as he pulled himself up from the water, his head twisted at a crooked angle from his broken neck, wide and desperate eyes clear behind his cracked Anbu mask. More Kiri-nin rose from the blood-filled waters, bodies mangled and distorted as they wailed in a wrathful cacophony. Their anguished cries awakened whatever creatures stalked the night as hungry red eyes peered through the forest's tree line, gangly monsters with drooling maws crawling out of the dark. The birds in the trees cawed an ear-splitting cry, taking flight into the sky to flock over the lake, their monstrous winds of dark feathers and pale white eyes replacing the stars in the sky. One broke from the flock to swoop down and snatch up a limping Kiri-nin, taking him into the sky as its curved beak plunged into the flesh of its prey. A startling emotion finally stirred inside Rin's cold body: fear.

She fiercely kicked at the Kiri-nin that griped her ankle with a wet crunch until he finally let her go with a pained cry. She immediately got to her feet and ran across the troubled waters towards the tree line, jumping overreaching hands and ducking underneath swiping claws. "I have to get back home! I have to tell Kakashi how sorry I—" she cried out, claws digging into her shoulder and jerking her into the air, the ground getting farther and farther away. The demonic vulture screeched as it carried her off, and she immediately began to struggle, trying to kick at it and claw at its scaly foot, her chakra toiling violently inside of her.

"Let me go!" she screamed as a rush of chakra like never before escaped her, feeling like it set her skin on fire and especially hurt her backside, though the vulture was clearly more pained as a wet rip cut through the air. It let her go as it let out a screech of what sounded like a hundred voices crying out, both falling towards the ground. Rin prepared to hit the trees that she surprisingly fell right through until she hit the ground with an audible crack, a hot rush stinging her right arm. "I have to get home…" Ignoring the pain, she got to her feet and stumbled through the dark forest. She started her journey home, leaving the feasting monsters and anguished warriors behind.

…

… …

… … …

She only knew she had made it back to Konohagakure when she felt the familiar hum of Kakashi's chakra outside the gates, watching a crowd of people rush back into the village. Her broken arm had somehow managed to put itself back together by the time she reached home. Though Kakashi's chakra was much colder and more aggressive than she remembered, and it was gone before she could reach him.

"Kakashi-kun…" She called out as she wandered through her new world's dark and confusing shapes. She could see people pass her by, but they paid her no mind, even when she reached out to them for help, intangible. She could hear their voices like echoes, chatting about their day, unaware of her trying to get their attention. The only ones who could see her were lost people like her and the strange creatures lurking around every corner. The people were of little help, either ignoring her questions or mumbling incomprehensibly, and she was too scared to approach anything, appearing less than human. She found herself standing in front of a window that belonged to an almost recognizable home, watching two figures weep before what must have been a small shrine.

"Our little Rin… why didn't you… come home?"

"Nothing more… we could've done, dear… I'm sorry."

“… I’m the one who’s sorry, Ojiisan, Obaasan.” She pressed her hand to the glass, feeling nothing against her palm, though she could feel the warm tears falling down her cheeks. She continued to wander, her head hung low and her eyes full of tears.  "I have to say I'm sorry… For causing so much pain to everyone." Kakashi's chakra flickered far in the dark, and she latched onto it like a lifeline, hurrying to catch it before it left her alone again. He wasn't alone when she finally found Kakashi in a dark corridor of what she thought could be the Hokage Tower. Minato stood in front of him, talking in a low voice.

“You need… rest, Kakashi-kun… I'm putting you… on leave."

"You can't do that!... There's still so much to be done!"

"Yes, there is… But all loose ends will be tied up in my care…"

"You'll need… my help."

"What I need from you… is for you to rest… Lay down your sword for a while."

"I can't!... I have to stay focused, or I'll…" Kakashi's grip tightened on his bloodied tanto. "I have to make up for… everyone I failed."

"Don't blame yourself…" Minato crouched down to Kakashi's level, reassuringly touching his shoulder. “You did… your best… You served… your teammates well."

"No… I didn't."

"Please, don't say that, Kakashi-kun." She pleaded, reaching out to him and clinging onto his cold chakra, which stung to the touch. She wrapped her arms around him from behind. Kakashi's body tensed before he slowly started to cry, dropping his weapon to the ground. "Please don't cry."

"You are good, Kakashi-kun." Minato pulled the crying boy into a hug, and Rin clung to the reserves of his powerful chakra, which were like a shining light in the dark. "Please… get some rest."

That night, when Kakashi was curled up on his bed, he didn't cry alone.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi-kun."

…

… …

… … …

"Do you… have any hobbies?" Rin didn't typically tune into Kakashi's conversations as the Anbu member kept them short and shallow, not delving too deep into any topic or emotion. This conversation wasn't much different as the boy sitting across the table asked all the questions, trying to engage with the closed-off teen. However, Kakashi decided to keep the boy in his company, allowing him to be in his personal space. There was something… strange about the boy that Rin could sense. "Maybe that's what Kakashi senses, too?"

"That's classified information."

"I saw you reading earlier... What books do you like to read?"

"The ones with words… They're my favorite."

"C'mon, you have to… tell me something you like, Ryoken-san!"

"Likes?" Rin tilted her head as she thought aloud for the first time in the long while of sorrowful mourning. "Likes… Love." "He's always reading those romance novels. I wish I knew how much he was interested in love earlier.”

"You know what… you seem like… a romance type of guy." Her aching chest tightened, hearing the boy's words. "What did he just say?" Slowly, she lifted her head to examine him closely as he continued his conversation with Kakashi, his gaze never leaving the Anbu member's hound-like mask. "Did he… hear me? No, that isn't possible. Maybe he's reading Kakashi better than most people?"

"…Though, thank you for making dinner, Iruka-kun." Kakashi genuinely thanked the boy, and Rin felt the sharp edges of his chakra dull ever so slightly. "Sometimes… I get too tired to make it."

"Oh…"

"Thank you… Iruka-kun." She gratefully bowed her head, even if the gesture would be unseen.

"You're welcome, Ryoken-san,"

The next day, Rin watched Kakashi and Iruka train in the grey snow, anxious that either would accidentally hurt themselves.

"Please, don't get hurt." "I won't be able to heal either of you as I am." She had tried many times to Kakashi when he had been grossly injured, but her medic jutsus never reached him, even when she nearly exhausted herself with the output of chakra. Being unable to use her healing ninjutsu, what allowed her to help other people, left an aching emptiness inside of her that ate at her purpose. She couldn't— She flinched as what she guessed was a snowball flew through her, courtesy of Iruka. She watched with growing amusement, the boys engaging in a snowball fight with Kakashi, letting Iruka win and tackling him to the ground. The victorious smile and following rosy blush were the most evident expressions of happiness Rin had seen in the bleak and dark world she now lived in. The bright, flowing chakra was infectious enough to make her smile just the tiniest bit.

…

… …

… … …

On the third and last day, Rin's earlier suspicions about Iruka were given more fuel when the boy got out of bed in the morning, looked her in the eyes, and said:

"Good morning!"  And then turned away.

"Good… morning?" she responded, confused, tilting her head to the side as Kakashi also gave his morning greeting. "Strange? He was probably looking at Kakashi-kun." She came to the same conclusion each time the boy's eyes found hers as the pair trained throughout the day, making her question herself more and more but never giving into the possibility she could be seen by living eyes. Once Kakashi finished training Iruka on more offensive tanto techniques, they took a break for lunch. That was when Iruka started… humming the most familiar tune. Her eyes sparked with memories as the boy inexplicably hummed her mother's lullaby, which she only sang to her little girl, who only sang for her teammates.

"How… How do you—"

"How do you… know that song?" Kakashi asked for her, sitting up stiffly from his usual slouched position.

"I heard… someone sing it," Iruka answered with an innocent smile. "I'm guessing you've heard it… Ryoken-san?"

"… A long time ago, yes. A kind young girl sang it to me."

"A girl… who'd want to see you happy?" Kakashi visibly tensed, but not from the question. It wasn't the kind of tension the teen got when asked an intrusive question, but rather whenever a threatening chakra signature intruded too close, his trained muscles winding up for a battle.

"I have business to take care of…" he said, getting up and heading for the door.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have been so nosey," Iruka apologized.

"That isn't why… I'm leaving." Kakashi grabbed his sword, which was propped next to the door. "Don't answer the door… I'll be back soon." He took off into the snowy woods, his sniffing nose tracking down the scent of the intruders like a hunting wolf stalking down his prey. He stopped in the middle of the snow-caked path a ways from the cabin and near a quiet stream. Above, Rin could see a pair of monstrous vultures circling, waiting for blood to be shed and souls lost. "The both of you… can reveal yourselves… or I'll just go to you." He flashed his sword with a burst of threatening chakra. A bush down the path rustled as a shinobi crawled out of it, dressed in dark blues and greys, and another shinobi slinked out from behind the shadow of a tree, matching the same colors as her partner. Both of their hitai-ates bore the Kirigakure symbol.

"Sorry to intrude," the man apologized, though his arrogant smirk was remorseless. "We aren't here… for you, Anbu-san."

"Then what for?" Kakashi questioned.

"The boy you're guarding… Umino Iruka," the woman said, her hand too close to the kunai on her thigh. "We've come to return him home."

"The boy is already home." Kakashi retorted, and Rin felt her chakra defensively spiking. She remembered Iruka being hunted down and Kurenai getting grievously injured to protect him. Kakashi was there then to save them, and she knew he'd do so again in a heartbeat. "Turn back now… While you still have the chance."

"You don't understand, Anbu-san." The man said. "That boy you're defending… is a terrible criminal… He helped murder an innocent family before he ran away from Kiri...." Rin was taken aback by the accusation. She'd only known Iruka for a short while, but she couldn't see the boy committing such a heinous act. Kakashi remained silent. "We're here to take him back… so he can face justice."

"There's no reason for you… to defend such a terrible Kiri boy." The woman said, putting her hand on her weapon. "Just hand him over willingly… and we won't have to kill—" Kakashi sliced her throat open with his sword, crossing the distance between them in a breath.

"The hell?!" the man sputtered in confusion and fear, stumbling back as he fumbled, grabbing his tanto. The next moment, Kakashi's sword carved deep into his gut, forceful enough to pin him against a tree as he spat blood on Kakashi's mask. The Anbu grabbed his black hair and lifted his head up to look the dying man in the eyes. Rin felt the chakra of Obito's Sharingan in Kakashi's skull stir as the white-haired teen intruded on the shinobi's memories like the man had on his reserved sanctuary.

"You're a liar," Kakashi growled from deep in his chest, ripping his sword out in a fatal ark, the body falling limply into the snow. "You just want the money." Though the attempted kidnappers were dealt with, Kakashi and Rin remained on edge.

"They weren't very stealthy," Rin thought aloud.

"They didn't try to hide their chakra signatures…" Kakashi mumbled as he looked down at the bodies.

"They wanted you to find them. Why?..." It suddenly clicked, and Rin whipped her head toward the cabin where Iruka was hiding. “Kakashi-kun, turn back! There's—"

"There's one more!" Kakashi immediately turned around and rushed back towards the cabin with a looming dread that he was already too late and would fail someone who looked up to him again.

"You'll make it, Kakashi-kun! You're strong!"  "It's too soon for Iruka to join me." The cabin was in his sights, arriving quicker than he had left, when Iruka rushed out of the cabin door with a bruised face, clutching a bloody tanto. The fear in his eyes dissipated seeing the Hound in the distance, but his pursuer was still close behind, the Kiri-nin raising his kunai despite the slice to his chest the boy had no doubt given him.

“Iruka-kun, get out the way!” Rin screamed though she knew it was a weightless cry. Or thought so as Iruka obeyed, to her shock, throwing himself to the side and narrowly out of the way of the attacking Kiri-nin.

"Stop running!" he frustratedly growled. Kakashi flipped the angle of his sword as he dashed across the snow, his troubled chakra boiling over with anger and desperation, watching the Kiri-nin hurl a barrage of water bullets at Iruka from his jug. The Anbu cut him down swiftly with one clean slice of his blade, but that didn't stop the water jutsu from aiming to riddle the boy full of holes. He continued his momentum without stopping, racing the attack and beating it to Iruka, wrapping his arms around the boy to shield him and throwing them both to the ground. Kakashi tensed as his back was scraped, and one lucky bullet buried itself into his shoulder, above his Anbu tattoo. Panting from the adrenaline rush, Kakashi held Iruka close as they lay in the snow, the boy's thumping heartbeat the most incredible sound to his ears.

"You did make it. Good job," Rin sighed, relieved, nestling her head in the crook of Kakashi's neck.

“Are you okay, Iruka-kun?” Kakashi asked as he sat them both up, still having a protective hold of the boy.

"Yeah, I-I think so," Iruka responded, a bit shaken up and bruised but still able to give a soft smile that flipped into a concerned frown seeing Kakashi's injuries. "But you're hurt!"

"It's nothing serious," The Anbu said, covering the wound with his hand.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think they'd keep coming after me."

"Don't apologize... You're a special boy, so everybody wants you." Kakashi tried dispelling the boy's guilt, an emotion Rin knew he was all too familiar with. "We can cut our training short... I'll take you back home."

"You don't have to do that," Iruka retorted. "We don't have to train, but I want to stay with you." He looked at Kakashi's wound. "I can't do healing jutsus, but… I can help you bandage it… Let me stay!"

"… Okay. We have less than a day out here anyway…" They stayed close together as they left the freezing snow and retreated inside the warmth of the cabin, Kakashi making sure Iruka couldn't see the lifeless body he would dispose of later.

Rin spent the rest of the afternoon while Kakashi and Iruka tended to each other's wounds, questioning whether Iruka's responses to her were coincidences or somehow he could truly hear her. She didn't want to give herself false hope; she simply concluded that Iruka was a strange boy who said and did strange things. She stopped telling herself that after dinner. While Kakashi was resting on his beanbag in front of the fading flame of the fireplace, Iruka approached from behind with a particular statement.

"I'm going outside, Rin-chan." She didn't need to spin her head around as Kakashi did it for her, nearly falling off the beanbag with how quickly he turned around.

"What… did you say?" He questioned, chakra spiking despite his calm tone.

"I said…" Iruka looked directly at her as he spoke. "I'm going outside, but won't go far… The fire looks low, so I'm getting more firewood… If you're wondering where I am…" he smiled invitingly. "That's where I'll be." Rin followed the boy with surprised eyes as he left the cabin, staring at the closed door along with Kakashi.

"Am I already starting to lose my head?" Kakashi groaned, briefly removing his mask to rub his tired eyes, careful not to scratch Obito's eye with his nails. "I could have sworn I heard him say…"

"Rin," she completed the sentence, not looking away from the door when Kakashi turned back to the fire. "He said… my name." She looked back between the door and Kakashi for a while, as if waiting to see if Iruka would come back inside, and went back to ignoring her like the rest of the world. He didn't return. Sighing deeply, straining her aching chest, she carefully released her hold of Kakashi and stepped off his back, standing on her own feet for the first time in what felt like ages ago. It was easy to get lost in the dark and shapeless world, but she focused on the warm light of Iruka's chakra. Her shaky legs took her outside, though she couldn't feel the cold or the snow underneath her feet. Iruka sat on a tree stump near the forest, his back turned to her, waiting patiently.

"… Iruka-kun," she called out with lingering hope. The boy looked over his shoulder at her, into her eyes. "Can you see me?" she finally asked, and he responded with a smile.

"Yes, I can, Rin-chan." His eyes changed at his words, his sclera filling with an inky black and his irises burning a pure white that cut through the darkness and sucked her in like a pair of guiding stars in a moonless night sky. Like the terrible creatures she roamed amongst, his form became less ghostly and more solid. She took a step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.

"… What are you?" she eyed him wearily. "How do you know my name?" "He may not be human or even alive, for that matter. What's he planning to do with Kakashi?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He chuckled but stopped seeing her apprehension. "I'm a living, breathing boy, not a fleshy ghost or phantom. I'm also not here to hurt, Ryoken-san, promise. You should know he saved me multiple times, including today." "He has, hasn't he? Iruka does clearly look up to Kakashi. Who wouldn't? He's amazing." "As for your name, I saw you in a yearbook, simple as that."

"Then… How can you see me? Is it your kekkei gekai?" she asked, gesturing to his eyes.

"No, this isn't a bloodline thing. I … I was given these eyes." He sighed solemnly but quickly washed the dour expression away. "How I got them is a long story and classified information, so I can't say. But what's your story? Why are you always clinging to Ryoken-san?"

"I am… I was a shinobi of Konohagakure, just like you. I met my end during the Third Shinobi War. As for my connection to… Ryoken, I'd rather not say."

"That's… a pretty vague answer."

"You were vague too, Iruka-kun." She shuffled closer to the boy, who didn't flinch away. "No living being has ever spoken to me all these years. Not that they can, but still," she stopped before him, feeling a strong pull from his strange eyes. "Why would you talk to me?"

"Well… I saw that you were crying." Her stern gaze softened at his answer. "You ooze this dark weeping chakra, and it was getting all over Ryoken-san, and I don't think it's having a good effect on him."

"Oh?! I-I didn't know I could hurt him. I just…" she shamefully looked toward the ground; she would've kicked her foot in the snow if she could. "Wanted to keep him safe."

"I didn't think you were doing it on purpose," he assured her, getting off the stump. "You looked… lost. You're the first ghost I've talked to who doesn't want to hurt me, so I don't know exactly what your world's like for you. But I know it isn't kind. I didn't just want to help Ryoken, but you too, Rin-chan. So you don't have to suffer here anymore."

"Really? How?"  

"I'm not really sure, but" he offered another bright, reassuring smile that eased her worries. "I'm sure we can figure something out together." He offered his hand to her. "I see why Kakashi likes him." She took his hand and was utterly surprised to feel his warm touch and vibrant pulse. His hand gently squeezed hers, reassuring her he didn't plan on letting her get lost in the dark world of monsters.

"You really see me, Iruka-kun," her lips tore away from her distressed frown to finally smile as she squeezed his hand back, happy tears welling in her eyes. Iruka gathered the precut logs and returned to the cabin, with Rin following close behind him, walking slowly to let the wobbly ghost girl keep pace.

"Crap, my eyes!" Iruka quickly panicked as he opened the door, turning his head away from the Hound.

"You can't control it?" Rin asked, starting to panic as well.

"Um, I haven't learned how to yet." When the Hound didn't react, Iruka looked inside the cabin to see the masked shinobi slumped in an exhausted sleep before the dying fire. Iruka breathed a silent, relieved sigh before turning to Rin with a quieting finger to his lips, and Rin playfully pouted. "Right, I'm the one who'd make too much noise." The boy hung up his coat before reviving the fire and grabbing his blanket from his mattress. He carefully laid the blanket over the sleeping shinobi and curled up on the bean bag beside him, yawning as he made himself comfortable. He motioned for Rin to join.

"I don't sleep," she said, sitting beside the beanbag. "Will my negative chakra also affect Iruka-kun? I shouldn't risk it." "I'll keep watch." She tensed, surprised, feeling Iruka gently pat her head.

"Good night." He whispered for anyone to hear before settling to sleep, shutting his eyes. The ache in her chest dulled the tiniest bit.

“Good night, Iruka-kun, Ryoken-san.”

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka awoke to the comforting sensation of laying next to a warm body, his head resting against a strong chest, hearing the heart beating inside, and his arms holding onto an anchoring physique.

"Good morning," he sleepily murmured to whoever he was holding.

“Morning, Iruka-kun.” His eyes shot open at the familiar voice, seeing the Hound looking away from his book to greet him. "You're finally awake." The tingling feeling from before returned with a vengeance, tying his guts in knots and burning his face as if he'd smacked it on a hot stove. "Have I been laying on him all night?"

"Sorry!" he yelped the apology, leaping off the shinobi and tossing the blanket to the floor. "I-I didn't mean to smother you or anything," he looked away embarrassed. "Crap! Why is my heart beating so fast?"

"It's fine, I wasn't planning on getting up anytime soon." The Hound shrugged.

"Good morning," Rin softly greeted from her seat in the corner of the cabin, keeping her gaze towards the floor.

"I've gotta get you back home, don't I?" The Hound said and set down his book, stretching his back with a groan.

"Can we have breakfast first?" Iruka asked, knowing it would be long until he saw the Hound again.

"Mah, sure." The Hound helped set the table while Iruka steamed rationed chimakis for both of them, and Rin was already waiting for them at the chabudai.

"Thank you for training me, Ryoken-san," Iruka thanked after licking a few stray rice grains from his lips. "I would've been stuck moping in my room."

"Sure. Thanks for… keeping me company. It's too quiet out here sometimes."

"You know, you can—" a knock sounded at the door, grabbing the attention of everyone in the cabin. "Someone broke through the ward?"

 "Stay where you are, Iruka-kun," the Hound ordered and stood up to approach the door, putting a hand on the kunai strapped to his leg as he opened the door. "Oh, it's only you," he sighed, loosing the tension in his stance. "You shouldn't hide your chakra signature if you knock on my door. I could've stabbed you."

"My apologies, Ryoken-san. I won't be so foolish next time." Iruka perked up at the familiar voice and joined the Hound at the door. "Good morning to you, Iruka-kun," Naota greeted with his polite smile, standing out in the snow.

"Naota-sensei? What are you doing here?" Iruka asked.

"Funny, that's the question I have for you. You disappeared after you pulled out of the Chuunin exams. Everyone thinks you've either been killed or kidnapped." He glanced towards the Hound. "Have you?"

"No, Ryoken-san didn't do anything like that!" Iruka quickly cleared up. "I just asked him to train me for a couple of days. That's what we've been doing out here. I can use a tanto better now!"

"It's good to see that you're in good spirits. We should head back home and end all of the worrying."

"Right!" He went to get his coat and sandals, signaling to Rin that it was time to leave.

"Thank you for watching over my blossoming student," Naota said as he respectfully bowed to the Hound. "I hope there were no issues."

"We had a couple of pests to eliminate but nothing else. Iruka-kun was a good house guest, made us dinner." He ruffled Iruka's head when he passed by, making the boy flush all over again. Rin didn't receive any affection when she solemnly shuffled past.

"Goodbye, Ryoken-san!" Iruka waved back to the Hound standing in the doorway as he walked away with his teacher.

"See you later, kid." He gave a small wave back. Rin hadn't moved further than a few paces away, looking back at the masked shinobi.

“Please… take care of yourself…”

"Please, take care of yourself!" Iruka added. "Come visit me, and we'll eat ramen together!"

"… Sure, whenever I get the chance." The Hound gave a thumbs up. Rin's lip quivered.

"… Goodbye." She gave one last wave before turning away and following behind Iruka.

"Did the Anbu see your Tenshigan?" Naota asked once they had left the cabin behind.

"No, I did a good job hiding it," Iruka answered. "There weren't many ghosts, but one stood out."

"Nothing too frightening, I hope."

"She wasn't too scary," he glanced over to Rin, who still looked a bit dour. He frowned. "Naota-sensei?"

"Yes?"

"What if I find a friendly ghost? One that doesn't want to hurt me."

"Oh, that's an interesting situation," Naota's eyes lit up excitedly. "Keep it close to your chest until you have something to show for it. I'm sure you know Danzo-sama is a deeply cautious man. If he knows your ghostly acquaintances, he'll surely find a way to have them exorcized."

"Exorcised?"

"He'll send them down to hell," he explained with a smile, and Iruka shuddered at the thought. "If he tried killing me the moment he saw my Tenshigan, I wouldn't put it past him. I have to show him, everyone, that I can get ahold of my powers." He glanced back at Rin, her dark form contrasting the pure white snow.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka's return to the orphanage was met with happy greetings from his friends and proud smiles from his teammates, who had made it to the final round of the exams. However, in the Hokage's office, a frustrated Sandaime lectured him.

"You can't go running off like that anymore, Iruka-kun. We have to know where you are for your own safety. Especially with shinobi from other villages present. We can't have them learning your secret." Iruka guiltily nodded his head during the reprimand, keeping quiet about all that had occurred during his time with the Hound. He wanted to ask for the Tenshigan book to help Rin under the guise of finding a way to seal the Tenshigan but didn't want to push his luck with how upset the Hokage was. He was escorted back to the orphanage by a relieved Asuma and Kurenai, and after saying goodnight, he headed straight for the backyard gardens. Where he had told Rin to wait for him. He found her sitting under a cheery blossom tree by a bed of violet lilies dusted with snowflakes, silently staring at the crescent moon in the night sky.

"Can you see the moon?" Iruka asked, sitting down beside her.

"Every night," she answered, never looking away from the sky. He felt his Tenshigan activate as he watched along with her. "I'd always look to it whenever I needed to ground myself. It felt like someone was watching over me."

"Maybe it's Tsuki no O."

"Who?"

"He's the king in the moon who keeps the undead monsters away from the living, watching over everyone. He's the one who gave me these eyes."

"He cursed you with those eyes."

"Yes, but no. I asked for them, sacrificed my own eyes for them. If he hadn't given me the Tenshigan… I would be dead or worse."

"It sounds like you risked so much."

"Well, you already risk a lot being a shinobi. As a fellow shinobi, you know that."

"Of course. That is why I'm here."

"I don’t think every shinobi that dies ends up where you are.” He bit his tongue at his poor wording. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

"I know," She gently smiled to show no harm was done. "I wasn't talking about me being… dead. Ugh, saying that out loud sounds so strange." She shook her head as if trying to shake out a bad taste in her mouth.

"Then what were you talking about?"

"Found you!" The bed of lilies inexplicably exclaimed, drawing Rin's confusion and Iruka's surprise. Akuri's head sprouted out of the flower bed, a lily sitting on his head.

"What is that?" Rin gasped, shooting up to her feet in a defensive stance.

"It's okay. He's a friend." Iruka assured her as he got up as well. "He saved me during the Chuunin Exams."

"Oh," she relaxed but still looked at the creature skeptically. "Is he… human?"

"Nobody knows," he shrugged. "His name is Akuri."

"Hey, who are you talking to?" Akuri asked, confused.

"Oh, right." Iruka pointed to Rin standing beside him. "Remember Rin? She agreed to join us for the time being."

"Rin? Oh, the ghost girl. I thought that dark dew smelt familiar." Akuri brought his hands out of the dirt and snow to clap. "Welcome to the hive!"

"She's just with us, so we help her move on to a better place."

"Oh," Akuri sighed disappointedly but didn't lose his enthusiasm. "I'll help the ghost girl anyway I can. Does your other friend need help, too?"

"Who?" Iruka raised a confused brow, and Akuri pointed behind him.

"There's a dark dew hiding under the cherry tree. Is someone shy?" Iruka and Rin turned around to examine the bench, and the darkness underneath it shifted.

"You ugly thing," dread seeped into Iruka's veins, hearing the familiar cruel voice hiss as a dark, spindly hand reached out from the shadows to pull itself out. He grabbed Rin's hand and pulled her back as the boogeyman crawled out from the cherry tree's shadow, a lumpy writhing mass with each of its limb movements punctuated by the crack of snapping bone, its frowning mask looming over them all. "You ruined the surprise." It whipped a crackling limb at them, and Iruka pushed Rin out of the way, feeling a slimy limb coil around his midsection and cutting into his skin. "I'm not chasing you again." It growled as it lifted him into the air.

"Iruka, you're bleeding!" Akuri worriedly cried out, pulling himself out of the ground with his teeth grinding. He felt something was wrong but was unable to fight against it.

"Get away while you can, Rin-chan!" Iruka exclaimed as he clawed at the dark tendril, getting nowhere.  

"Yes, please go away," It agreed, twisting its head upside down. "Breaking dusty old bones does nothing for me." "Think, Iruka! You're not physically strong enough to face this thing with your bare hands. But my ninjutsu had no effect on it, either. There has to be something!"

"Let Iruka-kun go!" Rin demanded, though her hands trembled with fear.

"Little girl, you don't have the darkness to rival me." The boogeyman arrogantly chuckled. "Darkness?" Iruka's eyes widened as the memory of the Tenshigan using its dark chakra to defend itself ran through his mind. "Only darkness can challenge darkness." He closed his eyes and started to focus. "I need to channel that chakra myself." He didn't need to look too far to find the dark chakra lingering in the air and residing within himself. Grasping it was a different story. It was evasive and aggressive, like trying to corner a wounded animal.

"Fine, then stay," the boogeyman groaned and wrapped a tendril around Iruka's ankle. "Watch him break over and over." "Work with me, Tenshigan!" Iruka snagged the end of the dark chakra and didn't let go, furiously kneading it with swift hand signs to form his jutsu, ignoring its biting stings. Opening his piercing white eyes, he gripped the tendril around his midsection and shouted: 

"Trap of Burning Punishment!" The seal formed around the limb before bursting into bright white flames that cut through the shadows. Iruka heard the monster release a scream of pain for the first time and released him to tend to the burning limb, cutting his cheek in the process. 

"Got you!" Rin said as she caught him from his fall, saving him from hitting the garden stones. 

"You little rat!" the boogeyman shouted in rage and confusion as the jutsu wore off. The dark shadow coating the limb burned away to reveal an ivory carapace.

"Find someplace safe, Rin-chan," Iruka put himself between her and the boogeyman despite the drain he felt from the jutsu he unleashed, the feat giving him much-needed confidence.

"I'll fight with you, Iruka!" Zetsu leaped to the boy's side with a menacing snarl on his eyeless face.

"… I'm not leaving either," Rin declared as she got back to her feet beside Iruka, her stance wobbly but her face determined.

"You two," Iruka looked between his two newfound companions, the fear strangling his heart, loosening its hold.

"Ugh, when you make this more troublesome," the face snapped back up as the boogeyman groaned, presenting its deep frown, "You only make me more vexed than I already am!" More writhing limbs sprouted from its dark body, its shadow dominating the moonlight, but not the emboldened spirits of the trio of blossoming fighters standing tall with the moon behind them.

The monster roared, not in a violent rage, but rather in terrible agony. Iruka watched on in shock as the creature screamed just as he had when it cruelly snapped its arm. With the boogeyman writhing like a worm on a hook, Iruka could see a large seal seared onto its back, burning a brilliant gold that rapidly spread like a spider's web over the monster's body, tearing it apart.

"You won’t damn me… I'll break you all!" was its last furious cry before its body into shining gold glitters that rained down, the mask falling to the ground and shattering into pieces before dissolving into dust. Iruka held on tightly to Rin and Akuri's hands as the supposed culprit of the undoing of the boogeyman stood underneath the cherry tree. Iruka saw familiar pinpricks of gold as the tall, hooded figure silently stared back at him with a captivating glare, showering in the shimmering remains of the creature.

"Wh… What are you?" Iruka questioned once he finally got a hold of his voice, still cautious of what or whoever had saved them.

"Me?" a resonant silky voice hummed in response, gentle in delivery and sweet in tone. The figure slowly walked into the moonlight, each step punctuated by the soft jingle of a bell and never breaking its gaze on the boy.

It was draped in flowing ivory robes that were purer than the snow and looked like the softest material Iruka would ever touch. A pale red obi was wrapped around its waist, pinned with a golden orchid flower with three bells dangling from red strings. More notably, it dawned a long-hooded cloak made of pristine white feathers with tips painted either red or gold. It raised a human hand of ghostly pale skin decorated with jeweled rings and golden bracelets to guide down its hood. It had long ebony hair with a single braid weaved around the red thread and the right fringe tucked behind its ear to show a golden bell hanging from its ear. It had the face of a young man with soft features, thin pale lips made into the most gentle smile, and hooded eyes, sclera, and iris dark to make the golden pupil shine ever brighter. With hands now clasped over his chest, he spoke again in his voice made of honey:

"I am an angel." Movement stiff, he pointed to Iruka. "Your guardian angel, Umino Iruka."

"My what?" Iruka muttered, confused and enchanted by the being's appearance. "I have… a guardian angel?"

"Every living being is born with one… Though not all angels are of the same caliber." He gestured to Rin's ghost. Iruka squeezed the girl's hand.

"Um, thank you for saving us, but if you are my guardian… Where have you been?"

"I have been watching you all your life, Umino Iruka, though I did not have the strength to intervene. Until now."

"What's different now than before? Did you—"

"Please do not fret any longer, for the answer is as clear as the night sky vast." His pointed finger rose to Iruka's Tenshigan. "You have emboldened me to act, Umino Iruka. So, I arrive with splendid news."

"What news?"

"I have heard your deepest desires and plan to fulfill them." "No, he couldn't. Can he really?" "I can reunite you with your lost parents, Umino Iruka."

"You can?!" Iruka gasped, wide-eyed with hope, his apprehension waning as he stepped forward. "You know where my mom and dad are?" His angel nodded, a small motion.

"Indeed, I do."

"Show me where? Or bring them here if you can, please!" he pleaded more than asked. His angel shook his head.

"I am afraid Umino Koharu and Ikkaku are in the most precarious place."

"Are they hurt?!"

"Do not fret. Your parents are safe, only they are in a place that I cannot bring you… Unless…”

"Unless what?" Iruka was now standing directly before his angel, craning his neck to look up at the stunning figure who smiled down at him.

"Unless I make myself a home inside of you, Umino Iruka.

"What do you mean?"

"Your newfound gift allows you to seal the souls of the unliving within yourself, your body a sanctuary or prison. If I'm connected to your soul in such a way, I can bring you to see your parents."

"Really? How do I do that?"

"It is a complicated jutsu that I will take the time to teach you, Umino Iruka. You will not have to rely on the journal the Sandaime Hokage keeps hidden away from you."

"You know jutsus about the Tenshigan?

"Certainly. I know many jutsus of the Tenshigan that I am willing to teach you."

"Honestly?"

"I am your guardian angel, Umino Iruka."

"Then… thank you so much!" He would've hugged the angel with his elated rush, but he didn't want to ruin his elegant robes. "Oh, if you can help me, could you also help a friend of mine?"

"You want me to usher in Nohara Rin's arrival to the Pure Lands? " The angel drifted his gaze to the ghost girl. “Yes, I can do so." He raised his hand. "With only a touch."

"See, Rin-chan?!" Iruka grinned excitedly. "I promised I'd—"

"Don't!" Rin passionately interjected, surprising Iruka. "I said I wasn't leaving either, didn't I?"

"Huh?"

"Earlier, I was telling you why I thought I was still here," she stared off into the sky when she spoke, looking for something or someone. "My life was short, and I didn't do as much good as I wanted. It left my world worse off for the people in it. I felt so empty, and still do," she looked back to Iruka, determined. "This is my chance to make everything better. I want to save the world and everyone in it in any way I can. You want to save people, too. Let's work together through this dark world to do just that!"

"Rin-chan," Iruka stared back at her, shocked but gaining comfort and confidence.

"Is everything better now?" Akuri spoke up, head looking around worriedly at the spirits unseen.

"More than better, Akuri-kun," Iruka flashed a smile, the pain in his cheek from the boogeyman's final attack a forgotten echo. "Not only did I find myself a teacher for my Tenshigan, but Rin's decided to join our team."

"Really? Yay!" the plant creature gave a toothy grin. "I welcome you with open arms to our hive, Rin!"

"I'd shake your hand if I could," Rin looked amused with a budding smile. "I have people who see what I see. I won't be completely alone in this." Iruka turned back to his angel, who hadn't moved or shifted his pleasant expression.

"What's your name?" he asked. The angel's smile twitched as if withholding brewing excitement.

"Call me 'Hamura.'"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hamura was the most tiresome yet most dedicated teacher Iruka ever had. The angel rid Iruka's space of ghosts with his mere presence, the creatures skittering away into the dark and never returning. Though he couldn't combat the Nine-Tailed Beast's chakra, he created a spirit-free learning space for Iruka. Well, not entirely spirit-free. Rin would watch Iruka learn, ask questions, or wander around the orphanage, sometimes joining Akuri in the garden even if they couldn't properly interact and bringing back any gossip she overheard. Hamura was the other spirit, ever present, hovering over Iruka's shoulder as he spoke of hand signs and chakra natures never mentioned to him before besides from the journal that started it all.

"How do I use my Aether chakra release?" Iruka asked one afternoon as he took notes at his desk.

"You will need to use your Tenshigan to draw from the dark chakra lingering around you and from within," Hamura answered, his head nearly scraping the ceiling with his imposing height. "You did so unknowingly earlier when facing 'the boogeyman.' It takes practice to master, but after much meditation, it'll come to you as natural as breathing. Now, the following sign is—"

"Wait, I have another question," Iruka interrupted. Hamura stopped midsentence, his expression slowly returning to his default smile.

"Hey, Iruka-kun," Izumo said as he opened the door of the dorm room, Iruka keeping his mouth shut. "Sorry to disturb your reading, but are you still good to go to the market with Kotetsu and me? We have to help Kotetsu manage his money so he doesn't spend it all on sweets again." "Right, I did say I'd go with them. Crap, I forgot."

"You do not have time for that," Hamura said firmly, not glancing at Izumo. "But that'll be the second time I told them no. I hate doing that."

“Iruka-kun?” Izumo spoke up.

"Sure!" Iruka accepted, keeping his head turned away from his roommate. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll be ready." 

"Great! I'll tell Kotetsu." He heard the joy in Izumo's voice before he left the room, closing the door.

"I said you have no time for that." Hamura calmly reprimanded.

"I know, sorry," Iruka apologized. "I just feel bad for always letting them down."

"I have an idea!" Akuri's chirpy voice came from underneath his bed, and Rin, who lay in his bed reading a book he periodically flipped for her, poked her head down to look under. The plant boy crawled out from under the bed, smiling wide.

"How long have you been under there?" Iruka asked, surprised.

"Sorry, I know you don't like me being in here, but I was so lonely last night, so I hid underneath your bed. But no one saw me." "I'll get onto Akuri about this later, but first…"

“What’s your idea, Akuri-kun?”

"I go to the market with Izumo and Kotetsu instead, so you can keep studying." He proudly announced his plan.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Iruka looked skeptical.

"Of course! I've watched you for so long that I've gotten really good at copying you. They won't know the difference between Iruka and Akuri."

"Hm, I'm not sure."

"You need to continue your studies," Hamura said. "Let the mimic take your place."

"Alright then," Iruka conceded. "So, how do you take my chakra?"

"Easy," Akuri said. "Hold out your hand." Iruka did as he was told, and Akuri took his hand and brought it to his face, opening his mouth. The plant boy nibbled at his hand, being extra careful not to harm him as he excitedly took Iruka's chakra. It was a painless process that only slightly ebbed away at Iruka's chakra reserves. Akuri rapidly transformed into Iruka's twin, his old blue shirt having a loose thread on the hem and his ponytail slightly crooked with a few strands left out from how he had it lazily tied up. It was odd to see his doppelgänger standing right before him.

"I'll be back around four," Akuri said with Iruka's voice. He grabbed his dolphin wallet from underneath the bed and put on his sandals, his movements calm and steady compared to his usual sporadic jerkings. "Kotetsu-kun can get distracted easily, and Izumo-kun takes long to decide what he wants to buy, so if I'm late, it's their fault." Akuri gave Iruka a gentle smile and a nod. "Good luck with your studying, Iruka-kun. I'll see you later." With a small wave, he was out of the room.

"He has gotten better," Iruka acknowledged, feeling somewhat relieved from Akuri's performance but weirdly disturbed. "This must be what casting a clone jutsu feels like."

"You had a question for me, Umino Iruka," Hamura reminded him.

"Yes, I did, Hamura-sensei." The boy glanced at Rin, who went back to her reading.

"Can I seal Rin inside of me, too?" he asked and she looked up from her book in contemplation.

"… Yes, you can seal any dead soul within yourself," Hamura answered.

"How would it help us if I was sealed in Iruka?" Rin asked.

"… You would be protected from other spirits when within Iruka’s body and retreat there when your soul takes too much damage instead of… a much darker place. Secondly, you would be connected through your souls, making your thoughts and emotions easier to communicate whenever you so desire. Thirdly, you can share chakra, strengthening each other's abilities. Lastly, and most importantly, Iruka could give you a physical body of blood and flesh."

"Really?" Iruka gasped, and Rin nearly fell off the bed in excitement.

"He could bring me back to life?!"

"No, a greater power that exceeds any of us is needed for that. However, the jutsu I'm referring to gives a physical body to a disembodied soul. While ghosts become corporeal in the presence of an active Tenshigan, they can only touch and be seen by the Tenshigan wielder. The body this jutsu creates allows souls to interact with and be seen by the living world as if you were alive."

"That sounds like bringing you back to life to me," Iruka shot Rin a grin.

"It does, does it not." Hamura hummed.

"You can teach me the jutsu, right, Hamura-sensei?"

"Certainly. It is a rather simple jutsu. I will teach you after you learn how to seal souls first."

"Yes! Oh, could I seal Akuri inside of me, too?" Iruka inquired.

"Though you cannot seal a soul that's within its living body, Akuri is an exception, for he is a warped soul sewn into modified flesh."

"Wait, so he's already dead?"

"… Not necessarily, but you'll be able to seal him within you with his body intact."

"That means you two will finally be able to talk to each other, Rin-chan." He turned to the ghost girl, who was looking down at her hands as they phased through the book on Iruka's desk.

"Yes. I could do that and much more." A small smile crossed her face, nearly reaching the brilliance of the smile she gave in her yearbook. "I'll get her smiling like she used to!"

…

… …

… … …

Two days before the final tournament of the Chuunin Exams, Iruka was called to the Hokage's office, to Hamura's dismay. Sandaime sat behind his desk with the usual stacks of paperwork, though sitting on the couch was Danzo, perpetuating his usual scowl, though it seemed more sour than usual. Iruka shifted uncomfortably underneath the man's gaze while Hamura stood as tall as ever behind the boy, facing the Hokage.

"Make this quick so you can practice the final steps," he urged. "So close."

"I have good news, Iruka-kun," the Hokage gave a tired smile. "We're finally ready for our second attempt to seal away the curse in your eyes. We'll be ready tonight."

"No." that one word was spoken with more conviction than any other Iruka had heard from the angel's mouth, golden gaze centered on Sandaime.

"Um, you don't have to do that, Sandaime-sama," Iruka said, unable to keep the Hokage's gaze. "The final tournament is coming up, and I don't want you wasting your energy on me. Especially if something goes wrong. Can't we wait until after?" "I should have completed the jutsu by then. I can surprise the Hokage with how much I've learned!"

"This isn't a negotiation, Umino," Danzo's course voice bit at his ears. "It's imperative that we control your Tenshigan before the final tournament. Important visitors from neighboring villages will attend who won't take kindly to any devilish accidents."

"Devilish?" Slowly, Hamura turned his head to face Danzo, his smile still present though pulled ever so wide. "There's only one thing devilish here." He approached the bandaged man with stiffly paced steps, to Iruka's shock, leaving a few feathers from his cloak behind. "What's he doing?!"

"I do believe doing the sealing method sooner than later is for the best," the Hokage affirmed, though he raised a concerned brow when the boy didn't respond. "Are you alright, Iruka-kun? You seem… distracted."

"No, everything's fine!" Iruka quickly blurted out, forcing himself to look away from the angel looming over the scowling man. "So, fine that I hadn't had any incidents in nearly a month. I'm doing so much better."

"I understand, but this is more for precaution and safety for everyone. I…” Iruka tried to listen to the Hokage's words as he watched Hamura in his periphery, but it was difficult when the angel's every movement had him on edge.  The angel raised a ringed finger toward Danzo's chest and continued forward, slowly sinking his finger inside. It only stopped when a ghostly dark seal appeared on the unaware man's chest, but the angel pushed on, and the seal started to crack with golden chakra before finally breaking. The angel's residual chakra faded, and he pulled his hand away, but still, Danzo raised a hand to clasp at his chest, his frowning lips twitching ever so slightly in discomfort. Hamura shifted his attention back to the Hokage. He slowly approached the desk.

"Are you listening to me, Iruka-kun?" the Hokage sighed, grabbing Iruka's attention.

"Um, sorry, I spaced out a little bit." He excused his poor manners. "I just stayed up too late." He added a yawn to his performance, hiding the worry from his face as Hamura stood over the Hokage, blocking the light from the window.

"That's fine. You just need to understand why this is important." The angel raised the same finger to the Hokage's chest, pushing it inside. "Having so many people attending the tournament will bring unsightly visitors."

"Unsightly, am I, Sarutobi Hiruzen?" Hamura hummed the same dark seal that had been on Danzo appeared on the Hokage, halting the angel's movements once again.

"We just don't want to risk you breaking composure…" the Hokage paused to cough into his fist, Hamura twisting his finger to crack the seal. "In such a large crowd. Do you understand?" The seal shattered, but Hamura didn't pull his hand away.

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. If so, I don't have to go to the tournament. I'll just tell everyone I'm sick."

"But I know you want to see your teammates—cough— perform. Pardon me," Sandaime excused himself to take a drink from the glass of water on his desk, Hamura's chakra spreading across his chest.

"No, it's fine, really!" Iruka let his worry slip into his tone. "Is Hamura hurting him?!" "I want to keep everyone safe. Mizuki will give me all the details of his victory either way."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" "Stop arguing with me, please!"

"Alright, then. We can do the ritual after the tournament." The Hokage finally agreed, and Hamura pulled back his hand. His fingernail darkened as if he had been clawing in the dirt.

"We'll keep you in a monitored location for extra security," Danzo stated, still holding onto his chest.

"That's fine, too!" Iruka hurriedly agreed to keep Hamura from acting up again. "I have no issues with that." Danzo raised a brow at the boy's eager compliance but didn't say anything more.

"Are you feeling okay, Sandaime-sama?" the boy asked as the man took another sip of water.

"Me? Yes, of course." The Hokage gave a reassuring smile. "I'm just getting up in age, so my body hates me sometimes," He joked, rubbing at his chest.

"You and the cigarettes," Danzo added, earning the Hokage's glare.

“You can leave now, Iruka-kun. Thank you for your time."

Leaving the Hokage's office, Iruka stopped in a secluded storage room and turned to Hamura angrily as his Tenshigan awakened.

"What were you doing in there, Hamura-sensei? You were hurting the Hokage!"

"… I did no such thing," Hamura calmly replied, looking down at the boy. "You could not tell, but both of those men were cursed with seals put on them by something wicked. I was helping them by breaking those terrible things. Though the process may have caused some duress," his smile deepened. "They will feel better in the end."

"Oh?... Thank you then." Iruka glanced at the angel's darkened fingernail or fingernails. The darkness spread over all the angel's fingertips and dirtied the sleeves of his once pure white robes. It left a sick feeling in Iruka's gut to finally notice how sickly pale the angel had become, almost corpse-like, and the bottom feathers of his cloak continued to shed and fall loose to trail behind him. Even his inky black hair had gained a few strands of grey, and the loose threads of his obi began to show. Only his eyes remained the same striking gold Iruka saw when first meeting the angel. "… Are you okay, Hamura-sensei? You look… sick."

"… Do I?" Hamura asked, and Iruka found himself shivering as he nodded.

"I wasn't trying to insult you."

“I know, Umino Iruka. I am not sick, but being on this plane for as long as I have is wearing down my form. We must hurry and finish this technique before I am returned to a higher plane. You wish to see your parents, do you not?"

"Of course, I want to see them! I'll have this jutsu down by tomorrow." The boy confidently raised his fist.

"I gladly await."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka kept true to his word, and by the night before the final tournament, he was ready to perform the jutsu. He gathered with his unlikely companions underneath the garden's cherry tree when the winds blew gently, and the moon was only a sliver of a crescent in the dark sky. His nerves hummed with anticipation as he reviewed the jutsu hand signs in his head for the last time.

"Are you ready to begin, Umino Iruka?" Hamura asked, standing in the shadow of the cherry tree, golden eyes glowing in the dark.

"Yes, I am," the boy confidently nodded his head. "Who should I seal first?"

"Do me first!" Akuri eagerly volunteered, waving his hand in Iruka's face. He had been giddy since he had learned he could be sealed within Iruka, making a deeper connection with his "hive."

"Looks like you're up first, Akuri-kun."

"Yay!" Akuri skipped over to stand in front of Iruka.

"Remember," Hamura started, "sealing a willing soul is much easier than a combative one but will take focus nonetheless."

"Right!" Iruka nodded and prepared the jutsu, closing his eyes. He breathed in, focusing on the dark chakra polluting the air around him, and drew it into himself like Hamura had instructed him, a bitter and sickly chill filling his chakra points. He opened his eyes, Tenshigan shining, and began to sign, weaving chakra. “Shishi, Kumo, Karasu, Same, Shishi, Karasu!” He clasped his hands tightly together, his palms glimmering a warm amber. "Great Soul Sealing Jutsu!" he held out his hand, his palm glowing with a small circular seal, and Akuri gladly grabbed his hand. An instant connection was formed.

"Ha, that tickles," the plant creature chuckled as his body started to glow a bright amber and melt into pure chakra. Iruka was flooded with Akuri's racing thoughts and overflowing emotions, happiness and relief being the major ones, and Iruka drew all of it in towards himself, never letting go of Akuri's hand.

I couldn't have asked for anything more! I'm so happy! I've finally found a hive of my own! Thanks, Iruka!

Iruka blinked. Akuri was gone, his hand holding onto nothing. Though he couldn't see the creature, he could sense him and feel his presence.

"Did I… do it?" Iruka panted, feeling drained from only the one jutsu.

"Look at your shoulder," Hamura practically sang as he stiffly clapped his hands together. Iruka pulled down his shirt collar to look at his shoulder, where the small dark seal in the form of a spiraling vine was sewn into his skin.

"I did it!" He touched the sore area but felt Akuri's unique chakra respond with an elated burst. "Where is he? I know he's inside me, but…"

"He's within your inner mindscape," Hamura answered. It's where all your sealed spirits will reside, and you'll be able to construct sanctuaries and cells alike. I'll teach you how once you seal us all, so please. " His smile twitched, threatening to spill into a grin. "Continue."

"You ready to go next, Rin-chan?" Iruka asked the ghost girl.

"I'm a bit nervous, honestly," she said. "I know we'll be connected, but… Could you please not look at my memories?"

"I won't even take a peek," he promised. "What does Rin want to hide? What made her death so terrible? I'm curious but won't pry."

"Thank you," she took in a breath. “I’m ready, Iruka-kun!” Iruka started the jutsu again, his muscles and chakra straining, but he pushed on. "Soul Sealing Jutsu!" He successfully completed the jutsu and held out his hand, Rin grabbing it not a moment later and linking them together. A much more powerful flood of chakra filled him, burning his veins and making his limbs sting with pins and needles, but still, he could feel Rin's emotions of fear and anticipation course through him.

This is it, my chance to right my wrongs. I'm scared I'll fail, but not scared enough to not try! Thank you, Iruka-kun!

Iruka opened his eyes, and Rin was gone, nestled somewhere inside of him. He looked around for Rin's seal, finding nothing until he felt a sting on the left side of his lower back. "I'll look at it in the mirror when I can!" Though his muscles started to ache and chakra flicker like he weaved ten jutsus in a row, he turned to the angel, who already had his hand out.

"Please take my hand." His black-tipped fingers twitched eagerly, and his golden eyes flickered. "I ache to be a part of you, Umino Iruka."

"Thank you for teaching me, Hamura-sensei." Iruka graciously bowed his head. "I'll be forever grateful to you. I look forward to where we'll go from here."

"As do I."

Iruka repeated the jutsu for the last time, fighting off the chakra exhaustion that threatened to take over and ensuring every movement didn't go to waste.

"Great Soul Sealing Jutsu!" Iruka reached out his hand just as a frigid gust of wind cut through the air, chilling him to the bone and a shiver raking through his body.

"Take me!" the angel shrilled excitedly, his golden pupils expanding so wide they threatened to take over his eyes entirely. Fighting off the cold, Iruka grabbed the angel's hand, touching him for the first time.

The skin he thought would feel so soft and warm to the touch felt lifelessly frigid and leather-rough, and the blackened nails cut into his skin like a viper sinking its veins into a rat with the golden rings scratching against it. However, there was only a moment to process any of this as the most violent torrent of chakra surged through his being, ripping open his chakra points like a shark's hungry maw to overtake his energy flows. The pure rush of ultimate satisfaction drowned out any other emotion he could have felt, feeling his heartbeat like a thundering war drum in his chest. It was all so much to take in; his senses started to go numb, his mouth opening, but not hearing himself scream if he did. The last thing he saw before his vision was engulfed in a blinding white was Hamura's beautiful golden grin.

It is so warm in here. Like a cozy bleeding womb.

₮Ⱨ₳₦₭ ɎØɄ ₣ØⱤ ⱠɆ₮₮ł₦₲ ₥Ɇ ł₦₴łĐɆ Ø₣ ɎØɄ, Ʉ₥ł₦Ø łⱤɄ₭₳.

Chapter 7: ₱ØᵴᵴɆᵴᵴƗØ₦

Summary:

A possessed Iruka gladly attends the Chuunin Tournament. Only to spectate, of course.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Emi started her morning routine before the sun rose, earlier than usual, with a heavy yawn and a stretch of her back. Today was the last phase of the Chuunin Exams, and there were many things she needed to take care of to make sure everything went smoothly on her end. Firstly, as she did every morning, she checked on the young Jinchuuriki whose room was across from hers. Carrying a candle, she entered the dark, quiet hall of the highest floor and undid the seal tags on Naruto's room. She peeked inside the nursey and sighed softly, hearing Naruto's snoozy breathing in his cradle and sensing little of the beast's intense chakra. "Today will be a good day." She silently closed the door. "Along with everything else, I have to add dropping off Iruka to Kinoto's team at eleven," she thought as she went to freshen up in her personal bathroom.

"Oh!" she gasped and jumped back, the candlelight nearly flickering out from her jerky movement. A small figure stood at the end of the short hall, almost blending into the dark shadows with its stillness. Seeing sleepless children wandering the orphanage halls at night wasn't strange. It was strange to see one in this particular hall, the cursed Fox Hall, which the children and some caretakers believed would somehow eat them whole if they dared step foot in it. Made even more so when she recognized the silhouette. "Iruka-kun?" she quietly called out, confused, reaching out the candle to better see the boy. "What are you doing up here? Did you have a nightmare?" It wasn't uncommon for the boy to seek comfort from her after a terrifying dream, though he would wait at the bottom of the stairs for her, never walk up them.

Iruka was silent as he slowly approached her, the patter of bare feet on wood echoing down the hall, and Emi inexplicably felt her body reflexively tense, and a chill tickled her spine. Iruka reached her candlelight and saw the boy was still dressed in the clothes he wore the day before. He had been studying more recently and, in the past, had been too tired to change into his pajamas. He didn't look that tired, though. His eyes, with pupils, dilated so wide the brown iris was a thin ring around a pit of darkness, focused clearly on her without any drowsiness, and the gentle smile on his lips didn't convey any lingering fear from a nightmare. However, that wasn't what was out of place for her. It was reaching out for his chakra signature and receiving nothing in return, like leaping into a pit expecting to dive into refreshing water but instead falling for eternity. "Maybe… he learned how to hide his chakra signature?"

"No, I did not have any nightmares, Emi-san," Iruka finally spoke, and though his tone was soft and wispy, the sound still startled her. "I am… excited."

"So excited you couldn't sleep?" Emi quietly chuckled, watching the amber flicker of the candlelight in Iruka's bold pupils. "The Chuunin Exams have everyone out of their beds early… Would you like to stay with me while I get ready? I'll take you to Anbu later, but I can keep you company until your friends get up."

"… Yes, company sounds pleasant."

Emi hesitated momentarily before turning her back to Iruka to guide him to her personal quarters, only stopping when she didn't hear the boy's footsteps.

"Are you coming?" she asked, looking confused, seeing the boy standing before Naruto's nursery. There was a moment of silence before Iruka said:

"I'm coming."

She let the boy sit on her bed while she turned on the lights in her personal bathroom adjacent to it. When she grabbed her uniform from the drawer, she noticed how dirty his feet were as they hanged off the side of the bed.

"Have you been out in the garden?"

"… I needed some fresh air."

"Well, make sure to clean them. You can't go walking around dirty."

"Hm… I'll take note of that." Iruka's eyes never left her as she entered the bathroom and shut the door, almost feeling relieved. "Why am I so on edge? Calm down, Emi. I can't be like this all day." She finished tying her brown hair into a bun when she heard a wet gagging sound outside her door. "Iruka-kun?" she cautiously opened the door to see that the boy hadn't moved from his seat, staring back at her with the same mildly pleasant expression.

"Yes, Emi-san?"

"… Are you feeling okay?" she slowly approached him as if he would scatter at too quick a movement. "Something's wrong."

"Like I said," he smiled wider to show his teeth. "I feel exci—ugh!" his sentence was choked off by a sudden spew of bile shooting from his mouth onto Emi's face. She recoiled at the bitter taste assaulting her tongue and blindly rushed back to the bathroom to wash her face, feeling for the sink. The sound of water rushing out of the facet couldn't overpower Iruka's violent gagging and heaves.

"It'll be okay, Iruka-kun," she kept the panic from her voice as she tried reassuring him, whatever the boy had thrown up hot on her skin. "I'll get you help." "Did he eat something bad? I can't ever remember him throwing up. I thought him being sick was just a cover-up to not go to the Chuunin Exam tournament." She finally washed away enough of the bile to open her eyes, and when she did, she stared down at the sink, horrified. The thick, inky black sludge starting to clog the drain was tinged with crimson from gouts of blood mixed in with it.

Whatever it was, it was never meant to come out of an innocent boy. "I need to call Anbu," was Emi's first thought. Her second thought was: "Wait, I don't hear Iruka throwing up anymore." Sure enough, when she looked to where she left the boy, there was only a puddle of black sludge and blood on the floor, with a trail of dark footprints leading out of the bedroom. She rushed for the phone on her nightstand and went to dial for backup, realizing to her fright that the line had been cut. "Why today of all days?! I need to find Iruka and get him restrained. Something's gotten him sick. I—" Her train of thought was violently disturbed by the most horrible sound in the world: the shrill cry of a baby in distress.

"Naruto-kun!" she ran from her bedroom to the adjacent room, Iruka's dirty footprints leading into the nursery. The tag seals' ink melted and ran down the door like a bleeding wound. She barged inside and flipped on the lights. Iruka had forced his arms through the cradle bars to reach inside, and she could see the toddler writhing about, wailing in upset. The demonic beast's aggressive chakra was palpable in the air. "Iruka, what are you doing?!" Emi screeched, shocked. "I know he hates the beast but would never hurt Naruto." The boy turned his head around to face her with that same wide grin, dark bile coating his lips.

"Nothing."

"Get away from him!" Emi demanded, breaking out of her frozen fear to pull Iruka away from the cradle before he unleashed hell. She snatched him off of the ground. "What's wrong with you?!"

"I'm sorry. I got too excited." The boy apologized in a tone that was too jovial. "I am not strong enough to rip seals like that yet. I'll rip you instead, Emi-san." 

She was still processing Iruka's ridiculous demand when the boy twisted himself around in her grip to scrap his sharp nails down her face, slicing open her lower eyelid as he dragged it down and caught inside of her gums and bottom lip. She screamed at the sudden assault and tried flinging the boy away, but he caught onto her elbow, digging into the sensitive skin, and flung himself onto her back. He continued his attack while Emi tried throwing him off with jerking thrashes, the boy holding on with a strength unknown to Iruka's young body. She felt him rip out her hair with her scalp still attached and rake his nails up and down her face like a feral wildcat. She even felt his teeth bite onto her ear and yank, threatening to rip it off.

Giving a pained yell, she threw her back against the wall, hard, crushing Iruka against it repeatedly. With a wet tear, he finally let go, and she was able to roll herself away from the violent frenzy, spitting out blood from her ripped lip and bleeding gums, one eye closed from the gash above her brow leaking into it. One of her ears rang, but she ignored it and crawled toward the still-crying Naruto in his cradle. The toddler's orange onesie had been torn open to expose his stomach, an angry red mark at the center of his seal where the skin was punctured. She immediately concentrated healing chakra on the child's wound despite her own oozing injuries.

"It's okay, baby," she cooed as she cradled the delicate child in her arms, her words mumbled and tone shaky from her fresh wounds and adrenaline rush. She heard the door shut and held on tighter to Naruto, staring on frightened at Iruka standing in front of their exit. "No. That isn't Iruka."

"Am I not?" he mumbled around her torn-off ear in his mouth. "Do tell," he spat her ear out onto the bloody floor, grinning all the while. "What gave me away, Sarutobi Emi?"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen opened his eyes to sunlight blinding him from the slip in his curtains and an aching pain in his chest. It had been present for a few days, but he had hoped it would have gone away for the Chuunin Exam tournaments. He wanted to focus on the flourishing genin working hard to earn themselves the chuunin ranking, not his aging body rebelling against him for all the battles he put it through. With a groan, he sat himself up, stretching his back.

"Good morning, Biwako-chan," he yawned, listening to the chirp of the morning dove that had made a nest above his balcony, and got out of bed to put on his dark red morning robe, ready to start his busy day… Though stopped as he passed the standing mirror on his dresser, doing a double take. He opened his robe to examine the center of his chest, where a dark purple bruise had formed from nowhere.

"How in the world…" he bemused and grazed his fingers around it, the skin being painfully sensitive. It looked like someone had taken a blunt stake and used a hammer to beat it fruitlessly into his chest. "Did I hit something in my sleep? Or maybe something hit me? Ugh, I'll figure it out later. I have to do a meeting before the tournament. I can't be distracted today." With a frustrated sigh, he closed his robe and continued his routine, pushing aside the nagging ache in his chest.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Shisui entered the clan meeting room with his shoulders back, and head held high, wearing a mask of professionalism like Fugaku did whenever he attended meetings. The lead Uchiha always stressed to him the importance of maintaining an appearance of unshakeable confidence and strength. Though Shisui thought Fugaku pulled off the look better than he did, his soft, boyish face didn't yet complement the perpetual glower. It would be his first time being in the main room when the meeting occurred instead of waiting outside like he had been. Shisui followed his clan leader and pulled out his seat for him near the head of the table before standing behind him against the wall. All the clan heads were already present, with only the advisors and the Hokage absent. There were two minutes until the meeting started, so they weren't late.

"I don't believe children are allowed into clan meetings," the familiar taunting voice of Kanoe grated his ears, the bird-masked Root member appearing before him seemingly out of nowhere. An attempt to startle him, nothing out of the ordinary. "Hm, Danzo sent Kanoe to scout today? It's usually Kinoto or Kuma. They must be busy on a mission."

"Good morning, Kanoe-senpai," Shisui greeted in his trained professional tone, keeping his expression neutral. "I turned thirteen two months ago, so I'm a teenager now."

"Even so, you must be of jounin rank to attend clan meetings unless given express permission."

"Lucky me, I just passed my jounin exam last week." He pulled out his jounin certificate from his pocket, having predicted it'd be necessary for the Root member's questioning. "I'm open to any praise."

"Hmph, just mind your manners and don't interrupt the proceedings," Kanoe relented and stepped away just as the advisors and Hokage entered the meeting room, taking their seats while the Sandaime stood at the head of the table to address the clan heads. It was a mostly uneventful and dull affair, with the Hokage going over area seating arrangements and addressing the finalists for each clan and who was fighting who. However, Shisui did notice Kanoe silently approaching the bandaged advisor as he wrote in his notebook and whispered into his ear. A moment later, the man's glowering golden eye met with Shisui's across the room. The Uchiha broke his neutral mask to give a small wave and smirk. The advisor's scowl deepened, and he looked away as if insulted, shooing Kanoe away with a wave of his hand. "I'll get you waving back at me, sour face. I'll wear down that shield you hide behind sooner than you think."

"Now, are there any questions?" the Hokage asked after reviewing all the details. Only one clan head raised his hand to speak. "Yes, Fugaku-san," Sandaime gave the Uchiha leader the floor.

"Who changed the seating arrangements?" he demanded more than asked.

"That would—"

"I did," Danzo interrupted the Hokage, continuing to write notes. "Is there an issue?"

"More so an observation. My group is seated the furthest away from the Hokage and closest to the Anbu guard when it has always been the opposite in the past. Why change it, Danzo-san?"

"I was going to announce this when I had the floor, but I'll say it now." He set down his pen to look Fugaku head-on, who gladly returned the challenging stare.   "I changed it because Kirigakure decided to send Hoshigaki ambassadors to observe the tournament." When the shark clan's name dropped from the advisor's lips, Fugaku tightened his grip on his crossed arms, and his chakra sharply spiked before reining it back. Shisui himself felt a bit uneasy knowing the clan that crippled his father would suddenly be attending. "I seated your group, Fugaku-san," Danzo continued, "The furthest away from them as a courtesy, knowing the Uchiha and Hoshigaki clans' troubled history."

"Where was the courtesy to notify me of the Hoshigaki's presence beforehand?" Fugaku kept his voice calm and controlled despite the emotions Shisui knew were toiling inside him.

"Kirigakure only informed us of this recently. My apologies that it didn't reach your ears until now. Do you have any more questions, Fugaku-san?" There was a moment of silence as the two men stared unblinkingly at each other.

"… No." Fugaku finally said, leaning back in his chair.

"Right," the Hokage politely coughed to break the tension in the room. "That will conclude our meeting. Thank you all for attending. You are dismissed, and please enjoy yourselves." With the meeting adjourned, Shisui moved from his post to Fugaku's side, who was already leaving the room.

"Did you still want to attend the Chuunin tournament, Fugaku-san?" he quietly asked as they walked down the hall. "Itachi certainly won't be upset if we stayed home; he'd get to stare at Sasuke rolling around on the floor more."

"Of course, we must attend. We can't be intimidated," the clan leader vehemently answered. "He'll see it as weakness, and we are not weak." Shisui didn't need to ask who "he" was referring to.

"Please excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back." Fugaku frowned.

"This won't work, Shisui-kun. Not with a man like him."

"Well, something tells me that he'll grow a soft spot for yours truly," Shisui smiled in return, Fugaku rolling his eyes, before turning around and heading for the personal breakroom he knew the Hokage and the advisors frequented. He sneakily entered, undoing the minimal lock, and found it empty as he anticipated. He pulled a scroll containing a proposal from the Uchiha clan, though worded through his style, out of his pack. It was tied with a silky red bow and a note attached reading: ‘For Danzo's eye only’. He set it down on the table. The bandaged advisor was extremely evasive outside of meetings, rarely seen in the halls and then being too "busy" to talk, and his tower office drop box was like a dark hole where proposals went in to never return. It was like trying to find an elusive ghost that haunted the halls, heard of but rarely seen.

Though he didn't know where the man disappeared, Shisui was getting better at learning his schedule while at the tower. It wouldn't be long before he could corner the advisor and talk to him face to face, but leaving letters and notes where he visited would have to do for now. He turned to leave and froze in surprise, seeing the doorknob turn.

"How do you get your hair to stay black? I already have grey hairs," the Hokage groaned as he entered the breakroom.

"Genetics," Danzo answered, shutting the door behind him. "My mother never gained a single grey hair even when she reached her sixties."

"How fortunate. The only genes my dad gave me were the ones that make me shrink as I get older."

Shisui watched the conversation unfold from his hiding spot inside the cabinet across the table. Curled up in the tight space, he kept his chakra signature hidden as he peeked through the crack in the door.

"What's this?" the Hokage picked up the scroll, a teasing smirk forming. "Looks like someone got another dedicated letter from the Uchiha Clan's finest ambassador."

"Self-appointed ambassador, mind you," The advisor grumbled. "That's the third letter that boy has littered in my space this week. He's a distracting nuisance."

"Oh, if you don't want it, I'll—" Danzo snatched the scroll from Sandaime's hand.

"You don't need to read whatever nonsense is scrawled in here," the advisor explained, quickly pocketing the scroll.

"If you say so." The Hokage opened the window to let in some air while Danzo poured them both coffee and set the steaming mugs down on the table. "Young Shisui is persistent. You have to give him that... Much like Kagami, wouldn't you agree?" The advisor choked some on his coffee before regaining his composure as Sandaime continued. "Once he promised to do something, hardly anything in the world could stop him."

"… I shouldn't compare the two," Danzo mumbled, staring down into his mug. "Kagami? Like grandfather Kagami? The one Obaasan would tell stories about. I knew he fought alongside the Hokage when they were both younger, but I didn't think he knew Danzo so well, too… Interesting."

"Thanks," Sandaime said as he sat down and grabbed his coffee mug. "This'll be my last break before I'm—ow," he suddenly coughed out in pain and clutched his chest, nearly dropping his mug.

"What's wrong?" Danzo questioned, setting down his coffee and ready for action. "Are you feeling sick?"

"Relax, I'm not sick," the Hokage winced. "There's a bruise on my chest, and it's a pain in the ass."

"Bruise?"

"Yeah, it came out of nowhere."

"… I know what you're talking about." Danzo opened up his robes to expose his chest, where a dark bruise stained the center, partially covered by his bandages, and Sandaime looked taken aback.

"Yeah, that… looks like mine."

"When did you start feeling chest pain?" the advisor asked, closing his robe.

"About two days ago."

"After we met with the Umino."

"Yes…" worry creased Sandaime's brow. "What are you thinking?"

"That these bruises didn't appear from nowhere, but… something gave them to us. Something that was in that room that the boy could see, but we couldn't."

"You think a ghost gave us these?"  Shisui scrunched his brows at the Hokage's question. "Ghosts? Is that a code for something?" "I've read the journal. Standard ghosts are nowhere near powerful enough to physically harm people."

"Then what is powerful enough to do so?"

"That'd be…" Sandaime's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, that couldn't be the case. There would have been an overwhelming surge of dark chakra that would have affected the room. We would have felt its presence. Iruka would have told us if something that evil had been in the room with us. We're probably overthinking this."

"What is there to overthink?" Danzo retorted. "The boy can lie, has lied. We've been too lenient with him and given him little guidance on his powers. If he's gotten himself into trouble, he wouldn't even know. Since you've read the journal, you know all that can go wrong: death, curses, hauntings, possess—"

"Yes, I know, Danzo," Sandaime groaned, perturbed.

"Then you know our best option is to send him to the Uzumaki. You are too close to the boy, and it is clouding your judgment."

"Iruka will already be under Anbu's supervision today, so that should be enough for now. After that, we can focus on containing the boy’s powers." Sandaime stood up, regaining his professionalism. "Don't speak of this again today. We're having guests over." He left the room.

"You make things so difficult, Hiruzen," Danzo grumbled, standing up and walking over to Shisui's cabinet. The advisor opened the cabinet door and took out a jar of round black candies with red stripes. He put one in his mouth and rolled it around with his tongue. He closed his eye and let out a pleased hum before shutting the open window.

Shisui wiped invisible sweat off his brow as he clung to the wall below the windowsill. He successfully retreated to Fugaku, who waited outside on a bench.

"That took you long," the clan leader observed, the morning sun reflecting in his dark eyes.

"… You know how I get distracted sometimes, Fugaku-san," Shisui said. He walked alongside his leader as they headed for the Uchiha compound. "Until I know what's going on with this Umino Iruka, I'll keep quiet. His situation sounds serious enough to have the Hokage worried. Their conversation sounded like they weren't using ghosts as a code word… But I shouldn't worry about it now. I need to focus on the Chuunin Tournament. The Hokage says he has the boy handled."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Kotetsu, hurry up!" Kotetsu heard Izumo shout from downstairs. "We're gonna be late, and then Rise-sensei's gonna skin us!"

"I know! I'm coming!" Kotetsu shouted back as he hurriedly slipped into his sandals and grabbed his dark purple coat before exiting the dorm room.

"You're always the last one out," Izumo complained, waiting beside Tsubaki at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, you let me sleep in, Izumo," Kotetsu shot back as he came down the stairs, putting on his coat.

"Rise-sensei said she'd saved us a spot," Tsubaki said. "So even if we end up late, we'll have good seats."

"Let's not waste time, then," Izumo said, and they turned to leave through the main hall.

"May I join you all?" they stopped and turned around at the question. Kotetsu looked confused, seeing Iruka standing at the top of the stairs. Strangely, he was dressed in a blank white yukata with a black obi and sleeves too long for his arms. A red silky string was used to tie his ponytail, with locks of his brown hair left out, though it didn't obscure his eyes, his pupils blown out wide. A polite smile was on his face as he waited for an answer.

"Of course, you can, but…" Kotetsu clearly remembered what Iruka had told them the other day. "Aren't you sick? You said you weren't feeling the best."

"I feel better now, Kotetsu-kun," Iruka responded, tone light and chipper.

"Did Emi-san say you were all better?" Izumo asked. "Izumo's just afraid of whatever germs Iruka could have."

"Yes, we agreed that I am in good health." Iruka walked down the stairs, a soft jingle with every step, and Kotetsu noticed the golden bell dangling from the boy's left ear.

"I didn't know you had earrings," Tsubaki said, noticing the jewelry.

"Or that you had your ears pierced," Kotetsu wearily eyed the red, irritated hole in the boy's ear as if Iruka had hastily stabbed himself with the earring.

"Emi-san was kind enough to lend me some of her jewelry," Iruka smiled at Kotetsu, his gaze weirdly intense for a simple conversation. "Shall we go?" he was already walking off before the other children could respond. Kotetsu looked at his teammates, all giving each other weirded-out glances, but followed Iruka regardless. The streets were packed with eager guests ready to witness the rising shinobi generation prove their worth as chuunins, and Kotetsu stuck close with his friends so as not to get lost in the crowd. He chatted with his team about who they thought would beat who, though he silently hoped that Mizuki would get his butt kicked so he didn't have to endure his gloating about becoming a chuunin; it was already bad enough when the white-haired boy learned that Kotetsu's team hadn't passed the second phase.

"Who do you think will win, Iruka-kun?" Tsubaki asked the boy, who had been silent during their conversation.

"I believe I will win," Iruka answered without glancing at his friends.

"You mean you think your team will win?" Izumo tried correcting. "Yeah, Yuugao has a good chance against the Suna shinobi, and Mizuki's been going on about how he's gonna 'crush that Kiri-nin,' so we'll see if he can back up his smack talk."

"I hope he tastes dirt," Kotetsu said, more so to get a reaction. He got a chastising scowl from Izumo but nothing from Iruka. "I know he's gotten quiet in the past, but… this time feels different somehow. Maybe he really is still sick."

"I am not sick," Iruka suddenly announced. "Don't think otherwise, Kotetsu-kun."

"I-uh," Kotetsu nonsensically muttered, taken aback by the boy calling out his worries. "Didn't mean to look at you all weird, Iruka-kun. You're just really quiet today."

"… I have a lot on my mind."

"Right… So where did you get the yuka—" A dog's deep bark right beside them made Kotetsu and his team jump back in alarm. However, Iruka didn't move, stopping to stare down the large dog, scarred from previous battles, as she growled at him, baring her canines.

"Kira, down, girl!" the Inuzuka shinobi corrected his companion, though the dog didn't back down. "I am so sorry, little boy," he apologized, yanking his dog back by the scruff of her neck. Iruka didn't say anything in response. Kotetsu wished he could see the boy's expression.

"Get a hold of her!" the older Inuzuka beside the shinobi ordered.

"I'm trying, but she's never snarled at a child like this."

"C'mon, let's go ahead," Izumo said, gently pulling Iruka's sleeve to get him to move. Iruka’s head whipped around to snap his glare at Izumo, who jumped back at the jerky movement, his smile still present.

"If you wish, Izumo-kun," he continued walking, though he didn't move any faster than before, even with the dog mashing her jaws at him.

"That's weird," Tsubaki pondered as they entered the arena, climbing the stairwell. "Inuzuka dogs are always so well-behaved."

"Maybe she has an ill-equipped trainer," Izumo guessed.

"Any animal is uneasy around a stranger," Iruka said. "Even— ugh," he suddenly gave a harsh gag, covering his mouth with his hand and stepping out early onto the second floor.

“Are you okay, Iruka-kun?” Kotetsu asked, slowing down as much as he could against the flow of the crowd. "I knew he was faking not being sick!"

"I have issues I need to tend to," Iruka answered, muffled from the hand over his mouth.

"We'll be at our seats!" Kotetsu called out before he was swept onward by the crowd.

“Where did Iruka-kun go?” Tsubaki asked.

"I think he went to throw up somewhere," Kotetsu answered, and Izumo stuck his tongue out in disgust, though his eyes showed concern.

"I knew he was sick." He said. "He's been acting strangely."

"Yeah," Tsubaki agreed. "He probably didn't want to disappoint Mizuki and made himself come with us."

"Maybe…" Kotetsu mumbled. Even coming to a conclusion about Iruka's strange behavior, a heavy rock of uneasiness was still weighing in his gut.

…

… …

… … …

Shisui watched Itachi's dango slip off his stick to plop into his lap, the younger boy blankly blinking at it.

"Oops," he monotonously mumbled. For a promising young shinobi with reflexes quick enough to pick a buzzing fly out of the air, the young Uchiha could be a messy eater.

"That's why I said food should wait until after the tournament," Fugaku said, not keeping his eyes off the white-haired Konoha-nin battling his Kiri opponent, showing little mercy as he pummeled the older boy across the arena.

"That clanless boy is going to be ruthless once he matures," Eiko commented with a displeased expression, fanning herself more as a stress reliever than to cool herself in the winter air. The Uchiha elder sat beside her clan leader and wore a dark red robe with the Uchiha crest proudly embroidered on the back. You young ones need to observe the Konoha-nin you'll be fighting with in the future."

"Is everything alright, Fugaku-san?" A Root member appeared from behind to ask, the Bear respectfully bowing his head. "Do you need anything?"

“No, Kuma-san,” Fugaku said. "My son just made a mess."

"That I'll help Itachi-kun clean up," Shisui said and stood up.

"Your father couldn't make it today?" Kuma asked.

"Unfortunately, no. He couldn't get out of bed today."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Our family will make it through this rough patch. Thank you for your concern, Kuma-san." The Root member bowed his head before flickering away. "We'll be right back. C'mon, Itachi-kun." Itachi ate the dango off his shirt before following Shisui to the bathrooms that were isolated from the stands to clean up. The creak of the door opening was drowned out by the horrible sound of someone throwing up in one of the stalls, making Shisui wince.

"Ugh, reminds me of when I was poisoned for the first time. My sympathies." He held the door open for Itachi. The boy stood still, the slightest frown on his usually expressionless face. "It's okay, he won't mind company." Shisui gestured to the stall, and the gagging suddenly went silent, replaced with a flush. A dripping echoed in the bathroom. "See, come on. We have to be quick. Fugaku and Eiko will get cranky." After a moment of hesitation, Itachi nodded and slowly walked inside, Shisui closing the door.

Shisui wet a paper towel and started wiping off the sticky stain on the younger boy's shirt, Itachi keeping his dark eyes on the last stall. Its hinges rattled as the stall door drifted open, and Shisui peeked inside through the mirror. The happy jingle of a dancing bell rang through the room, announcing the boy dressed in a plain white yukata leaving the stall and washing his face in the last sink.

"Are you feeling any better?" Shisui asked as the boy turned off the sink, rivulets of water dripping off his face when he looked at the Uchiha. His dark pupils, wide as saucers, gleamed just as much as his smile, his skin looking pale underneath the harsh light. Despite being so close, Shisui could hardly get a chakra reading from him, and whatever he did sense was... cold.

"Much better, yes."

"We can go now, Shisui-kun," Itachi said, tugging the older boy's arm. The bell boy's gaze shifted to Itachi in an unreasonably slow motion.

"You're leaving me already, Itachi-kun?" he asked, sounding disappointed though his expression hadn't changed to reflect that. "Itachi is this popular already? Why aren't I surprised?"

"Yes," Itachi bluntly answered, his sour expression mimicking his father's.

"Can I give you a present before you go?" The boy approached with his hands clutched to his chest as if holding something precious. He came one step too close, and alarm bells immediately hammered Shisui’s senses with a sudden inexplicable revulsion that made him reflexively step back, keeping his hand on Itachi's shoulder.

"Thank you for the kind gesture…" Shisui waited for the boy to give his name.

"… Umino Iruka." "Wait, Umino Iruka? The one the Hokage and Danzo were worried about." “There is only one Umino Iruka.” Iruka's smile grew. "Me."

"Yes, well, thank you, Iruka-kun," Shisui continued, maintaining his composure. "But we're more than humble. Please keep your gift. But don't let it go to waste. Give it to somebody else, make them happy."

"… I'll keep it safe then," Iruka chuckled. He let his hands fall to his sides, holding absolutely nothing.

Shisui felt Iruka's gaze follow them as he and Itachi left the bathroom.

"I don't care for that boy," Itachi shook his head in disapproval.

"He was a bit strange," Shisui said. "I could swear the Hokage said he had Iruka under Anbu's supervision today. What's he doing here? Should I tell someone? Kuma maybe?... But if plans had changed and they let Iruka attend, I'd just be outing that I snuck in on the Hokage's personal conversation… I'll wait for now, but," he glanced behind him, watching Iruka join a group of shinobi in the stands. "I'll keep an eye on him."

…

… …

… … …

Asuma watched Mizuki win his round with a debilitating blow to the back of his opponent's head, internally cringing at the sight of the Kiri boy lying still in the dirt.

"Oh, dear, do you think he's dead?" Kurenai thought aloud.

"He'll probably just have a nasty scar," Asuma assured her, arm slung over her shoulder. "That Kiri-nin definitely has some brain damage, too."  "Little brat's gotten strong."

"A credit to Naota's teaching," Rise added, who sat further down the row and squished between her students.

"Thank you, Rise-chan," Naota graciously grinned, sitting on the other side of Tsubaki.

"What does it say about your teaching, Rise-sensei, that we all failed?" Kotetsu asked with a mischievous smirk. The professionally stern kunoichi gave the boy an annoyed glare and reached past Izumo to pinch his earlobe.

"That I need to ensure my teaching properly reaches your ears, Kotetsu-kun."

"Ow, okay," Kotetsu whined and rubbed his ear. "Why don't you ever do that to those two?"

"Because Izumo-kun and I are well-behaved," Tsubaki leaned forward to smirk at the boy playfully.

"Not true!"

"You called her 'Obaasan' the other day," Izumo said.

"Rise-sensei's just intimidated by my youthful spirit," Kotetsu proudly puffed out his chest.

"Being a jounin sensei looks like such a handful," Asuma commented.

"I don't know, I think you'd be a good sensei," Kurenai said.

"Hello," Asuma was surprised by the greeting and looked to see Iruka standing in the aisle, uncharacteristically dressed in a white yukata with a… "Is that one of Emi's earnings?"

"Oh, hello, Iruka-kun," Kurenai said, also surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't feeling well."

"I feel better now," Iruka smiled.

"Are you sure? You look pale."

“I’m certain, Kurenai-san. I'm too excited to waste away in bed." He walked down the row to sit between Asuma and a startled Kotetsu.

"What are you wearing?" Asuma asked, looking at the boy's attire up and down.

"Today's special occasion requires a special outfit." Iruka jingled the bell hanging from his ear, his pupils blown wide.

"You were gone for so long," Kotetsu started, "that I thought you went home, Iruka-kun."

"Iruka?" Rise broke away from her conversation with Tsubaki, turning to the new arrival. Her usual narrow and scrutinizing golden eye widened so rapidly with shock at the sight of the boy that her pupil went nearly as wide as his. "Why…" she breathed, regaining her indifferent professionalism. “Why are you here, Iruka-kun? You are sick."

"Yes, I was," Iruka turned his head to look her in the eyes. "Sick enough that I was spewing up the nastiest things. But it's all out of my system, and now I feel fantastic."

"But… Emi-chan wouldn't have let you go."

"She didn't want to at first, but," the edges of his smile twitched, threatening to widen. "I convinced her otherwise. Did you want to ask me anything else, Rise-sensei?"

"… No," her lips were a thin, strained line. “Enjoy yourself, Iruka-kun.”

"I will." Iruka redirected his attention to the area below, where Yuugao faced her Suna opponent. Rise leaned over to Naota and started whispering, the Byakugan wielder nodding. Asuma wearily eyed Iruka. "What was that about? Was Iruka ordered not to come and snuck out? Why didn't Otosan tell me that?"

"Rise-sensei," Kotestsu leaned over to grab Rise's arm. "Could we talk real quick, please? It's important." His tone was devoid of any playfulness from before.

"Of course," she nodded, and they both left, exiting the long way around, away from Iruka. Asuma watched them leave with a critical eye.

"What are you thinking?" Kurenai whispered into his ear.

"I'll be back," Asuma whispered. “Keep an eye on him."  He stood up and stopped, feeling something cold grip his hand.

"Where are you going, Asuma-san?" Iruka asked as he stared up at him, his long nails scraping against his skin like hooks in a fish. Asuma's hand started feeling stingingly numb, akin to pins and needles.

"I'm just going to the restroom," He responded, ignoring the sudden shivers raking his body. "I'll be right back." Iruka continued to silently stare at him, not letting him go.

"Asuma-san has to go, Iruka-kun," Naota suddenly spoke up as he took Kotetsu's spot, sitting next to the boy. "You can talk to me instead."

"… Okay," Iruka let him go, and Asuma quickly left to catch up with Kotetsu and Rise, rubbing his numb hand. “Ugh, Iruka's never felt like that before. He really is sick." He left the stands for the more isolated area of the arena, quieting his footsteps when hearing Kotetsu speaking in a hallway further ahead, getting as close to the entrance as possible without being seen.

"Iruka's sick, Rise-sensei," he heard Kotetsu worriedly say. "And I mean, really sick. He's just trying to hide it so he can support Mizuki and Yuugao. I don't know what he has, but it's making him act strange too."

"Strange how?" Rise inquired.

"He's just… been quieter than usual, and when he does talk, he doesn't sound like himself. And he's dressed differently, too; I've never seen him wear earrings. I also think he threw up somewhere, but I didn't see it. It all feels so off, but I can't really say how, you know?"

"I understand. Iruka is indeed… sick."

"Can you help him?"

"Yes. He simply needs rest. As for you and your teammates, I don't want you catching what he has, so I'll send you all home."

"Is it that serious?"

"It's a precaution."

"… Are you lying to me, Rise-sensei? How sick is Iruka really?"

"… Sick enough that you must be nowhere near him until he gets better. But we'll look after him, Kotetsu-kun. Now, hurry and go." There was a pause before Kotetsu's footsteps hurried away. Rise sighed. "Tsuchinoto." Asuma tensed, feeling a sudden presence behind him, and spun around to face the Anbu member that appeared, a tall man with greyish hair tied back into a ponytail wearing a mask painted with green markings and matching emerald eyes. Rise exited the hallway to address the men.

"What's going on, Rise?" Asuma questioned.

"Tsuchinoto, ensure that Kotetsu and his friends safely make it to the base." She ordered, ignoring the Sarutobi's question.

"Yes, Rise-san," Tsuchinoto bowed and was gone in a flicker.

"I advise you to take Kurenai and get out of here as well, Asuma-san," Rise said, heading back for the stands.

"Tell me what's going on," he demanded, grabbing her arm. "Does this have to do with Iruka's eyes?"

"That may be the last of our worries," he let her pull her arm away as she stayed to explain. "Today, Anbu was ordered to keep the Umino under strict supervision in a restricted area. Emi was supposed to drop him off."

"And she disobeyed orders and let him attend the tournament?"

"No, she wouldn't have disobeyed an order like that. And if the Umino had run away, she would have reported it by now." The faintest hint of worry crossed her face, and Asuma's eyes widened at the implication.

"You're saying you think Iruka attacked her to escape? He'd never hurt anyone like that."

"Yes, Iruka wouldn't. But with how out of character he has been behaving…"

"It's not Iruka at all," he gasped as he came to the realization, the numbing sting in his hand sharp. "Those monsters or whatever Iruka can see, they can take him over like that?" Dread seeped into his chest like a cold wind chill.

"The Hokage read that the risk of possession is high for Tenshigan wielders."

"That old man always keeps me in the dark!" Asuma frustratedly punched the wall, the plaster suffering more damage than his fist. "How the hell was I to know that Iruka could be in trouble like this? Now he's being used like a meat puppet by some monster, and he's… sitting right next to Kurenai!"

"Asuma-san!" Rise called out to the Sarutobi as he rushed back to the stands. He stopped at the top and searched with his eyes to find Kurenai and whatever was pretending to be Iruka. He found Kurenai, the kunoichi, looking around worriedly, but when he looked at Iruka's seat, it was empty. "Shit," he cursed under his breath.

"What?" Rise asked, catching up.

"He's gone." He said, searching the crowd for the boy but finding him nowhere. "Do we need to do an evacuation?"

"No, that'd cause too much attention."

"Why would we need to evacuate?" Kurenai asked as she approached the duo, having noticed their return earlier.

"I don't have time to explain," Rise said. "I need to alert the higher-ups." She looked between Asuma and Kurenai. "Get out of here." She body flickered away.

"Asuma, what's happening?" Kurenai spoke quietly, holding onto the Sarutobi's shoulders.

"Where's Iruka?" Asuma replied with his own question.

"I don't know. I looked away for one moment, and Iruka was suddenly gone. Even Naota couldn't find him with his Byakugan. He's been acting unlike himself all day." Her red lips pursed in worry. "Tell me, is the situation about him?"

"It's not about Iruka," Asuma angrily spoke. "It's about whatever the hell is possessing him."

…

… …

… … …

Kinoto waited until Emi was five minutes late before deciding something was amiss. The kunoichi had always been punctual, especially for missions with this high rank. "We can't waste any more time." He stood up from the log he was sitting on, gaining the attention of his two subordinates and the three Anbu members the Hokage appointed to monitor them.

"Kinoe, Tsuchinoe, you're coming with me to the orphanage." He ordered.

“Yes, Kinoto-senpai!” Kinoe eagerly replied while Tsuchinoe silently nodded.

"Switch Tsuchinoe with me," Zō ordered, joining the leaving group. "He must be thinking the same thing."

"Do you think something went wrong, Kinoto-senpai?" Kinoe inquired as they reached the orphanage grounds.

"It's always best to assume the worst," Kinoto answered. "Keep your guard up."

The group silently infiltrated the building, with Zō motioning them to remain hidden as he approached one of the older workers in the corridor.

"Have you seen Sarutobi Emi today, sir?" He asked.

"Uh, no, Anbu-San," the caretaker responded, startled but respectful.

"Has anyone checked her quarters?"

"Oh, no, nobody except her ever goes near the Fox Hall. Is there something wrong?"

"She forgot to submit a report, that's all. We're here to collect it. Thank you for your time." Kinoto wasn't particularly intimidated by the "Fox Hall," but he'd be lying if he didn't say he felt on edge entering the corridor where the Jinchuuriki resided. The first thing that stood out to him as horribly wrong was the sealed nursery door. 

"Kinoe, investigate Emi's quarters," he quickly ordered, sending the youngest member away for the seniors to investigate the clearly disturbed door. The seal tags that usually covered the door were either ripped or had their chakraless ink running down like melting wax. However, that didn't disrupt the new seal that was latched onto the door. Dark chakra threads weaved together to either lock something out or keep something in.

"This isn't Emi's chakra signature," Zō observed, gloved hand tracing over the suspicious seal. "Did… Iruka make this?"

"As far as I know, he isn't skilled enough in fuuinjutsu to create a complicated seal like this," Kinoto responded. "It's completely masking any chakra signatures that could be inside as well as acting as a lock. So, if anyone or thing is inside, they'll struggle to break out."

"… Do you think something unearthly made this?"

"Assume the worst." Kinoto gave an experimental tap on the seal to test its durability. It nipped back at him like a cat swiping its claws, not strong enough to deeply hurt, but warning him to back off. 

"Emi wasn't in her quarters," Kinoe announced as he reentered the hall. He looked over the sealed door. "Hm, I can't sense who's in there. Do you think it could be Emi-san?"

"Emi, the Jinchuuriki, Iruka," Zō listed off. "Either or all of them could be in there."

"Let's find out then," Kinoto looked to his subordinate. "Kinoe, break the seal." 

“Yes, Kinoto-senpai!” Zō and Kinoto stepped back for the youngest to take on the seal, both older shinobi readying their weapons and kneading chakra. Kinoe swiftly signed before placing his hands on the door which began to shift and creak as the wood molded and bent to physically tear apart the seal. The seal burned a fierce gold, a burst of aggressive chakra, and Kinoe winced but retaliated with his own violent shove of force. The door burst open and ripped itself and the seal apart, the torn wood opening up like a blooming flower. There were even a few green leaves that had sprouted. "He's gotten so good." Kinoto took a moment to appreciate the feat.

Immediately, a wave of angry, boiling chakra from the Jinchuuriki flooded out of the room, along with a child's distressed wails.

"Step aside," Zō ordered, and Kinoe moved back for his seniors to enter the dark nursery first. Kinoto heard his feet crunch on broken plastic and messy puddles as he felt for the light and flipped it on. The nursery was ruined and broken down, and baby supplies were strewn over the floor like an earthquake had raged through. Blood was splattered over the walls and pooled on the scratched floor, the broken cradle weeping a dark, sludgy substance. In the corner of the room, a bloody and beaten figure was curled up with the weeping Jinchuuriki cradled in her arms.

"Emi-san?" Zō quietly called out and carefully approached the downed kunoichi, crouching beside her. He went to take her pulse, and her hand met him, reaching out to snatch his wrist, making Kinoto pull out his tanto. 

"What happened?" Zō asked, holding up a hand towards the Root members, telling them to stand back. Emi's breath was heavy and uneven, and her tangled bangs obscured her face, though her red, irritated eyes were clear to see through the blood clinging to her wounded skin.

"Th-There's a… an intruder," she mumbled through her bruised lips. 

"Did the intruder take Iruka?" Kinoto questioned, weary of the dark shadows around him. 

"No!" She shook her head as much as she could with her wounds. "The intruder is… inside of Iruka, and it's… an evil thing." 

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen watched the battle below with a scrutinizing eye, analyzing the young Yuugao of the humble Uzuki clan battle with her Suna opponent. Both genins showed their promising fighting capabilities and problem-solving skills mid-battle. 

"They're both brilliant shinobi in the making." He commented aloud and Rasa grumbled in agreement. 

"Though they both need to sharpen their kenjutsu," The Kazekage, stoic and blunt as always, added. "If Aino’s swordsmanship wasn't so sloppy, he could have taken the Uzuki's head earlier."

"Yuugao could have used substitution," the kunoichi poofed into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a log when the Suna-nin's wind jutsu sliced her head. "Like that." 

"You know your shinobi well."

"As I should."

"Sandaime-sama," Raido appeared at his side in a respectful bow. "You have a phone call."

"Can't it wait until after the round," Hiruzen replied, still engrossed in the battle.

"Sir, it's important. " Though his bodyguard's tone was controlled, his dark eyes stressed the urgency of the call.

"If I don't make it back in time, tell me who wins, Kazekage-sama," he said, getting up from his seat and leaving the balcony. Iwashi followed. He went back to the lounge room for Kages. Genma waited by the table where the landline was sitting, phone in hand. He looked as worried as Raido.

"It's Zō, Sandaime-sama," he said, holding out the phone. "He's calling from the orphanage?"

"Orphanage?" Hiruzen repeated, confused, and grabbed the phone, bringing it to his ears. "Please don't be so wrong." "I'm here, Zō. What's the issue?"

"We have an intruder, Sandaime-sama." Zō immediately relayed. "Emi didn't drop off Iruka, and when my group investigated the orphanage, we found that she had been trapped in the Jinchuuriki's nursery and brutally attacked by the intruder. She'll survive, though."

"What about Naruto and Iruka?"

"The Jinchuuriki sustained one major abdominal puncture, but his body is slowly healing itself. We couldn't find Iruka."

"Do you think he was taken by the intruder?" Hiruzen anxiously wrapped the phone cord around his finger.

"No, he wasn't. But from what Emi told us, Iruka's body was the one that attacked her."

"Iruka's body?"

"Yes. Emi believes that Iruka isn't in control of his body and who or whatever is puppeteering him is deceitful and hostile. And we don't know where his current location is."

A thunderous ripple of offensive chakra rumbled through the air and was joined by the crunch of shattering stones from the Kage balcony. Hiruzen easily recognized Rasa's aggressive chakra signature, and his heart dropped to his stomach as he came to a dreadful conclusion.

“Iruka is at the Chuunin Tournament.”

…

… …

… … …

Mizunoto stood silent and vigilant by Danzo's side as the advisor observed the battle between the Konoha and Suna-nin, both on the same promising level.

"Substitution? Too bad." The Suna advisor clicked her tongue as the Uzuki girl avoided a fatal blow. Unfortunately, the Konoha and Suna advisors had to share the left balcony below the Kage's. However, Mizunoto preferred the rotten presence of the Suna advisor over the Hoshigaki ambassadors who sat on the lower right balcony. The Suna advisor was younger by a few years than his own leader but no less powerful, though her unserious demeanor and playful smile would try to convince otherwise. Her dark blue hair had the fringes tied back into a small bun held by a pair of silver pins, the rest of the wavy hair left to run down her back and shoulders, blending into the long black cloak that hid her body. Her exposed neck showed a black-scaled, serpentine tail tattooed around it and trailing down underneath her cloak. Her narrowed eyes were as dark as a doll, and her pale lips pursed mischievously as her gaze danced over to Danzo.

"I bet she has your eye, doesn't she, Danzo-kun?" She tutted, leaning over her seat closer to the other advisor. Mizunoto eyed her movements closely behind his snarling mask. Her bodyguard was a tall shinobi with a stark black uniform and blank white mask standing eerily still. "She'd be such a loyal pet," She continued when Danzo didn't respond. She raised a black-gloved hand from her sleeve, Mizunoto ready for any attacks, and produced a small puppet of a faceless girl with long black hair and wearing a simple red dress. She made it dance with skillful movements, the figure twirling in the air from strings leading up to the puppeteer's fingers. "I can see her with a beautiful Anbu mask of a tiger, bathing in blood as she brings ruin to whoever you deem deserving."

"Do not distract me, Bunraku-san," Danzo kept his eye on the battle as he spoke. 

"Are you telling me to shut my mouth?" she made the puppet point its nubby arm angrily at the advisor.

"Professionally, yes." 

"Danzo-sama," the sudden arrival said before Bunraku could retort, and Mizunoto was ready to defend until he saw Rise standing beside his leader. "I bring news."

"Oh, about what, Rise-chan?" Bunraku eagerly inquired, her puppet raising a hand to its ear, and Rise's golden eye shot her a glare that rivaled their leaders.

"Tell me," Danzo gestured for Rise to come closer, and she leaned by his ear, cupping her hand to keep the Suna's nosey ears from listening. Mizunoto watched Danzo's eye widen a fraction just as the loud crash of a powerful attack unleashed from the Kage balcony, the Kazekage's chakra humming in the air. Rubble rained down from above, and while Rise was quick to shield Danzo, Mizunoto leaped into the air, battering them away from those below with precise punches, silently landing back on the balcony railing.

"Rasa-sama," Bunraku gasped and raced up the wall toward her Kage.

“Are we under attack, Danzo-sama?” Mizunoto asked.

"Yes, but not from Suna," the older man answered as he calmly stood up from his chair. "The Umino boy has been compromised."

"By whom?"

"Nothing that is our ally."

Above them, they could hear the Hokage giving a reassuring announcement and requesting that the competitors continue.

"Follow," he said, exiting with his subordinates into the corridor, where a white-masked Suna-nin waited for them. The one who had been on the balcony with them was blocking the other exit.

"You can be the worst man, Danzo-kun," Bunraku said as she came down the corridor to confront the trio. Her smile was gone, replaced with a tight-lipped frown and grated glare. Mizunoto was wound up, ready to strike at any sign of attack.

"Do you know what this is?" Bunraku raised her hand, holding out two fingers that glistened with a dark substance. "This is blood. Now, whose blood do you think this is?"

"We don't have time for this," Rise growled but quieted when Danzo raised his hand.

"I assume it is the Fourth Kazekage's," he answered, straight-faced.

"Correct. How did you know?" Bunraku rhetorically asked. "Some brat stole my Kazekage's beautiful amulet and made a bloody mess of his face." She flicked the blood in Danzo's direction, and Rise put her hand in the way before it hit his face. "I'm not upset that you tried to steal from us, Danzo-kun. I expect as much from you. It's the fact that it was so grossly executed and blatant that it is insulting that you thought you could make a fool out of us with such a childish scheme. You will reimburse us."

"… It is only fair," Danzo nodded without argument. "As long as it is not outrageous."

"Is it outrageous to want your pet's thieving hands along with Rasa-sama's amulet?"

"… I can give you a hand."

"A hand and two fingers. The thumb and ring finger."

"Fine then."

"It's in your best interest to keep your word because if you try and weasel your way out of this, Danzo-kun," she raised her bloody fingers in his face. "This won't be my Kazekage's blood on my hand, but yours." She disappeared along with her guards as four Root members rushed down the corridor.

"Where is the threat, Danzo-sama?" Kuma questioned.

"The Umino boy is possessed by something of devilish nature," Danzo explained. "We don't know what it wants or plans to do, but it has proven to be highly aggressive. Find him and do not cause a public commotion doing so. Do not eliminate the boy, but contain him by any means necessary. I advise extreme force. Kuma, Mizunoto, and Hyō will remain at my side. Rise, dawn your mask, and take the rest to spread the order amongst the subordinates."

"Yes, Danzo-sama!" She immediately flickered away with two of her fellow Root members.

"Naota, stay behind," he addressed the smiling Byakugan user.

"What's the matter, Danzo-sama?" Naota calmly asked as if the looming catastrophe wasn't obvious.

"For the time being, monitor the Kazekage and his charges. Assure that they make no plans for retaliation."

"Wouldn't you want me to look for Iruka?" Naota countered. "My Byakugan would be useful for that." Danzo's eye narrowed.

"If that were the case, you would have found the boy before he attacked the Kazekage. Now, do as I say."

"… Yes, Danzo-sama." Naota bowed his head and flickered away.

…

… …

… … …

Hiruzen dropped the phone and rushed out to the commotion with his bodyguards close behind. The remnants of the attack were marked across the walls behind the Kages' chairs and continued to the side of the balcony railing. Grains of golden sand and streaks of blood were stuck in the cracks of the broken stone.  The Kazekage had retreated into the room leading into the balcony with his two shocked guards, back turned as he spoke to his advisor, the black-cloaked kunoichi soon disappearing with a displeased expression.

“Rasa-sama, what happened?” Hiruzen asked, already having an idea himself. "Were you attacked?"

"… I was insulted," Rasa growled, turning around. The collar of his robe was ripped, and his Kazekage hat was in the hands of one of his guards. The white cloth that had covered his face was gone, so he used his hand as a substitute, blood slipping past his fingers to stain his white robes. "One of your Konoha rats stole a family heirloom from me, and I responded accordingly. He posed as a busboy before he snatched my amulet from my person but was so sloppy he cut up my face. I responded in kind, but unfortunately, I believe he survived. He hid his face from me, the coward." Rasa's gaze angrily narrowed. "Did you intend to make a fool of me, Hiruzen-sama?"

"Never would I intend such a thing, Kazekage-sama." Hiruzen gave a deep apologetic bow. "You have my sincerest apologies and regrets. Security should not have let the boy get so close to your magnificent person." He stood back up. "I will find the boy and punish him accordingly."

"I require that my amulet be returned to me before tomorrow morning. There will be consequences otherwise, Hiruzen-sama."

"Yes, I understand. Once again, I apologize with all my chest."

"Fulfill my request, and I just may believe you." The Kazekage dawned his hat, pushing the brim down low before leaving to return to his private quarters with his guards in tow.

"What are your orders, Sandaime-sama?" Genma asked once they were alone.

"Raido-san, have our Anbu teams involved with the Tenshigan case search for Umino Iruka and restrain him while the rest of the available members keep order amongst our civilians and guests. Have the guests return to their rooms after the tournament. Go!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Raido flickered away.

"Genma-san," Hiruzen addressed the other guard, who stood at attention, senbon crushed between his teeth. "My hand has been forced. I’m sorry Iruka-kun.” "I need you to tell Danzo-san to contact Uzumaki Uma. We require her aid."

"Understood," Genma was gone with a click of his tongue.

"Iwashi-san, you will remain with me." Hiruzen walked back out onto the balcony with his bodyguard and, with a reassuring grin, addressed the confused crowd, the worried proctor, and the examinees who paused their battle.

"A creepy pest startled me. Apologies for my outburst. Please, continue." He sat back down, ignoring the blood stain on the armrest, and after a moment of confused stillness, the competitors continued their battle and regained the audience's attention.

…

… …

… … …

Shisui's attention was ripped away from the battle as a terrific burst of chakra erupted, followed by the crunch of stone at the Kage's viewing balcony, the crowd gasping in surprise.

"Are we under attack?" Itachi proposed among the murmur of concerned and speculative voices.

"We very well could be," Fugaku said, eyeing the Kage balcony.

"Hopefully, no one’s hurt," Shisui said, trying to keep the tension from rising any further.

"Everyone, please remain calm and stay in your seats!" an Anbu member announced at the front of the stands to soothe the crowd. "We are currently assessing the situation. Everything is under control."

"Kuma-san!" Fugaku called out to the Root member as he stood up and looked around for him, receiving nothing in response. "Hey, you," he grabbed the attention of a passing root member. "Hyō?" "Tell me, what's going on? How can I help?"

"We're figuring that out, Uchiha-san," was the Root member's curt response. "We will handle this. Remain seated." He ordered before running off. 

"You think they would tell us anything," Eiko grumbled, grip firm on her black fan.

"Don't tell me…" Shisui spared a glance at where he last saw Iruka. The boy and who Shisui assumed were his entourage were gone. "Coincidence or connected?"

"I'm just about sick of them keeping me in the dark," Fugaku frustratedly gritted his teeth. He turned to his fellow Uchihas. "I'm going to see what all of this commotion is about. The rest of you stay here and keep your guard up."

"I'm coming with you, Fugaku-san," Shisui said, standing up.

"Me too, Otosan," Itachi tried to join, but Fugaku shook his head.

"No, stay here, Itachi. I need you to keep everyone safe." Though clearly disliking the order, the young boy obeyed. Shisui joined his leader in leaving the spectator area and heading for the Kage lounge. They entered the echoey stairwell to reach the top, and on the last stretch of stairs, they were greeted by a face familiar to Shisui. Iruka stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the Uchihas with dark, gaping eyes and a delightful smile that had widened since Shisui last saw him. The right sleeve of his yukata was ripped, the edges of the tear tinged red and hung low as the boy had his hands clasped together. Both Uchihas stopped in their tracks despite the rush they were in. 

"Do you know what happened, boy?" Fugaku questioned, his stern voice echoing in the stairwell. "It seemed like someone tried attacking the Kages. Is that true?"

"Uchiha Fugaku…" Iruka hummed and tilted his head, the bell jingling from his ear. "While I did not see what happened, I could taste blood in the air. Whose is a guessing game. Exciting, is it not?" Fugaku scowled at the boy's eased tone and wording but didn't acknowledge it further. 

“Come on, Shisui-kun.” The Uchihas continued up the stairs, and Iruka started his slow descent. Shisui kept his eye on the strange boy. The stairs weren't wide enough for both parties to pass without touching. Fugaku would be the one who would come into contact with Iruka. Four steps away. Three steps away. Two steps away. The lights above flickered, momentarily plunging the stairwell into darkness with the echo of their footsteps and the jingling of a bell still reigned. When the light returned, Shisui noticed two things. The first was that the bell's chimes had gone silent, and the second was that his clan leader had stopped his ascent. Iruka gripped the hem of Fugaku's flak jacket tightly, staring up at the man.

"What are you stopping me for, boy?" Fugaku demanded after such a rude gesture.

"… What is the best present you ever had?"

"This is utter nonsense—"

"The good luck charm from his eldest son," Shisui answered for the Uchiha leader. "It's meant to keep him safe whenever he goes on missions."

"Wow… That sounds like a lovely gift." Iruka's gaze took a short detour to Shisui, showing his insurmountable glee. "What present could ever surpass that?" Finally, he released Fugaku's flak jacket, leaving behind tears in the protective material, and continued his descent with the cheery jingle of a golden bell.

"Keep going," Fugaku ordered, wiping away the spot Iruka had grabbed as if it were a dirty stain, and rushed up the stairs. He beat Shisui to the door and stepped back quickly enough to dodge the door flinging open.

"Danzo-san," Fugaku nearly spit out the name as both men started glaring the moment their eyes laid on each other. "Tell me, what is going on?"

"You should be in your seat, Fugaku-san," the advisor calmly responded. However, Shisui could sense that the bandaged man's typical refined and walled-off chakra was now frazzled and unsteady, like a frightened animal clawing at anything too close. Shisui saw a cluster of Root members behind him in the hallway.

"We heard the commotion at the Kage balcony," Shisui said. "We've come to help, Danzo-san."

"You can help by returning to the stands and keeping the civilians calm." Danzo didn't move his glare away from Fugaku when he spoke. "We have the situation under control." He tried moving past Fugaku, the Uchiha leader standing firmly in the advisor's way.

"You're not keeping me in the dark this time," he declared, one hand gripping the door frame and the other his side. "What the hell is going on? Did someone try assassinating one of the Kages? Is—" he paused to cough into his fist. "Is there an intruder?"

"That is no concern of yours," Danzo retorted, a frustrated crease on his brow. "Move out of the way."

"Not my concern?" Fugaku growled angrily. "As the police chief, I have the right to investigate any threats against the village—" he coughed again, but it sounded wetter and came deep from his chest. "I'd be damned if anything kept me from doing my duty. Anything!" Fugaku panted, and Danzo's frustrated scowl shifted to concerned apprehension.

"You have something on your lip, Fugaku-san," he wearily observed. Still glaring, Fugaku roughly wiped his mouth with his hand, only looking shocked when he saw the dark red substance staining his skin.

"The hell?" he muttered, confused, and more bloody substance spilled past his lips, now leaking from his nose as he took a step back.  

"What's wrong, Fugaku-san?" Shisui asked, concerned.

"I don't… No, I've felt this." Fugaku's eyes went wide with realization. "It feels like…" He held his side tighter and nearly hunched over as he gritted his teeth, wobbling back unsteady, heels by the edge of the stairs.

"Fugaku-san?" Danzo eyed the Uchiha's unsteady movements, arm outstretched.

"Something's biting me in—ugh!" he violently hacked up a gout of too-dark blood on the floor and stumbled, losing his footing and falling back down towards the staircase.

"Damn!" Danzo cursed and snatched Fugaku's arm while Shisui grabbed his jacket, though the already ripped fabric tore from his tugging, leaving the advisor to slip on the blood on the floor and be pulled down from the falling weight.

“Fugaku-san!” “Danzo-sama!”

Shisui and the Bear both acted. The Root member rushed to grab the advisor, holding him around the midsection with one arm and a hand on the banister for support. Shisui raced behind his clan leader to keep his head from bashing against the steps, thankfully held up by the combined effort of Danzo and the Bear so Shisui didn't fall back from Fugaku's weight.

"Grab the Uchiha leader!" Danzo ordered the rest of his soldiers, and they came flooding the stairwell to help carry the somehow wounded Uchiha into the hallway.

"Get—ugh— the hell off me!" Fugaku spat, hissing in pain and writhing in the Root members' grip, who dragged him into the hallway and roughly dropped him on the floor at the furious burst of chakra he let out.

"Fugaku-san, please keep calm," Shisui tried to calm Fugaku as he crouched down by his clan leader, not touching the man who was groaning and curling up in pain, arm around his abdomen.  "We'll figure out what's wrong."

"It's eating me," Fugaku gritted his bloody teeth as he tried to sit himself up, his Sharingan burning red in his irritated pink eyes unfocused from pain and panic. "That beast is trying to eat me again! I have to," he pulled out his kunai with shaky fingers and raised it high, "Kill it!" he brought it down towards his stomach.

"No!" Shisui stopped Fugaku by the wrists, only strong enough against his clan leader's strength to keep him from burying the kunai an inch deeper into himself. Shisui activated his Sharingan with a thought and immediately sensed the unearthly chakra clinging to Fugaku like a parasite. "There's something vicious tricking your mind. Focus!" Shisui strained to keep the powerful shinobi from gutting himself.

"Didn't I say," Fugaku looked up at him, and Shisui reflexively recoiled. The older Uchiha's Mangekyo spun furiously, with the blood vessels in his eyes having burst into crimson streaks. "Get the hell off me!" A blindfold was slapped onto him from behind.

"Apologies, Fugaku-san," the Bear apologized as he fought to tie the chakra-infused blindfold tight and hurriedly weaved a seal to keep it in place.

"Let go!" Fugaku tore one hand out of the Shisui's grip and swung to strike him with a closed fist powered with chakra. It crashed into Danzo's bandaged palm, who was now suddenly kneeling over Shisui to intervene in the attack, his arm straining as the workings of a seal formed down the Uchiha's arm.

“Restrain him, Kuma!” He ordered and grunted as he forced Fugaku's arm down, connecting the seal on his arm to the floor and keeping it restrained.

"Bastard!" Fugaku spat up blood and lashed out with a vicious kick, landing squarely on Danzo's side with a crunch, knocking the air out of him and sending him, gasping, onto his back. Shisui threw himself on top of Fugaku's thrashing legs to keep them still, definitely bruising himself, and the Bear pushed Fugaku’s back to the ground by his shoulders, digging into his collarbone as he pinned him down. Fugaku's remaining free hand struck out across the Bear's face, cracking his mask, though he stayed firm, muscles visibly straining. The spectating Root members came to Danzo's aid, but he held up a hand, signaling them to stop as he picked himself back up, hissing a wheezy breath through his teeth, and returned to the struggle.

He sealed both of the frantic man's legs down first, allowing Shisui to grab Fugaku's wildly swinging arm and hold it down with all his weight. Danzo sealed down the arm, and Shisui eyed the advisor's dark bruises peeking through the slip of his robes. "It sounded like he broke a rib or at least cracked one." Danzo opened up Fugaku's flak jacket, the dark shirt underneath soaked and promptly cut it open with his own kunai in the advisor's grip. Shisui silently cringed, seeing what was underneath. On the right side of Fugaku's stomach was a spiky dot-like black seal with archaic markings circling. The skin around it had become bruised with the multiple scarring of shark bites that already marred his abdomen, across his chest, and shoulders, opening back up with thin black tendrils pushing the wounds open from the inside, the tender pink flesh weeping red.

"Oh, Kami," Shisui gasped. "What kind of cursed seal is this?"

"Devilish," Danzo hissed.

"Get it off!" Fugaku screamed more in pain than anger, nails scratching against the floor and struggling against the restraining seals. The Bear kept Fugaku's head turned to the side so he didn't choke on his bile. The advisor swiftly weaved his hand signs before placing a smaller seal on the older Uchiha's neck; Fugaku's groans of pain quieted for a moment before a sharp tendril pierced from underneath his skin at the center of the seal, breaking it with a golden burst of energy. His agonizing screams started up again. Danzo redirected his attention to the cursed seal, roughly jabbing his chakra-infused fingers into it and forcefully trying to break down the seal's couplings. The disturbed seal shifted, the spiky points wriggling like worms to crawl across the skin and away from Danzo's attacking hands, leaving behind an angry red rash that had Fugaku vehemently swearing.

"Abomination," Danzo cursed under his breath as sharp tendrils shot up from the skin and bit at his fingers.

"Don't stop, Danzo-san," Shisui said, crimson eyes tracking the seal's jerky movements. I'll… grab it!" He struck his hands out in a precise jab, snatching the squirming seal with his fingers, flooding it with chakra. It wriggled in his grip, a gross and unnerving sensation, though Danzo moved his hands to cup around Shisui's in case the seal slipped out.

"Do you have it?" Danzo questioned, the strain showing as a dissatisfied frown on his face.

"Yes, but it's…" Shisui internally shuddered, feeling something writhe just underneath the skin, going down deeper. "Trying to get away." With one hand left pinching the escaping seal, he grabbed his kunai and made a small incision beside the seal before dropping it. He pushed his fingers into the cut and seized the seal from the inside, a spiky worm-like limb writhing in his grip. Shisui tightened his grip and tried pulling it out, the parasite hellbent on staying inside of his host. Danzo readjusted his hold to stretch the cut wider open so Shisui could get a better grasp. Reasonably, Fugaku spewed a stream of unintelligible babble to express his pain, the restraining seals threatening to break from his resistance.

"What the hell is going on?!" Shisui looked over his shoulder to see one of the Hokage's bodyguards, Genma, racing down the hall towards him, clearly confused and horrified at the sight in front of him.

"Fugaku-san was given a cursed seal," the young Uchiha quickly explained, sparing a fraction of his attention away, never intending to let go of the wicked thing. "We have everything under control."

"I hear Fugaku-taichou screaming!"

"He's up there, I bet!"

"All of you hurry!"

A collection of concerned voices of Uchihas' echoed in the nearby stairwell, followed by footsteps rushing up the stairs. "Not now!"

"Don't let them in!" Danzo snappily ordered his Root members, who swiftly obeyed. Hyō and Mizunoto stepped into the stairwell, where shouting and arguing could soon be heard. One small Uchiha slipped through the door before it was closed.

"Otosan!" Itachi cried out in a panic, his Sharingan burning in his eyes at the flood of stressful emotions. Genma kept the boy back from the chaos with a hand to his shoulder. "What's wrong with Otosan? Why is he screaming like that?"

"It's okay, Itachi-kun," Shisui spoke steadily and gave his best reassuring smile to calm Itachi. "We're taking care of your father." Further pressed by Itachi's presence, Shisui yanked harshly on the spiky limb, pulling out the first few inches of the black writhing tendril. He pulled and pulled, and more of the incredibly long parasite was yanked out with each tug, the tendrils pushing Fugaku's wounds open pulled inside.

"Get out!" he screamed in exertion and gave one final tug, feeling the seal base slip from underneath his fingers and Fugaku's skin as he ripped the parasite from his clan leader's body with a wet snap, the thing flicking blood everywhere as it writhed in the air like a snake caught in a crow's talons. Shisui flung it through the air, and it landed on the floor in a writhing bloody heap. Itachi pounced on it as he stabbed it with his kunai, over and over again, in a flurry of furious strikes. It stopped moving with a jerky freeze and curled up on itself before crumbling into dark dust that dissolved into nothing. Fugaku gave a deep groan, his body going limp, and Danzo hurriedly felt his pulse as Itachi came to his father's side.

"He's alive. He’s only unconscious," Danzo said, releasing the restrictive seals while the Bear took off the blindfold with a relieved sigh.

"But he needs medical attention," Shisui said between heavy breaths. "Kuma-san, take him to the hospital immediately. Don’t cause a commotion"

"On it," the Bear nodded without question, carefully maneuvering the injured Uchiha onto his back.

"I'm coming too," Itachi said, glossy-eyed, and held onto his father's pant leg.

"Of course," the Bear agreed and teleported away with the two Uchihas. Shisui didn't waste another moment and went to the stairwell where the Root members and Uchiha clansmen were arguing, weapons drawn, and Sharingan's activated.

"You're trying to assassinate our leader, aren't you, you snakes!" Yashiro accused as he pointed his sword at Hyō.

"Get back, Uchiha, before I make you," Hyō threatened back in return.

"Both of you stop!" Shisui ordered as he placed himself between the two groups.

"Shisui-kun, what happened?" Inabi asked, seeing the blood-covered state the young Uchiha was in. "Did that rat's scum attack you?"

"Rat?" Hyō echoed incredulously, raising his kunai, and Shisui shot him a firm look.

"Keep calm. Starting a fight won't help anyone." Hyō huffed but didn't instigate further. Shisui turned back to the Uchiha. "No, it wasn't the Anbu who attacked," Shisui clarified. "We dealt with a rouge shinobi, and he placed a cursed seal on Fugaku-san. Danzo-san and I worked together to break it." The Uchiha looked baffled at the news but didn't question Shisui's words.

"What is Fugaku-taicho's status?" the young Tekka asked.

"He is alive but seriously injured. He and Itachi are currently at the hospital. Please inform Eiko-san and tell her that our best course of action would be to monitor Fugaku-san and keep to the Uchiha Compound until the dust settles."

"… Right," Yashiro nodded, putting his trust in the younger Uchiha, and took his group back down the stairs.

"You should go with them," Mizunoto said to Shisui, less of a threat and more of a concerned suggestion. "Stay out of this while you can."

"I appreciate your concern, Mizunoto-senpai," Shisui softly smiled, "but I think we're past that." He went back into the hallway where Danzo was talking to Genma.

"Now Hiruzen wants to contact her," the advisor frustratedly sighed, gesturing with one bloody hand to the mess on the floor while the other cradled the side Fugaku had kicked. "At least he hasn't completely lost his mind. Report back to the Hokage, Genma. But don't tell him about Fugaku's condition yet. He can't have that plaguing his mind along with everything else while he puts on a show." Genma nodded and was gone the next moment.

"You should get treatment for your rib, Danzo-san," Shisui advised, and Danzo turned around with mild surprise.

"What are you still doing here? Tell no one of this and attend to your clan leader." The advisor made a shooing motion with his hand as if he were telling off a dog for jumping on the bed.

"I have my fellow clansmen to do that."

"Then this is an order from your superior officer. Leave immediately."

"No," Shisui said firmly, not budging even when he felt the two Root members close in behind him. "I want to know what's going on with Umino Iruka."

"So, someone was eavesdropping on us earlier," Danzo narrowed his eye. "You shouldn't intrude like that, Shisui-san. You'll find something grievous."

"Something grievous found me and Fugaku-san," Shisui retorted. "Before bumping into you, we came across Iruka, and he touched Fugaku, saying something about a gift. I think he put that cursed seal on Fugaku-san."

"A distraction," Danzo grumbled at the realization.

"So, he was the one that attacked the Kage balcony. Why?"

"I don't have time to argue with you," the older man tried shrugging him off and walking away, but Shisui moved to stand in front of him, unwavering.

"Then don't argue. You tell me what's wrong and how I can help. If your goal is to protect Konohagakure, we're on the same team here."

"You aren't a necessity for my team."

"Not only did I help you break the cursed seal, I just stopped Fugaku's subordinates and your soldiers from brawling in the stairwell." Shisui calmly and clearly said. "My clan members thought you tried to assassinate our leader, Danzo-san. If I wasn't here to explain to them that you weren't the culprit, what do you think would have happened when they barged in here and saw you hunched over their leader as he screamed for you to get off him in a bloody heap on the floor." Danzo didn't have a proper response other than a silent glare, though Shisui could see he was taking in the Uchiha's words.

"You read my letters, so you know I want to help, but I need your cooperation to help my clan and the village because this Iruka is clearly a threat to both." He softened his expression and retreated his Sharnigan, making his round black eyes look as pleading as possible and hoping to latch onto the reactive thread the man showed earlier at the mention of Kagami’s. "Please, let me help you, Danzo-san." He must have tugged on something inside of the advisor as his golden eye widened the smallest bit, and he looked away with the edges of his scowl dulling, letting out a deep sigh.

"… Only for tonight, Shisui-san," Danzo finally relented, still not looking the Uchiha in the eyes.

"Thank you, Danzo-san!" Shisui smiled brightly, ensuring the bandaged man could see it in his periphery. "So, you do have one loose end I can tug on… Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"Mizunoto, hand me a blank scroll," the advisor ordered, and the Root member promptly placed one in his hand. "Do you have a crow summon yet, Shisui-san?"

"Yes, I do," the Uchiha didn't ask why as he bit his thumb and summoned Zumo into his palm, the crow cawing a greeting. Danzo opened the scroll on the wall and wrote in Fugaku's blood still on his fingers.

"Who are you writing to?" Shisui asked.

"Someone who specializes in dealing with Umino's situation." He rolled up the scroll and handed it to Shisui to attach to his crow's back. "She lives on Mount Hiruji." He said. "Mount Hiruji. That's so far away." Shisui opened up a window for Zumo to fly away. He didn't ask for clarification on what "Umino's situation" meant. With all the strange things he had heard today, he had strung together an idea of what was happening despite how horrific it sounded. It solidified when he had read the three words Danzo had written on the scroll.

Konoha.

Demon.

Possession.

Chapter 8: ɃɆWȺɌɆ ƗNŦɌᵾĐɆɌ

Summary:

After the barely contained disaster that was the Chuunin Tournament, the intruder possessing Iruka is missing with Hiruzen scrambling to find him before any more people get hurt. Meanwhile Asuma and Kurenai are ordered to stay at the Sarutobi estate despite wanting to help search for Iruka. Maybe they don’t need to go searching.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Iruka opened his eyes and found himself standing in a void of darkness, neither hot nor cold. He felt grounded on land, but any movement had him disoriented and worried that a single misstep would have him tumbling down into the dark. "Is this the mindscape Hamura-sensei was talking about? Wait, I sealed him inside of me, didn't I? Yes, I remember. He didn't tell me it would hurt so much." He looked around the empty darkness. "If I'm in the mindscape, where is everyone?"

"I am here," Hamura's silky voice whispered beside his ear, accompanied by the soft jingle of a bell. He physically jumped, startled. He spun around to see Hamura, but he was standing plenty of feet away rather than right behind him. Hamura would have melted into the darkness if not for his piercing golden eyes.

"Hamura-sensei," he called out, and his voice echoed as if he were in a cave as he approached. His pace slowed when he saw that his guardian angel's expression had changed. He smiled still; however, his cracked lips finally pulled back to reveal a row of gold teeth, though they looked old and speckled with corrosion near the roots. They looked like regular human teeth regardless, but somehow… the sight still stirred Iruka the wrong way.

"Hamura-sensei?..." He waited for some kind of response. The angel remained as still and silent as a statue in a garden. "Can… Can you take me to my parents now?" Again, his question wasn't given an answer. "… Is something wrong?" He flinched as something cold and wet landed on his face, and he wiped it away, seeing glistening water on his fingers. More drops fell, hitting the ground with a patter, and Iruka raised his arms to shield himself from the sudden rainfall. He stepped back, and his foot squished in mushy mud. "What?" Confused, he looked around. The dark abyss was gone, replaced by a small dirt area, muddied from the rain and scattered with dark red puddles. A pair of children faced off in the center, their faces streaked with mud and desperation as they aimed to take each other's lives with their blades. A group of faceless silhouettes stood in the stands and looked down at the arena, judgment radiating from them.

"What's going on, Hamura-sensei?" Iruka questioned as he pressed his back to the arena wall, looking around for the angel and finding him nowhere. One of the boys, the one wearing a ripped grey shirt and pants, hissed in pain as the other cut across his shoulder with a red-bladed tanto, his blue eyes full of vigor. The blue-eyed boy took the opportunity to tackle the other boy, fighting on the ground to slice his blade anywhere he could as the grey-shirted boy fought for his life. Iruka covered his eyes, not wishing to see the bloody outcome. "Why am I seeing this? Why is this even happening? Where are—" An agonized cry scratched at Iruka's ears, and he peeked through his fingers to see the blue-eyed boy scrambling away in the mud with a kunai sticking out of his gut. The grey-shirted boy got to his feet, now holding the red-bladed tanto as he approached the retreating boy.

Iruka jumped back as the blue-eyed boy collapsed right in front of him, hitting his back against the wall and sliding down to sit in the mud. The blade-wielding boy lunged, burying the tanto into the downed boy's chest, spurting blood into the air that splashed across Iruka's face. The killer sat atop the dying boy, head hung low, watching the teary blue eyes gloss over in death. The audience in the stands gave quiet applause with affirming nods. The victor raised his head, his long dark hair falling back, and Iruka gasped, horrified, as he stared into the cold grey eyes of his father, young face stained red.

"Tosan?..." he whispered, shocked. A bell jingled.

"Indeed," Hamura spoke again, so close to his ear, and Iruka whipped his head around, the angel looming over him with that golden grin. More noticeable grey hair streaked through his greasy black hair, and the rings and bracelets on his greyed fingers and wrists had gained dark corroded spots. "This is Umino Ikkaku's academy graduation. Would you like to see Hino Kohari's?"

"No!" Iruka furiously shook his head. "I don't want to see any of this. Why are you showing me this?"

"You wished to see your parents. So, see your parents… as raw as they were." A loud smoke bomb went off beside them, and Iruka coughed, waving away the suffocating cloud. The smokey scent faded away, letting the stench of swampy mist set in, along with the cacophony of war cries and blades crashing against each other—the sound of battle.

"Hamura-sensei!" Iruka cried out as he wandered around the grassy field, ducking under shurikens and stepping over the bodies of Suna and Kiri-nin.

"Iruka-kun!" he heard Rin's voice echo in the distance.

"Iruka, where are you?!" Akuri's voice joined in

"Rin-chan! Akuri-kun!" he called back, following their voices, but instead, he stumbled across a trio of Suna-nin, hunkered down in a trench, one with a wounded leg being healed by a medic-nin with the last keeping guard, looking around with frantic eyes.

"How many of us are down?" the medic-nin questioned, his voice strained with exertion.

"Can't say. I can't see a damn thing in this mist," the guard answered. "I know those pair of Kiri-demons took down Mio and Youta."

"You two need to retreat," the wounded shinobi groaned, leaning back against the dirt wall. "Get out of here."

"We'll get out of here," the guard argued.

"If they get ahold of us, we're shark food. I'll just slow you down."

"I'm almost done healing you." The medic-nin assured her comrade. "Once I'm done, we'll—" a flaming shuriken silently whizzed from the mist, aiming for her head, and she successfully ducked. However, it ricocheted against her comrade's forehead protector and sliced itself cleanly across her neck.

"Mina-san!" The guard gasped as he watched his comrade slump over.

"Get out of here!" the wounded shinobi demanded as he pulled himself to his feet, gripping a chipped kunai.

"I'm not leaving you, Akito-san!" the guard dug in his heels. A kunai raced through the mist, but this time, the guard was swift enough to catch it before it could strike Akito. However, he didn't realize his mistake soon enough, as there was a paper bomb attached to the end, exploding in the shinobi's hand. Iruka cowered back from the blast, shielding himself from the heat with his arms.

"Damnit," Akito wheezed, having been blown out of the trench and onto his back in the damp field, half of his face brutally burned. A Kiri-nin, decorated with battle wounds, approached him from the mist, and Akito weakly raised his kunai.

"Don't bother," Ikkaku monotonously droned, keeping his bruised hands at his sides. Kohari came down on the wounded Suna-nin like a pouncing tiger, her tanto digging into Akito's back and slicing through his heart. He collapsed to the ground dead.

"Was that the last one?" Kohari emotionlessly asked as she twisted her blade free out of the dead shinobi.

"That we'll dispose of, yes," Ikkaku said. "Oushisame will devour the stragglers."

"We'll leave these for him then," she gestured to the mass of corpses surrounding them, including Kiri and Suna-nin.

"Hamura-sensei, please stop!" Iruka cried out and turned away from the gruesome sight, ready to run away. His feet clattered on a hardwood floor, and he opened his eyes to find himself back in his old home in Kirigakure. He saw himself, a small baby, sleeping in a pile of blankets while his parents watched over him, disdain evident on their faces.

"He's so small now," his mother's lips curled in disgust. "But I know he'll grow to be worse than us."

"If we raise him, yes," his father added, turning his eyes away from his son. "We could leave him by the river. A Hoshigaki will be sure to find him."

"Even those monsters wouldn't want to eat this thing."

"No…" Iruka's lip quivered as he stumbled back, shaking his head. "They didn't say that… They couldn't… They—"

"Love you?" Hamura's voice chimed like the bells hanging from his waist, and Iruka turned around to face the angel whose feathered cloak had lost its pristine, molting and dirtied with dark specs. The skin on the corner of his grinning lips started to tear, showing his blackened gums. "Is that what they taught you?"

"Of course, they loved me!" Iruka yelled, getting a sick feeling in the pits of his stomach. "They fought for my future. They died for me!"

"Died for you?" the angel asked with an edge of mocking. The home melted away like a bad memory and revealed that he was back in Konohagakure on a very terrible night. If the scattering panicked civilians and shinobi racing across rooftops didn't give it away, the oppressive, ireful chakra suffocating the village did.

"No, please! Not here!" Iruka pleaded, grabbing Hamura's robes, the fabric ripping too easily.

"My deepest apologies, I thought you were going to prove that your parents died for you. See," he pointed, "there they go." Iruka spun around to see his parents running off to face the beast ravaging the village. "Kaasan! Tosan! No, wait!" he chased after them through the chaos of scattering civilians and flying debris, wounding people and destroying homes. The moonlight illuminated the beast's frightening silhouette as it tore through buildings and shinobi alike. "Kaasan!" he screamed to his mother as she stood atop a building to get a better aim.

"Iruka-kun!" she looked down at him, shocked and then furious. "Get back!" She hurled a shuriken at him, and he didn't have time to duck, the weapon slicing him deeply across his face. He fell back just as a massive hunk of rock landed right in front of him, where he would have been if he hadn't been stopped. He heard his mother's pained scream on the other side of the rock. He knew if he followed the scream, he would see his dying mother crumpled up in the dirt like a discarded doll. The bells jingled.

"Why aren't you going to her?" Hamura asked, his shadow looming over Iruka.

"If you've been following me my whole life, you should know what happens," the boy angrily growled, getting back to his feet and facing his guardian angel. "Is he even my guardian angel?"

"Are you questioning my guardianship, Umino Iruka?" Hamura slightly tilted his head, the skin on his neck visibly straining.

"You… You wouldn't put me through this if you really were my guardian. I dream about this day enough at night!" Iruka wiped away angry tears from his face. "You're being so cruel to me like all the other creatures have been." He pointed an accusatory finger at Hamura. "You're not even an angel, are you? You monster!"

The bells chimed once more, and the world instantly snapped back to the black abyss he had woken up in, but he wasn't alone. Hamura stayed with him. Iruka never realized how intimidating the being's tall stature was until he was looming over him like he was now with that unshifting grin that looked more cruel than pleasant.

"Yes… I have deceived you," Hamura spoke with a gravelly wheeze. His robes started to unwind, the threads snapping as if they had been aged years. His feather cloak molted rapidly, falling feathers being swallowed by the darkness, and those lingering on the dark, slender limbs coming from his back were few and crooked. "The name Umino Iruka has meant less than nothing to me for all the years I've wandered. That was until the day you were blessed by Tsuki no O." His black hair fell out in massive clumps. It was promptly replaced by stringy white and silver hair as his eyelids started to droop and skin tearing from his grin, though there was no blood, just leathery dark grey skin underneath. "However, my tongue does not only spit lies." He raised his hand more fluidly than before, the sickly white skin peeling off at the action to ooze down his arm. He motioned Iruka closer with a rusty golden claw. "Come closer, and I'll let you taste the truth." A long pale grey tongue peeked between his gold teeth, wiggling like a worm.

"No! Don't touch me!" Iruka shouted as he backpedaled away.

"Don't touch you? But I'm already inside of your soul." Hamura took a single step and instantly loomed over Iruka. His clawed hands snatched the boy up in the air, and Iruka cried out in pain and fright as he stared down Hamura's golden eyes. "You must not mind that I want to be closer to you, Umino Iruka."

"Let me go!" he clawed at the being's face, fingers snagging on the gross loose skin and pulling it off with a wet rip, revealing the rest of his dark grey face with sharper angles. His wide eyes were like dark empty pits with a single glimmer of gold far inside that beckoned Iruka closer.

"Hush, little boy," Hamura wheezily cooed as he brought the boy into a tight embrace, Iruka pushing against his chest and failing to squirm away. A burningly cold and heavy chakra strangled him like a straight jacket, restraining his struggling and seeping into his skin to painfully slice through his flesh and nip at his bones like a pack of hyenas. It whispered into his soul, promising so much worse than any other monster he had encountered. Iruka started to hyperventilate with terror, gripping his chest like an unyielding vice as Hamura's frigid lips pressed against his ear, grinning. "You will be my beautiful seedbed."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The moonless night had fallen with Iruka still missing, hiding somewhere underneath the dark abyssal sky. Every stressful moment that passed, filled with complaints and questions flowing in from the Chunnin exam guests, confused shinobi prying about the increased Anbu presence and temporary night curfew, and fruitless updates about the search for Iruka was what would make Hirzuen's hair turn sleet grey if not fall out entirely. He paced around the lounge area in the archives as he read from the journal about the typical behaviors of possessed individuals with his advisors, Koharu and Homura, taking phone calls, complaints, and reports from their shared desk.

"No, we haven't located Iruka yet, Asuma-kun," Homura grumbled into the phone. "We already have a flood of calls, so please only call if it is an emergency. We'll let you know when we find him… I know you're worried but keep a level head. We'll find him…" he hung up the phone with a sigh.

"Status report, Homura," Hiruzen said, eyes glued to the depiction of the final stage of possession showing a girl whose jaw rotted away due to 'Severe dark Aether infection to living tissue.'

"Iruka's last known location is still the arena at the start of the second round. The orphanage is still on lockdown with no more signs of demonic activity, but the headmaster has reported that most of the children on the floor closest to the 'Fox Hall' cannot sleep. The Inuzuka clan has complaints about their nin-kin being restless to the point of exhaustion. The Hyuuga clan head complains of a 'foul air polluting Konoha's streets. The Uchiha clan has been strangely silent and there are reports that Fugaku disappeared after the Kazekage was attacked. The Kazekage demanded constant updates on the thief and threatened to find him himself if his amulet was not returned. That's all so far."

"I have something noteworthy to add," Koharu said after ending her call, a worried crease on her brows. "One of the Hoshigaki ambassadors, Tenninsame, just called to ask if any Uchihas died recently."

"Why?" Hiruzen paused his pacing.

"Because she smelled Uchiha blood during the exams. She wanted you to take note of the Hoshigaki’s restraint because I quote, 'it was enough Uchiha blood to start a feeding frenzy.'"

"Did she know whose specifically?"

"Fugaku's." Hiruzen nearly dropped the book in his hands, and Homura visibly stiffened.

"So he’s been silent because he was attacked too?" Hiruzen asked as if anyone around had the answer. "Did this demon kidnap him or leave him for dead? If Fugaku was missing, wouldn't the Uchiha clan tell us, or are they trying to figure it out on their own? Damn. We need to find Fugaku as well."

"Should we publicly declare an emergency about a dangerous intruder?" Homura suggested.

"If this demon is able to subdue our clan heads, we may have to." Koharu agreed.

"No, we can't do that," Hiruzen opposed. "It'd make the civilians panic, and the clan heads would send out shinobi to search for Iruka. They'll only get themselves hurt. They mustn't know about any of this."

"They will if this demon claims more victims," Homura argued. "It's better to let them know now than after they are attacked. It would take the heat off of us. There's enough tension in this village already."

"They won't be attacked because we will handle the situation." Hiruzen set the book down on a nearby stand with a loud thump. "Uma is coming to help."

"Yes, but the soonest she'll get here is tomorrow afternoon," Koharu said. "That's too much time for more harm to be done. We also have no idea where the devil boy is, and if we can't find him by the time the Uzumaki gets here, how can she help?"

"We'll find him, Koharu. Don't lose hope so soon."

"What hope is there?" Homura asked. “We have a demon stealing from Kazekages and kidnapping our clan heads for Kami knows what, and we can't stop it," he explained with an undercurrent of dread. “What happens if we do find the demon? Contain it? Kill it? You saw how cruel it was to the caretaker and Jinchuuriki, and it's probably gotten stronger now. It'll probably curse us all for interfering with whatever vile plans it concocted."

"I'm already cursed. What's another?" Hiruzen grumbled, growing irritated at the gnawing bleakness that was trying to devour his remaining hope. "We can't falter now. We have to stay strong and work together if we're to keep the village safe. All of us." He looked around the archives, suddenly realizing someone was missing from this catastrophe. "Where is Danzo? Have either of you two heard from him?"

"No," Homura said. "The last I've heard from him was that report he told Genma to give, which was soon after the Kazekage left the tournament. Do you think the demon attacked him too?"

"I doubt that," Koharu said. "His children would've notified us if he were missing or grievously injured. He's probably cowering in the dirt like he did during the last disaster."

"Who's cowering, Koharu-san?" Koharu and Homura flinched at Danzo, suddenly appearing from an archive aisle, his harsh voice echoing in the chamber-like room.

"Where the hell have you been, Danzo?" Hiruzen turned to question the advisor and looked confused, seeing that Danzo wasn't alone. "And why is Shisui with you right now?"

"My hand was forced, so Shisui-san and I have been working on the containment seal." The advisor gestured a bandaged hand towards the young Uchiha standing beside him, who smiled and waved.

"Danzo-san is working with a Uchiha?" Homura gasped in shock before sighing defeatedly and pushing up his glasses to rub his eyes. "We truly are in dark times."

"Quiet, you fool," Danzo clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Why did you bring Shisui into this?" Hiruzen nearly hissed. "The Uchiha clan will be rightfully raged if they knew their clan head had been kidnapped by a demon and their best soldier cursed."

"The Uchiha head hasn't been kidnapped," Danzo retorted, causing Hiruzen and the advisors behind him to look confused.

"How do you know?" Hiruzen questioned. "We haven't heard from Fugaku since the tournament was interrupted, and the Hoshigaki reported that they smelled his blood, so we thought the demon subdued him."

"The Hoshigaki wasn't wrong," Shisui spoke up, lips dipping into a frown. "Fugaku-san did bleed… a lot."

"What happened?" Koharu asked.

"When Fugaku-san and I went to investigate the commotion at the Kage balcony, we came across Iruka in the stairwell. Not that I knew it was really a demon at the time, but looking back, it was obvious. It gave Fugaku-san a cursed seal that took effect just after we bumped into Danzo's group."

"Let me guess, Danzo's next course of action wasn't to alert me." Hiruzen shot his advisor a frustrated glare.

"It would have only distracted you," Danzo explained. "Anyway, we had the situation handled despite how… messy the process was."

"How messy?"

"The cursed seal made him delirious with pain," Shisui said. "He lashed out at himself and us, so we had to restrain him. We went to break the seal and saw why he was in so much pain. It was like… a wormy parasite that burrowed into him with thin tendrils that were strong enough to break his skin and reopen all of his old war wounds." Homura silently gagged at the mental image.

"It sounded like Fugaku was mentally and physically experiencing the pain from his scars all over again. Danzo and I removed it, but Fugaku-san needed medical attention, so I sent him to the hospital. My clan's been quiet because they don't want word that our leader is temporarily vulnerable to spread. I told them that he was attacked by a rogue-nin. They know nothing about Iruka and the demon. I know why you want to keep this under wraps, Sandaime-sama. Nobody that doesn't need to know shouldn't see this darkness."

"Thank you for your help, Shisui-kun," Hiruzen gratefully bowed his head, still processing the disturbing scene the young Uchiha had presented them with. “I trust that you will keep quiet about this affair. You may return to the Uchiha compound."

"Please don't send me away so soon, Sandaime-sama," Shisui responded. "I am here despite everything I've seen because I want to help. Konoha needs all the help she can get with this looming threat. Allow me to stay, Sandaime-sama." A noble request. "Unfortunately, the boy's already got his hands dirty in this devilry."

"I'll allow you to help, Shisui-kun," Hiruzen nodded. "Tell me more about this barrier you two made."

"I didn't really create it, more so copied Danzo-san's jutsus to help put it together."

"The barrier is held together by three locking tags," Danzo said. "They can be spread wide enough that once we know the demon's approximate location, we can trap him inside without getting close. However, I doubt it will be trapped for long without constant chakra sources at the locking points."

"So, if we find the demon, we should be able to contain it until the Onmyoji arrives?" Homura asked.

"Theoretically, yes."

"We just need to find Iruka then," Hiruzen said, regaining some hope he desperately needed. "We need to—" Homura's phone rang, the sharp chime interrupting the Hokage, and the advisor sighed, seeing who was calling.

"It's Asuma again." He picked up the phone. "Asuma-kun, I already told you that…" he paused and scrunched his face in confusion. "Hello?"

"What's the matter?" Hiruzen asked, already having a sinking feeling.

"There's no one on…" his sentence drifted into silence, and his face suddenly became as pale as a sheet.

"What's wrong, Homura?" Koharu demanded, putting a hand on her fellow advisor's stiff shoulder. Homura pulled the phone away from his ear, not hanging up, and put a hand over the microphone.

"It's the demon," he said. He looked to meet Hiruzen's gaze. "It wants to speak with you, Hiruzen."

"Absolutely not," Danzo said. "We know it's calling from the Sarutobi estate. Just hang up."

"I can't," Homura shook his head. "It said it would kill Asuma if I did that."

"Shisui-kun, send Anbu over to the Sautobi estate," Hiruzen promptly ordered. The young Uchiha nodded and was gone the next moment. "Homura, hand me the phone," he demanded and marched over. He took the outstretched phone and put the call on speaker. The phone emitted a constant buzz, with quiet, shaky breaths hiding underneath the static. The Hokage held up a hand to keep everyone around him silent.

"This is Sarutobi Hiruzen," Hiruzen kept his voice steady and tone confident despite hearing his heart drum in his ears. "Who am I speaking to?"

"… Sandaime-sama, I'm scared," Iruka's weak voice, quivering with fear, whimpered through the speakers, tugging on Hiruzen's worried heart.

"Iruka-kun?" "This can't really be him, can it?"

"I don't know what's happening." The boy wept. "I just opened my eyes, and I'm bleeding so much, and my tummy hurts so bad."

"It'll be okay, Iruka-kun." Hiruzen reflexively soothed. "Just breathe. Where are you?"

"I can feel it crawling around inside of me. It whispers to me. It…" Iruka paused to give a wet cough. "It says it will take me to the Forest of Death. You have to go there and stop it before it gets what it wants. Please, hurry, Sandaime-sama!" Hiruzen looked past the desperate crying from the phone and the worry in his chest that told him to rush over to the forest to defeat the demon and cradle Iruka in his arms to the faces around him, all shaking their heads.

'Liar,' Danzo, scowling, mouthed the word.

"Iruka-kun, you are at my estate," Hiruzen firmly said. "That is where we'll go. We're coming to help."

"… Okay, I'll be here," the boy said, but suddenly went silent, crying, stopping at the drop of a hat. Blank static took over with quiet hushing in the background.

“Are you still there, Iruka-kun?” Hiruzen asked.

"Yes," Iruka's solemn voice returned, "I think there's another thing you can do to help, Sandaime-sama."

"What is it?"

"I need a place to hide," the boy sniffled. "You need to take your sharpest kunai and cut your belly wide open so I can crawl deep inside of your guts. You'll be so warm!" Hiruzen dropped the phone and stepped back at the bloody threat from such a loving boy’s mouth, looking at the phone with disgust as Iruka's voice went from sorrowful sobs to delighted giggling. "Don't run now, Saru-chan. You've been looking for me all day long, and now I'm finally offering myself to you!... It's maddening how all of you keep getting in my way, but if you ache so badly for my attention," The voice took on a low threatening edge. "I'll happily give it to you. Your bastard son is enjoying my attention very much. Tell him, Asuma-nii.”

"Get the hell off me!" Asuma's pained voice shouted before a struggle could be heard from the other end of the call. "Let Iruka go, you damn parasite!"

"Asuma, what's happening?!" Hiruzen questioned over the chaos of pained grunts and punches thrown. 

"Stay away, Oto—"The line suddenly went dead, leaving behind a droning beep like a flatline.

"Damn," Hiruzen cursed and hung up the phone.

"What happened?" Shisui asked as he reentered the archives.

"The demon's on the attack at my estate. Everyone there is in danger. I have to go!" Hiruzen started slipping off his Hokage robe as he headed for the exit but was stopped by Danzo snatching his arm.

"You need to stay safe, Hiruzen," he argued. "Anbu is already on the way, if not there already. They'll be able to put up the barrier."

"This is my responsibility. I can't let any more people be hurt by this demon!"

"That includes you. The Hokage can't die at a time like this. It puts Sunagakure in an unfavorable light that could spark a war we are unprepared for."

"I'm not hiding while my sons are in danger. Wouldn't you do the same, Danzo, or would you let your children die before yourself?" He forcefully pulled away from his stunned advisor's grip and ended up ripping away his robe to show the battle uniform he always wore underneath.

"Hiruzen!" Was the last protest he heard before he flickered away.

"That fool is going to damn himself," Danzo growled as his chakra angrily spiked.

"Then I'll make sure that won't happen," Shisui declared.

"We won't let it happen," Danzo corrected before turning to his fellow advisors. "Don't let Konoha fall to ruin in our absence. This chaos will end tonight, one way or another."  He met Shisui's determined gaze, scrutinizing it for any signs of doubt or weakness, finding none. "Let's move."

"Right!" They both flickered away to face the demon terrorizing the Sarutobi estate.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Rin opened her eyes and found herself lying on her bed in her old bedroom at her grandparents' house. It had the same cream-colored walls where she strung up to photographs and achievements, her white and violet desk scattered with shells and jewelry-making materials, and her bed gave the same creak it used to when she got out of bed. Sunshine shone so brightly through the window that she couldn't see anything on the other side. The only two things that gave away that she wasn't truly in her childhood home were the gaping hole in her chest that ruined her shinobi uniform and the rusty gold chains locking her bedroom door shut. "I guess this is my corner in Iruka's mindscape. But if so, why are these here?" She tugged on one of the chains and immediately pulled back at the biting pain shooting through her hand, the skin burning red, though she quickly worked to heal it. "Why are these chains here? Akuri and Hamura should be here, too. Are they locked in as well?"

"Hello!" she called out and banged on the door. "Iruka-kun! Akuri-kun! Hamura-sensei! Are any of you there?!"

"Rin?! Is that you?!" She heard Akuri's muffled voice on the other side of the left wall of her bedroom.

"Yes, it's me!" she rushed over to the wall, carefully moving aside the framed photograph of her and a young Obito both of their grandmothers had them take when he earned his chuunin ranking. "I'm here."

"So, that's what you sound like. I'm so happy to finally meet you! I'd get out to see your face, but there's a lock on the door."

"You're trapped in your room, too?"

"Yeah, it looks like the first bedroom I've ever had. We're inside Iruka, right? I feel his dew, and it's all sour and spiky. It's never like that. And there's another dew, too, but it keeps biting me whenever I try to taste it."

"Do you think that's Hamura-sensei's?" Rin asked, though skeptical.

"I've never met him like you have, Rin. Is he always so cold and bitey?" "That doesn't sound like Hamura-sensei's chakra signature, but who else would be sealed in here?"

"Maybe there was an issue when Iruka sealed him. Both of their chakras feel so disrupted. They probably need our help. We have to get out of here! Try breaking the chains again." Rin frowned frustratedly when she got the same results, except the chain's resistance seemed to double with the more force she used.

"Ow!" Akuri cried out from the other side of the wall. "It keeps biting me. What about you?"

"It's the same here. I don't have enough chakra to break the lock. I know there's a way out."

"Sure, but it's not through this door."

"Hm, if the door won't break…" She punched the wall beside the door and was met with the same resistance but much weaker. "Every lock has its weak point," she said, continuing to tap along the wall. "Look around the walls for it." They went silent as they knocked along the walls for the weakest point. Rin stopped at the wall separating her and Akuri when she found a spot that hardly pushed back against her. She gave it an experimental punch, and she dented the wall as the golden chakra fizzled. She grinned.

“Over here, Akuri-kun. Start breaking it."

"On it!" she heard Akuri rush over and join her in hitting the wall. Her wall paint quickly broke away to show a dark, chalky substance that dirtied her hand. It was chilly but didn't hurt, so she continued her flurry until Akuri's fist suddenly punched a hole through the weakened wall. "Hi, Rin," the hand waved.

"We almost got it. Let's make the hole as big as we can. Maybe one of us can slip through the other side." Clawing away at the wall, they got the hole to the size of a watermelon before Akuri said:

"That's big enough. I can squeeze through!"

"Are you sure?" Rin asked.

"Sure." She stepped back and watched Akuri put his arms and head through first, pushing his shoulder blades back like a cat to pull the rest of his flattened self into Rin's room. He fell onto the ground in a messy heap before he popped back up like an inflated balloon, limbs snapping back into place as he returned to his original form. "Made it! Now what?"

"I think the main lock's been weakened." She said. "Maybe together, we can break the lock on my door."

"Then we'll go help Iruka." They went to the locked door and tried to break the chains together. Despite its resistance, she could hear the golden metal creaking and felt the lock start to falter, but it wasn't enough to fully break. "We're close but must focus on the weak point together." She let go and held out her burnt but healing hand to Akuri, who grinned widely and grabbed her hand, touching each other for the first time. "Huh, he does feel like a Venus fly trap, as Iruka said." Rin sent a small, controlled portion of her dark chakra to Akuri and was surprised at how easily the plant boy absorbed it.

"Oh, it's never tasted like this before," Akuri gasped between fascination and fear, his hand thurmming with the little burst of chakra she gave him. Overlapping their grip on the weakened chain, they yanked on it in unison with their combined strength, and it snapped like a twig underneath the tension. Rin and Akuri cheered victoriously as the chains systematically broke along with the lock, falling to the ground and dissolving into nothing.

"Let's hurry and find Iruka-kun," Rin said as she opened the door. She immediately stopped when she stepped out of her bedroom. The door opened to a dark, stony hallway lined with rusty barred cells waiting to be filled with prisoners.  One end led to a wall with a ladder going upward to an enclave and the other into unknowing darkness. Weak flickering candles on the wall illuminated thick dark grime that covered the floor and dripped from the ceiling to form inky dark puddles. What made her shiver in revulsion was the crushing wave of dark chakra that violently smothered her as soon as she opened the door, subduing her own with the threatening promise to attack if she did so much as breathe wrong.

"What—what is that?" Akuri shuddered, disgusted, and shifted closer to Rin. "It's everywhere. I can hardly feel Iruka at all."

"He… has to be here somewhere," Rin's breath rolled out as a cloudy mist in the frigid hall. "Iruka-kun!" she called out, voice echoing down the hall.

"Iruka, where are you?!" The response to Akuri's question was a sharp chill whispering down the hall from the darkness.

"Hush, now," Hamura's disembodied voice drifted through the hall like a winter breeze that washed over her, making her quiver. "You'll disturb Iruka. Go back to your rooms."

"Hamura-sensei?" Rin skeptically called out. "It sounds like Hamura-sensei, but I don't feel his chakra signature. Or is it that…" She looked around at the dark grime surrounding him and the healing burn marks on her hand from the chains. "This foul gunk is his chakra."

"Both of you back to your room," Hamura reiterated more firmly.

"What have you done with Iruka?!" Akuri demanded from the dark, anger overtaking his fear. "Did you hurt him, you gross thing?!"

"I have yet to hurt him, but," Hamura's soothing tone was shed for a threatening hiss that grated her ears. "I will hurt you, you misbehaved children, if you don't go back to your rooms in three…" an ominous creak ran through the hall.

"Akuri-kun," Rin said as she eyed the staircase.

"Two…" The steel bars of the cells started to shake.

"We have to run."

"One!"

"Now!" she screamed over the hissing voice scraping against the walls like nails on the chalkboard and took the chance for the stairs with Akuri close behind. The rusty golden bars on either side of the fleeing pair broke free from the stone ground and, with an ear-piercing screech, curved like a predator's claws to lash out to skewer them. Rin ducked and leaped over the attacking metal spears, though she couldn't dodge them all as a searing pain cut across her calf and sent her crashing to the ground.

"Come on!" Akuri grabbed her the moment she hit the ground and used his momentum to haul her to her feet before a barrage of attacking bars could pin her to the ground. Despite her injury, they reached the ladder together and climbed upward to the chained trap door. The spears continued their pursuit, impaling themselves in the wall in their attempts to skewer the both of them. Rin reached the trap door first and immediately tried finding the lock's weak spot, burning her hand on the chains in the process. "Get away!" Akuri shouted in exertion as he tried to bat away a spear with a kick, diverting the attacking metal but burning his foot and slicing his side open as it raced past him and into the wall.

“Hold on, Akuri-kun!” Rin exclaimed as she gripped the chains at their weak point and pulled with all her strength, fueled by anger from being tricked and determined to save themselves and Iruka.  She dipped into a deep pool of her darkened chakra and let it flow through her like a raging river barreling through her body. Her fingernails grew out from her nail beds to form sharp claws that cut into the metal chains, and her gritting teeth throbbed with a dull ache as her canines molded into that of a ferocious predator. With a final determined cry, she snapped the chains and shoved open the trap door, blinded by the flood of light as she pulled herself out and then a wounded Akuri.

They both slammed the trap door shut, feeling the thuds of the spear crash into it on the other side. Rin sighed, relieved, and restrained her chakra once more, losing her claws and fangs. She looked around her surroundings. They appeared to be at the base of a great stone tower, with torches illuminating the dark grey rock and a rail-less spiral staircase that went floors above them. On the walls hung frightful and detailed paintings bordered by golden frames.

"That hurt, you nasty meanie!" Akuri growled and pounded on the door as his wounds, which seeped a dark green fluid, slowly healed themselves. "Iruka said that this Hamura was a good angel. Why would he hurt us?"

"Because he's a liar," Rin angrily groaned as she stood up, the pain in her injured leg fading.

"Why would he lie?"

"He's no angel, just another monster. But he needed Iruka to trust him to do whatever horrible thing he had planned. I don't think Iruka is in control, so this monster could be doing Kami knows what in the living world right now. We have to stop him."

"Right!"

Rin looked out of the oval hole in the wall, acting as a window, and looked outside. A black orb ringed with a bright glow floated high in the deep amber sky above the vast dark red waters that glistened like fire as it splashed against the sides of the tower. The heavy scent of iron was potent in the air and bitter on her tongue. No other body of land was in sight, only the tower keeping them from discovering what could be lurking in the deep red depths. "Since Hamura is in control, he's probably the one that's shaping the mindscape." Looking up, she could see the top of the tower was encased in a dark round barrier.

"I'm certain Hamura has Iruka-kun trapped up there." She turned to Akuri. “Ready to save Iruka-kun?” He bounced up from the floor, his wounds closing shut, and gave a determined grin.

"Let's do it!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Kurenai watched Asuma angrily slam down the phone, disturbing the quiet rumbling from the fireplace in the lavish Sarutobi estate lounge room. She frowned from her place on one of the sofas. "It's nightfall, and they still haven't found Iruka." The warm orange glow from the blaze illuminated the cozy space, and Asuma's frustration was evident as he started to pace in the middle of the room.

"You worry the same way Tosan does, Asuma," Isamu remarked as he entered the room with a kunoichi who stood taller than him, Miyako. He wore the standard shinobi uniform without the armor weighing him down and a dark green camo vest.

"Not now, Isamu," Asuma grumbled in response, continuing to pace.

"That wasn't an insult," Isamu said, sitting on the sofa adjacent to Kurenai with Miyako. "It means that this is more serious than Tosan let on." That stopped Asuma in his tracks, focusing on the pair of shinobi.

"Sandaime-sama ordered us to guard the Sarutobi estate from the rogue shinobi that attacked Emi and disrupted the Chuunin tournament," Miyako said, her long, silky black hair went underneath the blue scarf around her neck which didn't compare to the blue brilliance of her eyes. "But he also told us to keep an eye out for Iruka and not approach him if we see him. We're thinking both could be related."

"Would you know anything about that, Asuma?" Isamu questioned. "You know how Otosan likes his secrets, and maybe you know one I don't." Asuma looked to Kurenai with a silent question. "I understand the Hokage wants to keep as many people out of this situation as he can, but Isamu and Miyako are too close to danger to face it blindly." She nodded, and Asuma finally rested, plopping down next to her with a sigh.

"Iruka's been possessed by a demon," he bluntly said, and Miyako raised a quizzical eyebrow while Isamu firmed his gaze, searching for any lies.

"Demon, as in the rogue shinobi?" Miyako asked. "Do they have a jutsu similar to the Yamanaka's?"

"No, I mean demon, as in sadistic monster from hell."

"Are you being serious?" Isamu kept some skepticism.

"Unfortunately, yes," Kurenai said. "Iruka is connected to a world unseen where he's haunted by hell's monsters. We believe one of them has possessed him and is responsible for today's terrors." Isamu's eyes narrowed as he took in the information, lip curling in frustration.

"That's terrible," Miyako frowned in pity. "My mother told me monster stories when I was little, but I thought she was just trying to scare me into behaving. To think they're real and have their claws in young Iruka, no less. What does this demon want?"

"We have no idea," Asuma groaned. "It could plan for world domination or just wants to toy with us for the hell of it."

"And you still don't know where this demon is?" Isamu questioned.

"No, he isn't exactly waltzing around out in the open," Asuma snarkily replied, ignoring his older brother's ensuing glare.

"I've hid long enough. It was too cold outside." Iruka's voice quietly spoke from the fireplace, and Kurenai's eyes finally noticed the shadow cast along the wall as her heart jumped in her throat. The other shinobi around her tensed as well as they turned to look over at the fireplace. Iruka's body, still wearing the same outfit from earlier, though more disheveled, sat hunched in front of the warm blaze in a growing puddle of blood with shivering hands inching closer to it as if daring to touch it. He glanced over his shoulder with dark eyes and a curved smirk.

"It's here!" Asuma growled and went to make a move. A bell chimed, and the fire was extinguished with a gust of wind as dark chakra spread from Iruka's form in black spindly threads that crawled across the floor and slammed the cracked door shut, locking it tight. In the darkened room where shadows lurked, the shinobi attempted to make their move, but Kurenai found her body shooting with shocking pain when she tried getting off the sofa or reaching for her kunai. Her fellow shinobi were in the same predicament as they struggled to move without hissing in pain, restrained back to their seats. The widespread seal underneath them burned gold whenever it dealt a shock of punishing chakra.

"Shh, don't fight it," Iruka's voice mocked a soothing tone. "It will only hurt you more." His bare feet thumped on the hardwood floor as he crept over to them. Silhouettes in the dark, Kurenai saw Asuma tilt his head towards the phone on the table below the frosted window, and Isamu nodded his head while Miyako moved her hand ever so slowly. The demon came to sit between the two sofas and Kurenai heard what sounded like a scroll being rolled out on the floor.

"May I ask what your name is?" Kurenai asked as casually as she could despite her drumming heart, trying to draw the demon's attention to her.

"My name is Iruka. You already know that silly Kurenai-chan," the demon chuckled with Iruka's voice.

"Then, Iruka-kun, what do you plan on doing? You're putting yourself in a lot of trouble."

"Yes, I am," the demon responded. There was the sound of glass rolling and metal scraping on the floor. "But not a drop of blood I spill will go to waste… unlike Emi's. Her blood was unfit to be married to this flesh. That is a mistake I will not make again."

"What makes her blood unfit?" Kurenai inquired, silently kneading chakra inside herself. "I know some blood jutsus only work with certain blood types. Are you trying to do a blood jutsu?"

"Blood jutsu is too tame a description for what I intend," The demon wheezily giggled with excitement. "As for what made Emi's blood unfit…" The bell jingled along with the rustling of fabric as he stood and crept over to her. "Hers was not tied closely enough to my seedbed's soul. Their chakras had yet to mix and bond together. I realize now how important that is to the process." He stood before her and though his face was darkened by shadows, she knew his gaze was connected to hers.

"And… Have you found any suitable blood yet?" Kurenai asked though the queasy sensation in her stomach told her the answer.

"Let's find out together," the demon giddily chuckled, and Kurenai tensed in repulsion when she felt a cold hand grip her leg as Iruka's body crawled on top of her to sit in her lap. He rested his head against her chest, surely hearing her heart pound like a war drum. The action was too reminiscent of how the boy would nestle next to her for comfort, and if it weren't for the absence of Iruka's bright kindling chakra, she would have returned the embrace.

"Get the hell off her, parasite!" Asuma growled and tried lashing out, but the restraints kept him pinned down to his seat.

“Shh, it’s okay, Asuma-nii.” The demon reached out a hand to pat Asuma on the leg. "Kurenai-chan, doesn't mind." He looked up at her with wide dark eyes that beamed with glee as she felt the cold edge of the demon's sharp claws, eager to break the skin of her stomach. "Right?"

"No." She didn't break away from his gaze. Her red lips set firm. "I don't mind at all." She looked past his eyes and deeper into his being, her silent jutsu pulling her mind into his. She was immediately thrown into a cold, empty pit that looked like an endless abyss, though her feet were on solid ground. The air was heavy and pressed harshly against her chest.

"Iruka-kun!" she shouted into the void as she ran deeper into the dark, sensing for any flicker of Iruka's chakra that wasn't smothered by the demon's suffocating presence. “I’m here, Iruka-kun! You need to wake up!"

"Kurenai-san!" The kunoichi immediately whipped around at Iruka's panicked shout and saw the boy slipping through what looked like a curtain of darkness. He ran toward her, a blubbering mess of tears and sobs, wearing his dirtied shinobi uniform undershirt and pants. She met the boy halfway and pulled him into an embrace, sitting with him in the dark abyss, relieved to feel the familiar hum of his chakra, distressed as it was. "Is this really you?” he questioned. “Are you another trick?"

“No, I’m truly here, Iruka-kun.” Though already strained from the mind-invading jutsu, she sent out a reassuring pulse of chakra to Iruka to reassure the boy.

"Hamura's doing something bad, isn't he?" Iruka whimpered as he buried his crying face onto her shoulder. "He's hurting people. I can feel it." "Hamura? That must be the demon."

"Can you regain control with your Tenshigan?"

"No, he's too strong! None of my jutsus work on him. I was only able to get away because he got distracted, but he's still after me." His brown eyes went wide, and he pulled away from Kurenai concerned. "You have to get out of here, Kurenai-san! He's gonna hurt you too!"

"He's already hurt you," Kurenai stated as she stared at the large blood stain on the lower half of Iruka's shirt and pants.

"Hamura wants to do a forbidden ritual," Iruka sniffled. "But he says he can't do it without preparing me first."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure. Hamura tried doing a blood ritual on me earlier, but it didn't work because Emi-san's blood was 'too cold.' He… He tore my belly open, and it hurt so much I thought I was going to die."

"Just hold on, Iruka-kun," she soothed and held him tightly. An itch started in her throat, which she tried subduing. "Help is on the way. We…" she paused to cough and tasted blood on her tongue.

"Kurenai-san?" Iruka looked up at her, and his eyes widened in pure fright as he let out a scream.

"Seems we have an unruly intruder, Iruka," the echoing, wheezy voice of the demon rumbled behind her, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with his looming presence pressed against her back, a sharp pain shooting through her gut. She looked down and saw a long, rusty gold claw pierce through her abdomen from behind. "Let's give her a deserving exit." She was violently wrenched into the air and pushed Iruka away from the ensuing attack. Being twisted around in the air by uncaring claws that sliced through her skin and flesh like a butcher carving through fresh meat made her lose her grounding. Hanging upside down from a claw piercing her calf with her blood rushing to her head and running down her face, she still had the presence of mind to say:

"Look away, Iruka-kun!" before spear-like claws skewered through her chest, and her scream of pain was choked off by the gout of blood she spewed onto the ground, burning her lungs. She felt the claw in her chest and the one in her stomach start to pull in opposite directions, threatening to tear her body apart.

"Kai!" she screamed with her last breath to break the mind jutsu and felt her head spin from the rush of her consciousness fleeing from the possessed Iruka's mind. The terrible pain she felt from the attack in the mindscape lingered as a dull ache when she opened her eyes.

She found herself lying on the lounge room floor, the cursed seal on the floor having been broken. The sofa she and Asuma had been sitting on was thrown into the back wall, and the other was broken clean in half. She realized she wasn't the only one who was down. Across the room, Isamu was pinned to the wall with the fire poker through his stomach, with Miyako tending to his wound, her calf twisted at an unnatural angle with the snapped bone pushing against her skin. Asuma was on his back before the table with the landline. Iruka's body sat on his chest with the phone in one hand and the other over Asuma's mouth. With her ringing ears, Kurenai couldn't hear what was being said until the demon released Asuma's mouth, and he clearly screamed:

"Get the hell off me!" and violently broke the restraints holding him down to throw the demon off of him, a struggle ensuing with Asuma trying to pin the boy's body down and the demon slipping from his grasp to claw at his arms and back. The scroll tied to the demon's obi slipped off unnoticed and fell to the ground, stopping in front of the kunoichi.

Kurenai returned to clarity, and she tried picking herself up but found her chest screaming back at her in protest, finally feeling the warm blood seeping from the oozing gash in her chest to puddle on the floor. The dull throb sharpened to a painful burn whenever she breathed, too similar to the night she took the collector-nin's blade to the chest to protect Iruka. "Don't close your eyes, Kurenai. You're still needed." She pulled herself across the floor toward the scroll, keeping a close eye on Asuma and the demon's struggle, her lover throwing Iruka's body into the wall with an angry shout: "Let Iruka go, you damn parasite"

Kurenai touched the scroll just as the demon slipped past Asuma's guard and latched onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck and squeezing tight. Asuma slammed back into one of the large windows, but the demon didn't relent.

"You're a worse parasite than me, Asuma-nii," the demon hissed in Asuma's ear as the shinobi tried and failed to break his grip, angrily gritting his teeth. "You're a horrible mistake wasting air and space as you ruin the great Sarutobi name. Why else do you think your dear dad hates you so much?"

"Hamura!" Kurenai shouted, having made herself sit up. The demon's glare snapped over to her, his eyes narrowing when he saw the scroll in her hand, and she held a kunai up to it. Let Asuma go, or I'll destroy your scroll. You'll never be able to finish your rituals!" she threatened. Hamura stared at her silently for a moment before his face split into an amused grin.

"How about I—" The window shattered with a loud crash as a pinpoint stream of wind as sharp as a blade shot through and sliced Hamura across his shoulders, sending him to the ground and away from the collapsed Asuma, who was greedily sucking in air. A trio of Anbu members came bursting through the remnants of the window, weapons drawn as they surrounded the possessed boy.

"Surrender now, or you'll be forcefully subdued," Zō ordered.

"Surrender?" Hamura chuckled from his crouched position on the ground, looking past the threatening Anbu to meet Kurenai's eyes. "As you wish, Zero-kun." Iruka's body leaped into the air past the trio with a frightening speed that Kurenai had never seen the boy achieve and launched himself off the adjacent wall, lunging for Kurenai with his claws outstretched and a cruel grin. Zō batted him out of the air with a well-aimed kick and sent him crashing through the lounge room doors, letting light from the hallway illuminate the damage the demon left behind.

"Attack!" A shinobi in the hallway ordered. Hamura looked between Kurenai and the approaching shinobi before giving her a strained smirk and running down the hall with Anbu racing after him.

"Tora, go get medic-nin. Tori, tend to Isamu-san and Miyako-san," Zō ordered, seeing the wounded state the four shinobi were in.

"Kurenai," Asuma's sore voice wheezed with concern as he rushed to her side, face littered with cuts and a dark bruise around his neck. He helped lay her down on her back as Zō put pressure on her chest wound.

"You still alive, Asuma?" Isamu asked from where he was still impaled to the wall.

"Just about."

"Help is on the way. Don't worry," Zō assured them.

"He wants this," Kurenai wheezed and held up the scroll. "The demon. I was able to talk to Iruka when I went into his mind. He told me the demon plans to do some kind of forbidden ritual, but he needs this to do it. Don't let him have it." She placed the scroll in Asuma's hands. "Iruka is still in there, so please don't any of you give up on him."

"We'll save him, Kurenai," Asuma said and bent down to press a kiss on Kurenai's cheek. He tightened his grip on the scroll. "I promise."

Chapter 9: ₱Ʉ₦ł₴Ⱨ₥Ɇ₦₮

Summary:

Hiruzen plans to spend the rest of the night alone guarding the possessed Iruka in the Sarutobi estate until the Onmyoji can arrive to help. He expected his stubborn advisor to stay with him but is horrified to see Asuma stayed behind as well. Everyone is in for a hellish night.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Asuma watched Kurenai, Isamu, and Miyako safely transported out of the lounge room by Anbu before trying to tamper with the demon's scroll. He tried burning it with a fire jutsu first, but the floor was only torched afterward. The dark seal webbed across the aged paper was a lock and a protective shield. He attempted to break the lock with his chakra blade and chipped his weapon by the end of it. He gritted his teeth, took the defiant scroll with him out of the room, and headed for the back of the estate. "If I can't destroy it, I have to get it away from here." He felt the scroll rumble coldly with dark chakra in his hand. "This thing is definitely cursed. I can't let—" Asuma reflexively dropped the scroll at the biting sting that assaulted his hand, and he looked to see a row of bleeding pinpricks across his palm. He watched wide-eyed as the scroll growled and twitched on the floor with flailing spindly legs that sprawled from the cursed seal-like spider legs.

"What the hell?!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Subdue the target, Umino Iruka, alive by any means necessary. That was Mizunoto's mission, and he fully intended to accomplish it. It started well enough once the target had been located at the Sarutobi estate, and he waited at the end of the hall with his team to strike. Tsuchinoe had stood to the left of him with her sword unsheathed and Mizunoe on his right, the tall and daunting shinobi wielding a sword of his own that looked like a tanto in his hand. Their team leader, the Bear, had been stationed in front of them with a barbed chain net attached to his belt. Once Mizunoto's eyes had landed on the target when he came crashing out of the lounge room, they had never left him. He had engaged with the rest of his team at their captain's "Attack!" command. He chased the fleeing target, skirting past evacuating Sarutobi clansmen and servants and inevitably cornering him in the large dining hall of the Sarutobi estate with the aid of Anbu's boar and fox-masked agents.

The body of Umino Iruka appeared to be that of a regular boy, though with a scar across the bridge of his nose and a ripped and bloodied yukata, and from a distance, Mizunoto may have mistaken him for such. However, any notions of his target being a simple boy, which he still would have engaged if the mission so demanded, when the Root member had attempted to slice the back of the target's calf open with his tanto.

The target had twisted like a slithery reptile out of the way of the attack. Still, rather than away from Mizunoto, he slipped into his guard and drove his sharpened nails through the Root member's cloak and flak jacket to carve into his side with the brutality of a butcher's cleaver. The target's face was contorted into an expression of sadistic glee, with the whites of his eyes swallowed by the dark glare of cruelty boring through Mizunoto's mask of an imitation of a monster. He probably would have shivered with fear at the sight if his emotions hadn't been dulled to only frustration and worry and would have curled up in agony as the target had ripped out his rib with a wet crack. A warm numbness spreading down his side was all the tell he had had that he was grievously injured and had continued his assault on the target without a flinch.

"What is so wrong about you?" the target had curiously questioned with a contemplative smirk as he had ducked under Tsuchinoe's sword to bury the broken rib into her thigh, who retaliated with a kick from the same injured leg that he dodged. "With all of you," he had looked over the Root members before he lashed out at the attacking boar-masked Anbu, slicing his bicep apart and making the shinobi wince and retreat. Mizunoto took note of the Bear's silent hand order and got into position while Tsuchinoe and Mizunoe diverted the target's attention away.

"Oh, I get it now," the target gleefully giggled as he hopped over Mizunoe's broad shoulders, tearing through his back on the way down. "You are all liars." Tsuchinoe coerced the target into position with a jab that made him leap back to land on the long dining table. Mizunoto caught the other end of the heavy chain net the Bear threw and used the momentum to bring it down on the target, crushing the table. Tsuchinoe, Mizunoe, and the fox-masked Anbu stood around the settling debris, ready for anything to jump out, while the Bear and Mizunoto nailed down the net with their kunai. Mizunoto panted, slightly out of breath and feeling the warmth of his blood drenching his side. "I have to stop the bleeding soon."

"Will you?" the target's voice had whispered behind his ear, swiftly followed by frigid bursts of destructive chakra to his nape and center of his back that effortlessly broke apart both seals Mizunoto always applied for missions. The first seal broke like a crumbling damn and let out a flood of his once-contained emotions of boiling anger at the intruder for daring to attack his village and chilling fear for his life and that of his team that gripped his chest. The other seal released its numbing hold on his body, returning all of his physical senses to him. That was how he ended up screaming his lungs out and falling to his hands and knees, his wounded side burning with an agonizing flare that seeped into his lungs and choked his breath.

"Ah, that's much better," the target sighed behind him, pleased.

"Bastard!" Mizunoto spat and kicked back at the target, who easily leaped over the attack and retaliated with a fierce kick to his injured side, knocking the breath out of him and sending him across the room.

"Mizunoto!" He had heard Mizunoe shout through the ringing in his ears as he lay on the floor. 

"He can —cough—break your seals!" Mizunoto had tried to warm his teammates through blood-spitting coughs, but the target broke their seals with swift strikes. Tsuchinoe stumbled back in pain as her own sword was kicked back into her guts. Mizunoe collapsed with the fox-masked Anbu as the target pinned them down with the chain net, jumping on them to drive in the barbs. 

"Seems it's just you and me, Kugami-kun," the target chuckled and ducked underneath the kick the Bear sent his way, continuing to dodge the Root member's flurry of blows and countering with his own slashes.

"Tsuchinoe," Mizunoto wheezed as he pulled himself across the floor to the downed kunoichi, who laid down on her side in a growing puddle of her blood. "Don't move. You'll just cut yourself more."

"R-Right," she muttered, hiding her pain behind her mask. "Reinforcements are coming."

"Yes." He found himself putting a hand on her shoulder as a mix of pain and panic toiled inside of him, watching his captain face against the target on his own. "Please, hurry."

…

… …

… … …

Hiruzen arrived at his estate with his bodyguards Raido and Genma by his side. His clansmen and workers were thankfully being evacuated from the estate while a team of Root members set up a barrier post on the edge of the property.

"What's the status of the barrier, Naota-san?" Hiruzen questioned as he approached the team.

"Good evening, Hokage-sama," Naota respectfully bowed his head, his calm demeanor unchanged despite the situation. He wore a white robe with a missing left sleeve and a black undershirt. A violet belt was around his waist, and his Anbu mask of a sheep with silver markings was hooked to it. "Hyo and Tatsuma's teams have their post set. Mine is the last to be activated for the barrier to form."

"When will you finish?"

"Within the minute, however, everyone remaining in the estate would also be trapped with the intruder. Do you still want me to activate the barrier immediately?"

"No, wait for my order." "I'll have to figure out how to get everyone out before trapping this demon inside." "Where is the intruder?"

"Hm," Naota activated his Byakugan and scanned over the property. "He's in the dining hall facing against Kuma's team and, oh dear." He turned back to Hiruzen with a frown. "They're not winning."

"Come on!" Hiruzen ordered his guards before racing across his snowy courtyard to the dining hall. He didn't know what he expected to face as he finally reached the hallway leading to the dining hall. The great pair of doors were cracked open to let him hear the first clue of what was happening on the other side.

"You have a family waiting for you?" He heard Iruka's voice unnaturally filled with cruelty. "I can hear your lover and offspring crying out for you now. They're screaming—" Hiruzen kicked open the door. A loud boom echoed through the trashed dining hall with furniture destroyed, ninja tools stuck in the walls, and blood splattered across the floor. Iruka just stabbed the Bear, the wounded shinobi's mask missing a lower shard, in the shoulder with a kunai, twisting it in deep, when Hiruzen entered the scene.

"Enough!" His powerful voice grasped Iruka's attention, the incredibly dark eyes latching onto the Hokage like leeches, reflecting nothing of the caring boy he'd grown to care for. Before his heart could speak any protest, Hiruzen flung a trio of shuriken that had Iruka scrambling away. The Bear snatched the boy's arm in an iron grip before he could retreat and swung him into the ground to pin him down, one hand on his neck and the other holding his right forearm down with a knee to his chest. Iruka groaned, dazed, eyes fluttering as he bled steadily from the splintering wooden floor cutting his cheek.

"What's… what's happening?" He muttered and shifted on the ground.

"Don’t you dare move," the Bear threatened, tightening his grip, and the boy yelped in pain, tears welling in his reddened brown eyes as they panickily took in the scene around him. Hiruzen's chest tightened. "Iruka?"

"Don't harm him more than necessary, Kuma-san," Hiruzen ordered as he grabbed a pack of seal tags from his pouch and cautiously approached. "I don't know how much these will subdue the dark chakra, but anything is better than nothing."

"That's close enough, Hiruzen," Danzo said as he suddenly appeared before the Hokage, putting a bandaged hand on his chest to keep him at bay. A group of Root members and Shisui appeared not a moment later.

"Kinoe, Kinoto, help Kuma restrain the target," Wildcat ordered as she stood by her leader's side, though she appeared to be a little out of breath. "Kanoto, Tsuchinoto, get the wounded out of here."

"Did the demon make contact with you at all?" Danzo asked Hiruzen.

"No, I just arrived," the Hokage answered. He sidestepped his advisor to get a better view of Iruka, who was surrounded by Root agents.

"Keep still," the Bear ordered the weeping boy, with Kinoto watching over them, ready to intervene if necessary. "Move, and you'll get hurt."

"O-Okay," Iruka mumbled, visibly confused but too frightened to protest. The Bear nodded to Kinoe, and the young Root member weaved signs reminiscent of the great First Hokage Hiruzen still admired after so many years.

"Wood style: Bramble Entrapment," the floor gave way to the five thin wooden pillars that sprung from the ground. One side of the rectangular prisms was lined with spikes. They wrapped around Iruka, the spikes burying themselves into his limbs and tearing in further when the boy struggled, crying out in pain and fear.

"Iruka-kun," Hiruzen reflexively stepped closer to the boy, but Danzo kept him back.

"That isn't the Umino boy," his advisor said firmly. "It's trying to manipulate you again."

"That's still Iruka's body," Hiruzen retorted. "You don't need to be so heavy-handed that Iruka is bedbound for weeks after this."

"Consider the boy fortunate if that is all he suffers after this night," Danzo replied and gave an affirming nod to Kinoe when he finished his jutsu. The Bear got up from the now restrained Iruka, wooden shackles around his arms, legs, and chest anchoring him to the floor despite his struggling. There was a gash on his forearm, clotted with dried blood, and a fresher wound on his lower abdomen, bleeding through his white yukata.

"I have Naota on standby to activate the barrier," Hiruzen said, keeping an eye on Iruka. “Before that, I want everyone evacuated, and Iruka tended to so he doesn't bleed out by morning."

"I can help treat the Umino," the Bear said, but Danzo shook his head.

"No," the advisor said. "See to it that the wounded are escorted out."

"Yes, Danzo-sama," the Bear member nodded but stopped to lean close into the Wildcat's ear. She nodded before he left with the rest of the group to carry out their orders.

"Genma-san, Raido-san," Hiruzen addressed his guards. "I want you to also make sure everyone is escorted out safely." His guards looked at each other.

"Does that include you, Sandaime-sama?" Genma asked.

"I'll be one of the last people out, so I'll regroup with you outside," Hiruzen answered, not ignorant to the reluctant shifts in their gaze. "Do not doubt me; I do not doubt that you will see the rest of my clan safe."

“Yes, Sandaime-sama!” They responded in unison before leaving.

"These tags must be placed on Iruka to help contain his dark chakras." Hiruzen held out the seal tags, already knowing that he wasn't getting near Iruka with Danzo present.

"I can do that," Shisui said and grabbed the tags.

"I will—"

"I'll treat the target," the Wildcat spoke over Danzo, earning her a displeased glare she shrugged off. "Let's hurry this up, Uchiha." Iruka jerked away when the Wildcat kneeled beside him.

"A-Are you going to hurt me?" the boy whimpered.

"I will if you fight us, demon," she threatened as she tended to the gash on his forearm with healing chakra.

"We're here to help you, Iruka-kun," Shisui assured the boy in a much gentler tone and placed a tag on his chest. "I'm Shisui. I'm not sure you remember me, but we met at the Chuunin tournament."

"No, I… I wasn't supposed to go. I—Ow!" Iruka gave a pained yelp when the Wildcat opened his yukata to tend to his wound. Her gloved hands pulled away like she had touched an open flame.

"What's the matter?" Hiruzen questioned, his senses dialed up. "Is Iruka that badly injured?"

"He has a vertical incision on his lower abdomen," the Wildcat answered, "but it's not deep enough to be fatal. But above that, on his navel is some kind of seal." Hiruzen's eyes widened. "Iruka sealed the demon inside of himself." "There seems to be two more than that," the Wildcat continued, "but this one is… darker than the others, and it's…" she examined it closer. "It's kneading chakra." She leaped back from the possessed boy. "We need to leave."

"Let me put this on," Shisui said, placing the seal tag where Hiruzen assumed the dark seal was, making Iruka wince. He stepped back as well.

"Wait, p-please don't leave me alone," Iruka turned his head to look at the shinobi with pleading eyes. "Not with him." “You won’t be alone, Iruka-kun.”

"The rest of you leave first," Hiruzen said. "And tell Naota to raise the barrier."

"Yes, Sandaime-sama," Shisui nodded but waited when the advisor and the Wildcat didn't move.

"I'll escort you out, Danzo-sama," the Wildcat said.

"Go on ahead, Yamaneko," Danzo replied. "I'll ensure that the target is secured."

"The target is about to be unstable. We need to leave."

"That is an order," he added more bite to his tone. "I will meet you outside, understand?"

"… Understood, Danzo-sama." She resignedly nodded and flickered away with Shisui.

"Join the others while you can," Hiruzen said to the other man in the room, keeping his gaze connected with the frightened boy's.

"I'll remain for as long as you will," his advisor shifted closer to him. "Which will be until our aide arrives, I assume." "Stubborn bastard."

"It wants to be alone with Iruka-kun," Hiruzen said. "This demon has been fairly patient. With how supposedly powerful it is, it should be casting more jutsus. But it's only done enough to keep us at bay and not seriously infect Iruka's body with its dark chakra. It's saving that for something terrible it has planned."

"And…" Iruka started as the candles from the chandelier above them flickered. "You won't let that happen, Sandaime-sama?" he sniffled as his lips twitched and the seal tag on his navel rotted into black. The corners of his quivering lips spread wide like drawing back a bowstring, and his pupils dilated so far they swallowed the rest of his eyes into a dark abyss. He suddenly sensed a recognizable chakra signature, and before he could question it, the entry doors behind them busted open.

"Don't let it get away!" Hiruzen heard Asuma yell and turned around to see his son chasing after a scroll that skittered across the floor on spindly tendrils.

The air around them collapsed to the abrupt explosion of dark chakra that swallowed the room whole, barring its ravenous fangs to any opposing chakra and leaving a foul stench that assaulted Hiruzen's senses. A terrible screeching sound, like metal scrapping against itself, crashed behind him. By the time he turned back around to the possessed Iruka, he was staring down the end of one of the many corroded gold blades that sprouted from Iruka's body like a fountain of blood, tar, and gold. He was knocked off his feet as Danzo shoved him out of the way. 

The chaos destroyed the chandelier, which plunged Hiruzen's world into darkness.

…

… …

… … …

Shisui flickered outside with the Wildcat to Naota's post, where a group of shinobi lingered.

"Should I activate the barrier?" Naota asked.

"Yes," the Wildcat grumbled.

"Wait, where's the Hokage?" Genma questioned as he grabbed Naota's wrist to keep him from signing. Naota held up his other hand to keep his Root team from intervening.

"He and Danzo-san have decided to stay behind until the specialist arrives," Shisui answered.

"Sandaime-sama don't have any guards?" Raido stepped in.

"No," the Wildcat said. "They want to contain the demon by themselves, despite how foolish that is."

"Then we go in anyways," Genma took a step closer to the estate before the Bear grasped his shoulder, the older shinobi keeping him back.

"We must not interfere. This is a delicate situation we could make worse."

"But—"

"Genma-kun, we should remain on standby," Raido said. "But," he looked at Naota. "You will allow us to intervene if the Hokage is in peril."

"Only if," Naota smiled.

"Fine then," Genma relented.

"Inu!" The Byakugan user finished empowering the barrier tag on the wooden post anchored in the snow, and the barrier took shape. Two other chakra points flared on the other ends of the estate before a pale blue dome rose from the ground to encase the Sarutobi estate. "Get comfortable. We'll be here all night."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka had lost track of where he was or what was happening after Kurenai was violently expelled from his mindscape. He had tried running away through the maze of darkness and invisible walls. Between running through an endless darkness, being thrown into terrible memories, and being forced into scenarios he didn't know were real or constructed, only the pain in his body remained consistent. Even now, being forced to sit in the mind-numbing void in his tormentor's lap with leathery arms restraining him to the cold body, the routine throb of pain in his gut and arm kept him grounded. Hamura had gone as still and silent as a statue, breathless and unmoving as he stared off into the abyss, but Iruka knew better than to disturb him too much. If his pain was consistent, so was Hamura's persistence to keep him under his control.

"… Iruka-kun, where are you?" his ears perked up at the quiet echo of Rin's voice. He was hesitant to respond. "Is this another trick?... Kurenai-san was real, though… I think at least."

"Are you there, Iruka?!" Akuri's much louder and closer voice joined in, along with a pair of echoing footsteps. It was difficult to sense the other chakra signatures in the dense mucky air, but he felt the familiar flicker of Rin and Akuri approaching from behind. "It has to be them!"

"Wait," He heard Rin gasp. "Is that… Hamura?" Carefully, Iruka leaned off of the cruel creature to look behind him. Rin and Akuri stood a few paces away in the dark, looking relieved but shocked to see Iruka's face. He held a finger up to his lips for them to keep quiet.

"Don't wake him up," he whispered.

"Are you okay?" Akuri whispered back. "We heard you screaming earlier."

"I'm hurt but not dying."

"We can help you escape then," Rin said, taking a small step forward.

"Where would we escape to?" Iruka frowned. "Hamura is in full control of the mindscape. Kurenai said help is coming. So, all we have to do is wait."

Hamura moved, his grip tightening around him, and Iruka felt his heart freeze from the primal fear of being in the clutches of an apex predator.

"Oh, but now I am so tired of waiting," Hamura lamented. "I finally have everything prepared for your blossoming, Umino Iruka. There will be no more interrupters."

"What are you gonna do to Iruka?!" Akuri demanded.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Rin threatened, getting into a fighting stance.

"I said," Hamura's head jerked around with a series of cracks to glare down on the both of them, "no interrupters." The pair of limbs speckled with dirty feathers on Hamura's back lifted, reminiscent of a featherless bird spreading their wings. From them jutted forth a barrage of twisting golden blades, corroded with black spots and screeching as they cut through the air to slice the two apart in a breath. Iruka watched, horrified, as Rin's head fell far away from her collapsing body, and Akuri was cut cleanly into two. Akuri screamed and writhed on the floor in agony while Rin's bodiless head blinked in shock, her body twitching on the ground.

"Rin-chan! Akuri-kun!" Iruka cried out and tried wriggling out of Hamura's hold.

"Pay them no mind," Hamura snapped his head back to Iruka. "We have a ritual to perform." Iruka blinked and found himself suddenly in a dark room. With his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting, he realized he was in the communal showers of the Sarutobi estate. The faucets were turned on, letting cold water pool over the white tiled floor and making the washroom echo with running water as if it were raining. The only light in the room was from the ring of lit candles that circled him and were tall enough to not be put out by the chilly waters, letting the corners of the washroom fall to darkness.

Before him, on a red mat, was a glass jar of blood, Kurenai's blood, a dark blue amulet attached to a golden chain, and a seed the size of an apple. It looked like it was made of inky black obsidian with glimmering specks of crimson and ivory, and Iruka could see the powerful aura emanating from it in a deep red glow. Iruka could still feel Hamura holding him close, though he took the form of a ghostly dark figure that clung to him like flies on rotting meat with pinprick gold dots for eyes and a glowing smile.  

"Let us try once more," Hamura hummed over the rushing water. His featherless wings rose again, and Iruka watched as the ends molded and twisted into clawed hands that reached out and grabbed the jar of blood. He raised the jar above Iruka and crushed it, letting the blood rain down on the sputtering boy and mix with the water blanketing the floor. He opened up Iruka's yukata with his main hands to expose the abdominal gash he had made earlier to mix Kurenai's blood around the wound, painting symbols. Iruka whimpered in discomfort. "Please, someone find me." "So, you can make them fret over you again? That's not very kind of you." Hamura tsked and grabbed the amulet. "You are always finding trouble and forcing everyone else to save you, to protect the small weak dolphin."

"No, I-I… I don't do it on purpose." Iruka argued, though his tone was as confident as a sick dog.

"Unconsciously? Intentional? Either way, you have your family and friends suffer for you, bleed for you, die for you. And you promise to protect them."

"When I become strong, I won't let them die anymore."

"When?" Hamura chuckled and placed the amulet around Iruka's neck before clasping his bloody hands together. "Ichi!" Iruka wriggled in discontent as he felt a prickly chakra pulse through him. The amulet shifted colors from blue to a rich indigo. "Finally, a beautiful color," Hamura excitedly hummed. "I do have another question for you." His sharp fingertips drummed on Iruka's bleeding stomach. "How many of your loved ones will you sacrifice to become strong? Perhaps the Sarutobi Bastard and the False Uchiha?"

"Don't call them that, you monster!" Iruka angrily snapped at the insulting titles given to people who were there after the darkest time in his young life. "They were more like guardian angels to me than you ever were!"

"And where are they now? Hurt and helpless to defend themselves. Anyone who cares for you is cursed with a life of utter misery." Hamura smirked cruelly. "You are such a terribly selfish boy for allowing me to meet your family, Umino Iruka."

"Shut up! I know that already!" Iruka broke down into sobs, guilt crushing his chest. "Everyone's hurt because of me. I don't deserve their love, but I can't live without it!"

"You poor boy," Hamura mockingly embraced the crying boy. "You may be useless to any of them, but you will be of great use to me." His hands dug into either side of Iruka's wound and pulled the skin back to further open up the gash.

"Stop!" Iruka screamed, failing to escape despite his efforts. It wasn't nearly as painful as when he gouged out his own eyes, but the injury coming from something with such a cruel hand intensified the agony. Hamura grabbed the unnatural seed with a clawed hand, admiring it like a rose.

"Hush, it will all be okay," Hamura hushed, his grin twitching with hardly contained excitement as he brought the seed to Iruka's open wound.  "You are in loving hands."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Asuma woke up to the distressing sound of screaming. It took time for the sound to register with half his face in the snow and a dazing ring to his ears. Opening his eyes, he found himself outside in the snow, surrounded by broken window glass. He remembered trying to stop the scroll and chasing it to the dining hall, where… that parasite attacked. "Did it get a hold of the scroll? Wait, that screaming. It sounds like…"

"Iruka-kun!" Asuma gasped and shot up into a sitting position, making his head spin and his back ache. He got to his feet and ran in the direction of the screams echoing into the night. The muffled horrid sound and the lack of moonlight to illuminate his surroundings made it difficult for him to locate the source through the old cabins surrounding the main house. Still, he eventually centered on the long structure housing the communal showers. The screaming abruptly stopped, leaving behind a dead silence. "Iruka-kun, I'm coming!" he shouted despite his hoarse throat and rushed to the building, kicking the door open when it gave him resistance. It was completely dark and quiet, with only indiscernible shadows and the plop of dripping water inside.

"… Iruka-kun?" he called out and only got his echoes in response. "I know his screams were coming from here." He took his lighter from his pocket and ignited a guiding flame before stepping inside, his feet splashing in the puddles of cold water. Shinning his lighter around the entryway, washing stations showed nothing out of the ordinary, though the faucets dripped plenty like they had been recently shut off. He shivered. It was winter, so it was supposed to be cold, but the freezing air locked in the showers felt like icicles jabbing his skin through his clothes. “Are you in here, Iruka-kun?” He asked just as his light grasped something unsightly in the middle of the room. There was a collection of extinguished candles circling a dark puddle of blood, no doubt Iruka's, and sludgy black liquid. A purple amulet was laid next to the scroll he had tried to keep from the demon, and it was laid in a bloody mixture. Empty.

There was a loud bang and a cold rush of air as the entry door suddenly slammed shut, making Asuma spin around and nearly slip into the water. He pulled out his chakra blade and leveled it to the darkness surrounding him, gritting his teeth from weariness and anger.

"I know you did something to Iruka. Show yourself, parasite!"

"… Shh, Iruka is resting." A wheezy voice not belonging to Iruka rumbled through the washrooms and echoed off the walls, Asuma unable to tell where it came from. He will need it for the final leap in my ascension."

"What do you want with him?" Asuma kept searching through the creeping darkness for anything that moved.

"Only to love and care for the boy as you do, Asuma," The demon chuckled.

"Bullshit!" The shinobi slashed out with a kick when something dashed in his periphery, easily destroying a porcelain sink.

"Such brazen anger, though it is understandable. If I was born to fail as the pathetic second son to the great Third Hokage, I would be miserable as well. To be so useless and undesirable that you cannot gain your brother's love and father's respect, what shame you bring, Asuma."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Asuma snapped back and jumped when something jabbed the back of his neck. "Relax, dammit. He's just trying to rile you up. What he's saying isn't true…"

"Oh, you do not yet realize how much you are despised by your own blood?" Something yanked his collar from behind and threw him against the wall, making him drop his lighter in the process. The flame was extinguished as soon as it hit the water, plunging him into complete darkness. "I will tell you, honestly, Asuma. When you were delivered from your mother's womb into your father's hands, his first instinct was to wrap your bloody umbilical cord around your neck and wring the breath out of you."

"Shut the hell up!" He staggered to his feet, slightly dazed from the assault, and signed for a jutsu, readying the flint in his mouth. "Fire Release: Burning—" A slimy hand slapped over his mouth before he could finish, and a set of sharp claws pierced through his flak jacket to haul him into the air, pinning him to the ceiling. His eyes began to water, and his throat burned from the unreleased ash on his tongue as he stared dark into the golden pinpricks for eyes and gleeful grin. He thrashed and kicked at the thing while digging his chakra blade into the frigid hand clutched over his mouth. He felt himself make contact with a slime-like substance that wasn't wholly tangible, and it seemed that he wasn't doing any harm as the demon only wheezily giggled at his struggle.

"The babble you 'ninja' spew when molding chakra is always entertaining." The hand released from his mouth, and Asuma hacked out a puff of chakraless ash, coughing out what clung to his gums and tongue.

"Kami, damn you!" He irefully spat on what he assumed was the demon's face.

"You have been lashing me all night with that spiteful tongue of yours, Asuma," the cruel thing tutted. "Seems I will have to punish you along with your father. " Asuma's eyes widened as cold fingers pried at his lips. "Open wide."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Hiruzen, get up!" Hiruzen awoke to the harsh demand pounding his ears. Cracking open his eyes, he saw that he was lying down uncomfortably on a hardwood floor in an incredibly dark room, with the only light coming from a lantern next to Danzo. Its warm glow illuminated the debris surrounding them and cast shadows on his advisor, who sat beside him, looking down at him with a concerned strain on his lips. "Do you remember where you are?"

"Yeah, you can relax," Hiruzen groaned, a puff of mist streaming from his mouth from the cold, imitating the smoke of his pipe. "I wasn't hit that hard," and tried sitting up but winced at the sharp pain on his forehead and chest that nearly sent him back down. "I don't think."

"Your helmet absorbed most of the impact," Danzo said as he helped Hiruzen into a sitting position. "But you still sustained a lesion." Hiruzen touched his head and felt bandages already wrapped around the bleeding wound. 

"Been a while since I've been hit like this. What about you, Danzo? You took the brunt of that initial attack." He asked as he examined his advisor. The bandages that had been around his head were gone, now wrapped around Hiruzen's. Though he showed no facial injury, Danzo kept his eye shut. The bandages that encased his pale arm were moved as well, and Hiruzen could see they now wrapped around his midsection where a large chunk of his robe was ripped off, nearly the entire side being soaked dark red. 

"I was speared, but it's nothing that will kill me," Danzo assured, likely seeing the worry on Hiruzen's face. 

"Do you know about Asuma's injuries? Is he okay?" Danzo took in a breath.

"I don't know where Asuma is."

"What?" Hiruzen gasped, suddenly more alert.

"When I awoke, we were the only ones left in the dining hall."

"Why didn't you go look for him?"

"You were vulnerable. I couldn't leave you behind to be prey for the demon."

"But, now Asuma is. Come on." Hiruzen stood up, shaking off the pains from his older body, and held out a hand for his advisor. Danzo ignored his hand and got to his feet himself, failing to hide his grimace as he did so. Hiruzen collected the lantern before both shinobi went to look for Asuma.

As they searched the halls, Hiruzen quickly realized all the lights were out and didn't turn back on when he flipped their switches. It could've been the musky dark chakras that clung to the air muck like black mold on a rotten apple. It dulled his senses and made his nerves tense like a winding coil preparing for an attack. The freezing cold didn't help either, as it gnawed through his armor and made his extremities numb.

"Can you sense, Asuma?" Hiruzen asked, and though he kept his voice quiet, it sounded so loud in the empty hallway.

“No,” Danzo responded. "I can hardly sense anything past my own face, though that isn't surprising. This demon seems to be able to suppress its and others chakra signatures."

"It's probably how it concealed its true nature from Iruka," Hiruzen added. "If Iruka could sense its killing intent, he wouldn't have sealed the damn thing inside of him."

"Wrong again, Saru-chan," a teasing voice whistled through the hall like a sudden windchill that nipped through one's skin, and Hiruzen reflexively raised a trio of shuriken between his fingers and Danzo his kunai, putting his back to Hiruzen's. "There was no 'killing intent' of mine for Iruka to sense. I have no desire for that now. I would only give myself competition." The demon's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere with no change in intensity, no matter how Hiruzen turned his head, and his lantern's light couldn't catch the demon puppeteering Iruka's body lurking in the dark. Hiruzen could feel something watching him, looming over him with fangs ready to strike at the first sign of vulnerability.

"Keep steady, Danzo," He said over his nerves, screaming at him to react in any violent way.

"Same goes for you," Danzo replied calmly, though Hiruzen could feel his chakra frazzling in distress. "We're close to the main hall. It'll be a more suitable battleground."

"Right." Slowly and diligently, they continued down the hallway with their weapons raised and keen eyes, looking for any signs of their inevitable attacker.

"Here we are again. The both of you conspiring against me." the demon spoke again. "" "I don't ever remember encountering something like this." "You would not remember me, for I went unseen with eyes like yours. But I was still there when you cursed the whirling tides with your presence." "Whirling tides?... It was there for Uzushiogakure's downfall." "Indeed. That night, you stripped away the gift I so rightfully earned. No, tonight is not for death. Tonight is for my satisfaction and your punishment."

"Be prepared for anything," Danzo said.

"It's welcome to try whatever it wants," Hiruzen confidently replied. Showing any hesitation would be their downfall.

"What brilliant confidence, Saru-chan." The demon gave a false compliment. "Asuma must have gotten his fiery passion from you." The doubts and worries Hiruzen had pushed to the back of his mind raced back when he heard his son's name on the demon's lips. "He showed the same iron will when he faced against me, not that it stopped me. I still punished, and he still fell apart like everyone else when having his flesh stripped from him."

"What did you do to Asuma?!" Hiruzen angrily yelled into the darkness, prepared to throw his shuriken.

"Don't listen to it, Hiruzen," Danzo said and put a steadying hand on his shoulder. "It wants you to break composure. It's most likely a lie."

"A lie? No, I assure you my words are true. It went like this." The demon cleared its throat with a wet cough. "Kami, damn you!" It shouted in Asuma's voice. "Get your filthy hands off me, or I'll— ugh! Gah!" It dissolved into a distressing series of horrible gagging and pained screams that ended with a wet plop of something smacking into the floor further down the hall.

"Careful," Danzo warned as he and Hiruzen went to investigate the mess on the floor. His lantern caught the splatter of crimson staining the floor and the small fleshy mass that soaked in it with a shiny glint on top of it. "Is that…" Danzo went silent. It took Hiruzen a moment to realize what he was staring at, a severed tongue with a small flint lying on it. The same flint he had gifted to Asuma when he became a chuunin. His chest burned hotter than it ever had as the ravenous flame of guilt and rage ignited inside of him.

"Where the hell is Asuma, demon?!" Hiruzen, furious, swung around the light as he continued down the hall, searching for either Asuma to save him or the demon to break its neck.

"Now you want to be the righteous father, Hiruzen?" It cruelly laughed at his rage. "I didn't believe you would be so troubled given your tendency for paternal callousness. You care for your offspring with the same tenderness a wolf has for a lamb. You rear them to be such cold-blooded brutes that reward you by spitting back in your face." Hiruzen's grip tightened on his shuriken. "Your oldest has more enjoyment on the battlefield than your company, and your youngest can't look you in the eyes without disdain."

"That's not…" He couldn't finish his sentence as shame started to rear its ugly head.

“Ignore it, Hiruzen,” Danzo reprimanded. "It wants to distract you from the fight."

"Your students aren't spared from you either," the demon continued, and despite Hiruzen wanting to block it out, he couldn't help but cling to every word. "They have all retreated from your village to indulge themselves in distasteful desires. Before fleeing, your most prized pupil even shed his skin to sink his fangs into your shinobi. But you let him go, didn't you? Because as cold as your heart is, your will is weak. Look no further than the Jinchuuriki." Something scratched at the back of Hiruzen's armor, making an ear-grating scrape, and he spun around to fling his shuriken. They flew into the darkness and silently disappeared.

"Cast away from the world with no mother to care for him and no father to protect him, he was too tempting of prey. I tried breaking his seal, but the Namikaze's will was too strong. The boy's skin wasn't, though. His belly—"

"Enough!" Hiruzen busted open the door that led to the balcony of the main hall with a kick. Like the rest of the home, it was dark, but the scant light from the large windows allowed him to see dark shapes where his light couldn't reach. He took notice that the candlelit chandelier hanging high from the ceiling was replaced by a squirming dangling mass that groaned in pain with every rickety sway. Fearing the worst, Hiruzen moved to the banister to get a better look, lifting his lantern to shed light on it. His mouth went dry in a silent gasp as his eyes widened.

Hanging by his feet from a chain hooked to the ceiling was a beaten and bloodied Asuma. His protective flak jacket was ripped open with three slashes across his bruised chest that exposed the raw inner flesh and stretched open with every ragged breath.  His lips were clawed open where blood flooded down his face, into his reddened, fluttering eyes, and soaked his scalp with his hitai-ate missing. He squinted at the light and gave a slick cough as he jerked away.

"Asuma!" Hiruzen called out, trying to contain his own dread, seeing the confused fear in his son's eyes. "It's me, Asuma. Stay calm. I'll get you down." He shoved the lantern into Danzo's chest for him to hold. Asuma garbled incoherently and furiously shook his head as Hiruzen leaped into the air, reaching his hands to stick to the ceiling. Instead of hardwood, his hands connected with something cold and slimy, and he tore his gaze away from Asuma to look up. Ghostly dark hands were gripped around his own, sending a tingling pulse of revulsion through him, and a pair of golden eyes sat above an equally shining grin that looked too familiar.

"I got you, Saru-chan," The demon excitedly chuckled, and Hiruzen reflexively swung up his legs to kick at it while preparing a fire release jutsu. As his foot phased through a chilling, slimy substance, he opened his mouth to shout:

“Danzo, get Asuma aw—aghh!!” His voice fell into a scream as the thing's hold tightened like a steel trap, crushing the bones in his hands with a loud crunch.

"Watch where you kick." The demon chastised before swinging him around to slam his back into the ceiling. "You'll hurt our precious Iruka." It flung him down towards the first floor, and, dazed, he mistakenly used his broken hands to cushion the fall. He landed hard on the center of the floor with a pained curse as his hands burned from underneath his weight. Mindful of his shaking hands, he returned to his feet, watching Danzo try to free Asuma from the chains. The lantern was left behind on the banister, giving a warmly dim lighting to the hall. "I have to keep it distracted so Danzo can get Asuma out of here."

"Don't fret," the demon cooed as it suddenly appeared in front of him, a ghostly dark figure who effortlessly loomed over him with its imposing stature and sadistic grin. "You have my attention." He heard it clasp its hands together, and he reflexively jumped away, sensing the rush of dark offensive chakra under his feet before a collection of twisting golden blades burst from the floor. He dashed around the hall to avoid the demon's traps, fast enough to dodge the hunting blades. For now, at least. He glanced back to Asuma and Danzo with his advisor helping his injured son down the staircase.

"Don't look away from me," was all the warning he got before hearing the terrible screech and feeling himself be impaled by the demon's blades, piercing through his armor and into shoulders and limbs. Despite the sudden shot of pain, he was quick enough to save one arm from being skewered. Asuma's distressed screams hurt more than the cursed blades tearing through his flesh.

"Keep moving, Asuma-kun," Danzo berated as he dragged the Sarutobi towards the entrance doors, trying to open them. They didn't budge, a dark seal keeping them locked tight.

"No one leaves without punishment, Danzo-kun," The demon chided, turning its attention to the pair. Danzo moved to stand in front of Asuma, flashing his kunai as he returned the demon's stare.

"Asuma-kun has already received his, has he not?" Danzo argued. "If you open the door, only he would leave. I will remain as you so wish."

"Oh, that is dangerous territory you're stepping into, proposing a deal to the likes of me," It started to laugh. "Deals are for the desperate, but you are a very desperate man. This is not the first time you've rolled over and shown your belly like a whimpering mutt when cornered, and it won't be your last."

"Will you let him go or not, demon?" Danzo reiterated, holding firm though Hiruzen could see he gripped too tightly onto his kunai for a confident man.

"Hm…" it hummed in thought, but Hiruzen knew from the twisted smirk of its mouth that it was only teasing the idea of escape. "I don't—" Danzo attacked, flinging his kunai between its eyes. It didn't bother to dodge, letting it fly into its gelatinous figure. It pulled it from his head and hummed, surprised to see Danzo had moved. "Attack me from whichever angle you please. It is all useless, Danzo-kun—Don't you move, Asuma," It reprimanded after the worried son took one step towards his father. "Unless you want me to take more than your vile tongue." It twisted its head around to glare at Danzo, who had moved behind him and was already signing a jutsu.

"A weak man like yourself cannot hope to harm me." 

"I am aware," Danzo replied as he completed his hand signs, and its golden eyes suddenly narrowed. "Wind Release: Serial Vacuum Waves!" As he unleashed a barrage of air blades, the kunai exploded in a blinding light that was quickly swallowed by the dark mass' head and condensed to a small ball before being suffocated. The blades reached it, greeting the demon with violent torrents that ripped through its tall ghostly figure from top to bottom in a clean slice, continuing to partially destroy the left staircase. Something hit the ground beside Hiruzen with a wet thump, and someone ripped a horrific scream from their throat, and it wasn't the demon. Craning his neck, Hiruzen could see the dark form dissolving and, beside him, the severed arm and foot of a young boy.

The ghostly cloak melted away to reveal Iruka screaming and sobbing, rocking on his side in a bloody mess on the floor, clutching what remained of his arm to his chest and drawing in his spurting leg. His ripped yukata was practically dyed with all the gashes littering his body; though it was too dark to see the color, Hiruzen knew it was blood. The red ribbon that had made his ponytail was gone, letting his hair fall over his anguished face and obscuring his eyes.

"Why?! Why do you have to hurt me so much?!" He cried, the bell dangling from his ear, jingling with every throw of his head as he writhed in agony on the floor. "Please, stop! I'm going to die!"

"You will if you don't release the boy, demon," Danzo threatened as he maintained a fighting stance. "Do so, and I'll ensure your host survives tonight."

"Liar! You've wanted me dead for so long!" Iruka groaned as he propped himself up on his remaining arm, head hung low. "You were never good to me." His dirtied nails scratched into the hardwood, and his teeth ground against each other. He rose his head, his brown eyes overtaken by a black spiraling abyss. "Or anyone else in your whole miserable life!" Dark chakra wormed out from underneath his palm to slither over the floor in wriggling barbed tendrils as quickly as a lightning jutsu towards Danzo, who attempted to jump out of the way. The tendrils shot up from the ground to wrap around his left ankle, barbs hooking themselves through his pant leg into his skin and harshly slamming back down hard enough to splinter the floor.

Iruka's body jumped off on his remaining foot to launch himself into the air and land squarely on Danzo's restrained leg. It audibly snapped underneath the force and was further damaged as the possessed boy wrapped his arm around the advisor's thigh and squeezed with beastly strength, horribly bruising the flesh to crack the bone within.

"Danzo!" Hiruzen called out in alarm. "Fight, damn it. You're not dead yet." He forced himself to take his armored forearm and leaned as far forward as he could to bash the end of the blade skewering through his leg. He grimaced as the false metal vibrated through his flesh and scraped against his bone, but he was able to dent the edge. Another powerful strike, and he broke off the end, jerking his leg free with a guttural growl at the burning pain. Not being able to reach his other leg, he tried breaking the one spearing his left shoulder, but the angle was too awkward for him to properly strike it, and with his broken hand, he couldn't grip it. The blade's edge suddenly bent from a furious punch delivered by Asuma.

"Asuma-kun." Hiruzen watched his son break the rest of the blade and help pull his shoulder free, determination mixing in with the fear in his watery eyes.

"Tell me, Dan-chan, how much does it hurt?" The demon questioned as he yanked away the hand clawed into the advisor's broken leg, tearing free a strip of bloodied cloth and skin, tossing it aside like trash. The advisor hissed through his teeth as he retaliated with another jutsu, clawing at Iruka's face with a restraining seal that attempted to take over his body with dark markings. Iruka's body stiffened, and muscles tensed, but it continued to smile. "No. Nothing in life or death will compare to what Gami-kun did to you and what you did to him." Danzo growled and used his other hand to try and strike Iruka's body, but it was stopped by the barbed tendrils, yanking it to the ground.

"You've been wondering where he could be all this time, and let me tell you." The restraining seal broke with a burst of brilliant gold as the possessed boy lashed out again, jamming his fist into the impalement wound on Danzo's side. "He's been here, next to me. And he is the most hideous creature I have ever bore witness to."

"Silence!" Danzo growled and spat blood into the demon's face, who licked it off with a red tongue. 

"He always tearfully rambles day and night about his agony," the demon continued and painfully twisted his clawed hand deeper into the advisor's insides. "He detests your eye so much so he weeps…" It paused to drag a single claw rigidly across Danzo's abdomen, and something ropey and red slipped out. The advisor spasmed and collapsed fully to the floor, coughing up the blood and bile that burned his throat and spewed from his mouth. "'How could you let someone else inside of you, Dan-chan?'" It cackled in Danzo's face with a malicious smirk. "His wails are the ugliest sound in death, but I know how to silence the poor thing." He barred his teeth and loomed closer to Danzo's closed eye.

With a final strike, Hiruzen was freed from the last blade and steadied by his son. He didn't waste another moment, pouring chakra into his burning limbs and centering on his advisor and the possessed boy.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Rin viewed the world from a slanted angle, much like she did when she first opened her eyes as a mournful spirit. The pain she felt was the ever-present ache in her chest and the stinging cut in her neck. It was a strange feeling; she could move her head and body, but they felt disconnected. She was very much aware that her head lay too far from her body and that the monster behind all of their suffering had no one to stand against it. It continued to deceive, terrorize, and torture, all while Akuri wailed in pain and used Iruka as a puppet for its demented performance. Despite all of that, no, because of that, Rin had the fight in her to force her body to move. It was defiant at first, jerking and fumbling on the ground with no head to guide it. That was fine. If she couldn't stand, she'd crawl. She dug in her nails and hauled herself across the abyssal ground, kicking out to push herself.

The monster kept its back to her since it conducted the ritual with Iruka screaming his lungs out and overtook him with a powerful dark chakra that invaded every sense of his being. That festering chakra remained even after the ritual was complete but kept itself reserved for the deepest parts of Iruka's being, and that's where she hoped it stayed. Her searching hands found a lock of her hair and latched onto it, feeling her head be lifted off the ground and sloppily placed on the bloody stump of her neck, already feeling the flesh reflexively try and reconnect. She turned to look over to Akuri, whose screams had quieted down to pained whimpers as he crawled over to his lower half.

"Do you need help, Akuri-kun?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"No, I'll be okay," he sniffled and shook his head. "Go help Iruka."

"Right!" She wrapped her hands around her sliced neck and pulsed healing chakra through her hands to speed up the process. Iruka started screaming again. The sound was muffled by the monster practically suffocating him in its embrace, but she could still sense his pain, the brutal sting of severed limbs, and the burn of several gashes raked over the body. "Hold on. I'm coming, Iruka!" She flared her dark chakra once more, spurred by fury for everyone's suffering and guilt at not being able to stop it sooner. Her spine snapped back together as her hands grew claws, and canines took on a shark edge.

During her life, Rin was never one to attack. It was her duty to keep safe from direct confrontation so she could heal her teammates when needed. It was what she had been taught to be a medic-nin. So, as she raced toward the monster and dodged the second barrage of blades, its sickly wings reflexively shot at her; she didn't know how she would attack. However, her dark chakra gave her unnatural power and hinted at an offensive drive she never possessed when living. It made her muscles coil up with energy, ready to spring and mouth water as she felt the monster's repulsive chakra.

She embraced it as she launched herself off the ground with her pent-up energy and hooked her claws onto the monster's shoulders. With a growl, she bared her fangs and sunk her teeth into its neck. It tasted bitter and metallic, like sucking on a coin, and was nearly nauseating to her sensitive palette, but she instinctively drank in its chakra despite its repulsive nature. Rin blinked and found that she was no longer in the abyss but in a large hall that was too dark for her to make out where from. Her setting changed, and now she latched onto Iruka's body as it yelped in surprise and hobbled back off the Hokage's wounded advisor.

"Stupid cur!" it hissed with Iruka's voice as it desperately backpedaled from the approaching Hokage, who had an ireful glare in his eyes. Rin saw him wind up for a kick, sensing the blazing chakra he poured into his injured leg, and she held on as tightly as she could to the monster to make sure it would land. “Wait, Sandaime-sama!” It pleaded and held out a hand to shield itself. The anger in the Hokage's eyes wavered with regret, but nonetheless, his kick landed on its chest, and it went flying. The force of the attack sent it crashing through the entry doors, breaking the locking seal, and outside into the cold night air to tumble in the snow. Iruka's body came to a stop halfway through the front courtyard, lying down on his stomach with the right side of his face in the snow. The pale blue barrier above provided some light in the moonless night.

Rin sensed the monster's chakra retreat inside of Iruka, the Tenshigan forming in his previously pitch-black eyes, looking dazed and exhausted. Iruka wheezily breathed as the air had been knocked out of him, and his many wounds colored the snow a rich red. She released her fangs and claws from Iruka, though she thankfully didn't leave behind any injuries. He already had enough of those. "He needs care urgently. He's certain to bleed out if I don't do anything." Still, on his back, she forcefully reigned back her dark chakra to flood Iruka with her healing chakra. His bleeding slowly started to subside, but his wounds remained open, her chakra unable to reknit his flesh. The snow crunched underneath the Hokage's feet as he approached the downed boy. He stopped plenty of feet away, tense with defensive chakra, looking uncertain. She didn't fault him for the hesitation.

“Iruka needs medical attention, Sandaime-sama.” Rin said, not sure she would be heard. The Hokage looked surprised as his eyes found hers, taking a step back. "I'm a friend, I promise. You know me, Hokage-sama. I'm—"

"Nohara Rin from Minato's team," the Hokage finished for her in a shocked whisper. I recognize your markings… as ghostly as they are."

"My healing chakra isn't working like it used to, but if you get me medical supplies, I think I can suture and bandage his injuries." She glanced at the Hokage's mangled hands. “And yours as well, Sandaime-sama.”

"… I'll see what I can find." His gaze went back to Iruka. He frowned sorrowfully. “I’m so sorry, Iruka-kun.”

"No…" Iruka weakly coughed, blood dribbling from his lips and tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sandaime-sama… For bringing the demon here… and letting him hurt everyone so badly… You have to get away from me… He's not finished yet… Please, Sandaime-sama.” The dark slime started to ooze out from underneath him, mingling with his blood, and Rin could sense the monster's dark chakra toiling underneath the surface. "Run away."

The ghostly ooze shot up to smother Iruka and clamp down on Rin like a Venus flytrap. It felt like her whole body was crushed before being sent falling down through the air to crash back down into the mindscape in a bloody heap. She wasn't in the abyss, though. She was thrown into the hot red waters she saw outside of the tower, tasting coppery blood and burning like fire to the touch. She flailed and screamed as she felt her flesh being torn apart and melted by the liquid fire.

"Rin!" she barely heard Akuri call out to her over her screams, and she felt him grab her hand to pull her out and onto a large hunk of stoney debris jutting out of the water. He rolled her onto her back, and she stared up at the black orb in the sky in a pain-stricken daze. "Sorry, I saw you falling from the sky, but I wasn't quick enough to catch you." Akuri needlessly apologized, still missing a leg and a half. "There was a big earthquake, and the tower fell apart. I couldn't get Iruka away in time."

"Where… is Iruka now?" she weakly asked, and he pointed to the remaining top of the tower across from them where the monster had fashioned itself a throne of stone and corroded gold. It cradled an incapacitated Iruka in its arms, running its ringed fingers through his disheveled hair. Even from far away, Rin could see its golden grin as its voice echoed over the waves.

"You should have remained in your rooms." It clicked its pale tongue, and the debris Rin and Akuri had used to stay afloat started to sink into the burning water.

 "You will repay what your callous cohort stole from my seedbed, Hiruzen," It addressed Hiruzen, who stared in disgust at the ghostly humanoid figure that cradled Iruka close to its chest, letting the boy sink into its dark form. The barbed tendrils crawled from underneath its feet to spread through the snow and slowly overtake the courtyard. It took a single step and was suddenly looming over him. The wing-like limbs on its back twitched and sprouted the golden blades that had terrorized him all night. He stared back into its golden eyes and felt his heart freeze in his chest, strangled by the demon's insidious chakra that seeped into his being.

"Move!" He screamed at himself and jumped back on injured legs, raising chakra-infused arms to block the blades descending upon him, but knowing they would meet their mark. A flash of burning pain and he cried out, landing unsteadily on his feet, nearly doubling over, and clutching the spurting stump on his left shoulder. His arm left abandoned paces away in the snow. He heard Asuma's unintelligible shout behind him and saw his son running towards him, having slipped out of the grasp of a wounded Danzo who, though collapsed into the snow, dragged himself after him with an arm wrapped around his stomach.

"Or your son could ease the burden of your punishment," the demon supplied, readying another volley of blades as the barbed tendrils inched closer to them. Heart pounding in his ears, Hiruzen spun around and raced towards Asuma. He finally reached his son halfway as the screech of blades descended upon them, and he pushed him to the ground, throwing himself on top of him to cover him as much as he could.

A tremendous crash of metal clashing against itself kicked up a burst of snow and echoed through the courtyard. Hiruzen panted. He didn't feel any more pain than what he was already experiencing, and he opened his eyes. With the snow settling, he saw that Danzo had managed to join him in shielding Asuma, but someone else also put themselves in harm's way to defend them.

A wide golden barrier that looked like it was made of sunshine kept the demon's blade at bay, and its caster stood in front of them, a young-looking woman whose long red hair was braided and weaved into a high bun where golden charms dangled. Her ears were pierced with thin golden rings where red and black agate gemstones hung. A silky dark red band hemmed with black was tied around her face, covering her eyes. She wore a deep red cloak with a white fur collar and slits in the side that allowed her to raise her arms that were decorated with numerous seals that trailed up and down the limbs. The back of the cloak was embroidered with a silver moon with three four-pointed stars circling it. Her chakra was a brilliantly warm fire blazing through the harsh cold and dark of the demon's presence.

“… Uma-san,” Hiruzen sighed. "You're—"

"Here sooner than you should be," the demon finished, its grin falling into more of a snarl as its dark chakra bubbled around it like a boiling pot, blades scraping noisily against the barrier. "I'll curse you!" Uma didn't respond to the threat and bit her thumb to draw blood before signing for a summoning jutsu. However, she ended it by clasping her hands together as if in prayer.

"Rataro. Botan. Naori." She called out, and two seals on each of her arms and one on her back glowed brightly. From them, three amber-glowing human-like figures clawed free from the Uzumaki, one landing on each side of her and the tallest one behind her. They took shape and solidified, losing their glow. "A minute. That's all you have, Rataro." She said and began kneading more chakra.

"I know," Rataro hissed from her right as the pale man radiated a fiery red chakra that flared his unkempt black hair and bulked his muscles, straining the fabric of his white yukata, turning it a deep red. His fingernails curved along with his teeth, and a forked tongue slithered from his mouth as the beastly chakra condensed into a long, scaly tail with jagged spikes that protruded from his lower back. His sclera was black, and his red irises held slited serpentine pupils.

Hunching to be on all fours like a prowling predator, he speedily launched himself across the courtyard with a powerful push of his tail toward the demon. It broke off from its ejected blades, making them shatter, to dodge Rataro's charge, but he could still latch onto its arm with his jaws and claws. Continuing his momentum, he ripped it free from the ghostly figure and twisted in the air to land back on his feet, facing the demon. With a snarl, he crushed the arm in his mouth, and it quickly disappeared into nothing.

"Useless," It clicked its teeth and narrowed its eyes as it reformed its arm.

"Please be careful with the boy possessed," Hiruzen pleaded, hissing softly while Danzo used his free hand and teeth to tie a tourniquet around his bloody stump with his belt. "He's already severely injured. We had to… I…”

"Worry none, Hokage-sama," Naori assured him. Her long, wavy purple hair fell down her dark blue robes as she looked over her shoulder at him. The left sleeve of her robe hung loose as she had no arm to fill it. She wore a hitai-ate with the Konoha symbol hand-carved into the metal plate. Her sclera was also black, with her left eye being pale white, blind, and her left eye burned a striking Mangekyo Sharingan inspired by the shape of a flower. She gave him a warm smile. "No more harm shall befall the poor boy." He blinked, and she was already halfway across the snowy courtyard to face the demon.

When she reached the barbed tendrils writhing in the snow, she made a one-handed sign, and she breathed out a massive ball of fire that swept across the courtyard to scorch the gross worms. She harmlessly crossed over the flames to reach the demon. Though preoccupied with dodging Rataro's whipping tail and slicing him with its blades, it took notice of Naori approaching and sent a barrage of blades from its left wing. She weaved through the twisting gold, only being cut on her arm and side. The blades continued onward toward Uma and the wounded. They broke through the already damaged barrier, and Uma, busy focusing on her upcoming jutsu, didn't react.

"Raigo: Thousand Hand Murder!" Botan, the tall older man with solid black eyes and dressed in a monk's white robes and red sash, declared as he stood behind Uma and clasped his hands together. A grand silver statue constructed of chakra appeared over the group. It was adorned with a sea of hands that intercepted each blade with rapid-fire strikes and shattered them before they could cause any harm.

"Don't focus on them, demon," Naori warned as she weaved past the demon's attack, standing on one of its blades to stare it down in the eye, flashing her Sharingan. "You have me to trouble you."

…

… …

… … …

Rin and Akuri held onto each other as they were perched at the top of the last remaining bit of land, safe from the scorching waters, when Rin felt another chakra signature invade Iruka's mindscape. Though burned and mentally drained, she was still prepared for any wicked thing the intruder would throw at them. She wasn't prepared for soothingly warm chakra to caress her being and disturb the waters beneath them, melting it away to form a patch of grassy ground for her and Akuri to sit on, untouched by the torment around them. Roses and tulips sprouted from the earth and smelled so refreshingly sweet compared to the constant stench of charred ash. Standing before them was a kunoichi she had never seen before, but she easily recognized the Uchiha crest on the back of her robe. Though the stench of death clung to her, Rin had yet to sense any malice from her.

"Who… are you?" Akuri asked, still holding onto Rin.

"Another intruder," the monster answered, standing up from his throne and holding Iruka tight. "I have come too far to allow you to stop me. Are you so selfish to keep the gift from me that your seedbed granted you?"

"No demon shall be made of flesh," the Uchiha harshly responded before sparing her attention to Rin and Akuri. "Keep calm. This nightmare will be over shortly."

"Arrogance!" Waves crashed from the bellow of its voice and made way for the massive thorning tendrils that rose from the waters like the writhing limbs of an octopus. They barreled down towards the trio, and the Uchiha had one word in response:

"Susanoo." An eruption of shining magenta blossomed on her left side, forming half of a massive skeletal torso. Wielding a great curved sword that carved through the attacking tendrils in one clean slice, sending a wave of force that sent waves crashing against the monster's patch of rock. Though the sight was grand and destructive, Rin was calm and unafraid, almost happy. Akuri must have felt the same as he visibly relaxed in awe. The Uchiha took a step forward, and as her foot touched the amber water, it melted away into another patch of flowered earth that connected with the original. As she continued to walk towards the monster, the giant guardian slicing away at anything that attacked, her garden advanced with her, slowly starting to overtake the hellish scene.

"You can only battle me in your mind while facing my team for so long." She said. "Surrender now, and your punishment will be swift."

"Burn!" The demon hissed into the cold night air, cornered by Naori's sword and Rataro's tail, and started to weave signs. Uma finished first.

"Aether Release: Blissful Moonlight." Bright white sparks shot from her fingertips as she raised her hands above her head, where a glowing ball of lighting chakra grew and rose high into the air, shunning away the darkness with its bright light. Even from far away, the demon hissed and cowered from the light, trying to retreat until Rataro wrapped his tail around it, and Naori sliced at its legs, forcing it to kneel. The orb of energy and light burned too bright and high in the sky, and Hiruzen may have mistaken it for the moon if he didn't know any better. Uma clapped her hands, the orb burst into a nearly blinding wave of chakra, and Hiruzen closed his eyes. With the ensuing wave of chakra, he felt harmlessly roll over him. He heard the demon let out its first proper cry of pain.

He opened his eyes again and found the dark tendrils and leftover golden blades littering the courtyard, which were gone and reduced to dust. The demon itself looked much smaller and fragile compared to its previous intimidating form as it hunched over, parts of itself breaking away and dissolving. Uma readied to sign again. The demon released an ear-piercing screech and arched its back, its featherless wings contorting. With a burst of dark sludge, a blanket of ghostly black feathers sprouted to coat its wings. Though painfully contorted, it flapped once and took flight like a wounded bird, aiming to break through the pale blue barrier.

"You'll all suffer for this!" the monster roared after it was inexplicably shocked by white lightning, still clinging onto Iruka. It sloppily signed and raised a dark barrier around itself as the Uchiha continued her approach.

"Don't hide!" the Uchiha chastised as she motioned for the skeleton's sword to pierce through the barrier, shattering it like glass. The sword faded away for the massive hand to snatch up the retreating monster, keeping it restrained.

"Coward!" Rataro hissed as he launched into the air with a powerful jump, racing after the fleeing demon. He landed on its back and grabbed its wings, staying on even when a series of blades skewered his chest. "You're not getting away!" He shouted and tore the wings from its back with a wet crack, sending them both falling to the ground.

"Blaze's Treasured Chains," Uma called out next, and from underneath her cloak, a collection of golden chains shot forth toward the falling demon, burning with the glow of fire. Rataro kicked at the demon in midair, sending himself away and right in the path of the chains. It screeched in pain as the chains wrapped around its limbs and chest, burning away at its form as they slammed it into the snowy ground. It thrashed and attempted to break the chains with its claws.

"Seal of Divine Fury!" Uma gripped the chains, and a pulse of chakra raced through them to form a golden seal underneath the demon's feet, keeping them locked in place. A brilliant burst of white flames erupted from the seal to consume the demon. It wailed in agony and thrashed its arms about as it was torched. Uma made her approach, reigning in her chains as she drew closer to the burning demon, Botan, a few steps behind her. She finally reached it and placed her hands on its heaving chest, unharmed by the flames that brought it such great agony. "Deceiver's Maze Seal!" A crimson red seal spread across its burning body, trapping it like a fish in a net.

"Damn you!" Its bony hands with melting hunks of dark slime lashed out to wring her neck, but Botan intercepted, gripping both arms in his meaty hands and crushing them effortlessly. "You'll all be cursed soon enough!" The monster threatened after golden chains had shot out from the raging water to pull him in, bursting into white-hot flames while doing so. It clung onto Iruka's leg as it fought to stay afloat, but Rin wouldn't let it drag Iruka down with it. She and Akuri held onto Iruka's arm, grounded by the Uchiha's garden, whose guardian also held onto the boy, careful not to harm him but strong enough not to let go. A burning red seal crossed like a hunter's net suddenly spread across its body, tightening around it and joining in, pulling it under. Only its cursing head remained above water when the flesh of its arm melted away; it was forced to release Iruka as it was dragged deep down with its hellish world draining with it.

"Rejoice today," the demon's last few words echoed as it rapidly dissolved as a charred husk crumpled in a heap. "You'll be… mourning tomorrow." It finished dissipating just as the sun peaked over the horizon. The first rays of sunlight caressed Iruka's broken form as he lay breathlessly in the snow. The barrier above purposefully fell, and reinforcements were sure to arrive soon, but Hiruzen still couldn't relax seeing the near-death state Iruka was in. Despite Danzo's weak protests, he rushed over to the boy but was stopped regardless by Botan holding out a hand.

"Uma-san will care for the boy," the monk's deep voice reassured him. Sure enough, Hiruzen watched her sit beside Iruka and pull out a small scroll, rolling it out and producing three small Diospyros kaki fruits that glowed a warm gold. She took one of the fruits and opened Iruka's mouth to place it inside. Hiruzen could see it melt before she closed her mouth and helped him swallow. Instantly, all of Iruka's wounds glowed with a glittering golden light as they healed perfectly. Even his missing foot and arm regrew. The scar across his nose remained. He let out a heavy sigh before breathing softly.

"These blessed fruits will heal any current wounds you have, no matter how severe," Uma said and handed off the other two fruits to Naori. "I will give you the two I have left, Hiruzen-san. You appear in desperate need of them."

"Thank you, Uma-san," Hiruzen gratefully bowed his head and took the fruits from Naori.

"Seems we won't be matching," she darkly joked, glancing at their missing arms. Hiruzen was too exhausted to chuckle, but he mustered a small smile for her. Uma produced a blue blanket from another scroll and wrapped it around Iruka's sleeping form, cradling the boy in her arms as she rose.

"Oh, you sweet child," she sorrowfully sighed. "I apologize for arriving too late."

"I'm sorry I let it get so far, Uma-san," Hiruzen apologized, guilt and shame greeting him along with the morning sun.

"You should apologize to the boy once I have him properly trained." She never looked at him when she spoke. She flickered away with her team and Iruka.

"Take this, Asuma," Hiruzen said, handing the fruit to his wounded son, who ate it. Asuma looked surprised as his wounds healed with a golden glow.

"… Iruka-kun?" was his first word spoken with his new tongue.

"He's safe with Uma," Hiruzen said as he crouched down to Danzo, who laid on his back with a mangled leg and an arm over his stomach to keep his insides from spilling. "She gave him one of the blessed fruits to heal him." He held out the remaining fruit to his friend.

"Eat it yourself, fool," Danzo sneered in return, swiping away at the offering. "You can't speak with the Kazekage missing an arm. I can recover from this well enough."

"… Okay," Hiruzen relented and ate the fruit. It had the faintest sweet taste and a soft, gooey texture that easily went down his throat. He felt a warm buzz pool in his gut and spread out to his entire body, soothing away the pain as it healed his wounds. He watched his arm painlessly regrow itself, and besides a bit of tingling, he could move it as well as before.

"Sandaime-sama!" He turned around, hearding Genma's shout, and saw his worried bodyguards, Shisui, and a trio of Root members, racing towards them. Hiruzen stood up.

"Danzo needs medical attention!" he called out, and all but one of the Root agents rushed forward to their leader's side.

"What are you doing here, Asuma-san?" Raido asked, shocked.

"… Tried to help," Asuma sighed.

"Do either of you need medical attention too?" Genma questioned, scanning both of them over. "I saw a severed arm on the way over here."

"No," Hiruzen said. "Not anymore."

"You'll be okay, Otosan," the Bear assured, though his lips pulled into a grimace as he saw what Danzo was hiding underneath his arm. "We're here."

"I knew it would end like this," the Wildcat angrily griped, already using her healing chakra on his stomach as she shook her head. "I apologize for letting this happen, Danzo-sama."

"Both of you, stop acting like I'm dying. It's unprofessional," Danzo chastised, though the usual grit to his voice was absent. "Let's return to base to dress our wounds."

"Do you need any help with moving?" Shisui offered, Zumo perched on his shoulder, scroll gone.

"Kuma and Yamaneko are capable enough," Naota said. "Thank you for offering." He looked at his fellow Root members from afar. "I'll stay behind to secure the scene."

"Right, but please see Okaasan soon enough." The Bear said before flickering away with Danzo and the Wildcat.

"What are your next orders, Sandaime-sama?" Genma asked. Hiruzen processed the question as he watched the sunrise, appreciating the beautiful start to a new day before letting out a deep breath.

"I'd like a new robe to start."

…

… …

… … …

Rin lay by Iruka in the patch of soft grass in the Uchiha's garden with Akuri on his other side. Iruka's head rested in the Uchiha's lap in a peaceful slumber.

"Shh, all of you rest now," she gently hummed, and Rin couldn't help but listen. She closed her eyes, feeling the warm sun on her face and listening to the Uchiha's sweet melody, accompanied by the flow of a quiet stream and the chirp of morning birds.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen didn't have time for rest. He went from ensuring the wounded were cared for to addressing his worried clan in their safe house in the forest. He stood tall and confident before his clan and spoke nothing but reassurances that the intruder was dealt with and that they were safe from harm. He fought back a yawn halfway through his speech. The blessed fruit may have taken his pain, but not his exhaustion.

Afterward, he met with both Hoshigaki ambassadors by the village's front gates to respectfully see them off. The older of the pair gratefully thanked him for allowing them to attend, and he forced himself to politely smile in return.

"You don't have to smile if you don't want to, Hokage," the younger Hoshigaki suddenly spoke up, having been silent.

"Hush, Kisame," Teninsame smacked him upside his head before turning back to Hiruzen with a reserved smile, hiding her teeth. "Apologies. This is my young brother's first time in your village. He's unaware of your manner standards."

"That's quite fine," Hiruzen said. I'm a little tired from grading the genins' performances." He excused and gladly waved the pair goodbye.

He waited for Rasa to come to the front gates with a gift-wrapped box in hand. It was midday when the Kazekage finally arrived, his head held high and his entourage in tow.

"Your amulet as promised, Kazekage-sama." Hiruzen handed off the gift and apologetically bowed. "Again, my sincerest apologies." Rasa opened the box and eyed the gift inside.

"Why is it purple?" he questioned.

"… I can't say," Hiruzen mumbled, confused in response.

"It's supposed… I suppose this is acceptable." He closed the box. "Next time I visit your village, Hiruzen-sama, I don't want any more humiliating surprises. Understand?"

“Of course, Rasa-sama. I wish you a safe return home." His body felt like sloshy jelly when he waved the Kazekage goodbye and asked Raido for an energizing food pill. He couldn't return to his personal quarters. He wouldn't be able to rest until he fixed as much of his mess as he could.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Kinoto stood watchful alongside Kinoe behind his captain as Yamaneko handed over the package to Bunraku, the Suna advisor happily taking it. They stood in the shade of a great oak tree on the outskirts of the village, the morning sun shattering through the dark leaves and branches.

"Let's see if Danzo-kun kept his promise," she said as she looked inside the box, her guard standing behind her. “Hm, he’s done it again," she quirked her lip, amused. "An arm and a foot. More than what I asked for."

"Satisfied then?" Yamaneko questioned, clearly agitated.

"Very much so." She closed the box with an appeased smile. "I accept your master's apology. If only I could tell him in person."

"Danzo-sama is busy with other matters. Go ahead and take your leave." 

"Always so cold with you, Rise-chan. You're so entwined with your father's roots. It's adorable." She gave one final chuckle before disappearing among the trees with her guard. 

"Kinoto-kun, Kinoe-kun," Yamaneko turned around to address the other Root member who stood at attention.

"Yes, Yamaneko-san," they both replied.

"See to it that the old hag leaves with the rest of the Suna-nin. I'll be heading back to base to ensure Danzo-sama is well-guarded." 

"Right!" Kinoe said, and Kinoto nodded before they took off into the trees, trailing after the Suna advisor.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Shisui sat reading a book to take his mind off the previous night in Fugaku's recovery room when the clan leader awoke with a start, nearly falling out of his bed with how violently he jerked awake.

"Be at ease, Fugaku," Mikoto soothed as she sat by her husband's bedside and held onto his hand. "You're home." Fugaku panted as he looked around the room, taking in the faces of his fellow Uchiha before settling back into the bed with a heavy sigh and dark eyes.

"How are you feeling, Otosan?" Itachi asked, standing beside his mother, whose hand was comfortingly on his shoulder.

"… Only exhausted." He half-truthfully answered and looked underneath the blankets. His eyes widened. "Why so many bandages?" He asked. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Eiko asked from her corner of the room.

"I remember… going to the Chuunin exams, and then there was a disturbance that Shisui and I went to investigate, and then…" He frowned. "I remember nothing more."

"We were attacked by a rogue-nin in the stairwell," Shisui said. "He put a cursed seal on you that opened up your old wounds and messed with your mind. Danzo-san and I were able to remove it, but you passed out by that point."

"Danzo?" Fugaku looked at Shisui skeptically. "I'd suspect he'd be the one who sent that rogue-nin to assault me."

"Whatever his true motivations, he fought to free you from the cursed seal, Fugaku-san. Even after you kicked him in the chest."

"If only I could remember that," Fugaku disappointedly scoffed. "Did anything else happen?"

"No," Shisui answered. "The rogue-nin was swiftly dealt with, and I stayed out last night to keep guard, but nothing more happened." He smiled. "It was a lovely night."

Chapter 10: The King of the Moon

Summary:

After a night of horrors, Iruka wakes to meet the creator of the Tenshigan, the King of the Moon.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Shoujikina Usotsuki – Truthful Liar

Iruka awoke to the gentle sound of waves caressing sand and a blanketing coolness that soothed away all aches and pains. He felt himself lying on his back on a soft patch of grass, and all his extremities responded to him. He tasted the fresh salt from the ocean on his tongue and smelled the reminiscent scent that came with it. A smell he hadn't experienced in years while landlocked in Konohagakure. He opened his eyes and was gifted with the sight of a dark night sky glittered with sparkling stars, glowing streaks of deep purples, and bright pinks. He took a moment to appreciate the vast beauty of the sky before sitting up to find that he sat on the dark grassy knoll of a beach whose sands shined silver and dark waters glimmered as if filled with stars. "Where am I? This doesn't seem like my mindscape. I can't sense Rin or Akuri… Did I… die?"

Something on the beach below caught his eye, quickly realizing that it was a man with long white hair that flowed in the wind and dressed in pristine white robes as he sat on the shore. Iruka could sense an immense aura of dark chakra emanating from the stranger even so far away, and what he didn't sense was ill intent. Hamura had been able to hide his malicious nature until it was too late… "Still… this chakra feels different from that demon when he masqueraded as an angel. I couldn't sense his evil, but thinking about it more, I couldn't sense anything 'good' either. He just put on a nice face that gave no real warmth… and I still fell for it… But this chakra feels like it's trying to comfort me like Kurenai's. I hope she's okay… There's also something… familiar about this chakra." 

Cautious, he stood up and carefully descended the slope to the stranger. Though he wasn't wounded anymore, he still wore the bloodied and ripped yukata the demon dressed him in with his hair undone and bell earing jingling in the breeze. He ripped the bell out of his ear and left it in the sand. He felt ashamed to be seen wearing the ruined attire but still quietly approached the stranger, stopping several paces behind him. He noticed that three black orbs of what he assumed was chakra floated in a semi-circle close behind the stranger. "He has to know I'm here. He's waiting for me to make the first move."

"Hello?" he quietly called out, so softly that he wasn't sure if the stranger had heard him at first.

"Good evening, Iruka-kun," the stranger responded with a soothing voice that elegantly carried itself on the breeze as he looked at the night sky. "I believed a beach would be a suitable place for us to meet again. You have fond memories of it."

"We've met before?"

"Only for a night, yes."

"Who are you?" "He feels familiar, but he could still be trying to trick me."

"You would not believe my word, understandably so. Please," the stranger beckoned him closer with a pale white hand wearing a silky black fingerless glove that went to his elbow. "Allow me to show you with only one touch."

"… Will it hurt?"

"No harm will befall you whilst you are in my presence. I swear so." With no idea where he was or where to go, Iruka sighed.

"… Okay," he resigned and continued to approach, head hung low and prepared for any attack. He was a couple of feet away when the stranger said:

"Stop there and close your eyes." Iruka stopped but didn't close his eyes. Instead, he looked down, noticing a bluish seashell in the sand. "Admiring the seashell is a good substitute. Please, hold still." The stranger moved, leaning over toward the boy and reaching out a hand, the sleeve of his kimono hanging from his arm. His hand gently pressed over Iruka's eyes, sending him into darkness, and he would have panicked if not for the stranger’s reassuring caress that felt like a cool splash of water from the most beautiful ocean that washed away his fears. "Do you remember me now, Umino Iruka?" The man pulled his hand away.

 Iruka lifted his head to meet the man's stunning gaze. However, Iruka wasn't sure if he was simply human from the immense aura he exuded that constructed the world around them and the horn-like protrusions on his head that separated the fringes of his white hair that framed his young-looking face. The sclera of his eyes was pitch black like the night sky, and his irises were a bright sky blue that held a blue pupil. It was ringed by a glowing white overlapping pattern of a flower. Looking into his eyes was reminiscent of gazing into the night sky on a full blue moon, and Iruka might as well have been staring into his eyes then.

"Tsuki no O," Iruka gasped, and the King of the Moon gave a confirming smile in return.

"Yes, it is I."

"Your majesty!" Iruka panickily threw himself down to the sand to respectfully bow in the presence of the being powerful enough to bestow the Tenshigan.

"Your respect is appreciated, Iruka-kun," the king softly chuckled and placed a hand on Iruka's back. "Please, rise. You are alive. I simply brought you into my mindscape so that we could speak." He answered the silent questions the boy had earlier.

"Yes, Tsuki no O," Iruka said and sat up, wiping the sand off his face as he moved to sit beside the king.

"You may refer to me by name. 'Hamura'." Iruka's eyes widened.

"Hamura?" he repeated, not sure if he heard correctly.

"Indeed." Hamura's lip curled slightly in agitation. "The false Tennin who preyed upon you used my name to deceive you. Dragged it through the mud to spite me. Never refer to him with mine name again."

"Yes, Hamura-sama." Iruka nodded and felt his guilt return. "I'm so sorry that I believed him."

"No fault lies with you, Iruka-kun. Shoujikina Usotsuki had many years to plan, attacking a night my reach is weakest, and went to great lengths to deceive you. Skinning an angel to parade with his likeness."

"That's terrible… Was he my real guardian angel?"

"No, he was not. The Pure Lands' guardians do not operate, as Usotsuki explained, but I need not delve into that. I have a question for you, Iruka-kun."

"What, Hamura-sama?"

"Would you like a change of clothes?" Iruka looked at himself and was reminded of the shameful outfit he wore.

"I'd like to, but I don't have spare clothes on me."

"No need. Simply think of an outfit, and I will conjure it for you." "Really? Then I'll just…" He closed his eyes, imagining, and a second later, he felt the dirty fabric of the yukata melt into soft wool. He opened his eyes and smiled, seeing that he was in his blue pajamas.

"Much better. I remember buying these with Kurenai and Asuma." Their faces appeared in his mind, but their smiling images too quickly corrupted into contortions of agony and blood before he could stop his traitorous mind. It was too easy to remember Kurenai weeping blood from the reopened gash in her chest and Asuma gagging as his tongue was ripped from his mouth. Iruka gagged himself, putting his hands over his mouth as his eyes were flooded with tears. "Kami, what have I done?"

"You did not harm your loved ones, Iruka-kun," Hamura tried assuring him, but Iruka shook his head.

"I hurt so many people. Made them suffer and… All this happened because I wanted to see my parents again. And I did, but… Usotsuki showed me such awful things about them… Were those real memories, or was he lying again?"

"Those were memories pulled from truth," Hamura bluntly answered.

"So, my parents… really hated me?"

"Hm, let us see." Hamura stood to move closer to the ocean, unbothered by the hem of his long kimono getting drenched in the shallow end as he sat back down. Iruka sat beside him and watched him put one finger in the water, sending a ripple that made it go instantly still. It was clear as a mirror when Hamura pulled back, and a puddle of water started to glow with shifting colors. Iruka softly gasped as the colors settled into a moving image of his Kirigakure home.

It was dawn with an open window to let the cool breeze in during the muggy summer. His parents slept on their futon while the toddler version of him moved restlessly in the nearby cradle. A butterfly landed on the windowsill, bright red like a cherry. He started his mischievous tendencies at an early age apparently as he managed to climb out of the cradle and crawl over to the window. He hauled his small self onto a box underneath the window, and the butterfly flew away as his tiny hands tried catching it. He followed after the colorful insect, crawling out of the window with his parents still sound asleep.

They both woke up not a second later, yawning and still looking exhausted even after a whole night's rest. They walked past the empty cradle, unaware as they went to freshen up, talking about their upcoming mission while putting on their shinobi uniforms.

"Should we leave the kid at the care center while we're gone?" his mother asked as she polished her kunai at the kitchen table, the first time his parents mentioned him that morning.

"No, the community doesn't know we have a child, " his father answered, brewing a morning pot of tea. “We should keep it that way. We'll leave him with my sister. Did you feed him?"

"No, he hasn't cried yet, so I thought he was still asleep."

"We should get him up now, then. Takomi-nee said babies are usually up this time."

"I thought that was toddlers."

"I'm not sure anymore." He shrugged, and Iruka's mother groaned before going to wake up Iruka. She stared silently at the empty cradle, blinking slowly as if she believed she was dreaming.

"Ikkaku," she mumbled.

"Yeah?" he called from the kitchen, sipping from his tea cup.

"The kid's gone."

"Mh?"

"He's gone…" Suddenly, the tiredness in her brown eyes evaporated and was replaced with panic, just as his cup fell from his hand to shatter on the floor.

"Iruka's gone?!" He exclaimed, flickering over to see an empty cradle for himself. They moved with the most energy that morning as they ransacked the home and shouted Iruka's name. "Iruka-kun! When did he disappear?!" His father asked

"I don't know, I just checked the cradle now! Iruka!" His mother threw open the closet door and rifled inside. "Do you think he was kidnapped?!"

"I don't know, but—" his father's eyes landed on the open window. "He got outside!" His parents nearly tripped over themselves as they rushed out of their home and leaped through the trees in search of their son.

"You must be so lost, sweetie," a woman's concerned coo turned their attention to the dirt pathway ahead, where an older woman held a dirty Iruka to her chest and a basket in the other hand as she walked down the path. She jumped, startled, and turned around as his parents leaped down from the trees.

"Oh, goodness, you Umino pair frightened my old heart." She sighed. "I was on my way to the market when I saw this young one playing in the dirt all by himself. Poor boy must have been abandoned." She nuzzled the boy's head, who was reaching out a tiny hand towards his parents. "I was going to drop him off at the care center, but I'm sorry for my rambling. I see you're dressed for a mission. I won't keep you any longer." She took one step away, and Iruka whined.

"Wait!" Both of his parents exclaimed simultaneously, stopping the woman in her tracks.

"He's our son, Yamamoto-san," his father said, taking Iruka from the woman's hands. The boy immediately clung to his vest.

"He snuck out of the house," his mother explained. 

"Oh, dear, I didn't know you had a child." Her surprise changed to a sympathetic smile. “And he's already a troublemaker so young."

"Thank you for finding him." His father said.

"You're welcome. Now take good care of that, boy. You know how dangerous it is for little ones out here." His parents brought him home in silence and continued that silence as they cleaned him in the tub, washing the dirt off him with unsure, gentle hands. 

"We were supposed to leave an hour ago," his father mumbled as he lay beside his mother on the futon. Having gone on an adventure and finally eaten, Iruka was sound asleep on his mother's chest. They both watched their son as if he'd disappear again if they looked away for a moment.

"I'm… not really bothered by that," his mother responded. 

"Me neither." Iruka suddenly sneezed, harmlessly shuddering, but the small action still put his parents on high alert. Both put their hands on him in case he tumbled off.

His father started to cry first, tears escaping his grey eyes as he quietly wept.

"I'm far too cold with you. I'm sorry, Iruka," he apologized.

"I've been mean to you, Iruka." His mother bit her lip to stifle her cries. "I'm so scared for you that it burns me inside… and I've been burning you too. I'm sorry."

"We shouldn't fear loving you," his father said, lacing his fingers with Kohari's on Iruka's tiny back. "We can try again."

"If you'll let us." His mother held her son close when he responded with a soft coo. "Please, forgive us, little dolphin."

"Of course I forgive you, Kaasan, Tosan," Iruka said. "I love you." He tearfully touched the memory on the ocean's surface, feeling the warmth of his parents' love at his fingertips. "I miss you both so much." The image faded away, swallowed by the starry ocean, and though it was gone, its warmth lingered.

"Though your parents had to pass on," Hamura began, "they made sure to leave you with others that shared the same love they had for you."

"Yeah, and I hurt those people," Iruka sniffled. "I was possessed, sure, but Usotsuki used my hands to hurt them. They're probably so scared of me now if they don't hate me. I won't blame them." He started to cry again.

"Iruka-kun, I understand being manipulated into a puppet by someone you trusted and forced to hurt the ones you loved. Felt the guilt and pain."

"Really?"  Iruka mumbled, trying to stifle the sobs that bubbled in his throat. Hamura nodded.

"I was forced to lay hands on my brother."

"Hiruma no Kyoudai? From Yuugao-chan's book."

"Yes, one of his numerous titles throughout the ages." Hamura smiled fondly for a moment before continuing. "I felt most ashamed of myself and feared my loved one would reject me, but after everything was said and done, my brother's love had grown tenfold. He had never held any ill will towards me."

"And… you think no one hates me now? After everything."

"I will not speak for your dear ones." Hamura stood up and held out a hand for Iruka. "You can hear what they have to say from themselves."

"I-I don't know," Iruka hesitantly said. "I don't think they want to see me right now."

"And they will not see you, but you will see them. We'll be traveling through Limbo."

"We'll be like ghosts?"

"Yes, 'like ghosts.'" Hamura smiled, and Iruka mustered the courage to stand up and grab his hand. "Do not be afraid, Iruka-kun," the king assured before the black orbs floating behind him shifted. They latched onto his shoulder blades before bursting out with a wave of chakra to change shape. Iruka stared unsettled as they molded into a pair of feathery wings constructed of dark ethereal chakra, transparent so the glittering stars of the night sky peeked through. Though startled, the boy didn't recoil from the king. “Usotsuki took more than Tsuki no O’s name.” Hamura gave them an experimental flap, and Iruka was in awe of the strong breeze the simple motion summoned, ruffling his hair and stirring the ocean water. "All you have to do is keep hold of my hand. Are you ready, Iruka-kun?"

"Yes, Hamura-sama," Iruka nodded, holding on tight to Hamura's gloved hand.

"Away we will go." Hamura slowly levitated into the air without a single flap of his wings, and Iruka was lifted off the ground with him, but he wasn't dangling. He felt light and drifting, like he was swimming but without the weight of water. He clung onto Hamura's arm as they went higher into the air, and the king softly chuckled, water dripping from his long kimono as it flowed in the breeze. Hamura flapped his wings, and the next moment, they were barreling downward to the ocean below. Iruka yelped and clung tighter to Hamura, closing his eyes as they plunged into the water. It didn't feel like water, more so a heavy mist that pricked him with a tingling splash before it melted away for the rush of air to dance over his skin.

"You may open your eyes if you so wish," Hamura said, and Iruka cracked open an eye. He gasped and opened his eyes wide, seeing Konoha's forests racing underneath him, illuminated by the stars and crescent moon decorating the quiet night sky. Even from so up high, he could see the monsters lurking below that retreated to the shadows like roaches to light when Hamura's powerful presence flew over them. They continued to cower as Iruka and Hamura flew over the village streets and further out, with the king bringing them to the orphanage.

They phased through the building and landed in a hallway plagued with a familiar burning orange chakra. Iruka clung onto Hamura's robe as the king walked down the dreaded Fox hall, the Beast's chakra parting to flow around him, making way for the King of the Moon.

"Will Naruto be able to sleep tonight?" Iruka shied away hearing Sandaime’s tired voice. He didn't see any bandages or injuries on the shinobi, but exhaustion clearly gripped him. The Hokage stood before the Jinchuuriki's nursery door with the head orphanage caretaker, Ayumu, and one of his close assistants. Utatane, he believed.

“I think so Sandaime-sama.” Ayumu answered. "He surely will once Emi-chan returns, but even then… I don't believe the orphanage is the best place for the Jinchuuriki. He's too close to the children. If the Beast had escaped during his sudden outburst, they would have been the first casualties…"

"Sandaime-sama will handle your concerns when ready," Utatane spoke up when silence fell over them. "There has been much to handle as of late."

"O-Of course, I don't mean to pressure you, Hokage-sama." Ayuma bowed respectfully before excusing himself.

"How long has it been since you've slept?" Utatane asked, watching the Hokage rub at his bloodshot eyes.

"I took a nap at my desk this afternoon."

"More so passed out. Homura thought you had a heart attack. Let him and I take over for the time being." She put a hand on his shoulder. “Go get some rest, Hiruzen-kun.” He looked at her and then the nursery door before sighing deeply.

"… Yes, I'll rest for a little while. Thank you, Koharu." She nodded, and they both trudged down the hall, unknowingly walking through Hamura and Iruka, though the Hokage stopped to glance uncertainly behind him before continuing.

"Will… will the boy be okay, Haruma-sama?" Iruka asked, the king thankfully not bringing them any closer to the beast

"He will bear no mark from Usotsuki."

"That's good… What about the Beast?"

"Kurama was unharmed, though he is less than pleased that he could not be freed."

"So, he's mad at me?" Iruka hid behind Hamura, never letting go of his hand.

"He knows you played no part in the demon's schemes. Still, it is best to leave Kurama be, until you are ready to face him."

"I could never fight something that powerful, but thank you for thinking I can, Hamura-sama."

"Hm, you're welcome."

Hamura spread his wings and took flight, leaving the orphanage. They flew to the Uchiha compound, with the king gracefully landing them in a backyard. They stood in the backyard pond garden of the clan head's quiet home. The back door was cracked open, and Iruka could hear the family talking inside.

Hamura motioned him to move closer, and he did so, keeping as quiet as possible despite being incorporeal. Iruka peeked inside the crack and saw the Uchiha clan leader sharing dinner with his family. The boy could see the bandages underneath the shinobi's home clothes. Still, he showed no pain as he congratulated his wife's meal and smiled softly, watching his older son happily feed the baby of the family. Iruka stepped back, feeling like he was intruding on a personal moment, which he was.

"Uchiha-san seems happy enough after everything," He said. "Does he still think I attacked him?"

"Fugaku has an obscure memory of events," Hamura answered. "He does not remember your face or know of any demons."

"Good," Iruka sighed, relieved. "I've only seen him a couple of times when I came here with Kurenai-san, but I could tell he's a loved clan leader." He looked at Hamura. "How's Shisui doing? I know I didn't… Usotsuki didn't physically hurt him, but he made him see awful things."

"Let us see." He took Hamura's hand, and they graced the skies once more, Iruka feeling more comfortable in the air. They landed further away to a more modest home whose bedroom window glowed from the candle's light. Hamura carried Iruka in his arms so the boy could peek inside. Denzo lay in bed, looking thinner and with more grey hair than he had last seen the Uchiha, but still smiling with a tray of food in front of him. Shisui sat by his bedside, chatting between sips of miso, with his mother sitting beside him, chastisingly wiping his messy mouth clean.

"He's smiling too." Iruka happily observed. "Does he still remember what happened?"

"Yes. But do know," Hamura continued before Iruka could respond. "It was true that he willfully tended to you at the Sarutobi estate even though it was uncertain who controlled your body."

"Still, I hate that we had to meet like that. Shisui's dad saved my family, and now his first impression of me is that I'm a stupid boy who got himself possessed by a cruel demon. Would he think his dad's sacrifice was meaningless if it was to save a boy like me?"

"That will be for you to discover if you wish to build a connection with Shisui. I believe that will be easier than you think, Iruka-kun."

"… I'll trust you."

"You must close your eyes for our next trip," Hamura advised. "There will be many unkind creatures."

"Okay, Hamura-sama." Iruka did as he was told and felt Hamura take flight once again. He didn't know where they went, but he could feel a sudden stranglehold of dark chakra radiating from what must have been a horde of creatures as they gleefully chattered the most awful things. "Are we still in Konoha? It feels so nasty here."

"BEGONE!" However, it was no match against the king's as he powerfully shouted the order and sent out a bloodcurdling shockwave of chakra that promptly silenced the cursed babble and vanquished the dark chakras.

They soon came to a gentle stop, and Hamura let him open his eyes again. They were in the corner of a sick room with dark hardwood floors and pale cream walls with many framed pictures hanging on the wall, many black and white. The warm candlelight and pictures gave life to the windowless, sterile room. Danzo was laid flat on his back in the sick bed dressed in a thin blue robe. It opened for the tubes sticking out of his bandaged abdomen that connected to bags filled with clear fluid which hanged from metal stands. A woman who noticeably wielded the Byakugan with a dark beauty mark on her cheek redid the bandages on his injured leg. Iruka remembered her as the medic-nin who removed his arm cast and routinely checked his Tenshigan, Kaira. She was always professionally blunt and cold with him, and now wasn't different. 

"You are not leaving this bed for the next five days."  She ordered as she sat by his bedside to adjust the metal brace, keeping Danzo's leg secure. The man grumbled in response, mindful of the blood IV in his hand as he massaged his bandaged eye in slow circles. "Even then, you will need to keep your mobility limited. Just because I didn't amputate your leg doesn't mean it's safe from further injury or infection if you strain it too far."

"I know that." He grumbled.

"Yet you continue to act like you're ignorant of your body's limitations."

"Shisou-san is in terrible shape," Iruka observed with a guilty frown. "He's always mean and kinda scary, b-but I'd never do this to him."

"And you did not," Hamura affirmed.

"… Right." Iruka flinched when someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"No visitation right now," Kaira called back, standing.

"Not even for the Hokage?" Sandaime's voice came from the other side, and Danzo nodded for him to be let in. Iruka stepped back as Kaira walked past to open the door.

"Don't keep Danzo up for much longer, Sandaime-sama. He'll need his rest." She looked him over. "And so will you." She left while the Hokage entered, closing the door behind him. He still wore his Hokage robe but had left the hat behind.

"Know that your youngest nearly cleaved my head off when I got down here," the Hokage complained as he sat beside Danzo's bed in the dark green armchair.

"I keep telling you you need to call ahead," Danzo replied, putting his massaging hand down and turning his head to look at Sandaime properly. "What do you need, Hiruzen?"

"I need you to file a report," Sandaime sarcastically responded. "I wanted to see how you all were doing. I know some of your agents were injured."

"They're all in stable condition. They'll have scars, but who doesn't."

"And what about you?"

"I'll be eating from a tube for a month, and I'll have a limp, but I'll recover."

"I thought so," Sandaime said, removing a scroll underneath his robe and placing it on the nightstand. "Here, you can use my old man's cane when you get back on your feet."

"Hm, I didn't know you held onto that. Thank you."

"Sure…" There was a silent pause as his eyes darted from Danzo to the floor as he tapped his finger on the armrest.

"You want to talk about the Umino boy's possession," Danzo deduced.

"Haven't been able to get it off my mind." Sandaime sighed and leaned back in the armchair. "I know I shouldn't care what garbage came out of that demon's mouth, but… was all of it lies." He anxiously sat up, constantly shifting in his seat. "Isamu didn't want me waiting in the hospital room with him, said I didn't need to hover over him, and he'd be okay.

“Asuma pushed me away, too, and lied to me that he was fine. He's been staying with Kurenai. Hasn't stepped back into the estate once. Even if they're closed off, I can clearly see those boys are going through something… Iruka especially, I know, that poor boy." He grimaced and stroked his temple. "I tried with that boy. I really did. I thought… I could do it differently… Better. If I'd just let him go sooner."

"You wouldn't have done that, Hiruzen." Danzo pitched in, looking over at the Hokage. "Any other time you would have, but you attached yourself to the Umino boy too soon after the Beast's attack. When you were driven by your unstable emotions. Too lost in your grief and shame, too isolated from your children, too ashamed of yourself to hold the Jinchuuriki close, you latched onto the one boy you could hold without being sick and who lovingly held you back." Sandiame lifted his head to look him in the eye, his eyes an irritated pink. "You weren't letting Iruka go, Hiruzen. He'd be the one child you raised right."

"… And I failed him."

"No, you didn't, Sandaime-sama," Iruka said as he walked closer to the Hokage. "This was all my fault. I did this." He tried reassuringly touching Sandaime's arm, but his hand fell through. "Please, don't blame yourself."

“Kami, don’t break down, Hiru-kun.” Danzo groaned. "The boy isn't going to spite you. He admires you too much to do so. If anything, he'll fear that you'll hate him."

"I'd never. After everything Iruka's been through… I want him to be okay. Even if he hates me, I just want him to smile again. He's a kind-hearted boy. He'll be such a caring shinobi, and Konoha knows we need more of those. It'd be too painful to lose him."

"Sandaime-sama," Iruka softly gasped as a warm rush filled his chest.

"We're going to lose you if you don't let yourself rest," Danzo chastised, looking exhausted himself.

"Right… One last thing?"

"What?"

"I'm certain it was lying about Kagami. I don't see Kagami being a ghastly ghost. I'm sure he's at peace wherever he rests." Danzo didn't smile, but the harsh lines of scowl melted away to a neutral mask as he hummed in response. "… Do you mind if I rest here?"

"No, you can stay…"

"Thanks."

"Hm."

Sandaime settled back in his chair and shut his eyes with a deep sigh.

"Sleep well, both of you," Iruka said before stepping away, Hamura behind him. The king had him close his eyes again, and they were flying away. Iruka was growing more comfortable soaring in the air and even starting to enjoy it.

"You may open your eyes," Hamura said, and Iruka did so, seeing that they were descending into Konoha's hospital. Meandering ghosts and ghouls shied away as Hamura led him through the quiet halls to a hospital room; the door cracked open. Iruka peeked inside and saw Isamu and Miyako sharing a hospital bed, the one closest to the door abandoned. Despite their injuries, they had little issue snuggling with each other under their blankets… rather aggressively.

"We have arrived at too personal a time," Hamura said, pulling Iruka away and, to the boy's shock, slowly closing the door himself.

"Are they okay?"

"Believe me, they are very content at the moment." The king ushered him to a different hospital room down the hallway, where Iruka could hear voices coming. He phased through the door and into Emi's hospital room, where she lay in bed, her head and face wrapped in bandages. Two kunoichi sat around her bed.

"You're really not going to tell me who ravaged your face, Emi-chan?" the kunoichi from the Akimichi clan griped from the end of the hospital bed, her plump cheeks marked with dark red ovals, though the left one was scarred through with two claw marks that went down to her chin. Her spikey dark plum hair flowed out from her black hitai-ate that was tied to look like animal ears.

"Like we said, it's classified information, Ayafu-chan," Rise sharply replied from her seat to Emi's right, adjusting her eyepatch. "You're not high enough clearance, fool."

"I will be soon, Hime-chan," Ayafu shot back. "Then nothing will stop me from knowing all your secrets."

"I think it's best if you don't know about this," Emi said, gesturing to her bandaged face. "Not yet, anyway."

"C'mon," Ayafu groaned. "At least give me a hint about whose ass I need to beat for this."

"Trust me, the one responsible paid an arm and a leg for their transgressions," Rise said not so metaphorically, and Iruka shrunk away, feeling the anger from both kunoichi.

"Well, if the sick bastard rears their ugly head again, I'll—"

"Please, don't talk like that," Emi interrupted Ayafu's threat. "I don't want anyone to be so angry with him." Iruka locked his eyes back onto Emi.

"What do you mean?" Ayafu prodded. Emi looked over at the disapproving Rise.

"I won't give any names, but you two need to hear this, and I need to say it." Rise glared harder. "It'd make me feel better."

"… Fine," Rise crossed her arms but didn't interrupt Emi when she spoke.

"The one who attacked me, he wasn't in control of himself. He was… possessed by something cruel. He'd never harm anyone so cruelly. It'd pain me more than the wounds on my face if anyone harmed him for this. He's suffered enough already. I don't hate him for this, so neither should you two."

"Emi-san doesn't hate me," Iruka sighed, relieved, though he still fought off guilt seeing his caretaker's wounded state.

"If you say so, Emi-chan," Ayafu gave in. "On the bright side, now you match me and eyepatch here in facial scars."

"Ayafu!" Rise scolded the chuckling kunoichi but eased up, seeing that Emi shared a laugh.

"We have one last visit to make," Hamura said, grabbing Iruka's hand and leading him out of the room. On the way upstairs, Iruka had a guess who they would visit, and sure enough, they walked into Kurenai's hospital room with Asuma by her side. The lights were shut off, the curtains were drawn, and the window opened to let the moonlight fill the room. Kurenai lay awake in bed with Asuma sitting in a chair at her bedside, a vase of pink roses on her nightstand. Asuma was slumped over, exhausted, with his head in his hands, his hitai-ate left to rest on the nightstand beside Kurenai's roses.

"You can lay next to me, Asuma-kun," Kurenai tiredly offered, patting the space beside her. "You need to get some sleep."

"… My mind won't let me," Asuma grumbled.

"Again… if you ever want to talk about what happened at the estate, I'm all ears."

"… I couldn't bog you with what that parasite did."

"I saw that parasite for myself. When I was in Iruka's mindscape, it…" She paused to steady her shaky voice. "It attacked me, tore me apart so painfully, and all Iruka could do was watch." Asuma sharply raised his head, looking horrified. "But I say that to say," she grabbed his hand. "I know how demented that demon is, so whatever you tell me won't be a surprise."

"… I was too late." He said solemnly. "I heard Iruka screaming and went to save him, but by the time I got there, the demon completed whatever twisted ritual it wanted on him and locked me in with it… It screwed with my head like it was reading my mind and knew exactly what shit to say to torment me. It didn't stop there. That demon, it didn't fight, it maimed, it…" his grip tightened on her hand. "Kami, it ripped out my damn tongue and skewered my dad before chopping off his arm." Her eyes widened in shock, but she kept quiet, letting him finally air out what was plaguing his mind. "The only reason I can talk right now is because the Onmyoji brought special healing items… I want to say that was the worst of it… When Danzo and my dad managed to get a hit on the demon and make it bleed, I felt so relieved… But then so horrified when the demon I was staring at was Iruka sobbing on the floor waving his bloody stumps around."

"Oh, my…" she quietly gasped.

"He's healed now, but still… I can't get that image out of my head," Asuma shuddered and rubbed his eyes. "And how, for a moment, I felt so happy to see it… If I'd never let go of that damn scroll, none of that would have happened. I wouldn't have been butchered like some pig, my dad's only friend wouldn't have had his guts ripped out, and Iruka wouldn't have been… He wouldn't have… Fuck!" Asuma fiercely cursed as a fresh wave of hot tears escaped his eyes, stifling his bubbling cries by biting his lip.

"Asuma-san!" Iruka rushed to the Sarutobi's side, trying to comfort him but phasing through like a wanting ghost. Kurenai brought in her other hand to encase his, her ruby eyes also plagued with shining tears. "Kurenai-san…" he reached out to her, even knowing it'd be useless. "Please, don't cry. I still love you both."

"As much as they love you," Hamura affirmed, placing a cool, reassuring hand on Iruka's shoulder.

"Can you help them, Hamura-sama?" Iruka pleaded, turning to the king teary-eyed. "Let them know, all of them know, that everything will be okay. Make all of the monsters go away."

"Normally, I would have to decline. However," a soft smile graced the king's lips. "Tonight is a very special night when exceptions can be made."

Hamura picked Iruka up and sat him on Kurenai's hospital bed. He stepped back and crossed his legs, floating in midair. He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, Iruka feeling the king's powerful chakra built within him. Hamura's wings molded back into the three floating black orbs and, with a terrific burst of his chakra, made the dark orbs burn bright enough that Iruka had to shield his eyes. The glowing orbs flew out of the open window, and Iruka watched them soar high into the sky, matching the night stars as they surrounded the crescent moon. 

"Aether Release," Hamura spoke with a calming voice that echoed with power and signed raven as he opened his eyes, entirely consumed by a burning white. "Great Lunar Zenith!" The silver crescent in the sky glowed a pale blue as it filled out into a full blue moon, and the three shining orbs exploded in a thunderous shockwave that rippled across the sky in brilliant white and blue streaks, racing past the horizon. Iruka felt the energy wave roll over him like a cool breeze while it burned away the dark auras polluting the air and dissolved the monsters lurking in Konoha's shadows into nothing more than harmless ash. Glittering sparkles of light chakra were left in its wake, raining down on the village below alongside the snow.

"Asuma-kun, look," Kurenai said, looking out the window, and Asuma followed her gaze. "Doesn't the moon look…"

"Brighter." Awe mixed with the sorrow in their teary eyes as they gazed at the moon. The glow faded from Hamura's eyes, and he gracefully stood back on the ground. The now black orbs returned to their orbiter, retaking the shape of wings as Hamura walked over to the bed and took Iruka's hand. He guided the boy's hand over to Kurenai and Asuma's interlocked ones, resting Iruka's atop theirs. Iruka sent out a pulse of chakra, and Asuma and Kurenai looked at their hands, surprised, eyeing them closely. "… Iruka-kun?" Asuma quietly muttered.

"You felt his chakra echo, too," Kurenai said, growing a small smile. "Maybe I'm too hopeful, but… I think it could be a sign."

"Sign for what?"

"That we're still in his heart." Iruka relished the sprouts of relief blossoming in Kurenai and Asuma's eyes, smiling himself.

“Iruka-kun,” Hamura spoke. "It is time for us to take our leave."

"Where to?" Iruka asked, looking up at the king.

"Mountain Hiruji."

"Mount Hiruji?! But that's nearly on the other side of the mainland."

"It is where your body rests. I had one of my guardians bring you there so you may properly recover from your ordeal."

"Oh, so that means… I have to leave Konohagakure."

"Yes, for the time being, you must fly from your nest to properly grow your wings. Now, come with me, child." Hamura didn't pull Iruka's hand away, waiting for the boy to take one last look at his loved ones.

“Goodbye, Asuma-san, Kurenai-san.” Slowly, Iruka pulled his hand away, holding onto Hamura's as he felt himself float out the window and into the air. Propelled by Hamura's great wings, they drifted over Konoha's quiet, empty night streets; most everyone snuggled in their beds asleep under Hamura's full moon that banished darknesses' monsters. Iruka looked down longingly at the village as Hamura started to fly them away, high into the sky and above the clouds. Despite the sadness of leaving his home, Iruka still appreciated the calmly beautiful sight of a sea of wispy white clouds illuminated by the starry night sky.

"The feat I performed tonight is a rarity," Hamura said. "I do not try to blatantly interfere with the living world if I can help it. It can disrupt the great balance and draw my powers away from my domain. That is where Tenshigan wielders play their part, healing the living world from illnesses I have yet to treat and aiding in keeping the balance."

"… I don't know if I could do that, Hamura-sama," Iruka said. "I've had the Tenshigan only for a few months, and all I've done with it is cause trouble."

"All?" Hamura hummed skeptically. "While it is your decision whether to be an active guardian, I believe you are capable of great good with your Tenshigan. You have already proved so by giving shelter to the mournful Nohara Rin and being a caring guide for the lost Akuri. You will stay with a fellow Tenshigan wielder, Uzumaki Uma, who will take you under her tutelage if you desire."

"… Do you really believe I can fight those demons?"

"I believe in you, but that can only do so much if you have yet to believe in yourself, Iruka-kun. Have faith in yourself, and you will discover what you are truly capable of."

Hamura dipped back underneath the clouds, and Iruka saw a great snowy mountain beneath them. There was a small down at the foot of the mountain, but Hamura flew the imposing temple built on a high ledge on the mountainous rock. They harmlessly flew through the golden ward protecting the structure, and Hamura landed on one of the temple’s balconies. The king set him down, and Iruka peaked through the glass door to see a darkly lit bedroom. He stared on, shocked, seeing himself sleeping soundly in the futon with seal tags over his eyes and chest.

"I hope you enjoyed our evening," Hamura said.

"Yes, I did," Iruka turned back to the king. "Thank you, Hamura-sama, for being with me tonight."

"It was my pleasure. You will soon return to your body. Though you won't physically wake for a while, it'll feel like a moment for you."

"That means you have to leave now?" Iruka stepped closer to grasp his white robe.

"As long as the moon rises, I will be here, Iruka-kun," Hamura assured him. He leaned down to cup Iruka's cheek, gazing into him with enchanting eyes. "I have the utmost faith in you." Iruka smiled as Hamura pulled away, spreading his wings before taking flight. The king of the moon flew up towards his namesake, consumed by the moon's light, which grew brighter until it enveloped the boy's whole world, dissolving it in a bright light. As he drifted back to what he would call sleep, Iruka thought of his loved one's smiles and the king's words of wisdom. He knew what he'd do once he would awake.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Kakashi was returning home from his successful mission on a cool morning when something outside of Konoha caught his tired eyes, so he stopped on a high tree branch to observe it. It wasn't strange for his mind to go delirious and screw with him after month-long missions, especially if he was near chakra exhaustion like he was now, but reaching out with his senses, he realized the young boy he saw walking down the dirt path was indeed real. However, it was still a strange sight to see Iruka not only alone outside Konoha's protective gates but also wearing a pale blue robe covered in dirt and leaves as if he'd been wandering the forest all night. A scroll was in his hand as he headed toward the village. "What the hell is this kid doing out here by himself?"

Kakashi silently leaped down from the tree to land behind Iruka. Before he could speak, the boy whirled around to strike him with a growl, and though the Anbu easily side-stepped the blood-stained kunai, he was still taken aback by how fiercely Iruka reacted to his presence. The kind boy's expression was twisted into an aggressive snarl, and his brown eyes glinted like sharpened daggers. However, his animosity quickly melted away when he finally processed who he was pointing his weapon at.

"Oh, Ryoken-san!" Iruka happily exclaimed and lowered his kunai, his familiar beaming smile washing away the ugliness of his previous expression. Kakashi found himself relieved to see it. "Sorry you startled me." He apologized, hiding his weapon back under his robe.

"I don't mind; it shows you have sharp reflexes." Kakashi shrugged. "What are you doing out here, Iruka-kun? It's not the safest place to be."

"Well, I was, uh, sent on a super-secret mission to retrieve this!" Iruka proudly held up the scroll. "I need to bring it to the Hokage right away. See you around, Ryoken-san." He turned around and continued walking down the snowy path. Kakashi stared at him skeptically from behind his mask. "He's a genin. He wouldn't be sent on a solo data retrieval mission. He also seems a bit off, and his chakra is disturbed. He's likely close to chakra exhaustion from whatever he was actually doing out here."

"Mah, Iruka-kun," Kakashi called out to the boy before he could get far. "I can take you to the Hokage office if you want."

"Yes!" Iruka eagerly agreed and was clambering onto Kakashi's back not soon after.

"Did anything exciting happen while I was away?" Kakashi asked as he raced through the trees. He felt the boy tighten his grip on his shoulders, his heart stutter, and a shiver rake through his small body.

"Only the end Chuuinin exams." Kakashi let Iruka lie. "My teammates were great! What have you been up to, Ryoken-san?"

"I went to the beach."

"Really? That doesn't sound very shinobi-like."

"You'd be surprised." Kakashi stealthily passed through Konoha's gates, sending his chakra signature to the Anbu guards. He then leaped from house to house, lining the quiet morning streets until he reached Hokage Tower. He slipped through an open window into the hallway leading to the Hokage's office. Iruka didn't loosen his grip, so Kakashi shrugged and continued to carry the boy on his back as he walked down the hall.

"Oh, you're back, Ryoken-kun," He heard Genma greet from behind as he reached the office door. He turned to see the Hokage bodyguard carrying a stack of files with Raido by his side. "Didn't get into any—" Genma suddenly cut himself off with a shocked gasp and dropped his stack of papers, with Raido's eyes also widening in alarm as their chakra defensively spiked. "What's wrong? I don't sense any threats. I'll leave Iruka safe with the Hokage before finding out whatever's got those two so tense."

"Mah, got morning jitters?" Kakashi casually supplied to keep Iruka calm. "I'll check in with the Hokage, then help with your papers, Genma-kun."

"Wait—" Kakashi had already opened the office door before Raido could say otherwise. The Hokage sat at his desk as always, though he looked more worn than usual as he spoke with the Uchiha clan leader and Shisui. All their eyes turned to the new arrivals, and Kakashi was given the same looks again by Sandaime and Shisui. Surprise at the Hound's unannounced arrival and then sudden fear that raised their defenses, though the Hokage swiftly recovered from his momentary shock.

"It's good to see you've finally returned, Ryoken-san," the older man greeted.

"I just came to give my report, Sandaime-sama," Kakashi gave a shallow bow to not drop Iruka on the floor. "And so did Iruka-kun, apparently."

"I need to give this to you, Sandaime-sama," Iruka waved the scroll with a smile.

"But if you're in a meeting…" Kakashi gestured to the Uchiha's.

"No, our meeting was about over," Sandaime said.

"Yes," Fugaku confirmed and gave a nod of appreciation to the Hokage. "Thank you for your time, Sandaime-sama."

"You're very welcome, Fugaku-san."

"C'mon, Shisui-kun." Fugaku motioned for them to take their leave.

"Oh, Sandaime-sama," Shisui said as if he suddenly remembered something. "Didn't you want me to handle that assignment today? I can be on standby when you're ready for me." The Hokage looked from Shisui to Kakashi. No, to Iruka and then back to the Uchiha.

"… Yes, remain on standby." He said.

"I'll meet with you later, Fugaku-san," Shisui respectfully bowed to his clan leader before flickering away, but still close enough that Kakashi could sense him if he strained his senses. Actually, he could sense a lot more hovering shinobi than just Shisui, and his lip curled distastefully at the scent of Root members lurking too close. Though he was wearing a skeptical frown, Fugaku left the office without a word.

"I found Iruka-kun in the woods," Kakashi said. "He said you sent him on a solo mission." He set Iruka down.

"I need to give this to you, Sandaime-sama," the boy repeated, rushing over to the Hokage's desk and plopping down the scroll.

"Oh… yes, I did," Sandaime made himself smile, not touching the scroll. “Thank you so much, Iruka-kun. I hope you didn't face much trouble."

"Some meanies tried hurting me on the way back here, but I got away!" Iruka proudly said.

"And thank you too, Ryoken-san," Sandaime thanked him. "For bringing Iruka-kun back home."

"Of course," Kakashi set down his mission report on the desk. "Is everything well, Sandiame-sama?" "Why is everyone so tense?"

"Mostly. There was a disruption during the Chuunin Tournament that has everyone on edge, but that isn't something to concern yourself with. I have plenty of agents covering it. Please, go and get some rest. I can see you're exhausted." "You look like you're about to keel over yourself, Hokage-sama."

“Yes, Sandaime-sama.” Kakashi obediently bowed.

"You wouldn't mind staying, Iruka-kun?" Sandaime asked the boy as Kakashi headed for the door.

"Not at all! I need to talk to you anyway." Was the last thing the Anbu heard before leaving the office. Genma and Raido were just on the other side, papers abandoned on the floor.

"Is there anything I need to be aware of?" Kakashi asked, willing to help despite his fatigue. Genma and Raido glanced at each other.

"We have everything handled, Ryoken-kun," Genma clicked his teeth on his senbon.

"The Hokage told you to rest," Raido said. "You should heed his words." Kakashi silently sighed in response. "Guess I can't know all the secrets of Konoha's shadows. But still…"

"Fine then, but make sure the Umino boy doesn't get involved with whatever is happening. He's just a genin, after all."

"Yeah, of course," Genma almost chuckled. With that, Kakashi flickered back to the empty Hatake estate.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Now, I don't say this to be rude, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen started as he raised a hand to signal his Anbu to stay back. He grabbed his pipe and lit it, taking a bitterly calming breath before continuing. "What are you doing here so soon?"

"Right, I still look like Iruka," Iruka chuckled, though Hiruzen questioned who he was really speaking to. "I'm just shapeshifting to look like him, like how you do with your ninja disguises. I'm one of Iruka's friends. Akuri!"

"Oh, that's a unique name," Hiruzen mused, keeping calm. "So, he isn't Iruka or his body? He says he's using something similar to a Transformation Jutsu, but it's definitely much stronger than that. Is he another spirit, a demon? Whatever he is, he shows no malice or killing intent… Though appearances are deceiving." "What are you doing here, Akuri-kun?"

"Uma-san sent me here to take Iruka's place while he's away. She explains it all in the letter. Here." Akuri took a step closer to his desk, and the Anbu descended from their hiding stops to draw their weapons on Akuri.

"Don't move, or you'll be cut down," Zō warned, tanto to Akuri's neck.

"Everyone, stand down." Hiruzen's order was met with some hesitation, especially from the two Root agents, but the four agents complied, stepping back but still having their weapons ready. "Let's not try to agitate the potential spirit, please." He groaned internally.

"It's okay, I'm not mad," Akuri smiled, wiping away the blood from the cut Hinoe left on his cheek from her kunai. "I know the last time you saw Iruka’s face, he wasn't too nice. But could you please give me a chance?"

"What do you want us to do, Sandaime-sama?" Shisui asked. Hiruzen eyed the scroll, seeing Uma's seal decorating it before looking at Akuri. Iruka's face stared back at him with pleading eyes. Hiruzen took another drag from his pipe.

"Transport him to hideout O4," He ordered, grabbing the scroll. "We'll learn who the Onmyoji sent us."

Chapter 11: Onmyoji in Training

Summary:

Iruka finally gets proper training for his Tenshigan under Uzumaki Uma’s tutelage outside of Konoha on Mount Hiruji. When learning about the cursed ritual to give Rin a body, he also learns that the demon sealed inside, left behind more than scars from his possession.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Saisei Shuukan - Rebirth Week

'Dear Sarutobi Hiruzen,

I have much to say to you about your poor handling of Umino Iruka's Tenshigan; however, I'm sure it already plagues your mind. Iruka will be in my care for the foreseeable future. I will return him to you once he can control his Tenshigan.

As for Akuri, I am sure he has already introduced himself. Do not be alarmed. He is another being that Iruka has sealed inside himself, and I have yet to figure out what he truly is. However, I do know that he has a strong affection for Iruka and everyone Iruka holds dear, so he will not see you as an enemy, and I ask you to view him the same way. I sent him to Konohagakure with a dual purpose.

One is to take Iruka's place in the village. You can see for yourself the efficiency of Akuri's mimicry. Putting it to use in such a way will rid you of the need to lie about Iruka's absence and give Akuri the much-needed knowledge he needs about the shinobi world and society.

The second is to help Iruka's homesickness. Though he isn't awake yet, I know he will miss Konoha terribly and want to rush through his lessons to return home as soon as possible. Since Iruka sealed Akuri within himself, they can share memories and experiences with each other on a highly personal level. Akuri has agreed to share his memories of Konoha with Iruka while he is away to keep the boy connected to his home. Keep that in mind. If you don't want Iruka to know about something, don't involve Akuri.

I know one of your advisors would be keen to exploit Akuri's mimicry. I assure you that would come with unforeseen consequences given how intense Akuri's emotions can be when paired with his potential, especially after his night with the demon. If you have any concerns or issues about Akuri, I am willing to have him return to Mount Hiruj. However, please do your best to work with him for his and Iruka's well-being.

I will update you on Iruka's progress and notify you of any issues. Rest well. I know you have your hands full, Sandaime.

Best of wishes,

       Onmyoji Uzumaki Uma'

Hiruzen finished reading Uma's letter for the third time before sighing and rolling it back up. He was sitting on a tree stump outside of the cabin hideout. Where Iruka would have been taken during the Chuunin Tournament if everything had gone according to plan.

"We really should consider sending him back," Koharu insisted for the nth time this afternoon. She sat beside Homura on a log across from him. "If the Onmyoji doesn't know what he is, we don't need to be the ones to find out."

"That would be preferable," Homura said, pulling his coat around him tighter. "However, sending him back so abruptly might anger him. He could retaliate. We can let him stay, but his movements should be restrained and we’ll keep him under constant Anbu surveillance."

"Doing that would mean that Iru—Akuri wouldn't be able to go on missions," Hiruzen replied. "That would defeat the purpose of him being here to fulfill Iruka's place."

"Maybe we can convince this Akuri to do otherwise?"

"I doubt that," Koharu said.

Hiruzen sensed the Wildcat and the Bear approach before they landed in the clearing, bowing before him, though he kept quiet about how shallow the Wildcat's was.

"Danzo-sama apologizes for not being able to attend." The Bear said.

"I'm devastated," Koharu snarkily commented but anxiously creased her brow at the sharp head turn Wildcat gave her.

"He gave two options," Wildcat started, handing over a scroll hooked to her belt to Hiruzen. He read over the letter as she summarized it. "Either send'Akuri' back to the Onmyoji, or he can remain in Konoha with the stipulation that his team instructor is changed."

"What's wrong with Naota?" Hiruzen asked.

"He would be unfit combat-wise to handle Akuri if he became unstable," the Bear answered. Hiruzen glanced at the letter again before looking at the Root member.

“And you are, Kuma-kun?”

"I was able to combat the possessed Iruka the night he attacked," the Bear confidently nodded. "Despite me acting as Akuri's guard, I promise to also be a dutiful teacher, Sandaime-sama. I heard he's rather ignorant of the shinobi world and I will educate him on such," he bowed again. "If you will allow me, Sandaime-sama."

"Hm, I don't doubt your capabilities," Hiruzen said, mulling the idea in his head.

'Please do your best to work with him for his and Iruka's well-being.’

"… Let us give it a try."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka opened his eyes with the memory of the King of the Moon's beautiful Tenshigan fresh in his mind. He cracked open his eyes and found himself in the bedroom he had seen what felt like moments earlier, except it had a dim, warm glow from the sun beaming on the curtains. His body felt like a stiff, sore rock, and he gradually sat himself up on the futon with a groan, pushing his undone hair out of his face as his stomach rolled uncomfortably. He pulled back the white blanket to see that all his wounds were miraculously healed, and he was dressed in a plain grey robe. He was alone in the room, but he could sense other chakra signatures around him, most of them dark in nature. He could also sense Rin and Akuri again, though Akuri's signature, while still tied to him, felt so distant as if let out on a long leash. Gathering his energy, he sent out a chakra pulse to them.

Their response was immediate. Akuri gave an elated burst of joy and excitement that Iruka strongly felt despite how distant the plant boy was, and Rin let her relief and pleasant surprise known with a warm buzz. He sensed her quickly approaching.

"Iruka-kun!" she happily exclaimed, her spectral form phasing through the door to throw her arms around him. "You're finally awake!" she held him tight, radiating no anger or hate for him, and he held her ghostly form back.

"You're okay, Rin-chan," he sighed relieved. "I'm sorry, I—"

"No, don't apologize," she lightly chastised him. "Usotsuki fooled us all."

"You know the demon's name?" Iruka asked, pulling back.

"Yes. Uma-sensei told me all she knew about him."

"Uma-sensei?"

"She's the Onmyoji of this temple. And she has—"

"A Tenshigan and she wants to train me," Iruka finished, to Rin's surprise.

"Good guess."

"I had a special visitor while I was asleep. I'll tell you about him later. How long have I been asleep?"

"Just over a month."

"That long," he gasped, holding a hand to his head.

"After everything, your body needed to detox from Usotsuki's dark chakra."

"And the demon's…" he pulled up his robe to look at his stomach, a chill tingling his spine. On his stomach was the dark gold and spiraling seal Usotsuki, and below it, closer to his navel, was another seal, thin, mute grey and Iruka had to strain to sense its faint chakra pulse. "Still inside me."

"Yes, but don't worry," she reassuringly grabbed his hand. "Uma-sensei strengthened the demon’s seal so he wouldn't be able to hurt us in the mindscape, let alone in the living world. Here," she stood up and held out her hand. "Let's go see her. She'll explain everything." Iruka took her hand, and she helped him stand on shaky legs.

"Where's Akuri?" Iruka asked as they walked down a hallway decorated with oil paintings, old trinkets, and charms, feet steady on the cold hardwood floor with Rin's assistance.

"He's back in Konohagakure."

"What's he doing there?! Does the Hokage know?

"Yes, don't panic. I had the same reaction, too," Rin chuckled. "Like I said, Uma-sensei will explain." They reached a sliding wooden door with the symbol of a golden prancing stallion painted on it and went inside, the old wood creaking. It was a spacious tearoom with paper walls lined with oil paintings of animals and a circular dark red rug on the floor with golden tassels. A chabudai was in the middle of the room where the Onmyoji sat, tending to her teapot and cup. The scent of sweet herbal spices lofted in the room. The wall behind her was made of glass, showing the massive snowy ledge the temple was perched on. 

Warm sunlight flooded the room and danced on her long, wavy, striking red hair that rested over her shoulders. She wore a silky amber robe that was loose around her lean frame. The robe was left open to reveal intricate seals woven across her collarbone and upper chest before the collar of her black undershirt started. The golden bracelets on her wrists jingled as she brought her teacup to her lips and her hands, and what Iruka could see of her arms decorated with seals. 

"Good afternoon, Iruka-kun," she greeted with a warm yet strong voice as she set down her cup. Her eyes met his, an amber brown that gently connected their gazes. "I am Uzumaki Uma." She looked over to Rin, and that rich brown was bleached to a burning white, and sclera was swimming in black. "Thank you for bringing him, Rin-chan." The ghost girl nodded proudly.

"Hello, Uma-sensei," Iruka greeted back and respectfully bowed, wincing at the aches it caused.

"Don't stress with formalities now. Please, make yourself comfortable." She gestured to the other end of the chabudai and prepared him a cup of tea as Iruka took his seat on the plush white cushion with Rin's help. "I know it must be a shock waking up in a place that isn't your home, but I assure you my temple will be a homely sanctuary for you."

"Thank you." He took a sip of tea, finding it refreshingly bitter. "But I'm not shocked at all. While I was asleep, I was visited by Tsuki no O."

"Really?" she hummed inquisitively.

"Yes, he told me why I was brought here. So, you could teach me how to use my Tenshigan." She smiled softly at that.

"I knew I sensed Hamura-sama so closely a few nights after I brought you here. Though brief, he visited me as well to alert me of your possession. I added a more complex barrier seal to Usotsuki's sealings to keep him contained, so he shouldn't be causing you trouble anytime soon." "I'm guessing that's what that other seal below Usotsuki's is." Still," Her smile fell. "I am sorry I arrived too late, Iruka-kun."

"What do you mean? You saved me and everyone from the demon and healed everyone missing a limb or two."

"I didn't arrive soon enough to stop Usotsuki from completing his blood ritual on you, Iruka-kun."

"… Right," Iruka rubbed his stomach. "But… I don't feel much different from before besides my stomach being a bit sore. What did that ritual do to me?"

"Hm," Uma glanced down at her half-full teacup, drumming her nails lightly on the porcelain. "… I will explain it to you when the time is right."

"Oh… Is it something bad?"

“... You do not need to worry about it now. We have other pressing matters to discuss." She finished the rest of her tea in one swing before looking back at Iruka. "No matter your final decision, I will be teaching you how to gain control of your Tenshigan. You are responsible for doing so when Tsuki no O bestowed it to you. What history do you know about the Tenshigan?"

"Not much, really. I read a story from my friend's nursery book, so I don't know how true it is, and read a Tenshigan journal with a bunch of red notes."

"A journal with red notes?"

"Yes, but I only read it once, so my memory isn't the best."

"So, you got your hands on Hamura's transcribed journal. I assume that's how you learned about the 'Angel Eyes Ritual.'"

"Yes, I uh… I'm studying fuuinjutsu, and I thought the book would help. When I learned I could interact with the dead through the Tenshigan, I felt like I had to have it… My parents had died too soon, and I…"

"Wanted to see them again?" she supplied, and he nodded. "There's no shame in that, Iruka-kun, especially for a boy your age. I was fortunate enough to have my parents pass after many years of support and love, and even then, it hurt to see them go. You are a courageous boy to survive all you have gone through and still have a caring heart."

"Thank you," Iruka flushed at the praise and went to answer Uma's earlier question. "I know that Tsuki no O created it many ages ago when the village he ruled with his brother, Hiruma no Kyodai, was attacked by monsters when they walked on the living world. He used it to seal them away."

"Hm, I never heard of Hiruma no Kyoudai, but that's also what I surmised."

"You're not sure about the history?"

"No, I am not. The history of the Tenshigan and even Tsuki no O has been lost, found, and muddled throughout the ages. It was practically forgotten when I found Hamura-sama's journal… and introduced his jutsus and rituals to my village, Uzushiogakure."

"You're from Uzushiogakure?!" Iruka gasped. "Naota-sensei told me that the village fell apart after a civil war but didn't know why it started. Were you there? What was the war about?"

"Yes, I was there when my village fell from the inside as for what the war was about… It was to stop my younger brother from opening a gate to Jigoku, Hell." Iruka looked surprised.

"Was he a Tenshigan wielder too? Why would he do that?" She took a moment to pour herself another cup of tea and took a sip before continuing.

"After I successfully gained my Tenshigan, I began helping my village with previously unseen spiritual threats and sealings of terrible beats. However, I was slowly becoming overwhelmed with my newfound abilities and came close to dying. That's when… My brother offered to do the Angel Eyes Ritual, too, so he could help fight against the 'monsters.' He had asked many times before, but that was the first time I said 'yes.' Soon enough, he had a Tenshigan as well, and we worked together as Uzushiogakure's Onmyojis, and we were very efficient… But we could have been even more so.

"We decided to mentor our own teams to be future Onmyoji. It was an arduous process just selecting candidates, which were many, and the nights of the ritual were even worse, praying that Tsuki no O would bless our students. I'm still amazed we had six successful rituals at the end. My brother and I taught our respective teams different forms of wielding the Tenshigan, and we argued about that. It started as a disagreement here and there, nothing out of the ordinary for squabbling siblings, and that's where it should have ended. But, we slowly yelled at each other more, my brother had a far worse temper than ever, and I became less patient; our sparring sessions were more so beatings than practice, and… I should have seen the signs."

"Signs of what?" Iruka carefully asked.

"Possession," she said as if it were a curse. "Unbeknownst to me, my brother was slowly being overtaken by an oni he unknowingly sealed within himself, the first being he sealed, actually. But when I realized what was happening, my brother had lost control of himself, and blood had been spilled. At that point, the village was divided between our clan leader’s, who I sided with, and my brother's future for our home. I wanted to keep the Tenshigan contained to Uzushiogakure as dangerous as it was. Meanwhile, the oni twisted her tongue to convince villagers that using the Tenshigan to dominate other villages would secure their safety. In reality, she wanted to use the bloodshed from the ensuing conflict to complete a ritual to open a gate to Jigoku that would unleash hell on the world.

"And on the night she tried to complete the ritual, my forces fought hers while the villagers, who had yet to fall prey to the monsters infesting the streets, fled. We stopped her, but by the end of it, we Onmyoji had split apart from each other, and our victory had cost the downfall of Uzushiogakure and ruined too many lives. I even had to lay my brother to rest to end the madness."

"That's terrible. I'm sorry," Iruka gave his sympathies. "Your brother must be in the Pure Lands, right?" Uma silently set down her empty teacup.

"There are as many advantages to being a Tenshigan wielder as well as unsaid rules that have dire consequences. A supposed advantage, some would say, would be how the Tenshigan affects your body." She allowed herself a small smile. "How old do you think I am? And be honest."

"Uh," She looked no older than thirty to him, but he was unsure if that would be too high a number. "Well, she said to be honest." "Thirty?"

"Close, sixty." Iruka's jaw hit the floor.

"You're sixty?!" Iruka heard Rin gasp alongside him.

"Indeed. Connecting yourself to the land of the dead and it's dark chakras through the Tenshigan either slows your body's aging or extends your lifespan in general; I think this is due to the immense Aether chakra you knead into your soul that keeps it aflame brighter or longer. I have yet to figure out which it is. I know how the most powerful Senjus were known for their 'eternal beauty.' They could knead another potent life chakra. Even then it was disputed whether they were immortal or would simply die with a young body. It may be similar, or I'm stretching my hypothesis. "

"So, you're saying I will be a kid forever?" Iruka asked.

"No, there will be a point where your body will age slower, and another issue arises if that entails lengthening your lifespan."

"What?"

"Those of us who wield the Tenshigan have forsaken a deep part of ourselves to cross over life to death and bow before Tsuki no O's feet. Doing so has left our souls in a very vulnerable position if we are to die anything other than a natural death. Living an average life safely is difficult enough; living longer than that increases the chances of succumbing to evil hands. If we were to die at the hands of another living being or, worse, a yokai, our own Guardians would be unable to bring us to the Pure Lands from the dangerous dark chakras our lasting soul would make as it contorts and molds with all the other souls, spirits, and demons we have sealed within ourselves. A damned Tenshigan wielder soul is one of the most dangerous yokai to face. So, to answer your question," she looked more downcast than he'd seen during their conversation, "no, my brother was not able to reach the Pure Lands."

“Oh… that’s…”

"A lot to take in," Rin finished Iruka's thought. "So that's what you mean when you said that Iruka's death would be the end of all of us. If he were to be killed, we'd all be damned."

"Yes," Uma nodded, gauging both children's reactions. "That is why I would understand if you are hesitant to become an Onmyoji, a profession that constantly puts you against some of the deadliest yokai."

"You don't have to worry much, Iruka-kun," Rin boldly assured him. "My healing ninjutsu isn't strong enough to work on the living yet, but I've been training with Rataro-sensei to be a better fighter. I'll be able to keep you safe from any hideous thing that tries to hurt you. I promise you that, Iruka-kun!”

"Rin-chan…" Iruka smiled at her reassurance and determination beaming in her brown eyes.

"If you need time to think over your decision…" Uma said.

"No, I don't," Iruka replied. "I already made my decision after talking to Tsuki no O. I don't plan on dying anytime soon, and that's even more possible with Rin-chan and Akuri by my side. Please, Uma-sensei," he confidently grinned, "Teach me how to fight monsters, to be an Onmyoji!" Uma looked surprised for a moment but smiled back.

“Very well, Iruka-kun.”

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On his first day of training, Iruka would start with the basics.

"Aether chakra is what empowers all yokai. The Tenshigan connects us to their plane to allow us to harness this form of chakra. We can pierce through the barrier that separates the living and the dead with a thought. That is a magnificent feat alone." Uma went about her lecture much like one of Iruka's academy teachers, making him feel like a student again as he sat on the floor of the temple's tall main hall, wholly focused on the scroll Uma had laid out between them. "Only Aether chakra can harm yokai without a physical form, which is why we combine it with our other nature releases when facing the dead."

"What do you mean combine with other nature releases?" Iruka asked.

"For an example, name one of your jutsus."

"Um… Coating Blaze! It's a fire release jutsu."

"Then, by drawing in Aether chakra while also signing for the Coating Blaze jutsu, you'll make it so that it is Aether Fire Release instead of simply Fire. That way, it'd be able to interact with bodiless yokai. You may have done something like that before."

"I think I have… when fighting this bone-breaking yokai, I used one of my fuuinjutsu attacks but drew from Aether chakra when I weaved it, and I actually hurt it."

"Very good. Did you use the shinobi standard hand signs?"

"Yes. Usotsuki taught me a little about the forgotten hand signs, but only the ones for the Great Soul Sealing Jutsu. He didn't explain it much."

"Understandable, for what that entails." Uma reached into the satchel beside her and pulled out three gemstones about the size of rocks, with two being smooth and a dark, draining purple while the last was black and covered in unnatural jagged spikes. She set the spikey and one smooth gemstone beside her, keeping the other in her hand. "Aether chakra is split between Light and Dark with its combinations of nature releases stretching down from there. Most yokai wield Dark chakra while spirits from the Pure Land are composed of Light."

"What's the difference between Light and Dark?"

"Watch." She set down the dark, smooth gemstone in front of her. "This gemstone is infected with dark chakra, possessed, you can say; however, the possession is not deep enough to permanently affect the stone's form. I can use Light chakra to cleanse it, which is woven with the standard hand signs." She took a deep breath, her Tenshigan forming, and weaved a five-sign jutsu. "Aether Release: Pure Flame," a small ball of brilliant white flame shot from her hands to envelop the possessed gemstone. The gemstone was quickly engulfed in the flames; however, it didn't get scorched or scratched. The flames gave a gentle warmth as they burned away the dark purple hue, the dark chakra being vanquished, reseeding until the flames died down to leave behind a crystal-clear gemstone. Iruka clapped at the demonstration.

"As you can see, the gemstone is cured of any dark chakra while also being unharmed. That is because Light chakra cannot harm anything in the living world. It's good for fighting off the earlier stages of possession and battling yokai in Limbo, as it will not harm the possessed victim or cause damage to people and property. However, it takes more chakra to use. Now, watch." She replaced the clear gemstone with the dark, spikey one and did the same jutsu again, covering the gemstone in white flames. However, it had no effect whatsoever and was quickly snuffed out.

"What happened?" Iruka asked, confused.

"Here, the possession has reached its final stage in the gemstone, corrupting it to the point where Light chakra cannot pierce through the infected body. This is where Dark chakra comes into play. It uses the forgotten hand sign system and takes far less chakra to complete a jutsu." She weaved a different jutsu, swiftly signing Same and Shishi. "Aether Release: Vengeful Scorch!" Hot, angry red flames shot from her hands to attack the possessed gemstone, and Iruka recoiled from the stinging heat it produced as it ate up the stone. He heard it hiss and crackle, dark chakra seared away, while the gemstone itself cracked and broke apart. Once the fire was finished, all that was left behind were shattered remains of the stone, scorched black.

"I see the difference," Iruka said.

"Yes," Uma nodded. "Dark chakra can harm that of the living world. You'll be able to exorcise the possessive chakra but also destroy the body if you are not careful enough. Dark chakra is dangerous because of how ferocious it can be, but it is also necessary when handling specific threats. However, the dark chakra is highly volatile. It can easily corrupt the flesh and the soul. It isn't something you should fear to use if you respect its limits. No, I won't make you use Dark chakra today," she said, seeing the worried look on Iruka's young face. She picked up the other dark purple stone to hand over to Iruka. "You'll spend the rest of the morning practicing exorcising this gemstone before we move to different types of Yokai.”

"Got it!" He said, ready to get started… "Um, where do you start?"

…

… …

… … …

"Now,” Uma started, “after everything we covered, do you think you can classify all the yokai you have sealed in you?"

"Yes!” Iruka confidently replied, glancing over his notes before answering. “Usotsuki would be an SS-rank mazoku because he can affect the living world from Limbo and cast justus."

"Correct."

"Akuri would be a…" he checked his notes. "A B-rank Kyonshi? Because his soul is 'dead,' while his body still moves."

"That would be the closest descriptor," Uma lightly shrugged.

"And Rin would be a…"

"I'd be a what?" Rin asked as she suddenly phased through the temple's entrance doors. Rataro entered a moment later.

"I'm trying to classify what yokai you are," Iruka said.

"How did the rock exorcism go?" Rataro asked with a slight smirk, seeing Uma's annoyance at the incorrect terminology. 

"Well, it's only half possessed instead of full possessed," Iruka said. "It's my solemn vow to free that rock from the clutches of evil."

"Hm, a sense of humor. Why don't you add that to your repertoire, Uma-chan?"

"Iruka-kun was about to classify Rin-chan," Uma said, ignoring the taunt. "Let him continue."

"Right," Iruka looked at Rin. She appeared no different than when he had met her; however, the mournful frown plastered on her face was thankfully gone. "I'd say she's an A-rank yurei because she can cast justus but can't influence the living world."

"Yes and no," Uma said.

"What do you mean?"

"Rin is indeed a yurei, but a unique one." She looked over at Rin. "Would you like to tell him, Rin-chan?"

"… Yes, I would." Rin nodded, and Iruka focused on her as she looked for the right words. "When I died… I did so with the Three-Tailed Beast inside of me."

"You were a Jinchuuriki?!" Iruka gasped, shocked. "That's why you can grow fangs and claws. But I thought Konoha only had the Nine-Tailed Beast."

"It's complicated. I was hardly a Jinchuuriki for a day, and— ugh , I shouldn't go into it now. The point is that since I died with the Three-Tailed Beasts, remnants of its chakra still linger within me."

"So, you're like… a Jinchuuriki still?"

"Yes, but there's no beast inside of me. I'm the one that is in control of that chakra, though it's not as easy as it sounds." Rin gestured to Rataro. "Since Rataro's like me, he's been training me to use my 'beast chakra.'"

“You were a Jinchuuriki too, Rataro-san?” Iruka inquired.

"Yeah," Rataro answered. "I had the One-Tailed Beast whispering in my ear for far too long. Hurt too many people during that time. At least now I can use its power to help people." He turned to Rin. "Wanna show what you learned so far, Rin-chan?"

"Yes!" she confidently nodded before taking a deep breath and widening her stance. She signed Okami, and Iruka could sense the beastly chakra she kneaded within herself as it sharpened her teeth to fans and nails to claws, seeping out of her back in a dark, wispy fog. Her brown eyes shifted to a piercing yellow with narrowed pupils, and the purple markings on her face glowed darkly as the chakra shooting from her lower back condensed into a long appendage resembling a canine tail. He could feel the beastly chakra wanting to flourish and dominate, but Rin had a tight leash, keeping it restrained.

"That's amazing, Rin-chan!" Iruka gasped in amazement, and Rin gave a strained smile.

"Thanks, but there's supposed to be three." With an exhale, she restrained the dark chakra back in, losing her beastly features.

"Both of you are starting rather well," Uma complimented. "Keep it up, and you'll be able to face the world of the dead."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On his sixth day, Iruka was taught about sealing chains.

"Sealing Chains are a powerful fuuinjutsu that has been a part of my clan for generations and integrated perfectly with the Onmyoji arsenal for sealing yokai," Uma explained, her breath a smokey mist as they were having their lesson outside the open courtyard today. Iruka was bundled up in a dark red satin and fur cloak, much like his teacher, though it was a little too big for him. Rin was sparring with Rataro on the opposite end, and Iruka had to avoid being distracted by them. Naori the Uchiha and Botan the monk observed from the sidelines, his robes and her purple hair tugged on by the occasional breeze.

"Sealing chains come naturally to Uzumakis," Uma continued, "but with the right teacher, it can be taught to someone outside of the clan."

"Really? Where is this right teacher?" Iruka smirked playfully at Uma's annoyed frown.

"Hilarious. It is difficult for people outside of our clan to do the jutsus because the chains are made of one's own chakra, necessitating a great amount of it. Uzumakis are born with an immense chakra pool with which to weave jutsus. One of my original students wasn't from my clan, but he managed to keep pace with his Uzumaki peers." She pulled out a scroll underneath her cloak, opening it to pull out a coil of thin silver chains. "You'll be practicing with this for now," she said as she handed the chains to Iruka. The chill metal felt lighter than he expected, and it attempted to soak in any chakra he had to feed it. "This must be made from the same metal as Asuma-san's chakra blades." "Naori-chan, Botan-kun," she called out to the fleshy ghosts and gestured for them to come over.

"How do you want us to help with Iruka-kun's training?" Naori asked with an eager smile, starkly contrasting the stern expression he saw many Uchiha wear.

"You'll be our dummies for demonstration. Botan-kun, stand before me," Uma directed the looming monk, who silently nodded, the slashing scar trailing down from the crook of his neck straining, and took his place in front of her. "Sealing Chains can also mix with your nature releases like Aether chakra, but we'll keep with the standard for today.

"Now, watch." With a simple pulse of chakra, a barrage of five golden chains shot out from her cloak, quick as a whip, to wrap around Botan harmlessly, snaring around his bulky arms, ankles, and neck. "Notice how I have him restrained on his anchor points, so when I pull," the chains rewound back into her, pulling the tall man a step forward to keep himself from falling over. "He'll fall. If I wanted to seal him inside of me, I'd pull him close enough until I could make physical contact. If I didn’t want to seal him in me, what are my main alternative options for yokai sealing, Iruka-kun?"

"Oh! You can seal them in blessed objects such as scrolls, containers like jars and vases, toys, and any other blessed item," Iruka eagerly answered, and Uma nodded.

"Correct. Now, you can easily be disadvantaged if a yokai is more powerful than your chains or not correctly restrained. Show him, Botan-kun.”

"… Are you certain, Uma-san?" Botan asked.

"It's a teaching moment for my student," she sighed, grabbing the chains and anchoring her stance.

"Very well." Botan gripped the chains around his arms in his big hands, the chakra audibly straining, and yanked. Uma held her ground for a few seconds before she was pulled forward, falling off her feet and having to use her hands to catch herself.

"This is never a position you want to find yourself in, Iruka-kun," Uma said from the ground, her chains retreating into her.

"Got it, Uma-sensei," Iruka noted, keeping his chuckles to himself.

"You held a few seconds longer than before," Botan said as he helped her back to her feet, dusting the snow off her cloak.

"Iruka-kun," Uma walked over to him. "You'll be trying to restrain Naori-chan." The Uchiha gave a small wave across from him.

"Since I have only one arm, it should be easier."

"Okay, get ready," Iruka warned as he spun around the end of the chain before slinging it… And hitting the snow just in front of his target. Uma taught him the correct stance and how to properly control the chain, making it an extension of oneself like any weapon until he could wrap it around Naori's wrist. A small victory he clung onto to motivate himself as the training got more difficult throughout the day.

"Can I ask you something, Naori-san?" Iruka asked as he whipped the chain around to try and catch her,

“What is it, Iruka-kun?” The nimble Uchiha responded, effortlessly leaping over the chain.

"How did you become all flesh and blood? Usotuski mentioned a jutsu to give yokai bodies, but he never showed me. He said it was easy though."

"Did he?" Her gaze darted over to Uma, who he saw shake her head in his periphery. "Don't forget that demon's namesake, Iruka-kun. The ritual is simple in certain aspects but more gruesome in others. There are ways one would need to prepare their body before conducting the rebirth ritual… and your body is already prepared."

"Naori!" Uma's sudden sharp tone startled Iruka, freezing mid-swing and letting the chain fall into the snow, though Naori seemed to have expected it, expression remaining firm.

"I could do the rebirth ritual with Rin?" Iruka asked, uncertain about the inexplicable tension in the air, his stomach queasily flipping.

"You don't need to think about doing that ritual anytime soon," Uma said strictly.

"It's better to tell the boy sooner than later, Uma-chan," Naori argued. What about, he wished he knew.

"And now is not that time."

"When will it be?"

"… When I find the right words." Uma fought off a frown. “It’s break time, Iruka-kun. We'll have it inside." Iruka followed his teacher back inside the temple, keeping his burning questions to himself.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On the fifteenth day, Uma allowed Iruka to go down with her to the town at the mountain's base so he could shadow her. He was given a smaller version of the eye mask she wore to go along with his cloak that was see-through on his end.

"It serves two purposes." She told him. "The first is to make it more difficult for yokai to tell if you can see them. As you know, just as we can form a connection to Limbo, they can connect to us Tenshigan wielders if given the chance. The second is for respect for others' honor. If I'm speaking to someone and my Tenshigan were to forcibly activate, it could imply that the person is a demon. Incidents like that have damaged reputations in the past."

It was a town called Teitetsu, named after its horseshoe shape, where the snow didn't reach during the warmer months. It was primarily composed of civilian shopkeepers and farmers, with a handful of shinobi that took missions from the larger neighboring villages. Iruka was first introduced to the town leader, Touta, an elderly man with a long, wispy grey beard on a cheerful face and wise grey eyes that lit up when seeing him.

"You found yourself a young pupil, Uma-san," he happily observed. "He must have been persistent for you to take him under your wing."

"He caught my interest, actually," Uma said. "Iruka-kun has a lot to offer."

"I can see he does. I welcome you to our village, young Iruka-kun. You can stay as long as you wish."

"Thank you, Touta-san. I promise to help your village any way I can."

"I don't doubt you. Now, on your way!"

Iruka spent the day following Uma as she checked on her blessed talisman scattered in high-risk areas to ward away yokai, checked in on previous clients, and addressed the concerns that were mailed to her and made into one long list. The first complaint came from an older woman whose faucet would rattle when she used hot water. Iruka was a little disappointed when a loose bolt in the plumbing was the culprit. The following two cases were similar, with broken appliances being the cause of the "hauntings."

"Are days usually this uneventful?" Iruka asked as they walked down the dirt street to the next client.

"Thankfully, yes. An uneventful day is a good day. However, Teitetsu is rather a small village without many tragedies as of late, which makes it a low-risk area compared to Konohagakure."

"Definitely."

The only genuine haunting case they faced that day was a mischievous yokai in the town leader's family home that was more annoying than harmful as it scratched underneath their floorboards and knocked on their walls. Uma knocked over a vase when she tried catching it as it scampered away on spindly legs, and Iruka dove to catch it, the most action he had all day. His heroic act was rewarded with a homely dinner of tonkotsu ramen made by Touta himself with help from his daughter-in-law.

"Are you really a ninja just like Nana-nee?" the small boy beside him asked excitedly as they waited for dinner.

"Yep." Iruka grinned. "Earned my genin ranking about a year ago."

"Wow, so early," Nana mused, the young woman sitting across from the table still in her uniform as she just returned from her mission. "I just got promoted to chuunin myself."

"You shouldn't be moving around so much, Otosan," Touta's son, Ritsu, said when the elderly man set down a bowl of steaming ramen in front of his youngest grandson. 

"Being on my feet is what kept me breathing for so many years." Touta smiled as he took his place at the head of the table. Iruka happily indulged in his ramen, tasting close enough to Ichikamaru's to remind him of home. He was looking forward to meeting Akuri in his mindscape to trade memories and get an update on Konoha. Last he heard, Mizuki and Yuugao were promoted to chuunin, and the team had gone on their first B-rank mission with their new teacher, Himura Kugami.

"Thank you for the meal, Touta-san, and family." Iruka gratefully bowed when it was time to leave, the sky a cozy orange as the sun set.

"You are welcome, Iruka-kun," Touta said.

"Have a safe trip back up the mountain," Ritsu said with the family waving goodbye to the Onmyoji and the Onmyoji in training.

"How did your first day on the field go?" Uma asked.

"Pretty good, I'd say, since I finally got to eat a bowl of ramen," Iruka answered, happily full.

"Are you saying there's something wrong with my cooking?"

"No, not at all, Uma-sensei… It's just always the same thing."

"You could have told me you were getting bored of my meals. Make a food list, and I'll have Aina go to the market."

"Yes!" He excitedly pumped the air, and Uma smiled.

                                                                            

~ ✧ ~

 

On the thirtieth day, for the day's final exercise, Iruka practiced melding chakra with Rin in the courtyard with an aching queasiness weighing in his gut. He had woken up with the unsettling feeling and thought it would have gone away after breakfast, but it persisted, and in turn, he persistently ignored it, not wanting to delay his training.

"Remember, the goal is maintaining a healthy balance between each other's chakra." Uma reminded them. "If Iruka-kun is overpowering, Rin-chan won't be able to properly knead her chakra, and Rin-chan, if you're overpowering, it would lead to you possessing Iruka's body. Understood?"

"Yes!" Iruka heard Rin in his mind, and he silently nodded for the both of him, holding back a grimace at the pulsing pain in his stomach as if sharp nails were pinching at his guts.

"Good. I'll give you another demonstration to be sure. Ready Rataro-kun?" There was a silent confirmation from within her before clasping her hands together. Her chakra sharply spiked alongside Rataro's, forming claws on her fingertips, and serpentine fangs sprang from her lips. Furious red chakra sprouted from her back to form a long scaly tail that cracked like a whip as it twirled in the air.

"See how I still have full control of my body," she said, shifting through different fighting stances as Rataro ensured his tail didn't knock her off balance. "And Rataro has full control of his chakra outside my body, a healthy balance." She clapped her hands, and Rataro's chakra returned inside her, her beastly features retreating. "Now it is your turn, Iruka-kun, Rin-chan. Are you already?"

"I am," Rin said.

"We are," Iruka said with not as much confidence as he wanted, taking a ready stance with a shaky breath. "One. Two. The—"

"Are you feeling okay, Iruka?" Rin suddenly asked. "I'm good, Rin-chan. It's just a small strain. Hardly feel it."

"You can't lie to me about that, Iruka-kun. I can sense whatever pain you feel."

"… Right," Iruka sighed aloud.

"What's the matter?" Uma prodded.

"Tell her you don't feel well, Iruka-kun, and you need to take a break."

"But—"

"I won't be doing this exercise when you're in pain like this. I could end up hurting you more."

"… Okay." Iruka disappointedly looked at his teacher. "I'm sorry, Uma-sensei, but I'm not ready for this exercise right now. I feel a bit sick. Could we take a break?"

"Certainly. We can end our lessons early today."

"You don't have to do all that. I don't feel that bad."

"Yes, you do." Rin snapped.

"Ensuring you are of composed mind and body is important when using Aether chakra. You shouldn't be pushing boundaries at such an early age."

"Really? There are plenty of shinobi my age that push their limits all the time."

"I mean for an Onmyoji. No one as young as you was allowed to attempt the Angel Eyes ritual, so I'm not certain how long you'll hold up if we push you too hard."

"I'm holding up well enough, aren't I? I mean, look at me," he flexed his developing muscles with an overly arrogant grin, drawing a small smile from his teacher.

“Get inside, Iruka-kun.” She gently ushered the boy towards the warm haven of the temple.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On the thirtieth night, when the new moon melted in with the dark night sky, Iruka woke up in a cold sweat with chilling shivers raking his body. His futon felt grossly damp and sticky from sweat, which was strange since he didn't feel too hot. The pinching in his stomach was reduced to a dull ache that heatedly thrummed through him, and his limbs stung with pins and needles as he kicked the blanket off him. He stretched out, rolling onto his back, and felt his nightshirt uncomfortably stick to his abdomen from the sweat. Tiredly huffing, he yanked on his shirt and was shocked to feel the fabric was soaked and slightly sticky. He instantly went lucid as he sat up to his stomach's protests and looked down at himself. It was too dark to see anything detailed, even though he left his curtains open so the moonlight could come in. Tonight, there wouldn't be any moonlight to guide him.

"What's wrong, Iruka-kun?" Rin's voice asked inside his head.

"I feel so gross," Iruka groaned as he stumbled into the connected bathroom and turned on the gas lights. After being momentarily blinded, he stared at himself in the mirror, eyes gradually widening with horror at the sight of his shirt being soaked with a reddish black stain over his stomach. "What is that?!"

"Are you wounded?!"

Iruka pulled his shirt up, where there wasn't any lovelier sight. The seal on his navel had changed from dim grey to frightful crimson and inexplicably expanded, with the center containing a skin-breaking streak, like the slitted pupil of a snake. The streak oozed the strange dark liquid like a weeping wound, and Iruka could sense the bloodcurdling dark chakra that radiated from it. "He's trying to break out his seal!"

"Uma-sensei!" Iruka's fearful scream ripped from his throat as he rushed out of his bedroom and into the temple's halls, crying out for the Onmyoji. He didn't have to run far as Naori and Rataro instantly intercepted him in the hallway with claws and blades ready for a fight.

"Iruka-kun, what's…" Rataro didn't finish his sentence as he finally processed Iruka's state. He frowned. "So, we were wrong."

"Usotsuki's trying to possess me again! Look!" Iruka panickily gestured to his stained shirt but was soon confused that the fleshy yokai didn't share his concern. They looked saddened instead.

"You are safe from possession, Iruka-kun," Naori said, sheathing her blade and grabbing the frightened boy's hand.

"Please, don't tell me," Uma worriedly grumbled as she hurriedly rounded the corner in her silky amber robe with Botan in tow. "It's happening so soon," she sighed when she saw Iruka.

"What's happening, Uma-sensei?" Iruka asked, hand over the weeping seal. "Is something wrong with me?"

"You'll be okay, Iruka-kun," Naori assured him with a calming smile, stroking her thumb over his hand. "I'll help get you cleaned up, and then Uma-chan can explain what's happening." She looked at the Onmyoji. "If that is alright with you?"

"Yes," Uma agreed. "I'll be waiting for you in the tearoom."

Naori led Iruka to the bathroom, where he washed himself in the tub while she got him a fresh set of clothes. The warm water soothed the open seal.

"What do you think is happening?" Iruka asked Rin, watching the dark sludge mix with the bathwater.

"I'd hate to say it, but… maybe it has to do with the blood ritual Usotsuki did to you."

"… I think you're right."

Naori returned with a clean blue robe, loose-fitting pants, and a seal tag made of soft black cloth.

"You'll need to put this over that seal before getting dressed," she said, handing the cloth seal tag to him as he kept his towel wrapped bashfully around his stomach. “Do you know how to seal it to yourself? It is a special tag Uma-chan crafted."

"Yeah, I should," he mumbled, examining the seal tag. “It’s supposed to contain cursed seals?”

“Yes. If you need any help, I'll be right outside." Left alone in the bathroom, Iruka let his towel fall to the floor to properly place the seal tag on himself. Getting the couplings to form was challenging as the red seal was highly resistant to being contained, its chakra burning in retaliation. With encouragement from Rin, he got Naori's aid, who connected half of the couplings to use all of his concentration on the rest, successfully attaching the seal tag to himself. It heavily masked the cursed seal’s chakra and reduced the throbbing pulse to an echoing ache. Hr got dressed and walked with Naori to Uma's tearoom.

"Thank you, Naori-san," Iruka thanked as he reached the, still a little embarrassed he needed help with something he was supposed to master.

"You're welcome, Iruka-kun, and you have no need to be ashamed about asking for help. That's what we're here for." She ruffled his undone hair before opening the door to show that Uma was sitting at the chabudai, much like when he first met her, though there was a scroll beside the steaming teapot.

"Please sit," Uma said before drinking a sip of tea. Iruka went in alone to take his seat, and Naori closed the door. A glass of water sat before him, and he took a refreshing sip. "I apologize for not telling you about the cursed seal earlier," Uma started solemnly. "It must have given you a fright waking up to its awakening."

"Was there a reason why you didn't tell me?" Iruka calmly asked, still too confused to be upset at anyone.

"As I have said, I have never trained a Tenshigan wielder as young as you, especially not one with the cursed seal you have. I thought it wouldn't awaken so soon and wanted to spare you from what Usotsuki had done for as long as I could."

"… So, it does have to do with his blood ritual." He officially concluded, feeling both relief and unease. "What did he do to me?" Uma set down her teacup and grabbed the scroll, rolling it out on the table. It appeared to be the instructions to a forbidden ritual with familiar supplies of a chakra-sensitive amulet, blood from the receiver's ‘chakra mother or father’, and one of Ikuna's seeds to be shoved into the recipient’s abdominal wound.

"He performed the Corporeal Seedbed Ritual on you," she said, reading the title crudely scrawled onto the old parchment aloud. "The end goal of the ritual is to give the recipient Ikuna's Cursed Seal. Ikuna is the deity that creates the bodies of yokai so they can roam Limbo and beyond. Her true form is a tree rooted on the bridge of the great balance, with her branches spreading further than any tree. These branches can produce 'seeds’, though rarely." She pointed to the drawing of the black seed he remembered being used in the ritual and the powerful dark chakra it wielded.

"Now, the ritual entails melding Ikuna's seed with a recipient's body and chakra flow to become a ‘corporeal seedbed’. However, if you notice the warning, not everyone can survive this ritual. If the average human were to receive Ikuna’s seed, their body would be completely corrupted by the dark chakra, unable to handle it, and perish. I assume Usotsuki had many recipients for his rituals that failed before he targeted you, Iruka-kun. Our Tenshigan allows us to handle excessive amounts of dark chakra so the seed can successfully merge with our bodies to form Ikuna’s Cursed Seal."

"Our?" Iruka mumbled, still processing all the information he had been told. Uma opened her robe to show her stomach and the same black seal tag over her navel. "A mazoku did the ritual to you, too, Uma-sensei?"

"No, I did the ritual to myself." She answered, closing her robe back.

"Why? What do you get out of it?"

"You asked earlier how I gave my yokai team's physical bodies, yes?" His eyes widened as the dots started to connect, though Uma went on to explain. "On our own, Tenshigan wielders cannot bring flesh to our sealed yokai until we give ourselves Ikuna’s Cursed Seal. That is why Usotsuki targeted you. So—"

"He could get a body to walk in the living world." Iruka finished, leaning back on his cushion, realizing how close Usotsuki had come to getting his wicked way. "He told me about that ritual where I could give Rin-chan a body, but he said it was simple. He didn't mention anything about this seedbed ritual."

"You and Rin-chan would have been doubtful if he mentioned all the risks and consequences of having Ikuna’s Cursed Seal and doubtful again about the ritual that 'rebirths' yokai. I'll get them out of the way now." Uma shook her head with a frustrated groan and gulped down the rest of her tea. "The cursed seal is mainly dormant until the 'Saisei Shuukan' of every month. It occurs every month, around seven days, but the week is random. I haven't found a pattern, if any, for when the Saisei Shuukan happens. During that time, we are also a target for the more malicious yokai who sense the cursed seal’s dark chakra and know what it can do. The seal tags I make do a good enough job of sealing its chakra, but it's not a flawless barrier. We can conduct the rebirth ritual during that... This week, the seed produces sap, a mix of our chakra-fused blood and its dark chakra, to be used in the ritual. It'll completely evaporate at the end of the week when the cursed seal goes back to being dominant. The ritual comes with its own list of risks, but I've already loaded you enough for tonight. Do you have any questions, Iruka-kun?"

"… Not that I can think of right now," he mumbled, hand over his stomach. "Do you have any questions, Rin-chan?" There was a pause as he could sense troubling emotions toiling inside her.

"… What can I do to protect you?"

"What can she do to protect me?"

"Stay alert and ward off weaker yokai with your presence," Uma answered. "If you're intimidating enough, no cowardly yokai will be willing to face you to get to Iruka-kun."

"… Understood."

"Any more questions?"

"… No."

"No, we don't," Iruka shook his head.

"… How do you feel?" Uma prodded.

"Violated," Rin's voice hissed in his head, her chakra already protectively burning inside him.

"Not so good," Iruka comfortingly rubbed Rin's seal on his lower back. "But I'm learning how to live with my Tenshigan, so we can learn to live with this cursed seal too," he said, hopeful.

"Good, you'll need that mindset, both of you." Uma looked him over. "Would you like to head back to bed? You must be tired."

"Yes, but… could I spend the night with you, Uma-sensei?" She offered a smile

"I have an extra futon already next to mine."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On the dusk of his four hundred seventy-fourth day, Iruka waited with Rin in his mindscape after practicing his Hellfire Chains for Akuri to give them the nightly update. They were in Rin's room this time, with Iruka reading over his notes on her bed, his growth spurt making the small bed even smaller than it used to be, and Rin threading a seashell necklace at her desk, her grown-out hair tied back in a loose ponytail to keep it out of her face.

"Akuri usually isn't this late," Iruka thought aloud, absent-mindedly scratching around the edges the black seal tag on his abdomen.

"Yeah," Rin agreed. "But last time he was late, he was doing extra taijutsu training with Kugami-san, so—" Akuri's chakra signature suddenly arrived in the mindscape with a dramatic pulse of worry and panic. Iruka and Rin dropped what they were doing to eye the door as Akuri's footsteps could be heard racing down the hallway. Akuri charged into the bedroom with the exclamation of:

"Emergency! I need your Onmyoji aid!"

"What's going on?" Rin questioned.

"Is someone in danger?" Iruka asked the flustered creature, who gave a fractured and rushed explanation of:

"I'm trying to find Kotetsu and Izumo because they went on an A-rank mission when they weren't supposed to because Kotetsu felt bad about being a genin and Izumo ran away with him, but there's been this really nasty soul devourer following them all day, and it won't go away even though it has plenty of ghosts around for it to eat so I think it wants to hurt them somehow, and I wanted to ask you earlier how to get it to go away, but I was training with Mizuki, and he was like 'I'm gonna show you my new jutsu, Ruka-kun,' and then just kissed me for so long that I got distracted and—"

"W-Wait, slow down!" Iruka interrupted, flustered, not sure if he heard Akuri correctly. "So Kotetsu and Izumo went rogue with a jikininiki stalking them, and you didn't tell me earlier because…"

"Mizuki kissed you?" Rin finished when Iruka fumbled over his words, looking surprised, and she sat on the bed beside him. "Like on the cheek or—"

"Nope, it was full lips-to-lips smooching," Akuri puckered his lips to demonstrate.

"Sure," Iruka waved off the claim with a blushing face, knowing how Akuri could sometimes exaggerate. "Mizuki-kun probably accidentally smashed his face on Akuri's when trying to show off his new jutsu." "Akuri-kun, just start from the top and tell us what's happening and how we can help."

Chapter 12: A Kiss and an Exorcism pt.1

Summary:

Iruka and Rin watch Akuri’s memory about how Kotetsu and Izumo ended up running away with an A-rank mission scroll.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Aurthor's Note: I'll be posting part 2 this Friday night.

This Chapter takes place during June

Kakashi – 17 years-old (will be 18 in September)
Rin – 14-year-old appearance (17 years-old mentally, 18 in November)
Naota – 33 years old (will be 34 in October)

Team 4
Iruka – 14 years-old (turned 14 on May 26)
Akuri – True form about the same build of a regular teenager (True age ???)
Mizuki – 15-years old (will be 16 October)
Kinari – 15 years old (turned 15 in May)
Kugami – 31 years old (will be 32 in December)

Team 5
Kotetsu – 15 years-old (will be 16 in July)
Izumo – 15 years-old (will be 16 in November)
Tsubaki - 15 years-old (will be 16 in August)
Rise – 32 years-old (will be 33 in November)

Akuri heard a knock on his apartment window at the crack of dawn. He lay on his low bed, living through the memories of Iruka and Rin as they practiced sealing a B-rank monster. He would have written off the sound as the nearby tree's branches scratching against his window. But the familiar chakra signature, which was subdued only for him to sense, grabbed his attention. He smiled as he sat up.

The Hound sat perched on the window ledge like a stalking cat, a black cloak draped over him to better lurk in the shadows. He waved. Akuri happily opened the window to let the Anbu in. 

"Another successful mission, Ryoken-san?" He asked as the Hound slipped inside and tiredly plopped down next to Iruka on the bed. 

"Yeah," the Hound said, "Had to give a kiss and almost lost a finger, but still, yeah."

“Kiss?!” Akuri gasped.

"Yep," the Hound nonchalantly shrugged off his cloak and stretched out with a groan, the muscles in his shoulders and arms flexing. He collapsed with a relieved sigh as something popped, and he turned his masked face to Akuri. "How's everything going for you, Iruka-kun?" Despite mimicking Iruka nearly 24/7, Akuri was good at identifying his emotions from Iruka's by sensing the chakra connected to the emotion. He knew how Iruka felt around the Hound, getting a fluttering sensation in his stomach and a flushing heat to his face that turned his cheeks pink. That being said, Akuri knew he felt the warm fluttering emotion himself seeing the Anbu agent comfortably splayed on his bed, but he still reacted how Iruka would. He turned his blushing face away and got up with the rushed answer:

"It's been good! Let me get dressed, and I'll make us some tea." He excused himself and escaped to the bathroom to prepare for the day. "I'm starting to like Ryoken more and more. Maybe one day I'll love him as much as Iruka!"

 

"What do you mean 'love'?!" Iruka angrily exclaimed, and the memory froze on Akuri brushing his teeth in the bathroom mirror. "I told you already that I admire him. Admire!" 

"You can't fool me, Iruka. I can read your heart, and it says, 'I love Ryoken-san!'"

"I hate that Kurenai taught you metaphors."

"Oh, don't be embarrassed. Rin loves Ryoken, too!"

"We'll uh, yes," Rin admitted, albeit sheepishly. "I have my private reasons."

"See, we all love Ryoken!"

"Ugh, just get on with the memory," Iruka grumbled defeatedly.

 

Akuri finished getting dressed in the standard shinobi uniform and went to the kitchen to make tea. Ryoken hadn't moved from the futon, so Akuri brought the teacups to the bedroom. 

"Did you go through another growth spurt?" the Hound mused, the Anbu lying on his side with his head in his hand. Akuri looked down at himself. Iruka's body had grown some, now as tall to reach Asuma's chest and outgrowing most of his clothes that fit a couple of years earlier. 

"Yes, and I need a bunch of new clothes because of it." Akuri sat beside Ryoken, who picked himself up to take the cup.

"So, why'd you have to kiss someone?" Akuri inquired, hoping the Anbu wouldn’t close off the topic. "Did you love them?"

"Kami, no," Ryoken gave a single chuckle. "I did it so I wouldn't break cover."

"Oh, I just remember seeing Asuma-san and Kurenai-san kissing, so I thought it was like theirs."

"Not all kisses are like those lovebirds. It was just a peck, no love behind it."

"Well… have you kissed someone with love?"

“Have you, Iruka-kun?” Ryoken countered, a sign he wouldn't answer.

"Oh, no! Not me," Akuri's face heated as he shook his head. "I'm too busy being a ninja right now for anything like that."

Throughout their casual conversation about Akuri's schedule for the day, the Anbu skirting around his secrets and life in general, Ryoken took sips from his tea without ever letting Akuri glance at his face. It was almost done teasingly, which would have annoyed Iruka, so Akuri got annoyed. 

"Will I ever see your face?" He grumbled.

"Nope," Ryoken popped, setting down his cup. "Anbu must never reveal their identity to anyone unauthorized. You'll only see my face if you take the mask off me yourself, Iruka-kun." He tapped the mask with a clawed finger. "If you can." 

"Hmph," Akuri set aside his cup, holding back a mischievous smirk. "As if I'd stoop so low as to—" he swiped at the Hound's mask, not even grazing it as the Anbu effortlessly dodged. A playful tussle ensued, with Akuri attempting to snatch off the Anbu's mask and the Hound easily warding off his advances. Akuri attempted the grappling move Uma had recently taught Iruka, wrapping his legs around the Hound's midsection from behind, trapping one of his arms, and locking his arms around his neck in a painless headlock.

"Mah, what's this?" The Hound curiously asked, tapping Akuri's arm with his free hand.

"My secret grappling jutsu," Akuri huffed, straining to keep the hold. "Give up, yet?" 

"Not quite." One moment, he had the Anbu restrained, the next, he was flipped on his back with the Hound sitting on top of him, his weight pinning him down on the bed.

"Give up yet, Iruka-kun?" the Hound asked amusingly, watching Akuri attempt to throw him off and reach out to snatch his mask.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Akuri conceded, though he wore a giddy smile from the fluttering excitement in his chest. "I'll unmask you one of these days."

"You were close today, though," the Anbu humored. Maybe—" He whipped his head to glare into the living room. Nothing strange was happening in the empty living room lit by the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.

"What's wrong, Ryoken-san?" Akuri asked.

"Your teammate has been waiting for you," the Anbu answered as a knock sounded at the door.

“Hey, are you ready, Ruka-kun?” Mizuki asked from the other side. "Kugami-sensei won't let us slide if we're late again."

"I'll be right there, Mizuki-kun!" Akuri called out. The Hound got off of him, helping him to his feet. "Thanks for visiting, Ryoken-san. I'll see you later."

"Later, Iruka-kun." The Hound took his cape before flickering away. Akuri straightened his uniform, messy from the tussle, and opened the front door to a frowning Mizuki.

"Good morning, Mizuki-kun," he greeted. "Ready to go?" Mizuki peered inside the empty apartment before grumbling:

"Sure," he said, walking off and forcing Akuri to catch up after locking his apartment. "What's the matter?"  he asked his clearly upset friend, whose arms were crossed over his chest, and his grey eyes glared up at the clear blue sky.

"You had someone over," he stated, an upset curl to his lips.

"Yes?" "Why would that make Mizuki so mad?" "He's just, uh, an Anbu friend of mine who visits from time to time. He's saved my life many times."

"He's your friend?" Mizuki asked, turning his steely gaze to Iruka. 

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" 

"… If he's just a friend, then I guess there's nothing," Mizuki said and smiled; his previous anger vanished as if it had never existed in the first place. "I think we're gonna get another B-rank mission today. Let's bring in some money!"

"Right!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Akuri and Mizuki arrived at Hokage Tower, and Kugami and Kinari waited for them on the steps.

"You both made it on time," Kinari observed, her narrowed golden eyes focused on Akuri as she stroked the purring ninneko's chin, who was perched on her shoulders, a refined, hairless cat with bright green eyes and his hitai-ate hanging from his neck. "Congratulations." The freckles dotting her cheeks creased as she gave a slight, amused smirk. The older kunoichi had joined Team 4 months earlier after Yuuago's promotion, and had quickly cemented herself as the group's medic-nin who could as easily heal you as she could kill you.

"Hold your applause. We were almost late, Neko-chan," Mizuki said, and his eyes darted to Iruka. "Because Ruka-kun was messing around with an Anbu."

"I said that was a secret, Mizuki-kun!" Akuri angrily scolded his teammate, who shrugged.

"So, we have another Anbu' messing around' with genin?" Kinari raised a brow, jostling her short white ponytail and her ninneko as she sat up attentively, her cold gaze warming with curiosity.

“Who was it, koneko-kun?” the ninneko, Yojimbo, inquired with his deep sly voice. “I'll start guessing if you don't answer."

"I saw him," Mizuki said. "His mask was a—"

"Mizuki-kun," Kugami calmly interjected, his scarred face subtle in portraying his concern, leaving the marking of a handprint marred into the skin that cupped his left cheek undisturbed. His dark beauty mark managed to slip between the pointer and index finger underneath his golden eye, which looked at Mizuki with a gentle firmness as he spoke: "Do not compromise the Anbu by revealing his identification and when and where he will be. That is valuable information that can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Do you understand?" Mizuki glared at his teacher and stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. Kugami narrowed his gaze.

"Yes, I understand, Kugami-sensei," Mizuki grumbled petulantly, but Kugami accepted the response and turned to Kinari further down the staircase.

"The same goes for you two, Kinari-chan, Yojimbo." He gestured to the kunoichi with his bandaged arm, the sleeve of his black undershirt cut off. "Do not interrogate Iruka-kun about this."

"Yes, Kugami-sensei," Kinari obediently responded. Kugami stood up, the morning breeze rustling his shaggy black hair that grew over his hitai-ate.

"Let's go. The Hokage already has a mission for us." He let his students walk ahead of him, with Akuri lingering behind them, to give a nod of thanks to his teacher. The team went up to the Hokage's office, entering with permission.

"Good morning, Team 4," The Hokage said around his smoking pipe as he sat behind his desk as usual, though he wasn't alone.

"Hello," Naota greeted with a polite smile, the white-robed shinobi standing beside the Hokage as they looked over a report. "It's good to see you two again, Mizuki-kun, Iruka-kun."

"Oh, hello, Hokage-sama, Naota-san," Akuri waved.

"What are you doing here, Naota-sensei?" Mizuki asked. "Please, tell me you'll be our teacher again. Kugami-sensei's such a stick in the mud." Akuri gave his teammate a scolding nudge.

"No, I'm only here to give Hokage-sama my report," Naota smiled. "Kugami-kun is a fine teacher when you grow used to his particular teaching style."

"Was that a compliment?" Kugami skeptically quirked his lip.

“Of course it was, kabu-kun. You've come here for your mission, yes?"

"Indeed, they have," Sandaime said and rifled through his desk to pull out a mission scroll. "It's a B-rank mission." Mizuki silently grinned. "You'll guard a Higashi Clan noble for his trade with Sunagakure's head merchant. A simple but dangerous guarding mission. Any questions?"

"Is Higashi-san expecting to be attacked?" Akuri asked.

"He said he expects opportunistic mercenaries to try and steal their goods if information about the trade somehow leaked."

"How large is the meeting area?" Kinari asked.

"It's the Higashi clan's retreat cabin. You should be able to effectively guard the area."

"I have a question, too," Mizuki said. "But it doesn't really pertain to this mission."

"No, Mizuki-kun, you don't have enough mission points to apply for the jounin exam," the Hokage said in the same tone and inflection as last time. Mizuki's face scrunched in irritation.

"I wasn't going to ask that yet, Sandaime-sama. I was going to ask what the rules are for Anbu and regular shinobi relationships?" Akuri shot a silent glare at Mizuki.

"Hm, interesting question," Sandaime hummed. "Anbu are permitted to have relationships with standard shinobi. The only rule I think would apply is Shinobi Rule 21: Anbu must not engage in personal affairs while in uniform. Why do you ask?" He smiled teasingly. "Do you have eyes on a certain Anbu agent, Mizuki-kun?"

"No," a smirk crawled onto Mizuki's face, and Akuri was too slow to interrupt him. "I caught Iruka making love with a mutt-masked Anbu this morning." The Hokage choked on his pipe and sputtered smoke, and Akuri's mouth gaped at the accusation.

"What?!"

"Told you," Yojimbo arrogantly said.

"Hmph, my guess was close enough," Kinari scoffed.

"Here, I was told Ryoken-kun was too reserved for such things," Naota said.

"Well, uh, that's certainly news," the Hokage awkwardly cleared his throat and regained his composure. "And it's Iruka-kun's personal business, so—"

"I'm not making love to anyone, Sandaime-sama!" Akuri practically cried with the weight of embarrassment, trying to crush him. "Ryoken-san and I are just friends. We were play-wrestling!"

"Play-wrestling, sure," Mizuki scowled, and Kugami beat Akuri to give him a scolding knock upside the head, the chuunin shooting a glare at his jounin sensei, who didn't flinch.

"You should keep quiet, Mizuki-kun," Kugami said. "You're already starting drama first thing in the morning."

"Well, let's get the drama out of the way," Naota announced, turning his gaze to Akuri. He activated his kekkei genkai, and Akuri felt his skin tingle under the Byakugan wielder's intense gaze. "Done. There are no external or internal signs of sexual intercourse." He deactivated his Byakugan. “Iruka-kun is telling the truth.”

"Thank you, Naota-san," Akuri mumbled his thanks, channeling Iruka's shame of wanting to hide underneath a boulder for all eternity. "If we're all on board, I'd like to get started on the mission sooner than later."

"Of course," the Hokage thankfully agreed without issue and handed the mission scroll to Kugami just as there was a loud knock on the door. "What now?" "Come in." A fuming Kotetsu barged into the office, clutching a mission scroll as the teen strolled past Team 4 to be in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Hokage-sama," he said with a sharp bow, keeping his tone controlled despite the apparent anger creasing his brow. "I believe my team deserves a higher-ranked mission." Akuri wrinkled his nose in distaste at the rancid taste of dark chakra creeping closer. Being connected with Iruka had heightened his awareness and clarity of the monsters. Whatever was coming had an awful stench.

"How come?" Sandaime asked, letting the lack of a greeting slide this once.

"It's another C-ranked mission about kicking wild boars off wheat fields we've done hundreds of times."

"Someone has to defend our wheat," Sandaime smiled softly, but it didn't lift Kotetsu's angered mood.

"Some fresh-faced genins can handle that, then." Something gave a gurgling growl as it crept into the office with wet footsteps and a filthy aura. "My team can take on any B-rank mission you have lying around, Hokage-sama. Please."

"Kotetsu-kun, you know a B-rank mission would be above your genin level."

"The only reason I failed the last chuunin exam was because Rise-sensei pulled us out."

"Weren't you poisoned?"

"I had a small cough that Rise-sensei blew out of proportion. Anyway, my combat skills are up there with any chuunin."

"It's more than combat skills that make a shinobi a chuunin."

"Well, if genin aren't supposed to go on B-rank missions," Kotetsu pointed a finger at Akuri. "Why is Iruka-kun allowed to go on them?" Akuri looked over to the genin and kept a straight face, seeing the tall, bony soul devourer looming over Kotetsu, hunching its back so its salivating maw was inches above him. It mumbled unintelligibly to itself, and its red eyes were solely focused on the genin even when another shinobi arrived.

"Iruka-kun has a jounin and two chuunin to pick up his slack," Rise said as she suddenly appeared by Kotetsu's side, the jounin teacher looking less than pleased with her student. "Apologies for my student's intrusion, Hokage-sama." She gave a quick bow. "We were just about to start our mission. Come on, Kotetsu-kun.”

"Wait, Rise-sensei," Kotetsu said. "You have to give our team a chance to show what we can really do."

"Perhaps that time is now, koneko-chan," Naota said. Rise's frown deepened. "And before you scold my input, please hear my idea first. Kugami's team is handling a B-rank guarding mission today. Maybe your team can join his team for this mission, allowing them to experience a B-rank mission with safety in numbers. You won't get paid, but—"

"That's a great idea, Naota-san!" Kotetsu grinned, and the devourer gave a pleased grumble. "Please, Hokage-sama, this is the last favor I'll ever ask you."

"One last favor, hm," the Hokage looked at Rise and Kugami. "I'll allow it if both jounin senseis are in agreement." Kotetsu immediately turned his pleading to the teachers.

"Rise-sensei, if you let us go on this mission, I promise I'll never back-talk you again!"

"I doubt that." Rise crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're always saying how important it is that we shinobi give everything we got on missions so we can help the village. It would be a disservice to Konoha if I just stuck to wrangling animals when I could be fighting off enemy shinobi. You're stopping me from bettering the village."

"Hmph, fine then. I'll give you the chance to fight, but don't expect me to lick your wounds when you get bested."

"You won't have to, Rise-sensei." Kotetsu's anger finally vanished to give rise to the excitement that took the form of a hopeful grin aimed at a still skeptical Kugami. "Are you on board too, Kugami-sensei?"

"Please, say 'no,'" Mizuki pleaded under his breath.

"How well can you wield Giri?" Kugami questioned.

"Better than my own fists," Kotetsu boasted. "I've gotten a lot better with it. I just haven't gotten the chance to show you yet."

"Then… I suppose this will be your chance, Kotetsu-kun." Kotetsu cheered, Mizuki lamented, and all Akuri could do was hope that the soul devourer would fall behind in their joint mission.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Thankfully, the soul devourer wasn't fast enough to keep pace with them as they headed out of the village with the noble's entourage on their mission, but it was still stalking after Kotetsu when Akuri lost sight of it in the forest. It took them a few hours to reach the meeting spot, a secluded luxurious cabin built in the woods. The Suna merchants were due to arrive in the next hour, which gave the Konoha-nin time to set up their guarding posts. Akuri was teamed with Kotetsu and Izumo outside of the cabin, guarding the northern area of the clearing, with Mizuki, Tsubaki, and Kinari guarding the south, and the jounin senseis inside the cabin with the Higashi clan members. Akuri's group faced the path and would be the first team to see the Suna merchants.

"Sorry for calling you out like that earlier, Iruka-kun," Kotetsu apologized beside him, focused eyes continuing to scan the surrounding forest. "I don't think you're a bad shinobi or anything because you're a genin."

"You're fine, Kotetsu-kun. I'm not mad," Akuri assured him. "I got the point you were trying to make. Though, what's the rush to be a chuunin? You know Asuma-san always tells us to take our time."

“Asuma-san was already a chuunin by my age. I'm falling behind."

"Who are you falling behind?"

"… It's complicated," Kotetsu grumbled.

"With how our training is going, I'm sure we'll pass the next chuunin exams," Izumo encouraged.

"Yeah, if Rise-sensei doesn't pull us out for a cough."

"Kotetsu, you were practically spewing your guts out." Izumo cringed at the memory. "She took us out because she didn't want you to die."

"Funny, 'cause she said she had no issue if I got my ass beat on this mission."

"You know she's bluffing." Izumo playfully nudged his tense teammate. "Stop being so hard on yourself. Kotetsu, you're a fine shinobi to me." Kotetsu managed a small smile towards Izumo.

"… Thanks, Izumo."

Akuri tasted the chakra signature before his eyes found its owner. A musky stench oozed from the forest and onto his tongue, a flavor too similar to a rotting corpse. Kotetsu and Izumo had yet to bring attention to it. "Don't tell me. Is that soul devourer still following Kotetsu?"

Zoning in on the entry pathway, he caught sight of someone, or something, approaching in lazy sauntering steps and dressed in a ragged dark purple robe. It wasn't tall enough to be the soul devourer, but it's foul chakra and unfit decorum for a trained shinobi revealed its monster nature. Silent as a mouse, it reached the end of the pathway, stopping before leaving the shadow of the trees. He realized it was, or used to be, a middle-aged woman with long, stringy white hair that messily fell over her wrinkled face. Her left eye was a beady black, and the other a contrastingly beaming brown, peeking through white strands. Another woman with the same face and messy hair was clinging to her back, liver-spotted arms wrapped around her neck and head resting on her shoulder. However, Akuri couldn't find the legs of the second woman. Her lower half seemed to be somehow sunk inside the other woman, her torso stemming out of her back like a conjoined twin.

"Who is that?" Kotetsu's question rid Akuri of the thought that he was staring at a pair of yokai. "They're alive?!"

"Maybe they're scouts for the Suna merchants?" Izumo suggested though he didn't let his guard down.

"They aren't wearing Sunagakure's symbol," Akuri said and stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "What business do you have here?"

"Shiori-nee, look," the standing woman said, a gleeful smile crawling onto her face. "We found the little leaves who fell too far from their tree. See?"

"Yes, Kaori-nee," the clinging woman, Shiori, tittered. "We'll bring them back home."

"Gifts for Osou-sama!" "Gifts for Osou-sama!" They declared in unison just as the familiar gluttonous grumble of the soul devourer echoed down the path. Kaori crouched down, and Akuri was already in motion to interfere with her assault, throwing himself in front of Kotetsu as he grabbed her outstretched arm. He had to dig his heels in the dirt to keep himself from being knocked back and stop the curved blade, scratched from many battles and jutting out of Kaori's forearm, from slicing into Kotetsu. Kotetsu and Izumo jumped back in shock while Akuri tightened his hold on Kaori, the attacker, and her clinging sister, giving him amused grins.

"What a darling scar," Kaori cooed with her raspy voice, eyeing Iruka's scar.

"Let me give you another," Shiori said as a curved blade shot from her arm like a pocketknife and swung it at Akuri's face, a fresh pain stinging across his chest, too close to his shoulder before he could jump away.

"Iruka-kun!" Izumo called out as he pulled out a scroll. Akuri held his wounded chest, burning with every breath. The attack cut through his flack jack and cloths to slice a deep cut into his flesh. Deep enough that Iruka's body would have had a brand-new scar if he didn't bleed out from it first. Akuri's body, however, instinctively started to stitch itself back together. He kept the wound from healing entirely, not wanting to reveal his true nature. His true weak point was the seal on his shoulder that maintained his physical form. He'd be sent back to the mindscape if it shattered, but he had no intention of leaving Kotetsu and Izumo alone in this fight.

"I'm okay!" Akuri called back, pulling out his kunai and getting into a fighting stance. Kotetsu opened the seal on Izumo's scroll, and in a puff of smoke, a large purple mace with sharp spikes and a yellow marking resembling an eye appeared in his hands. "That must be Giri."

"Ready, Izumo?!" Kotetsu took a confident stance, shifting the hefty weapon over his shoulder.

"Ready!" Izumo pulled out his kunai blade and leveled it at his opponent.

"Which one to choose, Kaori-nee," Shiori's dark eyes danced between Iruka and the pair of Team 5 who stood on either side of her.

"I picked last time," Kaori said. "You get the first pick now."

"Oh, goodie! Then I choose…" Shiori watched Akuri's blood dribble down her arm blade with captivated eyes, and Akuri steadied himself. "Scarface!" Though ready for an attack, he wasn't prepared for Shiori to grip her sister's shoulders and haul her lower half from Kaori's back, another blade jutting out from her other arm.

She launched herself at Akuri while Kaori attacked Izumo and Kotetsu. Akuri had little time to worry about his friends when a pair of blades sought to slice him apart. Shiori wielded her blades like a predator would its claws, swinging wildly at whatever she could. Though she moved with the flexibility of a feline and the fluidity of a serpent, she had nowhere near the tact of an adequately trained shinobi. However, that didn't matter much. With the swift speed of her strikes, he could barely dodge or block with his kunai, and their rocking power pushed him back, putting him on the defensive. It hurt every time she cut into him, arms, legs, and chest, over again. Nowhere instantly fatal. He quickly realized she was toying with him, slicing him apart for her own amusement. It was irritating.

And though his opponent only tormented him, he didn't know if Izumo and Kotetsu's attacker would be the same or go in for the kill. From the glances he snuck in during his own fight, Kotetsu swinging at the swift assailant with his mace and Izumo jumping in to deflect attacks the other couldn't repel. The duo was surviving against Kaori, but every time Akuri looked over, they got increasingly bloodied from Kaori's duo blades. How much longer would they last was the question that plagued his mind. Akuri wasn't the only onlooker as the soul devourer stood at the end of the path, diligently watching the pair with hungry eyes.

 Akuri frowned as he blocked a strike to his chest, the older woman grinning as she pushed her weight against his kunai.

"Why the long face, boy?" she questioned.

"We're supposed to be having guests over."

"Sandy guests, I assume. They were a lovely bunch to find camping out in the woods. I'm sorry, but they had so much fun with us; they're too exhausted to visit you, leaf ninjas." Akuri narrowed his eyes.

"What did you do to them?"

"You'll find out when I do the same to you." Izumo's pained scream snapped his attention away to across the clearing to see his friend clutching his wounded hand with his kunai blade stuck in the ground feet away and Kaori looming over him. Kotetsu rushed to defend him and— "Look at me, boy," Shiori warned before digging her other blade into his already wounded shoulder. It hurt like all the other attacks, warm metal ripping tender flesh, but Akuri steeled himself, seeing his friends in peril, and gritted his teeth through the pain.

It was very un-Iruka-like to snarl like a vicious street mutt and hiss like an enraged feline as he lunged forward, skewering himself further on the blade to bite Shiori's face. Still, he'd rather explain to Iruka how he broke cover over how his friends perished in battle. The startled woman cried out in pain and surprise as his blunt teeth dug into her cheek hard enough to break the skin. His mouth filled with her saline blood and repulsive chakra, sucking in the foul life essence to store inside himself. She cursed and kicked him hard enough in the chest to send him reeling back onto the ground, a nasty bite mark left on her cheek and her blood coating Akuri's teeth.

"Have a little animal inside of you, boy?" Shiori caressed her bitten cheek, grinning. "Exciting." A sharp whistle sounded as a fuma shuriken cut through the air, forcing her to jump away from Akuri unless she wanted to be sliced in two.

"Get away from him, you old bitch!" Mizuki growled as he leaped between Akuri and his attacker. Mizuki looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "Bet you're happy to see me, Ruka-kun."

"Mizuki-kun," Akuri sighed, relieved, and softened his expression. Tsubaki and Kinari also joined, coming to Kotetsu and Izumo's aid.

"So many little leaves," Kaori said, stepping away to be back to back with her sister. "We can't bring them all back, Shiori-nee." She flashed her stained blade. "In one piece."

"I'll cut down the foul-mouthed boy," Shiori glared down Mizuki.

"Bring it, hag," the white-haired boy spat.

The cabin's entry door flinging open halted the fight before it began, grabbing the combatants' attention as a volley of fire shot through the doorway toward the sisters. They leaped out of the way in different directions, the ends of their robes singed. Kugami and Rise raced out of the cabin before the sisters hit the ground, Kugami's hands smoking from the earlier fire jutsu.

"Get back!" Rise ordered the students as she zeroed in on Kaori. The students obeyed, Kinari and Tsubaki helping Izumo and Kotetsu retreat to the cabin, and Mizuki picked up Akuri in his arms despite saying he could walk.

"Jounin senseis are always such a pain," Shiori groaned in frustration as she attacked Kugami with angered slices. Each aimed to kill, but she only managed to graze his neck when he pushed past her guard to punch her squarely in the throat with a chakra-infused fist. She made a horrid choking sound, stumbling back as she reached for her throat, and Kugami continued his assault with another swiftly weaved fire jutsu. Shiori threw herself out of the way, rolling as the ground was set ablaze.

Kaori irritatedly growled as she swung her blade at Rise's head, the kunoichi ducking underneath the attack and responding with a pinpoint strike to her bicep. The blade retreated underneath Kaori's skin as her arm spasmed, and she struck Rise in the chest with a kick she blocked, but it still sent her skidding back. Rise signed Tori and breathed out a cylindrical stream of air aimed at Kaori, who quickly side-stepped it before charging.

Rise moved only her hands, making a sweeping motion, and the air bullet changed directions, looping around to cut through Kugami's fire, setting itself ablaze. It struck Kaori in the back before she reached Rise, sending her to the ground with a pained screech. Rise planned to stomp on her head, but Shiori swooped in to grab her downed sister out of harm's way, scaling up a nearby tree and perching on a shadowy branch. The wounded Kaori conjoined with her sister, mending her lower half into her so that she was the one clinging onto Shiori's back.

"Bastards," Shiori gravelly hissed and spat onto the ground before flickering away.

"Anyone dying?" Rise asked as she and Kugami went to their students.

"Cut up to hell, but Izumo and I will live," Kotetsu smiled as he sat on the porch stairs beside his teammate. "Because we're just that great of shinobi."

"Hold still so I can heal you, great shinobi," Kinari said as she went over to heal him while Tsubaki tended to Izumo. Kugami still went to look both teens over.

"I said I'm fine, Kugami-sensei," Kotetsu grumbled as Kugami searched his head for injuries. The soul devourer also wanted to look, dragging its feet to stand over the wounded shinobi. It growled with angry red eyes.

"Die… already."

“What about you, Ruka-kun?” Mizuki asked, holding Akuri close and examining his chest wound.

“I’m okay, Mizuki-kun. None of them are too deep." Akuri said.

"Who were those assholes?"

"Rogue-nin most likely," Rise said. "Did they say what they wanted?"

"They said they wanted to kidnap us," Izumo said. "As gifts for 'Osou,' whoever that is."

"The one I was fighting," Akuri spoke up, "Shiori, she said she and her sister came across the Suna merchants' camp. I think they're in trouble or…"

"Dead," Kugami finished, finally stepping away from Kotetsu and Izumo. "Regardless, we need to go find the Suna merchants' camp. Mizuki-kun, you'll come with Rise and I."

"Great!" Mizuki retrieved his fuma shuriken, which was buried in a tree.

"You're coming too, Iruka-kun," Rise said, and Akuri nodded. "Right, she doesn't trust me enough to leave me alone with my teammates."

"I can come too!" Kotetsu said.

"No," Kugami denied, and Kotetsu looked a bit deflated. "The rest of you stay here and keep guard. There could be rogue-nin nearby, so keep an eye out. We'll be back soon."

"Keep everything under control here, Kinari-chan," Rise ordered, and Kinari confidently nodded. Akuri glanced at the soul devourer crouched behind Kotetsu and Izumo on the porch before taking off with Mizuki, Kugami, and Rise to look for the camp. Akuri knew they were close when his tongue caught the taste of death lingering in the air, and it looked as ruined as he thought it would when they finally found it.

The campsite was abandoned, with empty canisters and ripped clothes strewn between the crooked tents and ashen firepit. A simple glance would tell that someone had died there. If the red splatters on the green grass weren't enough, then the lifeless arm sticking out one of the tent was a bold clue. Remnants of devoured souls were scattered across the site, dark chakra like a flickering amber. Kugami told them to stay behind while he examined the campsite for any rogue-nin and gave them the clear to enter.

"I found what's left of the merchant," Mizuki said as he looked inside one of the three tents, upturning his nose in disgust. "Ugh, those pair of witches couldn't have been trained if they left a mess like this behind."

"Yes," Rise agreed, laying down white clothes to prepare for burying the bodies. "These aren't shinobi execution forms belonging to any village I know of. If they were shinobi, they've strayed far from their teachings."

"I don't see any sign of the merchant's goods," Kugami said.

"Should we try and retrieve them?" Akuri asked.

"No, they're long gone by now. We'll clean up here and return to the cabin. With Higashi-san hearing about this, I doubt he'll want to return to the village at night, so we'll probably head back tomorrow morning."

"What about getting word to Suna about," he gestured to the bloody scene, "all of this? I know their families would like to know what happened to them."

"We'll collect the victims' memorabilia and have a messenger deliver them to Suna," his teacher said before they continued recovering the corpses. There were four bodies in total. One was the lead merchant, sliced to pieces in his tent, his hands unaccounted for. The second was the merchant's assistant, arm reaching out of her tent in one last attempt to signal for help before bleeding out from her missing legs, and the third was a Suna-nin guard in a crumpled heap beside the assistant without a head. Akuri found the last body in the third tent, a Suna-nin gutted and tied to the wooden post with no eyes to speak of. This body differed from the others, for when Akuri touched his bruised skin, he felt the faint pulse of the Suna-nin's weak chakra.

"I think he's alive!" Akuri excitedly called out, poking his head out of the tent, and Kugami finished wrapping up the merchant's body in a white cloth before coming to investigate. "I can sense that he still has a chakra pulse, so we can still help him, right?" Kugami broke the wounded Suna-nin's restraints and gently laid him on the ground.

"… Hurts," the shallow breath passed the young man's lips quieter than a whisper.

 "We can still help him?" Akuri asked again, hope still clinging to his words.

"He's not dead," Kugami said, carrying none of Akuri's hope. "But he won't make it either. The pulses you're sensing from him are the remaining flickers of his chakra fizzling out of his body like a second wind before finally giving out. Only a master healer could start a fire from these embers, and neither Konoha nor Suna has one."

"Oh…" Akuri deflated. "So, what do we do now?"

"… Help him pass," Kugami sighed and settled beside the Suna-nin. He quickly signed and placed a small seal on the dying man's neck, the Suna-nin's tense body relaxing with a shaky exhale.

"What is that?" Akuri asked.

"A seal that nullifies pain… If you'd like, go help Rise and Mizuki-kun, you can."

"No, I can stay. I wouldn't want to be left alone." Akuri gently grasped Suna-nin's hand, feeling the fading warmth of his chakra that would soon vanish from the living world—too soon. An awful feeling corrupted his insides, making his eyes water and lips twist into a frown. He leaned down and carefully brought the Suna-nin's hand to his mouth, gently biting down.

"What are you doing?" Kugami asked, looking apprehensive but not stopping him. Akuri latched onto one of the fleeting embers of chakra and absorbed it, storing it within himself before pulling away.

"I'd just like to have his fire burning a little longer," Akuri explained. A few minutes later, he watched the Suna-nin's chest rise for the last time.

"… Chika" was the name the dying man uttered with his final breath. The pain-numbing seal broke as his pulse ceased, leaving an empty husk of a butchered body.

"It's over," Kugami sighed and removed the Suna-nin forehead protector for memorabilia.

"We have to bury him properly," Akuri said. "Iruka says that when people's bodies aren't properly cared for after they die, they can easily become monsters in death."

"Yes," Kugami agreed. "We'll give them all burials." The pair transported the body to the miniature cemetery outside of the campsite where the other three victims were being laid to rest.

"Make the hole deeper, Mizuki-kun," Rise critiqued Mizuki's shallow grave.

"It's deep enough that they can fit," Mizuki argued. "I don't want to waste chakra making a deeper hole."

"If it's too shallow, predators will dig up the graves and eat the remains."

"And? They're ninjas from Suna."

"Sunagakure is an ally to our village, you fool. If we disrespect their shinobi's corpses, it'll put a rift in our relationship."

"It's also a nice thing to do," Akuri chimed in, helping Kugami set the body on a white cloth for his teacher to wrap up. "If you do what Rise-sensei says, I'd really appreciate it, Mizuki-kun." Mizuki fought back a grin.

"Hm, guess I don't mind using a bit more chakra." He cracked his knuckles before redoing his earth jutsu, the ground rumbling as the four graves deepened. They placed each bound body into their respective grave before Kugami offered his earth jutsu to give Mizuki a break and refill the holes. Akuri took four pieces of chakra paper and drew markings he remembered Uma showed Iruka when making a blessed talisman for the recently deceased. He couldn't correctly knead chakra to empower the paper, but he hoped the symbol alone would scare off monsters.

"Is that some kind of fuuinjutsu?" Mizuki asked as Akuri placed a "talisman" on each grave.

"Yes. It should keep the graves sealed so they can rest in peace." He stepped back, hoping that the resting sites would never be disturbed.

 "Let's return to the cabin," Kugami ordered, and they left for the cabin with Akuri looking back solemnly at the graves. "Hopefully, they all made it to a better place."

"You gave them a good burial, Akuri-kun," Iruka said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Akuri happily responded. "It's good to hear that."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The soul devourer still hadn't left Kotetsu's by the time Akuri returned to the cabin and remained later in the afternoon when Akuri had cleaned up and took a break with Mizuki, Izumo, and Kotetsu. The thing's constant presence left a foul taste in his mouth, and he was already thinking about how soon he could contact Iruka about the issue.

"Where'd you get that mace from, Kotetsu-kun?" Akuri asked the genin sitting on the couch across from him with Izumo. "It's so cool!"

"It is pretty nice," Mizuki agreed, sitting beside Akuri on their sofa. "I could get myself one of those."

"Sorry, you won't find another Giri," Kotetsu smiled, proudly. "It was custom-made just for me by my mom.”

"Your mom?" Akuri gasped. "Iruka hasn't shown me any memories of Kotetsu or Izumo talking about their family if there are any."

"Yeah, my mom's clan, the Hagane, were weapon makers and shinobi who swung around those weapons."

"You took your mother's family name?" Mizuki asked.

"Well, I don't know who my father is, so, yeah."

"Wow, so you're not really an orphan living at an orphanage?"

"I-I don't know," Kotetsu stuttered, flustered with irritation. “What’s left of our clans don’t want us and dumped us at the orphanage, so if you got an issue with me being in the orphanage take it up with them. As I was saying, my clan were blacksmiths and worked along with Izumo's clan, the Kamizuki."

"That's how Kotetsu and I met," Izumo chimed in, smiling. "With how close our clans were, we were practically raised in the same cradle."

"No wonder you two are so close," Akuri chuckled.

"I bet you and me could be closer than them, Ruka-kun," Mizuki said, flinging an arm over Akuri's shoulders.

"Our friendships aren't a competition, but how would you do that anyway?"

"I got a few ideas," the chuunin smirked, but Kugami entered the longue room before he could say any of those ideas.

"Both of you did good work today, Iruka-kun, Mizuki-kun." Kugami complimented both his students.

"What about us?" Kotetsu gestured to himself and Izumo.

"You two performed well for your first B-rank mission."

"Well enough to be chuunin?"

"Perhaps. I'll put a good word in for you in the mission report. That'll be considered when you're graded for the chuunin exams."

"Yes!" Kotetsu cheered, and Izumo happily smiled. Finally, we'll be chuunin, and rising to jounin will be easy enough." He smirked confidently. I can see ourselves wearing animal masks in the future."

"Ha!" Mizuki sharply laughed beside Iruka on the couch. "You think you're gonna be an Anbu, Kotetsu-kun? You would have died today if me and the girls didn't jump in."

"You don't know that! We could've pulled through." Kotetsu glared at the other teen across from him. "We're going to get better anyways, so better that we'll get to be Anbu while you'll still be a chuunin."

"More wishful thinking," Mizuki chuckled, and Akuri nudged him. "What, it's true? You've gotta have that special tick to be an Anbu, and only so many shinobi have that. That's why only Yuugao-chan got promoted and none of us. You can whine about it all you like, but that won't change the fact that you're unfit to be anything more than a chuunin, and that's fine."

"Shut up!" Kotetsu shot up to his feet before Izumo could stop him. "How about I beat you right now and show you I'm already a better chuunin than you?!" he challenged.

"Calm down, hot head," Mizuki rolled his eyes. "You'll make a perfectly fine chuunin, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"No, you're wrong!" Kotetsu turned to Kugami. "He's wrong, right, Kugami-sensei? You think I'll be accepted into Anbu sometime in my life, right?"

"Kotetsu-kun," Kugami started off with a sigh. "Being an Anbu or not doesn't make someone a great shinobi. You shouldn't worry about—"

"Why can't I be an Anbu?" Kotetsu interrupted, balling his fists. "Everybody else gets to be one. What's wrong with me?!"

"Kotetsu-kun," Kugami said sharply. "We can discuss this after the mission is complete."

"Kugami-sensei's right, Kotetsu," Izumo said. "Let's finish the mission, and then we can talk this out."

"Fine, I'll shut up!" Kotetsu angrily growled and stormed past a stunned Kugami to leave the room. He bumped into Rise on the way out, and behind her stood a pair of cloaked shinobi dawned in animal masks. Kotetsu's glare intensified.

"What's going on with your face?" she questioned.

"You'd just say the same thing Kugami does," Kotetsu scowled at his teacher before storming up the stairs.

"What's with you today, Kotetsu-kun?" Rise called after him but only got grumbling in response before he disappeared upstairs. She walked into the room with the two Anbu. One had a particularly off-putting mask of a snarling beast with sharp red teeth. The other's mask stood out, too. Instead of the usual white base, it was a sleek black with two dark red lines trailing down from the eyeholes like bloody tears. The dark crow mask was menacing in its own way, with the faint glow of crimson red lurking within the eyeholes. He was a relatively new Anbu agent, from what Akuri could tell; then again, the Crow could've always been lurking deep in the shadows until now.

"What happened?" Rise asked.

"I'm not using the right words," Kugami sighed and addressed Izumo. "Izumo-kun, please check on Kotetsu."

"Of course," Izumo got up and went to find his teammate. The soul devourer moved too, following the genin upstairs.

"What the hell was all that?" Mizuki asked.

"Don't act like you didn't instigate," Akuri said.

"Iruka-kun, Mizuki-kun," Kugami addressed his students. "Take up your guard. Rise, and I will discuss today's findings with Anbu, but if you need us, don't be afraid to barge in." Both shinobi nodded before heading outside, Akuri staring off where Kotetsu had run off, and the monster followed.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Iruka should be close to done with his lessons by now. I have to contact him soon. Maybe I can sneak off and—"

“We should train, Ruka-kun.” Mizuki nudged him out of his thoughts. They had been guarding the cabin's back clearing for the past couple of hours with no intruder insight, the low sun turning the sky soft orange.

"But we're on guard duty," Akuri countered.

"Yeah, and so far, the only trespassers we got were rabbits and squirrels. Besides, if any real intruders see us sparring, they'll be too intimidated by us to attack."

"Sure," Akuri chuckled and got into a fighting stance. "Okay, I'll spar with Mizuki for a bit, then get water and send a message." He started the friendly spar with Mizuki, and they kept it mainly to taijutsu, trading punches and kicks with each other in close combat. Mizuki had always been the physically stronger between him and Iruka, and he had no issues showing off his strength when delivering blows. It helped Iruka and Akuri learn to hold their ground against a physically stronger opponent, but it did tend to leave more bruises than he would have liked. Akuri noticed a burning glint in Mizuki's eyes as he fought, something between anger and excitement. They broke apart, but Akuri didn't relax, keeping his guard up. Mizuki mischievously smirked.

"I'm gonna show you my new jutsu, Ruka-kun."

"Throw whatever you've got at me, Mizuki-kun," Akuri confidently smiled back and gestured for Mizuki to come at him. Mizuki weaved a trio of hand signs, and Akuri expected either to be put in a genjutsu or for the ground to shift from an earth jutsu. Neither happened. Instead, Mizuki rushed him and tackled him to the ground before he could react. He grappled with Mizuki in the grass, attempting to free himself from the other's grip. But, ever the stronger one, Mizuki managed to pin him down by the wrists and settle his weight on his hips so he couldn't roll him off. "This is the second time I've been subdued today. I got to get better at ground fighting."

Above him, Mizuki smiled down at him victoriously, face shadowed by the afternoon sun.

"Where's that new jutsu you were going to show me?" Akuri snarkily asked, a bit out of breath. Mizuki said nothing to that, only pursing his lips and leaning his head down. Akuri's eyes widened in shock, and his breath froze in his lungs when Mizuki pressed his lips against his own. He thought he was under a genjutsu for a moment, but Mizuki's hot breath and wet lips felt too real for any mind trick the white-haired chuunin could pull off. Mizuki kept his dark grey eyes open, staring closely to examine Akuri's reaction as his mind reeled on how he should react.

"I-Is this a jutsu, or does he just want to kiss me—err— Iruka?! He's never kissed anyone before, so how would he react to this? Would he pull away or try to kiss back?"

Mizuki pulled back but only a breath away, his lips scraping against Akuri's as the pinned boy spoke, face beat red.

"M-Mizuki-kun, what's— was that supposed to be—" He was cut off when Mizuki reconnected their lips, stifling his gasp, and this time moving his mouth, massaging his lips against Akuri's, sending a heated buzz through his chest. He shuddered when he felt Mizuki's tongue swipe between his lips and then nip at his bottom lip with his teeth. Akuri shut his eyes as the heat rose in his face. "What the— This is how Asuma and Kurenai were kissing." He felt Mizuki tilt his head to get a different angle, biting again, a bit harder this time, and making Akuri gasp in surprise. "Is this a 'love kiss,' like Ryoken said? Does Mizuki love Iruka?”

"Mizuki actually kissed you, Akuri!" Iruka shouted, having been patiently silent through most of the memory.

"I'd sure say so," Rin anxiously muttered, looking the reddest out of them.

"See, I wasn't lying!" Akuri said, happy at being proven right. "We're almost caught up, so you can freak out about Mizuki's new jutsu later."

"Okay," Iruka groaned. "Let's finish this."

“Excuse me, Iruka-kun, Mizuki-kun?” Akuri opened his eyes, hearing the new voice, and looked past Mizuki to see the Crow standing nearby. Mizuki's annoyed groan rumbled through Akuri's lips before he sat up and looked over his shoulder to give the Anbu member a scowl.

"What the hell do you want?"

"My teammate brought a mission scroll with him but misplaced it. We need your help looking for it."

"Yeah, well, we're busy. You Anbu should find it in no time."

"That was Kugami-san's order." The Crow maintained his light tone. "Should I tell him you refused?"

"Ugh, fine," Mizuki relented and turned his attention back to Akuri. He smiled. "Did you like my new jutsu, Ruka-kun?"

"It was… certainly unique," was all Akuri could think to say. Mizuki chuckled and got off him, heading back inside, but not before sending one final glare at the Crow.

"Are you okay, Iruka-kun?" the Crow asked, holding out his gloved hand and helping Akuri stand up.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Akuri said, dusting off the grass from his shinobi uniform. "Mizuki-kun was just showing me a new jutsu. I just didn't know it would be…" he wiped the spit from his puffy lips. "That up close and personal."

"What was the jutsu supposed to do?"

"It… Mizuki-kun never said.” Akuri shrugged and went back into the cabin to find the scroll. After a few minutes of searching with the others, he didn't find the scroll but did realize they were missing two shinobi. He heightened his senses to confirm his suspicions and paled, unable to find Kotetsu, Izumo, or the soul devourer. "What's the chance that it's just a coincidence that a high-ranking mission scroll, Kotetsu, and Izumo go missing at the same time?" He rushed downstairs to alert the rest of his team to his realization.

"Has anyone seen—"

"Kotetsu and Izumo took the mission scroll!" Akuri interrupted Kugami as he barged into the longue room where the others were gathered.

"Those fools did what?!" Rise fumed while a flash of fear crossed Kugami's face.

"That's an A-rank mission," he said.

"They screwed themselves over that bad?" Mizuki commented, surprised by the drastic and dumb decision.

"Are they in trouble?" Tsubaki worriedly asked.

"They will be when I get a hold of them," Rise said.

"How can we help?" Kinari asked, Yojimbo perking up.

"By staying here and guarding the nobles," Kugami said. "Rise and I will go find Kotetsu and Izumo."

"Karasu," Rise addressed the Crow, "Bring news of this back to base for reinforcements, and Mizunoto, stay here and ensure our students don't cause any more trouble." They both nodded, and the Crow disappeared in a blur.

"I need to help too!" Akuri demanded. "Maybe now is when the soul devourer will strike!" "They could really use my help." Thankfully, Kugami showed he picked up his signal by tapping his chin.

"No, we'll be fine on our own," he said before whispering in Mizunoto's ear before leaving with Rise.

"All of you head to the kitchen for dinner and make it quick," Mizunoto ordered, and Akuri hung back while the others left the room. Akuri moved to leave through the window, and Yojimbo hissed.

"Mizunoto-senpai, look," Kinari harshly whispered, stopping in the doorway next to the Anbu as she caught Akuri trying to leave, pulling out a kunai. "He's trying to—" Mizunoto held her wrist to keep her from attacking and shook his head.

"Let him go, Kinari-chan," he said and nodded toward Akuri. Akuri smiled back and scrambled out the window to follow Kugami and Rise's chakra signatures. He speedily caught up with them, racing through the trees, and caught on to the end of their conversation.

"I haven't seen Jurai loitering around the forests either," Rise said.

"With how active they're being, they could've taken him. Not that they would know what to do with him.”

"Do you know where Kotetsu and Izumo are going?" Akuri asked, falling in behind the jounin senseis. Rise shot him a weary look while Kugami showed more worry on his typically stoic face.

"The A-rank mission they stole was a recon mission for an enemy shinobi hideout that's suspected to be in the neighboring part of the forest," Kugami explained. "We don't know where the hideout is exactly; that's part of the mission. That wouldn't be much of an issue if those enemy shinobi weren't currently running around the forest."

"Those amalgamations are getting too arrogant," Rise sneered. "Coming so deep into our territory and butchering our shinobi."

"Wait, you know the sisters that attacked us today?" Akuri asked, surprised. "You know they have a hideout somewhere. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It isn't the ordinary shinobi's duty to worry about taking down those brutes. We had a plan to take care of them that those two fools are now screwing up. Now, mimic, why will we need your special assistance?"

"There's been a soul devourer following Izumo and Kotetsu all day, mainly Kotetsu." Kugami sharply looked over his shoulder at Akuri.

"Soul devourer?"

"They're monsters that eat the souls of the dead. They can't harm the living usually, but if Kotetsu and, or Izumo die pulling this stunt, it'll surely eat them in death." Akuri shuddered. "It's such a nasty thing."

"How can you help?" Rise questioned. "Can you kill it?"

"Not on my own. If I contact Iruka and Rin, we can track Kotetsu and Izumo and get rid of that soul devourer. We'll have to stop for a moment, though." They all stopped at their respective branches, Rise and Kugami looking expectantly at Akuri.

"This won't take long. Sharing memories in the mindscape goes by really fast." Akuri closed his eyes and retreated into the mindscape to meet with Iruka and Rin.

Chapter 13: A Kiss and an Exorcism pt.2

Summary:

Iruka and Rin join Akuri and Team 4 and 5’s jounin sensei’s to rescue the runaway Kotetsu and Izumo.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

"And that's the situation we're in!" Akuri finally finished the memory.

"I see." Iruka nodded and stood up from the bed with Rin, already thinking of a plan. "Rin, travel through Akuri's connection to his location."

"Already on it." Rin disappeared in a flash, and Akuri felt her chakra tingle through him.

"Unfortunately, I can't be there in person, but I'll stay in the mindscape, so I'll keep in contact with you, Akuri-kun. Get back to reality."

"Right!" Akuri closed his eyes and stepped out of the mindscape, feeling a sense of weightiness when returning to his body. He opened his eyes to see Rise and Kugami waiting impatiently and Rin's ghostly form beside him on the tree branch.

"Well?" Rise said expectantly.

"Ask Rise-san and Kugami-san if they have anything with Kotetsu's or Izumo's residual chakra," Iruka said in Akuri's head.

"Do either of you have anything with Kotetsu's or Izumo's residual chakra?" Akuri repeated. While Rise scratched her head in thought, Kugami pulled out a chain necklace from underneath his flack jacket. Three charms of a bumblebee, star, and bird dangled from it, glittering more brightly than any regular charms.

"Kotetsu's chakra is inside the bird charm. Please, be careful with it," he said and tossed it to Akuri, who handled it carefully when holding out the necklace in front of Rin. The ghost girl opened her mouth and clamped her teeth around the kunai charm. Though she phased through it, the charm lost its glow when she pulled back. "What did you do?" asked Kugami.

"I didn't do anything," Akuri said. "Iruka sent our ghost-girl friend over to help track Kotetsu. She can eat chakra, and while it's in her system, she can sense where the source of the chakra is coming from. She's been training really hard on her tracking, so have faith in her!"

"Got him!" Rin announced and immediately took off speedily, Akuri following her along with the jounin senseis.

"I can't believe we're relying on this thing," Rise grumbled.

"Akuri has proven himself trustworthy on multiple missions, Rise-chan," Kugami said.

"That and I love Kotetsu and Izumo," Akuri added. "If they died, I'd be the saddest thing in the world."

The sun had set, and the glowing half-moon reigned the sky when Rin stopped at the edge of the tree line before the rocky cliff face of a tall hill. It was eerily silent for a forest with no signs of life around. Akuri sensed a dark, foreboding aura that inexplicably clung to the rocky structure. They all leaped down to hide in the dark shrubbery below.

"He's in there?" Rin gestured to the cliff, clearly confused. "I can sense his chakra signature leading into the cliff, but how can that be? Is he in a cave system?"

"What's going on?" Kugami asked.

"Ghost girl says Kotetsu is inside the cliff somehow," Akuri explained. "Maybe he and Izumo found a cave system?"

"I'll see," Rise said, intensifying her gaze on the cliff. Her frown deepened. "There's a cloacking barrier over the cliff, and it's the same one that the amalgamations use to hide their bases."

"Damnit," Kugami cursed. "Kotetsu and Izumo must have been kidnapped and brought here." The worry in Akuri's gut grew. "Who knows how long they've been captured. They could be…"

"You know these monsters like to play with their food, Kugami-kun," Rise said, biting her thumb to sign a summoning jutsu. “They wouldn't kill them so soon." She finished the jutsu, and a dark grey barn owl with a white face and big black eyes appeared on her arm in a puff of smoke that it flapped away with its wings.

"You've summoned me with worry in your heart, dear," the owl spoke lightly and wispy. "What is the matter?"

"Kotetsu and Izumo have been captured by Osou's forces."

"Poor boys." The owl's feathers ruffled.

"We found his hideout, and I believe at least twenty enemy shinobi are inside. Return to base and tell Jakkaru-sama to send reinforcements here. Hurry, Yuna-san."

"Swifter than wind." Yuna took flight, silently flying away for help.

"Who's Osou?" Akuri questioned. "Is it the twin sisters' boss?"

"Yes," Rise answered. "And he's every bit as nasty as those witches." Worry and anger mixed with the morbid memories of the ravaged campsite to set his nerves ablaze.

"Then I'm not waiting for reinforcements."

"Neither are we," Kugami said. "I know that hideout crawls with enemies, so we don't have the manpower to barge in. We'll have to go in with a stealthly approach."

"I can pierce part of the barrier so we can slip inside," Iruka said.

"I can look inside to see if the coast is clear," Rin said, walking toward the hidden base, phasing through the cliffside.

"Iruka says he can get us through the barrier," Akuri repeated. "And ghost girl went inside the base to see when the coast is clear."

"Good," Rise said. "Get ready, Kugami-kun."

"Right," Kugami nodded, and both jounin senseis pulled out pocket-sized scrolls that produced white animal masks: Kugami's a bear and Rise's a wildcat. They dawned on their respective masks and looked over to Akuri.

"You can't go in there wearing the Umino boy's face," the Wildcat said.

"His true form would raise suspicions as well," the Bear added. "Maybe I still have that spare mask."

"I think I have a good disguise," Akuri smiled and released Iruka's chakra, which he had been constantly absorbing, going blind as he reverted to his original form. He took off his shinobi uniform, handing Iruka's hitai-ate to the Bear before he tapped into the chakra he had stored from his earlier battle. He felt his body grow taller and become sleeker as a dark purple cloak grew to cover himself, his dark green hair growing out and turning white as it took on a greasy texture. His sight returned with the complete transformation.

"Good?" Akuri said with Shiori's wiry voice, grinning.

"Very," the Bear sounded relieved.

"I don't have much of her chakra, so I can't hold this form for too long. We'll need to be quick."

"On the first ledge to the leftmost side of the cliff, there's a corridor that's empty of any enemy shinobi," Rin said in his head. "There's plenty of malevolent yokai here, but focus on finding Kotetsu and Izumo. I'll handle the monsters."

"Ghost girl is ready for us."

"Our goal is to retrieve Kotetsu and Izumo and escape if we can," Rise said. "Don't die before then."

"Don't worry," Akuri grinned. "I can't die."

Akuri climbed up to the ledge Rin directed to and let his mind take backstage for Iruka to step forward and take command of his arms. Even with his lessons on the functions of jutsus, Akuri was still amazed at how Iruka could analyze the barrier and pull open its weak point, a tear in the cloak revealing a metal hatch. Iruka opened the hatch and beckoned the Anbu members over so they could all enter the hideout, the hatch closing behind them.

They were in a manmade cavern tunnel with torches illuminating the rocky walls and bringing little warmth to the chilly space. Akuri could sense many enemy shinobis lurking around the tunnels and the more sinister aura of growling monsters ready to pounce on any poor wandering soul. Kuma and Yamaneko immediately hid in the shadows.

"We'll split up to cover more ground," Akuri heard the Bear's voice whisper above him.

"Got it? " Akuri nodded, and the Anbu was gone a moment later, leaving him alone with his ghostly companion and the voice in his head.

"I'll try following Kotetsu's trail," Rin said, "but it's getting muddled with all the other potent scents here." Akuri walked with her through the tunnels, traveling deeper into the hideout where it was practically freezing and bugs skittered across the ground. A range of monsters cluttered the corridors with too many sharp teeth and spindly limbs, and thankfully, most kept to themselves, too indulged in whatever prey they hunted. Those that stalked too close were promptly warded off with an intimidating show of dark chakra from Rin, even making Akuri shiver on occasion.

"This place needs an exorcism and then some," Iruka commented. Enemy shinobi also passed them by, wearing dark and worn uniforms and red masks with white markings bearing twisted expressions ranging from despair, terror, agony, and so on. Despite their frightful visage, the shinobi held their head down and stood clear of Akuri when crossing his path. He had a twinge of satisfaction when successfully deceiving his enemies.

"I think we're getting closer," Rin said as they rounded a hall with a metal door at the end, locked tightly and guarded by two shinobi. "He's behind that door."

"Shiori-san?" the guard with a frowning mask said, surprised. "… Or Kaori-san? You've come to visit the prisoners again?"

"I didn't get enough of them the first time," Akuri responded, standing before the two guards.

"You came without your other half," the other guard, wearing a furious mask, observed wearily.

"Osou-sama wanted her to be at his side," Akuri excused. "Do you think I can't move freely without latching onto my sister?" he added threateningly, leaning into the guard's face, and his suspicion receded.

"No, sorry," the guard apologized. "We'll open the door for you, Shiori-san." The guards hurriedly opened the door, and Akuri entered the prison chamber. The door closed with an echoing creek. The dingy hall reeked of rot and bodily fluids, burning Akuri's nose, and had three cells on both sides. At the end of the hall sat a slobbering soul devourer, different from the one he'd seen all day, with a bloated stomach and an extra pair of arms tapping on the floor, patiently waiting for one of the prisoners to pass. The first two cells held a woman chained to the back wall with her Kiri-nin uniform torn, showing all the cuts and bruises to her body, brown eyes shooting Akuri daggers when he passed. The other cell contained a man with an imposing form dressed in dirty rags, chained to the floor with a thick metal collar and hands shackled together, his wild orange hair obscuring his stubbled face.

"Ugh, what do you want?" He groaned with a dry and raspy voice. Akuri ignored him for now, going to the next pair of cells, which held another Kiri shinobi with a shackle around his bruised ankle and curled up in the corner of his cell, weak and shivering. Still, he raised his head to glare at Akuri with tired silver eyes.

"Yeah, I'm still alive," he smirked with torn lips.

The adjacent cell contained a kunoichi who wasn't restrained at all as she lay in a defeated heap on the ground, her Suna hitai-ate hanging around her neck and her chest barely rising with every shallow breath. Her chakra signature was a faint pulse that Akuri could barely detect, a fading flame. One of the final two cells was empty, and the other imprisoned a familiar Konoha-nin who angrily growled when he saw Akuri in front of his cell bars.

"What the hell are you doing to Izumo?!" Kotetsu demanded, tugging on the chains that kept his arms stuck to the back wall. His nose was darkly bruised, and his bottom lip was split open from what must have been a nasty punch. There was a deep cut upside his right forearm, a sliver of bone peeking through the torn muscle, and Akuri assumed it was fractured if not fully broken. His flack jacket was gone, showing the tear in his black undershirt going across his slashed side. Even so, Akuri was flooded with relief. "I swear if you do anything to him, I'll kill you myself!"

“It’s okay, Kotetsu-kun. It's me," Akuri tried reassuring his friend.

"Like I know who the hell you are?!" Kotetsu spat, and Akuri frowned. "Right, who am I supposed to be now? I can't be Iruka or myself, so…"

"Say that you're an Anbu agent, Makiko, working with Kuma and Yamaneko," Iruka supplied.

"I'm the Anbu agent, Makiko, working with Kuma and Yamaneko," Akuri said. "I helped track you here, and the three of us are here to help you and Izumo-kun escape." Kotetsu's apprehension eased a bit and only went away when Akuri forced open the cell door and worked on breaking the chains around his wrists, careful of his injured arm. "Reinforcements are on the way. How'd you get here? Where's Izumo?"

"… I just wanted to find the base, was all, not start a fight, but we ran into these assholes. They overpowered us and took my mace before locking me and Izumo in here. A few minutes ago, some bastard named Osou and the twins took Izumo away for an interrogation, I think." The chains finally snapped, and Kotetsu immediately shot to his feet. He tripped over himself and would have hit the ground if Akuri didn’t catch him. "I have to save Izumo. I-I dragged him into this shit."

"I'm sure Kuma and Yamaneko are already by his side. You need to get your bearings before we go rushing out to save the day." He leaned Kotetsu against the wall before leaving the cell.

"Could you free me too, Makiko-chan?" the orange-haired man called out from his cell. "I need a drink. Oh, also, I know Yamaneko-chan."

"I'll pay you if you free my partner and me," the Kiri kunoichi added. "Please, Ganryuu-kun won't last much longer."

"I told you, I'm not dying, Suiren-chan," Ganryuu weakly called back but had the strength to crawl from his corner.

The Suna kunoichi made no pleas or act to show her will to live.

"I'll release you all without anything in return," Akuri said. "We'll need all the help we can get to escape." He opened Ganryuu and Suiren's cells first, the kunoichi rushing as fast as she could to her teammate on her unsteady legs. He opened the orange-haired man's second. He needed extra help from Iruka to break the man's restraints, which were reinforced with chakra-infused locks. The man groaned, standing to his full imposing height, and Akuri noted how few injuries he had. Akuri approached the Suna kunoichi's cell last but was stopped by the soul devourer in front of it, eyeing the wounded woman. Noticing Akuri's stare, it snapped its head towards him and let out a gravelly hiss. Rin growled back in response as she put herself between Akuri and the monster.

"I'll handle the jinkiniki," she said before attacking, pouncing to launch a kick straight into the thing's bloated stomach and sending it phasing through the wall of the prison chamber with a shrill scream. She chased after it. Akuri broke the cell open just as he sensed that he was running out of Shiori's chakra.

"You still have your backup chakra, right?" Iruka asked.

"Yes. It feels better to wear his face right now anyways." Akuri let Shiori's chakra fizzle out and latched onto the dead Suna-nin's he collected earlier, shifting stringy white hair to a luscious auburn and bringing the young face sprinkled with freckles and beaming brown eyes back to life. Akuri looked down at the kunoichi with a more profound sorrow than he expected.

"… She's dying," Iruka sighed.

"And we'll be there for her," Akuri sat down in the grime and blood to rest by the woman's side, her murky green hair dirtied by the filth around her and her coal black eyes that stared blankly above. Somehow, he knew that her hair was truly a sandy blonde that shone in the son, and her eyes were as bright as amber honey. The Suna-nin's dying words drifted into his mind.

"Chika," Akuri spoke, and Chika's eyes sparked, a fighting flare reigniting within as she moved her gaze to connect with his eyes.

"… Katsuo," she weakly whispered and tried moving her hand toward him, fingers contorted. “You’re… here…”

"I'm here," Akuri gently grasped her hand and moved her tangled hair out of her bruised face. "I wanted to be with you."

"How sweet… Can I finally… have that kiss goodbye… Katsuo-kun?"

"Yes, you can, Chika-chan." He bent down and carefully placed his lips on her cheek. It was a gentle kiss that he poured all of Katsuo's love he could into, letting her bathe in her lover's chakra, his essence, for a final time. Her flame flickered out, and when Akuri pulled back, he saw a faint but satisfied smile on Chika's face, her last moment of happiness cemented in death.

"We don't have time to give her a proper burial," Akuri lamented, a tear running down his cheek.

"No," Iruka said. "But I can still cleanse her of any dark chakra." He let Iruka retake control, feeling the greater focus and energy it took for the future Onmyoji's ensuing jutsu. "Aether Release: Pure Flame, Shower." He touched her chest, over her heart, and her body was engulfed in dazzling white flames that brightly illuminated the cell and did not burn a single hair on her head. 

"May she rest in peace," Rin said as she entered the cell, the monster's remains dripping from her claws. The flames died out, and Akuri left Chika behind to face the prisoners waiting for his direction, most ready to escape but one willing to fight through hell and back to rescue his best friend. 

"Are we ready to fight?" he asked and was met with determined nods and cracking knuckles in response. "Then let's give them hell!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Izumo knew stealing Mizunoto's mission scroll was a bad idea and that trying to find the enemy shinobi's base was worse. But, he also knew how dead set Kotetsu was to prove himself and how still being a genin ate him up inside. Despite the risks, he followed Kotetsu on his rogue mission. Maybe they could find a hint of where the hideout could be or even a glimpse of it so Kotetsu could finally feel accomplished and stop beating himself up as a "failure." In the end, they found the hideout after being beaten by the blade-wielding twin sisters and dragged in as prisoners to be stuffed in adjacent cells.

The stench of the prison chamber alone nearly made him puke, and being chained up by his wrists and forced to sit in a murky puddle of Kami knew what made his skin crawl in disgust. His nausea was hardly anything compared to his fear for Kotetsu, who put up a fight all during his imprisonment, earning him a harsh beating every time. He could only hope their captors wouldn't get sick of Kotetsu and kill him on the spot, with Izumo helpless to stop it.

"Oh, come on!" Kotetsu groaned as he failed once again to break through his chains with raw strength, further bruising his wrists and injuring his fractured forearm.

"Don't do that, Kotetsu, please," Izumo pleaded. "You're going to snap your arm."

"I have to do something to get us out of here! We have so much valuable information to tell. They'll have to make us chuunin for sure!"

"Kotetsu… we don't have any way to escape right now," Izumo sighed. "But that doesn't mean our situation is hopeless. We just have to wait for the right opportunity to free ourselves. Better yet, our team is searching for us and will rescue us soon."

"If they rescue us, we won't get any credit. We'll only be in trouble."

"We could be dead if we don't get any help!"

"We're not going to die, Izumo. We-" The locks on the prison chamber clicked, and the door creaked open on rusted hinges. Izumo sensed the cold, foreboding presence entering the chamber and strutting past the cells with equally daunting company. Izumo locked eyes with Kotetsu, seeing a twinge of fear in his teammate's eyes, but still smiled reassuringly. 

"I finally get to see my gifts!" Their captive gleefully clasped his hands together as he stood between Izumo and Kotetsu's cells. He was a young man with lanky limbs but stood a head shorter than his captives. His entire body was wrapped in dirty bandages, with the ones around his head loose to expose his grinning mouth, pale violet eyes, and messy locks of faded silver hair sticking through his bandages. He only wore dark green baggy pants that hung loosely on his frame and a silky jade, green scarf whose long ends dragged on the dirty floor behind him, the hem worn and darkly stained. His eyes lit up seeing Izumo and Kotetsu's hitai-ates. "Two little leaves! They'll be perfect." He looked over his shoulder at his company. “Thank you, Okaasan, Obaasan!”

"Only the best for our Osou-sama," Kaori smiled.

"Which one do you choose, Osou-sama?" Shiori asked, resting her head on her sister's shoulder. Izumo's heart stuttered. "Choose which one of us for what?" Izumo flinched when Shiori pointed to his cell. "That one's called 'Izumo.' He's soft but too smart. He'll probably lie."

"And that one is 'Kotetsu.'" Kaori pointed to Kotetsu's cell. "He bruises nicely but has a nasty attitude. He'll fight you."

"Damn right, I will!" Kotetsu growled and kicked a pebble at their captors.

"Nasty indeed," Osou chuckled. "Both are entertaining choices, but I'll have to choose…" His excited violet eyes latched onto Izumo like a predator setting sights on their prey. "Izumo!" Izumo felt a mix of dread and relief at being chosen for whatever twisted game his captor had in mind.

"Wait, no—"

"Excellent choice, Osou-sama," Kaori interrupted Kotetsu's protest, unlocking Izumo's cell. Izumo didn't struggle when Karoi unhooked his shackled hands from the wall and led him out of the cell by the chains. "Now isn't the right time to strike."

"Take me instead!" Kotetsu pleaded, and Osou hummed as he turned his attention to his other captive, leaning against his cell bars.

"Don't be jealous, Kotetsu-kun. I'll play with you next, I promise. I always give special attention to all my gifts. Now, away we go!" He strutted towards the exit with Kaori and Shiori close behind, dragging Izumo.

"I'll be okay, Kotetsu!" Izumo tried reassuring his best friend, holding his panicked gaze for as long as he could, seeing the severity of their situation finally sinking in. "Know I lo—" The chamber door slammed shut before he could finish. "He already knows." He paid close attention to his surroundings as he was led through the tunnels, remembering their turns. If he managed to escape, he could return for Kotetsu and escape through whatever looked like an exit. He was finally taken to what must have been the main hall, a tall cavern with jagged stalagmites on the ceiling and a multitude of torches needed to light the echoing space, giving it a daunting amber glow. It felt like stepping into the mouth of a dragon.

Red-masked shinobi guarded nearly every corner and watched Izumo as he was dragged to the center of the cavern, where a large metal plate in a hexagonal shape was screwed into the ground. A dirty hook was attached to the metal plate's dirtier surface, and blood and fluid were left to stain and rot over it. Izumo kept himself from gagging as he was forced to kneel on the grimy metal, the end of his chain locked on the hook, and he gave it an unsuccessful tug.

"What do you want with me?" He questioned and got a kick to his back for it from Kaori, pushing him into the disgusting filth.

"Only Osou-sama asks questions," Shiori reprimanded. "So, this is an interrogation. I can handle it… I hope."

"Here are the rules, Izumo-kun," Osou started. "I'll ask you a question, and you'll need to answer. If you tell the truth, you don't get punished, but if you lie," he bent down to pat his captive on the cheek. "I get to take something from you. Simple, right? Now, first question: What is your name?" "I'll play along for as long as I can. I can't escape if I'm too wounded."

"… Kamizuki Izumo," Izumo answered, and Osou's eyes lit up.

"Kamizuki?! I know them. They used to make weapons with that other clan… Hagane, right?"

"Yes, they were," Izumo scowled. "He knows about mine and Kotetsu's clans… Does he know about what happened to them?"

"So, that's where your friend got his spikey mace from! He must be a Hagane. I can't remember. Is your clan's little workshop still up and running?"

"No, it was permanently shut down a month after the Nine-Tailed Fox Attack… Do you know why?" He prepared for the incoming strike from Kaori for asking a question.

"Wait, I'll answer him!" Osou interrupted the attack, smirking. "Only if he's willing to give something up in return. Are you, Izumo-kun?" "He won't kill me so soon… I have to know."

"Yes."

"Then I'll say this," his captor crouched down to look him dead in his eyes, "I know that your clans' workshop was closed because it was in the way of the Kyuubi's raging path. I also know that your workshop never opened again because there weren't enough blacksmiths to speak of after some mercenaries raided your clan's estate. Mercenaries you never found, how sad."

"Do you know who they are?!" Izumo asked.

"Me? No. I'm interested in the quiet tragedies that befell you little leaves after Kyuubi's rampage, but I can only get ahold of so many details. I promise to tell you if I ever find out, Izumo-kun." He cupped Izumo's face, his bandaged hand scrapping against the genin's cheek. "That was two questions, so now you owe me double." Izumo bit his tongue to stop reflexively asking, "Of what?" His thumb prodded between his lips, and its bitter, salty taste nearly made Izumo gag. He bit down on the intrusive thumb, but his captor only chuckled. "You'll give me a tooth first, and then I'll pop out one of your eyes." A rush of dread filled him when his captor prepared to force apart his jaws.

A broken piece of stalagmite fell from the ceiling, bouncing on the metal plate.

"Move, Osou-sama!" "Move, Osou-sama!" Kaori and Shiori warned in unison, and he retreated to the other side of the cavern moments later, the twins staying in attempts to deflect the mace racing down from above and getting knocked back as the heavy weapon crashed into the ground. When the dust settled, Izumo looked up and could finally breathe a sigh of relief seeing Kuma and Yamaneko protectively standing around him. Kuma picked up Kotetsu's mace and swung it down on Izumo's chains, freeing him.

"How injured are you?" Kuma asked.

"Bruised, but I can still fight," Izumo said as he stood up, rubbing his sore wrists and taking his kunai blade Yamaneko offered him. "Kotetsu is locked up in the prison far below us. We have to get him."

"We have somebody else to get him," Yamaneko said. "We're going to be busy ourselves." She gestured to the enemy shinobi that filled the room surrounding them. "Keep close to us."

"Seems some animals are trying to steal my Izumo," Osou clicked his tongue in irritation, putting himself across from the Konoha-nin, the twins close behind him. "Kuma, Yamaneko, you're going to make me fight for him, right? Always annoying, you two." He smiled and gestured to his red-masked shinobi, ready to attack at the word. "Good lu—" A noisy commotion outside the cavern entry doors stopped the brewing tension before it exploded into a battle, drawing most everyone's attention to the doors that bursted open with a loud crash.

…

… …

… … …

Akuri charged through the doors where he sensed the rest of his group was with his improvised team of prisoners, one pissed off Kotetsu, a doggish ghost girl, and the voice in his head. He immediately noted all the enemies surrounding Kuma, Yamaneko, and Izumo, both alive and undead. Even among the many other monsters, he could recognize the stalking soul devourer gnashing its teeth above Izumo's head. "There's the soul devourer that's been haunting Kotetsu and Izumo!"

"I see it," Rin said.

"I have enough chakra to do a cleansing jutsu to help Rin in exorcising," Iruka said. "You'll have to fight the enemy shinobi, Akuri." Akuri nodded, his glare already focused on the twins and what he assumed was their bandaged boss, Osou, who glared back at him.

"You let my gifts out!" He angrily shouted. "Attack them all!"

A battle ensued as the red-masked shinobi lunged, and Akuri's allies attacked. Akuri himself held back to allow Iruka to complete his jutsu.

"Aether Release: Pure Flame, Wave!" A wave of energy blasted from him and outward over the arena, covering anything ghostly in a shower of burning white flames. It wasn't strong enough to exorcise anything on the spot but stunned them enough to allow Rin to make her first move. She targeted Kotetsu and Izumo's stalker first, sprinting across the arena, phasing through battling shinobi, to pounce on the monster, slashing her claws across its stomach and making it stumble back with a horrid cry.

Given back complete control of his body, Akuri dashed across the battlefield, ducking out of the way of stray shuriken and flying rocks. The two Kiri-nin were surrounded by red-masked shinobi. The kunoichi fended off the attackers with scavenged ninja tools as best as possible. Akuri rammed into one of the attacking shinobi to the ground from behind, allowing Suiren to stab him in the neck with her sword, and stole his tanto to slice it across the chest of another enemy shinobi, whose sword cut through his shoulder. It hurt, but he shrugged off the blow to follow through and stab another shinobi through the eyehole of her mask while letting her tanto pierce through his hand to stop it from slicing open the exhausted Ganryuu.

"Thank you, Makiko-san," Ganryuu thanked, and Suiren nodded with appreciation. Akuri continued deeper into the cavern. He came across the orange-haired man fending for himself, lazily pummeling enemies away that tried attacking him, but he was too slow to dodge the barrage of rock spikes thrown at him; they shattered against his skin but threw him to the ground. Akuri was prepared to throw himself in front of the four shinobi that dove in for a follow-up attack when a wind bullet arked toward them, slicing through the shinobi and knocking them out of the air. Yamaneko landed amongst the corpses by the man's head, looking down at him.

"Why didn't you break out, Jurai-san?" Yamaneko questioned.

"Hmph, fancy chakra restrictors," Jurai shrugged. "Didn't think you'd be fighting for me, Yamaneko-chan."

"I said I'd offer you protection," she responded, offering him a hand. He took her hand and pulled her out of a shuriken, rolling them both out of the way before returning to his feet, ready to face their opponents. Akuri went on to help Kotetsu, Izumo, and Kuma, joining their battle by stabbing Izumo's opponent through the back as the two clashed blades.

"Thank you?" Izumo thanked him, though he skeptically looked at Akuri.

"Don't worry, I'm an Anbu friend," Akuri assured him, helping Izumo deflect a mix of kunai and dodging rocks. "Call me Makiko." Akuri's attention was ripped away as a scream full of pain roared behind him that no one else heard, and he saw the stalking soul devourer amongst its fellow monsters, disintegrating in a mangled heap on the ground, Rin standing over it to finish crushing its skull with a stomp.

"Stay focused, all of you," Kuma warned as he bashed down three shinobi with a swift swing from Giri.

"We're doing good so far," Kotetsu said, trying to be optimistic as he rammed his kunai into a shinobi's chest, not deep enough to kill him, but stunned him enough for Izumo to finish him off with his kunai blade.

"That's only because the 'boss' likes spectating," Kuma gestured to Osou, who was perched on a rock out of harm's way, watching the brutality unfold with an entertained grin and the twins nearby. The twins leaned to whisper something in Osou's ear, and after a contemplative look, he nodded. Akuri blinked, and the twins were gone. He raised his tanto above Kotetsu's head, and his blade crashed against Kaori's in a clash of sparks.

"Déjà vu," Shiori mused as she and her sister jumped back, putting space between them and Akuri. His tanto chipped from the force of the attack. 

"Yes, he's familiar in more ways than one," Kaori observed.

"You should remember the face you butchered," Akuri said, glaring. The twins narrowed their eyes before Shiori grinned widely.

"Oh yes," she cooed and stroked beside her brown eye. "The boy with muddy brown eyes." Giri sped through the air towards the twins, who, laughing, leaped out of its way and raced toward the cavern exit. "Retreat!" Her order echoed off the cavern walls, and the remaining red-masked shinobi disengaged from their battles to follow the twins out of the cavern. A slab of rock jutted up from the ground to close off the surface exit.

"Rin, go see where they're going," Iruka ordered, and Rin nodded before following the retreating enemies. 

"I liked seeing what all you had to offer," Osou said as he hopped off his rock and stretched his arms. "Especially you, Izumo-kun," he winked. "I’m going to play with you all now." He raised his hands, and Kotetsu, Kuma, and Yamaneko attacked with their jutsus, shuriken, and mace. Osou clasped his hands together and sank into the ground like it was a pool of water, ducking the attacks.

"Where'd he go?" Izumo asked.

"Be careful where you step," Kuma warned. "He can manipulate the ground as well as an earth specialist. He'll try to skewer or drag us underneath the dirt if he doesn't collapse the cavern."

"I have something more exciting than that," Osou's giggles echoed through the cavern. The rocky walls groaned and crumbled away, starting where the first pair of torches hung, extinguishing them under rock and dirt. The crumbling continued, swiftly suffocating the torches' light until the entire cavern was drowned in consuming darkness, a bone-tingling chill overtaking the space. The air tensed as there was a moment of panic and anticipation amongst the shinobi. Akuri felt the earth beneath them shift from an incoming attack and threw himself out of the way but was nicked on his leg by what must have been a rocky spike shooting from the ground. His heart sank with dread hearing the pained cries of his friends over the grinding of molding earth, leaving a truly awful taste in his mouth. "Oh no! I can't let them die! I gotta do something. I—"

"Keep calm, Akuri-kun," Iruka's calm voice soothed his panicked thoughts. "You've lived in the dark. Heighten your senses. Feel the world around you. You got this!" Akuri rolled out of the way of another attack but kept himself steady and worked to calm his nerves. "Right. Keep it together. I have to save everybody!" He closed his eyes and honed his senses to be as sharp as a kunai, reaching out for his friends' chakra signatures, thankfully all still full of life, and digging his hands into the ground to feel Osou's chakra manipulating the earth.

Two separate attacks were barreling toward Ganryuu and Kuma, and Akuri dashed toward the drained shinobi first, pushing him out of the way of a spike that sliced Akuri's side, but he didn't stop. He helped Kuma destroy the large spike that tried crushing him from above, ramming into it along with Giri, shattering the rock. Akuri continued putting his friends out of harm's way, regardless of whether he got injured. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sense his enemy, so he reserved his energy to aid his comrades. He spared energy to heal when he could through his near-constant motion and strained his wounded body to push on, to save as the cavern was further corrupted by the enemy's cruelty.

"You keep getting in the way, annoying bug," Osou's voice complained, and Akuri felt something pierce through his lower back midleap. It hurt a lot, the violent churning of his stomach. He let out a short, agonized scream as he was left to writhe in the air, skewered, though his screams morphed into angered hissing. "Don't be afraid to push yourself. I can't die!" With a primal growl, he violently twisted, ripping himself free of the spike along with a chunk of his side, and he wanted to vomit. He didn't waste time, letting blood dribble from his mouth as he barreled through a spike seeking to end a wounded Kotetsu and Izumo, knocking his arm out of its socket that he immediately popped back into place. "Right, you animals can't feel anything," Osou grumbled. "You spoil my gifts!" A tremendous rush of Osou's chakra flooded the ground in preparation for a massive attack, one that Akuri knew he wouldn't be able to save everybody from in time. However, he also knew another powerful force was approaching, sensing its daunting arrival from above.

Part of the cavern ceiling caved in a burst of raging amber fire and with a rattling crash that shook the ground and stopped Osou's attack before it could be unleashed. The settling dust gave way to moonlight filling the cavern, illuminating the wounded state of its shinobi and desecrating its form with murderous spikes. Akuri stared aghast at Osou, who stood only feet away from him, unharmed, and staring up at the wide hole in the ceiling. Staring back down was a single piercing yellow eye belonging to a large avian creature that peered into the hole, talons gripping the edge and flames sparking from its beak. On its back stood two figures with equally intense gazes of gold and crimson, a Crow and a Jackal.

"Fun's over," Osou grumbled, disappointed, and went to sign. The Crow's tanto cut across his shoulder before he could finish, sending him scrambling to dodge the Anbu member's flurry of strikes. "Stupid bird!" He spat as he retreated underneath the earth before the Crow's killing strike could land. The cavern rumbled again as the massive attack that was stopped began again but seemed to have doubled its already deadly intensity as the ground broke down to form a sinkhole, swallowing debris and corpses, and the ceiling caved in, forcing the bird creature to take flight. One flap from its massive black wings sent it into the air, revealing its lower half to be reptilian in nature.

"Itsumade," Iruka gasped, memories flashing in both his and Akuri's minds as the creature swooped down into the collapsing cavern. No, not just cavern. The entire cliff.

"If you can't flicker out of here, get on!" the Jackal ordered, jumping off Itsumade's back. "He can carry three at a time. Hurry!" Akuri's body throbbed with painful aches, grasping onto the lingering embers of Katsuo's chakra as the whole in his side gushed red, but he still moved to help Kotetsu and a dazed Izumo, head bleeding, who were still on the ground.

"Help Izumo first," Kotetsu said, keeping the swaying Izumo upright for Akuri to grab. Akuri held his arm over his shoulder to pull him upright. Kotetsu tried getting up, but his injured leg and arm kept him grounded.

"I got you, Kotetsu," the Bear encouraged as he dashed to the genin's side, picked him up in his arms, apologizing when Kotetsu winced. Akuri and Kuma brought both genin to Itsumade and were helped on by the Jackal and the Wildcat.

"Come on, Makiko-san," Kotetsu said, holding his hand to Akuri. "You're injured the worst."

"No, I'm not a priority," Akuri rejected.

"Please, take Ganryuu-kun," Suiren pleaded, holding up her teammate. "Leave me behind if you have to."

"No time to argue!" the Crow exclaimed before anyone objected, taking Ganryuu from his teammate and half dragging him to Itsumade, helping him climb up with the Wildcat. Itsumade took flight a moment later, carrying the trio out of danger.

An owl's screech pierced through the loud rumbling as Yuna appeared as soon as Itsumade left. She swooped down into the collapsing cavern, except she was much bigger than originally. She was nearly as large as Itsumade, landing silently beside the group.

"Climb on!" she exclaimed.

"Get on her, Jurai!" the Wildcat ordered, pushing the tall man over to the owl. "If it's just you, she can still fly." Jurai climbed on, and after a couple of flaps of silent wings, Yuna took off.

"Karasu-san and I can flicker two of you out of here," the Jackal looked over the remaining three shinobi.

"I have enough chakra left to flicker myself out of here," the Bear said. The Jackal nodded and went over to grab the Wildcat's hand, flickering away together with the Bear, who disappeared with a delay. The Crow stayed behind.

"You can take Makiko-san," Suiren gestured to Akuri.

"No," Akuri shook his head and sat on the sinking ground. "Like I said, I'm not a priority."

"Really?... Thank you for helping Ganryuu and me, Makiko-san," Suiren thanked, bowing her head. "I never thought I'd be saved by shinobi from a different village, but I'm happy you all proved me wrong." She smiled. "Even for a moment, there can be peace."

"I'll come back for you," the Crow promised before flickering away with Suiren. Alone, Akuri collapsed onto his back with a content yet tired sigh, his beaten and aching body releasing all tension. Katsuo's chakra flickered away with a final burst, and his world gradually went dark, lingering on the sight of the beaming moon in the starry sky in his mind.

"Do you want me to return you to me, Akuri-kun?" Iruka asked.

"… No, I can stay here," Akuri answered. "If I go back, I'll have to travel to Konoha again, and 'Iruka' will be missing for a few days. I could pull myself out of the rubble if my body seal doesn’t break… I think." He had sunk halfway beneath the dirt when he sensed someone suddenly standing above him and, after a moment's hesitation, took his hand to whisk him away. The course rocky dirt he laid in was replaced with cool plush grass, and the ear-grating grinding of collapsing rock was now, at a distance, an echo.

"I didn't know that was you, Akuri-kun," the Crow said, taking off his cloak and laying it over his wounded form.

"Thank you, Karasu-san," Akuri thanked and tried to move.

"Stay still," Rin said as she appeared next to him and pressed her healing hands to his side. "I'll help heal you."

"Did you get him?" He heard the Bear's question as he approached.

"Yes, but he's…" The Crow stepped aside to let the Bear kneel beside Akuri.

“Will you be okay, Akuri-kun?”

"Yeah," Akuri mumbled. "I'm just really tired."

"If you'd like, transform into me, and then I can take over so you can mentally rest. You need it after today." Iruka suggested. "… I'd like that."

"Kuma-san," Akuri muttered, slowly taking on Iruka's bare form, bathing in the familiar calming chakra. "I'm going to take a nap, and Iruka will be here for a while."

"That sounds good," the Bear placed his hand on Akuri's head comfortingly. “Thank you, Akuri-kun. You did great today." Akuri mustered a smile before finally falling asleep, letting all the pain melt away in slumber.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Kotetsu hung his head in shame throughout the entire time he was treated at Konoha hospital by a fuming Kaira, the pulsing veins of her activated Byakugan eye, further exaggerating her anger.

"You'll never so much as look at another A-rank mission scroll for as long as I can help it," she lectured as she adjusted the sling holding his braced arm. "Let alone one that's assigned for Anbu. Kami, what were you thinking?"

"I don't know," Kotetsu mumbled, sinking down in his hospital bed, deflated.

"You mustn't be so harsh on him, Okaasan," Naota said by Izumo's bedside. His Byakugan also activated to search for any jutsus his captors could have cast on him. "We've all been through a rebellious phase when we were teens."

"Yes," Kaira kept her stern tone, "and we got scolded whenever we did something so dangerous as stealing a mission scroll above our rank and compromising said mission." She moved to stand in between Izumo's and Kotetsu's hospital beds. "Neither of you know how lucky you are that this is all they did to you. When I came to treat you," her Byakugan retreated, and a glimpse of teary relief shone in her eye, "I expected to care for half-dead corpses."

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Kaira-san," Izumo apologized.

"I… I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Kotetsu guiltily mumbled, biting his quivering lip. His eyes burned as he stared down at his bed sheets. "I'm so sorry, Obaasan."

"I know you are, both of you," Kaira sighed and went to Izumo first, reassuringly rubbing his shoulder before going to Kotetsu and leaning down to place a kiss atop his head, wiping away his escaped tear with her thumb. "Rest tonight. You'll be questioned by plenty of people in the morning." She turned off the lights on her way out with Naota.

"Goodnight, Kotetsu," Izumo sounded exhausted.

"Night, Izumo," Kotetsu forced a smile. He got scant sleep that night, dozing off and snapping back to alertness when his thoughts became too loud, staring at his forehead protector on the nightstand. Before he knew it, he opened his eyes, and the morning sunlight was streaming through the crack of the hospital room's curtains.

He was weary but still answered the barrage of questions from the Anbu interrogators about their short imprisonment. Thankfully, after hours of retelling his disastrous choices, he was visited by the familiar maskless faces of Tsubaki, Iruka, and Mizuki. Tsubaki brought them lunches that were much tastier than the bland hospital food. Mizuki gave him and Izumo each a hundred ryō, which he gladly mentioned was the reward from his most recent B-rank mission, and Iruka brought them both small charms.

"They're good luck charms," Iruka said, tiredness lacing his voice, his face drained of color and bags underneath his eyes. "You can hook him on your bags or wherever you want." When he handed them charms, a koi fish for Izumo, and a crane for Kotetsu, Kotetsu noticed the hospital band on Iruka's wrist.

"You were admitted, Iruka-kun," Kotetsu stated.

"Yeah, only for chakra exhaustion," Iruka explained. “I snuck off to help find you two. I ended up using too much chakra to break part of a barrier and knocked myself out," he said with an embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry about that," Kotetsu apologized.

"Don't be, I'm fine. Mizuki-kun will help me home just to be safe, too." Iruka gave him a much-needed hug. "I'm just happy you're both okay."

The three left with Kotetsu feeling grateful for the gifts but even more guilty that Iruka had gotten dragged into his mess, too. In the afternoon, they received three more visitors who weren't doctors, nurses, or interrogators. He shamefully slumped down, seeing Kugami and Rise come in. He wanted to throw himself out of the window when the older man, wearing an intimidating scowl and whose wooden cane clicked harshly on the tiled floor, entered the hospital room. The shutting door made his heart sink.

Kugami pulled out an armchair in front of Kotetsu and Izumo's beds, standing on one side and Rise the other. Kotetsu shrunk when Danzo approached him with his hand outstretched.

"Give me your hitai-ate," he ordered, and Kotetsu wordlessly handed it over with a crumbling heart. Danzo also took Izumo's head protector before settling down in the armchair.

"I-I'm so sor—" Kotetsu bit his tongue when the older man silently raised his hand for him to stop.

"I am not here for apologies," Danzo spoke sternly but without any anger. Kotetsu shivered regardless. "I already know you're both riddled with guilt from your recklessness. I'm here to decide your punishment. Stealing a mission scroll from an Anbu would result in a prison sentence, and you not only did that but compromised a high-profile mission that cost us vital information on our enemies. If you were anyone else," he held up the hitai-ates, "I'd strip you of your shinobi title here and now, but I'll be gracious and give you a chance to earn them back." He focused on Izumo. "Izumo, what were you hoping to accomplish with your rogue mission?"

"Izumo didn't—"

"It's okay, Kotetsu," Izumo assured him before meeting the older man's glare. "I hoped to keep Kotetsu safe, sir. When I couldn't convince him to stop, I joined him to give him support. I should have told someone what was happening, but I feared I'd lose sight of Kotetsu if I went back. I understand how bad we screwed up, but I'm happy I was able to protect Kotetsu the best I could. I still want to be a ninja, sir, and I promise to be the best ninja I can be if you let us keep our rank." He finished, and Danzo maintained his neutral expression, not revealing if he was swayed by the speech. He turned to Kotetsu.

"Kotetsu, what were you hoping to accomplish with your rogue mission?"

"I um…" Kotetsu swallowed, thinking of what to say. "I only wanted to prove that I can be a chuunin. I thought I'd get promoted if I completed Mizunoto-san's mission. It was just a simple scouting mission, right? That's all." Danzo narrowed his eye and looked at an equally unconvinced Kugami, nodding.

"Please don't lie, Kotetsu-kun," Kugami said softly. "I know it's more than that."

"Yes," Rise agreed, her usual scowl gone. "Something has been troubling you, and I apologize for not realizing how deeply sooner. It's my responsibility as your teacher to help you overcome your internal struggles and keep you of a sound mind. What's going through your head, Kotetsu-kun?"

"I…" Kotetsu couldn't hold any of their gazes any longer and stared down at his wounded self, tightly clutching his sheets with his uninjured hand. A still silence lingered in the room before he finally spoke. "I don't want to be left behind… I know you put me in the orphanage to keep me safe, and I was happy staying there and getting to visit you all every now and again. But since being put on a team with Obasan and spending so much more time with you all, I finally realized… how far away I am from my family and how much I hate it. I'm the only one who doesn't share the clan name." He couldn't stop a few tears from escaping his eyes, but he continued.

"I know Obasan can't teach us forever, and I keep thinking that when she stops, everyone will leave me again to hide in the shadows. So, I thought that if I could prove I could fight in the shadows like you do, you wouldn't push me away. That's why I did that stupid stunt that ruined the mission and nearly got everyone killed, and I-I," he stuttered as he choked back sobs, "I'm so sorry. I screwed up so bad. I probably don't deserve to be a shinobi anymore, but I promise I don't want to be a failure. I'll work hard, show you I can be useful, and—" A hand touched his shoulder, a warm and gentle presence, and another grounding presence sat beside him on the bed, placing a cool hand over his clenched fist. He saw Rise's hand on his and met Kugami's repentant eyes.

"I am sorry, Kotetsu," Kugami apologized. "I put you in this position thinking it'd be the best for you. I don't want you to be involved with… our section of shinobi work, but that shouldn't mean completely isolating you. You’re my little bird who wants to soar to greater heights along with everyone else. You shouldn’t be left behind, and I promise you won't be."

"… Really?" Kotetsu sniffled.

"Truly," Rise chimed in, uncurling his fist. "We'll have the doors open for you whenever we can. It won't matter if you remain a genin or get promoted to kage. You're still a part of our clan. You have our stubbornness and ambition down pact."

"I do, don't I?" Kotetsu easily managed a small smile, wiping away the tears staining his cheeks. "Still, I'll work harder, promise. Be the best shinobi I can be. You'll see."

"I already see a great shinobi in you, Kotetsu-kun," Kugami praised, and Kotetsu swelled with pride.  

"Thanks, Otosan."

"Feeling better?" Rise asked, and Kotetsu nodded. "Good." She snatched his chin and turned him to face her angered scowl. "You better not do anything this stupid again! Or I swear I'll have you doing sparring sessions until your fingers fall off!"

"I wouldn’t be able to hold any ninja weapons then, Obasan," Kotetsu retorted through his squished cheeks, smirking.

"I'll make you figure it out." A smile worked through her scowl, letting go of his face to pat his cheek.

"You can only punish me like a shinobi if I stay a shinobi." He looked over to Danzo, who had remained silent and observant, his glare dulled. He motioned with his bandaged hand, and Kugami and Rise got off the bed and stepped away. The older man stood up and approached Izumo first.

"Your dedication to protecting Kotetsu is admirable, but you'll need to improve your combat skills and not only your strategizing if you want to continue being by Kotetsu's side. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Izumo nodded, and Danzo let the genin take his forehead protector back before going to Kotetsu, tightly gripping the remaining hitai-ate.

"You have no role to fulfill working in the shadows, Kotetsu-kun. You have an important role as an upstanding shinobi for civilians to look to for protection and for other ninjas to aspire to be. Can you be that shinobi?"

"Yes, I can!" Kotetsu confidently puffed out his chest and met the older man's gaze without wavering. Danzo analyzed him a moment longer before handing over the genin's hitai-ate, Kotetsu grinning widely and holding his forehead protector close to his chest. "Thank you for giving me another chance, Ojiisan."

"Just this once." The thinnest of smiles ghosted across the older man's face. "When you both recover, your first mission will be working on Iwata's farm for the next month."

"Ugh, okay, that's fair," Kotetsu groaned.

"You're doing all the gross jobs, Kotetsu," Izumo said.

"I'm sure every job on a farm is gross."

"Both you get well," Danzo interjected, and the two genin nodded before returning to their light-hearted argument. The adults left the room. “I told you Kotetsu was going to have this issue, Kugami," Danzo said as the trio walked down the hallway.

"Yes, I know, Otosan," Kugami guiltily sighed.

"You're very fortunate your oldest has a strong will despite his weaknesses."

"Which I am most grateful for. I'm also grateful that you weren't too harsh with your punishment. You were a lot stricter with us. Perhaps you're softening up after so many years."

"Don't talk like that," Rise scolded but pursed her lips. "But he isn't wrong, Danzo-sama. You've made Kugami hunt a crime boss that was across the map, and I had to guard some desert post in Suna during summer for much less."

"I remember," Kugami chuckled. "You got sunburned so bad because you lost your sunscreen."

"Yeah, and you lost all your reward money to pay off all the people you ticked off." She smirked at the memory.

"Save the reminiscing for later," Danzo chastised. "We still have a mess to clean up."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

By the time the sun rose after the bloody night of rescuing Kotetsu and Izumo, Iruka was nearly chakra exhausted. He stayed behind to cleanse the area of as many restless yokai as he could with Rin and nearly drained all his chakra doing so, not that it made him regret it. Then, while being treated in the hospital, he spoke to Anbu agents about what Rin saw the retreating enemy shinobi doing.

"They were taking a bunch of boxes out with them, even when the hideout started to crumble. Some boxes had ninja weapons and stolen goods from the Suna merchants, I believe. But some had… severed body parts on ice and organs stored in jars. Nasty work."

After the interrogation and a swear that he'd never reveal the full details of the rescue, he was free to leave the hospital with the condition of using minimal chakra for the next day and a half. He may have glossed over the condition to make Izumo and Kotetsu blessed charms to keep the dark forces away and gave himself a migraine Tsubaki was gracious enough to treat. He was ready to collapse in Akuri's apartment, well, technically his too, and relax until Akuri awoke so he could return to his body. Mizuki had offered to help him home, and Iruka agreed. Mizuki had his arm around Iruka's waist to keep him steady as they walked to his apartment, and usually, Iruka wouldn't have read into such a gesture from his best friend. However, with the memory of Mizuki kissing Akuri, unsure if it was really a jutsu, he couldn't help but wonder if it was more than friendly on Mizuki's end. "I'm probably overthinking this."

"No, I think he likes you, Iruka-kun," Rin gave her two cents.

"Thank you for bringing me home," Iruka thanked as they reached the door to his apartment.

“No problem,” Mizuki said. "Do you need help getting settled in? I got time to spare." He offered, keeping his arm around Iruka.

"No, thanks. I can take it from here." Iruka hugged Mizuki goodbye. “See you later, Mizuki-kun.”

“See ya around, Ruka-kun.” Iruka tried pulling away, but Mizuki stopped him, keeping his arms wrapped around him.

"Um, Mizuki-kun?" Iruka looked into Mizuki's eyes, his flushed face a few inches away from the chuunin's, but saw that they were filled with as much glee as his smirk.

"He's going to kiss you," Rin deduced, and Iruka gasped as Mizuki pushed him, stumbling back in his exhausted state, his back hitting his apartment door. Still, Mizuki moved closer, aiming to eliminate any space between them. His warm lips pressed against the back of Iruka's hand, which protectively covered his mouth.

"Mizuki-kun…" Iruka muttered, shocked. "I-I'm flattered but… I'm not ready for anything like this right now. Sorry." He waited for Mizuki to react, growing nervous as the chuunin's dark grey eyes portrayed no emotion, boring through him.

"… Your reflexes are finally kicking in, Ruka-kun," Mizuki chuckled, smiling as he stepped away from Iruka, giving him back his space. "You failed my first test."

"You're… testing me?" Iruka asked, confused.

"Yeah, I just wanted to see how you'd react if some love-crazed idiot tried to manhandle you. You did hardly anything on the first test."

"You're my friend. I wasn't going to punch you in the face. Also, you told me it was a jutsu! Wasn't it?"

"Eh, kinda?"

"What do you mean 'kinda'?!" Iruka angrily shouted but quickly lowered his voice. "You could have just asked me what I'd do in that situation."

"There's a difference between saying you'll do something and what you'll actually do…" Mizuki sighed and looked regretful. “I’m sorry, Ruka-kun. I overstepped big time. I really want you to be safe."

"… Is this about the Anbu this morning?"

"Maybe," Mizuki mumbled and looked off to the side. "I just saw him with you this morning, and I couldn't tell if you two were roughhousing or…" A flash of anger blazed in his eyes like coal being struck red hot, and his lip twisted into a terrible sneer. The expression was there for only a moment, but still, its intensity was burned into Iruka's mind. "But you say he's a friend, so I'll trust you," Mizuki sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"It's nice that you care, Mizuki-kun, but you don't have to stress so much you make up crazy invasive tests. I can handle myself, though I'll let you know if I need your help. Okay?"

"... Okay, Ruka-kun," Mizuki smiled softly, tension leaving his body. "Get better soon."

"Thanks." Iruka waved his friend goodbye before heading inside his apartment.

"Thank you for the heads up, Rin-chan? How'd you know he was going to kiss me?" Iruka made a break for his bed.

"Trust me, I've seen plenty of boys look just like how Mizuki did before they confessed to me." Rin chuckled. "Though most had the sense to ask before trying to kiss me." Iruka pulled out his hair tie and plopped down on the bed on his back, not bothering to get under the covers.

 "Sounds like you were quite the heartbreaker, Rin-chan. Did you ever go out with any of them?"

"Once or twice, but we didn't click… The one person who I wanted to ask me out never did." Iruka shut his eyes, picturing Rin's frown in his head.

"Was it… Ryoken-san?"

"… No, not him, but the two are similar."

"Should I keep guessing who it is?"

"No, you should get rest. We can talk about my love life later, okay?"

"Okay," Iruka yawned. "You should rest, too. You used a lot of chakra."

"Yeah, I did," Rin yawned back. "Ugh, yawns are too contagious. Rest well, Iruka-kun.”

"You too, Rin-chan."

Chapter 14: Returning to Konoha

Summary:

Iruka finally completes his training and returns home with Rin to be Konohagakure’s official Onmyoji, but he has to go through some examinations first.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Rin fell to her knees with exasperation, and her focus shattered from the painful strain of manipulating her beastly chakra. She had created a pair of tails, one complete and the second frazzled before she forced the animalistic energy to retreat within her.

"I was so close," she groaned in upset and punched at the snowy ground, phasing through the powder.

"One and a half tails aren't bad with how shortly you've been training, Rin-chan," Rataro reassured her, his feet crunching in the snow as he went over to help her up, a warm fuzzy sensation going through her hand while grabbing his. "It's excellent how well you can retain your beast chakra."

"That isn't helping me now, though."

"I know your control has saved you from completely transforming into a beast. Otherwise, you'd be stuck as an animalistic monster, unable to be human and with no sense of self. Be grateful."

“I am, Rataro-sensei. It's just…" she sighed. "Uma-sensei said I must be intimidating and strong enough to protect Iruka whenever his cursed seal activates. I'm not much of either now."

"You'll get there, Rin-chan," Naori chimed in, walking across the training ground to the pair. "You don't have to worry about Iruka's safety now. He's with Uma, who has Botan defending her and, therefore, Iruka."

"And trust me," Rataro said, "don't let his whole monk thing make you believe he can't be intimidating when he wants to be," he shivered. "He was absolutely terrifying when I first met him."

"Granted, you were a wild nearly transformed beast trying to eat him, Rataro-kun," Naori added. "Not that I was any better, reactively swinging my sword."

"You're talking about before you were sealed within Uma-sensei?" Rin spoke up, and her fellow undead nodded. "Were you so restless in Limbo because… you didn't have a peaceful death?" she carefully asked. She wasn't sure about the… etiquette of asking how someone died, but she was too curious not to try to inquire.

"Yes, our deaths weren't the prettiest thing," Naori said. "In my final battle, I lost my arm and," she pulled down the collar of her Uchiha robe to show deep slashes on her chest that were sewn shut by a golden thread. "Lost too much blood."

"All it took was one clean strike through the heart in my last fight," Rataro said and opened his white robe to show his stab wound over his heart that was also stitched up. 

"Your opponents must have been strong to defeat the two of you," Rin said, and Naori and Rataro shared a chuckle.

"Yes, I'd say Rataro-kun was my most fearsome opponent," Naori smiled at her fellow ghost.

"You weren't too bad either," Rataro smirked.

"Wait! You two killed each other?!" Rin gasped. "Were you from rival clans, or fighting over resources, or just plain hated each other?"

"Nothing of the sort," Naori said. "Our battle occurred during the early stages of Konoha's creation while my clan was still building our home. I was out on patrol with my two sons when we came across a crying young woman in the woods clinging onto a man who radiated so much killing intent I was shocked he hadn't already killed the woman. Despite the murderous aura, I could sense a more profound sorrow within the man, which was confirmed when he threw the woman into the arms of my elder son before a powerful creature burst forth from him, the One-Tailed Beast.

"With both Madara-sama and Hashirama-sama absent, I chose to stand in the beast's way to protect the village from being destroyed. I fought the One-Tailed Beast until we both dealt each other a fatal blow, keeping my family and village safe for another day."

"I've heard about that!" Rin exclaimed.

"Have you?"

"Yeah, your Beast Slayer Naori. We read about you in class. Obito-kun said he held the sword you used to slay the beast. I could tell he was bluffing, but I let him brag," she chuckled.

"Were you taught about the Jinchuuriki for the beast at the time?"

"No, I didn't know there even was one." She turned to Rataro. "How'd you get in that situation?"

"Well," Rataro started, "during the Warring Period, when I was a young boy, my family was kidnapped by some cult that believed it was their duty to control the One-Tailed Beast. They thought I was the best candidate for its Jinchuuriki, but they were wrong. I lost control right after it was sealed in me and killed most of the cultists and… my parents. When I finally got a hold of myself, my little sister was my only family left. I tried letting another family care for her so she'd be safe, but she kept coming back to me.

"I did all I could to keep the beast contained while I cared for my sister as we aimlessly traveled. It was like that for so many years, but I could only fight the One-Tailed Beast inside me for so long until I finally succumbed. That day was a blur, I hardly remember. I probably stumbled too close to Konoha while trying to get away from my sister. I just remember praying that my sister would be safe and then seeing Naori's reassuring smile before everything went black."

"I'm sorry both of you had to go through that," Rin frowned.

"There was happiness to be had after such tragedy," Naori said. "My older son, Hiroto, found his love that day."

“My sister, Sayaka, too,” Rataro added. "When Naori and I were able to check in on them, they had gotten married and had a son together."

"Sweet boy Kagami," Naori smiled with a happily flushed face.

"That boy came along a little faster than I thought, but still, I was more than happy my sister had people to love and people to love her. Why were you so anxious to ask about us, Rin-chan?"

"Well, I didn't know if it was rude to ask how you died," Rin answered.

"There's no harm in asking," Naori said. "But not everyone will want to answer like Botan. The only one he's told how he died is Uma-san. We don't pry."

"Oh… Should I tell Iruka more about myself then? He's shown me almost his entire life. He doesn't even know why I became a shinobi."

"Only when you want to," Rataro said. "It's good for an Onmyoji to understand their sealed yokai, knowing what they went through in life and death, but that doesn't happen overnight. It took years before Botan opened up to Uma, and you've only known Iruka for a few months. Don't rush yourself."

"Right," Rin nodded, relieved. "Still, I want to do what I can to protect him. No matter how long it takes or how hard I need to push myself, I'll defeat anything that wants to harm him, and anyone else for that matter." She stepped back onto the training ground and continued practicing with her beast chakra.

"To think you were worried if Rin-chan had the heart to fight," Naori lightly nudged Rataro's arm.

"Never been happier to be wrong," Rataro smiled.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Dear Sarutobi Hiruzen,

I write to bring you great news. After four harsh years of training, Umino Iruka passed his final exam with flying colors and earned the title of Onmyoji through diligence and determination. He has maintained control and shown proficiency with his Tenshigan's abilities. He understands his strengths and limitations and knows how to manage himself. As long as you allow him to care for his new needs, he'll remain in good health and composed mind. I am happy to return him to Konohagakure as he is excited to return home. I have done all I can to mentor him and release him to you. Now, it is up to you, Sandaime Hokage, how you wish to guide Iruka's journey. I pray to never receive another letter written in blood.

Best Regards,

          Onmyoji Uzumaki Uma

P.S. I finally did it, Sandaime! I'm so happy to return home. Could you please not tell Asuma and Kurenai? I want to surprise them. I can't wait to see you all again!

See you soon,

          Onmyoji Umino Iruka

Iruka finished his signature with an elated grin, admiring the brand-new title added to his name.

"Now you can send it, Uma-sensei," he said, returning the scroll to Uma. The two of them were in Uma's tearoom, enjoying a relaxing summer afternoon after the final day of exams.

"Let's try to surprise Akuri too!" Rin suggested in Iruka's head.

"Definitely," Iruka agreed.

Uma read Iruka's note, smiled softly, and rolled up the scroll. She went to the open window where an elegant ivory crane was perched on the windowsill.

"Please, deliver this to Sarutobi Hiruzen," she handed the scroll to the bird, the crane taking it in its dark sleek bill before taking flight toward the setting sun on the horizon. "You'll need to finish packing today. I'll send you off tomorrow morning. You’ll return home."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka started his final morning in Uma's temple with excitement in his heart, which he shared with Rin, rushing to get ready. He downed his breakfast and quickly sipped into his black pants and long-sleeved shirt, throwing on his dark red cloak, which wasn't so big on him now, and letting the eye mask hang around his neck.

"We're finally going home," Rin happily sighed in his head.

"Yes, home." Iruka grinned as he slung his two storage scrolls over his back and exited the temple to the front red gates. The frosted cobblestone path crunched underneath his sandals, standing before Uma and her team.

"Your training with me has come to its conclusion, Iruka-kun," Uma said. "With your mental fortitude and proficiency with your Tenshigan, I have no qualms about returning you to Konoha."

"We'll finally be out of your hair, Uma-sensei," Iruka chuckled.

"You and Rin-san were a blessing to us all," Botan smiled. "You will certainly be missed," Botan solemnly smiled.

"We'll miss you too."

"You're going to do great, Rin-chan," Rataro said. "Rip off the heads of everything that bares its teeth at you! You'll do great!"

"Thank you, Rataro-sensei."

"She says 'thank you, Rataro-semsei,'" Iruka repeated.

"I have my utmost faith in the two of you," Naori said. "You both will be a fearsome pair."

"Despite the circumstances of our meeting," Uma smiled, "Iruka-kun, I'm glad to have met you."

"Me too. You've taught me so much. I don't know how I could ever thank you."

"Be a kind young man and dutiful Onmyoji, Iruka-kun."

"I will, Uma-sensei," he bowed respectfully. Uma and Botan stepped aside, opening a path to the stone staircase that went all the way down to the town. Iruka stepped backward, putting distance between him and the descending staircase. "Ready, Rin-chan?"

"Ready!" Rin responded, feeling her chakra knead within him. He sprinted, building up speed as he rushed past Uma and her team to the staircase, jumping off from the top. He flew through the brisk morning air, chills racing across his face and tugging at his ponytail as his cloak billowed in the air. Even as he descended toward the stairs, he smiled, letting himself fall freely. He released Rin's budding power. A burst of dark chakra sprouted from his lower back and spread around him in a misty mass.

"Yang Release: Doggish Clone Technique!" Rin exclaimed, creating two clones. She melded them together and poured them with beastly chakra, molding them with her yang release. The mass shifted and morphed into a rugged dog, bigger than a wolf, with a dark coat and purple markings running down her furred face and ringing her long legs. Beaming golden eyes zeroed on the ground, and her two tails wagged in the air as she prepared to land, with Iruka clinging onto the ghostly dog's neck and fur. Rin landed in a crouch and sprung back up, using the kinetic energy to propel herself down the mountainside on four strong legs, mindful not to throw off Iruka, who happily rode on her back. They reached the town in only a few minutes, and Iruka put on his eye mask. He didn't expect many people to be out so early, but to his surprise, the townspeople lined the streets, waving goodbye and spouting good wishes as he and Rin rushed down the streets.

“Goodbye, young Onmyoji!”

"Come back and visit!"

"We'll miss you, Kuroinu!"

"Thank you so much!"

"I didn't realize we had helped so many people," Rin mused, her deepened voice emanating from her dog's closed maw.

"Sometimes, we forget how much we impact others," Iruka said, catching a white lily a happy little girl tossed at him and putting it behind Rin's pointed ear. "Farewell, everyone!" he waved back to the townspeople before Rin reached the entry gates and ran out into the forest. He gave a final look back at the small town he grew to love before facing straight ahead toward Konohagakure and not looking back.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"We're only a few minutes from home," Rin said as she quietly trodded down a familiar dirt path, much slower than her earlier pace, and tilted her canine head to get a glance of Iruka on her back. The tiredness from full days of travel was evident underneath the gentle light from the waxing moon. Still, he smiled happily.

"I can't wait to have a big bowl of Ichiraku Ramen. And to see all my friends, of course… Is there anyone you want to see, Rin-chan?"

"I still don't think revealing my identity to just anyone is a good idea."

"You don't have to show yourself, just check in to see how they're doing."

"Hm, I'm sure they wouldn't be any less sad now than they were then."

"' They?'" he probed, and she contemplatively glanced up at the stars. "It would be a pretty night to open up to him. I've kept him in the dark for so long."

"Did I ever tell you why I became a shinobi, Iruka-kun?"

"To save the world, right?"

"Right, but why was that my personal mission?"

"Hm, you've never said."

"Well, I got that mission from my mother. She…” Rin paused when Iruka uncomfortably shifted on her back, holding his abdomen with a grimace. She stopped and sniffed the air, the potent aroma of Ikuna's cursed seal overtaking her senses. "We can rest for a bit."

"Thank you."

"Of course." She went off the path and settled in a small grassy patch between trees and surrounded by bushes. She kept physical contact with him, letting him sit back against her, as he opened one of his storage scrolls and took out a black silk seal tag.

"Please, go on, Rin-chan," he said as he lifted up his shirt to place the silky tag on his cursed seal. She kept her head held high, senses on high alert, and her killing intent known to anything that dared turn its way toward them.

"My mother was a medic-nin, and she and my dad were on the same genin team growing up. She introduced me to medical ninjutsu while my dad tried teaching me ninja weapons. He could be overzealous, even letting me hold his kunai when I could hardly swing it. Kaasan got so mad," she lightly chuckled before her tone saddened. "Tosan died during the Second Great Ninja War, leaving my mom and me to live with her brother, my uncle. He was a retired shinobi and a…" The memory of vibrant green eyes burning with rage and purple markings on his face, signaling their familial connection, twisted by his ugly snarl. She quivered with quiet guilt and dread.

"A deeply disturbed man. Hurt my mom too many times, and too many times, I healed her when she was too weak to do so. I had so much practice I was practically a medic-nin before I entered the academy. She hid it all from my grandparents, and… so did I," she shamefully hung her head. "I stayed with them often during that time and didn't say a word. I could've stopped that night from happening…" She paused, sharply lifting her head and glaring into the darkness surrounding them as a quiet mummer rode on the chilly breeze.

"What's that smell?… so sweet…"

Rin growled a deep grating sound that rumbled through her chest as she bared her sharp teeth, her ferocity rolling off in threatening waves. Moments later, the muttering went silent, whatever had been intrigued, moving on. She ceased growling and continued with her story.

"One night while I was staying with my mom, my uncle got so upset, I can't even remember why, and he… He hurt Kaasan for the last time. She was too hurt for me to heal, and she died right there on the kitchen floor. I think I would have died, too, if it wasn't for the Uchiha police. They arrested my uncle and patched me up before sending me to live with my grandparents." Iruka didn't say anything, only putting his hand on her paw comfortingly. She nuzzled against him to show her appreciation.

"My mom always told me I have the heart to save others, and from that day, I promised myself that I would do just that. No, I'd do more than that. I'd save the entire world if I could. I'd heal everyone until the world became painless. My grandparents supported my dream, even though they still worried about me being a shinobi. I left them behind when I died. They're still alive as far as I know, but I wouldn't want them to see me like this." She looked down at her beastly self. "I'd frighten them to death."

"I don't believe they'd be as scared as you think they would, but I understand," he said. "If you ever change your mind, let me know."

Bushes rustled nearby, and the tension in the air rose once again. Rin glared at the direction of the sound, and Iruka was ready to grab his kunai. The tension lasted no longer than a moment as she quickly recognized the chakra signature racing toward them.

"Iruka! Rin!" A white blur exclaimed as it barreled from the bushes to tackle Iruka, knocking him and Rin to the ground. "Both of you are finally back!" Akuri happily cried as he gave Iruka a bear hug. He was dressed in dark grey pajamas, messy with leaves and dirt. "I sensed you two were so close, but I almost didn't believe it."

"We were trying to surprise you, Akuri-kun," Iruka gasped through Akuri's hug.

"You did!" Akuri pulled back to hug Rin around the neck. "I'm so happy you're back."

"Us too," Rin nuzzled his dark green hair.

"Everybody's going to be so happy that you're back."

"Want to surprise them too?" Iruka suggested.

"Yes!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Asuma languidly dressed for the day, slowly slipping on his pants as Kurenai lay on his bed and read the drink recipe book he got her for her recent twenty-first birthday. They were spending the morning together for the first time in a while. Being promoted to a jounin a few months ago, Asuma received the benefits of the higher rank and the downsides of extended missions that kept him busier than he liked. But he wasn't his older brother, who was still on a mission that started last year, so he counted himself lucky.

"See anything you want to make?" Asuma asked, pulling his shirt over his head and messing up his hair.

"This plum drink is interesting, umeshu," Kurenai answered. He plopped down on the bed beside her, resting his head on her shoulder to look at the picture of the drink.

"Looks good. I'd drink that."

"Maybe not if I made it."

"Your drinks aren't that bad, Kurenai-chan."

"Genma thought my last drink was poisoned."

"Pft, he sucks on a senbon all day. His tastebuds are screwed up."

"And yours aren't, chain-smoker?" she teasingly curled her lips, making his heart stutter.

"Well, you didn't seem to have any problems with my tastebuds last night." He playfully stuck out his tongue, enjoying her flushed, rosy face.

"Ew," she bashfully chuckled but didn't turn away when Asuma leaned in.

"Breakfast's ready!" his father announced as he suddenly entered the room, startling him out of his skin, making him jerk, and causing him to fall off the bed.

"Knock, Otosan!" Asuma frustratedly snapped while Kurenai chuckled.

"My apologies," his father apologized, embarrassed, and shut the door. "You can come down when you're ready. Iruka will be joining us."

"Yeah, sure!"

"We'll be down shortly, Hokage-sama," Kurenai said through her chuckles as Asuma picked himself off the floor.

"Okay then…" his father paused. "You two, be careful. Don't give me any grandbabies too soon, I'll feel old."

"Otosan!" Asuma fumed, and Kurenai laughed. "When I want to talk to him, he's the busiest man in the world, but when I want privacy, he just barges in my room like I'm not a grown man!"

"You and I have the same dad, then," she smiled and exited the bed, correcting her morning robe.

"Shinku-san is nowhere close to my dad. Better, I'd say."

"You don't mean that." She gave him a kiss on the cheek as he grumbled. They made their way down to the dining room where his father and Akuri, dressed in loungewear, were already sitting at the set chudai. Asuma was initially very off-put by the mimicking creature that wore Iruka's face day in and out. However, over the years, he warmed up to him when he realized how much Akuri cared about Iruka himself and, by proxy, everyone he cared about.

"Good morning, Sandaime-sama, Akuri-kun," Kurenai greeted, sitting across from the Hokage and beside Akuri, leaving him to sit beside his father.

"Good morning, but you can call me Iruka," Akuri smiled, eating an apple slice from the platter on the table. "It's my name."

"Sure," Asuma humored, pouring himself a cup of coffee and plotting in a couple of sugar cubes. Kurenai didn't touch her food, eyeing Akuri beside her suspiciously. The mimic grinned excitedly, and her eyes widened.

"Iruka!" she gasped and threw her arms around Akuri in a tight hug. Asuma's morning brain finally processed "Akuri's" words, and his tiredness was burned away by the rush of glee that took over him.

"You're back!" he exclaimed, racing around the table to join the hug, holding Iruka close. "You dropped in out of nowhere!"

"I wanted to surprise you two," Iruka said. "I also couldn't have a big return party. I never left Konoha, right." Kurenai and Asuma pulled back, still smiling.

"Are you better now?" Kurenai asked. "I don't sense anything… dark from you."

"I have a concealing jutsu on that hides the chakra signatures from everything sealed within me. I'd be an alarming beacon otherwise." He explained. "And yes, I feel much better. I have everything under control. Now, I can use my Tenshigan to help the village instead of hurting everyone."

"We never blamed you for that, kid," Asuma said, ruffling Iruka's hair.

"I know," Iruka smiled.

"How do you plan on helping the village?" Kurenai asked.

"Well, that depends on what Sandaime-sama will allow me to do."

"There's still much that needs to be discussed about Iruka's abilities," the Hokage said, sipping his tea. "But today isn't for anything like that. I'm sure you all would like to catch up."

"Definitely," Asuma agreed. "Well, what was it like? Was training hard? How was your sensei? What can you do now?"

"I'm going to share what I can," Iruka started. "The question is where to start."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Iruka-kun is certainly chuunin material," Hiruzen commented, watching Iruka battle against the Crow from the benches of the secured training ground. The battle would be the final part of Iruka's personalized chunnin exams, a way to prevent any more incidents.

"Yes, his problem-solving and combat skills have greatly improved," Koharu noted. "However, would he be able to be a productive chuunin with his condition?"

"Right, we don't want him to cause another incident." Homura agreed. "For everyone's sake."

"He hasn't had any trouble since his return," Hiruzen said.

"He's only been in Konoha for three days," Koharu scoffed.

"And in those days, the Umino boy has shown he is capable of being a chuunin," Danzo interjected, his eye never leaving Iruka's fighting form. "I believe we should promote him. However, starting tomorrow, we should conduct examinations on him before sending him out into the field."

"I wouldn't probe that boy with a fifteen-foot pole," Homura said. "We don't know how many devilish things he could have stored inside himself while he was away."

"Which is why examining him would be important," Koharu reluctantly agreed. "However, don't put us on the front lines of whatever 'exams' you have in mind, Danzo-san. You can damn yourself all you like, but don't bring us down with you."

"Don't fool yourself, Koharu-san," Danzo retorted. "We're all well damned."

"What do you think, Sandaime-sama?" Homura asked.

"… Do you really believe more exams are necessary so soon?" Hiruzen questioned. "Iruka appears stable enough."

"Appears," Danzo stressed. "Closer examination of his mental and physical state could prevent another incident if Uma overlooked anything. This will be for his and the village's best interest."

"Isn't it always?" Hiruzen sighed, quietly clapping as Iruka finally tagged the Crow with the yellow sticker, securing his win and collapsing onto his back, panting.

"Good job, Iruka-kun," the Crow congratulated, peeling the sticker off his elbow. "You've truly bested me."

"Don't be so modest, Karasu-san," Iruka breathed, still catching his breath after nearly an hour of constant combat against one of the most skilled Anbu members. "You went easy on me." The Crow went over and helped Iruka to his feet.

"Even so, you gave a wonderful performance."

"Thank you." Though exhausted and hurt, Iruka gave Hiruzen a proud smile.

"… Fine." Hiruzen relented. "But only if Iruka-kun agrees to participate, and I want to be there for everything you do, Danzo. I'll keep watch."

"Rest your fears, Hiruzen. I'm not going to harm the Umino boy."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Subject File #53: Konohagakure's Onmyoji [UPDATED]

Name: Umino Iruka

Birthplace: Kirigakure

Birthday: May 26

Age: 16

Sex: Male

Kekkei Genkai: Tenshigan [Note: While the subject does possess a doujutsu, it is not inherited from a bloodline.]

Nature Release(s): Water Release, Fire Release, Yin Release, and Aether Release

Shinobi Rank: Chuunin

Loyalty: Konohagakure

Description: Subject 53 is a young man with lightly tanned skin, brown hair to his shoulders, brown eyes, and, most notably, a scar across the bridge of his nose.

Temperament: Subject 53 is calm under pressure and rarely responsive to most stimuli, including sudden and abrupt. He states that his muted responses keep him safe due to the consequences of the Tenshigan. However, the subject will retaliate when anyone touches the many seals on his body. Never violently.

Background: He was born in Kirigakure to Umino Ikkaku and Kohari, who fled with him to Konohagakure during the Third Great Shinobi War. Despite his Kiri heritage, he is fiercely loyal to Konohagakure to the extent that he performed the Angel Eyes Ritual to gain the Tenshigan. He had no control over the doujutsu, as he received no training, which resulted in the Cursed Intruder Incident. After the incident, he was sent to train under Uzumaki Uma on Mount Hiruji, where he recently returned to Konohagakure after four years.

Status: Alive, appears healthy [Note: The subject claims to be mentally and physically sound. However, examinations will still be conducted.]

 

Sealed Beings Within Subject 53

1. Makiko – Non-Threat

-         Makiko is mainly referred to as Akuri (which is the subject's name spelled backward.) He is a humanoid creature whose true species is unknown. He can mimic anything with a chakra signature to a frightening degree and took the subject's place while he was out of the village so as not to raise suspicion. Despite showcasing an animalistic streak when in battle, he is relatively stable and is extremely docile to anyone he considers as "Iruka's friends." Makiko is currently not a threat. [Note: Information will be updated once permission for further investigation and testing is granted.]

        2. Kuroinu – Non-Threat

-         Kuroinu is the soul of the deceased Konohagakure shinobi, Nohara Rin. Due to the circumstances of her final mission, she had gained abilities similar to a Jinchuuriki in death. While she no longer has the Three-Tailed Beast inside her, as it is currently inside a living Jinchuuriki, she can still form three-tails and manage a beast form with a clone. However, the beast species has changed from the Three-Tails turtle into a canine that is a mix between a wolf and a domestic dog. There is no apparent reason for this; however, Kuroinu has suggested it is due to her being influenced by the host she lingered close to in death. She has no physical form and can only cause harm through the subject. Though constantly emitting a threatening aura, she has never directed it toward anything living and swears she means no harm. She is currently not a threat. [Note: Information will be updated once permission for further investigation and testing is granted.]

        3. Nameless Demon – High-Level Threat

-         The nameless demon (only because Subject 53 refuses to give the being's name) is a deceitful, violent creature that hails from the world of the undead. It has a master level in fuuinjutsu, can hide its chakra signature, and wields corroded gold blades to attack. It has shown the ability to inherently know a person's fears, desires, and thoughts, though how it can do so is unknown. It was responsible for the Cursed Intruder Incident after it tricked Subject 53 into sealing it within him. Though it is antagonistic toward almost everyone (mainly those involved during the downfall of Uzushiogakure), it is securely sealed within Subject 53 with the aid of Uzumaki Uma's Deceiver's Maze Seal. It is currently a high-level threat. [Note: Information will only be updated when Subject 53 can safely give more intel.]

 

Subject 53: Mental Exam - Overall Results

• Subject 53 successfully completed all three interviews, with mostly positive results. The subject's memory of past events is mainly intact, and he is very open to discussing previous incidents, albeit shamefully. He exhibits no suicidal desires or thoughts of self-harm. However, the self-harm he has committed is only for "rituals and jutsus" for the Tenshigan. He has no desire to harm "any living being" within Konoha.
• Subject 53 has shown a temper. He became irritated during more personal questions, such as "Have you ever wanted to hurt Sandaime Hokage?" Though he has never had a violent outburst or shown any killing intent toward an examiner, he has scolded Head Researcher Shigaraki for attempting to touch his Tenshigan while activated during a physical examination.
• Overall, Subject 53 is mentally stable with no violent tendencies.

Subject 53: Physical Exam Results – Pending

…

… …

… … …

Iruka frowned at himself in the bathroom mirror. He only wore a thin white medical robe with minimal coverage and no warmth in the chilly, sterile environment. He wasn't particularly ashamed of his body; he quite liked it, scars and all. Though his body alone wouldn't be scrutinized for the next examination, but the many seals marking it. Again, he'd show a doctor most of his seals without hesitation. His unease only stemmed from one seal that was seared onto his navel and wept ichor like a mourning mother. 

"Out of all the times to have this check-up," he sighed, tying up his hair.   

"You could ask to postpone it," Rin suggested. 

"No, I want to hurry up and finish all this testing. Also, I don't want to hide this cursed seal in case something goes wrong with it in the future. It's embarrassing, and when I say how I got it…"

"Hokage-sama will be upset."

"Yes… I—"

"Are you almost ready, Iruka-kun?" The Crow asked from the other side of the door.

"Yes, I'm ready," Iruka answered, taking one last breath before leaving the bathroom. 

"I don't know how you put up with all this poking and prodding, Iruka-kun," the Crow said as he led Iruka through the cold halls to the examination room. Despite his frightening appearance, the Crow was one of the more friendly and talkative Anbu members. "I would've quit after the third eye exam, though my eyes are sensitive."

"I must show everyone I'm in control, get rid of their fears. I didn't leave Konoha on a good note."

"I think you're handling yourself well, Iruka-kun." The Crow complimented, opening the guarded exam room door for him.

"Thank you." Iruka entered the exam room, similar to a doctor's office except much larger, with counters littered with medical supplies and files lining half of the room and the examination table in the center, a slab of cold metal with restraints bolted on, not that they were ever used on him. The walls were sterile grey, and the floor white, smelling of strong cleaning chemicals that stung his nose. With four Anbu guards in each corner of the room, all their eyes on him, he would have hesitated to enter, but the Hokage sitting in the corner to observe his examination gave him the courage to walk inside.

"Come, sit, Umino-san," the doctor ordered, tapping the examination table, his black overcoat far from the uniform of any doctor he'd ever seen, along with his invasive manners. He silently questioned if the title doctor truly fit the standoffish man.

"You're just examining my seals, Shigaraki-sensei?" Iruka asked the doctor, and the nurse, whose purple hair was tied into a tight bun, helped him onto the table. He let his legs hang over the edge.

"Examining and documenting," Danzo answered from his chair beside the Hokage, the Crow standing to his left. The advisor had been present for many of his exams, rarely commenting but always watching so closely that it made Iruka's skin anxiously crawl. Today, he had his black camera bag with a purple strap around his neck. "Great, more pictures."

"Which one are we looking at first, Danzo-sama?" Shigaraki asked, slipping on his latex gloves.

"Whichever Iruka-kun wants," the Hokage answered, and Danzo nodded. The doctor turned his cold stare to him.

"Well?"

"Right." Iruka pulled down the frail collar of the medical robe to show Akuri's seal on his right shoulder. "This is Makiko's seal." The doctor examined the seal with his gloved hands and the tools the nurse handed him, describing its characteristics and measuring its chakra output for the nurse to jot down on her clipboard. It was uncomfortable but not intolerable.

"You may take pictures now, Danzo-sama," Shigaraki said once he finished with Akuri's seal. Danzo handed his cane to the Crow before standing up and putting all his weight on his good leg.

"Watch your step, Danzo-dono," the Crow warned, almost teasingly, and the advisor grumbled in response, carefully moving to stand before Iruka with his camera.

"Sit up straight," he ordered, and Iruka did so, keeping his gaze towards the floor. Danzo then adjusted his film camera and brought it close to Iruka's shoulder. He took three pictures, the flash making Iruka see black spots, before finally pulling away. "Continue the examination."

"Which seal is next?" the doctor asked.

"You can do Kuroinu," Iruka answered. "Her seal's on my lower back."

"Then pull down the top of your robe and lay down on your stomach."

"I can't sit up?"

"It'd make the examination more difficult. Will you lie down or not?"

"… I can lay down." He shuddered as he pulled down his robe, keeping his midsection hidden, and he moved onto his stomach. The chilly metallic surface was unpleasant to lay on, but he put up with it, laying his head on his folded arms. His spine jolted when the doctor's icy tool suddenly poked his back. He let his frustration out with a heavy sigh as the doctor and nurse continued the examination.

"Are you doing okay, Iruka-kun?" the Hokage asked, probably seeing his discomfort.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Iruka assured. "The sooner this is over, the better." He knew it was time for pictures when he felt a rough bandaged hand pushed down on the small of his back.

"Keep still," Danzo directed, pulling his hand away, and Iruka remained stiller than a statue so he could finish his pictures. He snapped another three photos.

"What next?" Shigaraki asked, and Iruka internally groaned.

"The last two are on my abdomen," he said and turned himself over on the table, showing Usotsuki's dark seal on his stomach, though he kept his arm over the black seal tag. "This one is the demon's, as you can tell. I'd be more careful with examining it. Not that he'd break out, but it's still not a good idea to irritate him."

"Noted." The doctor continued his examination, though he was gentler with his handling, much to Iruka's relief. "Hm, I'm not getting anything for a chakra reading; the results are inconclusive."

"That's his specialty, hiding." The doctor stepped back for Danzo to take his pictures, which were three more blinding snapshots.

"Where's the last sealed being?" Shigaraki asked. Iruka sighed. "Can't stall any longer."

"It's not a yokai but a cursed seal." He moved his arm to show the seal tag on his navel, which was half-covered by the belt of his robe. "It's called Ikuna's Cursed Seal, and it's only active once a month during a random week. It's chosen this week to awaken."

"What's its purpose?" the doctor inquired, curiosity stirring in his dark eyes.

"It's… the key part to a dark ritual that will 'rebirth' any yokai I have sealed inside me." Iruka could feel the intrigue thicken in the air.

"Rebirth?" Danzo echoed, moving closer.

"Yes, in the sense that I could give a physical body to a ghost, but they'd still be undead, bound to me."

"Have you done this 'rebirth ritual'?" Shigaraki asked.

"No. I could only do it on Kuroinu, and she prefers I don't go through with the ritual." The nurse fiercely scribbled on her paper as he spoke. "It's… It's a very taxing ritual and more than painful. Uma-sensei suggested I wait until I'm physically stronger before attempting it, and Kuroinu agreed."

"Why do you have a seal tag over it?"

"Because the cursed seal secretes a mixture of my blood and dark chakra to be used in the 'rebirth ritual.' It's gross and messy. He shamefully flushed, keeping his eyes glued to the ceiling. "The cursed seal also attracts a lot of yokai, wanting to be made of flesh. Keeping it contained like this keeps me and everyone safe."

"… How did you get this cursed seal, Iruka-kun?" the Hokage asked, leaning forward in his seat with a worried glare.

"I um… The demon gave it to me the night it attacked those years ago. He made me his 'seedbed' so he could rebirth himself."

"I see…"

"But you stopped that from happening, Sandaime-sama." Iruka tried to lighten the mood. "The seal's only just annoying. I have everything under control."

"Do you have enough control for us to examine it?" the doctor asked, his hand twitching to remove the seal tag.

"… Yes, go ahead." Iruka unlocked the seal tag and peeled it off, cringing as he felt the cursed thing crawl further across his skin.

"Oh, look at that Hakobe-chan," the doctor awed, tracing around the seal with gloved fingers, wiping up the dark fluid. "Have you seen anything so possessive?"

"Never, Tankui-kun," Hakobe hummed, taking the stained glove off his hand and putting it in a sealed bag. Iruka kept as still as he could with the intrusive prodding on the sensitive area, made even more discomforting when it was time for pictures, and Danzo went to pull his robe down further.

"Careful, please!" Iruka flinched, and the advisor's hand retreated. "I-I really don't want you taking pictures of my… you know."

"Your genitalia won't be included in the photographs, Umino," Danzo assured him, sounding annoyed. Iruka frowned as his pictures were taken, ready for the embarrassing ordeal to be over.

"What is the inside of the seal like?" the doctor inquired, putting on another glove.

"I've never checked," Iruka hurriedly covered the cursed seal with his hand, "and I don't think it's a good idea that you do. I don't know how it'd react to living flesh. It's not a well-studied seal."

"All the better we look inside then. We'll be the ones to uncover its secrets."

"Which will be for another day," the Hokage thankfully interjected. "The examination is over."

"Finally," Iruka sighed in relief, sitting up.

"Here," the nurse said, handing him a towel to clean himself before putting on his seal tag and robe.

"Will I get to see my results?" Iruka asked.

"A redacted version, yes," Danzo answered, handing his camera bag to the Crow and taking his cane back, relieving the weight on his leg.

"Redacted? What don't you want me to know about myself?" Iruka frowned. "Fine. I'd like to show you all something if we're done with tests today."

"Anything unpleasant?" the Hokage asked.

"No. There's an area I'd like to cleanse of dark spirits."

"Would that be dangerous?"

"Yes, technically, but I scoped out the area already. Kuroinu and I will be able to handle it." Sandaime didn't look convinced.

"I think that'd be fun to see," the Crow said. "And educational, of course."

"Please, Hokage-sama," Iruka pleaded. "I want to show you what good I can do if you let me be Konoha's Onmyoji."

"Hm… I'll allow it." Sandaime reluctantly agreed.

"Yes! Thank you, Sandaime-sama. We won't disappoint you. Now, let me get changed into my uniform."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The full moon joined Hiruzen, his advisors, and guards while waiting for Iruka's arrival. They were all gathered in the clearing where the memorial stone rested, ever acknowledging his fallen shinobi. It was a serene scene, with enough moonlight to illuminate the gently swaying grass and the cool summer breeze quiet enough to hear the buzzing crickets and hooting owls. Only Iruka's words and the unease in Hiruzen's gut told of any evil lurking in the stone's shadows.

"I always had a sick feeling coming here," Homura commented from his chair, clutching onto his omamori, the baby blue bag matching the color of the first pair of glasses Hiruzen had gifted him too many years ago. They didn't last long enough. "Wouldn't have thought it was due to it being haunted."

"Not surprising, though," Koharu added. "It makes sense the wicked would gather where the mournful pour their sorrow. They probably thrive off it."

"Hm, my father must be here then," Hiruzen commented, smirking between the pipe in his mouth when seeing his advisors' unsettled expressions.

"If Sasuke-sensei were here, he'd find a way to smack you for that comment," Danzo said, a faint glint of amusement in his eye.

"If you're truly here, Sasuke-sama, I don't agree with them," Homura said to the empty air above. "I always thought you were a lovely man."

"He'll surely believe that Homura-kun," Hiruzen chuckled with a puff of smoke.

"Listen, the last person I want to be haunted by is your father. Speaking ill of the dead won't help."

"We've done a bit more than speak ill of the man," Koharu said. "If he isn't haunting us, someone else definitely is… Maybe Tobirama-sensei?"

"No, he'd be where Hashirama-sama is," Hiruzen said. "He probably pops in now and again. I think Torifu visits us the most and joins us for meals."

"We'll pour an extra drink for him then," Koharu smiled. "I'm sure Kagami swings by every once in a while. What would he like?"

"That's a Danzo question," Homura chuckled, and the bandaged advisor leaned sharply in his seat to glare at the glasses-wearing man.

"What do you mean by that, Homura?"

"Nothing at all, Danzo-san," Homura covered his smile with his hand, though Koharu didn't try to hide her smirk. Danzo huffed and leaned back in his chair.

"… Kagami would appreciate lavender candles occasionally," he said.

"I'll make sure to light some in my office," Hiruzen said, lightly nudging the man.

"It's great that you're all in good spirits," a new voice joined in, carried on the breeze, and Hiruzen looked over his shoulder to see Iruka approaching, but not in his shinobi uniform. He wore a midnight blue, silver hemmed robe with the moon and three stars symbol on the back and was left open, showing his sheer cross-net shirt that revealed the seals on his abdomen. His black pants were held with a silver sash that billowed in the breeze, and a pair of scrolls were hooked to his hip. A black string necklace with a glistening moonstone hanging from it was around his neck. Silver rings, decorated with gems and etched with dark markings, were on his fingers, and a chime earring dangled from his left ear. He wore a midnight blue eye mask with silver linings, and his ponytail was loose, leaving his bangs out, with a crescent moon pin holding it up.

"Let me prepare," Iruka said, placing the four barrier tags on the ground around the four elders and their guards. "This barrier is not only an extra precaution but will give you a glimpse of the yokai. It'd just be me punching the air otherwise. Please do not disturb the barrier. I promise everyone will be safe, including me. Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen said, settling his nerves with another puff from his pipe. Iruka took a deep breath and looked up to the full moon, weaving a hand sign Hiruzen didn't recognize on the exhale. The barrier activated, a clear light blue dome forming from the ground up, and Hiruzen's eyes widened. A tall, dark, shadowy figure that stood on four legs was behind Iruka, deep red eyes glaring down at him as a rumbling hiss left its many maws trailing down to its stomach.

"… do… taste… like?" its deep voice faded in and out like a scratched record.

"Kuroinu," Iruka calmly said, and a current of dark chakra ripped from his back. The mass molded itself into three large canine tails that carved through the night air to bash the monster across its chest, sending it reeling back into the crowd of other shadowy monsters plaguing the memorial stone. A jumble of growls and hisses emanated from them.

"Kami, have mercy," Homura quietly gasped, holding Koharu's hand and squeezing his back.

"… Was it always like this?" Hiruzen thought aloud, looking disturbed from one monster to the next.

"When would it have not been?" Danzo replied, maintaining an indifferent expression though he had a death grip on his cane.

Iruka turned around to face the snarling horde and weaved another jutsu.

"Aether Release: Pure Flame, Wave!" True to the jutsu's name, bright white fire shot out from him in a wave to roll over the monsters, their growls turning to pained screeches as they were burned by the brilliant flames. He used the moment of distraction to take one of his scrolls before rushing forward and leaped into the air, propelled by Kuroinu's tails. He produced a tanto whose blade was made of the same glittering moonstone around his neck, the pale blue gem luminescent in the moonlight as he brought it down on the first monster, slicing cleanly through its neck. Its head hit the ground, but Iruka went on carving into the ghastly ghouls. Kuroinu's tails not only provided defense, blocking strikes and helping him maneuver across the battlefield, but also fought back when they could, crashing into enemies with tremendous force and battering them away.

Soon enough, most of the monsters had disintegrated into nothing except the large creature that Iruka had attacked first, roaring as it swiped at Iruka with its massive claws, jaws angrily chattering. He jumped under a strike, signing in the air. "Moonlight Chains!" Four shining silver chains gleamed a pale blue shot from his arm to wrap around the creature's arm, locking tight. It growled and yanked the chains, pulling Iruka down from the air toward it, maws wide open. He twisted in the air with help from Kuroinu's tails, sliding underneath the creature and producing more chains from his abdomen to wrap around its four legs. Iruka rolled onto his feet behind it and pulled on the chains, sending the monster crashing into a tangled heap. Iruka performed a final jutsu.

 "Pure Flame, Great Cleansing!" The bright fire crawled up his chains to reach the monster, bursting into great blinding flames that consumed its ghostly flesh. It was reduced to a crumpled mushy mass whose wails cursed the air until it disappeared along with the wind, bringing peace to the beautiful night. The chains dissipated, the moonstone tanto was sheathed, Kuroinu's tails retreated, and the barrier broke, letting Hiruzen feel the cool night breeze, a stunned silence reigning. Iruka stood before them and bowed. "Thank you for watching my demonstration."

"… Thank you for demonstrating," Hiruzen said through his amazement. "You're truly an Onmyoji now…"

"Of course," Iruka stood up, smiling proudly. "Hopefully, I'm Konoha's Onmyoji." Hiruzen thoughtfully tapped his pipe.

"… With time, yes." Iruka happily clasped his hands together. "We need to prepare for your official arrival to the village."

"Yes," Koharu agreed. "If we suddenly shove this boy in front of the other clans, they'll be more apprehensive than grateful. Even then…"

"We also shouldn't let them know Iruka's identity," Homura added. "We'll treat the Onmyoji like an Anbu member, so most will know not to pry into his secrets."

"I don't think the eye mask will be enough to hide my identity," Iruka said.

"There's a high-ranking jutsu that will help with that," Koharu said. "It makes it so that when dawning a face covering of any kind, it'll make you unrecognizable to anyone who hasn't seen you put the covering on. Anbu use it with their masks to ensure their secret identities."

"Have we all come into agreement on this?" Hiruzen asked, looking at his advisors.

"I am," Homura said.

"As am I," Koharu nodded. Hiruzen looked to his other side and was surprised at Danzo's expression.

"I agree," the bandaged advisor answered, his golden eye drinking in Iruka's image illuminated by the moonlight as a budding smile threatened to overtake his lips. "He'll do perfect."

"Then it's settled," Hiruzen returned his attention to the giddy Iruka. “You will be Konoha’s Onmyoji, Umino Iruka.”

Chapter 15: A New Sarutobi, Old Uminos

Summary:

Iruka joins the Sarutobi family on an out of village vacation for Konohamaru’s secret baby shower with the renowned Kakashi of the Sharingan as his bodyguard. Unfortunately, old ghosts wouldn’t be the only surprise guests Iruka would meet as the Umino clan would find him yet again.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Umino Clan Members
Note on Ages - (Age they died†/How old they would be if still alive)
Parents
Grandfather Umino - Father/Grandfather (76) ♛ Previous Clan Head and Patriarch
Grandmother Umino - Wife/Mother/Grandmother (76) Previous Matriarch
Children
Umino – Daughter (10†/55) †
Takomi Umino – Daughter (54)
Kurage Umino – Son (53)
Umino – Daughter (9†/52) †
Ikkaku Umino – Son (45†/51) †
Umino – Son (7†/50) †

Momochi Branch
Parents
Takomi Momochi nee Umino – Mother/Wife (54) ♛ Current Clan Head and Matriarch of Momochi Branch
Zaemon Momochi – Father/Husband † (40†/54) Patriarch of Momochi Branch
Children
Mondo Momochi - Son (25)
Gentoku Momochi – Son † (10†/24)
Nozomi Momochi – Daughter (23)
Yuzusa Momochi – Daughter † (9/22)
Zabuza Momochi – Son (20)

Umino Branch
Parents
Kurage Umino – Father (53) Patriarch of Umino Branch
Saki Umino nee Mizuno – Mother (53) Matriarch of Umino Branch
Children
Riru Umino – Daughter (9†/23) †
Rio Umino – Daughter (23)
Sakana Umino – Daughter (21)
Hamago Umino – Son (9†/20) †
Shachi Umino – Son (19)

Secondary Umino Branch
Parents
Ikkaku Umino – Father (45†/51) † Patriarch of Secondary Umino Branch
Kohari Umino nee Hino – Mother (45†/51) † Matriarch of Secondary Umino Branch
Children
Iruka Umino – Son (16)

For now, Iruka became a regular chuunin, taking on B-ranked missions and quietly adjusting to living back in Konoha. It wasn't… the best. The missions weren't necessarily impossible, but they were nearly so when he couldn't distinguish a scream from his teammate from a mourning ghost in the heat of battle. Rin did her part of handling any yokai that would be troublesome, but it was still a stressor. That stress would always be doubled whenever he had a younger teammate. The fresh-faced and inexperienced chuunin tended to freeze or mess up when facing skilled enemy shinobi, fear radiating from the children when blanking on how to defend themselves.

Iruka made it his silent duty to always get them out of whatever danger they were in. Some were grateful for the help, others felt insulted that he was treating them like children. Iruka helped regardless, giving them advice and teaching small lessons when he could. He was alarmed at how some children misunderstood the fundamental teachings of being a shinobi. Seeing the young, excited eyes light up with understanding was always rewarding when Iruka helped them finally grasp a concept. More rewarding than completing the missions themselves, actually.

"Thank you for helping me out, Iruka-senpai," the young girl thanked him with a bow after they turned in their report to the mission desk. "I can stop holding my kunai like a dummy now."

"You're welcome, Kaya-chan," Iruka smiled. "Don't spend your reward all on candy, got it? You should always save some."

"Now you sound like Kaasan," Kaya chuckled. "Bye-bye!" she waved goodbye before taking off down the hall.

"She's so sweet a girl," Rin cooed in his head. He was ready to leave to join Mizuki, Tsubaki, Izumo, and Kotetsu for a late lunch until a familiar voice called him.

"Hey, Iruka-kun, could you do me a favor?" Genma asked as he approached with a stack of papers with a rolled-up scroll on top.

"You already used up your favors for the week, Genma-senpai," Iruka replied, smirking.

"Oh, come on, one more," the bodyguard pouted with his senbon. "You're just so diligent and smart. I couldn't trust anybody else with the task."

"Right," Iruka rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"The scroll is a letter for the Hokage. Could you take it to him?"

"Sure," the chuunin took the scroll.

"Thanks. You're a real lifesaver," Genma smirked smugly, and Iruka waved him off, heading for the Hokage's office. He paused before knocking on the door, hearing voices in the office, arguing voices.

"You're keeping something from me, aren't you?!" Asuma fumed. "Why can't you show me a picture of Obaasan?"

"I already told you it's been lost," the Hokage grumbled. "You can ask Emi to help you look for it later."

"Ugh, you always do that, old man."

"Be mindful of your…" The voices quieted, mumbling to each other. "You can come in, Iruka-kun," the Hokage suddenly announced, and Iruka awkwardly entered the office.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping," Iruka apologized.

"You're fine," Sandaime said, putting on a smile. "Asuma's putting together a clan scrapbook, but it is missing a picture of my mother. That's all we were discussing."

"Yeah, that's all," Asuma sarcastically grumbled, arms crossed over his chest.

"Did you need something, Iruka-kun?" Sandaime ignored the remark.

"There's a letter for you." Iruka handed over the scroll, and the Hokage's eyes widened when he opened it.

"It's from Isamu!" he gasped, and Asuma's scowl disappeared.

"Is he okay?"

"Yes," he answered as he continued to read, "he says the mission was a success… He and Miyako-chan are safe and healthy… They're at the Nikkou resort and want us to meet them there because… Oh, Kami!" the Hokage exclaimed and put his hand to his head.

"What?" Asuma grabbed the scroll Sandaime held out to him, the jounin looking just as shocked when reading it himself. "Really, Isamu!"

"What's going on?" It was Iruka's turn to inquire.

"Isamu's made a baby!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

'You are invited to Baby Sarutobi's Belated Baby Shower'

The official invitation appeared in Iruka's mail the next day. The secretive celebration would be held outside the village at the luxury Nikko resort, and Iruka couldn't have been more excited. It was a small guest list with only himself, the Hokage, Asuma, and Kurenai being invited. 'We want a private celebration with close family and friends before breaking the news to the village.' While technically a guest and not on a mission, he still brought his shinobi gear for travel. Though he was assigned a guard along with all the guests, he felt safer with the extra security of his ninja tools. He also snuck in some of his Onmyoji tools, just in case.

Carrying his storage scroll, he arrived at Konoha's front gates early in the morning before the sun rose to join the group. Kurenai and Asuma, along with the guards, were already present, a familiar face in the group that excitedly made his heart leap.

"Yuugao-chan!" he happily grinned as he hugged his old teammate. "It's so good to see you."

"You too, Iruka-kun," she hugged him back before pulling away. "I'll be Kurenai-san's guard on this mission, but I'm at your service if you need me."

"I thought you'd enjoy seeing a familiar face, Iruka-kun," said an unknown yet vaguely familiar young man with light brown hair and wearing a forest green yukata.

"Who are you guarding?"

"Guarding? No," the young man chuckled. "It's me, the Hokage. I'm using a henge of my younger self."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't recognize you, Sandaime-sama."

"So, it is a good disguise," the Hokage smirked toward Asuma, who rolled his eyes. "You already know my trio of bodyguards, but Genma will be Asuma's guard for this mission."

"You're disappointed, Iruka-kun, I know." Genma playfully smirked.

"I'm holding back tears," Iruka scoffed. "Where is my guard?"

"Behind you," a sudden voice drawled behind his ear, startling him, though he didn't flinch. Despite being peeved, he didn't let it show on his face when he faced the shinobi behind him, a man with spiked silver hair and his long shirt collar raised to cover the lower half of his face. His hitai-ate was slanted on his head, covering his left eye; the other eye, a rich onyx, gazed at him lazily as if the man had just crawled out of bed half-asleep. "Mornin', I'm Kakashi," he casually introduced himself. While Iruka's eyes flashed with realization, he felt the jolt of excitement from Rin.

"Oh, I know you!"

"Do you?" Kakashi raised a brow.

"You're the Copy-nin, aren't you? Kakashi of the Sharingan.”

"Yep, that's me. And you're the guest I'm supposed to guard this mission?"

“Yes, I’m Umino Iruka.” He held out his hand, and Kakashi shook it. Iruka sensed the buzzing hum of coiled-up chakra within the jounin, ready to pounce when necessary. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kakashi-san."

“You too, Iruka-kun.”

"Kakashi-san was in your academy class, wasn't he, Rin-chan?"

"How do you know?"

"Saw it in your class yearbook. That's how I learned your name."

"… Yes, he was in my class. A quiet reserved boy who spent more time training than with any of us, but still… I thought he was pretty amazing."

"Oh, I see why you're so excited, Rin-chan."

"Please, keep the teasing to a minimum for this trip."

"We'll see."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"I didn't see a name for the baby on the invitation," Iruka said as the group walked down the dirt path of the forest. Soon after they began, a new member joined their journey.

"Have you… seen the… baby?"

 "Have Isamu and Miyako not picked one yet?" Iruka asked, ignoring the ghost trailing behind them, its bones creaking against the little flesh it had left

"No, because they aren't choosing the kid's name," Asuma said.

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked.

"It has been a tradition in the Sarutobi clan for the grandparents to name the grandchildren," the Hokage explained. "Though I'll give them a couple of names to choose from, keeping with tradition but giving Isamu and Miyako some choice."

"What names do you have, Hokage-sama?" Iruka inquired.

"What was… his name?"

"Well, I've thought long and hard about it. For a girl, I've thought of Momoka, Akie, and Konohako, and then Momoki, Akio, and Konohamaru for a boy. I chose the first name because Isamu and Miyako met on a peach farming mission. The second is my mother's name and Miyako's mother's. The final name speaks for itself, doesn't it."

"All of those are good names, Sandaime-sama."

"Knowing those two, they'll probably pick the last one," Asuma mused. "Did Ojiisan give you any choices when naming us, Otosan?"

"Otosan… He wanted to… see the baby."

"No, my father had only one name for the both of you," Sandaime dryly chuckled. "Isamu, 'brave'. For a brave boy that'd grow to uphold his namesake. Asuma, 'tomorrow truth.' He believed you'd quickly learn the truth of what it means to be a ninja."

"What was… his name?"

"Well, I'm twenty and still don't have everything figured out. I appreciate Ojjisan's faith in me, though…  What would you have named me, Otosan?"

"… Takara, it means treasure. I think that name still suits you."

"Hm," Asuma hummed, biting his lip to stop a smile.

"Yes… That was his name… Takara… Poor baby."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

They arrived at the resort around noon, and its manager showed them to their private rooms to settle in and informed them that Isamu and Miyako were preoccupied. They were released to have fun and relaxation before the celebration later in the day. Iruka decided to go to the resort's Hot Springs to relax and meet up later with the others for a meal. As his bodyguard, Kakashi accompanied him to a reserved onsen for special guests.

"Are you getting in, too, Kakashi-san?" Iruka asked as he undressed in the private changing room, taking off his shirt.

"As your guard, I can't be too relaxed, I'm afraid," Kakashi refused. He turned his back to Iruka and settled on the tatami to pull a book from his pouch.

"I get it," Iruka said, wrapping a towel around his naked form, his concealing jutsu hiding the many seals sewn into his skin. "Hope you're not too disappointed, Rin-chan."

"What did I say about teasing?!"

"I'll scream if I need anything."

"Got ya," Kakashi waved him out, not looking away from his book. The secluded spring was thankfully free of ghostly visitors, with only quiet chatter from guests on the other side of the wooden barriers. Iruka sighed in relief, sinking into the hot water.

"I've been thinking," Iruka thought, leaning comfortingly against the warm stone, looking up at the clear blue sky.

"About what?"

"About being a shinobi that's out on the field. I'm away from home too often; I get homesick too easily. We've also had too many close calls with Yokai." Iruka shut his eyes, sighing. "It's tiring."

"Agreed."

"Also, when my Onmyoji position becomes official, going out on missions would make that more difficult."

"Do you want to change fields to be a village-bound ninja?"

"Kinda."

"I think that would be a good change. Have any ideas about what you want to do? I don't see you working in T&I or being a desk worker."

"… I think I want to be a—" Iruka's spine painfully rattled as a spiteful aura suddenly consumed the area around him, stealing the air from his lungs. A chorus of mourning wails and shrieks rode the gentle breeze. "Do I want to open my eyes?" Calmly, Iruka opened his eyes and stared up at the clear blue sky, past the mangled face of the little girl looming over him, her drooling grey tongue hanging out of the gaping bloody hole that was her mouth, lower jaw missing. Pale blue eyes leered through messy strands of greasy black hair to bore into Iruka's irefully as she unintelligibly gurgled, spilling bile on her grey shinobi dress. Only her upper half was exposed as her lower half was phased into the ground. A heavy drowning anger that weighed down the air could only come from scores of hearts screaming in torment radiating from her small frame.

"Such a pretty sky today," Iruka sighed contently before sitting up and stretching. "It's about lunchtime, isn't it? I don't want Kurenai to scold me for being late again." He got out of the hot spring and wrapped his towel around himself, unresponsive to the ghostly girl clawing at his legs when he walked away.

"How was the soak?" Kakashi asked, still glued to his book.

"Relaxing," Iruka said, smiling, never minding the dead girl glaring at him by the water.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka and Kakashi headed for the café where they decided to meet with the others, though Iruka detoured them a little to pass through the town's park, specifically its large lake at its center. It couldn't compare to anything like the vast blue ocean, but he could still appreciate how the lake glittered in the sun. It helped to take his mind off the unsettling yokai from the hot springs. Kakashi remained engrossed in his novel, even when they made it to the crowded street of the café. Many passersby gave them odd looks of shock, amusement, and some disgust to Iruka's confusion. "What's going on with everybody?" He turned to Kakashi.

"Do you see…" he paused, reading the title of the jounin's book, a very sensual title. "Are you reading porn?!" he gasped in horror, face burning hotter than a fire jutsu, covering the book's cover from a family passing by.

"Mah, I'd call it salacious romance," Kakashi nonchalantly shrugged.

"That's what porn is," Iruka angrily hissed under his breath.  "Do you have to read that now?"

"What better time is there to read it?"

"Not in public!" Iruka eyed the café as they got closer. "Especially not during our lunch in front of the Hokage."

"Sandaime-sama is actually very familiar with this volume."

"I doubt that." He went to open the café door, grabbing the door handle along with another calloused hand. "Sorry, you can go first." He stepped back for the other young man to go, but he didn't move, his rusty brown eyes glaring at him with such scrutiny Iruka feared he offended him somehow. His ruffled auburn hair was tied back in a low, short ponytail with bangs falling over his honey-toned face, which had a scarred slash from the left corner of his mouth to his ear. The grey yukata he wore was one of the same ones sold at the Nikkou resort gift shop. "So, he's a guest at the same resort too."

"Aren't you polite?" the man complimented, forcing a smile that strained his scar. "You go on first. I'm not in a hurry."

"Oh, thank you," Iruka went inside with Kakashi, who thankfully put away his 'salacious romance' novel and went to the check-in podium. "We're here under the reservation 'Umino.'" As the hostess took them to their table, Iruka couldn't help but notice that the young man had never entered the café himself.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The newly named Sarutobi Konohamaru was a bright baby boy with dark blue eyes that curiously bounced from one face to the next and had a patch of dark brown hair to keep his head warm. Still only so young, there was a pure, beaming life to him that infected the room with squeaky giggles and expressive, chubby hands. He was a refreshing sight that cleansed Iruka's palate of all the ghastly creatures he'd seen that day. He sat in a circle with the Sarutobis and Kurenai on the tatami in Isamu and Miyako's resort room.

"What have you been calling this little guy for six months?" Asuma asked, trying to seem nonchalant, though his eyes were glued to Konohamaru, who sat on his mother's lap and played with the tassels of her blue scarf. "Boy?" Asuma joked, but Konohamaru looked at him attentively. "Seriously?"

"We didn't think it'd take so long to finally get back in touch," Isamu sheepishly explained, gently petting Konohamaru's head, who then snatched his hand. “We wanted to make sure we were secured before reaching out to you. The manager here is a retired shinobi who was kind enough to let us stay here."

"If we promised him the Hokage's patronage, of course," Miyako added.

"Even with your mission, you still managed to keep Konohamaru happy and healthy," Sandaime genuinely smiled, seeing his grandson play with Isamu's fingers. "I'm very proud of both of you."

"Thank you, Otosan." Isamu smiled back. "Caring for Konohamaru has been its own mission, honestly."

"One that took us by surprise," Miyako chuckled. "But I think we're doing good so far. Aren't we, Maru-kun?" she tickled Konohamaru's sides, making him burst out in a fit of giggles.

"He's so adorable!" Rin cooed affectionately. "I want to hold him so badly."

"I feel like I need to nibble on his toes," Akuri added. "Is that normal?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

"I'm glad you could make it too, Iruka-kun," Miyako turned her attention to the chuunin. "How have you been? Better?"

"Definitely," Iruka answered. "I've gotten the treatment I needed."

"And you've also been promoted," Isamu said. "In more ways than just a chuunin."

"Yeah, I'm not sure if we should talk about my career right now." He sheepishly smiled and glanced at the Hokage.

“It’s okay, Iruka-kun,” Sandaime said. "The others aren't eavesdropping on us."

"Then yes, I'm a chuunin and certified Onmyoji," Iruka smiled. "Though I haven't done any official duties yet until Sandaime-sama gives me the go-ahead."

"How confident are you in your abilities?" Isamu asked.

"Pretty confident. I get the feeling you want to ask for a favor."

"… Only if you're able to," Isamu admitted, keeping his focus on his son. "I knew when I finally had kids that I'd be so excited to show my family, all my family." He looked at Iruka but hesitated until Miyako reassuringly rubbed his arm. "My mom isn't here anymore, but I want her to meet Konohamaru. Do you think you could help them meet, Iruka-kun?"

"You want me to perform a séance?" Iruka nervously scratched his neck as Isamu nodded, already mentally preparing for the ritual.

"Have you done a séance?" Kurenai asked.

"Five times, and four successful."

"Would this séance be similar to your demonstration at the Memorial Stone?" the Hokage inquired, not looking too fond of the idea.

"No, this séance won't be so… revealing," Iruka answered. "Admittedly, my demonstration was more intense than the standard linking with the dead. Many more barriers will be in place, so no one will see anything monstrous. But I'll only perform the séance with your approval, Sandaime-sama."

"… You can perform it, Iruka-kun," Sandaime wavered under Isamu's pleading stare. "But I don't wish to participate if that's alright?"

"Yes." "Why not?" Iruka and Asuma spoke over each other.

"You don't want to talk to Kaasan?" Asuma questioned.

"I talk to your mother every day," the Hokage said with a solemn smile. We've already said almost everything to each other."

"I'm guessing you want to participate, Asuma?” Isamu addressed his younger brother.

"Of course I do," Asuma said.

"I'd like to grow more comfortable with the otherworldly," Kurenai said. “I’m in.”

"Then," Iruka stood up, cracking his knuckles. "I'll let Akuri take my place and prepare for the séance. I'll conduct it in my room. Bring anything that belonged to your mother; we can still manage even if you have nothing. Now, the first rule you need to know is not to bring any chakra-infused weapons. They'll think you are threatening them."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"A third quarter moon. That'll make my job easier," Iruka said, standing on the back patio of his room and gazing up at the half-lit moon in the night sky. He was dressed in his Onmyoji uniform with his eye mask down around his neck for the time being. "I never got the chance to know Biwako-san myself. What about you, Rin-chan?"

"Biwako-sensei could be a little intimidating to approach," Rin chuckled, standing beside him in her ghostly form. "But she was very caring and an attentive medic-nin. She gave me medic jutsu lessons and invited me to tea with Kaira-san several times. I don't want her to recognize me, but I look forward to seeing her again."

"Everyone should be heading here now, so you'll see here soon." They went inside Iruka's room, careful of the silver chimes hanging from the canopy and letting the sliding door open to let moonlight fill the room. Unlit red wax candles were scattered around the room, and protective paper talismans were pasted on every wall. In the middle of the room was a large circle of salt with a brass oil lantern resting in the center beside a golden-hilted dagger, a blank piece of paper, and black ink and brush. Five cushions lined within the circle for his guests to sit, who knocked on his door at that moment. "Ready, Kuroinu?" Iruka asked, putting on his eye mask.

"Ready," Rin nodded, waiting by the backdoor. Iruka went to open the door.

"Welcome, everyone. Come in and take a seat in the circle. Don't disturb it or touch anything, please." He stepped aside for the group to walk in, letting light from the hallway help guide them into the dark room. Asuma paused and looked over Iruka's uniform.

"Like the outfit."

"Thank you." With the group inside, Iruka glanced into the empty, dimly lit hallway before closing the door and locking it tight. Rin moved to lean her back against the locked door, having sight of everyone in the ritual circle and outside.

"Before we get started, I'd like to get the rules out of the way," Iruka said, sitting between Isamu and Asuma in the circle. "I've already told you the first, not bringing chakra-infused weapons. The second is to not disturb or leave the circle during the séance. You'll allow more than Biwako-san in. The third rule is not to knead any chakra, as it can attract more predatory yokai. The final rule is to never acknowledge any other thing you may hear or see. Giving them your attention is a gateway for them to attach themselves to you. Are there any questions?"

"You're sure this'll be safe for Konohamaru?" Isamu asked, looking down at his son sleeping soundly in his sling.

"Yes. You'd be surprised how naturally strong babies are against most dark spirits. But to be extra cautious," Iruka removed his blessed moonstone necklace and gently laid it on Konohamaru's sleeping chest. "Some extra defense."

"Are there things we shouldn't say?" Kurenai asked.

"Do not taunt or challenge anything unless you want it to follow you home. And don't mention how Biwako-san passed. Depending on whether she has accepted her death or not, it could make her distraught."

"So, don't be a jerk," Miyako smirked.

"Right. Any more questions?" Iruka looked over everyone's anxious, though resolute, faces. "Then let us begin." He turned to Isamu. "Did you bring anything of your mother's?"

"No, couldn't find anything," Isamu shook his head.

"That's fine. We'll proceed with the second method." Iruka picked up the dagger. "Blood ties of the deceased work just as well as earthly possessions for invitations. Isamu, Asuma, I need a sample of both of your blood. You'll feel a pinch."

"Could you just use my blood?" Isamu asked. "Asuma never liked drawing blood."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Isamu," Asuma retorted. "I'm not scared."

"The jutsu is more effective if both of Biwako-san's sons’ blood is used. It’ll arrow down who could show up," Iruka explained.

"… Okay, then," Isamu reluctantly gave in. Iruka took Isamu's hand first, making a clean slice on his thumb with the dagger and pinching blood out into the lantern's oil container, mixing the fluids. Satisfied, he did the same to Asuma, feeling how tense the jounin was.

"It's normal to be nervous about this," he said to no one in particular to avoid calling out Asuma. Just do a good job of not showing it." He grabbed the pen and paper and began writing on it.

"You sure you're not just scribbling in the dark, Iruka-kun?" Asuma asked.

"I can paint seals blindfolded, actually. A special skill required for the job," Iruka smirked, finishing the invitation letter.

'Please join us tonight, mother of Sarutobi Isamu and Sarutobi Asuma, Sarutobi Biwako.'

He set the paper underneath the lantern.

"I'll now initiate the séance." He took a breath, activating his Tenshigan as he kneaded his Aether chakra and weaved a jutsu. "Aether Release: Unearthly Invitation Jutsu." He shot a spark from his hand that landed in the fuel tank, setting the lantern alight with a hot amber glow. The invitation underneath it ignited, burning away paper and ink until only ashes were left. The lantern's flames fluctuated in size and shifted from warmer and cooler hues. Iruka crossed his fingers. "Please be anything other than blood red." The flame finally settled on a pale gold that gently caressed its guests with a warm glow, and he silently sighed in relief.

A serene quiet fell over the area, the chirping crickets and mellow ripple of the pond water outside filling the silence until the gentle click of sandals on stone joined in. Iruka kept his head forward so as not to alert everyone else to the visitor just yet and only moved his eyes to view the ghost stepping into the moonlight from the dark. She wore an elegant purple dress and an ivory-white haori over her shoulders. Her long brown hair was lightened with age and tied back in a high ponytail to not hide her dark eyes that intently examined those circling the lantern's light. Her form had a ghostly white luminance that starkly contrasted against the dark aura of most other yokai.

Sarutobi Biwako paused when she got to the patio steps.

"I received an invitation from my sons," she said, hopeful.

"Yes, Biwako-san," Rin spoke from the shadows. "You're welcome inside." Biwako walked up the steps, making the chimes shift when she passed them by, their song grabbing everyone's attention. The specialized barriers allowed her to enter the room, and as soon as she did, the red wax candles sparked pale golden flames to brighten the room with their warmth.

"Kaasan?" Asuma gasped, awed at the lit candles. "Is she…"

"Sarutobi Biwako has accepted the invitation," Iruka said, smiling.

"Now… what do we do?" Isamu asked, eyes nervously darting around the room, looking for his mother, who stood behind him.

"Talk to her with our time, and I'll tell you what she says."

"… Hello, Okaasan. Sorry to disturb you so late, but I wanted to show you someone important."

"I can see that," Biwako giddily smiled and nestled beside Isamu, looking down at her sleeping grandson. "He's such a beautiful boy."

"She called him a 'beautiful boy,'" Iruka said, and Isamu grinned.

“This is mine and Miyako’s son. He's about six months old now, and he's perfectly healthy. Otosan gave us options for names, and we chose Konohamaru. I know he'll grow to be strong and guide our village on a brighter path."

"Indeed, he will," Biwako hummed, gently rubbing Konohamru's chest.

"She agrees," Iruka said.

"Make sure you praise Miyako-chan for birthing a healthy baby, Isamu."

"She also says to make sure you praise Miyako-chan for birthing a healthy baby, Isamu."

"Of course I did, Okaasan," Isamu exasperated.

"I could go for a couple extra back massages," Miyako chuckled. "Now, it hasn't been easy, I'm sure you understand, Biwako-san, but we promise to raise Konohamaru with all the love and care we can. We'll give your grandson a happy life."

"I trust that you both will." Biwako moved to embrace both Isamu and Miyako from behind. "I am so proud of both of you for continuing to flourish despite all the world's challenges. I love you very much, my son." She placed a kiss on Isamu's temple.

"She trusts that you will keep your promise," Iruka started. "She's proud of how both of you continue flourishing despite the world's challenges. She loves you very much, Isamu-san."

"I love you too, Okaasan." Isamu sniffled, teary-eyed.

"Now," Biwako moved over to sit between Asuma and Kurenai. "Does my other boy have a grandbaby to show me?"

"Biwako-san asks if you have a grandbaby, Asuma-san," Iruka smirked at Asuma's flushed face.

"It's too soon for Kurenai and me, Kaasan! You keep forgetting Isamu's like seven years older than me."

"How have you been, Asuma?"

"She asks how have you been?" Iruka repeated.

"It's been good," Asuma answered. I finally got promoted to jounin, and now Isamu can't harp on me anymore. Kurenai and I had our fifth-year anniversary last month, and Otosan's been playing shogi with me more. Even still, I miss you. I know I didn't say it enough, but… I still love you, Kaasan." Kurenai grasped Asuma's shaky hand, and Biwako's hand soon joined.

"I love you too, my son." She kissed his temple.

“She says she loves you too.”

"… Where's my baby?" Iruka sensed the ghostly presence before the woman spoke, her voice soft and wanting as she crawled across the gravel outside. It wasn't odd for an otherworldly audience to appear at a séance. There was already one, eager to get close but kept at bay. He would have no issues ignoring her until she pulled herself up the stairs, the chimes signing again, and put one shaky hand inside the room, surpassing the barrier without any pushback. Her form was dark and sickly, a dirty hospital gown clinging to her shaky body and blood pouring from her mouth and the stab wound through her heart. Her spikey black hair messily hung over her face, shielding her eyes. The candles by the open back door flickered from pale gold to deep blue.

"Get back!" Rin growled as she crossed the room in a flash to put herself between the intruding ghost and those in the séance circle. Biwako bristled at the commotion, and the ghostly woman flinched back, keeping still but not retreating.

"Something draws me here," she raised her head, showing her dark green eyes flooded with hope. "Please… let me see my baby."

"Wait, Rin-chan," Iruka spoke to her through their internal connection. "I believe the barrier allowed her through without any defense because… She's also a guest we invited." Rin looked just as confused as he felt, but she stepped aside to allow the woman inside.

"My apologies," Rin apologetically bowed her head.

"Is that a bad sign?" Asuma asked, gesturing to the blue flames. The woman looked at Iruka and put a silencing finger to her lips.

"No. Everything is okay," Iruka assured him, keeping an eye on the surprise guest who steadily approached the circle. "We just need a moment of quiet."

"Oh," Biwako gasped in surprise before smiling at the other woman. "You made it, Asuka-chan."

"I needed to… Oh, Isamu-kun has grown so so much. Miyako-chan too. Who is he holding?"

"Come see." Biwako moved to sling an arm around Asuka, helping her move to get a glimpse of Konohamaru. "This is my grandson, Konohamaru."

"He's so precious," Asuka cooed, a soft smile gracing her face. "Hiruzen chose a fitting name." She looked up, and her eyes widened, seeing Asuma. "Is that…"

"Yes, he is," Biwako said, and Asuka seemed to gain enough strength to crawl across the circle to sit before the unaware young man.

"… What's his name?"

“Sasuke named him Asuma.”

"That man's sense of humor," Asuka dryly chuckled.

"Hiruzen and I raised him the best we could, Asuka-chan."

"I can tell. I see a caring young man wears the mean-spirited name." She reached out a hand and gently caressed Asuma's cheek, her lip quivering and eyes welling with tears. "I couldn't be happier." The dark aura around her melted away, starting from her hand and waving over her entire body until she was enveloped in the same delighted glow as Biwako, her body healed of wounds and dressed in a dark green kimono. Her dark olive-toned hand gave one last squeeze before pulling away. Asuma tentatively touched his cheek. Asuka turned to Iruka and gave him a smile and appreciative bow.

"Thank you."

"Yes, thank you," Biwako thanked as well. "May I ask your name, Onmyoji-san."

"Iruka and you are very welcome, Biwako-san," Iruka bowed his head back. The lantern's light flickered. "Our time is coming to a close. Do you have any final words?" He looked at Asuka, who looked deeply at Asuma before shaking her head.

"Everyone, please," Biwako started, "Keep fighting and loving," Iruka repeated every word she said to a T. She stood and gave Asuka a hand up, both heading for the back door. Biwako stopped in the doorway. "I see you and Iruka-kun are following an unexpected path, Rin-chan." She surprised Rin with an encouraging grin. "I wish you all the best."

"Thank you, Biwako-sensei," Rin confidently nodded. Biwako and Asuka left with the chimes echoing hum, and the candles flickered out at that moment, the lantern's flame extinguished. Iruka sealed the metaphorical door to the dead shut and concluded the successful séance, which plagued him with startling skepticism of Sarutobi heritage.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"I understand why Isamu didn't want to use Asuma's blood. Should I talk to him or Hokage-sama about what we saw at the séance, Rin-chan?" Iruka mentally asked as he headed with Kakashi to the same café from yesterday for lunch with everyone else. The jounin still found it appropriate to read his smutty novel in public, but Iruka was currently more perturbed by last night's surprise guest. "I don't think Asuma knows about… Asuka."

"Um… not now, at least," Rin answered. "Let's get home before prying into Sarutobi heritage. Still, do you think there could have been… infidelity?"

"Kami, I hope not! Biwako and Asuka looked to be friends even though they knew their situation… whatever that situation is." Iruka groaned and threw his hands on his head. "This is so bad!"

"Mah, what's happening over there?" Kakashi asked, lightly nudging Iruka's shoulder as he continued to read.

"A mild headache," Iruka excused as they reached the café. "It'll go away once I eat." Going inside, they went to the hostess at the podium, who was different from yesterday.

"Hello. We're a part of the Umino reservation," Iruka said.

"Yes, we have you here," the hostess grinned and led them to their table but not to any in the main dining hall. She led them off into the corridor on the left, to Iruka's confusion.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To our reserved dining room for large parties."

"I didn't reserve a room." He frowned, getting a bad feeling. "Were we upgraded?"

"No upgrades, here," they rounded the corner to where the door for the reserved dining room was at the end of the hall. The young man he had bumped into outside of the café yesterday stood in front of it, arms crossed over his chest and glare returned. "Aren't you a part of the Umino clan reservation, sir?" the hostess worriedly asked as Iruka stopped in his tracks, eyes going wide with the realization of who was glaring daggers at him.

"Yes, he's a part of our clan, miss," Shachi affirmed. "He's my cousin Umino Iruka, and he's going to join us." Iruka tensed reflexively as indignation rose in his chest, shaking his head.

"Thanks for the invitation, Umino-kun," Kakashi nonchalantly spoke up, grabbing Iruka's shoulder and pulling him back. "But we already have breakfast plans."

"Not anymore," the veiled threat hissed behind them with the clink of sharpened teeth and a sudden intimidating presence. Iruka stepped away, turned around, and shuddered to see a Hoshigaki blocking their exit. The sleeveless and tight-fitting black kimono she wore showed the lean muscles underneath her light purple skin, which clashed with the warm hues of the café. Her wavy hair was messily cut short. Her dark purple locks reached her chin and were lopsided, looking like they had been slashed with a kunai. Standing multiple heads taller than the Konoha-nin, she effortlessly loomed over the pair, needle-like white irises and pin-point pupils piercing into them with a predatory stare. "You'll eat with us, little dolphin." Iruka shied away with a spike of dread piercing his heart, and the hostess fled through an adjacent door.

"Who wants to hurt you, Iruka?" Akuri suddenly growled, alerted within the mindscape by Iruka's sense of impending doom. While Rin informed him, Kakashi stood his ground against the shark woman, tilting his head back to look up at the threatening Hoshigaki with an unbothered smile.

"Guess you were hired to guard this little get-together, Onagasame-chan. Didn't think you'd be the one to be bossed around by your food."

"You're doing the same, mutt," she retorted. "Shachi knows how to pay up, so I listen." Her smile widened, and she flexed her claws. "Most of the time. Get in the room!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance and moved closer to Iruka.

"I don't—"

"No, it's fine," Iruka interrupted, and Kakashi gave him a confused glance. "My clan has wanted to see me for so long. I might as well meet them now. Put all of this animosity to rest."

"You want to do this family drama now?" Kakashi asked.

"I just want this to be over." 

“Be careful, Iruka-kun.” Rin cautioned. "We've got your back in case anything gets serious." Iruka turned to face the smug Shachi, keeping a confident glare and voice calm. 

"I'm ready."

"Wouldn't matter if you were, traitor," Shachi scowled and opened the door to the dining room the Umino clan reserved. "Sorry for being late, but I've brought a special guest, Takomi-obasan!" he announced.

"I thought you said you wouldn't screw with fire land chicks, Shachi-nii," Sakana teased her younger brother as she sipped her tea with smirking lips.

"We don't need to bring in outsiders for a family event," Mondo grumbled, sharp teeth tearing into his kaarage.

"You had no issues hiring a Same to stalk us," Zabuza snarked at his older brother.

"All of you hush," Takomi quieted the room, tapping a polished nail on the chabudai. "Show me your guest, Shachi-kun, and I'll decide if they can stay."

"Gladly," Shachi stepped aside, and Iruka pushed himself to enter the room, Kakashi and Onagasame following inside before shutting the door. If the room was quiet before, it went dead silent as many eyes fell upon him, some shocked and surprised, with only a few excited.

His clan sat around the long chabudai laid out with a hearty lunch that he used to imagine he could eat when he was a boy. The Momochi family branch sat on the left side, Zabuza with his two older siblings, Nozomi and Mondo, who had, who Iruka assumed were their spouses, beside them. Across from them sat his grandparents, the secondary Umino branch, consisting of Uncle Kurage beside his wife, Saki, their two daughters, Rio and Sakana, Rio's husband sandwiched between them, and finally, Shachi as he smugly joined his family. Aunt Takomi sat at the head of the chabudai, having eyes on her Momochi children, elderly parents, and younger brother's family.

The final guest in the room was the same mangled girl from the hot springs, lower half phased into the floor and her dirty hands clawing into Zabuza's lower back. Her dead pale eyes snapped to glare down at Iruka the moment he entered the room, a low gurgle bubbling from her throat.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Iruka politely greeted.

"Is that you, little dolphin?" his grandmother gasped in disbelief.

"Thought he was Ikkaku-nii for a sec," Uncle Kurage casually laughed, yukata slipping down his shoulders as he sipped his sake.

"What are you doing here, Iruka-kun?" Zabuza angrily questioned.

"Have you come to see us?" his grandfather asked, hopeful.

"I doubt that if he brought along this Konoha-nin," Rio deduced, wearily eyeing the jounin and gently holding her grandfather's arm to keep him seated.

"Hello, Umino family," Kakashi smiled and waved before turning his attention to Zabuza. "And the Momochi family, too. Why didn't you tell me you're cousins with the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Iruka-kun?"

"I'm certain Iruka was too ashamed of his Kirigakure heritage to mention it," Takomi scowled. "Something your traitorous parents instilled in you, no doubt."

"They never taught me to be ashamed of being from Kiri," Iruka retorted. "Even though we had to leave, we still missed you a lot." He glanced at Zabuza. "I decided not to speak of you after the first group of collecter-nins tried claiming the bounty you put on my head, nearly killed me and someone I care deeply about. That's what I am ashamed of, my clan's animosity. If my parents were here, they'd understand that."

"What do you mean if they were here, Iruka-kun?" his grandmother worriedly asked.

"They… They sacrificed themselves the night of the Demon Fox's Attack to save me and the village." His grandparents gasped in horror at the news as more shocked faces appeared.

"We've lost another babe," his grandfather gritted his old teeth.

“Ikkaku-nii’s… gone?” Kurage mumbled, sobering up.

"Yes," Iruka solemnly nodded, "but I don't believe their sacrifice was in vain. They saved many lives and allowed me to find my place in Konohagakure. I have a home… Even so, I don't have to separate myself from you all. I don't want to return to Kirigakure, but we could try rebuilding our relationship if you stop the endless hunt for my head. If you want that. Or you could just…" he sighed deeply. "Erase my name from the Umino clan to clean our clan's image if it means ending all this senseless death." Takomi was silent, lip quivering; whether in anger or sorrow, he couldn't tell. She bit down to keep it still before taking a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"The only senseless death is Ikkaku-nii's," she calmly spoke. "All he had to do was listen to me and stay home. The graduation ceremony he and Kohari were so frightful of was done with soon after the cowards fled. All thanks to my Zabuza." Iruka's eyes widened in silent shock.

"I've heard about the academy massacre. I thought it was some rogue ninja, not…"

"Ikkaku should be here," Takomi continued. "All three of you should be sharing a meal with us as a family." She opened her eyes, giving Iruka a cold, mournful stare. "But he had to flee to Konoha and die, leaving behind a son with nothing to his name. What kind of older sister would I be if I abandoned his son in an uncaring village?"

"Okaasan, I don't believe—" Zabuza shut his mouth when Takomi sent him a silencing glare.

"If you know what's best for you, Iruka-kun, you will sit down and rejoin your clan at the table."

"Please, don't do this." Iruka tensed, balling his hands into fists.

"Duck!" Rin shouted in his head, and Iruka obeyed, ducking under Onagasame's swipe to snatch his ponytail, her claws scratching the back of his neck, then jumping back when Shachi tried kicking at his feet. He stumbled back into Kakashi's chest, who suddenly stood behind him, wrapping his arms around him and swiftly weaving hand signs. Iruka's head spun as Kakashi flickered them outside of the café, and right in front of them were surprised Asuma and Kurenai, Yuugao and Genma being them and giving muted reactions.

"Just beat us here," Asuma chuckled but quickly looked serious, sensing Iruka's clear dread.

"What's going on?" Kurenai asked, also noting the tension in her companions.

"The Umino clan is here along with the Demon of the Mist and a hired Hoshigaki. They're trying to kidnap Iruka back to Kirigakure." Kakashi quickly explained though Yuugao looked briefly confused. "They're inside the café."

"Asuma-san and I can get you out of here, Iruka-kun," Kurenai said.

"And the rest of us will fight off the assholes," Genma said, twirling his kunai around his finger.

"No, that won't work," Iruka hissed as he touched the stinging back of his neck, his hand pulling back red. "Onagasame has a scented my blood. She'll track wherever you take me. I don't want anyone to get hurt in this mess." A violent stream of water and mist bursting from the café's front door sent the group scattering to get out of the way and startling civilians. Iruka didn't need to dodge as Kakashi carried him out of the way, splashing in the quickly spreading water when they landed. He tried thinking of a plan as a mist began to set in the area, dulling the sun's light and blanketing the world with disorienting greys.

"I smell more fallen leaves," Onagasame gleefully hissed as she pushed through the café door, breaking the frame with her imposing form. A sleek shark tail with its top fin elongated to a long whip-like appendage ripped through her kimono and excitedly waved behind her. "No Uchihas, though, too bad."

"Focus on the traitor first, Ona-san," Shachi chastised, appearing beside her with a harpoon-like weapon. "Then you get your treats."

"Keep barking orders at me, and you'll be my treat, Shachi!"

"Iruka isn't going anywhere with you!" Asuma declared, putting himself in front of Iruka and Kakashi.

"Don't get in our way, Konoha-nin," Mondo said as he flickered in with his younger sister Nozomi, brother Zabuza and cousins Rio and Sakana. All expect Zabuza, brandished their weapons. "This is clan business."

"Iruka is an official shinobi of Konohagakure," Kurenai stood beside Asuma. "You have no business with him."

"I'm guessing you're all the pricks that kept intercepting our mercenaries over the years," Sakana lazily rested her sword over her shoulder.

"One of those pricks is my father, the Sandaime Hokage," Asuma said. "You can either back down now and leave or explain to him why you'll kidnap one of his shinobi." A clear sense of hesitancy fell over the Uminos.

"I don't think Okaasan would want us to screw over the Hokage's personal charges," Zabuza said.

"He has to be bluffing," Shachi glowered. "Iruka doesn't have it in with the damn Hokage. I'm tired of stalling. We—" Iruka enacted his plan, dropping a smoke bomb in the already misty street and using the distraction to scale the building behind him.

"Fine, we can fight, Shachi-kun!" He shouted from the top of the roof. "But you have to catch me first!" He took off as fast as he could, hearing Kakashi and Shachi yell after him. Then, weapons clashed, and jutsus were cast. He bit his thumb and used the drop of blood to weave a summoning jutsu. "Makiko!" The shapeshifting creature jumped out from his seal on Iruka's shoulder and immediately rushed back toward the battle for his mission: Keep everyone from killing each other.

"Do you think you'll be fast enough, Iruka-kun?" Rin worriedly asked as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, heading toward outside the town.

"No, but I gave myself a head start."

"Don't run, coward!" Shachi's angered shout sounded too close than he would have liked, and he looked over his shoulder to see Shachi riding atop Onagasame, holding onto the dorsal fin on her back with one hand to steady himself as she chased after him, crossing two rooftops for his one.

"No, keep running. More fun for me!" Onagasame excitedly exclaimed with a grinning maw. Shachi reeled back his arm, aiming his harpoon toward Iruka, and funneled energy into the chakra-receptive metal before jutting it forward. The spearhead launched out, attached to a thin chain racing out from the base as the empowered barbed hooks shot toward Iruka. Iruka hurriedly leaped off the roof, the harpoon crashing where he just stood with enough force to break through tile and stone.

"Let me help!" Rin said as he fell through the air toward the flooded street, his Tenshigan forcibly activating as she sent out a wolf-dog clone to catch his fall. He clung tightly to her back when she landed with a splash, crouching down and pouncing up to propel herself forward, sprinting across the water. "I know you don't want to use your Tenshigan, but you'll be shark food otherwise."

"At least I tried," Iruka said, pulling out his eye mask to cover his eyes.

"Summoning your pooch won't help you!" Shachi shouted as Onagasame leaped down, creating a wave from her heavy impact that nearly swept Rin's legs out from under her. Iruka glanced over his shoulder to see Onagasame, a dark, monstrous form with piercing round eyes peering through the mist, staying still. "Hey, what's wrong, Ona-san?" Shachi bopped the Hoshigaki's head.

"That mutt…" she lowly growled, "No, both smell wrong." Rin used the Hoshigaki's hesitation to gain distance, rounding a street corner and almost barreling into a fleshy insectoid yokai crawling across the dirt. She dashed around it as it jabbed at her and Iruka with its mandibles, Iruka hissing as he was slashed across his shoulder.

“Are you okay, Iruka-kun?!”

"Yes, it's nothing too deep," he assured her. "At least the Hoshigaki will still follow us with the fresh trail we're leaving for her." They had more current threats to handle as monstrous yokai plagued the streets, hiding so well in the mist that there were several more near misses and hits as they tried to escape. Rin opted to crush any monster she couldn't dodge with her jaws, and Iruka gave her as many heads up as he could with his echolocation. Onagasame reentering the chase didn't make anything easier as the Hoshigaki cut them off, spewed out jets of water, and helped angle Shachi to hurl his harpoon, forcing them deeper into town. Iruka could sense a thrum of dread within Rin as memories arose in her mind. It was her as a young kunoichi running away through a swampy marsh as a Hoshigaki chased after the frightened girl and ultimately caught her, strangling her in his death grip as she desperately fought to pry his hand from her neck.

"Told you not to run, kid."

"That won't happen again, Rin-chan," he reassured her, rubbing her furry back.

"Right, I won't let it! I'm so much stronger now," Rin confidently barked. "I think they're trying to coral us somewhere," she growled as she was forced to retreat through an alley or be struck down by Shachi's harpoon. "Haven't got a clue where, but it's nowhere good. Ugh, if I had my own body, I could distract them and give you time to make distance."

"We can still make it out of this," Iruka reassured her as she ran out of the alley and into the park. It clicked at that moment what their pursuers were trying to do, but it was too late to stop Onagasame's attack she'd been preparing. Rin's clone was eviscerated with a whip-like crack that echoed through the park as a splitting pain struck across her seal on Iruka's back. Iruka's back burned with pain, and his ears rang as he was violently thrown through the air to splash in the park's lake, the cold water harshly slapping his skin. He instinctively held his breath when he sank under the water, and he quickly swam back up to the surface, catching his breath as he steadied himself on the rippling water.

"Are you okay, Rin-chan?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"Nothing broken, just bruised. Wait," Iruka reached up to his face, finding it bare. "Lost my mask. I have to keep my Tenshigan at bay."

"Who wants… to swim… with us?" Something awful mumbled underneath the water just as Onagasame's silhouette appeared at the edge of the lake through the mist, Shachi cockily waving his weapon.

"Think you can fight on water after being landlocked for so long, Iruka?!" He tauntingly called out.

"Let's start the real hunt," Onagasame trekked into the lake, naturally swimming swiftly at the surface before sinking under.

…

… …

… … …

Akuri did all he could to keep anyone from losing their life during the scuffle, using the mist to sneakily pull the Konoha ninjas out of the way of devastating attacks and making himself a target to distract the Uminos. However, he didn't interfere with Kakashi and Zabuza's battle as both combatants seemed near even in skill, defending against each other's attacks. He also didn't want to be sliced in half, getting too close to the brutal fight. Even though he kept everyone from killing each other, it wouldn't stop the fight. "How can I stop this? Someone's gonna get hurt sooner or later, and Iruka and Rin are in danger. Think, Akuri!"

"Enough!" The Hokage's booming shout that echoed down the street was paired with a tremendous force of went that not only swept away the mist but knocked most off their feet and splashed in the flooded street, stopping all battles. Akuri hid in the shadows as the sun graced them once more, and the Hokage leaped down from his spot on the roof to land in the center of the stilled chaos. "The fighting ends here." He ordered Konoha and Kiri-nin alike as they picked themselves up and separated themselves to either side of the Hokage. Except Kakashi, who used the stall in combat to scale a building and run off.

"He's probably after Iruka." Akuri thought.

"Why are we trying to kill each other this time?" the Hokage questioned.

"They're Iruka's Clan, Otosan," Asuma wiped the blood dribbling from the bruise on his cheek. "They're trying to kidnap him. They sent a Hoshigaki after him."

"Did they?" He turned toward the now hesitant Uminos.

"Would you look at that? He wasn't bluffing," Zabuza groused.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Uminos," Sandaime politely smiled. "Do any of you wish to continue to fight?"

"… Only if our clan head wishes so," Mondo answered after a pause.

"Where is your clan head?" Sandaime turned to Kurage, who leaned against the café's ruined doorway, lazily tracing the rim of his sake cup with his head down. "Is it you, sir?" he skeptically asked.

"Nope, I'm second. Takomi-nee's the head," he mumbled.

"Where is she?"

"Ran off to get Ikkaku-nii's little dolphin. The lady-shark should've got him to the lake by now."

"Then I trust you'll keep the peace for now?"

"Sure, Hokage-san," Kurage looked up at him with tired, sober eyes. "Fighting's so boring anyway."

The Hokage dashed away into the remaining mist, and Akuri left with him, heading toward Iruka. "Hold on, Iruka, Rin. Help is on the way!"

…

… …

… … …

"Hold on, Iruka, Rin. Help is on the way!"

Rin clung to Akuri's words as she fought off the voracious yokai lurking in the depths of the lake with all the ferocity she had, bashing away amphibious monsters with her trio of tails, slicing them apart with her claws and ripping limbs off with her jaws. The monsters got their retaliation, jabbing at her when her back was turned and dragging her under the water to swarm her with biting maws. She didn't fear drowning in those moments or even being ripped apart. It was seeing Onagasame swimming underneath Iruka in preparation for another attack while the Konoha-nin battled Shachi on the surface, knowing she couldn't intervene. She reflexively tried striking at the Hoshigaki, but all her attacks harmlessly phased through her, a ghost failing to reach the living.

"Damn!" she cursed frustratedly, hauling herself back to the surface.

"You're doing good, Rin-chan," Iruka groaned in her head, and she turned to see him throwing himself out of the way of Onagasame and Shachi's attack, scraping his shoulder.

"You can't keep this up."

"I know. I'd hate to use dark Aether jutsus on the living, but I may have to."

"You must, because if you don't, I'll jump in," she said as she struck down a yokai that tried pouncing on Iruka but couldn't stop Shachi from launching a water bullet that struck Iruka in the chest and sent him skidding back on the water.

"Think you can still best us, traitor?" Shachi taunted.

"Underneath you!" Rin shouted and Iruka rolled out of the way as Onagasame threw herself into the air from below, teeth latching onto nothing, but the hem of Iruka's ruined yukata. He pushed off her shoulder to throw himself away from the Hoshigaki, placing a seal on her shoulder as he did so. He shut his eyes and signed Same when his back hit the water. Onagasame reared back for another attack.

"Aether Release: Drowning Chains!" he shouted, and the seal on her shoulder glowed a dark blue as the water underneath her stirred violently. Chains of dark water lashed out to wrap around her striking arm, halting it in place.

"The hell!" she cursed as more water chains shot up to lock around her limbs and neck, trying to pull her down as she fought all the way. Her whip-like tail remained unrestrained as she thrashed it around to destroy any chains attempting to hold it down.

"That won't hold her for long," Rin said, so badly wanting to hold down the thrashing limb with her own tails.

"I know," Iruka said as he rushed a surprised Shachi, who quickly snapped his attention away from Onagasame to his cousin. Rin pounced on a yokai chasing after the Tenshigan wielder as Iruka entered a grappling match with Shachi, fighting to retrain Shachi's arm wielding the harpoon. Iruka took a jab to the gut to grab Shachi's bicep and weave a jutsu. "Trap of Burning Punishment!" Shachi screamed in shock and pain as his arm burned from the fire jutsu, dropping his harpoon to sink underwater. Iruka readjusted his grip to throw Shachi to the ground just as Rin noticed the new combatant entering the fight.

"To your left!" Rin's warning couldn't be heeded as Shachi kept Iruka in place for Takomi's water spear jutsu to hit, carving through his right leg.

"Enough running, Iruka!" Takomi called out. Iruka gritted his teeth as his leg buckled, giving Shachi the leverage to kick the injured leg, further bashing open the wound before nastily punching his face, splitting the bridge of his nose open. His hair tie gave out as he fell onto his back, hair spilling over his eyes.

"Still think learning some new tricks makes you better than us," Shachi sneered, and though disorientated, Iruka pulled himself away from Shachi, pushing with his good leg as all the other could do was bleed in the water. Onagasame broke free of the water chains and the seal with a triumphant roar.

"Little dolphin!" she excitedly howled as she raced across the water toward the down Iruka, and Shachi also prepared another jutsu to attack. Rin didn't hesitate. She broke her apparition to return to Iruka's body, building up her chakra within him, sharpening his nails and making fangs of his teeth. She was fully ready to burst her tails from his back but only halted when comforting chakra signatures graced her senses. Shachi and Onagasame's attacks landed, hitting nothing but water as Iruka was swiftly swept out of danger by a silver blur.

"Kakashi-san," Iruka gasped, reflexively sealing away any dark chakra as the jounin helped set him down on the lake's surface.

"You're not supposed to run away from your bodyguard, Iruka-kun," Kakashi tutted, taking off the wrapped around his thigh to tourniquet Iruka's wounded leg. "You're making my job harder."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Iruka grumbled, wincing as Kakashi tightened the tourniquet.

"Your guard here will get hurt, Iruka, if you don't surrender," Takomi threatened, with Shachi and Onagasame backing her.

"No, he won't," the Hokage confidently declared as he landed in front of his shinobi, facing the shocked Kiri-nin. “Umino Takomi, I presume.”

"… At heart, yes," Takomi held Sandaime's gaze, but a clear nervous sweat formed on her brow. "Are you truly here for my nephew, Hokage?"

"Indeed, I am, and I ask that you drop your pursuit of him."

"Why should I?"

"Because he is a shinobi of Konohagakure, one of her most considerate members. You should be proud of him, not hunting him like he's your prey."

"Proud of what?" Takomi angrily twisted her lip. "That he'll die serving you just as his parents did."

 "Umino Ikkaku and Kohari's sacrifices are memorialized in stone, never forgotten, and not in vain. As they protected him, so shall I." He took a step forward, and Takomi flinched. "Iruka-kun has chosen Konoha to be his home, and as long as he decides so, I will defend him."

"Liar!" Shachi angrily yelled. "Iruka's a nobody without us! He wouldn't know somebody like you!" He accusingly pointed his harpoon that Onagasame had retrieved at Sandaime. "I bet you're not even the Hokage. Just some fake to scare us. Well, it won't work!" He charged the Hokage and only managed to raise his weapon before Sandaime silently crossed the distance and snatched his burned arm. He punched Shachi square in the face before the Umino realized what was happening, knocking him out in one clean hit and sending his limp body back for Takomi to catch.

"Bastard!" Onagasame fiercely spat and lunged at Sandaime, who dodged by leaping into the air. He signed faster than Iruka could keep up with and produced a duo of fuma shuriken he effortlessly threw at her, dashing swiftly through the air for things so big. Onagasame roared in pain as her tail and dorsal fin were sliced off by the shuriken, her severed limbs scattered over the lake to be fish food. She spewed an angry stream of water at him, which he blocked with a water wall jutsu to keep it from hurting Kakashi and Iruka behind him.

As a burst of mist filled the air from the clash, Sandaime dashed across the space between him and Onagasame, ducking under a swipe and hitting back with a punch to her jaw. A much more powerful punch as it boomed like an exploding tag when it landed and sent her flying back until she caught herself, skidding on the water. She gave a pained hiss as she dizzily righted herself, bloody jaw holding on by a strip of exposed muscle.

"Iruka-kun will be going back with us," Sandaime stated. Will you try to stop us, Takomi-san?" Takomi looked at the defanged Hoshigaki and then down to Shachi, limp in her arms. The mist began to dissipate, allowing the sun's light to make the lake glitter once more, pools of blood swirling across its surface. Takomi sighed.

"No, we won't."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

They headed to leave not soon after the mist settled. Iruka needed help packing and getting around due to his injured leg, but they were still ready to go before noon.

"I'm sorry for disrupting our vacation with my clan quarrel," Iruka apologized as he sat on the bench in the resort lobby while bellhops brought their luggage down. "I didn't recognize my cousin soon enough."

"No need to apologize, Iruka-kun," Isamu said. "Can't control who you're related to. There was only a scuffle, and nobody died. That's a win in my book."

"Plus, it'll be an exciting story to tell Konohamaru when he gets older," Miyako said as she gently swayed her sleeping son in her arms.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't tell him about my clan," Iruka sheepishly said.

"It doesn't matter to me that you're from Kirigakure, Iruka-kun," Yuuago said as she sat beside him.

"Honestly? You don't think I'm secretly some shark monster… which sounds stupid when I say it out loud."

"No, I don't think you're a secret shark monster," she chuckled. "I don't believe our friends will either, but if you want to keep it a secret, I won't say anything."

"A secret? I could tell just by your name, Iruka-kun," Kakashi said, and Iruka glared at him.

"And what do you mean by that?!"

"I mean—" Kakashi's answer was interrupted by Kurenai's hand placed over his masked mouth.

"Best not to answer that one,” she advised.

"Just for that, I'm making you carry me all the way back to Konoha," Iruka huffed.

"You wouldn't be injured if you didn't run from me."

"I ran so you didn't get eaten by the Hoshigaki, you idiot! Besides, if I'm on your back, you don't have to worry about me running away, do you?"

"Mah, fine." Despite his nonchalant demeanor, Kakashi was careful when helping Iruka onto his back and did not hold his legs too harshly. The chuunin grasped his guard's shoulders to secure himself.

"You'll have to feed me and give me water whenever," Kakashi smirked as the group walked down the damp street, beginning their trek back to Konoha.

"Yeah, and massage your shoulders too," Iruka sarcastically added.

"… Really?" Kakashi asked, with a hopeful tease to his tone.

"I'm right behind you, Hatake," Asuma spoke behind them. "Just wanted to let you know."

"I'm just playing, Asuma, nothing serious." Kakashi defensively replied. The chuunin raised his brow at the interaction but didn't pry. Iruka wasn't hoping to see any more of his clan that day, but when their group was stopped by a pair of Uminos and a Momochi just outside of town, he found himself smiling.

"You said you wouldn't pursue, Iruka," A disguised Sandaime said as the guards took defensive stances. Asuma and Kurenai also moved protectively in front of Iruka and the newly made family of Isamu. Miyako, and Konohamaru.

"We aren't," Zabuza said with his hand on the handle of his blade, eyeing the guards’ weapons. The ghost girl incoherently hissed as she clawed at his calf.

"We only wish to speak with Iruka-kun," Iruka's grandfather said, standing behind Zabuza.

"Yes, please let us see him," his grandmother pleaded. "We didn't get the proper chance earlier."

"I'd like to talk to them, Sandaime-sama," Iruka said, carefully getting off Kakashi's back. "I trust them."

"Then I don't see the issue," Sandaime raised his hand, and the guards lowered their weapons. Zabuza also took his hand off his weapon and stepped aside. Asuma and Kurenai helped Iruka walk over to his grandparents, the pair and Zabuza equally eyeing each other.

"Oh, you look just like your father," his grandmother cooed, and he let her cup his cheeks, her wrinkly hands mindful of the bruises.

"And you got your mother's fiery spirit, I can tell," his grandfather chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder. “How are you doing, Iruka-kun?”

"… I'm doing really good, all things considered," Iruka leaned into their touches. "I'm sorry you had to learn about Tosan and Kaasan like that."

"Deep in our hearts, we felt something wrong," his grandmother sighed and clutched her hands to her chest. "We've lost children before, your aunties and uncle, so we knew what that pain meant when we felt it again."

"We missed you when you had to flee, but we understood," his grandfather said. "I was so proud of those two. Knowing how we raised Ikkaku, I know it wasn't easy. We were… harsh parents."

"A bit more than harsh, dearie," his grandmother corrected. "It was necessary  for our clan to survive, but still, it pushed you all away in the end. And… I couldn't be happier that you fled."

"Really?" Iruka gasped. “Kaasan and Tosan wouldn’t have—”

"If you all stayed, there's no guarantee they would have survived, that you would have survived." She grasped his hands. "Don't dwell on what-ifs. Focus on where you are now, what you have."

"You have a place with your home in Konoha," his grandfather said. "One that's important no matter what you or anyone in our clan believes. Fight to keep your place, just like you did today."

"Knowing you'll succeed keeps us happy," his grandmother smiled.

"Then I'll never stop fighting. I promise you both, Ojiisan, Obaasan," Iruka pulled his grandparents into a warm hug, and they gladly hugged back.

"Keep smiling, baby," she said.

"I will," he gave one last squeeze before pulling away.

"Now, have you been the ones looking after our boy?" His grandfather asked Asuma and Kurenai.

"Yes, we've been trying our best, Umino-san," Kurenai smiled.

"He's certainly a handful, but we won't leave him behind." Asuma playfully nudged Iruka.

"Thank you," his grandmother gratefully shook their hands. "To all of you."

"It looks like I've been replaced," Zabuza sarcastically sighed, and Iruka smiled at his cousin.

"It's good to see you after so long, Zabu-kun."

"You too, Ru-kun. Too bad it couldn't be over tea or something."

"We could still do that sometime."

"Maybe," Zabuza glanced at the still weary Konoha-nin. "It's good you found your place, what you're supposed to be… I'm not so sure myself. You'd think so after… everything I've done."

"Perhaps that's why you feel lost," Iruka watched the ghost girl in his periphery try to angrily bite at Zabuza's leg with her remaining upper jaw. "You have a lot to live with, I'm sure, but I believe you have the heart to make amends."

"Hmph, almost sounds easy."

"It's not." They both shared a solemn chuckle. Iruka sighed. "Goodbye, Zabu-kun. I wish you the best."

"Goodbye, Ru-kun. Don't die too soon." They shared a hug, Iruka sensing Zabuza's dark emotions tense his body like a frozen corpse and the ireful spirit attempting to tear at his leg in that moment before the groups went their separate ways. Iruka's grandparents waved as he left.

"That's a lot of death to make amends for," Rin said. "Even we'd struggle to exorcise that ball of sorrow."

"Yes," Iruka agreed, looking over his shoulder at his happy grandparents, troubled Zabuza, and the mass of rageful flesh that loomed over him, screaming with the voices of vengeful children with the jawless girl acting as its head. "Hopefully, we can help in the future, but ultimately, it's Zabuza's burden to shoulder."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Good afternoon, Hokage-sama," Iruka greeted as he walked out onto the Hokage Tower balcony.

"Afternoon, Iruka-kun," Sandaime blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe, letting it be carried away by the wind as he looked over the railing at the village below. His company leaned close by his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "How are your injuries treating you?"

"They're all practically healed now. Tsubaki-chan lent a healing hand."

"Good. " Sandaime turned to face the chuunin, his guest moving with him, wrapping her arm around him. "What did you want to talk about?"

"First off, I believe it would be best that I stop taking field missions and change my duty to be more village-stationed. It would mean I'd have to deal with fewer hunter-nins from Kiri, and it would also… work better with my secondary career."

"Hm, what role would you take?"

"The best way I can embolden the Will of Fire is by empowering Konoha's children as an academy teacher. I wouldn't be where I am now without everyone there to help me grow as a ninja and person when I was still young. There won't be a future for anyone if our children don't have anyone to guide and protect them at tender ages. They're my king."

"Yes, I believe that is a profession that better suits you. I know you will be an excellent teacher, Iruka-kun." Sandaime's nod of approval filled Iruka with pride.

"Thank you, Sandaime-sama."

"I'll enroll you for the teacher exam whenever you’re ready. What else did you want to tell me?" A question crossed Iruka's mind when Asuka pressed her ghostly lips to Sandaime's cheek, looking at him longingly before swiftly fading away like a flickering candle’s flame. "Who was Asuka to you?" He stuck to his original news, remembering his earlier conversation with Rin.

“Hey, Iruka-kun.”

“Yeah, Rin-chan?”

"I've been thinking about our fight with Shachi and the Hoshigaki, and I could've done so much more."

"You did great with what you had."

"What I had, yes. But I want more, need more. I can only help so much with living threats with the fleshless body I'm constrained to."

"… Are you saying?"

"I need to step out of Limbo."

"Sandaime-sama, the next time my cursed seal awakens… I'm going to perform the ritual to gift Kuroinu a body."

Chapter 16: The Rebirth of Nohara Rin

Summary:

Iruka is not only ready to perform the painful ritual to give Rin a physical body but fulfill his new realized passion of being a teacher and officially intruding the Onmyoji to Konoha’s clan heads. All the while, something monstrous is taking root in Konoha’s forests.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Current Ages, Chapter 16 ends during October
Iruka – 16
Rin – 19 (20 in November, Mental and physical age now match)
Akuri – physically young adult
Shisui – 17
Itachi – 12
Naruto - 6

Shisui yawned and stretched his arms behind his back as he arrived at the forest clearing on the outskirts of Konoha. Lanterns were hung on the surrounding trees to light the foret as the sun had yet to greet the sky. The area was secured by barriers and guarded by many Root agents, who respectfully bowed their heads at his approach.

"Good morning, Shisui-taichou," Mizunoe greeted, the tall Root agent holding out a thermal canister.

"Morning, Mizunoe-kun," he said with a lazy smile and gave a small thanks as he grabbed the canister, the warm metal comforting with the chilly morning air.

"Danzo-sama is waiting for you at the final barrier," Tsuchinoe said as she opened a section of the practically invisible barrier for him to pass through.

"Thanms," Shisui gave his muffled thanks, sipping the refreshing herbal tea with a spicy kick as he did so. He was allowed through two more barriers, security strengthening, before he made it to the final glassy barrier that encased the old cabin. The grass was fading to dying browns and faded ivory, while the many flowers decorating the clearing were withered as weeds, a single yellow daisy remaining, and thorny brambles grew over them. The cabin was covered with overgrown thorny foliage and roots growing unnaturally above ground to coil around and inside the old wood. Its front door was practically hidden, sealed shut. Danzo sat down on a lavender matt writing in his leather-bound notebook with a pair of Root guards on standby.

"Shisui-san," Tatsuma greeted, the older Aburame giving a respectful nod.

"Good morning, Tatsuma-san…" Shisui paused, turning to the younger Aburame, who had yet to greet him, and with how he continued to silently and motionlessly stare at him, he wasn't going to. "And to you too, Suguru-kun," Shisui smiled regardless, noting how the Root agent had no issues moving his head to follow him as the Uchiha sat beside Danzo on the mat. "How is Subject 1 doing, Danzo-dono?" he asked, sipping his tea and appreciating it more with every sip.

"He's continuing to ignore any forms of attempted contact," Danzo answered, continuing to write. "Tatsuma confirmed that he's still inside the cabin and has confined himself to the bedroom as he further destabilizes. There's still been no success in trying to burn down the roots in vines. They regrow too fast or don't burn at all." He paused, writing to tap the back of his pen on his chin. "We need a more potent flame."

"Perhaps my Amaterasu will do?"

"And have you burn down the whole forest?"

"I'm getting better at controlling it. I can stop it with a snap of my fingers… or two." Danzo grumbled, unconvinced. "Well, if Itachi-kun were here, we could work together with our Sharingans to solve this."

"Itachi won't be a part of this mission."

"You say that as if he wouldn't be the perfect agent. Not as perfect as me, of course."

"Yes, because you're so perfect," Danzo grumbled and roughly crossed out his notes with a large 'X,' Shisui realizing his words weren't directed toward him.

"Subject 1 isn't a lost cause," Shisui said. "Given his nature, the Onmyoji would know how to handle him. I know you've been thinking about bringing him in. He’d be perfect for this."

"Hm… Depends. If the Onmyoji can successfully perform this 'rebirth ritual,' he should be able to properly euthanize Subject 1. My only concern is that he would want to include Hiruzen, and if he knows who… what is in that cabin, Kami help us."

"You're overthinking this. Here." He shoved his tea canister into the advisor's hands, taking the notebook. "It'll settle your nerves."

"Tea is a stimulant."

"Well, it also tastes good." Danzo scoffed at that but still drank from the canister as Shisui read through the crossed-out notes, making a mental copy with his Sharingan. "Don't trouble yourself with the Onmyoji, Danzo-dono. I'll convince him to keep this between just us. It won't be that difficult once he sees what we're dealing with."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"You're going to be a teacher, Ruka-kun?!" Mizuki was the first to exclaim when Iruka told his friends the news over lunch at their usual café.

"What's with the sudden change?" Kotetsu asked.

"Simple, I realized how much enjoyment I have teaching whenever I was paired with a young chuunin. Plus, I don't like always being on the field." Iruka answered.

"That makes sense," Izumo said. "Are you a teacher now?"

"No, there's this exam I need to pass before I can start teaching at the academy."

"I wish you good luck then," Tsubaki said. "Not that I think you need much."

"I'll still help you prepare, just in case," Mizuki offered.

“Thanks, Mizuki-kun.”

"It's so good seeing all my children doing so well," Iruka perked up at the familiar voice and turned to see Emi approaching their table. The orphanage caretaker was carrying grocery bags and wearing a warm smile, with Kinari beside her. Kinari's usual ponytail had changed to a neat bun. She carried her own groceries and Yojimbo on her shoulders, the ninneko wearily eyeing Iruka.

"Well, I guess you're not children anymore." Emi chuckled.

"Nope, we're all men now," Kotetsu proudly smiled and glanced at Tsubaki. "And women."

"Where have you been hiding out, Neko-chan?" Mizuki probed, poking the kunoichi's arm, who swiped his hand away.

"Working," she briskly answered. "Do any of you have any news?"

"Guess which of us is going to be a teacher," Tsubaki lightly nudged Iruka.

"You're going to be a teacher, Iruka-kun?" Emi excitedly clapped, "or, Iruka-sensei, I should say. You'll be fantastic." Though he tried not to, he couldn't help but notice the faint scarring on her face or the missing ear she hid with her hair, her hitai-ate hanging from her neck. He smiled back at her.

"Thank you, Emi-san."

"Why so many groceries?" Izumo asked.

"Kinari-chan and I went shopping for many people," Emi said. "A lot of it's for Rise-chan, though. She's got a taste for the strangest things now. Then, I bought ingredients to make tonkatsu. I'm trying to get Naruto-kun to eat new things." The silent shock waved over the table at the Jinchuuriki's name. "We've got cold stuff, so I'm afraid we can't talk for long. It was nice seeing you all again." The pair left with a few goodbyes, and chatter only started again when they left the café. However, Iruka kept focused on Emi's retreating form. A dull throb suddenly rose in his gut.

"I'm surprised she's still looking after the Jinchuuriki," Tsubaki quietly said. "She's… brave for that." The throbbing then changed to dull stinging.

"Someone has to look over him," Kotetsu said. "Can't have something that powerful running around by himself." The dullness molded to take on a sharp edge.

"Still, there should be more people to help look after him," Izumo added. "In case there's… another incident." Its sharpness sliced painfully inside of him with every breath.

"So, they can get their ears bitten off by the beast child, too? Yeah, sure," Mizuki scoffed. "They say it was a rogue-nin that scarred her like that, but I don't know who they're fooling." It finally cut through skin, drawing more than blood.

"Excuse me for a second," Iruka interjected, suddenly getting up and rushing out of the café, following after Emi.

"My mom says she'll fix my hair, but I'd prefer if you did it, Emi-san."

"Rise-chan is a little bit heavy-handed with scissors. You should have seen—"

"Emi-san, wait!" Iruka called out to the caretaker and caught up with her. She stopped and turned to him.

“What is it, Iruka-kun? Something wrong?"

"No…I just wanted to say that if you ever needed any help with… Naruto, you could come ask me."

"That's very sweet of you," she gratefully smiled. "I'll be taking you up on that offer. Six year-olds can be a handful, especially when he wants the forest to be his new playground."

He watched the two kunoichi walk away while he kept a hand on his stomach, feeling the damp warmth of his weeping cursed seal stain the shirt underneath his flak jacket.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Friday night would be the best time to do the ritual. It's a full moon and gives me time to prepare," Iruka explained. He sat with the Hokage and Danzo in the archive's lounge room. It was not exactly cozy, with dark grey walls, candles that provided little warmth in the chilly room, and stiff old sofas and armchairs. However, the tea the Hokage offered helped offset the clinical nature of their meeting.

"Understood," Sandaime nodded and sipped from his teacup. "Is there anything we can do to help you prepare?"

"For the ritual itself, all I need is a secluded place outside, preferably by the water and the cursed seal. It's after the ritual that you'll need something to cover Rin. Medic-nin will be necessary as I'll lose some blood, so they'll need to check my vitals and give me chakra replenishments. I'll be chakra-exhausted and knocked out for a while."

"Any rules?" Danzo questioned, having refused tea himself.

"Do not interfere, no matter how intense the ritual gets. The rebirth ritual is very… brutal on the body, especially the first time, I won't lie. It'll look like I'm dying, but it's all a part of the process. I know it won't be the prettiest sight, so if you don't want to be present, I'd understand, but… I don't want to be completely alone."

"I promise you won't be abandoned, Iruka-kun," the Hokage assured him. "I'll—"

"Sandaime-sama," Raidou interrupted as he suddenly appeared, bowing. "I apologize for interrupting. Fugaku-san wishes to speak with you and is adamant that he sees you now."

"Okay then," Sandaime downed the rest of his tea, setting the cup on the stand beside his armchair before getting up. "Please, excuse me. I'll be back soon." He left along with Raidou, leaving Iruka and Danzo in uncomfortable silence—uncomfortable for Iruka, at least. He had a peculiar question rolling around in his head that he'd been keeping in since the séance, and he had a good guess the man across from him had answers.

"You should ask him," Rin said.

"Really?"

"I need—We need answers!"

"You want to ask me something, Umino," Danzo broke the silence, drumming his bandaged fingers on his armchair.

"Yes, and I told you, you can call me by my name, Danzo-san," Iruka said, annoyed.

"Rin-chan, you should make sure the coast is clear. The Hokage can't walk in on this conversation."

"I don't want to miss this though."

"I'll tell you about it."

"Ugh, okay." Rin's apparition crawled from Iruka's back to ensure they didn't get a surprise guest.

“… Did Sandaime-sama tell you about the séance I did?” Iruka asked.

"Yes. You summoned Hiruzen's late wife."

"Right, well, an extra guest showed up."

"A demon?"

"No, she wasn't a demon. Why do you always assume the worst?" the chuunin exasperated but continued. "The summoning method I used includes taking the blood of the deceased closest relatives, so I used Isamu's and Asuma's blood. You know… because they're both related to Biwako-san, right?" Danzo stopped drumming his fingers, his scowl deepening.

"You summoned Asuka as well."

"Accidentally, yes." Iruka sighed, finally getting the secret off his chest.

"Have you told anyone?"

"No, who would I tell that Asuma's mom isn't actually his mom and that the Hokage could've been cheating on his wife!"

"Quiet, boy," Danzo shushed, glancing toward the door to see if Sandaime was returning. "No such thing occurred, so wipe infidelity from your mind."

"Sorry, I took after you and assumed the worst," Iruka quietly snarked back. "So, what did happen between Asuka and the Hokage? I mean, obviously they…" He made his hands kiss each other. "But how did it happen, and how did Asuka die?"

"That isn't for me to say or for you to know. It's very… sensitive information."

"Fair enough, but does Asuma know about Asuka? I don't think so."

"No, he doesn't know, and you will not tell him."

"Why not? Shouldn't he know who his mother is? Keeping it from him will make it worse when he finds out on his own."

"That's what I told Hiruzen when he decided to make this a secret, but he'd always say, 'when the time is right.' It's been twenty years, and the 'right time' has yet to come." Danzo scoffed. "You will not speak of this to anyone because you do not know who Asuka is. This is Hiruzen's situation to handle."

"But—"

"He's coming!" Iruka shut his mouth at Rin's warning just as the Hokage reentered the archives.

"Not a word," Danzo hissed under his breath. He quickly returned to a professional demeanor when Sandaime reached the longue room.

"Sorry for the interruption," Sandaime apologized. I hope Danzo didn't scare you too much, Iruka-kun, while I was away," he chuckled as he settled in his armchair. "Where were we?"

"Um…" Iruka mumbled, tapping his finger on his teacup as he gathered his thoughts. "I'd like some company during the ritual."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The abandoned temple Iruka had visited years ago to attempt to seal away his Tenshigan would be where he would perform the rebirth ritual. The hill the structure was built upon, on its backside, led down to natural hot springs and ponds. Like the rest of the place, they were unkempt, so Iruka helped clean the shallow end of the largest pool of water before the ritual night—a night that arrived in the blink of an eye.

Ikuna's Cursed Seal Ritual: Seedbed's Visceral Rebirth

Closely follow the steps below to successfully complete the ritual. Beware if any ingredient/supply is missing, rule broken or step skipped, the consequences will be damning. Continue at your own risk.

Supplies:

• Ikuna's Cursed Seal
• Amniotic Fluid from Ikuna's Cursed Seal

Rules:

1. The ritual must be performed at any time during Saisei Shuukan; performing it at any other time is impossible.
2. For your own and rebirthed yokai protection, do not stop the ritual once it has begun. Tenshigan wielder's health and rebirth results will suffer.
3. Do not perform the ritual unless you are in stable physical condition. This ritual entails temporary but severe body alteration.
4. Do not attempt to rebirth multiple yokai at once with limited chakra. Chakra exhaustion during the rebirth process will end in failure.
5. Put measures in place to wake yourself in case you lose consciousness. You will most likely pass out during your first time performing this ritual. Be wary.
6. Select the yokai you desire to rebirth before starting the ritual.
7. Under no circumstances do you perform this ritual on mazoku. No demon shall be made of flesh.

Steele your heart, and may Tsuki no O be your guide.

Sitting on the gravelly edge of the pond, Iruka reread the ritual rules one last time, shuddering underneath his cloak.

"Don't force yourself to go through with this if you don't think you're ready," Rin said. "I can wait."

"No, I can do this. Uma-sensei said it's normal to be nervous the first time. I know it will hurt… a lot, so I'm mentally preparing myself." 

"Are you starting soon, Onmyoji-san?" Iruka internally cringed at Utatane's impatient question.

"Yes, I'd prefer this to be over with as soon as possible," Mitokado anxiously muttered, fiddling with his glasses, as if he'd be the one performing the cursed ritual. 

"Both of you fools, hush," Danzo chastised, smacking Mitokado's shin with his cane, making the old man yelp.

"We shouldn't make him rush through such a delicate performance," the Crow added, drumming his fingers on the back of Danzo's chair in anticipation. 

"Begin whenever you are ready, Iruka-kun," Sandaime assured him, and Iruka looked over his shoulder at them. The Hokage and his advisers had their chairs placed further away from the pond's edge, with their respective Anbu guards by their side. 

"Ready to start, Rin-chan?"

"I am ready," Iruka calmly announced, setting down the memorized paper with the ritual and taking off his cloak. He wore no jewelry but had a simple black hair tie to keep his hair tied out of his face. His only clothing was black swimming trunks, his bare chest and back shivering, exposing all his seals, well, most of them. He removed the seal tag from his abdomen with a heavy breath, letting Ikuna's Cursed Seal drink in the night air. The barriers he put in place kept the growing audience of curious and eager yokai at bay, but he could still hear their malicious taunts that he forced out of his head.  He walked into the pond, the chill water tickling his skin and his bare feet stepping over pebbles and mushy earth to reach the edge of the shallow end, where the water lapped at his shins. He looked up at the sky.

The torches lit around the pond provided light, but to Iruka, they were mere candles to the great ball of light, the full moon shining down upon him, sparkling the dark waters of the pond. 

"Please, watch over me, Hamura-sama." He turned his back to the Hokage and his advisors and began the first step of the ritual.

1. Using the amniotic fluid from Ikuna's cursed seal, paint the ritual markings described below on your back, stomach, and chest.

Iruka slicked his fingers with the cursed seal's dark substance, gut quivering when he got too close to the "wound's" edge. "Uma-san said the back was less painful for her, but I don't want anyone else to do the markings on my back just yet." He painted the ritual markings across his chest, drawing a line down from the center of his chest to the cursed seal.

2. Ingest roughly a handful of amniotic fluid. Do not spit it back out.

He cupped his hands underneath the weeping cursed seal, letting them fill up with fluid before carefully bringing it to his lips. It tasted worse than he thought it would, a pungent, bitter taste that spited his tastebuds like he had taken a bite out of a rotting corpse, clawing its way down. He forced it all down, though, even as his stomach churned nauseatingly at the cursed bile. He wiped his mouth when he finished.

3. Prepare the cursed seal for ritual with the Ikuna's Favor Jutsu. The hand signs are Cho, Yagi, and Okami. You are knocking on Ikuna's door.

Iruka activated his Tenshigan, colliding the worlds of the dead and living together, and signed Cho, Yagi, and Okami.

“Ikuna’s Favor Jutsu!” He shuddered as the cursed seal's unfocused chakra suddenly pulled itself together. The cursed seal pulsated a deep red glow, its chakra attentive to any following commands.

4. The yokai subject to the ritual should now feed you their chakra.

"I'm ready, Rin-chan," Iruka said, keeping his voice steady despite his racing heart.

"Here, I go." Rin's chakra flooded him a moment later, her seal on his back glowing with her vibrant purple chakra. Underneath her potent beastly chakra, another eager being tried reaching out to him with cold golden claws and a lying tongue. Iruka shoved his pleas down before they could reach his ears. “Stay silent, Usotuski.”

5. Perform the Seedbed's Visceral Rebirth Jutsu. The hand signs are Kumo, Kitsune, Komori, and Karasu; repeat twice. Ikuna will open the bloody door for you. Beware of body alterations.

He sat down in the water with a heavy sigh, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes. "Don't stop, Iruka." He signed in rapid succession, feeling the cursed seal begin to knead chakra itself with every signed weaved, finishing the last one with a confident flourish.

"Ikuna's Cursed Seal, Seedbed's Visceral Rebirth!"

Iruka swallowed the first burst of pain. He coiled in on himself as it pulsed out from his cursed seal and shot its way across his body like a slithering serpent underneath his skin. He groaned, body shaking, when pain spread out from his seal, slowly creeping up his stomach. He fell down on his back with a vicious scream when his stomach split open with a wet rip, sending blood and dark fluids into the air to mingle with the splashing water as he writhed on his back. His breath was used to power pained screams as his abdomen was raked with deep aching pains as the cursed seal ripped his abdomen open, unzipping skin and muscle in a vertical line toward his chest.

He clawed at the floor of the pond, nails scratching against gravel and packed dirt and grinding his teeth together, fighting against curling into a ball as something ripped him open from the inside, pushing past flesh and organs. His eyes burned with tears and bile stung the back of his mouth, but he forced himself to swallow it back down. He choked himself on a scream, some of the acrid fluid spitting past his blubbering lips as the tear reached his chest, his ribcage snapping with a cacophony of eerie cracks. Still, he could breathe; his heart continued to beat, and he clung to consciousness. He watched with tear-stricken eyes as his broken rib bones pointed toward the sky, pushing open the flesh of his chest to expose the inside. Though his heart pounded loud in his ears, he could hear panicked gasps of his name. He bit on his tongue to stifle his screams.

"I-I—gah!… I'm… o-okay," He forced himself to say with every breath he saved. Though the cursed seal split him open, it didn't expose his insides but rather a thick fluid. It was like a small ocean, a mix of black ichor and dark reds swirling together. He could feel something shift beneath the surface, deep inside of him. Not something, someone. She lofted around at first, being tugged this way and that like a leaf in a rippling pond, but the calm didn't last long as she started to writhe, flailing around with an intensity that tugged on Iruka's insides.

He knew what was coming, but he still wasn't prepared for the sight of a pale arm slicked in black and red ichor to break through the surface and burst out of his stomach, nor the searing pain that came with it. He couldn't stop the scream from ripping from his throat as a head popped out from his chest, gasping for breath herself, and the shock made his body go numb, his mind numb. He didn't scream or writhe as he gradually lost consciousness, holding onto the sight of the reborn figure crawling out into the moonlight before everything went dark.

6. Once you have finished rebirthing all the yokai you desire, immediately release the jutsu. If it is not closed soon enough, stray yokai will attempt to climb inside.

…

… …

… … …

Rin knew Iruka completed step three when the ground began to shake, and the sky changed colors in the mindscape. She sat outside on the porch of the two-story house that held their respective rooms and, below it, a single prison. The grassy front yard quaked, and the blue sky bled to red as the ground split open to make way for a gnarled tree with harshly dark bark and leafless branches twisting toward the sky. It gave off a powerful chakra and strangely sweet scent that overtook the entire space, filling Rin's lungs with every breath and luring her to come closer.

"That's supposed to happen, right?" Akuri anxiously asked.

"Yes," Rin said, standing up and walking down the porch stairs.

"I'm ready, Rin-chan," Iruka's voice echoed in the wind.

"Here, I go." Standing before Ikuna's tree, she clapped her hands together and sent out as much chakra as possible to Iruka and the tree, root's quaking as it greedily drank in her essence.

"… You don't deserve it," a hauntingly familiar voice hissed from the cracks in the earth as thin dark tendrils wriggled out. "So worthless you are… You won't save anyone, Rin."

"Shut up, liar!" Akuri growled and leaped off the porch to stomp down and tear apart the intruding tendrils of Usotsuki with his teeth. "Rin's gonna be amazing!"

"Ikuna's Cursed Seal, Seedbed's Visceral Rebirth!" Iruka announced the completion of his jutsu, and Ikuna's tree creaked, the center of its trunk splitting open. The wider the hole opened, the more pain Rin could sense ripping through Iruka's body, but she couldn't waver. Not when Usotsuki drooled at the chance of stealing her place. The hole fully opened a dark bottomless pit that oozed a glistening red substance and called out to any wanting yokai with its alluring scent.

"I'll make you a true liar, Usotsuki," she said as she dashed for the tree, purposefully stepping on Usotsuki's tendrils and climbing up to the hole, peering inside. She could hear the sound of splashing water as if there was an ocean hidden inside the darkness. She breathed in a lungful of the sweet aroma and grinned. "I'll save the world from the likes of you."

She dove inside Ikuna's tree, watching the light from its exit grow smaller and smaller as she let herself fall, hair whipping past herself. She hit the water and quickly sank beneath the surface, everything turning into a murky red as she was swallowed in Ikuna's warm embrace. She felt weightless, bodiless, floating in the still ocean. There was no sight or sound to ground her, touch to comfort her, or warmth or cold to soothe her. For the briefest moment, she was nothing but a thought in a blank void.

Sensation returned to her fingertips first as bone, muscle, and skin knitted itself onto her ghostly form, bringing with it the touch and warmth she yearned for. She felt her skull form around her brain and eyes fill in empty sockets, which stared in awe at blood-filled veins weaving themselves within maroon flesh and promptly blanketed by skin. The hole in her chest remained as her ribcage protectively formed around her organs, and her legs gained muscle to run and jump.

A bright light suddenly shone above her in the distance, a cool pale blue contrasting with the warm waters, inviting her closer. She opened her mouth, taking a breath. For the first time with her new body, she felt pain, her lungs burning as if she had breathed in hellfire. More instinct than will, she fiercely swam up toward the light, using her new limbs to propel herself to the surface as she fought to keep her breath.

She closed her eyes as the light became too bright, but she knew her arm had breached the surface, and she felt a cool sweep across her damp skin. Her head was next to the surface, and as she took in a greedy breath of fresh air, an agonized scream haunted her ears. "Be gentle," the thought came to her. Eyes still closed, she carefully freed her other arm, squeezing past a warm fleshy barrier. Her hands groped around, flinching when touching the water but relaxing when feeling how cool and shallow it was, gripping the earth and pulling herself up. Her arms quaked but didn't falter, slowly hauling her naked form, coated in the dark fluids, free from the burning ocean.

She pulled out her leg, though it slipped on a loose stone, and she tumbled the rest of the way out with a surprised gasp, making a quiet splash. She opened her eyes and, for a moment, laying on her back, appreciated her surroundings, the cool water caressing her bare skin, the clear whistle of the swift night winds, the glittering stars dotting around the beaming full moon shining down upon her, welcoming her to the living world. She smiled.

A wet cough to her right grabbed her attention, and she turned her head, eyes widening at the sight of Iruka seemingly lifeless, with his body left flayed open, leaking the cursed seal's fluids into the pond water.

"… Wake… up…" her voice was a quiet whisper instead of her desired commanding tone. She tried getting up, and it was like learning how to move again, her limbs like weighted jelly that flailed in the water when she tried to move. She gritted her teeth and crawled to the downed Onmyoji, sitting beside him. "… Wake up… Iruka," she repeated, patting Iruka's cheek. "You need to… finish the ritual." He groaned, and his eyes fluttered open, his Tenshigan looking around dazedly.

"… Step… six," he muttered and tried to make the final sign, but his arms just weakly twitched by his side. She helped, moving his arms and pressing his hands together.

"Finish the ritual, Iruka." In a moment of lucidity, he made the Shishi hand sign and, using a strong breath said:

"Kai!" His body went limp, and his Tenshigan retreated as his eyes rolled back in his head, passing out. Regardless, Ikuna's cursed seal closed, righting Iruka's body as it did so, mending bone back into place and sealing muscle and skin back together. The cursed seal returned to a measly weeping cut with only remnants of its ichor left behind on Iruka's healed body.

"Thank you," she smiled, wiping away the blood on his lips with her thumb. A chair creaked, and she snapped her head toward the sound; long, damp hair whipped back. She stared at the silent living audience, who stared right back at her, finding looks of horror, disgust, awe, and disbelief. She didn't move, and neither did they. Well, one moved. The Crow took the folded black robe from the frozen still medic-nin and calmly walked over to the ghost made of flesh, picking up Iruka's discarded cloak as well. He waded through the waded over to them and offered the clothes to a standoffish Rin.

"You must be cold," she could hear the smile in his light, comforting voice, starkly contrasting to his mask that offered intimidation, holding glimmering red eyes.

"No, but thank you," Rin said, taking the clothes. She threw Iruka's cloak on him before putting on the black robe, the fabric sticking to the slick cursed fluid still coating her skin.

"Attend to Iruka-kun," the Hokage ordered, snapping everyone else out of their daze and into action. Rin watched closely as the four medic-nin put Iruka on a stretcher and stabilized his vitals. When he was being carried away, she tried following him but plopped back down when her head dizzyingly rushed. The Crow offered his hand and, after some hesitation, she took it, being helped to her feet before letting go of his hand when she steadied herself. She carefully took one step and then another, keeping a steady pace as she walked out of the pond on new legs, enjoying the sensation of damp earth under her feet. She picked up the paper with the ritual scrawled on it.

"Good evening, Hokage-sama," she greeted the Hokage when she passed his chair, taking a moment to bow.

"Evening, Rin-chan," he mumbled back, blinking as if he believed his eyes were still lying to him, pipe unforgotten in his hand. Rin followed behind Iruka's stretcher, growing more confident with every step and clutching onto the ritual paper.

Congratulations, you have completed Seedbed's Visceral Rebirth Ritual. Enjoy your yokai in the flesh. To any yokai reading this, take good care of your exhausted seedbed and enjoy yourself amongst the living.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The first thing Rin did once Iruka was tended adequately to and resting in the abandoned temple's bedroom was to take a bath, taking her time to wash away the grime and cursed fluids from her body and enjoy the warm water. An Anbu member, Tsuchinoe Rin believed, brought her a pale white evening gown once she was finished, the masked kunoichi keeping her distance and leaving the moment Rin had her back turned. She didn't need to be told that the agents were distrusting, if not terrified, of her. She didn't think she looked that scary. Yes, she had a dark bruising hole in her chest, but she wrapped it up with bandages, and yes, her sclera was still pitch black, but she didn't use her eyes to glare or linger her gaze for too long. She was still Nohara Rin and would prove she was no one less.

Kaira examined her next briefly, taking her basic vitals and scanning her with her Byakugan. All done stoically, though Rin could sense her trepidation.

"Iruka-kun and I talked to Biwako-san recently," Rin said.

"Did you?" Kaira's Byakugan pulsed with intensity. "… How is she?"

"She was in good spirits, delighted to see her family again."

"That's good to know." She finished the examination with a bare hint of a smile.

There was one Anbu member who showed no fear approaching her, the Crow. He was last to visit her that night as she sat by Iruka's bedside, gently knocking on the door.

"Come in," Rin said, not taking her eyes off the window where the moonlight streamed in on Iruka's sleeping form, on guard for any ill-meaning yokai. The Crow poked his head inside the room, red eyes glinting in the dark.

"Just checking in one last time," he said. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you."

"Are you sure? Not anything to drink or a midnight snack?"

"I think it's past midnight already," she lightly chuckled. "… A glass of milk and a bowl of fresh strawberries would do in the morning, though."

"Strawberries got it! Goodnight, Rin-san."

"Goodnight, Karasu-san."  He shut the door, leaving Rin with her thoughts and the excitement rising within her.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

That glass of milk and bowl of strawberries were waiting for her at the chabudai in the room across from the still sleeping Iruka's, joining the Hokage and Danzo for breakfast.

"Good morning, Rin-chan," the Hokage greeted with a smile. "How was your night?"

"Exciting," she chirped, sitting across from the older men in front of her glass of milk and bowl of fresh strawberries. "Will Utatane-san and Mitokodo-san be joining us?"

"They have paperwork to file," Sandaime excused.

"So, I scare them," she sighed. "Not that I blame them too much. It must have been a terrible sight to see me crawling out of Iruka all… naked!" She squealed and covered her heated face with her hands, unable to meet the Hokage's gaze. "I thought I could bear the shame! I'm sorry you had to see that, Hokage-sama! I must have been so gross!"

"I didn't even notice that at all, Rin-chan, promise," Sandaime tried reassuring her and smirked after glancing at Danzo. "And Danzo-san here wouldn’t even give a second glance to a nude lad— Ow!" He hissed in pain, cradling the side his advisor had fiercely jabbed. "What? I was making you out to be gentlemanly."

"Of course, you were," Danzo grouchily sipped the tea the Crow poured for him.

"How are you feeling, Rin-chan?" Sandaime asked, still rubbing his side.

"Better than I thought I would," she said, taking a swig of her milk. She was surprised to taste the remnants of chakra from the specialized milking cows with innate chakra properties. "Wow, this tastes so much better than I remember!" She downed the rest of her milk, sucking out all its minuscule amounts of chakra.

"Do you know when the Umino will fully recover?" Danzo questioned.

"Iruka-kun will need to rest for the next couple of weeks," she stressed Iruka's name. "You saw the ritual, how taxing it was on his body. He needs time to recover." She raised a suspicious brow, grabbing a strawberry. "If you want him to do something for you, you must be patient. Though I'd like to get things started before he wakes up."

"Like what?" the Hokage inquired.

"Like…" she paused, taking a bite of her strawberry and revolted at the sour, putrid taste that assaulted her tastebuds, but she kept her reaction muted. "Don't spit it out. That'd be rude. Why do they taste so rotten? They look so delicious." She silently bemoaned and forced herself to swallow the strawberry she knew she'd throw up later. "Like cleaning up this temple so it can be our base for Onmyoji business." She poured another glass of milk to chase down the sour taste. "Whose temple was this?"

"Uzumaki Mito," Danzo answered. "Master fuuinjutsu user of the Uzumaki and Senju clan, first Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi and beloved wife of Shodai Hokage."

"Oh, wow! What happened for it to end up like this?"

"Time… The temple's upkeep fell to the wayside during wartime and was ignored after the Kyuubi's attack," he almost sounded shameful, tugging out a weed and peeking through the floorboards. "We'll lend you Anbu agents to help restore the temple."

"I'd also like to see what I can do," she raised her hand, sharpening her claws with a pulse of beastly chakra, sensing the guards' alertness rise. "I would spar with Akuri, but he's currently busy being Iruka." She retracted her claws. "I promise I won't seriously hurt anyone."

"I'll gladly take you up on that," the Crow confidently accepted. "And don't worry, you won't hurt me."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Rin spent the next couple of days fixing up the temple, fending off ill-intentioned yokai, sparring with the Crow, getting tackled and hugged by Akuri when he had the chance to visit, and using a third of her chakra to make a single-tailed dog clone to guard Iruka in his near coma-state. Thankfully, Saisei Shuukan ended, and Ikuna's Cursed Seal again fell dormant. It was a lot, but she appreciated every chance to exercise her new body. She'd get bouts of fatigue akin to natural sleepiness. She learned she could recover by either going into a near comatose state to knead more chakra or by devouring enough chakra from another source to regain her energy. She relied on the latter to keep watch of Iruka for as long as she could, preying on any monstrous yokai that posed a threat. They tasted awful, not as bad as the strawberries, but she could swallow foul flesh if it meant upholding her guard duties.

"You're gonna need an Anbu mask, Rin-chan," the Crow said, effortlessly ducking under Rin's kick, crimson eyes giddily glinting under dusk's sky.

"Anbu?" she grunted as he weaved through her flurry of clawed swipes. "I'm technically still a chuunin."

"Right, what are the technicalities in promoting an undead wolf-kunoichi?" he chuckled, leaping over her head and kicking at the back of her leg. She rolled to keep her momentum when she tripped before spinning around and pouncing at the Crow.

"Dog, not wolf!" she corrected, her claws phasing through his chest as the clone flickered out of existence.

"Anyway, I think you're Anbu material," he said too close behind her, and she turned on her heel to attack him. Her claws crashed against his tanto, igniting sparks; she pushed against him, empowering her arm with yang chakra. His tanto quivered.

"That's enough!" Danzo's harsh voice cut across the grassy clearing, the advisor standing under the dim shade of a tree. The Crow disengaged her with an exaggerated sigh.

"It was just getting exciting, Danzo-dono."

"I need to speak with Kuroinu," Danzo said to Rin's surprise. The advisor popped in to oversee the temple occasionally, always observing from the shadows and never directly speaking with her, only staring. She'd even mistaken him for a stalking yokai a few times when she caught a glimpse of his lingering form in the corner of her eye, thankfully having the restraint not to reflexively lash out at him.

"You want to talk to me, Danzo-san?" she repeated to make sure she heard him right, restraining her beast chakra.

"Yes, I do," he beckoned her closer with his hand, and she reluctantly went over to him.

"Yes?" she expectantly waited, not showing unease when his golden eye silently scanned her up and down like a hunter sizing up his quarry. "Did you just want to stare at me up close?"

"Do you feel any different than you were alive?" he asked.

"Definitely," she flashed her fangs with a smirk.

"I mean mind-wise. Are you the same person you were when you were living?" He tilted his head, eyeing her from a different angle. "Are you still Nohara Rin?"

"… Yes, I am."

"… Let me see your hand," he ordered.

"Why?"

"I'd like to examine it." She shot him a skeptical glare, and he grumbled in annoyance. "Please."

"Hm, I don't think I ever heard you utter that word," she mused, thinking for a moment longer before holding out her hand. "Do anything weird, and I'll scratch you." He gave a hum of acknowledgment and grabbed her hand. It was not in the tight grip she suspected, but a strangely soft grasp, gently squeezing the pulse point of her wrist before exploring his fingers down, tracing the lines of her palm. She glanced at his face, seeing the intensely focused strain on his lips that contrasted his delicate touching. He suddenly dragged his nail across her palm, and she pulled her hand back at the tingling sensation.

"Did that hurt?" he inquired. Rin examined her palm, seeing no blood drawn or scratches. She didn't sense any of the man's chakra on her either.

"No. Tickled." She looked at him suspiciously. "What was the point of that?"

"Can you exorcise cursed things?" he responded with his own question.

“Not the way Iruka can, no. Do you think you need something exorcised?"

"Perhaps," the Crow said, walking over to stand by the advisor's side. "We have a subject that can be considered, hm… Undead per se, but nothing that comes close to you, Rin-chan."

"Wait, is this an undead person or cursed thing?" Rin asked.

"Both," the Crow shrugged. "Either way, we'd like if Iruka-kun could take a look at him as soon as he can. Find a way to… put him to rest."

"Is this an emergency?"

"He isn't a current threat and is secured but is growing unstable," Danzo answered. "I believe it's best to handle him before he can completely lose himself. He'll be more manageable for the Um— Iruka, and less of a threat."

"Well…" "This doesn't sound like something to take lightly… But Iruka put himself through so much pain to give me a body. He's exhausted and still needs time to recover, but knowing him, he'll try to fix the issue as soon as he can despite his condition. He'll do more harm than good then. Especially if this undead cursed object person is as dangerous as I think." "Iruka-kun can't help right now. He shouldn't be weaving any jutsus for a minute. But as soon as he's safely able to, I'll tell him he needs your help. In the meantime, I can give you some of Iruka's blessed items. Let me know if this 'subject' grows any more unstable. You can even ask Sandaime-sa—”

"The Hokage is not to be involved in this," Danzo interrupted her.

"It's top secret," the Crow put a shushing finger to his mask's beak. "Exciting, right?"

"Fine, just don't say a word of this to Iruka until—" she stopped mid-sentence and spun around to face the temple, Iruka's waking chakra signature emanating from inside. "Iruka's awake!" She instantly dashed toward the temple as the sunset and the waning moon took hold of the deep purple sky.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka awoke with an aching body and a gasping groan, returning to reality in a startling heartbeat. Visions of the visceral rebirth were fresh in his mind, but thankfully, the calming moonlight streaming through the window and Rin's small doggish clone greeting him chased away the painful memories. He weakly chuckled as the clone excitedly licked at his face, and he stroked her fur, no ghostly tethers distorting her form. She looked like a regular dog to the living eye at first glance. He managed to sit himself up, stomach sloshing uneasy, but thankfully, when Rin entered his room, dressed in the undershirt and pants of the shinobi uniform, she brought a glass of water.

"You're awake, Iruka-kun," she quietly celebrated, holding back her excitement for the recovering shinobi. Her dog clone dissipated, her chakra returning to her as she sat beside him.

"… Yeah, I'm still alive," he grabbed the cup from her, brushing it against her fleshy fingers. "And the ritual was a success." He smiled, sipping the water his dry throat desperately needed. "How long was I out?"

"Four days. How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted, and my body aches all over, and no, that doesn't mean I regret doing the ritual. Have you been enjoying yourself, Rin-chan?"

"Immensely, though I have bumped into quite a few walls when I forgot I can't phase through them," she chuckled. "I truly am grateful you did the ritual, Iruka-kun, and please let me know if there's anything I can do to repay you."

"Another glass of water would be nice," he tapped his empty cup.

"On it." Once he got his second glass of water, he listened to Rin catch him up on what he missed. Excitingly, Lady Mito's temple was being restored to make it his own base. Akuri arrived soon after, keeping his enthusiasm low to not overwhelm the Onmyoji. He gave the good news that a date had been given for Iruka to take the teacher exam, a month from now.

"A month, that's how long we got to put everything together," Iruka said. "I'll have to pass my exam, and you two will need to be ready to be official members of my Onmyoji team."

"Karasu-san is already working on getting Akuri-kun and I Anbu masks," Rin said. "Kuroinu and Makiko will be in action soon enough."

"This is so exciting," Akuri tittered. "You'll need a codename too, right, Iruka-kun?"

"Yes."

"Have you thought of a name?"

"I've been too sleepy to think about it, but now that you mention it, I have an idea. The creature that gave his life for me when I was still so young."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Classroom Tora was one of the nine main classrooms at the academy, and it was just like all the others. What made it special was that it was where Idate would be for his first day of ninja training. He was early enough to grab a seat in the middle row by the window, having a nice outside view while being close enough to see the chalkboard. He wasn't nervous, no. He knew he would be one of the best students in this class. He had to be if he wanted to prove he could be as strong as Big Brother Ibiki.

"Is this seat taken?" he heard a girl ask him while he was staring out the window, and a rush of excitement flooded him. "A girl is already talking to me?!"

"It's all yours…" He turned to her with a smile that promptly faltered when the red-legged spider crawled out from her straight dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders to cling to her cheek. She wore a dark green overcoat that looked too big for her small body, and Idate couldn't help but wonder what more creepy crawlies could be hiding underneath.

"Then I'll sit here," the bug girl said matter-of-factly and plopped down beside him.

"You uh… have something on your face," he pointed to his cheek. She touched her cheek and only gave a soft "oh" when feeling the spider.

"No playing right now, Cho." She shooed the spider and it skittered over her face to crawl underneath the black circular shades she wore because why not.

"Good morning, Class Tora!" an assertive voice echoed through the classroom, silencing the class' chatter as it gripped the students' attention. "The teacher's finally here!" Idate looked expectantly at his new teacher entering the classroom. The first thing he noticed was the large scar across his teacher's face, and the second was the warm smile he wore, which Idate didn't see on many shinobi. "Welcome to your first year at the Ninja Academy. My name is Umino Iruka, and you may call me 'Iruka-sensei' as I'll be your main teacher for the next three years. I won't lie; this will be a long, grueling three years, but I promise to help guide and teach you to be great shinobi. I already see many promising faces." Idate felt the genuineness in Iruka's words, but he'd wait to see if his teacher could keep his promise.

Iruka was reviewing the basic curriculum for the year when something tickled his elbow, making him flinch. It was Bug Girl tapping him and leaning in close to whisper:

"What does Iruka-sensei look like?"

"You can't see him?" he asked back. "She should have a clear view."

"I can 'see' him, but… no details."

"Well… he's about average height, not very muscular from what I can tell, so I don't think he's too strong. His hair is tied back like a ponytail, but it's not as long as the Yamanakas. He seems pretty soft since he smiles a lot, but he's got a big scar across his nose, so he's obviously been in battle."

"Interesting," she curiously hummed. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Now, does anyone have any questions?" Iruka asked once he finished the introduction. Bug girl was the first to raise her hand, and many others raised their hands. Iruka pointed to her first.

"How did you get your scar, Iruka-sensei?" she asked, and she apparently wasn't the only one with the question as two other students dropped their hands. Idate cringed at the bluntness, knowing the ugly history scars could have. Iruka didn't falter, though.

"This old thing. I got it messing around with shuriken during my academy days. Let it be a lesson; do not treat any ninja weapon like a toy, or you'll end up looking like me." Idate eyed the twinge in his teacher's smile. "So, he will lie to us."

They soon went outside to look around the training field and the storage unit that held the ninja training tools. Iruka allowed them to take the practice shuriken to throw at the targets. The practice shuriken were made out of wood with dulled edges, so they couldn't stick in the targets but just see where they would have stuck in if they were real. Bug girl stuck close to him, and he'd help her direct her where the targets were and if she hit them.

"It takes longer to map out a big space," she said. Idate was proud to say all the shuriken he threw hit at the target made contact, not necessarily the center just yet, but it was better than many other kids who missed entirely. One even happened to careen straight for his head; it wouldn't have hurt that much if it was a practice shuriken, but the glinting of metal in the corner of his eye told him to expect much more than just pain. He shut his eyes and reflexively shielded his face, waiting for an impact that never came. He opened his eyes, seeing Iruka standing before him, having caught the shuriken inches from his face.

"Are you okay, Idate-kun?" Iruka asked. "He already knows my name."

"Yeah, I'm not hurt, Iruka-sensei," he said, quickly regaining his composure. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Iruka gave him a smile that was not shown to the rest of the class as he took on a stern expression, holding up the shuriken. "Who threw this?" he demanded, and after an uneasy silence, a purple-haired boy guilty raised his hand.

"It was me, Iruka-sensei," he confessed. "It looked off, but it was with the practice shuriken, so I thought I could throw it. Sorry."

"That's all right, Yuuma-kun," Iruka immediately softened his expression but kept his serious tone. "Someone didn't properly organize the shuriken. Even so, if you think something is wrong with your ninja weapon, practice or real, come to me. Understand?" he waited until he saw his students nod or give a 'yes, Iruka-sensei' before continuing. "I know most of you haven't thrown a shuriken before, so don't feel bad if you can't hit the target yet. With enough patience and practice," He pulled out three more shuriken from his pocket and motioned for his students to step back, who obeyed. Idate glued his eyes to Iruka as he examined the area and flung the four shuriken, missing all the targets to hit the trees behind them. He watched wide-eyed as they ricocheted off the bark and then each other before each one buried themselves into one of the four targets, hitting center with all four. "And you'll be able to do that." The children gasped with amazement, and Idate gave an approving nod.

"What did he do?" Bug girl asked him. "It sounded impressive."

"That's because it was."

They ate outside for lunch, and Idate sat with Bug Girl, who he really should have learned the name of by now.

"What is your name, twitchy boy?" she asked, thinking the same thing.

"Twitchy boy?"

"You twitch all the time."

"Because I think your bugs are always over me, bug girl," he exasperated but stuck out his hand. "I'm Morino Idate."

"Aburame Moe," She introduced, and they shook hands. Another hand joined theirs.

"Uzuki Yuuma." Idate jumped as Yuuma suddenly sat beside him. "Though you know me as the idiot that almost made you lose an eye."

"I think Idate-kun would have lost more than that," Moe commented.

"I'm really sorry about that."

"It's all good," Idate assured him. "I would have caught it anyway if Iruka-sensei didn't."

"Yeah, and Iruka-sensei probably thinks I'm an idiot too."

"I don't think you're an idiot, Yuuma-kun," Iruka said, walking up to their picnic table. "You proved you were overzealous, just like Yuugao-chan said."

"You know Yuu-nee?!" Yuuma excitedly gasped.

"Yes, I was a part of her genin team."

"I thought your name sounded familiar. Yuu-nee mentioned you a lot. Said you were 'big fool' at first."

"Really? If you get good grades, I've got some good stories about your sister being a 'big fool' too." Iruka winked before turning his attention to Moe.

"Moe-chan, if you ever need more time to figure out your surroundings, let me know earlier, and I'll give you extra time."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Moe graciously nodded. "I'm not too good at guiding my arachnids yet, but I'll still be a productive student!"

"I believe you." Finally, he turned to Idate. "Good job with the practice shuriken today, Idate-kun. I could tell it wasn't your first time."

“Thanks, Iruka-sensei. I'm practically a natural," Idate proudly smiled at the praise.

He spent the rest of the day soaking up every piece of information Iruka gave them, growing more comfortable with Moe's bugs, and entertaining Yuuma's shenanigans. Before he knew it, the day was over—it was too soon.

"Have a good rest of your day, everyone," Iruka excused his class, and Idate waved goodbye to his teacher on his way out.

"See you guys tomorrow!" he said as he bid farewell to Moe and Yuuma, whose respective father and older sister had come to walk them back home. To his disappointment, his older brother hadn't come to pick him up.

"What's with the pouty face, kid?" Anko questioned, a smear of blood on her coat that she failed to clean off, not that that was anything new for the kunoichi.

"Ibiki-nii said he'd be here for the first day," Idate sulked and dragged his feet as he walked home with Anko.

"He's really sorry about that. It's taking longer to get this asshole to crack than he thought. He's busting that guy's teeth to see you as soon as possible. Uh, metaphorically, of course."

"Right."

"Don't be so down, Idate-kun. I'll certainly walk with you every chance I get. Your mom's gonna give me free dinner," she laughed and nudged his shoulder to loosen him up. "How was your first day? Make any new friends? Like your teacher at all?"

"This bug girl, her name's Moe, she sat next to me at the start of class and stuck with me for the rest of the day. Her spiders creeped me out at first, but they help her to see, and that's so cool."

"That's how most come to appreciate the Aburames."

"Then this other kid, Yuuma, accidentally threw a shuriken at me, but he said 'sorry,' so we're all good. He's surprisingly fast, too."

"You almost got downed on your first day of ninja school?"

"No, because Iruka-sensei wouldn't let that happen."

“Iruka?” Anko raised a brow.

"Umino Iruka, yeah. Do you know him?"

"Uh, we were a part of a conjoined mission when we were little brats, and that's about it. What do you think of him?

"He seemed like a pushover and lies a little, but he turned out pretty cool. He knew my name before I even told him, and he did this really awesome trick with shuriken: he bounced them off trees to hit all the targets!"

"That is pretty awesome."

"He also said I did a good job with the practice shuriken. He sees what I'm capable of."

"Sounds like you like this 'Iruka-sensei.'"

"I do." Idate grinned. "He promised he'd make us great shinobi, and now I know he wasn't lying!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Fugaku knew he would meet someone strange and/or powerful in this afternoon's clan meeting. He could've guessed so with the Hokage's hints of introducing a new Anbu faction, but Shisui blatantly telling him was also a good indicator.

"He's an Onmyoji that works with all kinds of spirits and whatnot," Shisui explained with a smile. "Because of that, he will be very… off-putting at first, but trust me, he's not malicious. He's pretty nice, actually. Remember I didn't tell you any of this, Fugaku-san." The Uchiha head kept his anticipation muddled as he waited for the meeting to begin, watching the other clan heads talk amongst each other.  "Also, you should try socializing with the other clan heads while waiting. Nothing serious, just friendly banter. We shouldn't let our bridges keep burning."

Fugaku internally grumbled as he silently surveyed who he should start conversing with. He glanced at Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi across the table, chatting with each other. "I can't barge in on the Ino-Shika-Cho conversation. I'd just get lost in all their inside banter." He then looked down at the opposing end of the table to see the Inuzuka Clan head, the old dog more interested in napping, while the Morino Head adjacent was sucked into reviewing paperwork. "There's no use shouting across the table at people who have no interest in talking. I doubt we'd have anything 'friendly' to talk about anyways."

To his right was Shibi and then the Shiranui head, who seemed to be having a one-sided conversation about the failing quality of the local udon shop ever since it changed ownership, with the Aburame silently nodding his head to the older's every word. "There's not much of a conversation when Shiranui starts rambling. Also, I find udon disgusting, and I doubt he'd appreciate hearing that." At the top of the other side of the table sat a reserved Hiashi Hyuuga. Shinku Yuuhi, to Fukagu's left, quietly spoke to the man as they talked about raising girls and sharing smiles. It was a modest smile for Hiashi as they happily reminisced. "Though Hiashi would be skeptical, Shinku wouldn't mind if I butted in… But I don't have girls to speak of… Think of something to say, Fugaku!"

"Have an update on your boys, Fugaku-kun?" Shinku inquired, giving him a light nudge that ripped him from his thoughts, and he turned to the older man with silent relief.

"Itachi—"

"Thank you for coming, everyone," the Hokage announced as he entered the meeting hall with his guards and advisors. Fugaku bit down on his tongue to silence the irritated groan in his chest, and he leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest, sinking back to a quiet glower. He impulsively caught Danzo's eye, examining the advisor for any shift in his usual stoic demeanor, and indeed there was. A very blatant change in the form of a subtle smile flashed in a moment toward Fugaku's direction. It could've been a taunting one for the Uchiha head or an acknowledging one toward Shisui behind him, one of his believed to be "pets." Either reason meant trouble, but Fugaku was ready for trouble. The Hokage took hold of the floor.

"As you have come to anticipate, this meeting is to formally introduce you to the new Anbu unit we have been putting together for the past couple of months. You are lucky to be the first introduced to the team before they are made more public. They have our support and trust, and with time, I hope they gain your trust as well."

"I trust your insight, Hokage-sama," Shiranui said.

"As long as they smell right, I'll be fine with 'em," Inuzuka shook himself awake from his impromptu nap.

"You've intrigued us for a while now, Sandaime-sama," Shikaku said. "I anticipate having our curiosities quelled."

"Or you just want to win the bet," Choza mumbled.

"I'll have my judgment once I finally meet this 'specialized' Anbu team," Fugaku said, playing ignorant.

"I'll finally pull back the curtain then," the Hokage smiled and looked to the door he had entered from. "Please, come in and introduce yourselves." He went to his seat at the front of the meeting hall as the door opened, and only the Onmyoji walked inside. Fugaku could have guessed the man was tied to the spiritual side from his attire. Still, it certainly would not have been the first aspect he noticed, as the Onmyoji's chakra signature was a potent mixture of frigid ferocity and domineering dominance that froze the room in a silent stranglehold.

Fugaku felt goosebumps rise over the shark bite scars on his arms as if the temperature in the room abruptly dropped. His instincts told him whatever was approaching the table wasn't entirely human despite the kind smile he wore. However, while most other clan heads showed their apprehension or reflexively snarled in Inuzuka's case, Fugaku only allowed a slight strain in his frown, never taking his eyes off the Onmyoji as he stood at the head of the table. Now closer, Fugaku could see a couple seals on the Onmyoyi's abdomen through his mesh shirt, and he assumed there were many more his midnight blue robe hid. "I assume that's where the violent chakra is coming from. What the hell does this Onmyoji have sealed inside him?"

"Good afternoon, revered clan heads," the Onmyoji politely greeted and gave a full bow, Hiashi leaning away as far as his chair allowed while Shinku's body tensed like a hissing cat. "My name is Daigyo, and I am the Onmyoji leading Anbu's new Team Yokai. It's my pleasure to finally meet you all." Daigyo maintained a non-threatening posture, hands unmoving at his side, and movements slow and telegraphed. "I'm certain you all are sensing something foul, but it is none of my doing." He put a hand over the seal on his stomach. "One of my charges aims to intimidate you, but rest assured, he poses no threat under my watch. One of my duties is to seal away the wicked and evil yokai haunting Konohagakure. They go mostly unseen by the naked eye, but I can see them all as I speak. These negative spirits can cause harm if they gain enough power to influence our world. We'll strive to keep the balance in our favor. Are there any questions so far?" Complete silence fell over the room for a long moment before Shikaku raised his hand. "Yes, Shikaku-san?"

"How are you linked to the otherworldly Daigyo-san?"

"My kekkai genkai gifts me with Aether Release, which is what yokai are composed of, allowing me to connect with their world as I please."

“What is your kekkai genkai?” Fugaku asked out of turn, noting Daigyo's obscured eyes. "Is it a doujutsu?"

"Yes, it is a doujutsu, but one I must not say," Daigyo vaguely answered. "It's a safety concern. We don't need word of it spreading to other villages."

"Hmph," Fugaku grumbled. "I'll just ask Shisui after this is over."

"Is there a… safe way to prove your abilities, Daigyo-san?" Shiranui asked.

"Prove what? He reeks like the devil," Inuzuka scoffed.

"I'll gladly give a demonstration." Daigyo smiled and then bit his thumb, drawing blood. "Allow me to introduce you to my Yokai team." He signed a summoning jutsu and clasped his hands together. "Kuroinu! Makiko!" Fugaku expected them to appear in a puff of smoke. Instead, the pair crawled out from Daigyo's body, dark humanoid masses escaping from his shoulder and backside, and their forms were promptly solidified when they touched the ground. The one to the left of Daigyo appeared to be a human dressed in a dark green hooded robe that covered nearly all his body. His exposed hands and bare feet were humanoid but sheet white and had an almost plant-like texture. Around his wrist was a green stringed bracelet with a silver chime charm that quietly danced. His face was hidden by an Anbu mask, but instead of the typical white coloring, it was black with dark red and green markings resembling a chameleon. His chakra signature was excited but subtle, and Fugaku guessed he could easily slip undetected if he so desired.

"Hello, everyone! My name's Makiko, and I'm so happy to meet you all!" he happily introduced himself. "Don't be shy to ask for help. That's why we're here." He lacked the professional stoic demeanor of the typical Anbu agent. "Well, he isn't the typical Anbu agent. He could be putting on an act to make us put our guard down. Still, I believe a Uchiha Squad could restrain him if not take him out." Fuguku turned his attention to the other yokai team member.

Kuroinu appeared to be a woman who wore a long-sleeved black top missing its right sleeve, exposing her bandaged shoulder and arm. She wore black sandals and black shorts over her maroon stockings. Her wine-colored apron skirt fluttered as she landed in a crouch, and the silver chime danged from the red-stringed bracelet on her wrist gently sang when she stood up. Most of her long brown hair was left out, only tied in a ponytail toward its end, reaching the center of her back. She also wore a black Anbu mask, once mimicking a wolfish dog with purple markings on the cheeks. Her chakra signature was frighteningly similar to the power of a Jinchuuriki; however, it was fiercely tamed and never barred its fangs toward any clan heads.

"Good afternoon, distinguished clan heads," she politely bowed her head. "I am Kuroinu, and I am here to save the people of Konoha from hell's jaws." She confidently proclaimed, a glint of a resilient glare in the eye holes of her mask. "She's definitely the powerhouse out of the two, and I doubt she's truly human from her chakra signature. She'll be more than an issue if she turns her fangs to us. She has eyes, though, so she should be susceptible to my Mangekyo Sharingan when given the chance."

"Please, allow me to perform a quick cleansing jutsu on you all," Daigyo said, waiting for the acknowledgments of all the clan heads, mostly reluctant, before continuing. "This will not harm you, so do not be too alarmed." Fugaku caught each hand sign he weaved rapidly: Hitsuji, Mi, Tatsu, Saru, and Uma. "Aether Release: Pure Flame, Wave!" A ring of white flames shot out from him in a wave to engulf the meeting hall, and Fugaku couldn't help but reflexively raise his arms as the fire consumed him…

Not burning a hair on his head. He watched in quiet intrigue as the white flames briefly danced harmlessly on his arm and tickled his nose. "Now, Daigyo, I have to worry about. These flames are more harmless than a butterfly, but I don't doubt he could make us all burn if he desired. I'm in the dark on his doujutsu and its full capabilities. Could he combat my Mangekyo? Where in the world did the Hokage—No." Fugaku's dark, glaring eyes found Danzo once more. The advisor made no reaction to the white flames licking at his bandaged face as he gave another subtle smile, this one certainly aimed toward the Uchiha head. "What dark corner did that sly rat pull this 'Onmyoji' out of?" The fires quietly fizzled out, and the chilling air that had gripped the meeting hall was now gone.

"My team is at your service whenever need be," Daigyo said. "We have restored the late Uzumaki Mito's temple to be my base. So, if you have any requests or concerns, please send your scrolls and letters there, and I'll address them as soon as possible. Are there any more questions?" Silence again claimed the room, and no one offered to break it. "Then thank you all for your time." He and his team stepped back so the Hokage could retake the front of the table.

"That concludes the meeting. Thank you all for coming, and please do not be afraid to reach out for Daigyo's services. Meeting adjourned." There was no after-meeting chatter at the table as the clan heads swiftly left the meeting hall. They were smart enough to not talk about the Onmyoji in front of his face.

"Come, Itachi," Fugaku said to his older son, who had been waiting outside the hall, leaving behind the gossiping group of clan heads and their guards.

"I sensed something with terrible chakra in there," Itachi said as the trio walked down the afternoon streets toward the Uchiha compound. "Was that supposed to be the Onmyoji?"

"Indeed, and his two 'yokai' teammates," Fugaku said, arms crossed over his chest. "What's his doujutsu, Shisui-kun?"

"Even I don't know that," Shisui answered. "I can do more snooping around, but I'm sure it ends in 'gan.' What do you think of the new team, Fugaku-san?" he inquired.

"We can handle Makiko and Kuroinu with my Mangekyo, but I'm unsure how I'd fair against Daigyo since I know nothing of his doujutsu," Fugaku clinically deduced. "That has me worried."

"Are they our enemies?" Itachi questioned, the young Uchiha looking up at his father.

"No, they aren't," Shisui answered. "I know they're an unconventional group, but I promise, they are our allies."

"I have no desire to fight them, Shisui-kun," Fugaku said, "but I must be prepared to."

"Well, you also doubted that I'd get on that sour-faced advisor's good side, and look who is one of his most trusted subordinates," Shisui boasted, and Fugaku scoffed.

"You're just another one of his pets."

"You shouldn't undermine Shisui's hard work, Otosan," Itachi countered and Fugaku turned his scowl toward his son, meeting just as resolute a glare.

"No, Itachi-kun. Fugaku-san is right. I must confess," Shisui dramatically put a hand to his head as he exaggerated a look of despair. "In the dark of the night, Danzo-dono makes me wear cat ears and a tail with a belled collar. I'm forced to crawl around on all fours and like myself to satisfy his sick pet fantasies. I'm so ashamed!" he "sobbed" into his hands, pulling a smile from Itachi and an eye roll from Fugaku, who bit back a smirk. A loud commotion in a nearby shop grabbed their attention as the chair was flung through the window. The supposed shop owner angrily stomped out, cursing a storm until his glare found the Uchihas.

"Don't just stand there like idiots, do something!" he demanded. "There's a pair of dumbasses tearing up my shop!"

"We're on it, sir," Fugaku calmly replied, though he did nothing to change his scowl.

"I've really got someplace to be," Shisui said.

"We can handle this, Shisui," Itachi said. "I know how busy you are."

"Thank you. We'll talk more later, Fugaku-san." Shisui flickered away, and Fugaku went to handle the disturbance with his son, pushing down his anger into a tight ball that weighed in his chest. "Of course, I'll help you, you ungrateful coward. But I wonder whose aid you would favor. The wicked eye Uchiha or the hell-spawned Onmyoji? Who would be more of a monster in your eyes?"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Fugaku-san doesn't trust the yokai team," Shisui said as he walked with Danzo through the forest, trees draped in shadow under the night sky. He held up a lantern to guide their way as they headed for Subject 1's cabin.

"I assumed so," Danzo responded, using his cane to look out for dips in the ground and upturned roots in the dark.

"You smirking at him during the meeting didn't help."

"So, I'm not allowed to smile?"

"You never smile at Fugaku, Danzo-san, so when you do, it's an insult, and you know that," the Uchiha exasperated. "Look, I can and will keep the peace, but it doesn't make my job easier when you egg on the man I'm trying to convince that you don't want him dead every waking moment. He still thinks I'm just a pet to you." Shisui took advantage of his maskless face to look at the advisor with hopeful, dark eyes that glittered in the lantern's light. "But that isn't true. Right, Danzo-dono?"

"I don't have pets," the advisor grumbled, looking away from the Uchiha. "… I'll reframe from taunting Fugaku. It's childish anyways." Shisui grinned. "Works nearly every time. Thank you, Kagami-ojiisan!”

"Great. Though I joked to Fugaku that you made me roleplay as a cat to fulfill your pet fetishes, so hopefully, he didn't take me seriously.

"You fool!" Danzo growled, and Shisui laughed as he ducked under his swiping hand. "Well, if the clan heads are apprehensive about receiving the Onmyoji's aid, he'll be free to finally handle Subject 1."

"Yes, we'll get a final report tonight, and then I'll speak with him tomorrow. Kuroinu said he'd be celebrating his first day of teaching tonight, so…" Shisui stopped talking and then stopped walking as an instinctual twinge raced through his spine. Danzo froze as well. "You felt that too," Shisui said, grabbing his tanto on his back as a stalking presence emanated from the suffocating shade surrounding them.

"Indeed." The advisor stepped closer to the Uchiha, already kneading chakra. "When did you last hear from any of Subject 1's 3-man Guard Team?"

"Just before I left for the clan meeting," Shisui said, activating his Sharingan, picking up the most minute of movements in the inky darkness. "Tsuchinoe said that the last flower finally withered away." Branches rustling in the wind. "It wasn't anything of major concern…" A scampering rabbit hiding in a bush. "I hope that is still true." Birds soaring past them, fleeing. "But there's always doubt." Branches rustled in the wind, curling like fingers as they coiled around tree trunks. "Above," Shisui quietly muttered, slowly raising the lantern to look up into the trees. A pair of pale eyes in the dark foliage leered down from above, reflecting off the lantern's light.

"… What are you doing out here so late, Moku-sama?" Danzo calmly asked though Shisui sensed he was ready to react at a moment's notice. "You should be back at the cabin, where it's safe."

"… Kyuubi." An uneasy voice muttered not only from above but all around them. "Where is it, Jakkaru? I need it."

"I can bring it to you, but we must return to the cabin first."

"No. Give it now."

"Apologies, I don't have it at the moment. We should—"

"You're not giving me what I want, Jakkaru." the voice abruptly interrupted, taking on a sharper edge as an eerie creek rustled the air, the sound of twisting wood. "If you do not give, I will take… I will take Karasu."

Something coiled around Shisui's ankle and snatched his feet from underneath him. He hit the ground, as did the lantern, snuffing out the light in a moment. He felt his fingers scrap across a bandaged hand before he was dragged away into the all-consuming darkness, leaving behind a commotion of rattling wood and yells of jutsus. His chest and stomach painfully scrapped against the forest floor, getting a mouthful of dirt he spit out, and reflexively clawed his hands into the ground to stop himself, but whatever was wrapped around his ankle yanked tighter than he could hold. With a determined grunt, he rolled himself onto his back, digging in the barbs in his ankle, and sat up, swiftly weaving a jutsu.

"Great Fireball Jutsu!" He breathed out a great ball of angry flames at whatever was dragging him, momentarily blinding himself, but heard a pained groan echo around him, and the hold on his ankle loosened. He took his tanto and drove it into the offending them, pulling him, hearing metal cut through wood but feeling a warm splash on his face akin to blood. Released, he jumped into the trees and ran back in Danzo's direction, his wounded ankle burning.

"Karasu-taichou!" Shisui heard the alarmed shout of his name and saw Tsuchinoe and Mizunoe running on the ground beneath him. They looked heavily wounded themselves. "Stay away from the trees!" Tsuchinoe shouted, and Shisui leaped down as the branch he stood on attempted to coil around him. He ran in front of the pair, keeping pace despite his injury, as the wind whistled and an ever-present creek echoed through the forest.

"Where's Danzo-sama?" Mizunoe asked.

"We got separated, but we're getting close to where we were," Shisui answered. "We'll get him and then get out of here."

"Get down!" The advisor shouted nearby in the dark, and Shisui listened, throwing himself to the ground as a torrent of swift winds sliced through the trees. The trees wailed in agony as they were cut down by air blades, clearing the area to allow the moon's light to shine through and illuminate the scene. Amongst the fallen trees, the advisor stood, his robes ripped and bleeding from multiple splinters embedded in him, and an injured Mizunoto hunched down by his feet. Shisui didn't see Subject 1 anywhere in the newly made clearing, but he wouldn't wait for him to arrive.

"Let's move!" Shisui ordered, and the group moved to flee; Mizunoto grabbed Danzo's cane before retreating into the forest.

"Don't leave," the voice echoed behind them, and Shisui dared look back to see something in the clearing. A humanoid hung crookedly in the air from long, twisted, branch-like limbs protruding from every part of him, like a tangled puppet. His head swayed upside down with long stringy hair and prying pale eyes peering back at him. Shisui's attention was returned to the trees that seemed to howl and scream as their branches twisted and trunks cracked, forcibly bent down to swipe at the retreating group like hungry animals.

Shisui acted, the world becoming a dark blur that only his Sharingan could decipher as he activated his body flicker technique, slashing apart the attacking branches with his tanto in a breath. "Keep going!" he ordered, continuing to fend against the forest's assault as the group approached the village. He used the trees as balancing points, but they only hit his afterimage by the time they tried to strike him. Tsuchinoe and Mizunoe threw the rest of their shuriken and kunai to aid him, and even the advisor managed to sneak in a vacuum blade to slice a part of a tree that tried stabbing him in the back. Shisui breathed a silent sigh of relief, seeing the glow of the village so close, the trees' attacks falling behind, with the group's reinvigorated energy seeing safety so close.

"You stay!" The angered demand was paired with a terrible crack loud enough to be thunder, making Shisui's ears ring, but he forced himself to keep focus. He lagged behind the group and turned to face the oncoming attack, his eyes burning as his Sharingan pryed through the dark to sense the barrage of wooden spikes launched toward them. Amaterasu was on the tip of his tongue just as he saw the attack falter. "There you are, Kyuubi."

"Don't stop!" Danzo ordered, snatching Shisui by the back of his cloak and pulling him forward along with the rest. They broke through the tree line, the group tripping over stones and loose earth and tumbling to the ground. Shisui reflexively put his arms out to catch himself but still collapsed on a warm body. He caught his breath before pushing himself up, staring down at the bleeding Danzo beneath him.

"Are you dying?" the advisor asked him.

"No. You?"

"I'll live."

"Good." Shisui got off the advisor and then helped him to his feet.

"You need to get the warning out, Shisui," Danzo said as Mizunoto handed him his cane, and Tsuchinoe plucked out any splinters she could out of his back. "No one is allowed inside the forest."

Chapter 17: New Mission: Uzumaki Naruto's New Guardian

Summary:

A tragic incident leaves a distressed but determined Iruka not only in charge of eliminating the forest-stalking monster behind the tragedy but also being the new guardian for Konoha’s Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

“What color was Obaasan’s hair, Isamu?” Asuma asked again, leaning in the doorway of Konohamaru's nursery, and Isamu sighed, setting down his cooing son in his cradle. "Otosan says I get my hair from her."

"Yes, he says that," his older brother again answered. He was dressed in his Anbu uniform, though his monkey mask was hooked to his hip. "I'll help you look for her photograph when Miyako and I get back from this mission."

"So much for taking a break from missions."

"This is a favor for someone who helped us while Miyako was pregnant. I won't turn him down." He handed his son his favorite plush toy, a green monkey with button eyes. "But, I think I'll turn down the offer to be a part of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi."

"You're turning down a promotion?"

"Yeah, and gave them a better name instead." Isamu turned to him. "Sarutobi Asuma."

"Me, really?" Asuma scoffed. "You're the Anbu. They're not going to take me."

"Except they will," his brother went over and handed him a scroll from his pouch. "They have a spot open for you whenever you're ready."

"Would I ever be ready for something like this?" Asuma unsurely muttered, reading the invitation with disbelieving eyes.

"Stop holding yourself back," Isamu chastised.

"About ready to go, Isamu?" Miyako asked as she suddenly appeared behind Asuma.

"Almost. You?"

"Me neither," she slipped past the brothers to go give Konohamaru a goodbye kiss on his head, her son clinging to her scarf as he giggled.

 "You're just aimlessly hopping from mission to mission with no purpose in your heart," Isamu continued. "This'll help you figure yourself out, give you something to commit to."

"This is a pretty dam—" Asuma glanced at the teething Konohamaru. "Pretty big commitment to make."

"I know, that's the point, you big dummy." Isamu had to go up on his toes to bop his younger brother on the head. "You can talk to Otosan about when he gets back from the clan head meeting." Asuma reframed from rolling his eyes at that. "At least think about it while I'm gone. We can talk about it more when I'm back... this and Okaasan." Asuma looked up to meet his brother's eyes, but he turned back to give his goodbye to Konohamaru.

"Be good for your uncle and grandfather, young man," Isamu smiled as he kissed his son on the head, having to pry the little one's hands off his growing facial hair.

"Ready, Isamu?" Miyako asked, putting on her ox Anbu mask.

"Yes," Isamu dawned on his monkey Anbu mask. He looked at Asuma. "You're capable of doing so much, Asuma. Don't lie to yourself."

"… We'll stop all the lies when you get back here," Asuma said. He blinked, and the two Anbu were gone, leaving behind a baby boy with bubbly blue eyes who tried reaching out for the pair.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"I think my first day of teaching went well. What do you think?" Iruka asked in his head as he walked down Konoha's night street with a lanky ghoul whose long neck swayed his grinning head low accompanying the teacher, ignoring his nonsensical grumblings about meat pies.

"Well? You were amazing, Iruka-kun!”

"Really, Rin-chan?"

"Yes. I may have eavesdropped on some of the children's conversations, and a lot of them had good things to say about you. You're off to a great start."

"That's a relief. We didn't make such a good impression on the clan heads.

"What are you talking about?” Akuri asked. They were excited to see us!"

"I think you mean anxious, Akuri-kun.” Rin corrected. I tried keeping my beast chakra minimized, but that does little against the Hyuuga and Uchiha heads doujutsus. They and Inuzuka probably got the worst of our dark chakra."

"Don't sound too hopeless,” Iruka assured her. “We just need to earn their trust with time and patience. But let's not worry about that tonight. We need to celebrate!" Iruka happily approached the restaurant he'd be eating at with his friends for a celebratory meal and to catch up. When he got to the table, all but one was present.

"Where's Mizuki?" Iruka asked, sitting between an empty chair and Kotetsu, who burst out laughing at the question.

"You haven't heard yet, Iruka-kun?" Tsubaki asked with a frown.

"No, what happened?"

"Well, there was a public disturbance at Binto's gift shop," Izumo started. "And the chief of police got involved, and then one thing led to another and—"

"Umino Iruka," an interrupting voice spoke close behind him, and Iruka turned back to look, silently gasping. He was a lot older than the little boy Usotsuki taunted at the chuunin tournament, but Iruka still recognized Uchiha Itachi's face.

"Good evening, Umino-san. I am Uchiha Itachi." He introduced himself, expression ever passive. However, Iruka couldn't help but notice the subtle way the boy examined him with his obsidian eyes. "I am here to bring you a message from Mizuki." He held out a message scroll that Iruka took with a groan.

"What did you do, Mizuki?" He read over the message. 'Happy first day of teaching Ruka-kun! I'd love to be there to celebrate, but these assholes pleasant gentlemen have locked me up for a little scuffle. Could you please come bail me out so we can have a fun night? I'll pay you back, promise.'

"Let me guess, he wants you to bail him out," Izumo said.

"Yep," Iruka rolled the scroll back up with a huff.

"I say leave him until morning," Kotetsu smirked.

"Well, he helped pay for the reservation," Tsubaki said.

"I'll be back with our troublemaker," Iruka begrudgingly got up from his seat.

"I'll escort you, Umino-san," Itachi said, and the two walked in silence toward the Uchiha police station, Iruka sneaking glances at the younger shinobi. "Does he remember meeting me that day?... Know what I—Usotsuki did to his father?"

"I don't have any ill will toward you," Itachi suddenly said as if reading his mind, though it was probably his body language. "You were very strange that day, but Shisui says you are trustworthy, so as far as I know, you simply had an off day."

"Thanks for giving me a second chance, Itachi-kun," Iruka said as they approached the police station entrance, walking past an Akimichi kunoichi sitting on the steps. "I promise you'll never have a repeat of that awful day."

"I'll keep you to it," Itachi opened the door for him, and Iruka headed into the station, following Itachi to the bail desk where a woman dressed in a loose lavender gown with a thick white sweater over it, covering her big baby bump. With surprise, Iruka realized it was the former Team 5 teacher, Rise. Her black hair was let down, and her eyepatch was replaced with a white sash, and she was in a rather intense conversation with the woman behind the desk. Iruka hesitated to interrupt.

"Umino-san's here, Hazuki-san," Itachi easily spoke up, grabbing the other Uchiha's attention.

"You're back, Itachi-kun," she smiled at him but turned her nose up to Rise and made a shooing motion. "Move your big butt over, so I can help this Umino."

"Umino?" Rise stepped back and turned around, golden eye zeroing in on Iruka. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to bail out Mizuki," Iruka admitted, and Rise nodded as if it was obvious. "How much is the bail, Hazuki-san?" he asked, taking out his dolphin coin pouch.

"1,250 ryo," Hazuki answered.

"That much?" His pouch felt too light after he put the money on the desk. Hazuki collected the ryo and quickly made a call to bring Mizuki out.

"He wasn't exactly cooperative when he was brought in," she said. "He was cursing out Fugaku-taichou and tried kicking him in a not-so-nice place."

"Mizuki!" Iruka groaned with a facepalm. "I am so sorry for all of that."

"Don't apologize to me. It was some nice entertainment in this dull place. I don't think Fugaku-taichou shares the sentiment, though."

"Naota and Kugami were too soft teaching that boy," Rise shook her head and then looked at Iruka. "You turned out fine enough, Iruka-kun. Heard you're a teacher now."

"Yes," Iruka glanced at her belly, "and you've got a little passenger."

"See, I told you, you're not hiding that fat bump," Hazuki smirked. "Not that anyone's surprised you're waddling around again." Rise scoffed and turned to Itachi.

"You don't know how close you came to that witch being your mother, boy. Count yourself lucky."

"I wouldn't have turned out like Izumi-chan," Itachi nodded, and Hazuki rolled her eyes.

"I'd like to stare at your crooked bun longer, but I'd be late for Emi's dinner reservation," Rise said. "You're still coming when your shift ends, Hazu-chan?"

"Yeah, Ri-chan," Hazuki said, adjusting her bun. "But don't let Ayafu take the window seat."

"Hm, that's a tall order," Rise smirked and then left to meet with Ayafu outside, Iruka noticing a slight waddle to her gait.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm moving, hardass," Iruka heard Mizuki before seeing the shinobi brought out from the detention center, escorted by the police chief himself. “Ruka-kun, you came for me!” Mizuki cheered and pulled Iruka into a one-sided hug, the teacher keeping his arms crossed and wearing a scowl. "Why are you so cold?"

"You've been causing trouble," Iruka grumbled.

"It was the other guy that started it, but still, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize to me," the teacher said, pointing to the scowling chief of police, and Mizuki groaned, turning to Fugaku.

"I'm really sorry for calling you names and trying to kick you in the nuts, Uchiha-san."

"Don't give me a flimsy apology," Fugaku scowled. "Just keep out of trouble."

"I'll certainly make sure he does, Fugaku-san," Iruka said, tugging Mizuki's arm to keep his mouth shut. Fugaku eyed him, but if he had something to say, he didn't. "Have a good night, sir," Iruka gave his goodbye before leaving and dragging Mizuki with him. "You've got to get a better hold of yourself, Mizuki-kun," Iruka chastised as they walked down the path illuminated by streetlights, though the spacing created dark pockets of shadows. "We're not little kids anymore that can run around causing trouble," Mizuki grumbled at that, hands in his pockets. "What were you fighting about anyway?"

"Well…" Mizuki looked at the ground as he kicked a peddle into the nearby forest. "I was trying to get you a little wooden dolphin to put on your teacher's desk when some other idiot tried fighting me for it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but we ended up breaking it, so I decided to break his face, but," Mizuki sighed heavily. "That just made everything worse. I'm sorry I ruined your celebration night, Iruka-kun. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Mizuki-kun," Iruka looked at his remorseful friend, his anger settling, and playfully nudged him. "The night's still young, and we've got dinner seats waiting for us. Let's have fun!"

"Yeah, you're right," Mizuki brightened up and went on an excited spiel, but Iruka didn't catch what about as a sudden alarm ranged through his mind, spine-tingling. He ignored the all too familiar blanket of hot amber chakra that rolled in like a low fog. He ignored how it felt like it burned the hairs on the back of his neck and the patter of feet racing toward him from behind. He ignored a child's frantic cries and the small hands that gripped the back of his leg. Iruka stopped along with his heart, keeping as still as a corpse as the beast clawed at his leg, screeching babbled nonsense that pierced his ears.

"Get the hell off him!" Mizuki's shout and a boy's frightened yelp snapped Iruka out of his trance.

"Wait!" He put his hand out to stop Mizuki and finally looked down to see the Jinchuuriki clinging to his leg with his blonde hair matted with dirt and leaves and a smear of fresh blood across his face, his blue eyes overflowing with tears as he sobbed. Iruka’s heart stuttered with hurt. "What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Iruka found his voice. "Are you hurt?" He hesitated to fully touch the boy, lightly touching him on his shoulder to get his attention. "We can go find Emi-san for you."

"Emi's in trouble!" Naruto suddenly blurted out. "I-I was in the forest, she's in the forest now, you have to help her, the woodsman's h-hurting her, he tried to hurt me, b-but she tried to stop him and—"

"Breathe, it's okay," Iruka tried calming him, putting a hand to his back and feeling the sting of his flaring chakra. "I'll go help, Emi-san." He had to pry the boy's hands off his leg and then turned to his friend. "Mizuki-kun, bring Naruto to the hospital and get help."

"But—"

"Just do it!" Iruka raced off, tracking the trail Naruto had left behind, following it into Konoha's dark forest. "Go on ahead, Rin-chan!" He released her apparition to dash ahead of him, feeling her anxiousness. He instantly sensed the dark chakra polluting the air, sinking deep into the earth, and infesting the roots of the trees. He decided to run on the ground as a dreaded shiver ran through his body. "What the— that can't be from a yokai, can it? I thought the Jinchuuriki was talking about a rogue-nin. This 'woodsman' has infested past Limbo, so he's either higher than SS rank, or he has a physical body.”

"And Emi's right in his path!" Akuri worriedly cried out.

"Emi-san!" Iruka yelled into the silent night, hoping for a response, but only dead silence responded.

"… Iruka-kun," Rin's solemn voice echoed in her head.

"What?"

"I… I found her."

"I'm almost there!" Iruka sped up, sensing how close he was to Rin now.

“… No, Iruka-kun…” He splashed in a muddy puddle, a coppery stench rising from it.

"No, what?!"

"… You shouldn't see." He ran through a bush and found Rin standing in the middle of the dirt path, looking up at something he couldn't see in the dark.

"I have to see, Emi-san!" He gradually slowed down, going from a sprint to a run to a walk. "I have to save her…" He stopped by Rin's side. The silence was only broken by Iruka's heavy breathing and the gentle plop of water dripping into a puddle, a very pungent puddle that stung his mouth with a briny taste in the air. He dared to follow Rin's gaze, and hopeful brown eyes fell into shattering despair as a numbing horror pierced through his heart. Rin embraced him as his knees went weak at the terrible sight assaulting his mind. Arms more bone than flesh, chest broken open to peer inside, legs twisted around branches, head nowhere to be seen.

Iruka cried, and the bloody trees sang.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Shisui tried to warn everyone as fast as he could. He was at the police station less than a minute after his order, pounding on Fugaku's desk to close off access to as much of the forest as possible. To the police chief's credit, he listened with little hesitation despite the questions he certainly had, sensing the urgency in Shisui's crimson eyes. Itachi stuck by his side as they worked with the other Uchiha officers to quickly tape off and block areas. Though Shisui had to reassure the younger Uchiha that his injuries weren't too severe, his pained ankle begging to differ. With the gossip that had already started so soon into the night, he heard that Jinchuuriki was at the hospital after running out of the forest drenched in blood. Thankfully, he also heard that the boy was not seriously injured. That's how it was supposed to be, with no one else hurt or killed. That's how it should have been.

"Is everything secured here?" he questioned one of the Uchiha teams.

"Yes, Shisui-san," the team leader answered. "Do you know what we should be looking out for?" "The trees," was Shisui's first thought.

"Anything that looks like a threat."

"Any 'thing'?"

"What's going on?" Another voice joined, and Shisui turned around to see Kotetsu heading a group of shinobi down the street toward them.

"Are we under attack?" Izumo asked.

"That is unclear at the moment," Shisui calmly responded.

"You look like you just got out of a fight yourself.” Mizuki suspiciously eyed him, and Itachi stepped in front of him when he tried approaching Shisui.

"It's best if you all keep your distance from the forest and focus on keeping the civilians calm," Shisui said.

"Not until you tell us if you have Umino Iruka or not," Mizuki countered to Shisui's confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"The beast kid said that Emi, one of the orphanage caretakers, was getting attacked in the forest, and Iruka charged in after her, the dumbass."

"Do you know if Iruka-kun's okay?" the kunoichi, Tsubaki, worriedly asked.

"No,” Shisui answered, already preparing to go search for the Tenshigan wielder. “I haven't heard anything about Iruka, but when we do, we'll be sure to—"

"Something is coming out of the forest!" the team leader Uchiha barked, and the team got on the defensive, ready for any approaching threat. Shisui already knew it wasn't whatever monstrosity was infesting the forest. The trees were too still, so he wasn't shocked to see Iruka stumble out of the tree line. What did shock him was the haunted look in the chuunin's teary eyes and the blood staining his hands from the large bundle of red-soaked clothes he carried. The group of shinobi worriedly called out to him, but he didn't respond as if walking in a trance.

"Keep back," Shisui ordered both shinobi and the Uchiha team, and while Itachi kept the worried group back, Shisui crossed over the restrictive tape to approach Iruka. "Hey, Iruka-kun," he gently put a hand on the teacher's shoulder, seemingly snapping him back to reality as his pink, puffy eyes found Shisui. "Are you hurt?"

"Me… No," Iruka muttered, shaking his head.

"We can still get you checked out. Come on," Shisui tried guiding Iruka over the tape, away from the forest, but the chuunin dug in his heels.

"No, they…" Iruka looked at his friends. "They can't see this." He looked down at the bloody clothes. No, not just clothes. They were covering something up. Something that leaked too much red. "No, please, let this bad feeling be so wrong."

"Iruka-kun," Shisui spoke quietly for only the teacher to hear. "Did you… find Emi-san?" Iruka didn't say anything at first, though he tried as his lips quivered, mouthing silent words and staring horrified at the lump he cradled in his arms. When he finally managed to speak, a cold, strangling hand gripped Shisui’s heart with sorrow.

"I-I found Emi-san in the trees... The pieces left of her."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On a bright sunny day, with beautiful blue skies and fluffy white clouds, Iruka dressed all in black and headed for Sarutobi Emi's funeral service with a heavy heart. He met with a quiet Mizuki and tearful Tsubaki along the way.

"You don't teach today, Ruka-kun?" Mizuki asked.

"No, school's out," Iruka answered, eyeing the forests in the distance, the barriers and traps he had put around the tree line having yet to be disturbed. "A lot of orphans are enrolled in the academy, so there'd be many empty classes if we did teach." Indeed, there were many weeping children when they arrived. Emi's memorial was already adorned with so many white flowers. Iruka contributed to setting a blessed white lily in front of Emi's smiling picture.

Along with the orphans and orphanage caretakers were the mourning Sarutobi clan members and then Emi's devastated close friends. Iruka, Mizuki, and Tsubaki joined beside a teary-eyed Izumo and stoic Kotetsu, who could only hold back his tears until Sandaime began giving his heartfelt speech about the beloved caretaker. When Tsubaki began to quietly weep, Mizuki was there to wrap an arm around her. If Iruka would peer into his mindscape, he would be sure to find Rin and Akuri comforting each other as well. Iruka couldn't help but notice that a certain blonde boy with whiskers painted on his cheeks was missing. Though he didn't fault the boy with the hushed whispers he heard in the crowd.

"I knew this would happen sooner or later. After her first incident with the demon boy, it was only a matter of time."

"It's that Sarutobi Curse at it again. Fools say it's untrue."

"Heard that boy ran out of the forest drenched in her blood. He mauled that poor woman."

"No bear or wolf could've ripped her apart like that. It was work of the beast."

"Those Uchiha enforcers didn't do anything to save her, but they'll get on me for hanging out in a bar for too long."

As much Iruka feared and hated the beast stored within the Jinchuuriki, he knew the boy had no part in Emi's untimely demise, the true culprit still haunting the woods. By afternoon, the mourning party gathered in the cemetery to bury an empty coffin. Her body was stashed somewhere in the morgue for further investigation. Though one of the mourning groups lingered further back from the rest, one of the members from the isolated party broke off to approach Iruka and his friends.

"How are you all holding up?" Kugami asked, dressed in black like the rest of them.

"Still processing everything, Kugami-sensei," Iruka responded, having kept his composure for the majority of the service. Most of his tears were shed the night he pulled Emi's mangled corpse from the tree branches.

"Do you know how this happened?" Kotetsu sniffled.

"Wasn't it a pack of wolves or a bear?" Izumo suggested, standing close to his other half.

"No, Emi-san wouldn't die to some damn animal," Mizuki said, arm still around Tsubaki.

"Something nasty got a hold of her, I know it," Kotetsu angrily gritted his teeth as more tears flowed. "How could something so cruel get so close to home? And why Emi-san?  And why couldn't I—"

"It'll be okay, Kotetsu-kun," Kugami interrupted his ramblings and pulled him into a tight hug. "This is not the fault of any of you. Sometimes, you just can't stop bad things from happening. But still," He patted the younger's back, a gesture that reminded Iruka of the way his father used to calm him. "Let your frustrations out now." Kotetsu buried his face in Kugami's chest, starting to sob, Izumo hugging him from behind, having his own tears to shed. Still holding Kotetsu, Kagami looked at Iruka.

"Rise would like to speak with you, Iruka-kun," he tilted his head to the isolated group. "If you don't mind."

"No, I don't," Iruka said, and passed the many rows of gravestones to reach the mostly stoic group.

"I have a question for Danzo-san as well," Rin quietly said.

Rise was comforting Kinari, holding the young kunoichi close as she quietly wept on her mother's chest. A young boy with long black hair and striking aqua eyes clung to Rise's black mourning gown while a man with short white hair and freckles dotting his cheeks just like Kinari, stroked the crying kunoichi's back, a saddened gleam in his brown eyes.

"Now is the time to let it out," Rise said, dry-eyed herself. "This is just the consequence of loving someone. It hurts so terribly when they're gone."

"Excuse me," Iruka said as he approached. "You wished to speak with me, Rise-sensei."

"Yes," Rise didn't turn to him when she answered. "You should go rest, Kinari. We'll take care of everything." Kinari nodded, pulling away.

"Come on, Ozo-nii," she sniffled as she grabbed the young boy's hand, walking slowly to let his little legs keep up with her.

"Watch over them, Pochi," Rise said to the freckled man.

"I will, and you come home soon. You need rest, too," Pochi leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek before catching up with the other two.

"I'm sorry this happened," Iruka apologized. "To Emi of all people."

"Terrible things happen to the best of us," Naota said, his usual polite smile gone.

"Terrible things happen when we don't stop terrible people soon enough," Rise growled, gripping her pregnant belly.

"You do need rest, dear," Kaira said, putting a hand on Rise's back. "This kind of stress isn't healthy for either of you."

"Yes, you mustn't be moving so much, Rise," Danzo added, grasping her hand and gently moving it away from her belly. She held onto the advisor's hand.

"I'll go rest after I ask Iruka-kun this." She looked at the teacher, her golden eye betraying the sorrow she felt underneath her stony mask. "Did Emi-chan reach the Pure Lands?"

"I," Iruka began, ignoring the drifting spirits that collected in the cemetery, standing over tombstones and clinging around mourners. "I don't know how she faced her death, what face she made, but I doubt it was one of acceptance…" Iruka paused, swallowing hard and clenching his fists as he glanced at the honey-amber sky. It really was a pretty day. "So, no, wherever she is, she's as restless as the rest of us." Rise bit her quivering lip as she nodded, gripping Danzo's hand tighter.

"I understand," she quietly muttered, gently rubbing his stomach.

"But that only means I'll fight harder to end her suffering," Iruka assured her with a determined glare in his eyes. "I swear to you, Rise-sensei, I'll bring Emi-san peace no matter what it takes."

"You're a gritty shinobi, Iruka-kun, so I look forward to whatever punishment you have for that serpent's abomination," she gave him an approving nod before turning to Kaira. "Okaasan, I believe my water just broke," she calmly said as tears slowly rolled out from her eyes, dampening her black eyepatch. Both Kaira and Danzo's eyes widened for a moment before quickly regaining composure. Kaira examined her daughter quickly with her Byakugan before saying:

"I'll get the delivery room ready.” She promptly flickered away.

"Do you have you're pain-numbing seal on?" Danzo asked, checking the pulse on her wrist. She nodded.

"Then I'll help walk you, Rise-nee," Naota said, putting a steadying arm around his younger sister. "We shouldn't flicker such a great distance." Danzo looked behind the teacher off into the distance.

"Kugami, over here now!" He ordered, and Kugami was at his side seconds later.

"Yes, Otosan?"

"Rise will be in labor soon." Kugami gave an acknowledging hum, lip quirking. "Help Naota escort her home safely."

"Yes, Otosan." He joined the other side of Rise. "I've got you, Neechan." The three of them casually headed out.

"Do you need any help?" Iruka worriedly asked, off-put by how nonchalant the family was reacting to a newborn on the way.

"No, this is a personal matter, so don't go gossiping," Danzo said, rubbing over his eye that was wrapped up in bandages as he watched his children leave the cemetery. "The Onmyoji is supposed to be meeting with the Hokage and me soon, but he'll need to tell his majesty I'll be sending a surrogate."

"Yeah, he'll let Sandaime-sama know." Iruka caught one last glimpse of the Shimura trio before they were out of sight. "Makes sense that they're your children. They take a lot after you, Danzo-san." Iruka offered his first-ever smile to the advisor, something small and soft. "I wish you the best of luck with your latest grandchild." Danzo didn't return the smile but gave an appreciative hum. "If you reconsider needing my help, I'm still willing."

"If we need your help, something terrible has happened." The advisor went to flicker away.

"Wait a moment, please. One of my companions has a question."

"Make it quick," Danzo grumbled but stayed. Iruka listened to Rin's question and repeated it, confused.

"Is this the same monster you warned her about earlier? What does she mean?"

"I'll let her explain it," the advisor said, and Rin guiltily sighed.

"When you were still recovering, Danzo-san and Karasu-san asked me if you could take care of a cursed being for them, but I told them it would have to wait since you were so chakra exhausted from the rebirth ritual. I didn't want to tell you because you would have hurt yourself trying to help…"

"I understand," Iruka muttered and looked back at Danzo. "Well, is it the same monster?"

"Yes, it is," Danzo bluntly answered, and Iruka felt Rin's heart sank. "We were planning to involve you the next day after the Onmyoji's official introduction, but that night was when it finally lost control. But the fault doesn't lie with any of you." He tightened his grip on his cane. "I not only allowed you to be ignorant for so long but misinterpreted warning signs. This is the product of my leniency." He stared out at the many graves of Konoha's fallen. "A fault I will not repeat." He flickered away, leaving Iruka alone with the mourning shinobi and the wandering dead.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The meeting took place in the Hokage's lounge room, which was more like a second office as the elevated platform Sandaime sat on had papers and notebooks pushed to the corner. Iruka sat on the lowered floor before him, dressed in his Onmyoji uniform and sitting beside an Aburame Anbu agent called Tatsuma. He looked older than the usual agent, a credit to how long he probably served.

"Are we certain we know what killed Emi?" Sandaime asked, smoking from his pipe with a stern expression.

"Yes, Sandaime-sama," Tatsuma answered. "It's one of Orochimaru's failed experiments that was dormant in the forest." Iruka tensed at the name. He never met the serpentine Sannin himself, but he heard plenty of his twisted deeds and saw the cursed seal on Anko's shoulder for himself. "We believe he experimented with a shinobi corpse and cells of the mokuton user and Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama, to create the current monstrosity." Iruka silently gasped. "That makes sense how this "woodsman" can control the forest. He's powered by the great Hashirama-sama's kekkei genkai. How insulting!" We don't know what triggered it to wake, but from the Jinchuuriki's accounts of the attack, it was after him. Even though we don't know how it was created, we know Orochimaru must have given it the objective to collect the Kyuubi." The Hokage nodded and turned to Iruka.

"And you believe you can dispose of this dangerous experiment, Daigyo-san?"

"I can and will, Sandaime-sama," Iruka swore.

"We'll lend you whatever resources you need," Tatsuma added.

"Perfect," the Hokage nodded.

"I have a question for you, Sandaime-sama," Iruka said, and the Hokage motioned for him to continue. "I overheard whispers of a 'Sarutobi Curse'. Do you know what that is?"

"That tall tale," the Hokage sighed, smoke rolling past his lips. "It's an old clan superstition that any Sarutobi that becomes a shinobi is destined to either die a horrible death or live a long life of misery. Yes, there has been a track record of unfavorable deaths in the Sarutobis' shinobi service, but I believe the 'curse' is more paranoia than a real threat. My father lived a long, happy life as a shinobi, so the 'curse' had no bearing on him. Best to ignore it." He dismissively waved his hand. "Now, I will officially assign you your first mission, Daigyo-san: to eliminate the Kyuubi-hunting experiment."

"Yes, Sandaime-sama." "First mission?"

"You're second mission will be—" An impassioned knock on the door interrupted the Hokage, and Fugaku, with two of his subordinates, Shisui and Hazuki, barged into the room. “I am holding a meeting, Fugaku-san.” Sandaime gave a disapproving frown.

"And you have my deepest apologies for our intrusion, Hokage-sama," Fugaku said, and the Uchihas bowed, though Iruka noticed how Hazuki glared at him. "Right, this is her first time meeting Daigyo."  "But I don't believe we should be excluded from this meeting when it pertains to the monster hiding in the forest."

"Monster?" Tatsuma repeated as if confused.

"Don't even try to lie, Tatsuma," the Uchiha head glared at the Aburame. "I know whatever mauled Emi-san is still in the forest, and I'm offering my officers to help the Onmyoji in its elimination. There are already rumors going around that my forces purposefully ignored this monster. Allow us to show the public that we will put an end to such dangerous threats."

"We'll do anything we can to put down the creature that killed Emi-chan," Hazuki said determinedly, anger burning in her eyes.

"We're already helping the Onmyoji," Tatsuma said.

"We'll need all the help we can with this rogue creature," Shisui spoke up, tone firm as he addressed the Anbu member. "The Uchiha force is needed."

"… Then so be it," Tatsuma suddenly conceded.

"Will you allow us to collaborate, Hokage-sama?" Fugaku asked.

"I have no reservations," Sandaime said, then looked at Iruka. "But Daigyo-san will be the one leading the mission, so I leave the decision up to him." Iruka felt all eyes in the room turn to him, and he tried not to falter under the weight. "I wouldn't prefer to drag so many people into this, but the Hokage's giving me a chance to make good with the Uchiha clan by letting them participate. I can work with that."

"Yes, your aid will be much appreciated, Fugaku-san," Iruka appreciatingly bowed his head, and though Fugaku didn't look any happier, he nodded back. "You said you had another mission for me, Hokage-sama?"

"Indeed, a long-term one," Sandaime began. "Since Emi's untimely passing, Uzumaki Naruto is without a proper guardian to watch over him and keep his seal in check." The pit of Iruka's stomach dropped as he dreaded what the Hokage could say next. Uzumaki Naruto was the orphan boy whose only known family ties were to a dissolved clan of a destroyed village. Though he was better known for something else. "Therefore, I appoint you as the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki's new guardian until he is ready to manage himself when he's older."

“Me?” Iruka sputtered.

"Yes, you are more than capable of taking on this mission, Daigyo-san. Do you refuse?"

“No, I don’t, Hokage-sama.” The teacher bowed deeply, his worried expression visible only to the floor. "I accept the mission. I will be the Jinchuuriki's guardian."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

It was early the next morning when the sun was just starting to rise and the morning birds preparing to chirp that he found himself staring at the Jinchuuriki's top-floor apartment from a nearby rooftop, his Onmyoji robe fluttering in the morning breeze. He could sense the young boy inside, along with the Kyuubi he unknowingly imprisoned so far away. Its chakra gave off the same heated sting it did in Iruka’s nightmares the previous night.

"How do I start?" he thought aloud.

"Did Emi leave a guide behind?" Akuri asked, the mimic sitting down next to him in his Anbu uniform.

"There's some notes, but nothing too detailed."

"You should start by introducing yourself," Rin said, standing on the other side of him, long hair rustling in the wind. "Let him know that you'll be his new guardian."

"Isn't it too soon for that?" Iruka anxiously scratched his neck. "He'll think I'm trying to replace Emi. Also, I'm not the most approachable when I'm like this. He'd be terrified and the beast excited. Ugh, why did Sandaime-sama give me this mission?"

"Because he believes you're the best for the job," Rin said. "You were willing to help Emi with Naruto earlier."

"That's because Emi was here to help. If I can't even properly contain Usotsuki without Uma's extra seal, how can I keep the Kyuubi in check?"

"You won't be doing this alone," she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, we'll be here to help you," Akuri grinned. "I know you can do this, Iruka-kun. You're smart. You'll think how we should handle him. That monster is still out to get him. He needs protection."

"Right," Iruka closed his eyes in thought. "The mission to take out the woodsman is tonight, and when I first face him, I want to say I vanquished the monster that killed Emi. It'll help him trust me." He opened his eyes, quietly surprised to see that the Jinchuuriki had moved to sit on his balcony with a blanket wrapped around him, legs dangling between the railings. An inner part of Iruka said how dangerous it was for a young boy to hang out close to the edge and how he'd get a cold out without a hat when chilly autumn was in full swing. "Until then, I want the two of you to watch over him. In secret, of course. I have a class to teach today."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Naruto could admit that he was a pretty stupid boy who did a lot of stupid things. He'd go looking for his frog pouch only to find it out in the open on his table. He would run too fast on a rainy day and trip in a mud puddle. He'd run off into the woods to play when the playground kids were too mean. He'd get lost in the forest one night and found by a monstrous tree man. He'd freeze as the nice lady who brought him food and cleaned his room faced the monster to defend him. He'd run away like a big baby as he heard the woodsman rip her apart. He would admit he was a stupid boy, but not stupid enough to not notice he was being watched.

He first noticed the black dog lying down in the alley he passed to get to the market, a dog he'd never seen. It was big and scarily wolfish, with its dark coat melting with the alley's shadows and brown eyes gleaming in the morning light. Those eyes followed him as he walked past as if he were waving a dog treat in his hands. A red string with a silver chime dangling from it acted as its collar. So, it wasn't a stray, but still, he had no urge to pet it. "Maybe it's one of those ninja pups from the dog clan." He had told himself and continued to go to the market to buy a lantern. He saw the same black dog again when he bought the white and red fox mask, lying down across the street when he exited the store. He didn't see it walk, but as he went through the market buying supplies, the dog suddenly moved, finding a new spot to stare at him.

"That dog's so creepy." He thought to himself as he entered a small grocery store to get some packaged ramen, his growling stomach telling him it was lunchtime. "Never thought I say that about a dog. I wanna see if I can get it to react at all. Maybe sneak behind and try to scare it? No, I can't goof off right now. I got a mission!" Carrying the bagged items he bought throughout the day, he headed to the ramen aisle.

"Aw, come on!" he groaned, seeing they had moved his favorite flavor to the top shelf and went on his tippytoes to try to reach it, customers passing him by. All but one.

"Want this young man?" An elderly woman said as she grabbed the cup noodle for him, to his surprise.

"Yeah, thanks so…" He stopped before he grabbed the ramen as he realized the old woman helping him was the same one that yelled at him for being too close to her garden the other day. The scowl on her face was etched into his mind, so seeing the smile she gave him was more than weird, especially with the dumb rumors that he was the real monster in the woods the night Emi died. Either she didn't remember or was a whole new person.

"Something wrong?" the old woman asked.

"No?" He grabbed the cup from her and quickly left the aisle with the weird woman. The stand full of nicknacks by the checkout line caught his attention, and he grabbed something from the shelf. As he suspected, the dog was outside when he left the store, "sleeping" across the street. He reached into his grocery bag and pulled out a red rubber ball. He squeaked it loudly, and the dog opened its eyes, looking at him. "Go fetch!" He exclaimed and hurled the ball down the street, but much to his disappointment, the dog only watched it bounce away before turning to him and tilting its head as if confused. "You're supposed to chase it, you creepy dog!" His frustrated shout made it tilt its head the other way, and he huffed, heading down the opposite way to his apartment.

"I got most of the supplies. I just need some ninja weapons. After I eat, I'll go, uh, borrow some from the academy." He made it to his apartment building and paused, staring in shock. Sitting in front of the entry doors was a red rubber ball. He stuffed it inside his bag after he gained the courage to walk inside.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Naruto sat alone on his swing, slightly swaying in the tree's shade as he watched the ninja students leave the academy, many being picked up by their parents. He tried not to look too long at the taunting sight. He was here to snag some ninja weapons while everyone was busy at the end of the school day. He sneakily crept around the building, sneaking to the wall and ducking over the classroom windows, keeping as silent as possible when passing an open one.

"Don't be discouraged, Idate-kun," the warm and reassuring voice made Naruto stop. "Not having a chakra nature affinity doesn't mean you can't be a ninja." Too curious, he peeked inside, seeing a boy talking to his teacher who stood in front of his desk. Naruto held in a surprised gasp. The teacher was the same man he had run to that horrible night for help, but he also knew him as the guy who always ignored him, no matter how loud or purposely annoying he was. Even the night he ran to the scarred-nosed man for help, he ignored him, clawing at his leg until the rude white-haired ninja said something. Naruto remembered the strained, concerned look he gave him and the hesitation in touching him like it hurt him being so close to the boy. But now, he could see the warm genuineness in the teacher's eyes and how he reassuringly grasped his student's shoulder.

 "You can still be a great shinobi," the teacher smiled.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," the student beamed. "Iruka? Is he the same Iruka Emi mentioned that one time? She said he was very nice, so…" Naruto glared at Iruka's smile. He angrily bit his lip, digging his nails into the windowsill, which made a loud crack. He immediately ducked to the ground.

"What was that?" Idate asked, startled.

"Just a bird," the teacher shrugged off, and Naruto continued forward, sneaking onto the empty training grounds and heading for the shed holding the ninja weapons. He'd sneaked into the shed before and knew the spare key was under the mat, using it to get inside. He stashed the sharp metal discs and throwing knives in the bag he had brought. A small voice inside him said to put one of the knives under his shirt, and he listened. He zipped up his bag and turned to leave, freezing when he saw someone standing outside the shed door.

"So, you're the one who's been meddling with the tools," Iruka said, giving Naruto a disapproving stare.

"I-I just wanted to practice after school," Naruto lied.

"I know you're not a student here." Iruka marched over and snatched the bag from the boy's hands. Naruto glared at the teacher.

"Yeah, well, I will be! Then I'll be Hokage next! Just you see, Iruka-sensei!"

"You know my name?" Iruka gasped, looking shocked.

"Yeah, Emi-san mentioned you once. You always ignore me, but she said you were very nice." His small hands balled into fists. "So why haven't you smiled at me yet!?" Iruka took a step back at the shout, brown eyes staring at him with a hint of fear like everyone else did. If not fear, then disgust or hate. "I didn't hurt Emi-san at all!" He blurted out and ran before he could get too worked up, slipping past the teacher and continuing to run even when he left the academy. "Stupid Iruka-sensei, looking at me like that!... And stupid Naruto for going out in the forest, getting Emi-san… I'll avenge her and show everyone I'm not the one that tore her apart!" He grabbed the kunai still underneath his shirt. "Tonight, I'll kill that woodsman myself!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen knew well enough that there were secrets in Konoha's shadows that Danzo would do almost anything to keep buried deep under the village's soil. His stoic advisor was skilled in keeping his secrets close to his chest, but there were rare times when he slipped up, saying the wrong word or making too telling an expression Hiruzen could latch onto. Though a loud clatter followed by an angered curse coming from the archives as Hiruzen passed by could be enough of a clue on its own.

"Are you in here, Danzo?" he called out as he entered the archives, not receiving a response but hearing the rushed flips of pages. "I thought you would be at the preparation meeting for tonight's mission. Getting more notes?" He didn't plan to spend his late afternoon break tracking down his advisor in the archives, but he was glad he did when he found the mess of the aisle, books and scrolls left open and strewn on the floor, stained with bloodied finger and handprints. Danzo sat at the center of it, one blood-covered hand furiously turned through the large journal in his lap, and the other massaged his right-side temple, staining it red. The bandages around his head had dropped down to hang from his neck.

"What's going on here, Danzo?" Hiruzen questioned, and Danzo reflexively turned to look at him, the Sarutobi catching a crimson glint in his advisor's right eye before it shut closed.

"I'm simply researching, Hiruzen," he said, his shaky look in his golden eye contradicting his calm tone. "Don't let me distract you from your duties. Be as you were." He turned back to scrolling through the journal.

"You're getting blood all over the books and scrolls," Hiruzen said, stepping over said bloodied literature as he walked over to the bandaged man. "Is it yours?"

"No, not mine."

"Then whose?" Danzo went quiet, and Hiruzen sat down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Whose is it?"

"… Rise's," Danzo quietly answered, and Hiruzen tamed his shocked reaction, focusing on taking in every bit of information his advisor gave him. "She went into stress-induced labor after the funeral service and is having complications delivering the baby. The father's kekkai genkai, which the baby has inherited, is powerful and relies on natural energy. That wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't controlled by stressful emotions, such as the ones Rise has been experiencing since Emi's demise.

"So, her body's being flooded with natural energy she can't control and its killing her. Even the heart-nulling seal is ineffective. She also heals too fast for a proper C-section." He started flipping through the pages again. "I need to find a way to contain the infectious energy soon before… Once I even find the jutsu, I still have to be able to perform it and…" He rubbed his closed eye. "Kagami can only do so much." He gritted his teeth. "The operation's tonight, and I know I need to be there. I can't have that abomination running around while my daughter's compromised, but I can't leave her to die, so—"

"Horo's Shears," Hiruzen suddenly said, standing up and looking over the row of scrolls in front of him. "It's a containment senjutsu that should work. It's one of the few senjutsus Hashirama-sama taught me. I was never proficient at using it on the battlefield, but I've managed to complete a senjutsu." He plucked a scroll off the shelf. "I'll use it to stabilize Rise's condition while you ensure Orochimaru's experiment is eliminated."

"… Yes, I will," Danzo nodded, regaining his stoic mask and getting to his feet, grabbing his cane.

"But clean yourself up first. You look like you just committed murder." Hiruzen smirked, and Danzo rolled his eye, the Sarutobi catching the relieved gleam before his advisor flickered away.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

What remained of Emi's preserved body was laid out on the cold metal table of the autopsy room, lifeless, rigid flesh picked free of splinters and sewn back together in mimicry of her living form. On the four corners of the table were small red wax candles that had yet to be lit and connected by a string of markings and symbols drawn in black ink. There were four paper talismans on the floor circling the autopsy table. Iruka stood at an adjacent counter as he worked on finishing the seal tag to start the summoning with Rin's dog clone attentively sitting at his feet. His last interaction with Naruto was a sour memory lingering in his mind, but he had to focus on his mission now and worry about how to properly reintroduce himself to the understandably upset boy.

"So, Daigyo-san, will this be like a séance?" one of the present shinobi, Yashiro, asked. His audience was split in two between three Uchiha officers and three Anbu agents, standing on either side of the autopsy table.

"Yes and no," Iruka answered, continuing to work. "A séance is like an invitation that spirit can decline and attract other yokai. I'll be summoning Emi's spirit using her body, which will forcibly bring her here. It's more powerful with more risks, but we have limited time. As long as all of you follow the rules, the ritual will go without error."

"And when Emi's here, she'll tell you where the rest of her is?" Hazuki asked.

"I doubt she'll have the presence of mind for that, and if not, Kuroinu will… absorb some of her chakras to track her spirit's location, which should be by her head. I'll have her lead the Uchiha team there so you all can investigate if there are any more victims. I assume this yokai would corral them in the same place."

"So, they don't need to be here then?" Yashiro pointed to the Anbu across from him.

"We are here for extra precaution," Gozu said, his Anbu mask resembling a monkey with red accents.

"And know where the Uchiha teams will be," Mezu added, wearing a similar monkey mask to the other agent except colored blue.

"There's going to be some misunderstandings between us," Shisui said. "This is our first time collaborating in a while."

"There's a reason for that," Yashiro grumbled, crossing his arms. There was a pause of silence and then soft chuckles from the monkey-masked Anbu. "The silent Anbu must have signed something."  Iruka thought.

"What the hell did he just say?!" Yashiro questioned.

"Something funny," Both Anbu answered simultaneously.

"Didn't think you emotionless puppets could have a sense of humor."

“We’re emotionless… when need be…” A scratchy grumbling voice croaked, silently startling Iruka, and he glanced over his shoulder at the young Suguru who stood between the two monkey-masked Anbu. "So he can talk." "Like when… disposing of… pests."

"What do you–"

"Both of you keep quiet!" Shisui firmly spoke up. "How can Daigyo-san focus if you start arguing with each other?"

"But they start–"

"I don't care who started it," Shisui interrupted Yashiro. "We're on a mission. Be professional. The same goes for you, Suguru-kun. No more commentary from you. Understand?" There was a quiet gurgling growl. "Understand?" the Uchiha sharply repeated, and Suguru finally nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Thank you," Shisui sighed.

"I'm ready," Iruka said, grabbing the finished seal tag and turning to the autopsy table. Both groups stepped back as he went to place the tag on Emi's sewn-up chest. He bit his thumb and smeared his blood over the seal tag. "Do not interact with Emi whatsoever. You'll invite her to attach herself to you."

"Understood," Hazuki nodded, fighting back a distressed frown. Iruka stepped back out of the circle the talismans made and took a deep breath.

"I will now begin," he announced and activated his Tenshigan, the black of his sclera and burning white irises hidden underneath his eyemask as he weaved the summoning jutsu. Karasu. Cho. Yagi. "Aether Release: Corpse-Binding Summon jutsu, Sarutobi Emi." The seal tag on Emi's chest glowed, rapidly changing colors. The temperature in the already cold autopsy room dropped further, goosebumps rising on Iruka's skin, and the lights flickered off and on but ultimately shut off, plunging the room into darkness. The tag settled on a deep purple, and the candles ignited with flames of the same color, their cold glow illuminating the room and preparing for the arrival of Emi's spirit.

A ghostly purple mist steamed from Emi's body and condensed itself in a horribly recognizable form. Emi's apparition lay curled on her side on the autopsy table, phasing through her corpse as she jerkily sat herself up on twisted arms like a broken doll being made to wake. A wet gurgle emanated from her headless neck, dark blood bubbling up to spurt down her torn and dirty light green kimono dress. Iruka's nails dug into his palms before he released his balled fists.

"Emi-san?" He called out to her, and the ghost hardly reacted. She swayed unsteadily when she went to move further, slowly reading down a gnarled foot to the floor and then the other. She stood shakily on broken legs that creaked with every step as she wandered, only stopped by the sheer purple barrier that appeared when she attempted to step out of the bounds of the talismans.

"Emi can't hear us," Rin solemnly said, her ears pressing back against her head as she watched Emi stumble and stop in front of Hazuki.

"No. You'll need to collect her chakra."

"Right." Rin walked into the summoning circle, the barrier allowing her through, and she went over to the still ghost. She carefully nipped at her hand but still ended up breaking the fragile skin, making Emi jerk away, startled. But that wasn't the worst of it as a dark, violent chakra burned from her, the purple candlelight flickering to bright red. A burst of thorned branches sprouted from the slash in her chest to spear through Rin's dog clone, ripping her apart. Though the clone dissipated, Emi's chakra returned to Rin's main body with the rest of her chakra, and thankfully, the barrier held up when the branches tried attacking Iruka.

"Keep calm," he reassured his audience. "I feared the woodsman would have latched itself to Emi." He gritted his teeth and prepared a cleansing jutsu that wouldn't entirely free Emi's spirit from the powerful yokai's death grip just yet but loosen it. He stopped when he heard a deep growl of pain echoing from the infected gash in the ghost's chest, and Emi collapsed to the ground still. He looked on wide-eyed as a single yellow daisy blossomed from the wound. It was joined by a purple tulip, then a red rose. The flames changed once more to a brilliant gold as blooming flowers on winding green vines overtook the twisted branches, dulling their thorns. A new voice echoed in Iruka's ears, warm, gentle, and pleading.

“You… see us… Save us." The candles went out just as they turned back to red, and Emi's ghost was swept away into nothing. The lights flickered back on.

"Is everyone okay?" Iruka asked, receiving shaken 'yes' from the Uchiha officers and stiff nods from the Anbu.

"What happened to Kuroinu?" Yashiro asked. "She just imploded when that chill overtook the room. Did she get Emi's chakra?"

"Yes, she was successful. Once she gets the lead to track the rest of Emi, we'll be ready to move out." The group left the autopsy room, but Hazuki kept Iruka back.

"I know I shouldn't ask," she quietly started. "But how did Emi-chan look?"

"As you see her on the autopsy table is not much different from her current spirit," Iruka answered. "But that won't last. As I promised Rise-sensei, I'll promise you. I'll bring her peace."

"Yes," Hazuki nodded, her Sharingan burning bright in her teary eyes. "And while you're at it, make the bastard that did this burn some."

"I've already intended to," he promised her. Though the summoning ritual was a success, it left him with more questions than he liked, and he quickly found the man with the answers he needed. Danzo was in the main meeting room with only Shisui, who was going over the plans for the operation.

"I heard the summoning ritual was successful," Danzo said after Shisui finished his explanation, not looking up from the forest map.

"Yes. And how is Rise-sensei doing?"

"She's receiving expert care. She'll be fine."

"Good." Iruka went to the opposing end of the round table, facing the advisor and the Uchiha. "You've been lying to me about Orochimaru's experiment." He boldly stated, making Danzo look up, glaring at him.

"Pardon?"

"You're lying about the true nature of Orochimaru's experiment," Iruka repeated. "This is the second time someone's lied to me for a ritual and again threw a curveball at me.

"I thought the ritual went to plan besides Kuroinu's clone being destroyed," Shisui asked with growing worry. "What happened?"

"You lied," Iruka answered, looking at Danzo. "You described him as a corpse puppeteered by Orochimaru's will and empowered by Hashirama-sama's kekkai genkai. But that's not all, is it?"

"What are you getting at?" Danzo glared.

"There were three people that appeared at today's summoning. Emi, the woodsman, and the kind voice of a man that was strong enough to overpower the dark yokai by blossoming flowers from nothing." The advisor's glare faltered for a moment to subtle dread. "Whose corpse did Orochimaru use in the experiment?"

"… Yes, the subject is more complicated than we let on," Danzo muttered. "It's classified information. If I told you the whole truth, you would hesitate to complete your mission."

"Try me," Iruka challenged, standing firm.

"We need to give Daigyo-san Subject 1's file," Shisui said, turning to Danzo. "He'll have time to prepare knowing everything now instead of on the battlefield. Even knowing Subject 1's history, I trust his will to complete the mission." The Uchiha and the advisor stared at each other for a moment, the older man breaking first with a grumble. He turned to Iruka.

"I'll declassify Subject 1's file for you, Daigyo-san."

Chapter 18: A Battle of Darkwood and Hellfire

Summary:

Iruka commences the mission to finally eliminate the dreaded woodsman after new revelations while Naruto charges into the forest to kill the monster himself.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Iruka stood before the cursed woods, the waxing full moon in the night sky staring down at him and all the shinobi ready to play their part in the mission. Rin, with her dog clone, sat on one side of him, the kunoichi in a meditative state to refine her beast chakra, and Akuri at his other side, checking to make sure his pouch had all the tools he would need for the mission. Tatsuma silently arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye.

"The Anbu teams have fortified the perimeter of the forest, Daigyo-san," the Aburame informed him. "We'll be at your beck and call."

"Keep anyone from coming in and out; that's all I ask," Iruka said.

"Yes, sir." Tatsuma nodded and went back to his post. The Uchiha head was next to approach him, police chief badge almost glowing on his arm.

"My team is ready to move in when you are, Onmyoji," Fugaku said. "Are you certain you don't want some of my officers to join you in eliminating the target?"

"Yes, I am," Iruka affirmed. "You wouldn't be able to do any harm to him that hasn't been done. And he's thrived just fine."

"What can you do differently? Your earlier fire jutsu burned not at all." a slight challenge to the Uchiha head's tone.

"Please don't doubt I have flames that more than burn flesh. My team and I will be able to efficiently damage the 'heart' of the target and bring its cruelty to an end."

"Yeah, we'll bring down this monster! Don't you worry, Uchiha-sama!" Akuri determinedly promised.

"Yes, trust that we will win tonight," Rin said, breaking out of her meditation and standing up with a stretch. Rin's dog clone trotted over to Fugaku and said:

"I'll be your guide for as long as I can. You can keep up?"

"Of course we can," Fugaku confidently glared down at the dog.

"Then you and your team will win as well." The clone went over to join the Uchiha team with Fugaku.

"I assume the two of you are ready?" Iruka asked his teammates.

"Ready!" Akuri answered.

"All good to go." Rin flashed her claws. Iruka breathed in and let out a deep exhale, letting go of his nerves and igniting his Tenshigan.

"All teams," Iruka announced loudly as he addressed all the shinobi around him. "Commence the mission!" Iruka acted along with the rest of his team, dashing into Konoha's forests set out to accomplish their objectives. He expected the dour dark chakra that emanated from every root and tree as he went deeper into the forest with his team, but what came as a nasty shock was his attuned Tenshigan sensing the bitter taste of a frightful beast that should have been anywhere near the woods.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Naruto dawned his fox mask, put on his worn dark green cloak, armed himself with his kunai, and lit his new lantern before he left for the forest. Anyone who happened to catch a glance at him sneaking around the streets didn't try to stop him, thankfully. The sun was setting when he reached the treeline, and a hint of hesitation made him pause, seeing the creeping shadows of the trees that the woodsman could be hiding in.

"I'm not scared," he muttered quietly, encouraging himself. A low whistle hummed from the forest as the wind blew as if laughing at him. He angrily growled. "I'm not scared!" He shouted and puffed out his chest before running into the forest, kunai raised to strike and prepared for any attack. He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed when nothing happened besides the grass crunching underneath his feet and amber leaves falling from the branches above. He gradually slowed down to a walk as he went deeper into the forest. He couldn't be out of breath when he faced the monster.

Naruto walked and walked as the sun slowly set, jumping at growing shadows and flinching at leaves falling on his head. Before he knew it, his lantern and stray moonlight beaming above was the only light in the dark forest. He was glad his nervous face was hidden behind his mask. He couldn't let the woodsman see his fear… Not that the monster seemed to be near; the forest and darkness around him were as still as it was silent. All he had to go off of that something was wrong was the nauseous stirring of his stomach and the goosebumps rising on his arms. Naruto stopped in his tracks. "He has to be hiding somewhere, watching me. He's probably laughing at me, walking around like an idiot. I'll show him!"

"I know you're watching me, woodsman," he said quietly, using his lantern to look at the bushes and trees surrounding him. "Why are you hiding? Are you scared? You weren't scared to rip Emi-san apart." Emi's smile flashed in his mind, fueling his fury to overcome his fear. He raised his kunai. "I'll kill you for what you did! I'll show everyone you're the real monster! So come out, you big coward!" He passionately shouted, and something above responded with a sharp woody creek. He swiftly looked up, and his blue eyes went wide behind his mask, seeing the tree branches above twisting to take on pointed edges, their leaves withering away as they seemingly crept downward like a predator eager to pounce.

Naruto took a step back and screamed in fright when a spiked branch snagged his cloak from behind, dropping his lantern and throwing knife as he was yanked up toward the dark canopy. He squirmed like a worm on a hook to free himself, the collar of his cloak choking him as he dangled from the attacking branch. In a panic, he tried to undo his cloak before he was raised to join the snake pit of twisting branches, just ripping it apart when the button fought him. He harshly fell to the ground but bounced back up, grabbing his lantern and kunai and running away before he could be grabbed again.

The trees came to life with a single howling screech that pierced Naruto's ears, the trees' trunks making contorted scowls as they swiped at the boy with claw-like branches, seeming like the forest itself was trying to swallow him whole. He ran through bushes and jumped over roots, pricking himself with thorns and splints to escape. A cluster of branches slammed down on the path ahead of him, blocking him.

"Back off!" he yelled as he reflexively threw his lantern at the branches, a low hiss sounding as the spark burned the dark wood, but the obstacle held firm. He was ready to run in the opposite direction when something prickly snatched his ankle and yanked him off his feet. He was violently dragged deeper into the forest, over edged stones and rough roots, but had the strength to hold onto his kunai despite how his panicked heart made it hard to breathe. Being left in the dark and moving so fast, he couldn't tell where he was being taken, but he knew it wouldn't be anywhere good, sensing the violent intent that wanted to rip him apart. He yelped as he was suddenly lifted up by whatever nasty thing was wrapped around his ankle and almost dropped his kunai. His mask did fall as he was left to dangle upside down, clattering on the forest floor. His head spun dizzily from the blood rush, but still, he could hear every word that was hissed by a frighteningly familiar voice.

"No more hiding… Kyuubi."

"You're the only one hiding, monster!" Naruto shouted angrily into the darkness and blindly swung his kunai, hitting nothing.

"Not hiding… waiting for… you." A woody spear pierced through his swinging arm to keep it still, blazing the limb with a sharp pain that made the boy scream out, tears flooding from his eyes and blood running down his arm. Still, he refused to let go of his only weapon, even when it dripped with his blood.

"Why?!" He cried. "What did I ever do to you?! To anyone?!"

"You've hurt plenty…" There was an eerie groan of wood contorting below him as the monster continued his cruel words. “My village will be… saved from you, Kyuubi… Die again."

Naruto shut his eyes, blinded, and the monster hissed as a sudden heat swept across the forest in a bright light and was joined by a ferocious aura.

"Get off!" he heard a woman furiously growl before he felt something slam into the woodsmen with a creaking crash, and then he fell. Not for long, though, as he was caught in strong arms, warm and reassuring, that held him close, not daring to let go.

"Naruto," the man's calming voice spoke to him, his chest soothingly rumbling against the boy's shaking body. Naruto dared to open his eyes and saw the forest ablaze in white flames, illuminating the dark night and the man looking back down at him, eyes covered by a black eyemask with a silver lining, but the boy knew he was staring right at him. "You're hurt," the strange man observed, his lips frowning slightly. "I apologize for arriving so late. But I swear you will not be harmed again." He gave a determined look. "Not while we're here."

"… We?" Naruto mumbled and looked around. The kunoichi, who must have attacked the woodsman, dashed back to the pair, a black dog mask hiding her face and fierceness in her stance as she put herself between them and the monster. Now, with the light from the white flames, Naruto could better see the monstrosity of twisted wooden limbs that carried high the contorted body of a man from which they sprouted, his long, tangled black hair nearly touching the forest floor. The man, nearly corpse, wore a tarnished, formerly white robe that ripped as he was overgrown with vines sewn into his pale skin and a gnarly branch growing from the hole that used to be his left eye. His remaining eye, a sickly green that bore solely into Naruto's frightened eyes, teeth buried in black gums grinding together as the woodsman angrily growled. "What is that?" Naruto questioned, griping on tight to his kunai and his rescuer's dark blue robe. The mysterious man held him tighter.

"A man made monster that needs laying to rest."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Fugaku could sense the malevolence in the air as he led his team behind Kuroinu's dog clone further into the forest. They were warned against running on the trees and kept to the ground, his keen Sharingan picking up faint traces of aggressive chakra from the surrounding trees.

"The trees have teeth," Kuroinu had said. A terrible scream in the distance grabbed his attention, a far-off light peeking through the trees, shuddering in the wind.

"Don't mind that, Team Uchiha," Kuroinu calmly said, keeping her fast pace. "Team Yokai has made contact with the target."

"Do they have the upper hand?" Shisui asked.

"So far, yes."

"Are we nearing the rest of Emi's body?" Itachi questioned, running beside his father.

"Her scent's getting strong. We're close."

Fugaku kept note of the distant light until Kuroinu veered off the path into a clearing with a single large tree in the center of it, all its leaves fallen and a hole in the center of it. A dark fluid dribbled from it, hard to make out in the moonlight, but the Uchiha head had a good guess at what it was.

"She's in the tree," Kurioinu said as the team moved into the clearing with Yashiro, Tekka, and Inabi keeping to the edge. "But I sense something in there with her."

"Like what attacked you at Emi's summoning?" Hazuki asked.

"No, greater demonic forces can invite greedy spirits to leech off their scraps. Keep an eye on the trees. I'll retrieve her head." Fugaku was alert to any suspicious movements in the dark, though he focused on Kuroinu approaching the tree and walking up the trunk with chakra. She sniffed the entrance to the hollow, ears tilted forward, and fur raised, tail slowly wagging. She growled and lunged her head inside, a shrill screech, like a mix between a screaming woman and a raving insect, being heard as she must have snatched something. Kuroinu jerked back and yanked out the screeching head of a decayed woman by her grey stringy hair, a dark centipede woven between her empty eye sockets and writhing out from her slashed neck, spindly legs gripping for purchase. As the bug screeched, the trees surrounding them lashed out, uprooting themselves with violent jerks and branches forming sharp, twisted ends.

"What the hell?!" Yashiro exclaimed as he leaped back from the trees while Tekka and Inabi unsheathed their swords just in time to defend against the branches swiping at them like the claws of a wild animal. Their swords only cut so deep into the wood, spilling out a dark, sludgy sap and forcing the two Uchiha back. Another screech turned Fugaku's attention back to the single tree in the clearing. It had also animated itself, branches clutching onto Kuroinu's snarling dog clone. While Kuroinu fought off the cursed tree, the head tearing its hair free from her jaws and falling to the ground before trying to hurriedly skitter away on the centipede's legs.

"Hazuki, don't let it get away," Fugaku ordered.

"On it!" the kunoichi replied, already in motion with her Sharingan, angrily glaring at the desecration of her friend's lifeless head.

"Shisui, Itachi, help Kuroinu take down that tree."

"Yes, sir," Shisui responded while Itachi silently nodded, going on to attack the cursed tree.

"Yashiro, Tekka, Inabi, keep the trees on the southside from advancing. I'll handle the north." The three Uchiha nodded and went to defend the south side of encroaching monsters while Fugaku faced his own hoard of cursed trees.

"Seeing as these creatures didn't have anything resembling an eye, genjutsus are out of the question. Very well." He took a deep breath, pooling a flood of burning chakra in his chest, and signed Tora on the exhale. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" A roar of bright fire spewed from his mouth, forming a massive fireball that swallowed a whole cluster of the cursed trees in a blanket of scorching heat. The trees recoiled, sharing the flames with their friends as they writhed, but some still had the drive to attack, Fugaku jumping back from a fiery claw as the tree collapsed. He continued burning down the hordes of mindless creatures as a powerful boom of malevolent chakra blossomed in the distance, the ground rumbling and the forest crying out as one. The remaining trees became more sluggish, sloppily moving.

"What was that?" Hazuki questioned, cradling Emi's head and the centipede skewered on her tanto.

"I need to help Team Yokai," Kuroinu said as she spat out bloody bark from the crumpled leafless tree, left burned and crushed. "Hold the line here, Team Uchiha."

"Wait!" Fugaku called out, but the dog had already dashed away into the forest. He growled. "Itachi, come with me. The rest of you finish up here." Fugaku and Itachi easily slipped past the slow-moving trees to follow behind Kuroinu. "You won't hide that serpent's experiment from me any longer. What hellish abomination have you been hiding?"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Subject File #1: Moku-Sama [UPDATED]

Name: Senju Hashirama (?)

Birthplace: Konohagakure

Birthday: October 23

Age: 43

Sex: Male

Kekkei Genkai: Mokuton

Nature Release(s): Lightning Release, Earth Release, Wind Release, Water Release, Fire Release, Yin Release, Yang Release, and Wood Release

Shinobi Rank: None

Loyalty: Konohagakure

Description: Subject 1 has the body of Senju Hashirama; however, he is sickly, with his usual muscle mass nearly gone. His complexion is pale, not unlike a corpse, and his stark silver hair is outgrown and drags on the floor, which falls out at too rough a touch. His eyes have a black sclera with its iris and pupil gone pale, similar to cataracts. Buds and small flowers sprout around his body, including his scalp, chest, arms, and legs. Though they wither and fall periodically for more vegetation to sprout.  [Update: After failed Treatment Sow, darkwood branches with sharp spurs of varying sizes now protrude where flowers would sprout. They do not rot away.]

Temperament: Subject 1 is docile in nature and somewhat aloof, relatively sedentary in his containment. He is only aggressive when killing intent is shown toward anyone else present in the room. Strangely, Subject 1 will not react or retaliate when killing intent is shown toward him. [Update: After failed Treatment Sow, Subject 1 is perpetually agitated and restlessly paces throughout his cabin. After his violent outburst with Head Overseer Danzo, he distanced himself from any human contact and isolated himself to his bedroom. No further updates are yet possible.]

Background: Subject 1 is the product of the incomplete Impure World Reincarnation performed by the Nidame Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Four years after Senju Hashirama's death, Tobirama attempted to reanimate his corpse with the incomplete jutsu Impure World Reincarnation. His corpse again moves, but the mind is fractured, mostly speaking nonsensically and unable to grasp new information long-term.

Status: Alive (?), in unstable condition

Subject 1 Entries

Entry 1: First Observations

I have decided to transfer Hashirama Subject 1 to an isolated cabin in the southeast section of the woods. I have furnished the cabin similar to the personal chambers in the Senju estate, and Subject 1 seems to be adjusting well. He favors sitting in the leftmost corner of the living room and stares out of the window. I'll bring in more cushions so he doesn't have to sit on the floor. He doesn't have the strength for anything else. When I spoke with him today, he managed to ask a coherent question: "Can Tobi-nii visit today?" I informed him that Tobirama-sama had passed since the Great Shinobi War ended. He went back to speaking babble, then asked the same question before I left. I noticed a purple poppy had blossomed in the front yard on my way out.

I can see why Tobirama-sama clung to this smiling corpse for so long, but I intend to fulfill the final mission he gave me. To lay his brother's corpse to rest.

 

Entry 5: Day of Euthanization

The euthanization of Subject 1 has failed. I went with the usual routine before attempting to mercifully put the subject down while he stared out of the window. He turned to me before I could swing my sword, I hesitated, but he didn't try to defend himself or protest. Simply stared at me as if waiting for me to strike, and I did, cleanly separating his head from his shoulders.

But while the head rotted and withered away, the body bled but continued to move, a bouquet of deep red roses sprouting from the stump of his head. I could see corpse-like flesh regenerating as well, not unlike how Moku-sama had immaculate healing abilities. I expect his head to be remade in the following days. The one trait this husk could inherit from Shodai-sama and it is his regeneration perfected.

It makes sense. How can something die when it's already dead? That is a question I will find an answer to if I am to complete my mission.

 

Entry 17: Amaterasu Failure

          Karasu's Amaterasu cannot kill/dispose/exorcise Subject 1. He did not hold back. I could feel the intensity of his ebony flames even from so far away. Subject 1 burned, without a hint of pain in his expression or flailing to put himself out, and continuing to sit still as he always does, even when charred and skeletal. I was hopeful for a moment, though foolish that was. When Amaterasu ceases, the corpse reanimates itself by bathing in a bed of yellow daffodils and purple lilies. Karasu suggested he could try again, but I don't believe the Mangekyo is the key to lifting the curse from Hashirama's corpse.

          There is an answer. I just have to find it. To end this torment of Hashirama's memory.

 

Entry 250: Tenshigan Potential

          The Onmyojis of Uzushiogakre possess a near-forgotten doujutsu, the Tenshigan, that connects them with all things dead and terrible. It could be the key to ending Subject 1. However, it has proven to be unpredictable, and those who wield it are untrustworthy. Informing the Onmyojis of him could do more harm than good when it comes to Subject 1. They may make him one of their puppets, capture him for their own experimentation, or make him an insulting trophy. I'll hold my breath.

 

Entry 277: Square One

          I made the right decision, rejecting the Onmyoji and their Tenshigan. The desolate ruins of Uzushiogakure affirm me in that. However, that only leaves me back to square one. Subject 1 has yet to find peace, and I'm nowhere close to accomplishing my mission. There is an answer. I only have to figure it out.

 

Entry 421

          Is Subject 1 Hashirama-sama? I ask that every time I do a checkup on Subject 1, and every time, I doubt myself more and more. I'm starting to believe that it's a foolish impersonator wearing the dead flesh to torment all those with memories of Moku-sama.

It is a corpse, is it not? What wrong would there be in digging a deep hole in the earth and shoving it inside to bury it under dirt and rock? A proper burial is how you treat corpses.

No, it would plague Konoha's soil just as it plagues my mind with sweet-smelling lilies and a dead man's face.

Will it ever die?

 

Entry 624

It won't stop babbling. It won't stop breathing. It won't stop parading his face, almost mocking him. That abomination can't truly be Moku-sama. He can't be in there. There's nothing inside but memories that don't belong to it and saccharine- flowers that make me gag when mixed with its brackish blood.

Why can’t I kill it? It needs to die. Maybe I should reach out to Uma. Have her dispose of it. Having his death be ugly but still a death, nonetheless.

Please forgive me for my failures, Tobirama-sama, Hashirama-sama.

 

Entry 625: New Researcher Added

          After much thought and persistence on the Snake's end, I have allowed him to be on Subject 1's research team. He suggested that those with less personal ties to Subject 1 will have fresh perspectives on handling its condition. Snake already has a treatment plan in development for Subject 1, which is due to be completed in the following months. He says he'll be able to 'cure' Subject 1 of its ailment and revitalize it. If I cannot euthanize Subject 1, restoring its body to a healthier state is the next best option.

Snake is confident in his treatment, but I will wait and see the results myself.

 

Entry 635: Treatment Sow Results

          Three days after the Snake completed Treatment Sow, and so far, the results are successful. Subject 1 is gaining more muscle mass, his chakra is stabilizing, his hair is regaining its natural dark color, and his eyes are losing the cloudy mist of confusion. He has become more active as well, walking around the cabin instead of being sedentary. He can take in new information during a conversation, though his mind remains in the Founding Era of Konohagakure. All the flowers bursting from his skin withered away with no more sprouting to take their place.

      For the first time in decades, there is hope for Subject 1 to be more than the undying shambling husk of a once godlike man.

         

Entry 639

    The Snake lied. I should have known there were ulterior motives to his aid but gave in to the temptation of hope. He treated Subject 1's ailment with an infection of his own, gnarled branches and vines ripped through where flowers used to blossom. This morning, when I went to visit Subject 1, he was curled up in the corner of the living room, groaning in pain as an invasive branch had grown from his left eye socket. I nearly stepped on his severed eyeball lying in the doorway. It was the first time I had ever seen Subject 1 express pain, and I went to soothe him with a pain-numbing seal.

    He allowed me to place the seal on his hand; however, whatever evil the traitorous snake had planted inside him rebelled against it. It tried to kill me. No ‘maul’ is the better word. It did not target any vital points, only aiming to harm me as grievously as it could, "punishment for disobedience," it said. I defended myself well enough, but my left arm took the brunt of the attack. The only reason it stopped was that Moku-sama was able to fight the snake's infection long enough to trap himself in the bedroom, where it has remained since.

    The Snake has fled in the aftermath of the Kyuubi's rampage, and all we have left are a few discarded notes of what he truly did to Subject 1. With the chaos of collecting our dead, filling the power gap Yondaime's death left behind, and rebuilding and defending a wounded Konoha from opportunistic enemy ninja, Subject 1 has unfortunately become a lesser priority. Not that there's much that can be done besides reinforcing the barriers around Subject 1's containment and observing whenever I get the chance, hoping that Moku-sama can fight another day. As my wounded arm aches, the flowers around the cabin are withering, and a stale rot reeks the air.

    I miss the sweet lilies.

…

… …

… … …

"So, this woodsman is… Senju Hashirama's reanimated corpse. No wonder there is so much dark chakra involved. It's a corruption of a failed reincarnation. Without a proper sacrifice, only bits of his soul could be linked to the corpse, or something else took the chance to take Shodai-sama's place... Where does 'Moku-sama' come from?"

"'Hashirama-sama' was a mouthful for us young ones, so he told us to call him 'Moku-sama' for short… I didn't want you to hesitate if you knew you'd be eliminating Shodai Hokage… If it truly is him."

"Don't fear, Danzo-san. There will be no hesitation. I will save Moku-sama from his fate."

Even when he saw the reanimated corpse of Senju Hashirama before him, Iruka fully intended to keep his promise, his determination emboldened by the desecration of the God of Shinobi at the hands of wicked wills. He gave his first order.

"Take Naruto somewhere safe, Makiko," He gave Naruto to Makiko, the mimic having to pry the frightened boy from his robes before dashing away from woodsman and Rin's confrontation. The woodsman noticed his prey being taken away from him and growled.

"You fools!" He lashed out at Rin with his wooden spears, who battered them away with her duo of tails that violently burst from her backside but were pushed back from the force. "You can't let Kyuubi roam free… The beast that it is."

"No, we can't let you hurt him anymore," Rin said. "And we can't let you hurt Hashirama-sama either."

"What do you mean?... I am Hashirama-sama… The God of shinobi!" More edged branches grew out from Hashirama's body, sprouting from his chest and backside. "And you, girl, smell so beastly." He twisted his head toward Iruka, glaring. "You're no better… So many beasts to devour… So much!" The woodsman attacked, sending out a barrage of jutting wooden spears. While Rin broke the spears she could with her tails, Iruka ducked and kicked off a spear to dodge a clawing tree, still covered in white flames that did little to combat the curse. "So light chakra won't work. It was worth a try." Iruka mentally sighed and took out the small scroll attached to his hip. "Keep him distracted, Rin, while I set up the trap."

"Got it."  

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… …

… … …

"… Who are you?!" Naruto demanded once he found his voice again, squirming in the masked man's grasp as he ran away with him. "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere safe, I promise, Naruto-kun," Makiko assured him, swiftly ducking past trees before they could spring to life. "My name's Makiko and the dog ninja is Kuroinu. The other masked man calls himself Daigyo, and we're all here to help you!" He ducked behind some bushes where there were three pieces of paper with ink markings written on them in a circle. "As long as you're in here, the monsters can't find you." He settled in the circle, sitting Naruto in the grass before taking out a roll of bandages from underneath his cloak. "I don't have any healing jutsus, but that'll help for now." He wrapped Naruto's injured arm carefully, but the boy still winced at the pain. "I'm so sorry, Naruto," Makiko apologized, and Naruto could sense the sincerity in the masked man's words. It was strange. The whole situation was strange and horrifying.

"Why?" He mumbled.

"Hm?" Makiko titled his head, finished with Naruto's bandages.

"Why are you guys helping me? I'm the real monster here, apparently."

"Monster? What kind of joke is that?" Makiko chuckled. "You look like a nice boy to me, a boy worth helping just like everybody else. We'll prove to everyone that the woodsman is the real monster. After we crush it!" He made a determined fist that gave the boy some hope. "But to do that, I need to borrow something from you. Will you let me, Naruto-kun?" 

"… Okay."

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… … …

Iruka placed the fourth seal tag on a cursed tree with three more to go. Dodging and blocking the infested trees attacks with his moonstone tanto to place his seal tags took up most of his attention, but he was still aware of Rin's fight with the woodsman. The monster was swift, using his twisted wooden limbs to swing from tree to tree and striking out at Rin, who dashed around his attacks and struck back with her tails, mindful of the seal on her lower back that maintained her physical form. As she got slashed across her forearms when blocking his attack, she managed to strike him on the head with her tails, breaking his neck. The woodsman's broken neck snapped back into place in a heartbeat, torn muscles healing as he retaliated with a snarl.

"The report was right." Rin internally groaned, getting scrapped on her shoulder as she ducked under the assault. "Moku-sama's regeneration is scarily efficient. Are you almost ready, Iruka-kun?" Iruka ducked under a cursed tree's wild swing to place the remaining seal on its trunk before slipping away.

"Just placed my last one," Iruka said as he moved into position at the edge of the small clearing to activate the trap. "Now we just need to get the woodsman in place."

"I'm not done with you, monster!" Rin tensed at Naruto's angered shout, looking away from the woodsman to see the unmasked boy run out from the bushes, brandishing two shuriken. "Come face me!"

"No, get away, Naruto!" she warned, and the monster attacked while her back was turned, battering her away with a strike against her side.

"Come die, Kyuubi!" the woodsman growled as he turned his attention to Naruto, who threw a shuriken at him, nailing him in the chest. The monster charged, and Naruto ran, tauntingly sticking out his tongue. Iruka groaned in frustration when he saw the boy jump out from a patch of bushes from afar and then tensed fearfully as the woodsman trailed behind him.

"Get over here!" Iruka worriedly shouted. "Hurry, Naruto!"

"I got this!" Naruto replied and turned around to throw his last shuriken once he reached the clearing. The shuriken hit the monster's shoulder just as the woodsman's swinging claws snatched Naruto up.

"Naruto!" Iruka cried out and began weaving a jutsu.

"You won't escape again," the woodsman hissed and tightened his hold on the struggling boy, his claws sinking into his sides.

"Ow! That hurts, you big meanie!" Naruto shouted, blood spitting from his mouth as his grimace turned upside down into a wide grin. "But not as much as this!" The monster tilted his head, and Iruka finished his jutsu with the final hand sign, Kitsune.

"Aether Release: Fire Chain Binding Formation!" The seal tags on the trees circling the clearing glowed a deep red, the cursed tree hissing before a chakra chain shot out from one of them, the burning amber chain wrapping around the branch that squeezed Naruto. The woodsman snarled in pain and tried crushing Naruto out of spite, but the boy kept his claws from going any further with his bare hands. To the monster's shock, the boy suddenly tripled in size, blonde hair turning dark green and clothes melting away to reveal a sheet white body with a jagged line running down his chest and torso. Akuri pried the monster off him and dashed away as another chain lashed out to wrap the woodsman's torso.

"Beasts!" The monster angrily snarled and shot out a duo of branch spears toward Iruka that were destroyed by Rin's twirling tails as she attacked from above. Rin and Akuri moved to stand defensively beside Iruka as three more chains locked around the struggling woodsman.

"Naruto is safe," Akuri said, beating back a cursed tree that swiped too close.

"And the Uchiha Team have found Emi's head and are doing well against the cursed trees," Rin updated as she continued to fend off the woodsman's branches.

"Once we finish here, they shouldn't have any more issues then," Iruka said, maintaining his Kitsune hand sign as the final two chains secured around the thrashing woodsman. "I apologize, Moku-sama. I have to burn away the rot before I can reach your spirit."

"You're a dead beast!" The monster spat in reply, and Iruka went on with his dark, cleansing jutsu.

"Trap of Burning Punishment," A glowing amber seal formed underneath the woodsman, "Hateful Hellfire!" A torrent of enraged red flames ignited from the seal to engulf the woodsman in a scorching embrace, a terrible screech sounding from the monster and the surrounding cursed trees as they, too, were set ablaze, writhing like beheaded snakes with all their leaves burned away. Sweat beat on Iruka's brow from the amount of chakra used to maintain the jutsu and the waves of heat flashing from wrathful flames. The hellish fire devoured the dark chakra, deeply infesting the corpse, gnawing through flesh, bone, and bark to do so, leaving the woodsman to thrash and wail as his twisted branches were burned away. Still, Iruka could feel him rebelling against the trap despite his current cremation, collecting the remains of his dark chakra inward, kneading it.

"He's trying to break the trap," Iruka warned Rin and Akuri. "Be ready for any—"

The kneading dark chakra exploded outward in a forceful burst, destroying the trap's couplings and ceasing the hellfire to make way for the mass of blood, wood, and dark sludge that ruptured from the charred corpse, swallowing it whole. The chains snapped, and Iruka was pulled back by Rin as the growing woody mass pulled in cursed trees, bending and twisting together to form a massive hand and then another that clawed into the earth. Crawling out from underneath the gigantic abomination were three wooden serpentine dragons with dark ooze leaking from their empty eye sockets and slithered on the ground like large hunting snakes. Iruka shuddered as the malevolent force built upon itself a bloated torso and perched the head of a snarling monstrous man on its shoulders, its eyes hollow sockets that glared down on the forest from up high as it let out a bellowing roar from its fanged maw.

"Beasts!"

…

… …

… … …

Fugaku saw the massive upper half of a monstrous wooden giant breaking through the canopy, illuminated by the moon —a cruel beast with sharp, twisted branches jutting out from its joints and chest. Even in the dark, he recognized the woodman jutsu of one of the most powerful shinobi to ever live, though corrupted by a snake's venom. Though he kept stoic, a combination of apprehension and anger burned in his chest, fueling his Sharingan as he laid eyes on the monster that had been dormant in Konoha's forests.

"What is that, Otosan?" Itachi calmly asked, eyes glued to every movement the looming giant made.

"A Senju's abomination," Fugaku growled. He didn't see Team Yokai, but he did notice the wooden dragons snaking through the forest.

"Those creatures are heading toward the village," Itachi said, and Fugaku could imagine Mikoto and Sasuke at home, none the wiser of the monsters. He intended to keep it that way.

"Then we'll stop them." Fugaku bit his thumb and signed a summoning jutsu. A vulture appeared in a puff of smoke, the avian flapping his massive black and brown wings with red tips. He bobbed his grey head as beady red eyes surveyed the chaos.

"What monstrosities are we facing this time, Fugaku-kun? They reek similar to the Hoshigaki."

"Corrupted dragons of the mokuton, Surudoi. We can't kill them apparently, but we must keep them from the village."

"No, Kyuubi attack repeats, thankfully." Surudoi took off into the night sky with a single flap of his wings, and Fugaku closed his eyes to connect with Surudoi's sight, seeing that there were three slithering dragons.

"There's three of them. I'll take the two closest ones, and you'll take the farthest, Itachi," Fugaku ordered. The Uchihas sprang into action, and apparently, they weren't the only ones.

"STOP!" A powerful voice boomed the word through the forest along with the thrum of powerful chakra, and at once, all three dragons froze, bodies tense and shaking as if struggling to fight off an invisible weight. Ramming through the trees with a trumpeted roar was a massive orange tapir that pounced on the second dragon, burying its head in the ground while Surudoi sent a spray of edged feathers to help pin it down. A trio of masked Anbu joined Itachi in taking on the last dragon, the kunoichi tangling the beast in wire threads while the others battered it with their ninja weapons.

"Will we get along better than before?" Itachi questioned.

"As long as you fight with your all, Itachi," Hinoe answered.

Fugaku unleashed a massive fireball at the dragon, and a bolt of wind pierced through it to collide with the wooden beast in an explosive firebomb. It roared and shuttered back, flames eating at its face and neck.

"Not hiding this time," Fugaku said as he felt the presence silently land behind him. He turned around, glowering. "Jakkaru."

"You have your back turned to the wrong beast," the Jackal warned, pointing behind the Uchiha leader, who glanced at the scorched dragon. It hissed as it began to regenerate the chunk blasted out of its neck, rearing back like a striking snake and baring its fangs at both shinobi.

"The Senju left behind many beasts I must be weary of," Fugaku grumbled as he prepared for the attack, keeping the Jackal in his periphery as he came to stand beside him. The dragon lunged.

…

… …

… … …

"He's letting the mokuton run wild," Iruka said as he examined the mutated giant while dodging the barrage of wooden spears the giant spat at his team, his robe getting ripped at the ends. "The dragons he released are being handled by the others, but they won't be able to hold them forever. And we have to handle this monstrosity before it mutates any further. I may have to go Yokai mode, overpower him before he gets any stronger."

"Don't, it’s too difficult to control, and you'll leave yourself basically powerless for clean up," Rin said, attempting to stop the giant's massive swiping hand with her three tails and being battered away. "Agh! We just need to get you to Moku-sama's body."

"I bet he's hidden somewhere inside that giant," Akuri said and winced as he took a spray of splinters to his back to shield Iruka. He forcibly shook them out with a violent shake. "Rin and I can give you an opening. How's that?"

"… Yes, that can work," Iruka agreed. "His upper chest has the highest concentration of dark chakra. Moku-sama's body must be there."

"Akuri and I will crack it open for you." Rin flashed her claws. Iruka glared at the corruption of Shodai Hokage's woodman jutsu.

"Let's bring this monster down."

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… … …

Naruto needed to stay put and avoid danger. However, the terrible roar in the distance, along with the vicious trees going still, made his curiosity outweigh whatever self-preservation he had. He still kept hidden as he ran toward whatever was putting off such awful energy and was shocked to see the giant monstrous man who must have been the woodsman. He was even more shocked to see that the group of mysterious shinobi who protected him earlier continued to fight the monster even with its massive transformation. From a distance, he watched them battle to save the village and to save… him.  "They really weren't lying… About protecting me."

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… … …

Iruka stayed back, kneading back some of the chakra he lost from his fire chain jutsu while Akuri and Rin moved in on the woodsman. Akuri rushed ahead with a pack of paper tags in hand, ducking and dodging to place them over the woodsman. The first and second on his belly, digging in the bark with his sharp nails to climb up the giant monster and jump off onto his arm when he tried swiping at him. The third went onto the woodsman's left hand and then his upper forearm as Akuri was chased upward by sharp branches spearing up from the giant's arm. He leaped to the other arm while Rin grabbed the monster's attention with a volley of shuriken as she kneaded chakra within herself. He placed the fifth on the monster's hand and the sixth on his bicep with a final paper tag to go.

He kept his momentum going up the monster's arm, reaching his shoulder before leaping off and aiming to place the final tag on the monster's heavily armored chest. A burst of twisted branches shot out from the giant's chest to claw Akuri out of the air before he could react, slicing his arm from his shoulder and torso from his lower half in a spray of dark blood and pained screams.

"Don't stop!" Akuri groaned as he fell to the ground. "Hope you're ready, Rin."

"I am!" Rin growled as she threw herself high into the air with her tails. She exhaled all of the dark chakra she had pent up, small black and white orbs bubbling from her to mix together and form a large black ball of pure chakra above her. She lifted her mask to swallow it whole, fanged jaws snapping just as the giant's hands clashed together around her, like crushing a fly with a single clap, blood spurting in the air. His hands started to shake as they were slowly pushed apart, Rin growling from exertion as her tails and broken arms threw out all of their weight to give herself a chance to breathe out. She opened her bleeding mouth, and a beam of dark purple chakra roared forth with the blast of a firecracker that raced through the air to strike the giant's chest in a booming explosion.

He stumbled back and screeched in pain, letting the exhausted Rin fall to clutch at the large hole in his chest, and as the dust started to clear, Iruka got a glance at the monster's heart. Moku-sama's corpse was strung up inside with thorned vines by the arms and head hung low, the ends of long black hair burned away and tugged on by the wind. Iruka moved in, closing the distance between him and the monster and running up its bloated belly. The woodsman angrily roared and went to crush the shinobi with his hands, but not before Iruka got off his activator jutsu. The paper bombs Akuri had placed went off, blowing the monster's fingers off and tearing a hole in its stomach for dark mush to spill out. Iruka signed Kitsune once more.

"Fire chains!" Chains shot from his arms and chest to hook into the gradually healing hole Moku-sama was trapped inside of. He reeled in the chains, hauling himself up while also dodging past wooden spears and debris, ignoring anything that managed to tear into his skin. He reached out his hand. "Moku-sama!" He screamed the name, and the corpse responded, lifting his head, his hair parting to reveal his gaze. Those pale green eyes stared deep into Iruka's own as the Onmyoji touched his cheek.

"Aether Release: Soul Peering Jutsu." Iruka's Tenshigan tore through the vines, thorns, and dark branches the woodsman had wrapped around the corrupted mind for Iruka to reach the inner core of Moku-sama. He became weightless for a moment before waking in a forest clearing of withered grey grass and before a cabin plagued with thorned vines and gnarled branches, the sky a warm amber.

"Get Out!" A raspy voice hissed, and the vines and branches around the cabin lashed out toward Iruka, aiming to tear him apart.

"Pure Flame, Wave!" Iruka weaved to life a wave of blistering ivory flames that consumed the corrupted vegetation, walking up the porch stairs unhindered and opening the front door. The white flames crawled their way inside the cabin, eating away the malicious vines and making their way along with Iruka to the bedroom door. "Moku-sama," He called out after the flames freed the door, opening it to see a weakened Moku-sama strung up on the wall by strangling vines and skewering branches. "I know you've been fighting for so long, but can you fight one last time?"

The prisoner weakly raised his head to look at Iruka, the flames that teared away his shackles glimmering so brightly in his dark eyes. Moku-sama smiled, and the world exploded in a beautiful cascade of color, a blazing yet tender chakra overtaking the mindscape. Iruka opened his eyes back to the physical world and met Moku-sama's pale white eyes that burned with determination as he pulled one of his hands free, clawing at his chest.

"Out," he groaned, the vines and branches weaved into his flesh, recoiling as the vines on his neck and arms throbbed. A budding red tulip sprouted from his chest, where one dark vein wriggled like a worm. "Out!" Iruka dug his moonstone tanto into Moku-sama's chest without hesitation, spraying dark ichor as something terrible hissed.

"I have you, serpent!" Iruka forcibly yanked out the parasite from the living corpse, a long white snake with black fangs and slitted green eyes. The snake was left to fend for itself, tumbling to the forest below as the wooden giant gave its death throws. It tried clawing at its chest, but its broken fingers refused to regenerate.

"I got you," Iruka said as he grabbed Moku-sama's hand and jumped back, pulling the corpse free with a spray of broken branches and white rose buds. Iruka held onto Moku-sama tightly as they fell through the air, reeling out the chains that were still in the woodsman who tried to reclaim its "heart." Kitsune. "Hellfire!" The chains reignited with the hateful blaze that raced upward to reach the giant's wooden flesh. Iruka dissipated the chains after slowing their fall and then rolled to soften their landing. Laying on his back on a patch of soft grass, Iruka watched the woodsman burn as the flames rapidly spread to swallow it whole, having no regeneration to combat the blistering heat and lighting up the night sky.

 Eventually, the monster's screeches went silent, and the flames died out, leaving nothing but a mass of charred ashes and scorched earth. The light remained, however, as the sun started to rise in the distance, painting the sky with comforting pinks and oranges. A low hiss disturbed the quiet morning, and Iruka turned his head to see the parasitic snake slithering through the ashes toward him and Moku-sama. Iruka sneered as he sat up his tired body.

"Got ya!" Naruto angrily shouted, pouncing on the hissing snake and viciously stabbing it with his kunai. It jerked and writhed as its blood was spilled into the grass, the boy unrelenting in his attack, to Iruka's shock. "You won't hurt Daigyo-san or anyone else!"

"That's for certain," Rin said as she shambled her way over, her body not having the chakra to fully heal from her earlier beast ball. Akuri walked with her, who had reattached to his lower half, and put on his cloak and mask but was unable to find the rest of his arm. "Good job, Naruto-kun," she complimented the boy and then gently moved him off the wriggling parasite for her to snatch up. She crushed its head in her hand before opening her mouth wide and devouring it, mashing it between her sharpened teeth. Crunching bone and silencing any hisses as she drank in all of its chakra, her own fractured bones snapping back into place. She spat the powerless parasite onto the ground, nothing more than mush, but still, Iruka set it ablaze, making sure nothing but crunched bone was left of the foul thing.

"The woodsman is finally dead now?" Naruto asked, hopeful.

"Yes. He can't hurt anyone anymore." Iruka said.

"Yay! We win!" The boy cheered with a large grin and excited blue eyes, throwing his hands in the air. He must have used the last of his energy as he keeled over right after, with Rin catching him before he hit the ground.

"Is Naruto okay?" Akuri asked, worried.

"Just passed out," Rin answered. "Poor boy has been fighting monsters all night," she sighed, cradling the sleeping boy in her arms. "Our mission still isn't complete."

"No, it isn't," Iruka said and turned to Moku-sama, who lay soundly in the soft grass, long white hair fanned out around him and pale white irises and pupils surrounded by obsidian staring at the charred forest around him. "I'll finally free you, Moku-sama." He sat beside the living corpse and placed a hand on his chest. A hand that was gently moved away.

"Not a flower in sight," Moku-sama quietly said, and Iruka nodded, holding off the exorcism. Moku-sama took one hand and caressed the grassy ground, and the same warm chakra Iruka had sensed flooding the mindscape returned, this time encasing the very earth. Fresh, green grass grew over the charred ground, and the broken, burned were healed and reinvigorated, any hint of a curse cleansed away by healthy brown bark and vibrant green and amber autumn leaves. As far as the woodsman could reach, Moku-sama's nature chakra lovingly embraced to make the forest anew. Around him, a bed of white lilies sprouted, bathing in the first rays of the morning sun. "At last, all done," Moku-sama hummed, looking up at the honey-pink sky. "Let me rest my eyes."

"I will, Moku-sama," Iruka assured before placing his hand on Moku-sama's chest and activating his Tenshigan. Shishi. Shika. "Aether Release: Soul Unbinding." His Tenshigan faced no resistance as he unshackled all the couplings that kept the fragmented being bound to Senju Hashirama’s corpse. Soft footsteps echoed in the clearing, and Iruka looked, surprised to see the Jackal lingering in the shadow of a regrown tree, his crimson and golden eyes glimmering behind his mask.

"Don't be shy, Jakkaru," Moku-sama whispered, and the Jackal obeyed, careful not to step on any of the flowers as he crouched beside the fading soul. Moku-sama picked one of the white lilies surrounding him and weakly held it out to the Anbu, smiling. "For keeping me company." The Jackal gently took the flower, lowering the weakend’s hand to the ground. With slight hesitation, the Jackal reached up and unmasked himself, Iruka silently gasping seeing Danzo's unbandaged face, Sharingan beaming in his eye. He breathed in deeply, taking in the flower's scent, and gave a gentle upturn of his lips, a near smile.

"Sweet as always, Moku-sama."

Iruka watched the golden, glittering essence rise from the body to fade away high in the morning sky, sensing the great relief and tranquility rush in like a summer breeze and the warm chakra that enveloped him like a hug.

"Thank you, Iruka."

Moku-sama finally shut his eyes, and the warm chakra was gone in the wind, leaving behind a softly smiling corpse.

"He's finally at rest," Danzo sighed, relieved, and then looked at the Onmyoji. "Thank you for accomplishing your mission, Iruka."

"You're welcome."

At the patter of more approaching feet, Danzo dawned his jackal mask and stood up. Both Anbu and Uchiha came out of the forest, though in separate groups, the tole of the night's battle clear in the morning light.

"The target has been eliminated?" Fugaku expectantly said.

"Indeed. The mission is a success," the Jackal said. "Anbu will finish here, and Team Uchiha can report back to the Hokage."

"Are you certain you can handle that, Jakkaru?" Fugaku questioned. "Seeing as you failed to handle this 'woodsman,' you'll definitely need help," the Uchiha head glanced at the Senju corpse and glowered, "disposing of the rest of Orochimaru's experiment."

"You will not lay a hand on him," the Jackal growled, clutching onto the white lily. At once, Iruka felt a sharp tension rise as the three Anbu moved to stand by the Jackal while the Uchiha stood their ground with Fugaku. However, Hazuki seemed more interested in keeping what must have been Emi's head wrapped in her Uchiha coat while Itachi stuck close to Shisui, who spoke out.

"I believe it's best if we let Anbu handle the disposal," he suggested. "We're needed back in the village to calm any citizens who heard the commotion in the night."

"No one's calming down seeing us," Fugaku grumbled.

"I know Mikoto-san and Sasuke would." Shisui kept firm even when Fugaku moved his glare to him. "We need to ensure our clan is still safe as soon as possible, right?"

"… Very well, then," Fugaku sighed and turned back to the Anbu. "We'll be here whenever you have another mess that needs cleaning up, Jakkaru." Team Uchiha left with their clan head.

"Is the body safe to handle?" the Jackal asked Iruka.

"Yes, and a proper burial will make sure he'll stay that way," Iruka answered, standing up. "Still, I'll give a cleansing talisman to bury him with and post some at Moku-sama's cabin. Akuri," he turned to the mimic. "Take Naruto to the temple and properly patch him up. I'll see him after I'm finished."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Naruto groaned as he stirred awake. The blanket laid over him his twisted and tangled from his dreaming of wooden monsters. He opened his eyes and found that he wasn't in his own bed, nor was he in the hospital; however, he was wearing his own pajamas. It was a mostly plain room with decorative slips of paper posted on the walls and door. He moved to get up and put too much weight on his bandaged arm, wincing. Thankfully, it hurt a lot less than it did before, but he still needed to be careful. He went to the window, going up on his tippy toes to see the afternoon sun, the surrounding forests, and a hot spring further down the hill. "Where am I?"

He poked his head out of the room to see a light blue hallway with dark wooden floors and more decorative paper on the walls, this time joined by watercolor paintings of nature and fantastic animals. He heard voices coming from around the corner and silently crept closer, sticking to the wall when he saw the open door and shadows moving on the adjacent wall.

"I don't think that's how you're supposed to shape the sushi rice," the familiar voice of a woman said.

"I can't see it really well, so I'm winging it," another familiar voice said.

"I can do it then."

"With what hands?"

"Oh, right… This can't be how we're bested."

Curious, Naruto peeked inside the room to see it was a kitchen and dining room. Makiko stood with his back turned at the counter, his mask left on the dining table. Beside him, to Naruto's shock, was the black dog from yesterday, front paws up on the counter and looking over the misshapen onigiri. Naruto couldn't stop his gasp, and the dog's ears twitched. Both it and Makiko turned around, and Naruto was taken aback by the unmasked man's empty eye sockets. "That's why he can't see so well."

"You're finally up, Naruto!" Makiko cheered. "I bet you're hungry." Naruto's rumbling stomach answered for him. "Go ahead and sit. We'll get everything ready." Naruto couldn't argue against free food and sat down at the end of the table. "Thank you, Makiko-san."

"Oh, when it's just us, you can call me Akuri. It's my real name."

"Where am I, Akuri-san?" Naruto asked, watching Akuri and the dog make his plate.

"Daigyo's temple. You fell asleep after everything, so we brought you back here to patch you up." Naruto tilted his head at that. "They're still helping me?"

"Where's Daigyo-san?"

"Finishing up a few things, and then he'll be here. Don't worry, you'll get to meet him." Akuri finished placing two misshapen onigiri on a tray with a glass of juice and passed the trey to the dog, who carried it in his mouth to Naruto and set it on the table.

"Thank you, creepy dog," Naruto thanked.

"You're welcome, rowdy boy," the dog spoke with the woman's voice, and Naruto jumped.

"You can talk?!"

"That and more," the dog wagged her tail. "I'm the dog-masked kunoichi that helped fight the woodsman. This is just my dog clone. I'm Kuroinu."

"Really? Why were you following me around earlier?"

"I'll let Daigyo-san explain that when he gets here. For now, eat up!"

Naruto stayed in the temple for the remainder of the day, exploring where he could and bombarding Makiko and Kuroinu with any question he could think of, mostly getting vague answers. It was dusk when Daigyo finally arrived. Naruto was sitting outside on the temple's stone steps, rubbing Kuroinu's furry back and talking to Akuri about ninja weapons, when he heard soft chiming from below and saw two figures walking up the stairs. The dog clone dissipated, the chakra returning to the kunoichi, who became reinvigorated. She reached the top first.

"You're all healed now," Naruto observed curiously. "You're not all human, are you?"

"No, but I still look human," she took off her mask, brushing her hair out of the way, and Naruto's eyes widened, seeing the kind face underneath, purple markings on her cheeks, and soft brown eyes encased in black. "Don't I?"

"Hmm," Naruto hummed, nodding.

"My name is Rin, but you have to keep that a secret, okay?"

"I will!" Rin chuckled at his enthusiasm and then stepped aside for Daigyo to walk past. Even though he looked dirty and worn out, the shinobi kept composed as he addressed the boy.

"I'm sorry we had to meet how he did, Naruto-kun."

"I don't mind that. You guys saved me!" Naruto replied. "But I'm not sure why. The only other person who helped me was Emi-san, and she… You know."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, but first… You must know who I am. But you have to keep it a secret like everyone else."

"Of course I will!" the boy confidently grinned. Daigyo sighed as he crouched down to Naruto's level.

"You can do the honors." He pointed to his eye mask, and Naruto excitedly grabbed the silky cloth, pulling it down to hang around the shinobi's neck. Naruto gasped again as the man's face suddenly became so recognizable.

"Iruka-sensei?!" he pulled away in shock, not only from the teacher's reveal but his strange eyes. His brown irises were now bold white, and the whites of his eyes were now solid black. "You're Daigyo? What's wrong with your eyes?" the boy blurted out the questions.

"This," Iruka pointed to his eyes, "is my doujutsu. Similar to what the Uchiha and Hyuuga have. It's what I used to defeat the woodsman."

"You did all of that, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto muttered, still processing the revelation. "You never want to talk or even look at me."

"Yes, I have been ignoring you, and it wasn't right of me. I'm sorry. That is going to change because… I will be your new guardian from now on."

"Really? You're replacing Emi-san."

"No, I don't want to replace her, but pick up the mantle she left and continue caring for you." Iruka sounded sincere, but Naruto couldn't help but eye him wearily.

"You have every right to be skeptical of me, but I ask that you please give me a chance to prove myself to you, to be your guardian, Naruto-kun."

"Well, you did fight that monster to save me," Naruto looked down as he rubbed his bandaged arm, remembering how tightly Daigyo, no Iruka, had held him to his chest before. He looked at Iruka. "Promise you won't be so cold to me anymore?"

"I promise I won't, Naruto-kun."

"… Okay, then, you can be my guardian."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka changed his schedule. Instead of going home after he finished teaching, he went to Naruto's apartment and politely knocked on the door.

"Hold on a second, Iruka-sensei!" He heard Naruto shout on the other side and run around the apartment before he opened the door, green goggles lopsided.

"Ready to go?" Iruka asked, readjusting the boy's goggles.

"Yeah." Naruto shut the door, and Iruka reminded him to lock it before they left. Naruto lagged a bit behind him as they walked through the streets, which was better than him running ahead like he did the day before. He let Naruto roam around the Yamanaka flower shop in search of the perfect bouquet of flowers.

"You're in charge of the boy now?" the older cashier asked as Iruka paid for the flowers.

"No, I'm only volunteering to honor Emi."

"Well, you be careful."

"Thank you for the concern, but there's no need to talk like that. I'll be just fine, ma'am."

Naruto picked out a bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers and orange poppies that he carried all the way to the cemetery with Iruka. This time, the boy stuck close to Iruka's side as they walked past the gravestones to reach Emi's. Four women were already standing in front of her gravestone, and Iruka felt Naruto grab his pant leg and stop.

"Maybe we should come later," he muttered. "I don't think they'd like seeing me here."

"They won't mind," Iruka reassured the boy. "C'mon." He encouraged him, and Naruto eventually followed him to the gravestone, grabbing the women's attention.

"You've come to see Emi-chan too," Ayafu said, the Akimichi giving a soft smile to Naruto. "I'm sure she's been expecting you, little guy."

"Go on and take your time," Hazuki said as the women stepped away from Naruto; however, one stayed put.

"What do you say, Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked.

"Thank you!" the boy said and went to set down his flowers beside all the others and start quietly talking. The woman who stayed sat down beside Naruto.

"You've chosen to take up Emi's duty, Iruka-sensei?" Hazuki asked.

"Unofficially," Iruka answered. "The Onmyoji is his true guardian, but he can't be around all the time, so I help when I can."

"Emi-chan would be proud of you, Iruka," Rise said, a plump baby bundled in warm lavender blankets cradled in her arms, a thin mop of orange hair on her head and golden eyes taking in the world.

"Thank you, Rise-sensei. And I'm happy everything went well for you and your baby."

"Though you certainly gave us a hell of a scare," Ayafu said.

"What did you name her?" Iruka asked.

"The spouses in the Shimura clan name the children since they'll be taking the clan name," Rise explained. "However, I do agree with the name her father chose for her. Jumi." She softly smiled as she rocked Jumi in her arms. "Do you think… Emi-chan is in a better place to appreciate that name?"

"Hm," Iruka hummed and glanced back to Naruto, Emi's glittering apparition sitting beside him with a beaming smile. "Yes, I'd think so." Rise sighed, relieved.

"We all need to be in a better place," Hazuki said. "Emi-chan wouldn't want us moping around forever. We need to lift our spirits."

"What are you thinking about?" Ayafu asked as the three women began to leave the cemetery.

"Be mindful, I'm still recovering," Rise said.

"Don't worry, we're not going rock climbing again."

Iruka watched the kunoichi leave and turned his attention back to Naruto, patiently waiting. Iruka noticed the sideways looks some of the villagers passing by gave him, but he ignored him just as well as he ignored the hateful burning chakra of the Kyuubi. The more days he spent with Naruto, the more the beast's chakra started to lose its edge, sometimes forgetting it was even there. As he watched Naruto give his final goodbye before the gravestone, all he could see was a boy fighting through his grief to keep a smile on his face. "This is what I should have seen from the beginning." When the sun was setting and the crescent moon hung in the sky, Naruto got up from the gravestone, eyes puffy and pink when he turned to Iruka.

"We can go now." The boy's rumbling stomach agreed.

"Let's go get something to eat," Iruka said, leaving with Naruto.

"Yay!" the boy immediately brightened. "What are we getting?"

"I'll make it a surprise."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen took his afternoon break to watch the setting sun from Hokage's balcony and smiled when he sensed guests arriving from behind.

"The sun's still up. Are you sure you want to be out with so few shadows?" He teased.

"We're working with my daughter's sleep schedule," Rise replied, and the Hokage turned around expectantly, grinning, seeing the babe bundled in her arms.

"Hello again, little Jumi-chan," Hiruzen cooed and went over to get a closer look, but Danzo held out his hand to stop him.

"Have you smoked recently?" He questioned.

"No, I've been cutting back for Konohamaru since Isamu is still gone," Hiruzen said. "Also, I helped deliver this one, so I've already gotten close enough to her."

"That's why I'm here," Rise said, and Hiruzen raised his brow. "I want to thank you, Hokage-sama, for being there to save my child and me. I am truly grateful for your aid, and I apologize for not being as respectful as I could have been."

"You're truly welcome, Rise-chan, and believe me, you're much more respectful than your father. He still calls me an old fool," he chuckled as Danzo scoffed.

"Because you are, but not wholly." His advisor's typical scowl softened. "My daughter wouldn't be here without you, so," he bowed his head, "You have my utmost gratitude, Hiruzen."

"You're welcome, Danzo. Please, come to me if you need any help. You know I'm always bothering you to handle the extra paperwork I have."

"Yes, I'm very aware," Danzo allowed a hint of a smile on his face, to Hiruzen's surprise. "I forgot he could smile like that. He must be happy." He glanced at Jumi's chubby face. "Who wouldn't be with a babe like that?" "We'll let you get back to your sky gazing."

"I'll see you later then. Oh, one more thing." He stopped the Shimuras as they went to leave. "Isamu's last letter has been delayed. It must have gotten lost. Let me know if you hear anything about it."

"Of course," Danzo nodded and left with Rise by his side, who bit her lip as they walked through the empty hallway.

"I don't believe he should see Isamu's last letter," she sighed, looking down at Jumi. "There's never a good time to read news like that."

"That's why he won't," Danzo said. "You need to stay focused on recovering, Rise. I'm already thinking of a plan to soften this tragedy."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Naruto didn't know when he decided to walk right next to Iruka on the way for food. Probably when the sun set and he jumped at every shadow that could've been hiding a vicious monster. There was a warm comfort knowing that if there were any monsters out to get him, Iruka would be there to protect him. So far, Iruka was making good on his promise, being much more open and warmer with the boy. However, he was certainly sterner than Emi, making sure he cleaned up after himself and ate more "real food," like gross vegetables. Iruka led him to a small food booth that he had passed many times and always smelt so good, following him inside.

"Good evening, Iruka-sensei!" a cheery young girl greeted, standing on a stool so she could see over the counter. "Oh, and blonde boy."

"So, the rumors are true,” the chef said, looking Naruto over thoroughly.

“Is he one of your students, Iruka-sensei?" the girl asked.

"No, but he will be one day," Iruka said and picked up Naruto to sit him on a stool before sitting himself.

"How can we serve you today?" The chef asked.

"Would you like ramen, Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked.

"Yes, please! I'm starving!" Naruto whined.

"Two bowls of ramen please," Iruka said.

"On it," the chef nodded and then looked at the girl. "Get the noodles in, Ayame."

"Yes, Otosan!" Naruto excitedly waited for his ramen, watching the duo cook intently and happily clapped when a steaming bowl was finally placed in front of him.

"Thank you!" Naruto immediately picked up his chopsticks and went to take a bite, but Iruka's hand slapping over his mouth kept him from eating.

"Don't eat it so fast. You'll burn yourself. Here," Iruka leaned over and blew on his ramen to help cool it down before allowing him to finally indulge, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Wow! This is so tasty!" He smiled as he slurped up the savory noodles. "Much better than the cup ramen."

"I'm happy you enjoy our food, Naruto-kun," the chef said. "It seems you'll continue the 'tradition' of introducing young ones to my shop, Iruka-sensei. Keep it up. It's great for business."

"Who took you here before, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, scarfing down his food, and Iruka took a bite from his own bowl before answering.

"The Hokage."

"Really?! You know the Hokage?"

"Yes. I used to study in Sandaime-sama's office when I went to the academy."

"That's so awesome. I didn't think you'd be so cool, Iruka-sensei." To his surprise, Iruka laughed at that.

"I seem pretty dull, don't I?" He reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, sharing a warm smile. "I have to tell you more cool stories then, Naruto-kun." It was a simple action in a small moment, but still, it made Narto's heart go all fuzzy, and a warm feeling of bliss embraced him. "Iruka-sensei's smiling at me!" Naruto happily grinned and savored every moment of Iruka's smile and his hand on his head. Iruka continued his conversation with the chef while Naruto devoured the rest of his bowl. Now having a full stomach of tasty ramen and night having fallen, Naruto's eyelids felt heavy and his body sluggish as he yawned.

"That's one satisfied customer," the chef said, patting his daughter on the back.

"And a sleepy one, too," Iruka added. He set the money on the counter before getting up and picking up Naruto, carrying the boy on his back. Naruto wrapped his arms around Iruka's neck and rested his heavy head on his shoulder, feeling the vibration of the teacher's voice as he thanked the chef. He closed his eyes as Iruka started to walk, the rhythmic steps soothing him. Before he fell asleep, he managed to mumble:

"Thank you for smiling, Iruka-sensei."

"… You're welcome, Naruto-kun."

Chapter 19: Miseries of the Sarutobi Curse

Summary:

Iruka wakes to the frightening greeting of a yokai informing him of a “Blood God’s” arrival in Konoha. He hopes it’s only a bluff, until he’s approached from the shadows to take on a mission to cover up the gruesome truth of Sarutobi Isamu’s, the Hokage’s first son, final mission.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Iruka was stirred awake to the familiar dull throb and dampness in his lower abdomen, Ikuna's cursed seal waking, ready for rituals. However, Iruka didn't plan on entertaining it anytime soon. From how big the damp spot on his bed was, it had been active for some time. He rolled onto his back and opened his eyes, his dark room telling him the sun had yet to rise, and his nose wrinkled, sensing a sour chakra lingering in his apartment. "One of the talismans must have weakened. I'll reinforce it later." He sat up, stretched, and went to the bathroom to take care of his cursed seal. "May as well get the day started early. Get ahead on grading those quizzes." He bathed and then dressed, covering up his cursed seal before putting on his shinobi undershirt and pants.

"What's this sour chakra?" Rin asked in his head.

"I'm not sure," Iruka shrugged, tying up his hair. "The protective talisman must be weakening. I'll fix it later." He left the bathroom.

"No, it's not just that. It smells… familiar, I think."

"Familiar good or familiar… bad?" He stopped, inspecting the clock on the wall.

"What?"

"It's six o'clock. The sun should be rising." He looked at his window, no sunlight behind his curtains. "So, why is it so dark?"

"… This familiarity isn't anything good then." He sensed her weariness as he carefully approached the window where the source of the foul chakra seemed to be, the wooden floor creaking underneath his feet, and opened the curtains. It was completely dark outside, and not night dark, completely dark. He stared at a black empty void just beyond his window, but he could hear the quiet chatter of the morning, though no chirping birds.

"No birds today," He sighed, keeping his shock masked with a tired expression.

"… Good morning," a calm, wispy voice breathed right before him. In the dark, a large cyan blue ring flashed. With a startle, Iruka realized it was an eye, its black sclera melting into the dark void and pupil shrinking as it concentrated on him. "Seedbed of Ikuna."

"What?" Iruka gasped and jumped back, nearly tripping as his Tenshigan forcibly activated. Rin reactively spiked her chakra, her apparition roaring out from her seal for her upper half to protectively cling to his back, a snarling mass of dark chakra.

"His cursed seal is mine," she hissed.

"Is it cursed?” the yokai mused. “I do not swear lightly when I say I am not here to ravage your seedbed's seal, Sanbii." A deep sniffing inhale, pupil dilating. "Even if his saccharine scent drew me near, I only desire to observe. I have other means of satiating my appetite."

"Like what?" Iruka questioned. "I don't sense any killing intent coming from this yokai, but I doubt he's truly friendly."

"The Blood God's presence ensures a bountiful feast for me."

"Blood God? What are you talking about?"

"You have yet to scent him? You must be a terribly infantile Tenshigan wielder. No true opposer. I will leave you to discover him for yourself, seedbed, though that would be awfully torturous for the vulnerable thing you are. As you were, seedbed, Sanbii." The eye closed, and the dark void suddenly vanished, a few stray black feathers drifting to the ground as the morning sunlight was finally allowed to grace his apartment.

"Ikuna's cursed seal attracts so many creepers," Rin grumbled as she returned to her seal. "He smells familiar, but I can't remember where."

"Hopefully you remember soon," Iruka said, his Tenshigan retreating. "He talked about a 'Blood God' being here, but I haven't sensed anything like that."

"Maybe he wasn't talking about Konoha? Or maybe even lying just to get you scared?"

"We can hope that's the case." Iruka stared out his window for a moment, watching a morning dove fly past before finally getting ready for the day.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Kakashi noticed something different about Konoha's forest as he returned from his month-long Anbu mission. Not that there was anything wrong with it. It was more vibrant and lively under the noon sun. The trees looked more than healthy, with rich browns, warm amber and green leaves, and even bright flowers that had blossomed while he was gone.

"Who could have planted those?" Tenzou thought aloud beside him, the younger Anbu admiring the flowers below. "They did a good job, I think." "Tenzou's getting better at sharing his thoughts. Good."

"You wanna plant some flowers yourself?" Kakashi asked.

"Maybe. I've tried making flowers with my mokuton, but they never bloom."

"You'll have to pick up some poppy seeds then."

The Anbu waited for the young genin team to receive their first mission from the Hokage before approaching Sandaime in his office.

"Another successful mission from the pair of you?" Sandaime gave a greeting smile as he took the mission report from Tenzou.

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. May I ask you a question?"

“Fire away, Neko-kun.”

"Who planted all the flowers in the forest? I think they're wonderful."

"They are wonderful, aren't they?" the Hokage softly sighed. "Unfortunately, while the two of you were away, a dormant experiment of Orochimaru's awoke and then attacked by infesting Konoha's forests. The flowers are what that experiment left behind once defeated as it wielded the mokuton."

"Oh," Tenzou muttered, deflating a bit.

"We always miss all the excitement," Kakashi bemoaned, nudging Tenzou.

"Yeah… He could have taught me how to make flowers?" The young Anbu unsurely tried to joke, making Kakashi dryly chuckle. "Was it successfully eliminated?"

"Yes, with the help of Anbu's new Team Yokai," Sandaime answered.

"Sounds like an interesting bunch," Kakashi mused. "I have to meet them sometime." "I'll see if they have twisted intentions."

"Though the mission was successful, there was one casualty when the experiment initially awoke," the Hokage's face fell sullen. "Sarutobi Emi."

“The Jinchuuriki’s keeper?” Tenzou asked.

"And orphanage caretaker," Kakashi added, thinking of the grieving face of a particular orphan.

"Have you chosen someone to be the Jinchuuriki's new guardian?" Tenzou asked.

"Yes, Team Yokai's leader, Daigyo."

"You trust him that much, Sandaime-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"Indeed. Now, the both of you get some rest before you look at another mission scroll."

""Yes, Sandaime-sama."" Kakashi and Tenzou bowed before leaving the office.

"I need to make a visit, Neko-kun. Go on without me," Kakashi said as they stood on the rooftop of the Hokage tower.

"Or I could go with you?" Tenzou offered. "Unless you need to be alone." "Hm, Tenzou already knows about Iruka. What's the harm of him being my shadow?"

"Just hang back." Kakashi and Tenzou didn't go far, only down to the academy, and it didn't take him long to scent out one Umino Iruka's classroom. He and Tenzou hid in the nearby tree to watch the chuunin teach his class. There was no hint of a sorrowful frown on his gently smiling lips or a grieving glint in his warm brown eyes. "Hopefully, he isn't lying." Kakashi waited for the students to leave for lunch before making himself known, silently sitting on the open windowsill while Iruka's back was turned to him.

"So, you passed your teacher exam, Iruka-kun. Congratulations." Iruka didn't jump; he rarely did. He turned to the Anbu with a pleased smile, not at all forced.

"It's Iruka-sensei, now, Ryoken-san."

“Aw, so no more, ‘Iruka-kun’?”

"Hm, maybe if you're nice to me."

"Aren't I always nice to you?" Kakashi hummed and stood up. "… I heard what happened to your old orphanage caretaker Emi. How are you doing?"

"Better," Iruka sighed, leaning back against his desk. "It hurt for a while, still stings, but being here to help my students, watching them grow, helps me smile." He gave a bright example. "She'd be so happy." Kakashi silently sighed in relief. "Of course, he can still smile. I don't give this kid enough credit."

"Are you coming for lunch yet, Iruka-sensei?" Suzume asked as she poked her head in the classroom, pushing up her glasses. "You'll lose all the good eating spots in the teacher lounge."

"I'm coming, Suzume-sensei. Just getting the rest of my notes together."

"Good on you." She closed the door, and Kakashi popped up from behind Iruka's desk.

"I shouldn't keep you from getting a good lunch spot," He said, heading to the windowsill. "Keep doing what you're doing. See ya, Iruka-sensei."

"See you later, Ryoken-san." Iruka waved, and Kakashi savored the last bit of his smile before leaving with Tenzou. He intended to return to his empty estate but was surprised when he sensed a familiar chakra signature too close to his home, not trying to hide himself.

"What's he doing here?" Tenzou asked.

"We're about to find out," Kakashi said and stopped just outside the gates to his estate, eyeing his fellow Anbu member who leaned against it. "Afternoon, Karasu-kun," the Hatake greeted wearily. "Haven't kept you waiting too long, have I?"

"Nope, not at all," Shisui replied smoothly as always. "Hi, Neko-kun. Perfect, you're here too."

“Hello, Karasu-senpai. Why are you here?" Tenzou bluntly asked.

"For an important favor."

"Favor or mission?"

"Well, it's technically a mission, but it's a favor too."

"A favor from who?" Kakashi questioned. "Anbu or Root?"

"It comes from Danzo-dono, but—"

"Then we aren't interested." Kakashi interrupted and walked past Shisui with Tenzou, going to unlock his gate. "The Hokage ordered we get rest, so that's what we're going to do."

"I understand your hesitation after everything that's happened, but—"

"This isn't for negotiation." Kakashi opened the gate. "Have a good day, Karasu-kun."

"We need your help protecting the Hokage," Shisui stressed, his chakra flaring, though Kakashi only stopped when Tenzou did.

"Is he in danger?" Tenzou questioned.

"In a way, yes. We have horrible news about Isamu and Miyako's last mission that we're keeping from Sandaime-sama until we can… better package the news. We'll need Team Yokai's assistance, but considering the severity, they'll need all the help they can get."

"This sounds serious, Ryoken-senpai," Tenzou said, turning to Kakashi.

"You really want to take this mission, Neko-kun?" Kakashi asked.

"If it means protecting the Hokage, then yes."

"Mah, okay then," the Hakate groaned, stretching his back. "Let us clean up first, Karasu-kun, and then we'll be ready."

"And I'll be waiting here. Thank you so much, both of you."

"You're welcome," Tenzou said while Kakashi flippantly waved his hand. "Even though I hardly trust that old man, I trust Shisui not to lead us into a death trap. Also, Tenzou's already onboard. At least I get to meet this Team Yokai for myself."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

The surprise visit from Ryoken definitely brightened Iruka's day, but the yokai encounter he had that morning still hung in the back of his mind as he ate his lunch with a couple other teachers and instructors.

"How are your students doing so far, Iruka-sensei?" Aoi inquired, the academy's bukijutsu instructor eating his sweet corn.

"Oh, very well, actually," Iruka answered, letting the conversation quiet his doubts. "They're a bit stuck on ninjutsu fundamentals, so we'll need to revisit that. My students are also enjoying their bukijutsu lessons. How long have you been teaching, Aoi-sensei?"

"This is my first year actually. I was originally with the T&I department but transferred since I wasn't a great fit. Apparently," Aoi's blue eyes were not unlike the yokai in passion. "But teaching has been more fulfilling than I thought. Especially when some students struggle, like Idate, putting in the extra work to help them succeed feels amazing."

"I get what you mean."

"Hey, is Iruka in here?" Hearing his name grabbed his attention, and he looked at the open door where Kotetsu poked his head inside.

"Only academy staff are allowed in the teacher's lounge!" Suzume chastised.

"I'm not here to distract Iruka-sensei again, promise. There's a stubborn lock seal on some archive drawers I need help with."

"I can help you with that, Kotetsu-kun," Iruka said. "And yes, I'll come back before lunch ends, Suzume-sensei."

"You better," Suzume huffed, and Iruka left with Kotetsu for the archives.

"Thanks, Iruka-kun. I really need these files for the Hokage," Kotetsu said as they entered the archives.

"Sure. What drawer do you need help with?"

"You'll see." Strangely, Kotetsu led him to the far-end longue area of the archives, and Iruka silently gasped to see who waited for them in the armchair. "I brought him Danzo-san and no one suspects anything," Kotetsu proudly said. "Told you I could manage that."

"Well done, Kotetsu-kun," Danzo said. "Now, wait for Iruka by the entrance. We'll be quick."

"Got it." Kotetsu turned to Iruka. "Don't be too nervous or anything. He just wants your help analyzing some seal, but was too shy to ask himself."

"Now, Kotetsu."

"Okay, okay, I'm gone." The bandaged chuunin left, leaving Iruka to sit across from the advisor.

"Kotetsu works for you?" Iruka questioned.

"No," said Danzo. "I just needed to ensure no one suspects you're meeting with me now. Kotetsu, being your close acquaintance, was the solution to that."

"What's with the extra layers of secrecy? What's so wrong with this seal you want me to look at?"

"There's no seal. I need your aid with a more personal Sarutobi matter." A terrible feeling stirred in Iruka's gut.

"Is this about Isamu and Miyako? Sandaime-sama told me that Isamu was late with his letter. Did you find it?"

"Yes, I intercepted their last letter." The advisor's scowl deepened. "It detailed their final moments."

"… Final moments?" Iruka echoed, a cold shiver raking his spine. "They're… dead?"

"Murdered, yes."

"That's so…" Iruka looked back in his chair, shaking his head. "So awful. Poor Konohamaru…"

"I know it's much to process, but now is no time to mourn them when—"

 "Wait, Sandaime-sama doesn't know about this? Asuma? You've been hiding this from them?"

"With reason. If Hiruzen learned about his son's fate… he'd destroy himself. Which also puts Konoha's leadership at risk. This highly delicate situation relies on your cooperation for the best outcome. You will help?"

"… I'll leave Akuri to finish class today."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"You really fought a Tailed Beast, Tosan?!" Asuma gasped as he flipped to a page in the Sarutobi clan scrapbook with a black-and-white picture of his father in his younger years. His smiling father wore his black armor that was scratched from battle and had his arm slung around another grinning Konoha-nin as they stood before a defeated ape-like beast that was so massive it couldn't fit in the frame.

"And won," his father smirked at the other end of the chabudai. Asuma had the scrapbook open on the chabudai, looking through it while waiting for dinner.

"Is that Kagami-san beside you, Otosan?" Isamu asked, his older brother sitting beside him.

"Yeah. Kagami was busy fighting the future Tsuchikages, but gave his aid when he could. I wouldn't have won that day without his help." His father glanced at his mother beside him. "And bled to death if your mother wasn't there to patch me up."

"You were always my most difficult client, Hiru," his mother lamented.

"I'm doing better now, aren't I? I only get papercuts now." His father poked his mother's cheek with his bandaged finger, and though she batted his hand away, her lips formed a soft smile. Asuma continued flipping to the further back of the book, looking at photos of his brother's baby pictures, his parents on their wedding day, and his grandfather beside the Second Hokage with his little father in front of them. He couldn't help but notice that none of the Sarutobis he saw shared the same black hair on his head. He still held onto the thought when dinner was served, and his family was enjoying their meal.

"Where do I get my hair from?" Asuma suddenly asked. His father bit down on his chopsticks, and his mother choked on her drink while Isamu eyed their parents. “Everyone else has brown or light hair. Why not me?"

"Yeah, why is that Otosan?" Isamu questioned, and his father gave him an annoyed glance before looking at Asuma with a soft smile.

"You get your hair from my mother," his father said. "Your grandmother's black hair just happened to only pass on to you."

"I didn't see any pictures of her in the book."

"Yes, well, her photos are somewhere else."

"Oh… Is that why I only one nature release too?"

"What do you mean? You got an affinity for wind."

"Yeah, but you have all the natures, Tosan. Kaasan has three, and Niisan has five. Did Obaasan only have one nature release, too?"

"No, but there's always an oddball in the Sarutobi bloodline."

"And that's me?" Asuma deflated, and his mother jabbed his father's side.

"That's not a bad thing." His father clarified.

"Not at all," Isamu agreed. "Even though you can be a brat, you have the potential to be a powerful shinobi. I know you got that Sarutobi strength from how you fight." He nudged Asuma's shoulder.

"You make it sound like I'm as strong as you, Niisan," Asuma pouted.

"No, you're not, but I'll help train you to be."

"Really, or are you just going to beat me up?"

"I'll beat you up at first, but you'll be able to punch back soon enough," Isamu smirked and ruffled Asuma's black hair.

"If he's being too rough with you, let me know, Asuma," his mother said.

“I will, Okaasan,” Asuma smirked.

"Kami, you make it sound like I'll make him do one of Ojiisan's drills," Isamu scoffed. "I'll be nice… enough."

"I'll hold you to that." She smiled. "Otherwise, I think that's a wonderful idea."

"Yeah," Asuma grinned. "Soon, I'll be able to beat Tosan in arm wrestling."

"Pfft, don't get too ahead of yourself, boy," his father teased.

"You only say that 'cause you're scared."

"Scared? I'll beat you right now." He set his arm on the table.

"You're done, old man." Asuma tightly gripped his father's hand, and Isamu started the countdown.

"Do that after dinner, boys!" his mother chastised, bopping all her boys on the head, and the family laughed.

Asuma blinked away the memory of when he first heard about his grandmother's hair. He was sat in the dim-lighted corner of the Sarutobi estate's dusty storage room. His brown eyes locked on the black and white photograph in his hand. In it was a young boy, no older than ten, sitting in a grassy field, blankly staring into the camera. His father. Behind him sat a young man with battle scars peeking underneath his yukata and a barely passable smile on his lips. His grandfather. Beside the man was a young woman adorning shining jewelry and giving a contempt smirk to the camera, her light hair tight up with a jeweled flower pin.

"… Hello, Obaasan," Asuma muttered, his eyes burning. "Hate to meet you like this… Isamu must have already met you… Okaasan, too." He bit his quivering lip. "Can I really call her Okaasan?"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Dear Otosan,

          Miyako and I successfully reached Yugakure to help fend off some mercenaries targeting our friend. No different from a B-rank mission, so we'll be in and out. I'll update you then.

          Sincerely,

                   Sarutobi Isamu

…

… …

… … …

Dear Otosan,

          The mission is complete without a casualty on our end. We'll be heading home and bringing back souvenirs, so you have that to look forward to. That and us taking Konohamaru off your hands.

          Sincerely,

                   Sarutobi Isamu

          P.S. Make sure you wash Konohamaru's plushie from time to time. He likes teething on it. ~ Miyako.

…

… …

… … …

Dear Otosan,

          There'll be a delay in our return. Miyako and I had just passed Aoi Pond when we heard crying off the path, so we investigated. It was a little boy, Otosan. He was so weak and frail, lying in a bush. He's beaten and sliced all to hell, just waiting to die. He passed out soon after Miyako, and I took him to a nearby abandoned cabin to care for him. He only had dirty rags to keep him warm and clutched a broken, bloody dagger close to his chest. He probably used it to defend himself against whoever or whatever attacked him. He has too many old bruises and scars over his body, so he must have fought to escape something so awful.

          He's too weak to be moved, so Miyako and I will stay here until he's better. Hopefully, he can tell us who did this to him. I wouldn't mind Root's agents paying them an extended visit. I'll update you as soon as I can.

          Sincerely,

                   Sarutobi Isamu

…

… …

… … …

Dear Otosan,

          It's been a week since we started caring for the boy. It took a day for him to wake up, and he's mostly cognizant. He says his name is Hidan, and when we asked him where his parents were, he said, 'They left me by the river.' He must have been abandoned by his parents, or they willingly left him for others to harm him. Either makes me sick.

          We waited to ask what happened to him, and he said, "punishment for being unkind." I doubt any "unkindness" warranted the severity of his punishment. When asked who punished him, he said, "A band of liars wearing dead things." I haven't heard of any mercenary group out here wearing animal coats, but there very well is something sinister lurking deeper within these forests. When asked how he escaped them, he said, "I didn't. I fell asleep during my last punishment, and when I woke up, I was alone in the forest. Alone all over again." He must not remember fighting to escape. Or those bastards thought they killed him and tossed him out like trash.

Before he talked like he does now, he was dead silent. He only opened up to us when we fed him. He could hardly keep down a bowl of soup, but he still smiled. It's shocking that this boy could be so happy in his beaten state. He even started calling us 'Papa and Mama.' Miyako's already gotten too attached. Me too, if I'm honest. Once he gets better, we'll bring him home with us. That's one souvenir you didn't expect, Otosan? Don't tell anyone, though. Let's keep it a surprise. I'll update you when we head back.

          Sincerely,

                   Sarutobi Isamu

…

… …

… … …

Dear Otosan,

I know I'm updating so soon, but it's not for any good reason. Hidan isn't recovering. He gets sicker by the day and can hardly keep down a meal or a cup of water. I'll spare you details of his infected wounds. He must have been tortured much longer than I thought. His small body could only bear so much. I know he's dying. Miyako knows he's dying. Even the boy knows he can't hold on much longer. It hurt to hear him cry.

Miyako and I will stay with him until he passes. We'll give him a proper burial in Konoha. How can people be so evil, Otosan? To do this to such a little boy.

I'll update you when we're

 

I sorry         Dying

Miyako's gone      can't see              

The boy is    Only taste blood

 I love Konohamaru  I love

Kaasan

I love Asuma        I love Tosan

S o r  ry

 

Iruka finished reading Isamu's letters, eyeing the last portion crudely scribbled in dried blood.

"This is the letter you kept from them. I see why." Iruka set down the letters back in their folder on the coffee table.

"The boy didn't survive either?" Rin asked, sitting beside him on the sofa in the advising room.

"No, he didn’t. My agents collected his body along with Isamu and Miyako," Danzo straightforwardly answered.

"This is so horrible," Mitokado lamented, rubbing his eyes, sitting in his armchair beside Utatane. "Did you find who did this?"

"My agents did locate a group that matched the description who could have harmed the boy, but someone already dispatched of them before they could."

"What's keeping you from telling Hiruzen, Danzo?" Utatane asked. "There's something more awful than just this, isn't there?"

"Yes." The bandaged advisor pulled out another folder from the stack. "They weren't simply killed in action." He took out photographs and set them out on the table. Mitokado paled, adverting his eyes, while Utatane cursed under her breath. Iruka sensed Rin's disgust and anger in her flare of chakra.

It was a snapshot collection of a pair of blood-rusted knives stabbed into the wall to pin up hearts, blood symbols painted on the walls and floors, an upside-down triangle within a circle, and two rotting bodies laid out on their sides with their chests carved open and the boy laying between them on his back, staked through the chest with his dagger. Iruka took one look at the boy's dead eyes, and his heart painfully skipped a beat, strangled by dreaded sorrow.

"I believe they were the victims of a demonic sacrifice," Danzo calmly continued. "Would you agree with that assessment, Daigyo?" Iruka swallowed thickly, pulling himself together to properly examine the photographs.

"… Yes, I do."

"Do you know what demon this sacrifice is for? Whose symbol is scrawled on the wall?"

"I've never seen that symbol, no… But today, I was greeted by a yokai who spoke of a Blood God being in Konoha. Maybe he was referring to Isamu, Miyako, and Hidan's bodies being here. Their bodies would be hotspots for dark chakra infestation, being the victims of a bloody ritual like this."

"Will you be able to cleanse them? Restore their souls as you did with Sarutobi Emi?"

"… Yes, I can," Iruka ignored the doubts in his mind to answer.

"Good." Danzo thankfully filed back the gruesome photographs. "Now you all understand why this must be kept secret."

"Indeed," Utatane said, soothingly rubbing circles on her chest.

"What will we tell Hiruzen instead?" Mitokado asked, cleaning his foggy glasses.

"That they were ambushed by mercenaries at the cabin. The boy escaped only because Isamu and Miyako fought to their final breath to protect him, the brave shinobi they are. I'll rewrite Isamu's letter to mirror that. It'll still hurt to hear, but be easier to swallow."

"And we'll tell them after you rewrite the letter?" Iruka asked.

"No. We'll tell them after you complete the cleansing ritual so you can say their spirits are at rest. That'll be the true comfort in all of this. We'll give the boy his own private burial. Until then, I need you, Koharu, and Homura to make sure Hiruzen is occupied, busy with paperwork, or sharing a meal with you. He's been growing suspicious by the day, so you can't even hint that something is amiss. Can you manage that?"

"For Hiruzen, of course," Koharu said.

"We'll keep this secret no matter what," Mitokado said, putting on his glasses.

"I have a small team of Anbu agents waiting to aid you at the morgue, Daigyo," Danzo said, and Iruka nodded confidently.

"We won't keep them waiting any longer then."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Kakashi had seen many dead bodies throughout his career, growing numb with time, but two types of bodies managed to get under his skin. Familiar faces and civilian children. The three bodies on separate metal slabs met both criteria, keeping the white sheets over them. So, he already wasn't in the best mood when Team Yokai arrived. His sensitive nose wrinkled, stinging at the potent rotten chakra signatures that seeped into the room as the team approached. It was some of the most repulsive chakra to assault his senses, which rattled the primal parts of his being, a frigid chill raking his spine and fighting back a snarl that would have flashed his fangs.

"There's a new member on Team Yokai?" Tenzou asked, also unsettled by the chakra signatures.

"Yeah," Shisui said. "You two were out of the village when they did their official introduction."

"Team yokai is human?" Kakashi questioned Shisui.

"I know Daigyo is. They seem scarier than they are, promise."

"I'll see." Kakashi kept his arms crossed, eyeing the door as two members of Team Yokai entered.

"You'll be helping us?" who must have been Daigyo asked, surprised. He wore a silk black eye mask instead of the standard Anbu mask and respectfully bowed his head. "I'm Daigyo. It's my pleasure to be working with you all."

"Same," Kakashi dryly said, then looked at the kunoichi with a black dog mask rivaling his canine one. She also didn't smell too off from a beast herself.

"I am Kuroinu," She introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you all despite the tragic circumstances."

"You can call me Ryoken, and this is Neko," Kakashi said, still uptight. "How are you two going to help in this situation, and how are we supposed to help?"

"Since these three were involved with a sacrificial ritual," Daigyo started, "their bodies are infested with dark chakra, and their spirits are restless. I'm here to cleanse both so we can tell Hokage-sama and Asuma-san that their souls are at rest."

"And how can you do that?"

"With my doujutsu. I can use Aether chakra, which connects me to the unseen world of the dead. The summoning ritual for their spirits is always dangerous, especially in this scenario, but hopefully, there will be no physical threats for you all to handle."

"Sounds like a plan," Shisui said. "We'll let you get started."  Kakashi kept a close eye on Daigyo as he went to the first body, carefully pulling back the sheet. Isamu's body lay lifeless on the metal slab, deathly pale and semi-rotted, with his neck slit, eyes slashed, and chest carved open. Daigo frowned and shook his head as he took out a paper talisman and placed it on his neutral face, the white edges turning blood red. The Onmyoji signed Tastu, Hebi, and Inu to seal the talisman, and the body ignited in bright white flames that ate at the dead flesh. Though Kakashi couldn't sense any harmful intent from the fire.

"What are you doing?" Tenzou questioned, stepping to Daigyo, which made Kuroinu tense. Kakashi kept his eye on the kunoichi.

"These flames won't harm Isamu's body, only the dark chakra," Daigyo assured them, and sure enough, the body wasn't burned, but there was a low hissing as the flames crackled. Once the flames died down, Daigyo recovered the body and went to uncover the second. Miyako's body was similar to her husband's, except her eyes remained whole, blankly staring at the ceiling. Daigyo closed her eyes before sealing the talisman on her. Another somber shower of ivory flames reflected in Kakashi's eyes. Her body was gently recovered, and then Daigyo moved to the final one. His hand hesitated before pulling back the sheet to reveal the young boy's body, messy black hair thankfully obscuring his dead eyes, though there was nothing to hide the deep gash in his small chest.

"He's the worst of them, thrumming with dark chakra." Daigyo shook his head as he placed the talisman, which turned red like it had been soaked in blood. He lit the body aflame, and the fire violently burst into a writhing blaze that reached the sealing. It crackled and hissed like a wild animal, and Daigyo stepped back. The flames survived for a few chaotic breaths before suddenly extinguishing with a choking gasp.

"I'm guessing that's not a good sign?" Kakashi muttered.

"No, it's not," Kuroinu affirmed. "But we can continue the cleansing. Right, Daigyo-taichou?"

"… Yes, we can." Daigyo recovered the body with a shaky hand, and Kakashi huffed. "He doesn't know what he's dealing with, and neither do I. This'll be great." "We shouldn't do the summoning here. We'll move to my temple."

"You have a temple?" Tenzou quirked his head.

"We repurposed Uzumaki Mito's old temple," Shisui said. "Yeah, you've missed a lot."

"Why would the temple be a better place?" Kakashi inquired.

"Whatever infernal force has claimed their bodies," Daigyo started, "would make this morgue its own hell if summoned in such a grim place as this."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Asuma barged into the Hokage's lounge room, startling its older occupants who shared tea on a tatami.

"Nearly gave this old man a heart attack, Asuma," his father grouched but then looked at his son confused. "You look like you just rolled out of bed. Lost your hitai-ate?"

"… No, I'm just not working today," Asuma answered, running a hand through his undone black hair and pushing down his rising anger at his father's worried face. "Don't be so concerned now."

"Would you like to join us for tea, Asuma-kun?" Koharu asked, showing her cup.

"You look like you could use some relaxation," Homura added.

"How about a game of shogi, Otosan?" Asuma asked but went to get the board game shoved underneath stacks of paper anyway.

"I've got enough time in my break for a rematch," his father grinned as he set the board between them with Koharu and Homura watching on the side. "Think you can best me this time?"

"I'm certain," Asuma nearly growled, making the first move.

"Bold opening. Let's see if it pays off." Asuma played more offensively than usual, attempting to take down many of his father's pieces but failing to pass his defenses. "So aggressive today," his father muttered, taking his pawn. "Is something troubling you?"

"Why aren't you and Homura-san married, Koharu-san?" Asuma questioned, making the others gasp in surprise.

"That's uh, a personal matter, Asuma-kun," Homura stuttered, flushing beat red and glasses fogging up.

"There's never been a logistical reason for us to elope," Koharu explained, hiding her blush by sipping her tea. "We're best just how we are."

"Roommates?" Homura asked with a teasing smile.

"Yes, roommates."

"Why?" Asuma asked. "You love each other, don't you?"

"Back in our day, you didn't marry someone because you loved them," Koharu said. "It was always a tactical move to strengthen clan relationships, invent new powerful bloodlines or something or other."

"But there were always exceptions," his father loudly added, glaring at his advisors.

"Hmph, okay," Asuma huffed, watching another of his pieces fall. "Are Danzo-san and Kaira-san an exception, then?"

"Danzo wouldn't like me gossiping about his marital history," his father muttered, eyes glued to the board. 

"Oh, right, I already asked Kaira-san that question. You want to know what she said, Otosan?"

"She married Danzo for his infectious charm?" She did make a snide remark like that, but that wasn't the point he wanted to make.

"She said, 'He married me to revitalize his dying clan and introduce my Byakugan to the Shimura bloodline. I married him to break away from the Hyuuga clan and have influence over Anbu's upbringing. A loveless union, but a profitable one.' Practically an arranged marriage, I'd say."

"For it to be arranged the parents do the match making. Even if Danzo and Kaira share no love, they wanted to marry each other. So technically,” his father took his rook, “they are an exception.”

"So, you're an expert on arranged marriages. You must have had experience, Otosan. It's why you married Okaasan, 'cause Ojiisan told you to." 

"What gave you that idea, Asuma?" His father forcefully chuckled. "No one forced me to love your mother as dearly as I did."

"Not enough if you made me," Asuma growled.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" His father finally faltered, and Asuma claimed the first of his pieces before pulling the worn photograph from his pocket and slapping it down on the board.

"I found Obaasan. I don't have her hair, so whose do I have?" He bluntly asked and watched his father glare at the photograph as if it were the true liar here. "Biwako isn't my mom, is she?"

"… She is your mother at heart, Asu—"

"She's not my mom?!" Asuma cried out, his chest aching at words his heart already knew. "That demon was right. I'm a bastard Sarutobi."

"No, Asuma, it isn't like that. " His father tried calming him, but it did nothing to soothe his anger.

"Then what is it like? Did you go behind her back to have me, old man?"

"No, she knew it's just, ugh—" his father put a hand to his temple. "You shouldn't have found out like this."

"Were you ever planning on telling me?"

"… I'll tell you now," his father sighed, and Asuma clenched his pant leg in trepidation at what he was about to hear. "Yes, your mother and… Biwako and I had an arranged marriage orchestrated by my father and her mother. We didn't like it initially but eventually grew to have mutual companionship. We did love each other, just… never romantically. Instead of wallowing in pity, we decided that we could… see other people to fulfill the rest of our needs. She had hers, and I had mine. There wasn't any secrecy between us in that regard."

"… So, you knocked up a prostitute and made me?" Asuma mumbled in shock, struggling to take everything in.

"No, Asuka wasn't a night lady. She was a noblewoman who came with a group of ambassadors and high-class merchants from a neighboring village to make trade deals with Konoha. We took one look at each other, and something sparked like nothing I ever felt before. She found reasons to visit Konoha longer, and I found reasons to take her to private meetings. For years, it was like that." He faintly smiled. "We didn't intend to have children, but after the shock of hearing about her pregnancy, I was so excited for you, Asuma. Asuka was happy, too."

"I doubt everyone was happy."

"No," his father's smile faded. "Her clan head wasn't happy to hear she'd keep the child in Konoha. You were a power token to them, a child of the powerful Third Hokage. So, the night Asuka gave birth, they sent mercenaries to kill her and kidnap you. Biwako was able to rescue you, but Asuka… died protecting you."

"My biological mom is…" he couldn't finish the sentence. "Her clan didn't try to take me again?"

"Root never gave them that chance. Biwako and I decided to keep you. She would raise you as her own. We kept it a secret so you wouldn't feel like the odd one in the family. You were no different to us, to Biwako. She loved you no less, Asuma." His father reached out to him, but he pulled back.

"You lied to me, and… everyone else knew." He turned to Koharu and Homura. "You guys knew about this, didn't you?!"

"Yes," Homura muttered. "But—"

"I bet Isamu knows too, and everyone else while I'm walking around like a bastard idiot!" 

"Don't get yourself worked up. No one thinks you're an idiot, Asuma," his father tried reassuring him as if he had failed a test.

"My mom isn't my mom, and my brother isn't my full brother! Is that why he was so mean to me when I was little?"

"No, that's normal for all brothers. You're—"

"Overreacting?! My real mom's been dead this whole time! Don't you see how screwed up this is?!"

"It could've been worse," his father snapped back. "We could've given you up to Danzo when he offered to take you, let you be raised in Root."

"Maybe that would've been better! I wouldn't have a shitty father like you!" Asuma slammed his fist onto the shogi game, crushing the board and sending pieces flying. While his father was stunned silent, Asuma got up and stormed out of the lounge room as he heard shouts of his name. 

 

~ ✧ ~

 

There was a freezing air in his temple's main hall, but that wasn't what made Iruka's back crawl with chills as he set up for the summoning ritual, placing the seal tags on the three bodies within the circle of unlit candles connected by a string of black ink markings. The only light was from the sunlight peeking through the slip in the many window curtains and from the lit candle Rin held to help him. A strip of black cloth was placed over their faces, and four talismans were placed around the outside of the circle. The same spot where his Tenshigan failed to be sealed away would be where he'd use his doujutsu to free sacrificed souls from a demon's clutches.

"You're nervous about this yokai's power," Rin said as he stepped back out of the ritual ring.

"You sense the dark chakra from their bodies. This has to be an X-ranked deity of some kind. 'Blood God.'"

"Even if," she said, reassuringly placing her hand on his shoulder, "I'll still have your back." He put his hand over hers.

"Thank you."

"Are we starting soon?" The Hound questioned.

"Yes, I'm just about ready," Iruka answered. "I also haven't made a good impression on Ryoken. Hopefully, this ritual can fix that." "All of you be weary and keep your distance. I'll make this quick." Rin blew out the candle, and Iruka signed: Karasu. Cho. Yagi. "Aether Release: Corpse-Binding Summon jutsu, Sarutobi Isamu, Sarutobi Miyako, Hidan."

Iruka watched the shifting colors of the glowing seal tags with bated breath as the temperature plummeted in the already chilly hall and a tense, heavy air fell over them all. The seal tags glowed a deep blue for a moment, too dark to match the warning yokai's blue eye from this morning but glowed oh so much brighter. Strangely, however, Miyako's seal tag went dark, chakra flickering out, and Hidan's followed suit, his tether severed with a wrathful snap. Isamu's tag continued to glow, changing to bright purple before a deep blood red slowly consumed the light, swallowing it whole as the candles ignited with the same hellish red flame.

Iruka's heart stuttered, a voice in the back of his mind that stirred his guts telling him what a fool he was, as a malevolent heady chakra birthed from Isamu's corpse shooting out in a red torrent that bashed against the protective barrier in a violent burst. The three Anbu stepped back, on edge and ready to grab their weapons, while Rin bared her claws, tails ready to spring out at a moment's notice. The barrier held even as the barrier tags' ink started to bleed. The chakra suddenly retreated into Isamu's body, but the profane presence remained in the chilling silence that followed.

"What's happening, Daigyo?" the Hound questioned, breaking the uneasy quiet.

"… We have a visitor," Iruka said, heart in his throat. "It's not anyone kind."

"What then?" Neko asked, and Isamu breathed, a harsh, raspy sound that left his mouth as his rotten chest heaved. Iruka paled. "It possessed Isamu's corpse?!"

"Daigyo-san, that's not supposed to happen, right?" the Crow asked, his tanto drawn and crimson eyes burning behind his dark mask.

"No, but I have it under control," Iruka forced his voice to remain calm. "Keep your distance."

"Oh," a deep grating voice excitedly gasped with Isamu's mouth. "What's that smell?" His corpse started to jerk and twitch with a series of sharp cracks, fighting against the rigor mortis that bound it still. His corpse sat itself up on his elbows, head leaning back to face Iruka as the cloth fell from his face. "A wet bloody womb from Ikuna greets me so sweetly." Isamu's pale lips were stretched into a wide grin where dark ichor dribbled, grey tongue darting out, and his eyeless sockets burned with a pinprick light of a luscious purple. "Fuck, I know it'll taste so damn sweet, I'll be sloshed for days." It did nothing to hide its sick intent, the ill will searing itself into Iruka's mind as phantom touches from cruel hands raked over his body. He stepped back, hand over his cursed seal, and Rin stepped forward to meet him, growling. "And you've already birthed that snarling pet. I'll rip her up so nicely, she'll be begging to die again." A spark of anger flared in Iruka's chest, and he stepped closer to the ritual circle.

"Where is Isamu, Blood God? I didn't summon you."

"No?" the demon quirked Isamu's head, rolling his body onto his stomach to gradually stand up on rotten legs. "Isamu, Miyako. Scarified in my name. As such everything they owned belongs to me. Souls, minds," he flexed Isamu's fingers. "Bodies." He slowly shuffled toward Iruka, trailing a streak of dark gunk and ichor. "I could be kind and let you speak with them, but they're too busy screaming their lungs out."

"Release them, demon," Iruka demanded. "Or I'll make you pay dearly."

"Please do, make me bleed all over," the demon excitedly whined. "I'll ensure Isamu suffers it tenfold. You're damn asinine to think you can order me around, Yoji-kun. Hamura surely loves his puppets to think they’re indomitable before the likes of me."

"You know, Hamura-sama?" Iruka gasped. The demon reached the barrier, maintaining eye contact with the Tenshigan wielder.

"Very well, though he prefers to act like we're strangers. Like we never fed into each other's suffering." "This thing fought Hamura-sama. Hurt him?!"

"What… What are you?" The demon gleefully grinned, splitting the tender skin of Isamu's lips.

"Jashin." The barrier sharply screeched as the demon raked Isamu's cracked fingernails against it, leaving behind deep scratches. "That's the name I'll have you screaming when I put you down and rip into that bleeding hole you tease me with. I'll tear away all the shields you cover yourself with until you're a bloody mess on the floor, spilling secrets and entrails." His grinning mouth drooled with a dark red sludge, plopping on the floor. "Fuck, it'll be raw ecstasy."

"Enough talk!" Iruka gritted his teeth and weaved a pure flame jutsu, Isamu's body bursting into ivory flames that horribly hissed against the demon's dark chakra.

"Agh, it burns!" Jashin screamed in pain and stumbled back, protectively wrapping his arms around himself, hunching over. "How can you wound me so cruelly, Yoji-kun?! It just hurts," his back bubbled and writhed as an ear-splitting grin cut across his face, "So much!" His back split open with a wet rip and a splash of dark ichor as flesh and bone shot out in five distinct claws aimed toward every Konoha-nin at a frightening speed. The claws pierced through the barrier as if it were made of glass, and Iruka was pushed out of the way by Rin, who took the brunt of the attack. She was skewered through the heart and stomach and sent slamming back into the far wall from the force. "Don't think I forgot about you three animals!"

Iruka rolled to his feet, heart racing, and was horrified to see the Hound speared through the head and the Cat slashed across the neck. The Hound, thankfully, poofed into a wooden log with a puff of smoke, but the Cat continued to gurgle from the gushing wound in his neck, falling to his knees. The Crow had barely ducked under the initial attack but had yet to realize the claw arking around to attack from behind.

"Behind you, Karasu!" the Hound shouted from atop the second-floor banister, and the Crow raised his tanto to deflect the killing blow, but it veered to hook through his bicep, adding to the blood on the floor as he was yanked to the ground.

"Caught the birdy. Let's bleed you dry," Jashin happily laughed as he dragged the Crow toward him.

"Fire chains!" Iruka shouted, conjuring a collection of red-hot chains from his chest and arms to lash out and wrap Isamu's limbs, the base of his attacking claws, and neck. The Crow took the opportunity to yank the hook from his arm, taking a chunk of cloth and skin with it. Iruka pulled but must have tried moving a boulder as Jashin held firm, not giving an inch.

"That stings you, son of a bitch," Jashin clicked his tongue, the chains burning his peeling skin as he snatched one and yanked. Iruka stumbled forward from the force and only kept his balance by weaving an anchor seal to keep his feet planted.

"Summon, Release!" Iruka desperately tried breaking the séance, but the seal tag on Isamu's body rebelled, digging in its hooks to remain in the physical world. "I have to remove the seal tag manually," he explained through gritted teeth.

"Then we'll help tie this demon down," The Crow growled, crimson eyes flaring. "Amaterasu!" There was a sharp whistle and dramatic rise in temperature as abyssal ebony flames ignited from Isamu's body without a spark, birthing from his chest before clawing its way to swallow him whole. Jashin screeched in pain, the piercing sound bouncing off the walls as he attempted to beat out the obsidian blaze.

"Motherfucker!" He irefully hissed and sent out his fleshy claws to strike the Crow and Iruka. The ear-splitting crackle signaled the Hound's lighting jutsu, which he used to slice through the claws aimed at the Crow while Rin beat the claws for Iruka down with her tails.

"Mokuton," the Cat croaked, miraculously getting back to his feet, neck wound gradually stitching itself back together. "Smothering Binding Jutsu!" Iruka watched wide-eyed as branches formed from the Cat's arms to bind around Isamu's burning body, keeping his limbs restrained. The black flames retreated, and the Crow shouted:

"Now's your chance, Daigyo!"

"Go, we'll cover you," Rin said by Iruka's side. The Onmyoji didn't hesitate to break the anchor seal, dashing in and stepping into the ritual circle while the demon spat, and the Anbu fended off his attacks.

"Ending our meeting so soon, Yoji-kun?" Jashin spitefully laughed in Iruka's face. "Don't you want to talk to Isamu?"

"Your cruelty wouldn't allow such a thing." Iruka clawed off the seal tag, peeling the cursed thing back with a wet tear and setting it afire to Jashin's defeated wail. With the demon's anchor in the living world being ripped away, his dark influences retreated, claws rotting away, and Isamu's corpse spasming. When the vicious purple light fizzled out from his eyes, his body finally fell still, and the candles went out.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka and the Crow regrouped with the others back in the advising room, minus the Hound and the Cat, who finished their part in the mission. Iruka dragged his feet, though, the weight of his failure weighing on his shoulders and Jashin's cruel laugh echoing in his head.

"Don't put all the blame on yourself, Iruka-kun," Rin said. "Some forces we can't face yet."

"You did your best, Daigyo-san," the Crow assured him too, sensing his shame.

"My best can't free Isamu, Miyako, and Hidan, and led to you and Neko-san getting hurt."

"This is just a flesh wound. I'll get it looked at later." The Anbu waved away his wrapped arm, the blood from his injury already staining the bandages red.

"Still… The advisors will hate this mission report."

"I'll deliver the news then," the Crow offered as they reached the door. "This is a rough mission, but we must finish it. Keep your head up."

"Right," Iruka nodded, collecting his resolve as the Crow sent out a blip of his chakra signature, and Danzo responded with his own signature from within the room. They entered to find the three advisors waiting inside. Immediately, Iruka noticed that Mitokado and Utatane held a similar shame that he did.

"You're injured," was the bandaged advisor's first observation as the Anbu agent went and sat in the chair beside him.

"It's just a scratch, really— Ow!" The Crow yelped as Danzo reached over and pulled back the blood-soaked bandages that stuck to the large open wound.

"More than a scratch," the advisor scowled. "Don't lie to me. That goes for all of you," he scanned the ashamed faces in the room. "I have finished revising Isamu's final letter to deliver Hiruzen." He turned to Mitokado and Utatane. "Is Hiruzen still in the dark?"

"Yes, that's the good news," Mitokado said. "Hiruzen doesn't suspect anything."

"Then what is the bad news?"

"Well, uh, you see Asuma kinda… He learned…"

"Asuma confronted Hiruzen about Asuka during our tea break and had a nasty fight," Utatane finally got off her chest, and Iruka gasped.

"He found out about Asuka-san?"

"Today of all days for your mistakes to catch up to you, you old fool," Danzo grumbled. "Did their confrontation get physical?"

"No, thankfully," Mitokado answered. "Asuma broke the shogi board, and that was it. Hiruzen sent us away before we could talk to him, and then practically locked himself in his office. We tried checking on Asuma, but he's also locked away in his room. He let Kurenai in, but I don't know how much she can help."

"We should delay the news about Isamu and Miyako," Utatane said. "Save the tragedy for another calmer day."

"No, we can't wait," Danzo argued. "We'll be letting them get better just to throw them back into despair, and either of them could find us out given more time. It's best for only one day to be the worst, not two." He then turned to Iruka and the Crow. "Were you successful with the cleansing ritual?"

"Um…" Iruka couldn't find his voice.

"It was unsuccessful, Danzo-dono," the Crow said. "The demon they were sacrificed to has a hold of their spirits and outranked our current abilities. Though, we successfully ended the séance before harm could be done." He glanced at his tender arm. "More harm, at least. Perhaps in the future, we can try again when we're more capable."

"… So be it," Danzo sighed, biting his lip hard enough that Iruka saw a drop of red.

"I'm so sorry," Iruka apologized. "I tried, but I couldn't even sense their spirits, only that wicked blood god that called himself Jashin. I'll do more research on him and improve myself to free them one day. I swear that."

"We'll see," the advisor mumbled, unconvinced. "Still, you will assure Hiruzen that their spirits reached the Pure Land."

"… I will. When should we tell him?"

"We'll tell him now, and Koharu and Homura will tell Asuma."

"What do I need to do?" the Crow asked.

"Let Kaira tend to your wounds and then go as you please. You've completed your portion of the mission."

"Hm, I got the easiest part," the Crow sighed. "Good luck to you all."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen was a fool. Today, he proved how true that was. He knew Asuma would learn the truth one day, not so hastily though, and when it was time to console him, he made it worse. Burying himself in paperwork couldn't distract from the heavy rock of guilt that settled in the pit of his gut, weighing him down. "This'll be my worst mistake. Asuma probably feels so defeated, poor boy. I know he doesn't want to see me now or for a while. Hopefully, Isamu can console him when he gets back. He'll be upset with me too, but all that matters is that he can help Asuma… Bet you're enjoying all this Tosan, wherever the hell you are." A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and he reached to sense Danzo and Iruka, in his Onmyoji form, behind the door. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or ashamed.

"Come in," he said, pretending to fill out a form and listening to his two guests enter. "Let me guess, you heard about Asuma and I's fight today."

"Homura and Koharu informed me, yes," Danzo said without a hint of smugness, to Hiruzen's surprise.

"Hmph, where's the 'I told you so.' I know you've been holding that in for years."

"I have, but that isn't what we're here to discuss."

"Then what?" He looked up, watching Danzo sit on the couch while Iruka sat on the adjacent one, his head hanging low and anxiously hunched on the armrest. "Are you okay, Daigyo? What's wrong?" Iruka didn't look at him or respond.

"You should sit here, Hiru-kun." Danzo patted the space beside him, and Hiruzen's instincts revolted, telling him this wasn't right. A freezing dread inexplicably took over him.

"… Okay." He reluctantly set down his pen and got up from his desk to sit beside his advisor, the couch much kinder to his back than his desk chair. He sighed deeply. "You have bad news for me." He deduced.

"I do," Danzo affirmed, making his heart sink. He glanced at Iruka, and the chuunin immediately looked down to the floor. Hiruzen sighed.

"I'm ready."

"When you mentioned you didn't receive Isamu's letter, I sent out a couple of agents to check on them at their last known location. They found their cabin, and" his advisor pulled out a scroll from his robes, dirty and speckled with dried blood, "Isamu's final letter." He held it out, but Hiruzen forced himself to take it. He found his hands shaking as he opened the scroll.

Asuma laid down on his bed, trying to focus on the beautiful setting sun outside of his window and Kurenai's soothing rubbing on his back to distract himself from the turmoil eating at his insides.

"Maybe that's why Tosan was always 'too busy' to spend time with me growing up," he quietly mumbled, "he didn't want to be seen with the bastard son."

"I don't think he sees you like that, Asuma," Kurenai tried to assure him. "I certainly don't see you that way. And neither will Isamu."

"Hm, I'm sure this is what he wanted to talk to me about. Lucky for him, he won't have to break the ice." There was a knock at the door, and Asuma groaned. "Shouldn't you still be working, Otosan?"

"It's us, Asuma-kun," Koharu calmly said. "We need to speak with you."

"If my dad sent you, I don't want to hear it!"

"We're terribly sorry about your revelations today, but we're not here for that," Homura said. "We have news about Isamu and Miyako. Very important news." Asuma heard the stress in his tone, and he immediately got up to open the door.

"What do you mean?" he questioned, his heart racing as adrenaline kicked in. "Is it bad?"

"You should sit down." Koharu gestured to the bed, and Asuma sat back beside a concerned Kurenai while the advisors shut the door and sat down on the tatami before him.

"What happened? Is Isamu okay? Miyako?" Asuma questioned, gripping Kurenai's hand.

"You know their mission is taking longer than anticipated," Koharu started, "and because of that, Anbu agents were sent to their last known location, a cabin by Aoi pond. There they found Isamu, Miyako, and a letter. We made a copy for you." She pulled a scroll from her sleeve and held it out to Asuma. Though he had been begging for answers, he found that his hands couldn't reach the scroll, heavy as boulders.

"Kurenai," he mumbled, pleading. Kurenai grabbed the scroll and placed it in his hands, helping him open it when he was too hesitant.

Dear Otosan,

I know I'm updating so soon, but it's not for any good reason. We were just ambushed by those bastards who hurt the boy so sickly. Don't worry about him. He's recovered nicely and escaped from all the death. I hope to Kami he's safe. Let that prove Miyako and I's final mission had meaning, not the result of some curse. She's already fallen asleep, and I'm tired too. I'm sorry I can't stay awake.

Tell Konohamaru Miyako, and I love him when he's older. I love you, Asuma. You're my brother. I still love Kaasan. I love you too, Otosan. I'll miss you, all of you. I'm so sorry.

Love,

            Sarutobi Isamu

"My son… Don't be sorry. You were brave." Hiruzen sighed heavily, his chest painfully aching as he rolled the scroll back up. He stared at the ground, feeling too numb to move, and let a frigid silence settle.

"Isamu's… dead?" Asuma didn't believe the words uttered from his mouth.  

"Daigyo ensured that Isamu and Miyako reached the Pure Lands," Koharu softly assured.

"No. Iruka shouldn't have to do that."

"I know it's painful, Asuma-kun," Homura said, gently taking the scroll from him and holding his hand. His glasses fogged with tears. "Take your time."

"No, that's not right." I love you, Asuma. Asuma shook his head as if he could dispel the scroll's words from his mind. "He's coming home. Like he always does. He's an Anbu!"

"He was more than just an Anbu," Koharu sighed, teary-eyed as she patted his knee. You're my brother.

"Why die now?!" He angrily questioned. "There are more missions for him to do! He's gotta kid to raise! He—" his voice faltered with the onset of terribly burning tears. "I wanted to talk to him," he softly cried, burying his grief-stricken face in his hands.

"Oh, Asuma," Kurenai sniffled, hugging onto him. Asuma held to the warmth of all those around him, though he still clung to his brother's last words to him like a lifeline. I love you, Asuma. You're my brother.

"… Do you know if the boy is safe?" Hiruzen softly asked, gently breaking the silence.

"Yes," Danzo answered. "A family from Yugakure took him in. He'll be given a better life."

"See, it wasn't in vain… Where are Isamu and Miyako now?"

"We already transferred their bodies back to Konoha. Before coming to you, I had Daigyo do a summoning to—"

"Did they make it?" Hiruzen questioned, finding the strength to raise his head to Iruka. "Did they reach the Pure Lands?" After a breath, Iruka finally looked at him, wearing a solemn smile.

"… Yes, Sandaime-sama, they both did."

"Ha, so everything's good then," Hiruzen weakly chuckled. "Thank you, Daigyo-san."

"Yes, thank you, Daigyo," Danzo thanked. "You may leave."

"I'm so sorry, Sandaime-sama," Iruka apologized, deeply bowing his head.

"It's okay, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen managed a soft smile to reassure the chuunin. "Everything will be okay." He watched the solemn Iruka leave his office, watching the door close. "Everything's okay."

"There's no need for a mask now," Danzo calmly said.

"I am happy. Isamu's at peace."

"Hiruzen," his friend put a hand on his shoulder, expression soft. "You don't have to be the Hokage at this moment."

"I… I should be happy… He's at peace…" Hiruzen's lip quivered, and the memory flashes of his little boy started to go blurry from the tears in his eyes. "My brave Isamu." He stifled a cry by biting into his hand, the sting nothing compared to the grieving shock ravaging his heart as he hunched over in agony. He felt a warm, soothing hand rub his back while his body was wracked with abandoned sobs. "My Isamu!"

Chapter 20: ฿ⱠØØĐ ₣ØⱤ ₮ⱧɆ ฿ⱠØØĐ ₲ØĐ

Summary:

It’s a rainy day for the Sarutobis funeral, and Iruka fears his umbrella isn’t wide enough to shield everyone from the downpour.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Dear Uma-sensei,

          I hope everything is going well in Teitetsu. As for me, it's a mixed bag. For every successful exorcism, there's a great evil that I'm useless to confront. Recently, people I care for have been sacrificed in a ritual to the "Blood God, Jashin," and I can't free them from his grip. His symbol is a circle with an upside-down triangle inside. He is an X-ranked yokai. I had never heard about this deity until this tragedy, and hadn't found any information on him in Konoha's archives. I ask if you have any information. Jashin mentioned that he crossed paths Hamura-sama in the past, though he could've been lying. I'm not sure.

          Please, contact me as soon as possible. Thank you for your time, Uma-sensei.

          Best Regards,

                   Onmyoji Daigyo

Iruka sealed his letter and sent it away on the back of a grey dove from his temple office, watching it fly away and melting into the dark grey clouds drifting over Konoha.

"Looks like we'll get rain today, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, looking out the window from where he read a picture book on the tatami.  "We should go play in the rain, see who can make the biggest puddle splash!"

"Not today, Naruto-kun," Iruka gently declined. "I have to prepare for the funeral soon, but… I'll take you swimming instead, how about that?"

"Swimming?" the blonde boy pouted, unsurely. "I've never really done that before, but I'll do it if it makes you happy, Iruka-sensei!"

"Oh," Iruka softly gasped. "He's trying to lift my spirits. Sweet boy." "I can teach you how to swim. I'm a good swimmer myself."

"Really?! That'd be awesome! You have to promise that."

"I promise I'll teach you how to swim, Naruto-kun." Iruka tiredly smiled at the boy's bright grin, a delightful sight he needed before facing Isamu's and Miyako's corpses.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Asuma sat curled up on the armchair of Kurenai's personal study, staring out the window at the rolling storm clouds and mindlessly tapping his fingers on the cup of tea Shinku had made for him. He listened to Kurenai taking notes at her desk, surrounded by fuuinjutsu study books and barrier scrolls. It was a casual arrangement where Asuma could relax while Kurenai worked on her studies. However, the Sarutobi couldn't enjoy the mundanity when his heart still ached and his body was painfully numb. He knew today would be the worst day, but he hoped his eulogy could make up for that.

There was a gentle knock on the door before Shinku poked his head inside the study.

"Morning," the Yuhi head softly greeted. "How's everything going?"

"I'm about done here, Otosan," Kurenai said.

"I'm fine," Asuma muttered.

"Well, we must leave in the next hour, so you should get ready soon." Shinku paused. "Grab an umbrella if you don't want to get wet."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

It began raining as soon as Iruka reached the funeral service, a gentle drizzle he didn't notice until a rain droplet landed on his scarred nose. All the major clans were present to support the Hokage, and a massive crowd was collecting to mourn. He found his usual group of friends was joined by a familiar face. He greeted Yuugao with a tight hug and said:

"I'm so sorry to meet you again like this, Yuugao-chan."

"I've been busy," Yuugao replied. "But we really should meet more often. Then there'll be nothing for you to be sorry for." He tried taking her reassurance to heart when he joined the Sarutobis at the head of the crowd, but faltered seeing the crestfallen face of Asuma and the solemn one of the Hokage. He hugged Asuma and was suddenly weighed down by a crushing guilt, inexplicably blurting:

 "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"No, you've done enough, Iruka-kun," Asuma mumbled, holding Iruka tightly. "So be sad, not sorry."

"… Right." The chuunin bit his tongue to keep from saying anything more and falling back in line. He internally flinched when he felt a hand on his back and realized Danzo was standing beside him, leaning close to his ear.

"Good," the advisor complimented his lies. "You're protecting them as you should."

"Still… I feel sick."

"Once you see them smiling again, you won't." Iruka sighed at that but kept silent, listening to the quiet patter of rain and the Sarutobi's eulogies. The Hokage maintained his composure for his speech, monotone, and the brim of his hat tipped low to shield his eyes. Asuma kept his solemn brown eyes locked onto the photograph of his older brother and sister-in-law for most of his speech until he reached the latter half.

"The last time I talked to my brother, he left me with the choice to take a great responsibility, and honestly, I didn't think I could take it. But, if Isamu's sacrifice taught me anything, it's that Konoha's king is worth giving your life for. Though I'm not sure who that is, and I want to find out…" Asuma turned his eyes to the crowd, to his father. "I'll be leaving Konoha to join the Twelve Guardian Shinobi," Asuma said, nothing more, going back to stand silently with the rest of his clan. The Hokage's shocked eyes told Iruka that he wasn't the only one surprised by the big news.

The drizzling rain increased in intensity to a passive pour when the coffins were carried to the cemetery, umbrellas popping open to shield from the downpour. Iruka noticed that the Uchiha head was shielding his wife and young son from the rain and held back to give them a gift once they reached the cemetery.

"Here you are, Fugaku-san," he offered. "I don't mind the rain." He smiled, and the Uchiha head nearly looked offended.

"Thank you kindly," the mother said, smiling as she took the umbrella. Then she looked down at her younger son, the boy clinging to Itachi's hand beside him. "What do you say, Sasuke?"

"… Thank you," Sasuke sheepishly muttered, hiding his face in Itachi's arm. Iruka went to rejoin the Sarutobis where Isamu's and Miyako's coffins were being lowered into their graves, but something dark in the distance caught his eye. Something that made his spine shiver and hairs raise on end in alarm. He broke off from the mourning crowd and headed closer to the tall entry archway, letting the rain soak his clothes and run down his face as he eyed the large, dark figure perched on a tall standing building. The shape was vaguely avian, though he was unsure. He was sure, however, that the stunning blue gleam that cut through the pouring rain belonged to the yokai who intruded on his home days earlier, who warned him of the "Blood God's" arrival.

"Him again," Iruka gritted his teeth, anger rising.

"… Iruka-kun, I think I know why he's so familiar," Rin wearily said, her voice ringing with dread. He wasn't as enormous then, but he's visited Konoha before… to feast."

"When was that?" Iruka asked, a droplet of rainwater dribbling from his lip.

"The night the Kyuubi attacked." The drop landed in Iruka's mouth and spited his tongue with an awfully saline, coppery taste. Still, his disgust was overshadowed by the overwhelming horror of the sudden blanket of cruel chakra that fell with the cursed rain and seized the air with sadistic glee.

"We have to get everyone out of here."

…

… …

… … …

"I didn't know you were accepted to be a part of the Fire Daiymo's personal guard," his father calmly said as they trudged through the damp grass of the cemetery to Isamu's and Miyako's final resting place, Asuma not sparing him a glance.

"Yeah, I wanted it to be a surprise," Asuma muttered back and walked ahead of his father, not bothering with an umbrella to hide from the rain.

"Did any of you know about this?" He heard his father question.

"I heard about the offer for Isamu, but I didn't know that it was extended to Asuma as well," Danzo answered.

"This is as much of a surprise for you as it is for us," Kaira said.

"Being invited to join the Twelve Guardian Shinobi is a high honor, though," Koharu added, and Homura hummed in agreement. His father grumbled something in reply before going silent, and the silence remained as the pair of coffins was lowered into the holes in the ground before the engraved tombstones. Once the coffins reached the bottom, but before the graves could be filled in, Asuma noticed the first red drops dotting Isamu's ivory coffin. He watched intently as they were joined by many more, running down to form a runny, misshapen triangle that stained the wooden surface. He heard the crowd around him start questioning the crimson rain as the red spread, raining into the grave, painting the grass, and coating his exposed skin, watching it run down his upturned palm. A pungent, briny stench filled the air and invaded his lungs with every breath.

"What the hell?" his father quietly cursed, noticing the red stains gathering on the ends of his Hokage robe.

"Am I seeing this right?" Homura asked, adjusting his glasses and huddling closer to Koharu underneath their shared umbrella.

"I see it too," she confirmed. Danzo reached out his bandaged hand from his and Kaira's umbrella, letting a couple of crimson drops stain his bandages so he could inspect them closer.

"This is…" the advisor trailed off, golden eye widening. Asuma looked up, horrified at the dark red rain clouds above, giving the world a harsh red tint.

"Blood." He said, the salty taste clinging to his tongue. An uneasy panic swathed through the crowd at the horrific realization, most clinging to their umbrellas like a lifeline, but Asuma didn't move, too attached to the sight of his brother's and Miyako's grave being filled in by the blood rain.

"Get over here, Asuma!" His father chastised and hurriedly tugged his arm to pull underneath the umbrellas his bodyguards held up. "We don't know if it has any harmful effects." He cleaned Asuma's face with a dry part of his robe before turning to the bandaged advisor.

"What is going on? Are we under attack?"

"… I believe so," Danzo answered. We need Daigyo's assistance. "He turned to where Iruka should have been and found empty space. His scowl deepened. “Where is he?" The answer to his question came from underneath the earth, Iruka suddenly poking his head up from the bloody dirt. "No, that's not Iruka."

"Get out," Akuri hurriedly blurted, with Iruka's face, pulling the rest of himself out from the earth. "You need to tell everyone to get out right now, civilian, shinobi, Anbu, all of them. It's not safe here."

"What's happening?" Asuma questioned. "Why today?"

"X-ranked haunting, possession probably." The brief answer didn't help him understand much better, but he understood the severity of the situation through Akuri's tone. "You have to leave through the main gate. Daigyo and Kuroinu are making an opening there for everyone to escape."

"Taichou," the Hokage called out, and the Anbu commander appeared before him.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Help guide the crowd to the main exit. Be fast but keep them calm."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." The commander left to make an announcement to the concerned crowd. "We will cut the funeral service short due to the peculiar weather conditions. Everyone, regardless of rank, calmly leave through the main entrance. Everything will be explained later after we investigate. Thank you." Questionable whispers and chatter stirred in the crowd but gradually moved toward the exit. Akuri left as well to help manage the crowd.

"You and Kurenai go ahead, Asuma," His father said. "We won't be far behind."

"Or we could go ahead with them," Homura suggested and earned a glare from Danzo.

"Come on, Asuma," Kurenai said, grabbing a spare umbrella from Raido and his arm, ready to leave.

"… Asuma," the whisper crawled into his ears, and Asuma anchored his feet in the dirt, staring at his brother's grave. The blood rain had filled it to the top, creating a deep puddle of crimson that rippled and echoed whispers from a brotherly voice. "Stay."

…

… …

… … …

"What is the first step in exorcising any haunting ranked higher than A, Iruka-kun?"

"It is putting up protective barriers to keep anyone else from entering the haunted area, Uma-sensei."

"Correct. What if there are potential victims already present?

"Then the first step is finding a weak point in the yokai's influence to form an exit barrier for them to escape."

"Correct. Why is it so important to get them out?"

"It not only keeps them from harm, but it leaves the yokai without any potential vessels to possess or souls to claim."

"Correct. The more people in harm's way, the more difficult this first step will be, but it is necessary. You'll be leaving them to be trapped in a nightmare without escape."

Iruka ran away from the crowd and through the bloody rain, using the confusion to pull out a small scroll containing his Onmyoji uniform and switching clothes with a jutsu. He bit his thumb, his blood mixing with the rain, and summoned Rin and Akuri as he reached the entry gateway.

"The Blood God's back?!" Akuri exclaimed, fighting his panic. "Didn't you two break the connection?"

"We thought we did," Rin said, the rain dancing off her black dog mask, "But this demon has buried his hooks into the living world deeper than we thought. And now there’s no temple to contain his dark influences."

"He did say he faced Hamura-sama," Iruka said, eyeing the division where it rained natural water on the other side of the cemetery's gate and where blood rain started inside. "That's not a lie anymore." He reached out past the gate to touch the clean water, but was stopped by the blood rain, a barrier forming to keep the Blood God's victims trapped. He started feeling for a weak spot. "Isamu's and Miyako's bodies are most likely his vessels. I should have burned them." The blood barrier faltered in the dead center of the entryway. He then placed three barrier tags on the two posts of the gate and its top arch. He returned to the center point and weaved a jutsu. "Aether Release: Liberating Egress!" He pushed against the weak spot as the barrier tags glimmered golden, a small hole forming, but struggling to grow wider. Iruka gritted his teeth, funneling more chakra to force back the Blood God's will and make a proper exit. It widened, slowly, but surely.

"Akuri, tell the Hokage we must get everyone out of here. I'll have the exit ready by then. We're dealing with an X-ranked haunting. Hurry!"

"On it!" Akuri sank underneath the earth, traveling to the Hokage underground.

"Told you… You've damned everyone… again."

"Quiet," Iruka growled, straining as he made the hole as big as a door. It needed to be bigger to better manage the crowd; otherwise, they'd trample over each other with a one-person doorway.

"One can break Jashin's barrier… It would not be all too challenging… for me."

"Shut up!" Iruka forcibly widened the exit, making it nearly four doors wide, and had to strain to maintain it, the barrier tags fighting to stay golden despite the crimson rain drenching them. "You'll probably want to share the 'spoils' with the Blood God. You won't possess me again."

"You cannot break Jashin's tether on your own… I will let you see for yourself."

"Whatever you say, Usotsuki," Rin brushed the demon off before he went quiet. "We can do this, Daigyo. Have faith."

"Right." Iruka nodded and saw that the tense crowd was finally coming toward the exit. "Please, come this way!" he called out, directing them to the wide hole in the barrier. Heading the crowd were cautious but somewhat grateful civilians who had been at the back of the funeral service.

"Will everything be okay?" Teruchi asked him when he passed by, the ramen chef holding his umbrella in one hand and cradling his frightened daughter in the other.

"Yes, Teruchi-san," Iruka assured him, hiding the strain from the exit jutsu. "Keep moving, plea—" There were distant screams and shouts coming from further inside the cemetery, along with a terrible thrum of chakra from an all too sadistic deity. "He's here!" Iruka sensed the panic sweeping through the civilians, and they started to rush, pushing against each other to escape through the exit, splashing in the freshly formed blood puddles. Those trying to leave through the blood rain halted. Iruka dashed to one of the gate's posts and flooded the barrier tag of chakra, widening the exit to reach the end and allowing more civilians to go through without nearly crushing each other, tension gnawing at his head, like needles digging painfully into his back.

"No, that isn't chakra strain!" Iruka's eyes widened at the blood rain piercing his skin like fine needles, painfully digging into his flesh.

"Daigyo!" Rin exclaimed and covered him with her body, leaning over him, and used her tails to swat at the needle rain above the crowd as the blood pierced through their umbrellas. Mothers threw themselves over their children and fathers over them to shield them. The shinobi and Anbu in the crowd were using barrier jutsus to defend against the spitting rain, but quickly shattering under the weight of it. Needles in his hands, Iruka drew in dark chakra from the air around him to fuel his reserves before weaving a jutsu.

"Golden Spring Shield!" A golden barrier that looked like it was made of sunshine spread high over a massive chunk of the cemetery, sparing them from the blood rains onslaught as it thundered against the barrier, building up in heavy puddles or running off the sides. Now, the strain he felt was definitely from maintaining multiple jutsus at once, but he pushed on. "Go help the others, the yokai's targeting, Kuroinu," Iruka ordered. "I'll keep the defenses up here until everyone is out safe. Then I'll join you."

"On it!" She barked and dashed away to face the cause of the bloody downpour. Iruka, on the other hand, went to assist those injured in the crowd, including pulling out blood needles from the Akimichi clan head's back and helping the Hyuuga head and his wife to their feet. He wasn't alone in doing so.

"Come on, hurry up, Mizuki-kun!" Akuri hauled the dazed Mizuki to his feet, passing him to Tsubaki to hold steady.

"You're not coming?!" Mizuki questioned, white hair dyed red.

"Some of my students are here. I have to get them out. Go on, I'll be right behind you guys."

"You better keep your word," Izumo pleaded more than threatened, helping the pin cushioned Kotetsu toward the exit. Iruka pushed through the gnawing ache to help anyone he could, rumbling from the rain crashing against his barrier rattling his bones.

…

… …

… … …

"Don't leave me, Asuma," his brother's voice called to him from the grave, the blood bubbling with popping bubbles. While everyone stepped back, Asuma remained still, watching a shaky hand rise from the bloody puddle, claw into the dirt, and pull. A second hand joined the first before a head broke the crimson surface, purple eyes peering up at him.

"… Isamu?" Asuma breathed, mind reeling at seeing his brother slowly crawling out from his grave, his ceremonial yukata dyed a rich red and drenched.

"Yes… It's me."

"Why… why are you here? Like this?"

"You don't know?" Isamu almost chuckled, biting back a smile as he pulled himself halfway out, weak arms shaking. "Our hearts were gifts for the most wicked thing… Someone must have lashed you with an untruthful tongue…" Asuma didn't know if he felt angry at the realization he'd been lied to when his body was so numb with shock. "It hurts so much… being with him," Isamu whimpered, collapsing into the damp earth, lip quivering as he reached for Asuma. "You can't leave me alone." Asuma's hand flinched, and Isamu's forearm flew as Danzo's wind blade sliced it cleanly before it could reach the Sarutobi. Isamu cried and screamed, holding his sliced arm to his sewn shut chest as it spewed a brackish red sludge.

"That's not Isamu!" Danzo pulled Asuma back. "Don't fall for its pathetic act. It's a liar." Whatever wore Isamu’s face stopped crying in a breath, lips settling in a tight frown and eyes narrowing to piercing daggers sharpened with ire as he slowly turned his head to the advisor.

"No more pathetic than you, motherfucker!" He vehemently spat, suddenly having the coordination to sit up, the flesh of his sliced arm reknitting itself to stunt the blood flow. Miyako's blood-filled grave gushed like a geyser as Miyako herself burst forth, cackling with glee. She and the geyser crashed into the bandaged advisor with a bone-crunching boom, and Asuma fell back to not be sent back with them, raking across the cemetery. He could hear cries and uproar from the crowd behind him, but all he could focus on was his brother standing in front of him, wearing a grin he'd never seen stretched across his face before.

"Now, how about some brotherly bonding, Asuma?"

"Get back!" Genma spat his senbon at the living corpse as the trio of bodyguards leaped in to defend. Isamu's body easily dodged the attacks, jumping back to stand on Isamu's tombstone. Asuma was hauled to his feet by Kaira and pushed back behind the line of Konoha-nin that came to their defense.

"You good, Asuma?" Kakashi asked, soaked hair painted red.

"… I don't know," Asuma muttered, numb.

"Don't be disheartened, friend," Gai flashed a brilliant smile that drowned out the rain. "You're not alone here."

"Never alone, Asuma," Kurenai held his hand, her eyes as red as the blood staining her cheeks.

"You lot are much feistier than the ninjas I last slayed, to stand against me like this without Tsuki's dogs." The demon hummed and grinned wider, clasping his hands together. "Spit as many needles as you want at me, fuckers." A wave of sadistic chakra emanated from him, and pain sprang across Asuma's body as the rain took on a sharp edge, slicing him like a spray of needles. Asuma gritted his teeth but still grabbed Kurenai to shield her from the onslaught, back burning with pins and needles. His ears rang, and he felt every pulse of his racing heart, so focused on keeping composed that he almost didn't notice when the rain stopped.

"Are you okay, Asuma?" Kurenai asked, getting up from the ground.

"Not dying," Asuma mumbled, body aching, and cautiously looked up, eyes widening at the golden barrier above, protecting them all. It shone so brightly and glittered like rays of morning sunlight. "Iruka-kun! That's right, he's fighting too, against this damn monster. And he wants to do it all by himself to spare us." "Not a chance," he growled and stood up, shaking off the blood needles before helping Kurenai up. He cracked his knuckles. "We'll soften this asshole up for you, Daigyo."

…

… …

… … …

Shisui didn't need the Anbu's announcement to know something was wrong when he noticed the first drop of red on his skin, its pungent saline scent stinging his nose. He had a good idea of what could have been behind the downpour of blood that rained down upon the mourning party. Still, he kept calm and walked the rest of the Uchihas toward the exit.

"What's happening, Niisan?" Sasuke worriedly asked, clinging to his older brother's side underneath the umbrella, trying to avoid puddles of blood.

"I'm not sure, Sasuke. But don't cry," Itachi gave a soft, reassuring smile, and picked up Sasuke to put him on his back, out of any puddle's reach. "I'll keep you dry."

"You boys still need baths, though," Mikoto said, keeping a close eye on her sons. "You'll track dirt all over the tatami again."

As Shisui scanned over the crowd for any signs of danger. Fugaku leaned in close to him, voice barely above a whisper.

"Do you know why the sky is bleeding, Shisui-kun?" he questioned.

"I have an idea," Shisui whispered back inconspicuously. "Isamu and Miyako's deaths are more tied to demonic workings than the official reports let on. I assume the entity involved in their untimely ends is at work now."

"And you didn't inform me of this because?"

"Because I thought the problem was solved. Yes, the séance the Omnyoji conducted on the Sarutobis was less than successful, but the demon was sent back to whatever pit it crawled out of. I thought, at least." Shisui upturned his lip in frustration. "Apologies, Fugaku-san. I thought telling you about an issue that didn't exist anymore would give you more stress you didn't need."

"Your concerns are appreciated, however, don't—" A cracking boom and rumbling of a familiar malevolent chakra cut Fugaku off. They made Shisui snap his head in the direction of the commotion. "He's really back!" Panic and unease stirred within the crowd as they picked up their pace, but Shisui stopped heading for the exit, shutting his umbrella and letting the rain kiss his skin.

"What are you doing, Shisui?" Fugaku questioned and grabbed the arm that the demon had injured previously, making it sting. The clan head eyed his pained expression suspiciously. "Since when did you injure your arm?" He asked one moment, and then his eyes narrowed the next as he put the pieces together. "You've already been harmed by this monster."

"Yes, and that's why I have to help!" he argued. "No one knows how truly nasty this thing is, and it'll make Daigyo's job harder if this demon starts massacring people. I won't let it!" He broke free from Fugaku's grip and dashed out of the rushing crowd toward the commotion, the rain drowning out Fugaku's shouts. He heard cackling and struggling grunts in the distant parts of the cemetery, and activating his Sharingan to cut through the downpour, eyes widening as he sensed the usually reserved and controlled signature flaring like a wildfire fighting for its life.

Danzo was pinned on his back with Miyako on top of him, her decayed face contorted into a malicious grin and eyes burning the same purple as Isamu's possessed body had as she bit into his right arm, easily tearing through the bandages to gnaw away at the flesh like a starved animal. His other arm was too busy attempting to keep her clawing nails away, hissing in pain when they dug into his chest and raked down, tearing apart cloth and flesh alike.

"I'll get you screaming, cocksucker!" She growled through a mouthful of his eaten arm in a voice that was too cruel to be hers. Shisui pressed forward and unsheathed his tanto, the demon's eyes flickering over to him just as his blade kissed her neck. She leapt back, but her blood still stained the air as the Uchiha nearly sliced her head from her shoulders, her head rolling lopsided, held on by the remaining muscles and ligaments. She spewed a string of curses as she tried to right her head.

"Are you okay, Danzo-san?" Shisui asked as he helped the advisor sit up. His robes allowed the Uchiha to see the dark bruising forming on his torn chest as he wetly coughed. His eaten forearm twitched as the blood flow gradually staunched itself.

"Nothing serious," Danzo wheezed, spitting blood onto the ground.

"Your insides say otherwise."

"You again?" The demon growled, finally righting her head with a cracking snap, and Shisui instantly stood back up in a defensive stance. "You'll burn for what you did, shitty pinwheel."

"Just try that, demon," Fugaku said as he and his Uchiha team joined Shisui's side, Itachi raising his weapon alongside Shisui's. They weren't the only ones to join, as Root members also appeared, Kinoto and Mizunoto ready to fight, while Tsuchinoe began healing what wounds she could on the advisor.

"Though this thing can heal nearly anything, my Mangekyo was able to stall it last time," Shisui said.

"Noted," Fugaku nodded. His Sharingan was already activated as he side-eyed the advisor. "Looks like we're fighting another of your monsters, Danzo-san."

"Make no mistake, you shitty pinwheels, though that cocksucker helped bring me here," the demon bared a bloody grin, "I'm only making you suffer because I really, really want to." She stomped into the blood puddle beneath her and made a trembling burst of force that sent all the puddles on the ground splashing high into the air, creating a bloody mist cloud that enveloped the shinobi and obscured their vision.

"Stay close to me, Itachi-kun," Shisui ordered, putting his back to the younger Uchiha and failing to peer through the thick red mist. He heard running feet splashing in puddles, the clashing of ninja tools, shinobi crying out in pain, and the constant thrum of rainfall. Shisui kept his strikes restrained and Mangekyo at bay to avoid accidentally cutting down one of his allies or burning them with an eternal blaze.

"Can you sense the target, Shisui?" Itachi asked, crimson eyes constantly searching the shadows of the red mist.

"Not yet, but don't let your guard down." He shivered as a sudden thrum of sadistic chakra washed over him and the rain gained fangs, biting into his flesh with needle-like teeth. He reflexively pulled Itachi close to shield him from the onslaught, gritting his teeth through the piercing pain. He breathed a sigh when the downpour finally stopped, the mist dissipating. He glanced up to see a golden barrier dancing across the sky. “Thank you, Iruka-kun.”

"Are you okay, Shisui?" Itachi worriedly asked.

"Yeah, just skewered like a pin cush—" The demon crashed into Shisui like a racing fireball, knocking him away and tackling him into the bloody dirt. She pinned down his arms, nails purposely clawing into his old wound, retearing the healing muscle and the bone fracturing under the crushing force. He bit his tongue to keep from screaming and tried rolling the demon off of him, but he had better luck pushing down a mountain, so he pushed his Sharingan instead, a spinning pinwheel forming in his crimson eyes.

"Don't look at me like that!" The demon spat, spewing a dark bile on Shisui's face, into his eyes, and the world went dark, but he could still hear her gleeful cackle. "You wanna know how much it hurt being torched by your cursed eyes, Uchiha? I'll do my best to share the pain with you!" The blood sticking to his chest, back, and arms went from a chilling blanket to a fiery drape that chewed through his clothes to devour his flesh with a rabid intensity. It burned, a sizzling pain that reached to cook his insides and rake his bones with iron hot claws, his breath stolen from him to fulfill his agonized screams.

"Stop, demon!" Danzo's order came with a thrum of ireful chakra, and the burning immediately ceased along with the demon's cackling, making a strangled growl as she was suddenly forced still. The pain didn't stop, but he felt the demon forcibly knocked off of him with a "get back!" from Fugaku and a concussive crash from what must have been a massive being, sensing the Mangkeyo's gifts at play.

He felt someone kneel by his side and speak, but all he heard was mumbling from the ringing in his ears as the agonizing pain of his burns claimed his mind. There was a firm, but tending hand on his neck, feeling a seal melding to his skin, and at once, the pain was gone. Only a tolerable ache dully lingered, and he could breathe again, letting out a relieved sigh. That same hand wiped away the gunk from his eyes, and his sight returned to him, meeting a golden gaze that looked at him with worry.

"Are you still feeling any pain?" Danzo asked.

"No… Thank you," Shisui said, smiling gratefully, which, to his surprise, was returned. A relieved smile upturned the advisor's lips as his thumb gently rubbed away the mess under Uchiha's eye.

"You can get your hands off him now," Fugaku fiercely ordered as he appeared beside the pair. His Mangekyo spun in his eyes when he shoved Danzo back, the advisor's hand leaving Shisui. How quickly his smile turned into a deep scowl, and his gaze sharpened to a piercing glare to battle Fugaku's own stare. The three injured Root agents were there a second later, standing defensively beside the advisor, Yashiro, Inabi, and Tekka, doing the same with Fugaku.

"Shisui!" Itachi cried out as he came rushing to the older's side.

"I'm okay, Itachi-kun," Shisui assured, painlessly sitting up. "Well, I'm not okay," he steadied his broken arm, "but I'll live."

"For how much longer?!" Shisui's attention tore back to the demon as she angrily shouted, her torso crawling around on its hands, her lower half strewn across the dirt in a mangled mess. "You pinwheels don't know how much you're fucked!" She cackled, crouching as if ready to pounce, but Kuroinu's dog clones beat her to it, the pair of dogs pouncing on her to maul the fuming torso. One of the dogs ripped away her hand, chewing it up and spitting it out before dashing over to the shinobi.

"Thank you for helping, but now all of you must leave this second," the dog said. Daigyo is keeping the exit open for as long as he can, but he can't exorcise this demon until everyone is out safe. Go!" she pleaded before running back to the demon to keep it at bay with her mauling jaws.

"We'll be taking Shisui," Fugaku said, putting the younger Uchiha on his back before Shisui could get a word in. "You can find your way out, Danzo-san?"

"After I ensure everyone else is out of this living hell so the Onmyoji can do his job, yes," the advisor responded as he stood up, dusting the grime of his stained robe. "And don't disrupt the seal on Shisui's neck, Fugaku-san, unless you want him to suffer." Fugaku huffed at that, but didn't say another word, taking his Uchiha team to safety.

"You got this, Daigyo!" Shisui encouraged when he passed by the Onmyoji, noticing the strain he was putting himself through, getting a smile in return. The natural rainfall that graced him once they left the cemetery was like a cool bath that soothed his burns.

"We'll get that bastard's seal off of you as soon as we can, Shisui," Fugaku said as he headed for the hospital with Itachi. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worried about it, Fugaku-san," he assured the police chief. "It's the only thing keeping me from screaming my lungs out."

…

… …

… … …

Hiruzen was too numb to move, too numb to speak, as he watched his Konoha-nin battling his older son's corrupted corpse that grinned with sadistic glee when slicing into them with blood sickles and beating them with his bare hands. It was a surreal sight, Isamu practically dancing atop puddles of blood while dodging Gai's and Kakashi's taijutsu, carving deep into their legs in one swift strike, break about Kurenai's genjutsu before she could attack, slicing her hair and back before beating across the cemetery with a kick to the gut, and shrugging off Asuma's burning ash with a cackle to tackle him with a burning body. He pinned him down with a foot pushing down on his chest and raising his blood sickle.

At once, feeling returned to Hiruzen as panic attacked his core, and he dashed out from Koharu and Homura's umbrellas in a heartbeat. His chakra-infused fist smashed into his son's grinning face and broke it with a loud crack, teeth and blood flying into the air along with Isamau's body, tumbling back like a ragdoll until he clawed at the dirt to stop himself.

"Goddamn! You hit like a son of a bitch, old man," Isamu laughed, the bones of his face popping back into place and new teeth growing in as his jaw reset. "I know you're least favorite kid now, and it's not the bastard. That's a first for me." Hiruzen balled his bruising fist and clenched his jaw.

"Give him back."

"You think you can demand any—" Hiruzen attacked again with another punch, bloody puddles splashing as he crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat. Though Isamu raised his arms to block, they may as well have been made of glass with how they broke, sending him crashing down into the dirt, sending up chunks of broken earth. Hiruzen ignored the tearing of his skin and the breaking of the bones of his hand as he beat down the mockery of his son before he could harm another.

"Give him back! He doesn't belong to you!" His eyes started to burn along with his bleeding fist. "He doesn't deserve this. Neither of them does." His punches came to a slow stop when the soft sobbing hit his ears. Isamu's beaten, bloody face cried much like he had when he got hit with his first kunai during training.

"Why, Tosan?" he sniffled. "Why do you keep… hurting me?"

"Isamu?" Hiruzen gasped, lowering his fist. "I-I never wanted to."

"I know… But still," Isamu's lips teased into a smile, "I want you to suffer with me." The puddle beneath them stirred, and Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock, the blooding shooting him with spikes that pierced through his blocking limbs and chest and sent him flying back. The spears shattered when he hid the ground like a heavy boulder, dazed, and his blood spilling to mix with the remnants of crimson rain. Every moment sent sharp pain shooting through his chest and limbs, and he pained himself, sitting up.

"Hiruzen!" Koharu's worried shout cut through the pounding in his head. She and Homura stood in front of him, their kunai and shuriken raised toward the demon.

"Don't die on us too soon," Homura said, his kunai shaking in his hand but never letting it go.

"But you will die," the demon chuckled as he picked himself up in one unnatural motion, back on his feet. That's the natural order of everything. Mortals like you live to die, and beasts like me," he raised a crimson hand, the blood around him rippling. “ Live to reign."

"You aren't the only beast here!" Kuroinu roared as her beastly tail crashed into the demon from above, pushing him down into the earth, making a shockwave that sent earth and blood dancing in the air.

"We have to go now!" Iruka shouted as he arrived at the downed shinobi with Anbu members and Hiruzen's remaining advisors. "No, not Iruka. Akuri." Akuri helped Kurenai while the Anbu agents aided Kakashi and Gai, leading them to the exit.

"Come on, boy," Kaira said as she ushered Asuma to safety, having healed him.

"Let's get you out of here, Hiruzen," Koharu said, her and Homura helping him to his feet, but he shrugged them off once he got his footing.

"No, not yet."

"There's no arguing here, Hiruzen!" Danzo frustratedly growled, tugging him back by his ripped robe. "The Onmyoji can only exorcise this thing once we're out of its dominion."

"That's just it, you damned liar," Hiruzen ripped himself from his advisor's grip despite the pain. "I can't let Daigyo fight this demon on his own… I won't lose him, too." He turned back to Kuroinu, fighting to keep Isamu's body pinned to the earth, his face contorted with sadistic glee.

"You fool," Danzo sighed, and Hiruzen felt a sharp pressure on the back of his neck, his body going numb once again, but not from shock. He collapsed to the ground, black markings snaking across his body, spawning from the seal on his neck, keeping him restrained. He angrily gritted his teeth as his backstabbing advisor hauled him onto his back and rushed him out with everyone else. He couldn't even give parting words to the strained Onmyoji when they passed through the cemetery gate and out into the pouring rain. Only when the haunted cemetery was out of sight, the restraining seal released, and Hiruzen regained control of his body. The first thing he did with it was punch Danzo in the face, the advisor losing his footing from the ambush and falling harshly onto the street, wheezing as Hiruzen fell on top of him.

"You're leaving him to die!" He growled. "How could you let him die like that?! To that monster!" He snatched a chunk of Danzo's black hair and pushed the side of his face into the puddle underneath him, though his advisor didn't retaliate. He only looked up tiredly at him, spitting muddy water and blood between coughs.

"Sorry… I couldn't lie any better."

In the dirty water, Hiruzen's enraged reflection glared back at him, the blood clinging to his snarled face as he beat down his friend. "No different than him." His heart stuttered. He let go of Danzo, rolling off him to lie in the street and let the rain wash away the blood before anyone else could disturb him.

"I need a break."

…

… …

… … …

Iruka could finally breathe a sigh of relief when the last person left through the exit, closing it shut behind him and his chakra reserves crying in joy to end the draining jutsu. "Akuri, bring back my purifying talismans from the temple! We'll be done by the time you get back!"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Daigyo!" Asuma called out to him from the other side of the barrier, held back by Kaira. "What are you doing?! Come with us!"

"I brought this demon here, and I have to send him back," Iruka said. “I’m sorry, Asuma-san. You weren't supposed to know."

"Just come back! Don't let that thing take you too."

"I won't, promise." Iruka smiled assuringly before turning around and rushing to help Rin face Jashin. He wasn't the only one joining the battle, as the upper half of Miyako crawled across the cemetery with her hands toward Jashin and Rin, fighting, the kunoichi trying and failing to slice him apart with her claws.

"Get back, Kuro-chan!" Iruka shouted, and Rin disengaged, leaping back just before Miyako's body pounced on her, crashing into Isamu instead.

"We just need to destroy the bodies, right?" Rin said, standing beside him. Her clones rejoined her, forming her three tails.

"Yes."

"You sound too sure of yourselves," Miyaki's body chuckled, crawling onto Isamu's back and her spinal cord snaking around his torso to anchor herself.

"Just because you got all those meatbags out, doesn't mean you'll win." Jashin moved Isamu's hands to sign Wani , "It means I have you all to myself, Yoji-kun." Bright crimson sparks ignited from his fingertips, weaving lightning that chaotically twirled around his dancing form, casting harsh shadows on their grinning face. Iruka felt Rin's spike of panic watching the lightning, clutching her chest, but she shook it off with a growl, charging toward the demon. Iruka kept his distance, waiting for the opening to use his fire chain jutsu while Rin attacked with her tails. Jahsin side-stepped her bashing tails and arked a bolt of jagged lightning at one of the beastly limbs. Rin yelped as the tail disintegrated, the shock of the attack thrumming through her bones, staggering back.

"Knew it. Lightning is your bane, cur," Jashin taunted and pressed forward with his assault, chasing the dodging Rin with crimson sparks. Miyako's hands clasped together, and the blood puddle underneath Rin spiked through her feet, stopping her long enough for Jashin to destroy a second tail. The attack was forceful enough to strike her chest, Rin yelping in pain as the lightning scorched through her shirt to reach flesh, leaving behind a deep red burn on her collarbone and exposing the bandaged hole over her heart. "Mind if I punch in another hole?"

"Fire chains!" Iruka unleashed a volley of burning chains from his arms to wrap around Jashin's before he could strike Rin again, having to anchor his feet in the dirt to keep from being yanked over. "Hellfire!" The flare raced up the chains to ignite the demon, scorching him in a hateful blaze that made him scream, more wrathful than painful. Rin took the opportunity to attack with her remaining tail, wrapping it around her leg to strengthen the kick she aimed at his burning chest. She kicked straight through, tearing flesh and breaking bone to jut her leg roughly through him, Isamu's body coughing up a gout of bile through his choked scream.

"Brutish bitch!" Miyako hissed and summoned lightning from her burning fingertips before snatching Rin's leg, sending a current of raging electricity through the kunoichi. Rin's scream was lost in the booming explosion that scorched her body and tore apart her leg, leaving a burnt mass twitching in the dirt, muscles painfully spasming.

"Rin-chan!" Iruka cried out and tried pulling Jashin back, the demon practically dragging him as he stepped to loom over the kunoichi, even though the hellfire melted away skin and muscle.

"There's your damned seal!" Jashin stomped on Rin's lower back, where her binding seal resided, and forcibly shattered it before Iruka could reinforce it. Rin's body broke apart in a sudden burst of dark chakra, her panic abruptly quieting as her essence retreated to Iruka, her chakra present but dormant and silent. It hit how alone he truly was in that moment when Jashin snapped his head around and looked him dead in the eyes, his burning face never looking more excited.

"Just you and me, Yoji-kun." He jostled Iruka's chains on his wrists. "If this is how you wanna play, I'm in." Iruka felt the blood underneath him shift, and he couldn't relinquish his fire chains in time to dodge the bloody tendrils that sprang up to wrap around him, piercing through his skin to weave deep into his flesh. His concentration snapped in a single moment. His fire chains broke, and his golden barrier shattered underneath the weight of collecting rain, a heavy downpour of blood crashing down on him. In a blink, his world was drowned in red, and he felt weightless, thrashing in a sea of crimson and swallowing a breath of vile fluid before being hauled to the surface. While he vomited up the blood, precariously on the fluid's surface, Jashin reveled in the rain as it put out the hellfire and coated him in a fresh layer of muscle and skin. He took in a smiling breath.

"I smell Ikuna's seed is still weeping and warm, waiting for my starving tongue," Jashin hummed, and Iruka felt the blood tendrils slither to try to break his seal tag on his navel.

"No!" Iruka snarled. He violently pulled at the limbs to keep them at bay, but the tendrils buried in his arms retaliated, sending shocks of pain that locked on his limbs, and he keeled over, a deep panic burrowed in his chest.

"Don't cry, I won't kill you, little one," Jashin assured, sauntering closer. "Your abomination of a soul would be a bitch to rangle, however, when Hamura's mutts like this, living, bleeding meat bags, you're one of my greatest pleasures to punish."

"Why?" Iruka spat, gritting his teeth as Ikuna's cursed seal hummed with dark chakra in response to the demon's blood.

"Because," the demon stood over him, grinning down at him, "I love doing it so much." He reached out a hand, and Iruka's world went dark, weightless in an empty void for a moment before crashing down into a cool pool of murky water, the air chill. The pain was gone, and he could move again, but he didn't rejoice. He only stared at his water reflection in disgust as he sat himself up in the stony cavern, a pair of golden eyes glimmering in his periphery.

"Have you seen enough, Iruka?" Usotsuki's taunting voice whispered from behind steel bars, darkness filling his cell with only his golden eyes showing. "Or should we let Jashin ravage you first to finally get you to accept my aid? Though I prefer not to let him taint my seedbed.

"… Do you need to possess me?" Iruka questioned.

"No, only project myself from you to the living world. No different than Nohara when she extends her tails from your backside. I admit there is a wide power gap between Jashin and me, but his puppets are merely glass dolls to me. We'll wash all the blood away."

"How will I know you won't just take me over anyway?"

"You don't, but who do you fear more, the liar locked behind impenetrable bars or the demon about to devour you inside out?"

"… You already know the answer to that," Iruka growled and stood up, wading through the shallow waters to reach Usotsuki's prison.

"Mind you, now that you are better matured, you can handle more of my chakra than before. Don't be frightened, Iruka."

"I won't be." Iruka reached his hand between the bars, and Usotsuki's golden grin finally appeared in the dark. The same dark chakra that had dominated him years earlier returned to him, still bursting with frightening power and raging with violent intent. However, all that ill will wasn't aimed at him this time.

Iruka opened his eyes and saw corroded golden blades bursting from his stomach to cut through Jashin's tendrils and creeping hands, slicing the demon apart and sending him reeling back with a surprised shout. He landed in a crouch, Isamu's left arm missing and Miyako's head sliced in two.

"Shoujikina, you said you'd stay out of this, bastard," Jashin hissed, purple eyes burning. Iruka felt Usotsuki clinging to his back, his dark form looming over him, and twisted wings spreading wide. Usotsuki quirked his head, ghostly white hair jostling, and flashed his golden grin at the other demon.

"You know I lie, Jashin-sama." He tittered. "As possessive as I am, I cannot let you taint my seedbed. Sincerest apologies."

"Shut the fuck up, will you?" Jashin fiercely grinned back, blood-coated muscles tensing. Iruka felt himself being hauled into the air before he knew it, where he was a moment earlier infested with a nest of massive blood spikes.

"Attack nonstop, it'll give me an opening to sever Jashin's tether," Usotsuki said, keeping him aloft in the air. "You can destroy his vessels then."

"And you'll keep me from being ripped apart?" Iruka questioned, eyeing Jashin below as the blood pooling all over the cemetery raced toward him like a river flowing uphill to circle around him like a massive whirlpool.

"Of course."

Jashin attacked, waves of blood rippling through the air in an attempt to swat them out of the air like flies. Iruka aimed his fire jutsus at the demon while Usotsuki twisted and raced through the air to dodge and attack. Jashin didn't make himself a still target either, surfing on the blood waves he manipulated to race around the cemetery, firing blood spears for Usotsuki to block. It almost felt like he was back riding Daigyo in Kingyo Lake, practically flying through the water as the dolphin zipped and zoomed. No, not the lake. The furious ocean where he battled swells and crashing waves as the rain battered them from above. Though, except for a cool blue, everything was tinged a deep crimson, and Iruka had the rage of a storm to fuel his attacks.

Jashin was increasingly failing to keep up with the duo, Usotsuki slicing him apart effortlessly with his rusted blades, and Iruka evaporating his blood shields to scorch the vulnerable flesh behind them.

"Bastards!" Jashin angrily spat after having half his vessel eaten up by hellish flames, and pounded his fists together, sending out a flood of chakra that stopped rain midair, as if frozen in time. “Chains now, Iruka!” Usotsuki ordered in his mind. Body buzzing with Usotsuki's chakra, Iruka felt no strain summoning a pack of fire chains from his chest lock around Isamu and Miyako's arms and neck. This time, when Iruka pulled forward, Usotsuki tugged with him, and Jashin was yanked off his blood stand. While the demon was harshly pulled toward them, Usotsuki rushed them forward to meet him halfway with an outstretched hand.

"See you another day, Jashin-sama," Usotsuki grinned, palming Jashin's chest, and a glowing seal seared itself into his skin, its golden tendrils spidering across Isamu's and Miyako's bodies in a burning web. Jashin roared in anger as he fell, clawing at the seal on his chest to no avail, and Usotsuki took the opening to launch a barrage of twisted blades after him, sending him crashing to the ground with a heavy thud and massive splash. Pinned to the earth, Iruka could focus all his chakra on his purification jutsus, kneading up as much as he could, Tenshigan burning bright.

"Aether Release: Blistering Moonlight!" Amber fire danced at his fingertips and grew to form a flaming sphere in his hands above his head, the glowing ball burning brighter the more it grew and rising into the air. Jashin writhed below like a wild animal caught in a trap, and Iruka ignored whatever foul curses he spat at him. Iruka got one last look at Isamu's and Miyako's faces before he clapped his hands and the massive churning ball of fire exploded in a blinding burst, sending out a surge of hungry flames that devoured anything dark.

He couldn't hear Jashin screaming over the roar of flames, but he smelled the blood in the air evaporating and the charring of flesh and felt the heat engulfing the area. Jutsu at work, Iruka retightened the locks on Usotsuki's seal, banishing his violent chakra back to his prison. He felt himself falling through the air and then felt numb when he hit the damp earth. Once the warmth died down, Iruka lifted his head and peeked open his eyes, seeing two cremated remains lying in the dirt. Though the red clouds were no more and natural water rained down, what was left of Jashin's blood still stained the earth, the gravestones. "I'm not done yet!" He stood up, body burning with chakra and eye mask falling around his neck, and weaving another jutsu. Ne. Saru. Inu.

"Absolute Scared Waters!" Iruka touched the nearest blood puddle, filling it with light chakra, and the dark crimson was cleansed away to leave behind sparkling clean water. The light chakra didn't stop there, rippling across the cemetery in a tranquil wave that washed over the cemetery, purifying any cursed blood and cleansing any red painted gravestone. The blessed water sank into the earth, distilling the cursed rot above and below. Listening to the fresh rain dance in the blessed puddles and having no demon hovering over his shoulder, Iruka should have felt relieved, happy, but all he could feel was the stinging burn of dark chakra continuously flooded through him, his Tenshigan refusing to retreat when he told it to back down.

"No," he whimpered and fell to his knees, blackening nails digging into the dirt as he fought to stop the flow of aether chakra he unconsciously drew in, the loose strands of hair hanging in front of his eyes darkening. "Stop!"

"Oh no, seems you have pushed yourself too far, Iruka. My chakra must have been too much for you." Usotsuki taunted in his mind. "Hamura's gift is as beautiful as it is feral. Let it run wild for too long, and it'll never want to be caged again. Didn't Uma-sensei teach you that?"

"Shut up!" Iruka angrily shouted, panic rearing its ugly head as he tried to desperately contain the Tenshigan's will to reign.

"He's over here!" Asuma's worried shout cut through the taunting voice in his head, and Iruka felt the Sarutobi kneel by his side.

"Iruka-kun!" Kurenai was at his side a moment later. "What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to deactivate my Tenshigan," he felt ashamed to say, forehead pressed into the ground, hiding his face. "It won't go away. Too much dark chakra. I-I can't—"

“Hold on, Iruka-kun. I've got you," Kurenai assured him and started weaving a fuuinjutsu, Iruka recognizing it as a variation of the evil sealing method. She touched his back and immediately her fuuinjutsu worked to contain his doujutsu, retraining its chakra. It wanted to lash out at the sealing. Still, Iruka wouldn't let it, focusing on restricting the wild chakra until Kurenai's fuuinjutsu locked its temporary cage shut, only to be released when Iruka regained control.

“Lucky… you…”

Iruka gasped in relief, Usotsuki's horrid voice going silent, his Tenshigan fading from his puffy brown eyes. Exhaustion hit him like a tumbling boulder, and he fell onto his side, his body giving out.

“Iruka-kun?” Kurenai gasped.

"I'm okay… thank you," he rasped, growing numb. Kurenai's bruised lips smile, her black hair drenched and choppily cut to her shoulders.

"You're welcome."

"What was that, Kurenai?" Asuma asked, comforting hand on Iruka's shoulder.

"Ever since the first incident with the Tenshigan, I've been working on a variation of the Evil Sealing Method that contains kekkei genkai. In case anything like that happened again." She stroked the dirt off Iruka's cheek. “Get some rest, Iruka-kun. You did well."

Iruka slipped away into blissful unconsciousness just before he could relish Kurenai's compliment.

 

~  ✧ ~

 

The following day was cloudy but thankfully not rainy when Iruka met at Konoha's front gates to see Asuma off for his promotion into the Twelve Guardian Shinobi. He was happy for Asuma, but a terrible sadness weighed in his gut as he hugged the Sarutobi goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you, Asuma-san," he said, holding the taller shinobi close.

"Me too," Asuma sighed, not squeezing too tightly due to the chuunin's injuries.

"I… I'm sorry I lied—"

"No, don't apologize for that. You had the best intentions." There was a pause, and Iruka knew Asuma's gaze moved to the Hokage standing several paces back, silently smoking his pipe. "Wish I could say that about everyone." Asuma pulled back, hand on Iruka's shoulder. “Get some rest, Iruka-kun. Go soak in the Hot Springs. Relax, some."

"Yeah… That's a good idea, actually." He tiredly smiled, body still aching. Asuma went over to Kurenai, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Kurenai, really… Don't feel pressured to stay with me. I don't know when I'll be coming back, and if you want to break—" Kurenai interrupted him with a hug.

"Whenever you come back, I'll be waiting for you, Asuma." Her ruby red lips tenderly kissed his, and her hand caressed his blushing cheek when she pulled back. "Just don't leave me forever."

"I won't, but you can't either." Asuma squeezed her hand, holding it a moment longer before pulling away. He gave a final wave before dashing out of Konohagakure, Iruka only looking away when Asuma disappeared over the horizon.

"I have an idea, Sandaime-sama," Iruka said, walking over to the Hokage, who didn't respond, his dull eyes staring at the closed gates of Konoha, unresponsive. Iruka frowned. "Sandaime-sama's been like this all day. Never seen him like this before." "Excuse me, Sandaime-sama," he said louder, and the Hokage made a hum of acknowledgment, before his tired eyes drifted over to the chuunin. "I believe it will be a good idea for everyone who attended yesterday to come to Daigyo's temple tomorrow to soak in the blessed hot springs. It'll cleanse any lingering dark chakra."

"… Sounds great. I'll make an announcement," Sandaime mumbled and gave a false smile that didn't last longer than a breath. "I'll tell you now, I'm going to take a short break to recover from my injuries. My advisors will be running things in my absence. Sorry, the news is so sudden."

"No, I understand, Hokage-sama. Please, enjoy your break."

Iruka headed straight for his temple to prepare for tomorrow. The path he walked through the forest was calm and quiet—too quiet. He stood still in the middle of the path surrounded by amber-leaved trees and clenched his fists, scowling.

"What do you want?" Iruka angrily asked, turning to look into the darkness of the forest. A single blue eye stared back at him, tamed Tenshigan flaring in his eyes.

"Nothing that you could give with Ikuna's seal now dormant," the blue-eyed yokai responded, wispy voice echoing in the winds.

"Yeah, right," Akuri scoffed in his mind. "Even though Rin has to sleep for a while, I'm still here. If this monster tries anything, I'll rip him apart for you, Iruka-kun!"

"You gave an incredible display yesterday, Omnyoji. No death even under the Blood God's reign. I should be upset, but I'm impressed. Congratulations to you."

"Are you stalking me just to tell me that?" Iruka asked, thankfully sensing no killing intent from the creature.

"I thought you could use words of encouragement for what's about to unfold."

"What are you talking about? The Blood God's gone!"

"Yes, he is… But Konoha's bountiful killing intent is not."

"What do you mean?" The chuunin's mind started to race with questions, and dread pierced his heart, remembering Rin's words. "Kuroinu thinks she's seen you before, the night the Kyuubi attacked."

"Yes, I was there. I could scent Kyuubi's grim intent so far from the village, and once I arrived, there were so many wandering souls left in his wake for me to gorge myself with." The soul devourer fondly recalled.

"And you sense his killing intent again?" Iruka worriedly asked, memories of the Beast's rampage flashing through his mind.

"He always desires to rampage, but there is a far deeper-seated killing intent that has lingered here for quite some time, teasing me."

"Killing intent from what?! Who?!"

"I care not for the names of my prey. All I care for is to be here when all this killing intent is finally acted upon and the streets are bathed in red. I've been imagining Konoha's Second Great Death for so long." The yokai wistfully hummed, and Iruka paled. "I await to see what you'll do to retaliate, Onmyoji. Excite me." Massive ebony wings sprang out from the treetops as the yokai leaped into the air, birds flying away with him, startled. Iruka watched the massive creature soar away from Konoha, leaving behind a cluster of black feathers to mark the village as a hotbed for death.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"They're appointing that bastard as the Hokage?!"

"What the hell are we going to do?"

"Shisui's still in the hospital! Our greatest asset is too vulnerable!"

"Blood falling from the damn sky?! That has to be a bad omen!"

Fugaku listened to the fears and worries of his fellow clansmen with his arms crossed and expression stoic as he sat at the head of their private clan meeting. The sudden news of the Hokage's break was not well received, especially after the bloody funeral. Fugaku wasn't ecstatic about the news either. Still, a different worry was plaguing his mind involving the sly advisor and Denzo's only son, who was currently being treated for his wounds.

"Order!" Eiko ordered, clapping her hands. The elder Uchiha promptly quieted the room from a cacophony of worries to a quiet murmur.

"Thank you, Eiko-san," Fugaku said, and the advising Uchiha nodded. She sat beside him, though a breath back, fanning herself and disturbing her black bangs that ran with greying streaks. He cleared his throat before speaking: "To make everything clear, no, the Hokage is not retiring, only taking a break to recover from his injuries. How long will that be? he never specified. He left his three advisors to lead in his place; however, Utatane and Mitokado, as cowardly as they are, will give in to whatever the Shimura commands. What he plans to do during his time as temporary Hokage, I do not know, but it'll be nothing good for us if he goes unchecked."

"Should we just go with the main plan then?" Yashiro spoke out of turn. "Strike first before the bastard has time to try anything."

"No, we aren't prepared for the battle you're demanding," Itachi calmly argued back from his place by his father's side. "Our strongest warrior is currently in recovery, and stirring up that level of confrontation makes him a target. He could easily be our first casualty." Yashiro gave an annoyed glare.

"Well, he's the Shimura's pet, isn't he? He should be off limits," the older said with a hint of sarcasm, and Itachi tightened his grip on his pant leg.

"Shisui has done more to soothe relations than your callous threats, Yashiro-san. I even believe he could be the key to a peaceful future for us, Uchiha, but you're not helping with your talk of—"

"Hush, boy," Fugaku sharply shushed him as he put a silencing hand on his head, turning his gaze to the floor. "Do not speak again unless given permission. Understand?" Itachi bit his frowning lip before it fell to a neutral mask.

"… Understood, Otosan," he mumbled before going silent, keeping his head down.

"Yashiro does see the opening we have," Eiko said. "Even with Shisui in recovery, the Hokage is also weakened and injured, and from your accounts at yesterday's battle, plenty of high-ranked shinobi are injured as well, including the Shimura. If we strike swiftly and severely, that will compensate for Shisui's absence on the battlefield."

"Their weakness is an opening for us," Fugaku agreed. "However, an all-out confrontation would harm us more than anything. You forget that the council has a new asset, the Onmyoji. We know little about him or his team, but I've seen what they can do, and what untold power they have could be the end of us if we challenge him. Our better use of this time would be to get more information and find any leverage we can use for future negotiations. So quiet all the talk about confrontation and bloodshed." He scanned his firm gaze over his fellow Uchiha, getting mixed reactions of relief, disappointment, and worry. "However, when we go to the Onmyoji's hot springs today, focus on recuperation and do not draw much attention to yourselves. Everyone is still on edge. Relax, but keep an ear out as well. Dismissed."

He watched his clan members file out of the private meeting room, their chatter ceasing the moment they stepped out.

"You're still holding onto 'negotiations', Fugaku?" Eiko clicked her tongue, covering her mouth with her fan.

"You did negotiations, Eiko-san," Fugaku curtly replied.

"Yes, because I had Sasuke-sama's assurance during my reign as the clan head. You don't have any inside forces that can break down the Senju's council. The Shimura has no respect or care for Shisui. That man can never hold a Uchiha close to his heart; he can only use them for whatever he desires. The boy's making the same mistake his grandfather did, which will cost him dearly…" Her lips quirked as a thought came to her. "Unless Shisui finally takes a more… dominating role in their partnership, make the Shimura submit to him. Only then, Fugaku-san, do I see negotiations possible. But I don't see the boy having a stomach for such a thing."

"Hm, I will speak to Shisui about his relationship with the Shimura head. Now would be the best time." Fugaku stood and headed for the exit. "Come on, Itachi."

…

… …

… … …

Fugaku was silent on the journey to the hospital, thinking about how he'd approach the delicate subject he had in mind to broach with Shisui, eyeing his older son as they walked down the hall to the injured Uchiha's room. "No, Shisui wouldn't tell Itachi anything like that…"

"Has Shisui told you anything personal, Itachi? Anything that could be troubling him?" Fugaku quietly asked, but Itachi kept silent, making the same slight frown he showed during the meeting. "You can speak now, obviously," Fugaku grumbled.

"No, he hasn't, Otsosan," Itachi answered. "I would have come to you if he did." They stopped in front of Shisui's hospital room door.

"Would you?" the clan head questioned, skeptically glaring at his son, who didn't shy away from his gaze.

"Yes, I would." No hint of deceit in his son's voice or on his face.

"Are you two just gonna stand out there or come in and say 'hi'?" Shisui called out from inside the room, and the two Uchiha entered. Shisui lay in the hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his chest and his left arm in a sling, wearing a soft smile as he closed the book he had been reading and set it on the nightstand.

"How are you feeling, Shisui?" Itachi asked, going to the older's bedside.

"Aching, sore, can't use my left arm, but still kicking. I'll be out of here in the next day or so, though. I heard you'll get cleansed in the Onmyoji's hot springs today. Wish I could go too."

"How will you get cleansed then? We'll eliminate any lingering 'dark chakra' left behind from the blood rain."

"Don't worry, Daigyo-san gave me a personal cleansing earlier. I'm all purified," Shisui gave a thumbs up. "How about you all? How's everyone doing?"

"Restless, but willing to enjoy a simple time at the hot springs," Fugaku softly answered.

"That's good," Shisui sighed, relieved.

"I'd like to speak to you about a certain matter, Shisui." Fugaku internally cringed at how suddenly sharp his tone became. "Only between the two of us."

"What don't you want me to hear?" Itachi asked, but Shisui put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"There are some things I'd like to keep private. Just wait outside, we'll be quick, Itachi-kun."

"… Okay," Itachi conceded and left the room, Shisui waiting for the door to close before asking:

"What's the issue, Fugaku-san?"

"You…" Fugaku sighed and pulled up a chair to Shisui's bedside, looking at the younger Uchiha with a soft but serious gaze.

"What's wrong?" Shisui pressed.

"How is your relationship with Danzo? Any issues you want to tell me?"

"Nothing serious. Danzo hasn't harmed me if that's what you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking that."

"Then what are you thinking?"

"Does that man… force his lust on you?" Shisui's eyes widened, and a silent gasp left his mouth from the question. From shock or shame, Fugaku had yet to tell.

"No, never," Shisui fiercely shook his head. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"When he rushed to you after the demon burned you, how he touched your face and looked at you with such…" Fugaku's lip curled in distaste, remembering how intently the Shimura's golden eye clung to Shisui's bloody form with a voracious desire as he smiled so sweetly it made him boil with fury. "Twisted affection. Has he ever looked at you like that before?"

"Yes, he has, but I don't see any 'lust' in it. He's a prudish man. He has never initiated anything intimate with me," Shisui softly hissed, keeping his voice low and gaze unwavering with the Uchiha clan head. "Is that what you've been thinking? That I've only gotten Danzo's favor because I lay in bed with him?"

"No… Maybe," Fugaku groaned, frustrated. "Don't submit yourself to the skewed desires of that Shimura, even if you believe it's for the clan. He'll leave nothing left of you. You don't deserve such a cruel thing. It may be better for you to drop out of Root before the Shimura finally sinks his teeth into you. Without you, our clan loses its hope for peace."

"… I'm truly grateful for your concern, Fugaku-san," Shisui's tone softened, "But don't think that I've earned Danzo's trust through deceit or sexual favors. I convinced him to let me join Root. It was difficult, yes, but I did it honestly. I've been working with them for over four years and am one of the organization's high-ranking captains. They trust me. I can bring peace, only if you trust me too and let me work with Danzo, not as his glorified courtesan, but his second hand."

"… Fine, you are our only inside source," Fugaku relented. "He seems honest about not being intimate with the Shimura… But that could be the trickery of a genjutsu. That bastard man will find a way to act on his salacious desires. I believe Eiko-san's correct about that..." "However, you're being tested with all the dangerous missions Danzo gives you." He gestured to Shisui's injured arm. "You need someone else to join you on the other side, to have each other's backs in that shadowy organization. But we can talk about that another time." Fugaku stood up and placed a comforting hand on Shisui's shoulder. "Rest well, Shisui-kun."

"I will. Thank you." No matter how Fugaku wanted to say otherwise, he couldn't find any lies hidden behind Shisui's smile.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"I like your new hair, Kurenai-san. It's cute," Yuugao complimented Kurenai while the group of kunoichis soaked in the warm hot springs. Kurenai twirled her shortened hair around her finger.

"I hope so. It was a very impromptu makeover."

"Damn, you lost your hair and your boyfriend in a day," Anko cringed and then yelped when Suzume smacked her upside the head. "Ow, you didn't give me the chance to say 'sorry,' four eyes."

"Let's change the subject," the teacher said, dark eyes squinting without her spectacles. "I find this one of the most relaxing hot springs I've visited. I finally feel clean even after I scrubbed myself for hours in my tub. That Daigyo can work wonders."

"It is very refreshing," Tsubaki sighed, sinking deeper into the warm water. "I wonder where this Daigyo has been if he can defeat that cruel creature and make such a delightful hot spring."

"I doubt he's all human if he's on the level of whatever the hell made the sky bleed," Anko theorized, "but he protected my family and Idate-kun. So, all I can say is that I'm glad he's on our side."

"Agreed," Yuugao nodded. "Yuuma said he'll feel less scared after knowing these hot springs will keep the monsters away. What do you think of the Onmyoji, Kurenai-san?"

"Me?" Kurenai hummed and looked up at the bright, sunny sky. "I and many others are still alive because Daigyo and his team fought so bravely, so I'm grateful he's here to fight with us."

"How are you doing, ladies? " a young boy's voice tried to ask smoothly. Kurenai and the other kunoichi looked to the privacy panel to see a boy wearing a white and red fox mask and a dark green cloak peeking his head around the corner. "We got juice!"

"Naruto-kun, Daigyo said you couldn't go over there!" Kurenai heard Akuri squeal behind the panel before tugging the boy back. "Sorry about that. Kuroinu-chan isn't working today, so I'll give out drinks. Is that okay with you all? I promise I won't look!" Kurenai looked to her fellow kunoichi, waiting for them to nod before saying:

"Yes, we'd love some refreshments, Makiko-kun."

…

… …

… … …

Hiruzen's aching and scarred body found some reprieve soaking in the warm waters of the temple's hot springs, and though a foggy numbness clouded his heart and mind, he didn't want it to stain the moment of peace. He glanced over at Danzo beside him, where he and his advisors were sharing a smaller private spring, and saw his friend leaning his head back with his eyes closed, softly breathing. "Is he asleep? I don't want to wake him."

"I'm not asleep, so you can ask me what's on your mind, Hiruzen," Danzo suddenly said, peaking open a golden eye.

"I don't want to ask anything, I want to… I want to apologize for striking you as I did the other day."

"Apology accepted. We've fought many times before, so I didn't take it to heart."

"Yes, but that wasn't a fight. I was beating you out of anger. No different than my old man."

"Hiruzen, you are far from the man that Sasuke-sama was," Koharu assured him, the shock of sharing a hot spring with the kunoichi fading over the decades they shared.

"No, but I'm sure we have similarities… It's how I pushed my sons away from me, being too cold when they're little and overbearing when they're older."

"… That and lying about Asuma's mom," Homura muttered, but Hiruzen didn't glare or scoff.

"That too."

"Don't sound so defeated," Danzo chastised. "There's still time to make amends, but you need to give Asuma time to himself. The same thing happened between me and my youngest."

"Kugami hated you?"

"Not hate, but we disagreed with how I operated Root, and he left to join Torifu's genin team."

"You said you put him on that team?"

"Well, I lied," Danzo bit his lip. "The point I'm making is that we needed time apart. I needed time to rethink my approach, and he needed time to figure out who he wanted to be and find love to make a babe."

"You think Asuma's gonna bring back a baby?" Homura's squinted eyes widened.

"Well, Isamu did just that, didn't he?" Koharu added.

"Both of you hush," Danzo chided, sending the snickering pair a scowl before looking at Hiruzen. "Kugami and I were ready to make amends with time, and you and Asuma can too. For now, take advantage of your break, Hiruzen. Let yourself heal and spend time with Konohamaru."

"… Right," Hiruzen nodded, sinking into the spring, though a thought still lingered in his mind. "Not that the Uchiha clan is excited about my break."

"No, they're not, but Shisui is keeping me informed. If anything starts to stir, he'll let me know.

"They seem to be enjoying the Onmyoji's hot springs," Homura said. "You have nothing to worry about, Hiruzen, we've got everything under control."

"Yes, we'll even keep your Hokage desk tidy," Koharu said.

"We?" Danzo raised a questioning brow. "I alone will maintain the Hokage desk."

"That isn't fair," the kunoichi huffed.

"Why do you always get to hog the desk, Danzo?" Homura complained.

"Because I'll be doing most of the paperwork. Unless you'd like to tackle all those files."

"Pfft, fine."

"Is all that talk about paperwork making any of you thirsty?" Akuri asked as he appeared around the privacy panel, dressed in his Anbu uniform and carrying a tray of glasses of golden juice, with Naruto beside him. "Because we have refreshments!"

"I finally get to meet you face to face, Hokage-sama!" Naruto exclaimed, almost challenging. The boy quirked his head. "Who are the rest of you old people?" Hiruzen laughed while Homura and Koharu scoffed, and Danzo scowled.

"They're old friends of mine," the Sarutobi said.

"Wow, you must've known each other for like eighty years or something!"

"Eighty?!" Koharu gasped, rubbing the wrinkles on her face. "Have we aged so terribly?"

"No, you all look no older than forty!" Akuri loudly complimented and shoved a drink into Naruto's hand before the boy could say anything more. "Go serve them drinks." The boy eagerly passed out the drinks, though Homura and Koharu hesitated before taking their glasses. Hiruzen took a sip once he got his, recognizing the apple juice from the local food market, which was a refreshing surprise.

"I have a favor to ask you, Makiko," Danzo said when given his glass, not taking a sip.

"Is this like a really important favor?" Akuri asked. "I'd have to talk to Daigyo if that's the case."

"Nothing like that. I want you to pass on a message to a fellow shinobi."

"Oh, I can do that! Who's the message for?" Danzo finally took a sip from his glass, finishing the glass with a faintly delighted expression.

"Uchiha Fugaku."

…

… …

… … …

Fugaku hesitated to disrobe before joining the other clan heads in their own private hot spring, his many scars rubbing against the cotton fabric as he remembered why he avoided doing outings like this.

"Come on in, Fugaku-kun. The water feels amazing." Shinku encouraged him with a relaxed grin, paying no mind to the three scarred over slashes that ran across his collarbone. Fugaku glanced around, noticing how Shikaku's scars also reached his left shoulder and how Choza's burn scar on his chest rippled when he laughed. "Right. We all have our own scars here." The chilly air kissed his skin when he took off his robe, before quickly getting in the hot spring beside Shinku, the bubbling water tickling his skin. Though he settled in the calming warmth of the water, he kept a hand over the deep shark bite imprinted on the crook of his neck.

"What do you think of the Onmyoji, Fugaku-kun?" Shinku asked after a while of relaxation.

"I'm weary of him," Fugaku said honestly.

"Really? Why's that?" Hiashi asked.

"Because I hardly know anything about him, only that he delves in the dark and devilry. We don't know what all he can do or where his allegiances are."

"I believe Daigyo showed his allegiance when he got Himiko and my daughters to safety," Hiashi said. "Yes, he has darkness, but he used it to protect us, the village." Yamanaka and Akimichi nodded in agreement.

"If the council introduces more shinobi like him, Konoha will be better off," Inoichi said. "However, the Onmyoji's introduction makes me think about subjects I'd rather not. Like demons and curses."

"Yes, I'm starting to believe the Sarutobi curse has some merit behind it," Shikaku said.

"Does it?" Choza dryly chuckled. "The blood rain cemented it for me. Damn, Hiruzen-sama's had it rough lately."

"Which is why he needs the break," Inoichi said. "I wouldn't know what I'd do with myself if anything happened to my little Ino. Hokage-sama needs time to keep his mind."

"That I can agree with," Fugaku said.

"You say that, but look so sour," Shinku observed, and nudged the Uchiha head. "You're supposed to be relaxing, but it looks like you sucked on a lemon."

"I do not," Fugaku scowled, and Shinku laughed.

"I got something that can help with that," a new voice chimed in, and Fugaku looked over his shoulder, startled. "Refreshing juice!" Makiko said, appearing with a tray of drinks and the masked Jinchuuriki at his side, who began passing out the drinks.

"Here you are, moon-eye man," The Jinchuuriki chirped when serving Hiashi.

"Is it okay for the boy to be out like this?" Hiashi asked, leaning away from the Jinchuuriki's outstretched hand that followed him every inch.

"Definitely, Hyuuga-sama!" Makiko assured. "We gave him a bath and everything, so there's no germs." Fugaku would be lying if he didn't say he got some enjoyment from Hiashi's discomforted expression as he grabbed the drink that the Jinchuuriki was shoving in his face.

"What kind of juice is this?" Fugaku asked when he got his own glass, noting how muted the Beast's chakra inside the Jinchuuriki was now in the temple's territory. However, the boy's impulsiveness wasn't muted as the Jinchuuriki stuck a finger in his drink before sticking it under his mask to taste.

"Huh, I'm not sure what that is?" the Jinchuuriki shrugged. "But it tastes good!"

"Thank you for investigating," Fugaku clicked his tongue, eyeing his now tampered drink and hearing the clan heads around him chuckling. "Here, you can have mine, boy." He held out his glass to the boy.

"Really?! Thanks, shark bite man!" The Jinchuuriki snatched the drink and shoved up his mask to indulge in the drink while Fugaku burned at the terrible nickname, recovering himself with his hand. "Is that the only thing that stands out about me? These damn—"

"Here, you can taste some of mine, Fugaku-kun," Shinku offered his drink, pressing it to the Uchiha's lips, ordering more than offering. Fugaku grumbled and took a sip, recognizing the freshly sweet taste of apple juice that was more pleasant than he expected.

"Good," Fugaku nodded in approval and watched Shinku drink after him, before noticing Makiko hovering above him. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, no, I just have an important message for you, Uchiha-sama." The strange Anbu dug his hand underneath his cloak and pulled out a small, unofficial scroll, holding it out to him. Fugaku grabbed the scroll and read it.

Uchiha Fugaku, you are to arrive at the Hokage office at three o'clock this afternoon for a meeting with the temporary acting Hokage, Shimura Danzo. Do not be late, or an Anbu agent will be sent to retrieve you.

          Best Regards,

                   Shimura Danzo

          P.S. Enjoy your time at the Hot Springs! ~ Makiko

"What is it, Fugaku-san?" Shikaku inquired.

"A summons," Fugaku grumbled and slammed the scroll shut.

…

… …

… … …

Iruka sat on the platform at the top of the stone staircase leading down to the hot springs down the hill. Naruto sat beside him after he and Makiko finished handing out refreshments. Makiko suggested that the Onmyoji take a break to enjoy the hot springs, but Iruka shook his head. "In a little while, I will." He needed to keep a watchful eye on his guests, sensing for any killing intent and finding none. "Was that yokai lying, trying to scare me? No, the last time I thought that I summoned Jashin. Should I tell someone, or would that make the problem worse?" His internal ramblings were interrupted when he noticed a group of people coming up the stairs toward him. At the head of the group was Fugaku's wife, Mikoto, he believed, and her two sons, Sasuke holding a fruit gift basket. 

"Good morning, Uchiha family," Iruka greeted. "How may I be of service?"

"We came to show our gratitude for all you've done, Onmyoji-san," Mikoto smiled and nudged her youngest forward. "We have a gift for you."

"Gifts?!" Naruto chirped and went to snatch the fruit basket before Iruka bopped his head.

"Don't snatch like that, Naruto," he corrected.

"Right, so you can hog all the fruits," Naruto huffed and crossed his arms. 

"Thank you for the gift, Sasuke-kun". Iruka smiled as he grabbed the gift from the sheepish boy, his dark eyes scanning the pouting Uzumaki up and down. The Jinchuuriki brightened when Iruka took an orange from the basket and peeled it for him, and Naruto happily munched down the orange slices.

"I know your hot springs are supposed to help cleanse us," Mikoto started, "but is there any extra precaution you can take?" She put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "For my boys at least." Iruka's abused chakra reserves had yet to finish recovering from the excessive aether jutsus he'd been doing the last couple of days. Still, he couldn't say no to the motherly worry in Mikoto's eyes.

"Yes, there's a personal cleansing I can do." Iruka agreed, and Mikoto grinned, looking back at the other mothers.

"Didn't I say all we had to do was ask?" Iruka held out his hand to Sasuke and, with some encouragement from Itachi, grabbed it. 

"I promise this won't hurt one bit," the Onmyoji assured before weaving a pure flame shower, the pounding ache in his bones returning. Sasuke yelped as he was doused in ivory flames, stricken with panic until he realized the fire carried no heat. A faint hiss of dark chakra sizzling away caught Iruka's ears. Sasuke watched the flames dance across his palm with amazed eyes until the fire snuffed out.

"You're next." Iruka held his hand out to Itachi, the stoic boy not hesitating to grab his hand or flinching when set alight. Though his expression was neutral, there was a tense air about him, something stirring just beneath the surface. "He must still be worried about Shisui. I hate that they had to face that demon head-on like that! I need to do more training and make myself stronger."

"Thank you, Onmyoji-san," Itachi smilelessly said with a bow, and the Uchiha family moved on for the Haruno mother, Mebuki, and her cherry blossom-haired daughter. Their gift was a box of herbal teas tied with a red bow.

"Here is our offering to you, Onmyoji-san," Mebuki smiled. "Go on, Sakura." The girl didn't hesitate to step forward and present her gift, a happy pink flush to her cheeks.

"Here you go! I picked it out just for you," she grinned. "She's adorable." Iruka cooed and happily received the gift.

"How thoughtful. Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"Yay! More gifts!" Naruto cheered with an orange slice in his mouth, looking through the tea box as soon as Iruka set it down. 

"Would you mind also doing another cleansing for my little girl too?" Mebuki asked.

"Not at all." Iruka gently took the girl's hand and redid the flame cleansing, Sakura's excited giggles washing away the exhaustion that nagged at Iruka's chakra reserves. When the Harunos left, another family took their spot, and it became a routine for Iruka to receive a gift, Naruto to rifle through said gift, and then the Onmyoji to cleanse the child. Thankfully, most of the children weren't too terrified to approach him, like Ino and Shikamaru, near spitting images of their fathers. The Nara didn't share the same excitement as the Yamanaka, yawning as he was set ablaze. Naruto was mainly well-behaved and focused on the gifts, though he loudly complained about the Inuzuka gift basket.

"What the?! This is just a bunch of dog treats and toys!"

"For your black-coated ninken of yours I see prowling around," Tsume gave a toothy grin. 

"Thank you. Kuroinu will love this," Iruka chuckled, taking the gift from the disappointed Naruto. 

When a pounding ache thrummed through him and exhaustion began to creep, the last family stood before him, the Hyuugas. 

"Thank you for your courage, Onmyoji-san," Himiko thanked, the mother cradling her youngest in a sling around her torso. We are more than grateful. Show him, Neji-kun." The Hyuuga boy with bindings wrapped around his head stepped forward and presented an ivory basket of chocolates and floral-scented candles.

"Thank you, Onmyoji-san," Neji bowed his head respectfully.

"And thank you for the gifts," Iruka said. He grabbed the basket and set it to the side opposite Naruto so the boy wouldn't sniff every candle like he did with the Aburame gift basket. He performed the cleansing jutsu on the boy, hiding his pained expression, before holding his hand out to the next child, a young girl who hid behind her mother's skirt, peeking timidly at the Onmyoji.

"It's okay, Hinata-chan," Himiko tried encouraging her.

"Hey, it's Moon Eyes!" Naruto loudly said, recognizing the shy girl, who shrank under the boy's attention.

"Why would you call her that, Naruto-kun?" Iruka questioned.

"Because her eyes are big and bright like the moon. I've never seen anything like 'em!" Naruto grinned, and Iruka relaxed at the sweet reasoning. Hinata's eyes widened, a pink flush to her cheeks, and she finally stepped away from her mother to approach Iruka, gently grabbing his fingertips. She softly gasped when bathed in white fire, the flames glimmering in her wide, fascinated eyes. A sharp pain racked Iruka's skull when he performed his last cleansing on the sleeping babe Hanabi in her mother's arms, but he tended to her just as well as all the other children. After the Hyuugas left down the staircase, Iruka said:

"Let's put all of this inside," he gestured to the many gifts surrounding them and went to stand, but nearly fell over when a wave of dizziness crashed over him.

"Daigyo-sensei!" Naruto cried out, pushing his weight against Iruka to keep him upright.

"I'm okay. Just a dizzy spell." Iruka rubbed his pounding head.

"You really need to go to the hot springs. I can get Makiko-san to help me put all of this away. You gotta relax before you fall over again!"

"… You're right. Daigyo will go on break."

…

… …

… … …

Iruka shuffled down to the hot spring where his chuunin friends and some jounin were gathered, careful not to slip with his shaky steps.

"You finally showed up, Iruka-kun," Kotetsu greeted too loudly, and Iruka mumbled a response.

"And you look like shit," Mizuki commented as Iruka sank into the spring between him and Genma, sighing heavily as the hot water caressed his aching body. “You okay, Ruka-kun?”

"Yeah, just tired," Iruka mumbled. "Hokage-sama asked me to rework some seals in the archives. It took a lot out of me."

"Yeah, you look chakra exhausted," Izumo said. "You should take the rest of the day off."

"Probably should, yeah." Iruka nodded and closed his eyes, leaning back and listening to his fellow shinobi around him.

"Do you know how long it took to get all that grime off of me?" Izumo groused. "I nearly threw up so many times."

"Yeah, my hair was dyed red for a few hours," Kakashi said. "Almost decided to just keep it."

"Thank you for not doing that," Genma mumbled beside him.

"I'm going to miss our beloved, Asuma-kun," Gai lamented. "But I commend him for accepting the great honor of joining the mighty fire guardians."

"Well, I'd want to get the hell out of here, too, if my brother's funeral was haunted like that," Mizuki said. "What a shitty thing to happen."

"Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if that Daigyo wasn't there," Kotetsu said.

"Things would be very different if Daigyo weren't here," Kakashi muttered.

"Why so grouchy, Kakashi-kun?" Genma teasingly asked. "I like this Daigyo, all dark and mysterious, taking down monsters and whatnot"

"I admire his determined spirit," Gai said. "To face such a terrible creature head-on with his equally courageous team takes a beating heart like no other."

“Mah, more so…

… … Iruka…

Ruka-kun….

"Hey, Iruka-kun," Iruka shivered as a warm breath rolled over his ear, and someone poked his cheek. He cracked open his eyes, the sun momentarily blinding him, before the man's face came into focus. "I think your futon will be more comfortable than me," Genma smirked down at him, and Iruka realized he had fallen asleep on the bodyguard's shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Genma-san!” Iruka sat up with an apologetic start.

"You're fine," the senbon shinobi chuckled, before looking serious. "But you really should head home. Get some rest."

"I think that's for the best," Iruka agreed. "I'll have Akuri take over for the rest of the day. I'm no help, a stumbling mess like this."

"Need some help getting home?" Kakashi asked.

"I got you covered, Ruka-kun," Mizuki said before anyone else got a word in.

"Thank you, but I don't want to keep you from the brief down time you have," Iruka declined, trying to pull himself out of the spring but struggling.

"Really, let me help you." Mizuki easily got out, put on his robe, and held his hand to the teacher. "You're always helping everyone else."

"… Okay," Iruka gave in and grabbed Mizuki's hand.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

It was 2:50 p.m. when Fugaku was ready to leave for his meeting with the Shimura. He said goodbye to his sons in the backyard, where Itachi "trained" Sasuke how to throw wooden kunai. His youngest waved goodbye with a grin, and Itachi only mumbled. Fugaku didn't correct the rude gesture, going inside to say farewell to Mikoto as she cleaned Itachi's bloody kunai in the bathroom.

"You'll be home for dinner?" Mikoto asked, looking at him in the mirror as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and buried his head in her shoulder.

"Yes, I will be," Fugaku assured her. "Thee Shimura is injured and exhausted; he won't try anything serious. He probably wants to slap me with whatever infractions he can think of while he plays Hokage." He kissed her cheek, but she grabbed his face before he could fully pull away and properly kissed him on the lips, warm and loving.

"See you, Gaku."

"See you later, Miko."

Fugaku left the comfort of his home and arrived before the Hokage office door at 2:59 p.m., knocking at 3:00 p.m.

"Come in," he scowled, hearing Danzo's harsh voice on the other side, and entered the office. The curtains for the windows were drawn closed, and the only light in the room came from lavender-scented candles littered around the room. The advisor sat comfortably behind the Hokage desk, not looking up at the Uchiha as he filled out a stack of papers. Sandaime's desk was clean of the usual piles of paper to make room for lit candles that cast dark shadows on the Shimura's face.

"What is this meeting for, Danzo-san?" Fugaku questioned.

"I want to talk about your conduct during the 'Bloody Sarutobi Funeral,'" the advisor kept his eyes on his file as he spoke. "Too tired to look me in the eyes today."

"Is that what people are calling it?"

"It's an apt description."

"What was so terrible about my conduct that you had to summon me here?"

"You have no idea why?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked you 'why'."

"Hm," Danzo hummed and finished signing his signatures, setting his pen down before turning his steely gaze to Fugaku. The room suddenly felt darker and colder, the Uchiha's senses heightened. "He won't do anything. No here." "When I was treating my subordinate, you found it fitting to shove me away." Oh… I forgot about that."

"In the heat of the moment, I mistook your tender healing and took action to protect my subordinate. You have my apologies, Danzo-san," The Uchiha head "apologized" with arms crossed, gaze cold.

"Don't insult with that dribble you call an 'apology'," Though the advisor's tone remained even, his glare never lost its edge. "Not that I desire one." Fugaku gritted his teeth at the one word. "Desire."

"Then what do you 'desire' from me, Danzo-san? You give a man a peculiar impression in a dark, candlelit room." Danzo's lip curled in disgust.

"Despite what your perversions tell you, Fugaku, I demand that you never lay a forceful hand on my person again. Today I will give you a warning, but your next incident will precede punishment. Do you understand, Fugaku?"

"… Yes," The Uchiha's hands balled into fists, envisioning a wounded Shisui alone in a hospital bed, how easily the advisor could snake his way into the same bed. "I won't put my hands on you as long as you keep yours off of Shisui." The advisor's stern mask finally broke to abhorred shock, golden eye widening and lips opening in a silent gasp. In a breath, that shock twisted into a burning anger, turning his gaze into daggers and lips in a thin line as his chakra violently spiked. For a moment, Fugaku wouldn't have been surprised if the Shimura pulled out his kunai and ran it across his throat.

"Your mind is far more corrupted than I thought," he lowly hissed. "I have never laid such a hand on Shisui. He will tell you so. Do not think so little of Shisui that he's earned his position by offering his body to me." His hands moved, clasping together in front of him on the desk, and his breath shuddered as he slowly regained his composure. "Yes, I have affections for him, but it is no different from those I share with all my trusted subordinates. Do you understand that, Fugaku?" A conflicting mix of relief and tension toiled in the Uchiha, though he kept composed and firm.

"Yes."

"I will be gracious and see this outburst of yours is due to the stress of our most recent incident, mixed with your concerns about Shisui's well-being. You are to take three days' leave to clear your head. Paperwork is acceptable, but no missions or patrols." Fugaku bit his tongue to silence his reflexive objection.

"Fine. Do you have any more business with me, Danzo-san?"

"No, you are dismissed. Now, get out of my sight."

"With pleasure." Fugaku flickered out of the room, taking a fresh breath of air as he stood atop a nearby rooftop, tension slowly leaving his body. "It seems Shisui was telling the truth. Though Danzo may be keeping his hands to himself, that doesn't mean he won't work Shisui until he breaks, leaving our clan without our strongest shinobi. Shisui needs someone to work with him inside Root… I promised I'd watch over your son, Denzo-kun."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

On the sunny afternoon where Isamu's and Miyako's gravestones rested in the cemetery, a boy stood with only a ragged black cloak and ripped blue scarf to keep him warm, carrying a pair of crumpled red roses.

"I brought these for you, Mama, Papa," he whispered with a dry voice, gently placing a flower in front of each grave. "A gift for all that you've done for me. You have a really nice village here, a bunch of fighters ready to stab anything. I love it. But I can't stay. I've got my own mission. I love you both so much." The boy went over on strong, healthy legs to place a kiss on the pair of graves, his messy white hair falling over his face when he leaned down. He bore a wide grin, purple eyes gleaming with hardly contained excitement. "Watch me at work."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Hiruzen sat before the fireplace, rocking gently back and forth while Konohamaru slept soundly in his lap, unaware of all the death surrounding him. The old Hokage made a note to remember this moment, where the world was quiet and warm, and his grandson was at peace in the safety of his arms. It brought comfort to his mind that was still numbed with horrors.

"I got you, Konohamaru," he whispered, more to himself. "You'll be safe."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka could hardly walk straight when he reached his apartment block, Mizuki keeping him from falling over in pure exhaustion with his arm slung over his shoulder and a steadying hand around his midsection.

"Damn Ruka-kun. Did the Hokage let you get this chakra exhausted?" Mizuki questioned as they slowly made their way up the staircase.

"No… just pushed myself like an idiot," Iruka groaned.

"Yeah, you can be dumb like that. I'll stay over, help you get better."

"You don't have to do that. You have work still."

"It's okay, Ruka-kun." Mizuki tightened his hold when they reached Iruka's floor, walking down the balcony to his apartment and reaching his door. "I'll take care of you."

"I'll take the sensei off your hands, Mizuki-kun." Iruka perked up at the familiar voice and looked behind him. The Hound was upside down, poking his head over the canopy.

"You're still around," Mizuki chuckled. "I thought the death rate for Anbu is high."

"It is, I'm just really good at what I do. And what I'm going to do now," the Hound flipped down from the roof to skillfully land on the banister below, "Is help Iruka-sensei. I was sent to tell you, Mizuki-kun, that an important mission is waiting for you at the mission desk. Promotion grade stuff."

"Really?" Mizuki's eyes gleamed.

"Go for it," Iruka encouraged.

"If you say so. Get better soon, Ruka-kun.” Mizuki gave a brief hug before helping the teacher lean against the wall and leaving for his mission.

"Let's get you settled in," the Hound said, becoming Iruka's walking support to help him into his apartment.

"Thank you, Ryoken-san," Iruka mumbled as the Anbu helped him sit on his bed. "I work myself so stupidly sometimes."

"Because you care." The Hound helped remove his flak jacket, folding it neatly on the floor. "But you also need to care about your chakra reserves. Chakra exhaustion creeps up on a lot of us."

"Well, it is making itself well known now," Iruka weakly chuckled, lying down and staring up at the Hound's mask in the dark, eyelids growing heavier by the moment. "… You do like me still, Ryoken-san?"

"Mah, I think so," the Hound playfully tapped his mask with a clawed finger. "'Course, I still like you, Iruka-sensei. What's changed?"

"… Nothing." Iruka tiredly smiled. "Thank you for still being here after so long."

"I try." The Hound reached out his hand to run it through Iruka's hair, comfortingly scratching his scalp. "Now, go to sleep. You've earned it." Those were the words Iruka wanted to hear from the Anbu before shutting his eyes and falling into a deep slumber.

Chapter 21: Swimming Lessons and Shark Lessons

Summary:

Itachi is eager to teach Sasuke how to swim, but has to do a less than pleasant academy presentation with his father about the Hoshigaki’s past hunts in Konoha first.
While thinking of ways to stop the forewarned Second Great Death of Konoha, Iruka makes time to teach Naruto how to swim.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

Itachi awoke at the crack of dawn like he always did, and like always, he remained still on his futon, watching Sasuke sleep soundly on his slowly falling and rising chest, kissed by the soft morning light peeking through the curtains. Itachi savored the peaceful morning, listening to his younger brother's quiet breaths and feeling his tiny heart beat. He couldn't think of any better way to start a harsh day littered with conflict. His mother officially started the day when she peeked into their bedroom, smiling softly.

"Morning. Did you sleep well, Itachi?" she asked, and Itachi nodded, humming. "Remember, you have to join your father at the Shinobi Academy." He remembered. It was the day he got to walk Sasuke to his elementary school.

"Yes, Okaasan." His mother left the door open when she left, and Itachi woke up Sasuke, shaking his shoulder. His little brother yawned and stretched like a kitten, waking from a nap with big dark eyes blinking.

"Mornin', Niisan," Sasuke mumbled, and Itachi smiled.

"Good morning, Sasuke."

Itachi freshened up and dressed in his shinobi uniform, leaving his Anbu mask in his dresser before equipping his kunai, shuriken, and tanto. Breakfast was already plated on the chabudai with their parents and a guest waiting when Itachi and Sasuke reached the dining room.

"Shisui-san!" Sasuke excitedly gasped, seeing the other Uchiha sitting at the chabudai, waving.

“Hi, Sasuke-kun.”

"What are you doing here?"

"Since I'll be doing the academy presentation with your dad and Itachi, I decided to join you for breakfast. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Itachi said, sitting beside him with Sasuke.

"You know what I dreamed about last night, Niisan?" Sasuke asked as his family quietly ate breakfast, licking away the stray pieces of rice on his lips.

"What did you dream about?"

"That I was flying over Konoha like a bird! It was so weird, but so fun. Is there a jutsu that makes you fly?"

"Yes, but it's a secret only the Tsuchikages know."

"Aw, why does it have to be a secret?" the little boy pouted.

"You know what's not a secret, Sasuke-kun?" Shisui asked, grabbing the boy's attention. "Swimming! It's practically flying in water. We could go swimming sometime." Itachi noticed his father's sour face as he sipped from his coffee cup.

"But I've never gone swimming before. Tosan says they're shark beasts in the water. I don't want them to eat me!" Sasuke whined, and Itachi frowned. "I didn't know Otosan's bedtime stories were scaring Sasuke this much."

"Not when we're with you, Sasuke-kun," Itachi assured his little brother. "Shisui will keep the monsters away while I teach you to swim. How about that?" Sasuke's eyes lit up with excitement as he eagerly nodded.

"You can teach him to swim in the pond," his father sternly said, gesturing to the pond in the backyard.

"Otosan, it's too shallow for Sasuke to swim in," Itachi responded, meeting his father's gaze. "The Ureshii Falls would be more suitable."

"That's a good idea," Shisui agreed before his father could respond. "It's where I helped you learn how to swim, Itachi-kun. Without incident, mind you." He looked over to the less-than-eager Uchiha head. "I think Sasuke's at the age where he can learn how to swim. It's a survival skill after all."

"And we can keep an eye on them while they swim," His mother added, caressing his father's crossed arm. "It'll be a nice way to relax as a family, and you certainly need relaxation, Gaku. You're so tense it's like I hit a brick wall when I rolled into you last night. It's a miracle I survived unscathed, really." She wore a teasing smirk, and he rolled his eyes, but sighed.

"Fine, we'll visit Ureshii Falls," his father conceded to Itachi's silent relief and Sasuke's happy cheer. But there will be rules you all need to follow to keep us safe from the Hoshigaki."

"Has a shark beast been in the falls, Tosan?" Sasuke asked.

"Not yet."

"Don't try and spook the boy out of this, Gaku!" his mother scolded.

"It's okay, Kaasan. I'm not scared," Sasuke confidently said, holding onto Itachi's arm. "Niisan and Shisui-san will protect us!" A warm, tender buzz hummed in Itachi's chest, further softening the cold callousness on his heart that had formed over the years, as he drank in the sight of his brother happily clinging to him. Itachi smiled.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Dear Daigyo,

          Apologies for responding so untimely. I had to exorcise my own laborious haunting while doing research. I have never heard of this "Jashin" either, and none of my books or scrolls mentions him by name. However, I have found an old scroll that tells of older creatures and refers to a "Blood God." I assume this Jashin is one of the elder yokai. He has been around since the birth of gods and monsters. As you know, most of those ancient beings have been lost to time. I will send you that scroll along with my notes to aid you.

          Unfortunately, my last mission is more severe than I initially thought. Don't fret; I'll have everything under control, though it will take months, at worst a year or two, so I'll be unreachable for that time.

          Sincerely,

                   Omnyoji Uzumaki Uma

Iruka rolled up Uma's letter and set it down in the chabudai beside the ancient scroll and his morning cup of tea. He sighed.

"Is it bad news, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked the boy sitting across from him, munching on his tamagoyaki pieces. The Jinchuuriki had spent the night at the teacher's apartment after he fell asleep as he kept Iruka company while he graded tests. It was late enough that Iruka simply moved him to the spare futon with a blanket and let him sleep.

"No, nothing bad. I just got a lot to do," Iruka said, taking a sip of tea.

"Does that mean you can't take me swimming? You promised!"

"Don't worry. We can still go swimming, Naruto-kun."

"Yay! Will Rin-san be back soon?"

"Hopefully. It has been about a month." He rubbed his backside, where Rin's healing seal rested. "Now, hurry and finish your breakfast so you aren't late for school."

"Is that really a bad thing?" Naruto smirked, and Iruka gave him a look. They left the apartment in the next five minutes, heading to school. Iruka dropped Naruto off at his elementary school before going to the Shinobi Academy. He had some reports that needed to be delivered to the Hokage's office and decided to deliver them himself with the time he had before class started. He knocked on the office door, and there was a pause before a cheery feminine voice responded:

"Oh, that must be more class reports. Come in." The teacher entered the office and only made it a couple of steps before being stopped by the Hokage's new personal assistant, a young woman wearing a simple black kimono with a red obi. Her silky black hair curled down her shoulders, and her brown eyes smiled along with her dark red lips. Something about her smile rubbed Iruka the wrong way as she took the report from him.

"Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei."

"You're welcome, Zuki-san." Iruka peeked around her to glance at the Hokage at his desk. Sandaime slouched with his head hung low and mechanically filled out paperwork with dark bags under his dull eyes, the air around him sluggish and weighty. A cigarette rested in his mouth, though it was unlit and mostly ignored. "Good morning, Sandaime-sama." Iruka's greeting managed to break the Hokage out of his silent trance, and the older man offered him a nod as he monotonously mumbled:

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei." Zuki practically shooed Iruka out of the office. After that, the teacher wore a frown as he went to class. "Maybe Sandaime's break should have been longer. Having one of your sons die in such a cruel way and the other leave the village on bad terms would disturb anyone's mental state. I shouldn't tell him what that yokai said about 'Konoha's Second Great Death.' Not when he's not all there. It'd make things worse for him and Konoha."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Itachi felt a sense of nostalgia revisiting the Shinobi Academy. The lobby still had the same floral decorations, the old olive sofa, and the mahogany coffee table with the same old magazines. While the scenery was similar, many faces were different, as he expected. Most of his classmates either dropped out, graduated, or were dead. He carried a folder of files and photographs to the front desk with Fugaku and Shisui, standing behind a familiar face.

"No, I can deliver the report to the Hokage's office. Thank you for offering, though, Kotetsu-kun, Izumo-kun," Iruka said to the desk workers before turning to leave and being surprised by the Uchihas behind him. "Oh, I'm sorry to keep you all waiting."

"It's fine, Iruka-sensei. We just got here," Shisui said.

"You're here for the Hoshigaki safety presentations?"

"Indeed," his father answered.

"That's today?" Izumo sounded surprised before shuddering with a grimace.

"Um, Fugaku-san," Iruka started, "is your presentation… the same as when you gave it to us?"

"I changed very little. Do you remember it?" Itachi's father asked.

"My stomach and I remember it very clearly," Izumo said, queasy.

"Ha! How could I forget?" Kotetsu laughed. "An innocent Kotetsu learned what 'eviscerate' meant that day."

"It kept you from playing in the river, didn't it?" His father asked confidently, and the shinobi nodded in agreement.

"Good luck to your students, Iruka-sensei." Kotetsu grinned, and Iruka rolled his eyes before leaving to deliver his report.

Itachi followed his father and Shisui to the first classroom to begin presentations. He said little to nothing as his job was to show the photographs and files to the students to provide a visual of his father's words, and give files when Shisui answered questions. Thankfully, most students seemed to take the warnings to heart, given their repulsed and frightened expressions every time he showed a picture. He remembered being given a similar but more lifelike presentation about the dangers the Hoshigaki posed when his father took him to examine the aftermath of a Hoshigaki ambush during the Third Shinobi War. He could smell the foul stench of each gruesome photo he showed and hear the eerie groans of rotting corpses. Classroom Tora would be the last group of students the Uchiha officers presented to.

"Now, class, the Uchiha police captain and his subordinates will be giving a safety presentation about Konoha's rivers," Iruka announced to his class. "Please give them the same attention and respect you give me." The teacher sat behind his desk to give the Uchihas the floor. Itachi stood beside his father with the photos ready.

"Good morning, Class Tora. I am Uchiha Fugaku, captain of the police force," his father began by introducing himself. "Today I'll be going over the dangers the Hoshigaki pose to Konoha's natural rivers and lakes, and how to keep yourselves safe. First, who are the Hoshigaki clan? They're a clan in Kirigakure and consist of shark-human hybrids, though they're more beast than human." Itachi pulled out the first photos depicting Torasame and Oushisame from afar, their dorsal fins breaking through the river's surface. "Their main diet consists of chakra, and they get that chakra by devouring living things with innate chakra. Which includes us in Konoha." Itachi sensed the first wave of apprehension wash over most of the students.

"While they mostly target Uchiha with the Sharingan, the Hoshigaki will eat anyone. The Hoshigaki's first attack in Konoha was around three decades ago. Hojirosame and Jimbesame attacked from the Naka River while Konoha's clans gathered for an outing." Itachi presented photographs of the aftermath, the faded ink showing the river dyed red and what was left of the devoured victims, students recoiling at the sight. "There were twelve victims in total, and the only reason there weren't more was due to Sarutobi Sasuke's aid. He was able to eliminate Hojirosame, but Jimbesame still stalks the waters to this day.

"The second Hoshigaki attack in Konoha was during the Second Shinobi World War, when Oushisame attacked from Senju Lake while many of our shinobi were out for war. There were twenty victims in total." Itachi presented photographs of said victims, severed limbs, piles of gory mush, and many dead faces. "The gorge ended once Akimichi Torifu and his team slayed the Hoshigaki.

"The final and most recent Hoshigaki attack was six years ago, when Jimbesame attacked Konoha the second time, attacking from the Naka River. Thirty people lost their lives that day, with Jimbesame successfully being led away from Konoha." Itachi showed photographs of deaths he'd seen with his own eyes. The aftermath of the Kyuubi's rampage left Konoha weakened and vulnerable to opportunistic enemy shinobi, and the Hoshigaki were no different. He remembered clearly the screams from the villagers, not unlike the screams the demon fox brought, and his father's frightful eyes as he ordered him to stay away, keep safe, while he risked his life to lead Jimbesame away from the village.

"Though our rivers and lakes aren't directly connected to the ocean," Fugaku continued once the murmur of the students quieted, "the Hoshigaki had been able to infiltrate our waters without crossing land. It was unknown how they could do this until more information was discovered during the Second Shinobi World War. A skilled enough Hoshigaki can teleport between bodies of water they drink from. A Kiri-nin had collected water from our lakes and rivers to give to the Hoshigaki. A jutsu that can counteract the Hoshigaki's water teleportation has protected us so far, but it is not absolute.

"Here are some warning signs that a Hoshigaki has infiltrated the water. A skilled Hoshigaki can cloak their chakra signature despite their massive size. The first sign is a flock of birds circling the area; they sense the predatory intent and feast on what remains of the Hoshigaki leaves behind. The second is that they usually hunt during the day, though a few attack at night; however, they are notably weaker than their daytime siblings. The third sign is that still water will begin to ripple with no signs of movement. If you believe there's a Hoshigaki infiltration, calmly leave the river or lake, don't run or panic; you'll get their attention if you haven't already. Once on land, alert your nearest shinobi or Uchiha officer.

"To keep yourselves ultimately safe would be to avoid most natural bodies of water in Konoha, like lakes and rivers; however, if you must go swimming, here are some rules. Try going later in the day during the autumn and early winter months, like now. Don't go alone, bring a friend or two, in case of an incident, you have someone to aid you. The last and most important thing is not to bleed in the water. Hoshigaki can scent the tiniest drop of blood miles away. It attracts them the most. Unless you want to be shark food, do not treat these rules as a joke, or I'll use your photograph in my next presentation. Understood?" The frightened class muttered "yes, sir" and nodded. His father smiled proudly. "Good. Now, Shisui will be answering any questions."

"… Are there any questions?" Shisui asked the quiet class. After a moment of silence, a girl from the Aburame clan, given away by her signature shades and a small arachnid resting on her cheek, raised her hand. “Yes, Aburame-chan?”

"Are shark beasts scared of spiders?"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Ah! The water's cold!" Narto yelped when he first stepped into the waters of Ureshii Falls' stream. The waterfall flowed down to a shallow stream, which poured into a larger, deeper lake a short way down. The boy stayed on the gravelly shore while Iruka was already knee deep in the stream, wearing dark blue swim trunks while he wore bright orange ones.

"You'll warm up, Naruto-kun," Iruka said, gesturing for him to come over. Naruto put one foot in, ignoring the chills, and then the other, the smooth rocks and mud squishing under his feet as he inched closer to the teacher. The water reached his belly button when he reached Iruka in the middle of the stream; his birthmark shivered on his stomach as he held onto his guardian's leg.

"How do I swim?" Naruto asked.

"Get comfortable with the water first. Have you ducked your head under water before?"

"Yes! Well, kinda by accident when I was taking a bath, but I still did it."

"That's a start. See if you can hold your breath underwater." Naruto spent the next few minutes doing just that, pinching his nose and dunking his head under water. He couldn't do it for more than a second the first time; submerging was a new sensation he needed to get used to. Still, with Iruka's coaching and ensuring he wasn't waterboarding himself, he grew more comfortable underwater. It was fun crawling around on the stream floor, using his hands to walk and let the rest of his body float, so close to almost flying.

"I want to go to the lake, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to the lake that the waterfalls' stream led to.

"Ready to really swim? Let's get started then." Iruka excitedly led Naruto out of the stream and to the lake's shore, holding the boy's hand as he guided him into the water. Naruto giddily shivered when the water lapped at his chest, then his shoulders, starting to lose his footing. "Start kicking your feet like you did in the stream," Iruka instructed, still holding his hand, and Naruto listened, kicking his feet how the teacher showed him when the water reached his chin. His eyes widened excitedly as he began to float, then swim. Iruka kept a hand under his stomach as he guided the swimming boy through the water.

"Look, I'm swimming, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cheered.

"Yes, you're a natural, Naruto-kun!" Iruka smiled and pulled the boy onto his back to give him a break. "Want to do something cool?"

"What?"

"Hold onto me as tight as you can and hold your breath. Just tap on my shoulder when you start running out of air."

"Okay!" Naruto wrapped his arms around Iruka's neck and inhaled loudly before the teacher sank beneath the surface. Naruto was suddenly flying, the cool water rushing over him, and his body was weightless with Iruka's warmth to assure him he wasn't alone in the dark, quiet void. He peeked open his eyes and bit his lip to keep from gasping, amazed by the sight of the deep blue waters and how the sunlight scattered across them like glimmering crystals. He looked down and was awed at how the sunlight shimmered off the scales of the colorful fish that swam beneath them, both man and fish flying through the cool waters. Though he wanted to stay in the underwater gem longer, his lungs wouldn't let him, and he tapped on Iruka's shoulder. Naruto gasped for air when they resurfaced.

"Are you okay?" Iruka asked.

"Yeah, that was so cool!" Naruto grinned. "I didn't know you could swim so fast, Iruka-sensei!"

"Well, it's a chakra control technique similar to how we shinobi walk on water but applied to swimming."

"Can you teach me?"

"When you're older."

"Aw… Hey!" the boy gasped and pointed when his blue eyes caught the family set up by the lake's shore. He recognized the mom and her two sons, who had given him the gift basket. "It's the Uchichis!"

"Uchiha," Iruka corrected, and swam over to them, lingering in the water. "Good afternoon, Uchiha family," he greeted while Naruto gave a loud "hello" and a wave.

“Hello, Iruka-sensei, Naruto-kun.” Shisui waved back while Itachi silently nodded, putting sunscreen on Sasuke's face.

"What brings you two out here?" Mikoto asked, sitting on a towel beside her husband with an umbrella above them to keep them in the shade. While she wore a black one-piece swimsuit with a sheer red overthrow, Fugaku wore a thin, silky red robe that kept most of him covered.

"I'm here to teach Naruto how to swim," Iruka answered.

"What a coincidence?! We're here to teach Sasuke how to swim. They can learn together."

"What do you think about that, Naruto-kun?" the teacher asked, but the boy's attention was locked on Mikoto.

"What's that tattoo on your chest?" he bluntly asked and pointed at the seal marking that peaked out from her swimsuit collar. Iruka made out circles and the head of a crow.

"Dummy, I forgot about the cloaking jutsu," Mikoto scolded herself, before shrugging. "Oh, well, it's just us."

"Don't point like that, Naruto-kun," Iruka chastised.

"Sorry, her tattoo kinda looked like my tummy birthmark," Naruto explained.

"No, your birthmark is too special to be like my tattoo, Naruto-kun," Mikoto said, rubbing her seal affectionately. "It's a gift my husband gave to cement his love for me," she put a hand to Fugaku's chest, "and I gifted him with one of my own. He's shy about it, though." Her smirking lips kissed his blushing cheek, and Sasuke audibly gagged.

“Ew, Kaasan, Tosan!”

"Here, let's get in the water to wash ourselves of that sight," Shisui playfully said, beckoning the younger Uchiha boys into the water as he went in himself.

"I'll show you how to swim, Sasuke! I'm a pro," Naruto boasted, and Sasuke gave him a skeptical glance.

"You just started swimming today."

"Yeah, and I'm just that amazing!" With that boast and Itachi's help, they eventually got Sasuke into the lake to teach him how to swim. Iruka didn't know when, but while learning how to doggy paddle and how to stay afloat on one's back, a competitive spark started between the two youngest boys, turning each simple move into a competition to see who could hold their breath the longest and make the biggest splash. When a game of water volleyball began, Naruto on Iruka's back and Sasuke on Itachi's, the competition reached its peak with Naruto cackling like a lunatic when he scored over Team Uchiha, and Sasuke smirked so smugly when he won over Team Uzumaki. After a few rounds, Iruka needed to take a breather despite the fun he was having, and Mikoto happily switched places with him, Naruto settling on the Uchiha's shoulders with Iruka's assurance.

"How are you doing, Fugaku-san?" Iruka asked as he sat on the shore, drinking from his water bottle.

"Fine," the Uchiha head muttered, his stern eyes never leaving his family on the lake, body tense.

"… How is Denzo-san doing? I haven't seen him in the garden for a while now."

"His health is deteriorating," Fugaku answered bluntly. "But he still manages to smile… with what's left of his mind."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was that bad. I'm amazed Shisui is handling his father's sickness so well… On the outside at least." Iruka frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't… I hate the—"

"Don't apologize, Umino-kun. It was the Hoshigaki that ate his leg, not you," Fugaku grumbled, as if it hurt to say

"Even though he fought Torasame because of my family?"

"He was going to fight a Hoshigaki anyway, so yes, even so."

 "Okay, I won't… but I will make my life mean something. I wouldn't have reached Konoha without Denzo-san's help, and I won't let his act of kindness go to waste by not living to my full potential, helping as many others as possible." Fugaku glanced at him for a moment, the sharp edge to his glare softening before looking back to his family.

"… I think you're making good use of your life so far, Iruka-kun."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Itachi ensured Sasuke was sound asleep, exhausted from a day of swimming and games, before leaving their bedroom. He was still dressed in his shinobi uniform, weapons included, but his Anbu mask was securely attached to his belt this time. He went out to the back porch, the night sky and chill greeting him, and approached the open door of the spare bedroom, where his parents and a uniformed Shisui spoke to each other.

“Ready to go, Itachi-kun?” Shisui asked, pausing the conversation and standing up. Itachi nodded.

"Be careful, Itachi. Always keep your guard up," his mother advised.

"Get this right, and you'll be our second eyes and ears on what happens below Konoha," his father said. "You'll ensure our clan's prosperity, Itachi. Do not fail."

"No pressure," Shisui playfully nudged Itachi. "Have no fear. Itachi is in good hands with me, Fugaku-san, Mikoto-san."

The pair left, Itachi following Shisui across the rooftops outside the Uchiha compound and further beyond to scale the top of Hokage Rock. Itachi glanced at the village from the high vantage point, the glowing lights of Konoha reflecting in his dark eyes. The glow of the moon and Shisui's lantern were the only lights to guide them as they walked across the mountain top, further away from the village.

"Did you have fun today, Itachi?" Shisui asked, smooth voice complementing the quiet night.

"Yes, and Sasuke did too, thankfully," Itachi answered. "I feared going swimming would scar him with Otosan's tales of shark beasts, but surprisingly, the Onmyoji and the Jinchuuriki made him more comfortable."

"Probably because little Sasuke worried more about winning against Naruto than any shark attack. As it should be."

"Yes, as it should."

Going through a bundle of bushes, they found a small metal shed next to a hefty rock. The old structure was rusted on the hinges.

"Put your Anbu mask on, Itachi," Shisui said as he put on his black crow mask, and Itachi donned his feline Anbu mask before the older Uchiha opened the door, revealing a regular empty shed. Shisui weaved a jutsu and stomped his foot on the shed, the metal floor retracting with a low groan to reveal a stone staircase that descended into darkness. A chilly draft wafting from the staircase made Itachi shudder. "Got chills?" Shisui teased.

"No… shivers." Itachi stuck close to Shisui's side as they descended the stairs, the entryway shutting behind them, enclosing them in a dark, cold stairwell. Besides their echoing footsteps, Itachi could hear his heart beating and his nerves buzz, on edge. Once they reached the end of the stairwell, they came to a door that Shisui had to unlock with another jutsu, opening it to let in frigid air and light. He followed Shisui out, and his eyes widened, taking in the massive chamber. It was made up of a circular balcony that ringed the sleek metal walls with hallways and doors, with the middle of the floor missing.

"Welcome to Root's base," Shisui introduced, and Itachi curiously went to the banister, leaning over the railing to see how far down the hole went. He counted six floors underneath him, some having bridges over the hole to connect the far ends of the circular balconies, before the darkness of the pit swallowed the rest of the base. Apparently, the lanterns hung on the walls were only on the upper floors.

"How deep does it go?" He asked.

"Pretty deep." Shisui looked down with him.

"Have you been to the bottom?"

"Yes, and you have no business being down there."

"Good evening, Karasu-taichou, and guest," a monotone voice greeted behind them. They turned around to see a Root agent wearing a dark hooded robe and a plain white mask with a black dot over the left eye. There was a faint hint of a chakra signature coming from him, and Itachi thankfully couldn't sense any harmful intent from him… or much of anything really.

"Evening, Dotto-kun," Shisui greeted back and put a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "And Ryoshi-kun here will soon be an official member. After we speak with Danzo-dono, of course."

"He's in his main office, I believe. Do you need an escort?"

"No, we'll be fine. Thanks for the offer, Dotto-kun." Itachi felt the Root agent's eyes following him as he and Shisui went to the stairs leading down to the floors below. As they descended, Itachi heard distant low echoes and caught glimpses of Root agents on the balconies, drifting in and out of the halls. He could sense many more chakra signatures, many more eyes watching him than the agents he saw. "Even when they're in domain shadows, they still hide… Or is it that they know I'm here? Prepared to strike when ready."

They reached the sub fourth floor and went down one of its dark hallways, sticking to Shisui in the winding hall before coming to a wooden door marked with the Shimura clan symbol. Shisui turned to him.

“You ready, Ryoshi-kun?”

"… Yes," Itachi nodded. "Too late to turn back now." Shisui knocked on the door, flashing his chakra signature.

"… Come in, Karasu," Danzo's low voice said, and the Uchihas entered the office, a larger room that was as dark and chilly as the rest of the base, illuminated by floral candles on the low desk and shelves. A fully stocked bookshelf was on the office's back wall, though scrolls and books were also stacked in the corner and on Danzo's desk. It was placed parallel and turned short ways so there was no barrier between the Root leader and his guests. His current visitor was a recognizable face, her dark brown eyes scanning Itachi intently and her red lips slightly tight. "Wait for Zuki to finish her report," Danzo ordered, and Zuki's attention immediately snapped back to the Root leader.

"The Hokage's sleep schedule hasn't improved. He lies in his bed but only falls asleep for at most three to four hours a night. On the nights he cries, he doesn't sleep at all. I offer to tire him out, but he always refuses. He doesn't want to do much of anything besides work or watch over Konohamaru. Though he played shogi with me only once, I can't get him to wind down or take breaks. I think he knows I'm an agent but hasn't said anything. I thought my smile was so good, too," she almost pouted. "Am I approaching this the wrong way?"

"Not entirely, I expected Hiruzen to retreat into himself and drown in mind-numbing work," Danzo said, rifling through the cabinet beside his bookshelf. "Encourage him to play shogi with you again. Be a challenge for him, Zuki. As for his disturbed sleep cycle," he pulled out a small bottle of medication, the sleeping pills shaking inside when he handed it to Zuki, "add this to his nightly medication. Give him a three-milligram dosage, but if there's no change, up it to five. Do not go past that dosage without consulting me."

"Understood, Danzo-sama," Zuki nodded.

"You're dismissed." The Root agent bowed her head before standing and leaving the office. She waved to Shisui but gave Itachi a questioning glance before the door closed behind her.

"Hokage-sama isn't getting any better?" Shisui asked, sitting down before the advisor, and Itachi joined him, though he sat a bit further back.

"No, but that is no surprise. This will be a lengthy issue, but that's not what we're here to talk about." Danzo's golden eye darted to Itachi, and the Uchiha boy kept his confident posture, remaining sturdy under the weighty glare. "Take off your mask, Ryoshi. Let me see your face." Itachi stopped himself from glancing at Shisui. "I need to show that I can stand on my own." He unmasked himself and felt more exposed than he thought he would, though Shisui took off his mask as well. "You wish to join Shisui as one of my Root agents, Itachi?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

"Hm, I don't doubt your skills, seeing as you're already Anbu. But I want to ask why you want to join? And I don't mean why your father pushed you," the advisor added before Itachi could answer. "What is your reason for joining Root, Itachi?"

"Simple. I want to protect Konoha and my clan from all harm while maintaining their peace of mind. Fighting in the shadows allows me to eliminate all the enemies that threaten us while my family sleeps soundly. If I can vanquish the fears my father and many others have, I believe we can work toward a mutual peace. Where no one fears monsters. That is why I want to join Root." There was a moment of silence, Danzo eyeing him closely, checking for any lies that his tongue never gave, before nodding.

"I will accept your service, Itachi."

"See, I told you you didn't have to worry," Shisui smiled and patted Itachi's tense back. “You can breathe now, by the way." The younger Uchiha let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, the invisible grip of his heart relaxing but still present.

"Shisui will help you settle in and show you how we operate. If he hasn't babbled everything to you already, that is."

"I left some surprises. Itachi will see what we get up to at night." Shisui smirked and Danzo rolled his eye before continuing with business.

"There are three seals a majority of my agents apply for missions; however, one I won't be able to apply unless I want your father to rip out my tongue. The Pain Numbing seal speaks for itself. It makes it so my agents can fight through most injuries in battle and makes physical torture null and void. The last seal is the Heart-Nulling seal. It dampens emotions, allows my agents to make the harsh decisions they need to, and fulfill their missions without hesitation.

"However, it is a complicated seal that gives mixed results. Some respond very violently to it. You can deactivate and reactivate it at will, but it's acceptable if you don't want it. As long as you successfully complete your missions, there'll be no issue."

"Do you use the heart-nulling seal, Shisui?" Itachi asked his fellow Uchiha.

"No. I tried it once and," Shisui but his lip, "we didn't click. I suggest testing it out first if you want to use it."

"Hm…" "I've been accomplishing my Anbu missions just fine without any seals like that. I can handle whatever Root puts me through. I must." "I can work without it."

 

~ ✧~

 

"Knew it. Lightning was your bane, cur."

"Mind if I punch in another hole?

"Brutish bitch!

"There's your damned seal!"

Rin's eyes shot open with Jashin's cruel laugh echoing in her head, and she instantly pounced to her feet, her three tails ripping out of her back with her furious chakra spiking. Her tails crashed against the walls of her room, and her bed collapsed underneath her feet.

"What?" She gasped, taking in her surroundings and realizing that she was inside her room in the mindscape with no signs of danger or killing intent. Iruka's chakra was calm, only startled by her sudden awakening. She reigned in her chakra just as her door burst open, Akuri rushing inside, exclaiming:

"Rin, you're back!" He tackled her in a hug, and both fell back onto her bed. Rin smiled, and Akuri cried with relief. "I got scared you wouldn't come back. I missed you so much!"

"Sorry, I was gone to begin with," Rin apologized, both sitting up.

"Don't say sorry, it's not your fault. That demon was the meanest of them all. Iruka exorcised him before he could do anything nasty. He needed Uso to do it, but he hasn't tried breaking out of his room, thankfully." Rin frowned at that. "I have been taking good care of Iruka and things!" Akuri tried being more positive. "I wasn't as scary as you, Rin, but we haven't had any more incidents."

"That's good at least."

"Well… no major incidents," Akuri mumbled. Before Rin could pry, Iruka entered, wearing a tired smile and his pajamas.

"Good to see you, Rin-chan," he greeted. She got up to meet him halfway and pulled him into a hug, which he returned.

“You too, Iruka-kun. Sorry, I left you on your own."

"No, you did all you could. We'll get stronger together. All of us."

"Yeah…" They pulled back. "I heard there was another incident."

"Well, a lot has happened since you've been gone," Iruka sighed. "Here, I'll show you the memories."

There were many memories, both good and bad.

The good: Overhearing positive gossip when the clan's attended the temple's hot springs, receiving gifts from all of the grateful families they saved during Jashin's haunting, she had a gift basket from the Inuzuka to look forward to, Iruka being cared for by the Hound as he suffered from chakra exhaustion, and teaching Naruto how to swim along with the Uchiha family.

The bad: Asuma leaving Konoha on bad terms, the Hokage returning to work worse than before, yokai activity increasing around the cemetery, most of Iruka's students being terrified of water after the Hoshigaki safety presentation, Rin remembered getting that intense PSA when she was in the academy, and a another visit from the blue-eyed soul eater that forewarned of massive bloodshed, Konoha's Second Great Death.

"… He's not lying," Rin muttered as she sat on the living room's cream-colored sofa, processing the conflicting emotions. "If he senses mass killing intent here, there will be death. Of course, he didn't tell us from whom or what."

"How do you stop killing intent?" Akuri asked, sitting on the sofa beside her. "Is there a jutsu for that?"

"There could be," Iruka theorized, sitting on the armchair across from his yokai. "But I don't think it will work on a village scale. The Hokage could help, but I don't think we should tell him about this yet. Or anyone."

"Yes," Rin agreed. "That would cause panic if we tell people there'll be another disaster rivaling Kyuubi's rampage, and we have no idea how to handle it. We must figure out where the killing intent comes from first."

"I don't think it's blatant or we would have sensed it by now," Iruka said. "It must be buried resentment or, even trickier, a subconscious killing desire. We can't just ask people, 'Hey, do you feel like killing anybody by chance?' We'd have to get into their head to get real answers, but my Soul Peering isn't stealthy, really. They'll know I'm in their mind."

"Sounds like… you're in trouble again… Iruka-kun," Usotsuki's dreaded voice echoed from down the hall, the door to the mindscapes cell's creaking. "And again… I can provide my expertise."

"Not a chance, liar!" Akuri shouted back.

"We're not in the mood for any games!" Rin growled, flashing her fangs toward the darkened hallway.

"… Rin-chan, Akuri-kun," Iruka started calmly, though his lips quirked with irritation. "Usotsuki's abilities may be what we need."

"But you could lose control of your Tenshigan again, Iruka," Akuri said.

"And he's a liar that only acts for himself," Rin added.

"Both are true, but Kurenai's Evil Sealing Method can help with my Tenshigan, and we can prepare for Usotsuki's tricks," Iruka argued. "I would rather take that risk than wait too long to find a way to nail down this killing intent until it's too late. We can't have another Kyuubi Rampage."

"… I understand," Rin sighed. "I hate that we must rely on that demon, but what choice is there?"

"Okay, fine," Akuri grumbled. "But I won't let my guard down for a second!"

"Neither will I," Rin said. Iruka smiled before putting on a determined face, leading the trio to the basement door and down the stony staircase. The darkly lit basement was made up of empty cells on either side, the cool water flooding it, splashing at their feet as they went down the hall to the door leading to Usotsuki's prison chamber. Iruka looked at Rin and Akuri, getting nods from them both before opening the door, a frigid draft sweeping over them as they entered the cavernous prison chamber. Usotsuki's piercing golden eyes greeted him from the void behind the sturdy bars, following their every move.

"Well, what's your proposal?" Iruka asked sternly.

"Nothing outrageous, I assure you," the demon's voice tittered with barely contained excitement, and Rin scowled, arms crossed over her chest. "Ever since Minikui Ao's forewarning, I have wondered who his prey may be. I have some culprits floating around in my head."

"Who?" Iruka questioned.

"Konoha's clan heads."

"What do you mean?"

"They are some of the most powerful ninjas with an army of clansmen that will battle to the death if their clan head so desires. You can include the Konoha council as well. If there is to be a mass death in Konoha, it will most definitely be under their order."

"So, you think there's a clan head or council member ready to turn on Konoha and ravage the village like the beast did?" Iruka was doing well, keeping the anger in his tone controlled.

"I didn't say such a thing," the demon suppressed a chuckle. "There could be many reasons why the clan heads would want bloodshed. Not all traitorous, but all stem from one emotion. Can you guess it?" Iruka didn't answer. "Fear. Humans do the most volatile things because of it. I can learn what haunting fears and deepest desires the clan heads and council possess without their knowledge. Just like I did with you, Iruka."

"I knew you were the one forcing me to relive such awful memories," Iruka scowled.

"No, not when you sealed me within you, before that. How do you think I knew what you desired most, what kept you up at night, when I first introduced myself to you? I rifled through your mind while you were none the wiser. I'll do the very same to the clan heads and council."

"… I want to supervise you while you do your 'mind rifling.' I won't agree to this any other way."

"Oh, if you must," the demon "sighed."

"What do you want in return?" Iruka questioned. "And no, I won't do the rebirth ritual on you. You may be the cause of Konoha's Second Great Death, then."

"No, I know you won't willingly give me the blessing from Ikuna's Seal. Instead, I ask," Usotsuki's golden smile appeared, glimmering cruelly as always, "that you spend more time with your dear friend, Mizuki."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Hey, don't chew on that, Denzo!" Fugaku griped as he pulled a lock of his long brown hair from the giggling toddler's mouth. "And don't you copy him, Kugami!" The seven-year-old boy pulled another lock of hair from the other toddler's grabby hands. Fugaku sat on the red and white picnic cloth in the company of curious toddlers and their mothers. The summer sun shone down on them, but the cool breeze from the calm Naka River, further down the grassy embankment from where they sat, kept Fugaku cool.

"Leave that boy alone, Den-kun," Denma softly chastised. The Uchiha grabbed her son and plopped him in her lap, and the toddler immediately was distracted by her long dark purple hair.

"No wonder he keeps eating my hair. You let him chew on yours, Obasan."

"You were a little hair enthusiast too, Fu-kun," his mother said, combing a hand through his hair to untangle it. "Taking after me, so sweet,” she cooed, flipping a lock of her curled violet hair.

"Though he is the spitting image of his father, Akane-chan," Kaira said, the Byakugan wielder setting Kugami with the four-year-old Noata beside her, her two sons being distracted by the shape puzzle in front of them.

"Everyone's popping out clones of themselves," Denma chuckled, squishing Denzo's rosy cheeks. "This guy’s just a cute little Kagami, really."

“Hey, Fugaku-kun!” The Uchiha boy looked down near the river at the call of his name, smiling when he saw Hanae waving at him with a kunai in her hand. "You said you'd do water target practice with us today!"

"Yeah, I gotta kick your butt, Fugaku-kun!" the Uchiha boy beside her exclaimed, Riku waving his own kunai around.

"I'll be right there!" Fugaku called back.

"You will?" His mother hesitantly hummed, drumming her painted nails on her cup of lemonade.

"Please let me train with Hanae-chan and Riku-kun, Kaasan," Fugaku pleaded. "I've already missed so many days of training."

"Because you were recovering from a pulled muscle."

"But I'm all better now! If I slack off too much, Tosan will get onto me. Please, Kaasan.” His begging worked as his mother reluctantly sighed.

"All right, but you better be extra careful and not ruin your yukata. I'll make you restitch it yourself."

"I will. Thank you, Kaasan!” Fugaku hugged his mother tightly, and she hugged him back.

"Don't butter me up too much. Your daddy has your kunai. Go get it from him."

Fugaku left the picnic area, passing many other families enjoying themselves on the grassy fields before he reached the picnic tables. He found his father sitting at one of the larger tables, talking with the other ninjas across from him.

"Otosan," Fugaku muttered, standing at the end of the table, but didn't get his father's attention. He did get Kagami's attention. The Uchiha sat across from his father with his head resting on his folded arms on the table, dark, messy hair spilling over his face, and slowly opened his tired, glassy eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, Ojisan."

"I was just resting my eyes." Kagami softly smiled and sat up, stretching with a heavy sigh. "Gakufu-kun, I think someone wants to talk to you." He grabbed his father's attention and quirked his head toward Fugaku. The Uchiha head turned his steely gaze to his son, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes, boy?"

"I'm going to do target practice on the river with Hanae and Riku, so I'll need my kunai," Fugaku proudly said, enjoying the slight smile on his father's face.

"I won't keep you from your training then. You've progressed so much in little time."  He turned his smirk to the shinobi across from him as he reached for the kunai tied to his leg. "How are your children coming along with their shinobi training, Danzo-san?" The Shimura's golden eyes narrowed at his father.

"Noata is doing well with his Byakugan. My younger two struggle to train at their tender age, but they'll grow to be fearsome shinobi," Danzo, who sat beside Kagami, said and glanced down at the toddler Shimura resting in his lap, Rise having the same neutral expression as her father, silently observing.

"Rise-chan is so fearsome already," Kagami smirked and tickled underneath the girl's chin. Though she didn't laugh, her pouting lips did flip to a smile. "Be careful with your kunai, Fu-kun."

"I won't hurt myself, Ojisan," Fugaku promised as he grabbed his kunai from his father, weighty in his small hands, but he easily carried it down to the river to train with his friends.

"Took you long enough, Fugaku-kun. I thought you chickened out," Riku taunted, already standing atop the river's waters while Hanae finished setting up the wooden log targets on shore.

"Come on, let's get started!" She excitedly said, rushing onto the water as well. Fugaku joined them, balancing himself on the river's waters, which always made his stomach tingle excitedly, splashing across the deep blue surface. They practiced throwing their kunai while keeping their balance above the water, maintaining the chakra flow on their feet while attacking. They competed to see who could hit the center the most out of ten rounds. Fugaku was proud to say he hit the target dead center many times, even though he accidentally cut his finger one round. He flicked most of his blood away, droplets plopping into the river, before sucking on his finger to clean the rest. Riku hit the center too, however it ricochetted back at them, the children jumping out of the way for the kunai to stab the water, sinking out of sight.

"Dang it!" Riku grumbled, annoyed. "I can't lose another kunai."

"I can just get it for you, Riku-kun," Fugaku offered.

"Nah, I'm the better swimmer."

"Hurry back so we can do the final round," Hanae said. "I'm ready to win!"

Riku let himself sink beneath the water's surface, disappearing under the river's obscure blue. Fugaku's attention was drawn above as a collection of screeches and caws caught his attention, a flock of birds circling the river. It was strange, but he was more worried about Riku when too many seconds passed and he hadn't resurfaced.

"You think he's found it yet, Hanae-chan?" he asked, staring at the spot Riku descended.

"Yeah. Riku can hold his breath for a long time, so the lazy butt's probably taking his sweet..." Hanae paused, eyeing the popping bubbles that rose to the surface where Riku had last stood. The water changed color, a small patch of purple painting the surface until a dark, rich red overtook the spot. Fugaku's spine raked with shivers.

"I think Riku needs help," he worriedly muttered, pushing down his panic, stepping back as the red spot grew, spreading its crimson tendrils. "Hanae-chan?" He turned to the girl and found she was missing; only a similar dark red stain remained where she had stood. It too spread, dominating the river's blue in a rapid wave from shore to shore. The only blue left was the small circle Fugaku stood in, the boy's heart pounding with panic as the world tinted red except for his safe haven of blue.

"Kaasan! Otosan!" He screamed, tears spilling from his eyes, but got no response. The grassy null where so many people enjoyed a peaceful afternoon was now desolate under the red sky, with not a single soul in sight. "Help me, please!" he continued to cry as he felt the water underneath him stir, something tearing its way up from below. His eyes began to burn terribly, vision blurring with red, and when he wiped his crying eyes with his hand, he choked back a scream. Blood stained his hands and dyed his dark eyes crimson just as it had with the river's blue waters.

A bone-rattling roar assaulted his ears as the monster from below breached the surface, and his body was consumed by agony's voracious jaws.

Fugaku jolted awake, sitting up on his shared tatami with a panicked heart, his ears ringing from his adrenaline-rushed blood. His Sharingan burned bright in his dark bedroom, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness as he fought to control his panting breaths and racing heart.

"Mmph, Gaku?" He calmed when he heard Mikoto's sleepy murmur, his lover stirring beside him and reaching out a searching hand.

"It's okay, Miko," he whispered, grasping her hand and setting it down. "Go back to sleep." He waited until her breathing settled and her eyelids stopped fluttering before carefully leaving the blanketed futon and their bedroom. He shivered while walking through the dark halls of his home, with silent steps, prickly goosebumps forming on his scarred arms as he cracked open the door to his son's bedroom. Itachi and Sasuke slept soundly, their futons pushed together so the younger brother could sleep curled on Itachi's chest. Having some relief, he closed the door and read the clock beside the wall.

"Five o'clock. I might as well get an early start to the day." He quietly grabbed his uniform from his dresser and headed for the master bathroom, locking the door behind him before turning on the lights. He told himself he wasn't stalling as he freshened up, brushing his teeth and combing his bed head before turning on the hot water to fill the bathtub. He turned his back to the mirror when taking off his pajamas, and the cool air nipped his naked skin. However, it was quickly remedied as he settled into the warm water.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, sighing, relishing the initial tender burning before washing himself with a soapy rag. He started with his feet, working up. He traced the claw marks that stained his calves up to the many bite marks marring his thighs, his Sharingan burning with a brewing shame and anger as he scraped over the scars on his thighs and claw marks scarred into his back and hips, how it made his stomach churn with an anxious heat. He moved to his torso, which wasn't any better, having its own collection of brash scars that went from his stomach to his chest and branched to claim his shoulders and arms. The only solace he could have was feeling the seal sewn into his chest, over his heart. Despite the scars it was surrounded by, he could still feel Mikoto's passionate, loving chakra soothingly hum from the seal. Still…

"If there's one thing I ask for in this damn world," he muttered to anyone listening, digging his nails into the bitemark nestled in the crook of his neck, "it's that my sons never suffer my scars."

Chapter 22: Invitations from a Monster and a Man

Summary:

While Itachi witnesses an unbelieve invitation be delivered to his father from the Hoshigaki Clan and answers a strange and unnerving phone call during a Root mission, Iruka begins peering into the minds of the clan heads.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

"Will you agree to allow my granddaughter to join your upcoming mission, Fugaku-san?" Eiko asked, and Fugaku nodded. The police captain sat behind his desk in his office at the Uchiha police station as he spoke with the Uchiha elder and her daughter.

"You better watch over her, Fugaku," Hazuki demanded. "She's still a genin, though some people forget that," she shot a side-eye at her mother, though Eiko shrugged it off.

"Izumi's rank mustn't stop her from working harder if she wants to excel with the rest of her peers."

"Rest assured, Hazuki-san, your daughter won't be left to fend for herself," Fugaku said. "I'll pair her with Itachi. She'll be just fine." He saw the relief wash over Hazuki's face. There was a knock at the door, a sensible dark presence on the other side.

"Be cautious during your meeting with the Onmyoji, Fugaku," Eiko quietly said, eyeing the door.

"I will." Fugaku sat taller in his chair and silenced his worrying doubts as Eiko and Hazuki left for Daigyo to enter.

"He's all yours, Onmyoji-san," Hazuki said, closing the door behind her. The Onmyoji was alone as he had said, and his polite smile betrayed no deeper thoughts.

"Good morning, Fugaku-san. Thank you for accepting my invitation," Daigyo greeted with a bow.

"You said this meeting would be short, yes?" Fugaku asked.

"Indeed. I only ask for something simple." The Uchiha watched closely as the Omnyoji pulled out a small scroll from underneath his robe and unrolled it, showing the many questions written on it. "I ask that you fill out this questionnaire for me. It'll tell me if there are any signs of hauntings within your clan. Though the Sarutobi funeral was months ago, its effects still linger."

"Am I the only one doing this questionnaire?"

"No, the other clan heads have participated as well."

"Really?" Fugaku huffed. "No one else told me they would also meet with the Onmyoji. Am I that out of their circle?" "Very well. Hand it over." Fugaku took the scroll and grabbed a pen, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk, and Daigyo sat down. He felt the Onmyoji stare at him as he began answering the questionnaire, pretending he wasn't unnerved.

1. Have you or others experienced lighting issues/power outages?

-         No. Though my youngest son's night light recently blew its bulb, it was a very old light.

2. Have you or others seen apparitions (ghostly humans or animals)?

-         No.

3. Have you or others smelled strong odors (rot, decay) without a source?

-         No.

4. Have you or others felt a sense of being constantly watched?

Fugaku tapped the pen on his lips, withholding an ironic smirk. "We've got rats watching us all the time, but I doubt that's what the Onmyoji means."

-         No.

5. Have you or others heard unsettling sounds (whispers, growling)?"

-         No.

6. Have you or others noticed objects moving without reason?

-         No.

7. Have you or others felt a sense of anxiety or dread without reason?

-         No.

8. Have you or others experienced repetitive nightmares and/or night terrors?

"… Once a month doesn't count as repetitive… Right?" Fugaku grumbled under his breath.

"Onmyoji-san, if my son has nightmares about once a month, would you deem that repetitive?" He looked up when he didn't get a response. The Onmyoji sat rigid and silent, his polite smile turned a stressed frown. "Onmyoji-san?"

"… No, a nightmare once a month isn't repetitive," Daigyo finally answered, his voice shaking slightly and his chakra suddenly spiking anxiously. "Your son shouldn't be haunted."

"… I'll put 'no' then," Fugaku mumbled with a quirked lip and finished the questionnaire. He rolled up the scroll and returned it to the Onmyoji, ensuring their hands didn't touch.

"Thank you for your time, Fugaku-san..." Daigyo said, but didn't leave, his hand clenching the scroll and his breathing stilted. Fugaku raised a confused brow.

"What is wrong with him? Is he… seeing something I can't?"

"Are you okay, Fugaku-san?" the Onmyoji suddenly asked, his voice drenched with worry, which caught the Uchiha off guard.

"Why do you ask? Do you believe there's something wrong with me?" Fugaku questioned, some bite to his tone. "Does he see weakness in me?"

"No, sir. I-I don't mean any disrespect. I only wish to check in. The past few months have been… heavy."

"Hmph," Fugaku huffed, but couldn't sense any deceit on the Onmyoji's end. Only concern. "I am mentally sound and physically fit. I can perform my duties no less than the day before. Do not doubt that, Onmyoji-san."

"… I won't," Daigyo nodded and stood up. "Have a good day, Fugaku-san." He bowed and left the office in a rush. Fugaku tapped his pen on his desk as relief cooled his tense body in the Onmyoji's absence.

"What a strange thing you are, Onmyoji."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Izumi was anxious, but still excited to go on her first mission with a team from the Uchiha police force. Though the mission was ranked higher, it was simple. Repair Konoha's eastern outer wall sentry tower. The gate and entry door had been destroyed in an ambush. As the perpetrators were still at large, higher-ranked Uchiha officers were sent to repair it in case they returned. Izumi really should have been more worried than she was, but having Itachi by her side as they rebuilt the wooden gate filled her with unshakable confidence… It also made her face hotter than the afternoon sun beating down on them. They nailed down a routine, no pun intended, where she would retrieve the wooden planks and bring them to Itachi for him to nail them into place.

"Only got a few more posts left," Izumi sighed as she set down another wooden post beside Itachi and wiped the sweat off her brow. "We deserve a reward for this, uh, Itachi-kun?"

"We'll get paid," Itachi responded, focused on nailing down the post.

"I know, but I mean like a dessert." She smiled, seeing his eyes dart over to her. "Wanna get dango after this?"

"Hmm, I have a busy afternoon," he nearly pouted, "But I'm free tomorrow."

"Works with me," she beamed and went to retrieve the final planks, a pep in her step despite the ache from working all day settling in. When she went to cross the small bridge over the tower's moat, she noticed the first sign. Shadows danced across the stony bridge, and she glanced up to see a flock of birds passing by, gathering in the nearby trees and landing on the tower's roof. The sun high in the sky was her second sign, and its brilliant warmth couldn't ward off the stinging shiver that chilled her body. "There's one sign left. I don't want to start a panic if I'm just being paranoid. Though Kaasan says to always listen to my gut."

She summoned the confidence to walk to the bridge's edge and look down at the water below. There were ripples in the stream, but the head poking out of the water in the bridge's shadow rattled Izumi more than anything. It was a woman with shimmering ghostly white skin, and her long ebony hair fanned out on the water's surface. The side fringes were braided with golden thread. Her rounded eyes looked right into Izumi's own, her pale-yellow irises practically glowing in the shadows as she softly smiled with dark lips, the dark gills on her cheeks smiling as well. The fabric of her hitai-ate was a deep red and bore the Kirigakure symbol.

"Do not be afraid, little Uchiha," the Hoshigaki said in a surprisingly soft and calming voice, not showing her teeth. "I am Tenninsame, and I only want to deliver a message to your leader, Fu-Gaku." Izumi didn't know whether to believe the Hoshigaki's words, but she was also surprised that the Hoshigaki spoke at all, really. She couldn't sense any killing intent or hint of a lie in the Hoshigaki's strangely gentle expression. "I should raise the alarm, but then there'd be a fight. Fights between us and Hoshigaki rarely go well… Hopefully, I can get the message and get her to go away."

"I can deliver the message to Fugaku-taichou," Izumi offered, voice steady and without fear.

"A sweet girl you are," Tenninsame hummed and opened her mouth wide, lips still shielding her teeth as she reached a hand inside her mouth and pulled out a scroll stamped with the midnight blue wax seal of the Hoshigaki clan. She held out the scroll, and Izumi leaned down to grab it.

"Hoshigaki!" Yashiro's panicked shout shattered the quiet air, and Izumi looked at the end of the bridge to see the older Uchiha dropping his tools and running away, screaming to alert the others.

"No, wait, she just wants to talk!" Izumi shouted, but she saw panic already set in for her fellow clansman at the tower.

"Very well," Tenninsame sighed and leapt from the water, Izumi flinching back from the loud splash, and the bridge rumbled from the Kiri-nin's landing. The young Uchiha stood in Tenninsame's shadow, Izumi's eyes widening as she realized how far the Hoshigaki loomed over her. Tenninsame's drenched white robe clung to her tall form, and the ends of her red obi fluttered in the breeze, a shade lighter than the deep crimson blood that squirted from her neck as Itachi's kunai stabbed into it from behind. The Hoshigaki didn't react to the assault, allowing Itachi to jump off her shoulder and place himself in front of Izumi, holding up his bloodied kunai to Tenninsame as his Sharingan flared.

"Oh," the Hoshigaki hummed, covering her bleeding neck with her hand, and smelled the air. "You are Fu-Gaku's offspring."

"Away, shark beast!" Fugaku's enraged shout was joined by a massive fireball shot down from above, and Itachi pulled Izumi off the burning bridge in a heartbeat. "Get Izumi out of here with the others, Itachi!" Fugaku ordered, his Sharingan set ablaze as he put himself between the young Uchihas and the bridge, where a cool mist sprouted to drown out the flames.

"Wait, Fugaku-san! Tenninsame says she isn't here to fight," Izumi explained, digging her heels into the dirt. "She only wants to deliver a scroll." Fugaku didn't look too convinced, though Itachi looked contemplative.

"The Hoshigaki did have a chance to attack Izumi-chan, but didn't," he said, lowering his kunai, but still holding it tight.

"Indeed," Tenninsame's calm voice agreed as her tall form walked out from the mist, her burns healing, and she held out the scroll. "I come with no hunger, only my mother's message. I've been allowed into Konoha with my brother before and caused no fuss."

"Why not arrange a meeting?" Fugaku questioned. "Why do all this to deliver a simple scroll?"

"My mother wants this to be a secret between our clans… For now, at least." The Hoshigaki tossed the scroll for the Uchiha head to catch. He kept the Hoshigaki in his periphery as he opened the thick scroll, a weathered jingling pouch falling out to be caught by Itachi. Fugaku read the scroll, and Izumi watched his eyes widen in disbelief, then narrow in anger.

"Lies," he hissed.

"No lies. The invitation is true."

"Invitation for what?" Izumi asked.

"That beast, Toyotama, wants to meet with me now?" Fugaku scoffed. "She's never done such a thing with any other Uchiha head. What's different about me?"

"Many things," Tenninsame replied with a smile. "Outside of you, my mother believes the power will shift in this world. She believes it would benefit both of our clans if you and she discussed… some rearrangements in our current relationship."

"Like what?'

"You would have to speak with her to find out. She knows you will be hesitant, so she is giving you until next spring to accept her invitation. During that time, my mother ordered our clan to not harm a single Uchiha. To show she is serious."

"… We'll see how true that is," Fugaku grumbled, putting the scroll in his back pocket. He took the pouch from Itachi before he could open it. "What is this?"

"It's a gift for you, Fu-Gaku." Tenninsame smiled. He poured the contents of the pouch into his hand. It was a bracelet of bloodied shark teeth and glistening pale blue scales braided with silver hair.

"Is this from…" Fugaku trailed off, his eyes filled with shock and dread as he took in the sight of the Hoshigaki's gift, his breath quivering. "Jimbesame."

"Indeed."

"No—He can't make something like this, something so intricate."

"No, but he wanted to gift you pieces of himself, so I made that from what he gave me. You gifted so much of yourself to him, after all."

"It's awful," Fugaku sneered, his horror replaced with anger. The bracelet creaked but did not break in his iron grip. "Leave now, Hoshigaki. You'll die otherwise."

"Farewell then, Uchiha. Hopefully not forever." The Hoshigaki walked into the stream, sinking into the water with a quiet ripple before disappearing.

"Why the gift, Otosan?" Itachi inquired, eyes mixed with confusion and concern.

"It's just nonsense. Forget it, Itachi!" Fugaku shouted the order and angrily shoved the bracelet into his pocket. "Both of you regroup with the others, and don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Understand?!"

"Yes, sir," Izumi said, and Itachi nodded with an unconvinced frown. The pair retreated to Konoha, the most frightened face Izumi had seen on her clan leader lingering in her mind.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"So, we're not telling Danzo-san about the Hoshigaki invitation, Karasu-taichou?" Itachi asked Shisui as they leapt through the forest toward their mission's meeting point, the dusk sky above them, their Anbu masks secured to their faces.

"Kami, no!" Shisui fiercely shook his head. "With all the issues we already have, he'd lose his mind hearing that Hoshigaki invaded Konoha's territory. The meeting date's practically a year away. We have plenty of time to figure out what to do, without having Root's panicked hands making things worse."

"Right… Do you know what happened between my father and Jimbesame?" he suddenly asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Shisui asked back. "I was told Fugaku battled Jimbesame during the Second Shinobi World War. That's how your father got his scars."

"That's what I was told too… but Jimbesame gave my father a gift along with the scroll, a bracelet."

"Really?" Shisui sounded genuinely surprised, and Itachi felt slightly guilty for sharing something his father swore at him to keep silent about. But Itachi knew there was a deeper history between the Uchiha and Hoshigaki that his father had buried so far down with lies and rage.

"Yes. The Hoshigaki who delivered the scroll said that Jimbesame had gifted the bracelet made of his teeth and scales since Otosan had gifted so much of himself to him. What do you think that means?"

"… It could mean a lot of things, nothing good. I can try to get some answers from Fugaku-san. The Hoshigaki will be weighing on his mind for a long while."

"Unfortunately."

They reached the meeting point, a secluded two-story cabin just outside Konoha's territory. Root agents and Suna Anbu members, dressed in black with faceless white masks, stood guard in the shadows. Shisui sent out his chakra signature, and they were let through the perimeter without issue. Due to scheduling, they arrived later than the main group, but that wasn't the main issue on Itachi's mind.

"How would you describe Suna's lead advisor?" Itachi quietly asked as he and Shisui silently entered the cabin's main entryway and headed upstairs.

"Curious and provoking. She'll want to test you once she notices you're new. Just keep your head up and silent, and she'll lose interest." They reached the second floor and entered the main longue room, where Danzo sat in the armchair across from Bunraku, who rested on the sofa. Their respective guards were on opposing sides of the room.

"—and then he shoulders the duty of murdering his son to me." Itachi caught the end of Bunraku's sentence, the Suna advisor's black eyes remaining on Danzo as the Uchiha stood back against the curtained window beside Sugaru. The Aburame didn't look at him as he hand signed. Hi. Teammate. Itachi was mildly impressed by how Sugaru managed to get sarcasm across with his body language.

"Yasha-kun's mangling is a sign of how wasteful that would be, to simply destroy such a magnificent beast," Bunraku continued. "Rasa-sama will soon see that when his boy's defense bests us all. I'm certain that little boy is cursed with something more than just the beast. Something as protective as it is wicked. All the boy needs are guiding strings, and he'll be the terror of Sunagakure." She smiled excitedly. "Does that scare you, Danzo-kun?"

"Not particularly," the Konoha advisor answered, taking the thermal canister Shisui gave him and taking a sip of the tea. "Suna's Jinchuuriki sounds more like a detriment than an asset. I'll be surprised if you tame him enough to give him a hitai-ate."

"What about your Jinchuuriki? I know your beast is just as feral as mine, if not worse." She smirked. "You got the corpses to show for it."

"I found a proper beast tamer since then. No one will be seeing that demonic fox for years to come."

"Now, you're making me jealous. Tell me about this beast tamer if yours." 

"There's little to say other than he's a fuuinjutsu master specialized in containing monsters."

"If you say so. But," Bunraku's dark eyes flickered over to Itachi, zeroing on him. "Does your new little feline also have something interesting about him? I saw how he snuck in here without introducing himself." Itachi didn't react, keeping still and silent just as Shisui instructed.

"Ryoshi is no different from my other agents," Danzo assured her. "Boring."

"Ugh, what a shame. I swear my puppets are more entertaining than your pets. How are you supposed to have any fun with them?"

The phone rang. The old landline sat on the dresser behind Itachi, at the other end of the large, curtained window.

"Answer it, Ryoshi," Danzo ordered. "It's most likely an update from the southern team."

"Yes, Danzo-sama." Itachi went to answer the call, putting the maroon phone to his ear and saying, "Hello, this is Agent Ryoshi from the main guard team. Who are you and why are you calling?"

"… A new voice, so young too," an unfamiliar voice spoke on the other end, sounding like an older man with a deep and soothing tone. "Let me introduce myself, Ryoshi-kun. I am Wao. I'm calling to speak with Danzo and Bunraku. You can put me on speaker. You've got thirty seconds." The man's last sentence was indeed a threat, but it was delivered no differently than the other calm ones. Itachi brought the phone away from his ear and turned to face the expectant crowd. "I believe one of our posts has been compromised. An unknown man is on the phone. He says his name is Wao, and he wants to speak with the two advisors. He gave a time limit of thirty seconds." He felt the air in the room suddenly tense, sensing a brewing killing intent from his fellow Root agents. He watched Bunraku's smile fall into a deep frown, and the tiredness vanished from Danzo's body, sitting up alert and his golden eye widening with a strike of panic.

"Put him on speaker, Ryoshi," Bunraku grumbled when the Konoha advisor didn't answer soon enough, and Itachi put the phone on speaker on the 29th second.

"You're on speaker, Wao."

"Evening, old friends." Wao hummed. "It's been a long while."

"Not long enough," Danzo hissed back. "What are you doing so close to Konoha? Were they finally tired of you in Iwagakure?"

"Hm, you're always so snappy over the phone," Wao clicked his tongue with disappointment. "Maybe I should've come to visit you both in person, make better use of your sour tongue, Jak-kun." The Konoha advisor tightened his grip on his cane.

"Now, don't do that, Wao-san. This is a business meeting," Bunraku chastised, twirling a lock of wavy dark blue hair around her gloved finger.

"Then I'll get to business, Ningyōzukai-san. Since our last interaction was so upsetting, for you at least, Jak-kun," Itachi heard the smile in his voice, "I want us all to meet and nurture our relationships."

"All of us?" Danzo skeptically asked.

"Yes, that includes you and Ningyōzukai-san, Jak-kun. Z has already agreed to join us, though I haven't heard back from Toyotama, which isn't surprising for that beastly creature. Let's have our private advisor meeting. Nothing our Kages will know about, of course."

"Sounds delightful, but I have a busy schedule, Wao-san," Bunraku answered.

"Which is why we should meet much later, next summer, I'm thinking. To get your affairs in order."

"I assume this invitation isn't optional," Danzo said.

"You can continue to hide, but that wouldn't be the safest option for your village or clan. I'll see you then, Jak-kun." The call ended, and a sharp beeping filled the tense room until Itachi properly hung up the phone.

"I enjoyed our meeting, Danzo-kun, but Suna calls me," Bunraku said, standing up and being handed a hooded black cloak by her guard to go over her long black dress.

"You think leaving now is the best option, Bunraku-san?" Danzo questioned. "Wao's forces could be hidden in the woods under the cover of night."

"Oh, you think my company will keep Wao at bay, Danzo-kun? If he wants to play tonight, play he will, you know that," she chuckled, slipping the cloack on, before a frown tugged at her lips. "I thought the wars built you a backbone. You were so fearsome, the bloodthirsty Jackal. But you've grown so feeble in your old age, near cowardly." She eyed the Konoha advisor's cane. "If you're so scared of Wao tonight, just do what you did before," she threw on the hood, face obscured in shadow, though her smiling lips were all too clear. "Roll over." She flickered away along with her guards.

"Damn you," Danzo cursed under his breath, gripping his weakened leg. "Pack up, we need to leave," he ordered, standing up, and the Root agents obeyed, taking the scrolls on the coffee table and turning off the lights. "The base is too far away to travel at night," the advisor mumbled as the group made their way outside the cabin, the night air pricking Itachi's exposed skin. "We could also lure enemy-nin back home. Can't go into town. There are too many eyes. We need to camp somewhere in the woods. Somewhere they can't find us."

"There's a secluded cove nearby where we could camp out," Shisui suggested. "We'll have cover and have one side already covered for guarding.

"… That'll do," Danzo agreed. Itachi kept his senses on high alert for any enemy shinobi lurking in the forest's shadows as they traveled. Despite the many questions he had filling his head, (why did the idea of these enemy shinobi being in the forest with them put the stoic Root agents on edge, what was the man on the phone's history with Root, what threat were they to Konoha) Itachi could see clearer how many pieces he truly needed to juggle to maintain peace. Not just that, but how much Shisui had been handling for so long. "I knew you were balancing a lot, Shisui, but never such a heavy burden. You don't have to carry it alone anymore. I'm here with you now."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka met with Nara Shikaku first for the questionnaire and an undisclosed mind-reading. He felt a sense of guilt walking up the porch steps and knocking on the door of the Nara head's home, voices calling out on the other side.

"Don't turn back, now. You're doing this to prevent tragedy," Usotsuki whispered in his ear, his tall ghostly figure leaning too close to him.

"And I'm breaking the trust I'm trying to build with the clan heads to do it," Iruka thought back.

"Only if they find out."

The door opened, and Shikaku stood in the doorway. Well, a mini version of the shinobi with tired brown eyes that blinked up at the Onmyoji.

"Oh, it's the Onmyoji. Ugh, why is he here so early?" Iruka suppressed a flinch, hearing Shikamaru's voice in his head.

"Good morning, Shikamaru-kun," Iruka greeted. "Is your father home? I have a meeting with him today." "Stop it, Usotsuki! We're not here to probe into this boy's mind." He fiercely scolded, and Usotsuki smirked.

"Apologies."

"The Onmyoji's here to see you, Tosan," Shikamaru called back into the house.

"Let him in!" Yoshino answered, and Shikamaru yawned as he stepped aside to let Iruka in. Usotsuki's silver chains around his wrists and ankles jingled as he walked behind Iruka. "Please make yourself comfortable, Daigyo-san," Yoshino gestured to the living room chabudai after giving it one final cleaning wipe and setting down a coffee set. "Shikaku will be with you shortly." She disappeared down the hall as Iruka sat down, hearing Yoshino's stern voice tell the Nara head to not keep his guest waiting. Shikaku shuffled out of the hall with a stretch, Yoshino straightening his crooked jacket before he sat across from Iruka.

"Mornin'," Shikaku muttered, pouring himself a cup of coffee and nearly downing it in one go. Shikamaru shuffled over to lie by his father, leaning against him as he shut his eyes.

"Good morning, Shikaku-san," Iruka greeted back. "The Naras aren't morning people. Noted." "This'll be quick, promise. All I ask is that you fill out this questionnaire, so I know if any hauntings are occurring within your clan." Shikamaru peeked open an eye when Iruka handed over the open scroll, reading some of the questions. Shikaku patted himself down to find a pen and sighed when he came up empty-handed.

"Here," Yoshino said as she appeared with a pen, glancing at the questions when she handed it over.

"Ready?" Usotsuki excitedly asked, looming behind the Nara head as he started answering the questionnaire.

"… What do I need to do?" Iruka asked.

"Relax your mind and let me work."

"Okay, but I'm ending this if you try anything." The Onmyoji took a deep breath, loosening the demon's shackles within him. "Ready." Usotsuki lowered one clawed hand, decorated with golden rings and bracelets, to Shikaku's head, the ghostly limb sinking into his skull. Iruka blinked, and he was weightless for a moment, the world sinking into a black void around him, and he suffocated any panic before it could blossom. Another moment, and Iruka had a body again. He knew it was the mental image he conjured of himself whenever in his mindscape, though he wasn't in his mind this time.

Iruka found himself inside a hospital lobby. Though devoid of any other soul, it was well maintained, with shiny white floors and brand-new furniture. The windows showed a black void, and the entry doors were locked shut with rusted chains. The sterile air needled at his skin, and the low buzz from the artificial lights tangled with the whispers echoing from the halls. The sense of calm filling the hospital was a thin cover for the violent aura toiling underneath.

"Where do we start?" Iruka asked, looking up at Usotsuki beside him.

"Follow me," the demon hummed, and the chuunin followed him down the main hall, whose lights flickered off and on, and most doors had rusted locks and chains. Not that that stopped Usotsuki from opening the first door to hospital room 4, breaking the chains with a simple touch and a golden light. The door creaked open, revealing an empty darkness that radiated a sickening terror. "We need to step inside to see what Nara Shikaku has lived. To know who he would want to kill more than anyone else."

"… After you, then." Iruka waited for Usotsuki to walk in first before stepping into the room. The darkness fading from underneath his feet revealed that he was standing in the forest at night. The only light was from young Shikaku's lantern, which he had hung on the branch above him. The little boy held a trowel and stared at the ground underneath him.

"She's not here," Iruka heard Shikaku's pleading thoughts clear as day, the boy's eyes pained with disbelief and hands trembling in fear as he got down and dug into the ground with the trowel. "You're not here, Kaori-chan. You're at home with your mom and dad, sleeping. I won't see you tonight. You're not here. You're—"

"Ah!" Shikaku gave a shrill scream when his trowel hit something mushy and squirted, dropping the tool as he scrambled away, his back slamming into the tree behind him and rocking the lantern above.

"Is that…" Iruka mumbled, stepping closer to the hole Shikaku had dug and looking inside, putting a hand over his mouth as he gasped with horror. A little girl's pale, lifeless eyes stared back up at him, bloodshot and frozen wide in eternal terror. "This is a real memory?" the chuunin questioned in disbelief, stepping away from the shallow grave.

"This is all from Nara Shikaku's mind. I've influenced nothing here." Usotsuki said, not moving from his initial spot.

"No," Shikaku softly whimpered, and slowly approached the corpse. "Kaori-chan."

"You're such a smart boy, Shika-kun," the man who suddenly stood behind the terrified boy, complimented, draped in a black hooded cloak that hid his face. Shikaku froze, quiet cries silencing as the man brought a gloved hand to rest on his head, ruffling his hair. "I'm not mad at you. I knew you'd figure it out eventually. I'm impressed by how soon, though."

"… W-why?" Shikaku muttered, scared too stiff to cry, run, or fight.

"Why do I spill blood, or why Kaori's in particular?" the man asked for clarification, still rubbing the boy's head as if to praise him.

"… Both."

"That will be for you to learn for yourself, seeing how you're so smart, Shika-kun. Now, cover her back up just the way you found her."

"N-no," Shikaku shook his head, a tear escaping his eye. "I can't do that."

"You can't or won't?" The man's grip tightened on the boy's ponytail. "This is our secret now. You'll be punished in ways you can't imagine if we get caught. Do you want to suffer, die even?"

"No, I-I don't want that."

"So, clean up the mess you made, Shika-kun. Then we can go back home. I know you're tired." Shikaku's dirty hands gripped his dark shorts.

"Right, this is just a nightmare. If I clean this mess, I'll wake up in bed. Cause this didn't happen. Kaori's not here. I'm not here." Shikaku nodded, and the man released his grip so the boy could recover the corpse from the dirt and rocks. Iruka moved closer to the boy, needing to comfort him, but his hands phased right through. He growled, hearing the demon's chuckle, and went to inspect the cloaked man, wanting to see what monster was behind this cruelty, and was shocked to see an Anbu mask of a deer with dark grey markings on the man's face.

"He's Anbu?" Iruka gasped.

"See where the excitement lies?" Usotsuki chuckled, smiling wide. Uncovering the twisted secrets calloused minds hide." The demon headed toward the memory's entry door. "Let us discover more of Shikaku's secrets, Iruka." He left, and Iruka was forced to follow the demon further down the dimly lit hall that crawled with shadows to Room 42, breaking the chains to allow them both to enter.

An older, but still boyish, Shikaku lay tucked in the hospital bed, propped up by pillows, while his left arm was bound in a white cast with multiple childish signatures scrawled on it. Inoichi and Choza sat at the end of his bed, and while their young faces looked worried, Shikaku's was contemplative. "We can't keep silent like this. Too many people have been hurt, and more will be if we bury our heads in the sand… Kaori was there, still there."

"… We need to tell, Hiruzen-sama," the Nara boy whispered, gaze drifting between his two teammates.

"… Right now?" Choza whispered back, eyeing the door and unknowingly looking at Iruka.

"No, they're still here," Shikaku shook his head.

"We'll wait until they leave for their next mission then?" Inoichi asked, his nails digging into his palms as he watched the window.

"That'd work," the Nara nodded, but then bit his lip. "But we don't know when that'll happen, so we just wait until then."

"We gotta be extra careful though," Choza warned. "If they find out what we're planning…" the boy paled. "We're better off dead."

"Don't be scared. We can do this together, Inoichi, Choza," Shikaku encouraged his teammates. “Ino-Shika-Cho?”

"I thought you hated that cheer?" the Akimichi smirked.

"It's grown on me," Shikaku shrugged and looked at Inoichi. "Start us off?"

"Gladly," Inoichi smiled, putting his hand out. "Ino!"

"Shika!" Shikaku put his hand in.

"Cho!" Choza joined last, the boys holding each other's hands.

"Let's go!" the team cheered, and Iruka sensed the hope filling Shikaku's tender heart.

Room 79 didn't have the same warm camaraderie. A startling boom rang through the large living room as a young Shikaku fell from the second-floor banister to crash into the chabudai below. Shikaku gasped to catch his breath and spit out blood that seeped from his cut lip.

"You're making me chase you. Really?" The Deer Anbu chided from the second floor, walking out from the shadows and signing Ne. Shikaku didn't look back, but he made a break for the front door where the Nara clan symbol was engraved in the wood. The shadows chased him, dark tendrils sprouting from under the Deer Anbu to slither across the walls and floor like hunting serpents, latching around Shikaku's legs and arms. The Nara boy's hand was on the door handle, but he couldn't turn it. Shikaku's panicked strain was transparent on his face as he failed to break out of the shadows' grip. He screamed as the tendril around his ankle tightened, shattering the bones with a wet crunch.

"That'll keep you from scampering off," the Deer said, stepping from the second floor to silently land on the broken remains of the table. Shikaku hissed in pain as he was forced to walk backward, away from escape, and pressed against the Deer Anbu's back. "I'll ask again, Skika-kun," the Deer said in a low tone, rubbing the boy's head as he'd done before, nails digging into his scalp. "Who did you tell?"

"Nobod—Ngh!" Shikaku cut off his scream by biting his lip as the shadow tendril around his right hand effortlessly snapped his wrist.

"Don't lie to me," the Deer tutted. "I'll break you as many times as needed, boy. Now, who did you confess to?" Shikaku didn't say anything, shutting his eyes and attempting to block out the aching pain of his wrist that shot up to his forearm as the shadows snapped it in two. He whimpered, a few tears escaping his shut eyes, but kept silent otherwise.

"You'll make this an all-night thing, won't you? Tch, so bothersome," the Deer groaned. "Hm, maybe getting answers from Inoichi and Choza will be easier. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to hear how uniquely their bones break. Are you curious too, Shika-kun?" A new burning emotion suddenly overtook the fear and panic that gripped the young boy's heart. It burned through his veins, tensed his muscles against the shadows' grip, turned his whimpering frown into a tight snarl, and sharpened his teary eyes into ireful daggers that glared right up into the Deer's mask. Shikaku's killing intent was palpable, aimed toward the Deer and his shadows.

"Don't you dare!" Shikaku hissed, his small body fighting with invigorated strength against his bindings.

"You wanna kill me now?" the Deer scoffed and further twisted the Nara boy's broken arm, the jagged bone breaking through red, ripped skin, but Shikaku never broke his glare or stopped fighting. He managed to raise his unbroken hand and signed Ne. The memory went black.

"… Shikaku wanted to kill another Nara," Iruka mumbled as he left the room and entered the hallway, the brutal still flashing in his mind. "And that Nara tormented him when he was so young. How awful that is."

"I'm certain we can find worse here," Usotsuki said, golden eyes excitedly scanning the other doors. "My curiosity is piqued."

"We're not here for your curiosity," Iruka corrected. "Show me what Shikaku desires most, if he seeks revenge."

"Hm, I doubt a man like this would desire something so exciting." The demon headed upstairs, and Iruka followed him to the top floor, where the lights shone brightly, and the harsh whispers were silent. There was an operating theatre with a window for visitors to view surgeries from the outside. The current "surgery" was an adult Shikaku lying down on a sprawling grassy field underneath a sunny blue sky. Choza and Inoichi's families chatted on a picnic blanket nearby while Shikaku lay his head on Yoshino's lap, and Shikamaru lay beside him, equally relaxed. "As I said," Usotsuki mumbled.

"Then we're done here," Iruka said. "Let's leave Shikaku's mind be."

"Hm, as you wish." The demon's chains rattled, and Iruka was swept into weightless darkness before he returned to his body, maintaining his composure through his head rush as Shikaku finished the questionnaire.

"Finished," the Nara head said, holding out the scroll. An apology was on the tip of Iruka's tongue, but he swallowed it.

"Thank you for your time, Shikaku-san." He made sure his gaze didn't linger on the jounin's scars.

"If it helps my clan, I don't mind," Shikaku said. "… That much. Thank you for looking out for us, Daigyo-san."

"… You're welcome, Nara family." Iruka bowed deeply before taking his leave with an eager Usotsuki,

"Now, whose mind will we peer into next?"

Chapter 23: Clans with Tormenting Skeletons and Silent Desires

Summary:

Iruka peers through the minds of the rest of the clan heads and the Konoha council members, witnessing their most personal, horrific, and intimate memories. The darker the secret the more he questions his resolution, but the demon within him manages to drag him down deeper.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This story contains sexual elements, blood, harm to children and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.
Author Note: The uncensored intimate scenes are in chapters 1 and 2 of “In the Damned’s Shadows.”

Yamanaka Inoichi's mindscape was a sunny, garden with a maze-like stony path. It was filled with colorful tulips, roses, and sunflowers, a memory resting in the bud of every blossom. Iruka wandered with the demon under the wooden canopy, where blood-red spider lilies and mourning widows sprouted from thorny bramble and were consumed by dark shadow. The first lily Iruka picked pricked his fingers before smelling the bitter blossom and blinking into a memory with Usotsuki. He stood inside a chilling interrogation room with bleak metal walls, the door closed shut with heavy locks, and the floor stained a dark permanent red, trapped inside a steel torture tomb. Dangling from shackles chained to the ceiling was a beaten and exhausted older man with greying black hair and no shirt to show the bruises and cuts littering his chest and shoulders.

"Please… I'll tell you anything," the captor weakly mumbled with swollen lips.

"That's very sweet of you, Suna-nin," the kunoichi with long, ashen blonde hair tied into a high ponytail standing before him hummed. An Anbu mask of a boar with red markings hid her face. "But your participation isn't needed for Inoichi-chan's exercise today." She combed her fingers through the young Inoichi's long blonde hair, the boy clinging onto her deep blue skirt with petrified light green eyes.

"But I—" the captor was silenced by the kunai the Boar shoved into his mouth, almost gagging on the blade.

"Hush! Or do you want me to cut out your disobedient tongue?" She pushed the kunai in deeper, and the captor shook his head as much as he could, blood spilling from his lips and tears leaking from his eyes. She left the kunai in his mouth, keeping it secured with a leather strap looping through the ring and tied behind his head. "I want you to tell me what this subject got for his seventh birthday, Inoichi-chan. Now what's the first step to accomplish that?" she asked, and Inoichi silently reached into the duffel bag beside him, taking out a red paper seal tag with the Yamanaka clan symbol on it, written in black ink. "Where does it go?" Inoichi pointed to his forehead. "Very good. Put it on." She picked up the boy and brought him up to the captor for Inoichi to place the tag on the crying man's forehead. Iruka felt the cursed seal pulse with twisting chakra that melded with the man, anchoring itself deeply into the captor.

"What's the next step?" She set the boy down, and he reached into the bag again, an anxious crease forming in his brow as he pulled out a kunai with a silky red ribbon tied around the handle. He turned to the captor and raised the kunai to the man's quivering stomach, his small hands shaking. "Go on," the Boar encouraged when Inoichi didn't move, the boy biting his lip.

"My heart hurts so much. It's gonna explode." Inoichi whimpered in his mind.

"You can do it, Inoichi-chan." She stood behind him and grabbed his shaking hands. "Just push a little harder." She moved his hands, and Inoichi shut his eyes, the kunai sinking into the man's gut with a wet squelch. She guided the kunai carefully across the man's stomach, sharp metal slicing through skin and muscles. "You're doing so good, Inoichi-chan!" Her compliment was nearly swallowed by the horrid groans and muffled screams of the captor, the kunai in his mouth ripping deeper into his flesh with every pained scream.

"Please, stop! This must be agony for him!" Inoichi silently gagged when the Boar completed the deep incision. Strangely, guts didn't spill out from the wound, but bloody rolls of fleshy film that Inoichi shyly looked through. Small, shaky hands covered in blood as he examined the captor's memories playing. The captor's screams had quieted to faint gurgles by the time Inoichi pulled out many years of film, a tangled pile formed on the floor, and stopped on a specific memory.

"… A sketchbook," Inoichi mumbled, blank eyes watching the memory play out. "His mother gave him a sketchbook."

"Well done, Inoichi-chan!" The Boar pulled Inoichi into a one-sided hug. "I knew you could do it. I couldn't be prouder of you, but you must keep your lips sealed. This technique isn't too popular, I'm afraid."

"It seems that the Yamanaka have their cursed jutsus as well," Usotsuki said as the memory dissolved around him and Iruka.

"I'm sure every clan has its dirty secrets. My clan has theirs after all," Iruka sighed. "But it's still unnerving to see that these clan heads were forced to be cruel so young."

The next flower he smelled was a sweeter white rose, and Iruka found himself standing in a different garden with the Yamanaka clan symbol on the entry archway on a rainy day. A young Inoichi walked past him, carrying an umbrella, and over to an equally young girl with brown hair tied up with a red ribbon and amber eyes, enraptured by a white rose bush. She had no umbrella, but Inoichi didn't hesitate to hover his umbrella over both of them, sharing the cover.

"You still don't have an umbrella, Nori-chan," Inoichi observed, keeping a neutral face despite his insides twisting nervously.

"Your umbrella seems to be just fine, Ino-kun," Nori chuckled, but her smile fell when she saw Inoichi's blank face. "What's wrong? Did you have another bad mission?"

"No…" "You must do this, Inoichi. To keep her safe."  "You can't come here. The Yamanaka gardens are now closed off from visitors."

"Oh, that's too bad. It's so pretty here," Nori sighed. "We have to meet somewhere else then."

"… I don't want to meet anywhere else. My missions take up too much of my time to make room for you, Nori-chan. I'm sorry," the apology slipped out before he could stop it.

"You're not making any sense," Nori said, confused, inching closer. "No, you need to get away."

"That's because you're a civilian who can't understand how important my shinobi duties are. You're becoming more of a nuisance than anything. You shouldn't be here, Nori. I realize that now." Nori looked hurt, and Inoichi felt his heart crumbling.

"Inoichi…" She waited before reaching out a hand, and he forced himself to step back, letting her get drenched in the pouring rain.

"Get your own umbrella, Nori." He turned and walked away, letting the sadness show on his face after he turned his back. "I'm sorry, Nori-chan, but I don't want you to get involved in our mess. Your blood would join all the other poor souls."

The next flower was a thorny red spider lily that burned Iruka's nose when he smelled it. He stood inside a large circular garden shed, with the hanging lanterns above being the only light, and the windows showing only the dark night. There was a palatable fear heavy in the air.

"I'll only ask one more time," the Boar sweetly hummed as she sat beside the restrained boy, Inoichi's arms and legs pinned to the floor with needles. She put a lock of his bloodied blonde hair behind his ear and stroked his bruised cheek. "Who did you gossip to?"

"… What is there to gossip about?" Inoichi replied, weary eyes staring up at nowhere.

"Hmph, remember you wanted to be difficult." The Boar pulled out a cursed tag from her pouch and sealed it to Inoichi's forehead, tears spilling from his eyes, feeling the cursed seal forcibly mold with his chakra and his heart racing with panic. "You don't have a right to be scared now, Inoichi. Take your punishment." He told himself as he watched the Boar unsheathe the red ribbon kunai and lifted his pale blue night shirt to reveal his quivering stomach. "You'd better pray I don't have to rewind too far for your sake, Inoichi." She brought the kunai to his stomach.

"Inoichi-kun! Are you out here?!" Nori's worried shout echoed outside, and Inoichi's heart stopped as numbing dread set in.

"Is that little Nori? She's come searching for you at such a late hour, Inoichi," the Boar whispered, twirling the kunai. "I can't just leave her out in the cold. I should invite her in, let her see what foul secrets you've been keeping before seeing what she's hiding. Wouldn't that be lovely?" Inoichi's response was immediate. Fueled by the violent anger that blossomed within him, he yanked at the needles pinning him down, ignoring the sharp pain jutting through his limbs, and glared at the Anbu.

"You won't hurt her," he hissed through gritted teeth. "I won't let you."

"Ah, I never felt such a violent aura from you, Inoichi-chan," the Boar chuckled and brought the kunai to his neck, but his killing intent only intensified. "You're bold to direct it towards me, as if you could act on it."

"Inoichi-kun?" Nori's concerned voice came from the other side of the door before it crept open. The Boar turned her attention to Nori, raising her kunai toward the shocked young girl, and Inoichi freed one of his hands with one final tug. He punched his spiked hand into the Boar's masked face, the needles jabbing into the eye holes, and she reeled back with a pained cry. With a shout, Inoichi yanked his other hand free, body thrumming with adrenaline.

"Stupid boy!" the Boar cursed, raising her kunai to stab him.

"Get away!" Nori tearfully screamed as she bashed a nearby shovel on the Anbu's head, sending her back into the shelves with a crash. Inoichi freed his legs and ignored the pain as Nori helped pull him to his feet.

"Get back here!" the Boar barked, mask cracked, but Inoichi and Nori didn't step, running out of the shed into the night with the Anbu giving chase.

The memory ended, and Iruka had a bitter taste in his mouth.

"I couldn't have guessed a gentleman like Inoichi went through something like this, at the hands of an Anbu no less," Iruka said as he and Usotsuki walked toward the center of the mind garden where an adult Inoichi gardened with his family, helping the little Ino plant a budding tulip into the dirt with Nori happily clapping her hands together.

"Most likely why nurturing a garden is his utmost desire," Usotsuki mused. "I wonder what secrets the final member of Ino-Shika-Cho has to offer us."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Akimichi Choza's mind scape was a park with a clear blue sky above and trees dotted between the neatly set picnic area and the rotting playground. Usotsuki led him to the first tree, tangled with thorny vines and leaves browning, placing his hand on the trunk and sinking into a memory. Iruka found himself in the forest in a sunny clearing, though the scent of fresh blood tinged the air.

"You need to look, Choza," the stocky Anbu agent with a dark red butterfly design in his mask ordered, a tall, bulking figure compared to the small boy that stood next to him. Choza reluctantly turned to face the enemy ninja strung upside down from the tree in front of him, the blood dripping from his many slashes and bruising staining the grass red underneath him. "Even though I had to step in so you didn't get sliced in two, you deserve your reward for putting up a good fight," the Butterfly said, holding the enemy ninja still with a large hand. "Are you ready to reap what you're owed?"

"No, I won't ever be." Choza defiantly thought, though his body squirmed with aching nerves. "I-I think I'm top chakra exhausted to do it," he lied, and the Anbu grumbled.

"Funny, you were chakra exhausted the last time, too."

"You know I'm bad at chakra control."

"Then get better at it, boy. But I'll do it for you just this once," the Butterfly patted Choza on the head before addressing the captive. "Hey, Misty, you got any final words?" He nudged the dazed shinobi, pale blue eyes bruised and bloodshot as he coughed, spitting out a gummy tooth.

"… Throw my hitai-ate into the river," he rasped. "Please. That's all I ask."

"Hm, no thanks. I don't wanna litter." The Butterfly declined before suddenly enlarging his hands to engulf the captor's body. He squeezed, and Choza wanted to vomit, the crunching of bone, the mushing of flesh, and the shinobi's dying screams burying themselves into his mind like a tumor.

"Stop it! This is too gross! He doesn't deserve this."

The Butterfly mumbled a jutsu and breathed a control stream of red-hot flames into his massive, closed fists, a warm glow burning from inside. The raw burning scent assaulted Choza's nose, and he silently gagged. The screams finally ceased when the Butterfly's hands gradually shrank, rubbing them together around the small orb in his hands. The ball glowed a bright purple with condensed maroon liquid inside, though the Anbu's bloodied hands stained its glow. 

"There we go! Got a shiny one for ya, Choza," the Butterfly happily said as he held out the small orb to the boy.

"Thank you," Choza mumbled and grabbed the orb, hurriedly stuffing it in his mouth and swallowing it whole before he could taste it. The orb hit his stomach like a heavy rock, churning nauseously as a spine-raking buzz pulsed through his small body, flooded with chakra. Choza bit his lip. 

"Don't throw up. Don't throw up." He repeated to himself and stuck out his tongue to show he properly swallowed the orb despite his stomach being ready to spew it back up.

"Good boy," the Butterfly ruffled his hair. "Keep eating those. You'll be the strongest Akimichi our clan has ever seen. Better than that excuse for a warrior, Torifu. Grab the misty's kunai and let's get moving. Hopefully, we can catch up with the rest of his team." The Butterfly went to cross the river, and Choza grabbed the Kiri kunai along with the hitai-ate, subtly dropping the forehead protector into the river when he crossed it.

Iruka stepped out of the memory, frowning deeply.

"Was that orb what I think it was?"

"You seem surprised," Usotsuki said. "Chakra consumption is natural to most beasts, but humans can indulge too if they hunger for others' chakra. Seems this butterfly tried passing on his appetite to Choza. Let's see if he succeeded."

The next tree stood by the picnic table with healthy green leaves, though its trunk was hunched, casting a vast shadow that enveloped Iruka in another memory. He was at one of Konoha's smaller parks during the late afternoon, the young Choza sitting at a bench under the honey amber sky with an adult Akimichi beside him, reddish ovals marking his cheeks.

"Want one?" he offered Choza one of his senbei crackers, and Choza's stomach lurched in nausea. "My tummy still hasn't settled from the three orbs this morning."

"No, thank you, Torifu-san. I had a really big lunch," the boy declined.

"Big enough for you. I shed tears for your sensei's wallet," Torifu chuckled, but stopped when he saw Choza's frown. "What's going on, big guy? You're supposed to be a chatterbox."

"… Dunno," Choza shrugged, looking at the dirt and wringing his hands, hands that were dyed red too many times.

"You sure? I'm always ready to lend an ear." Torifu put a reassuring hand on Choza's back, and the boy felt himself crumble. "Should I really say something now? Shikamaru and Inoichi are ready to fess up too. But Torifu-san will hate me… But it's not like I don't deserve that."

"I'm so full because… I… I eat chakra, Torifu-san," he mumbled quietly with teary eyes, feeling Torifu tense beside him. "I-I'm sorry, it's so horrible, I know. So many people… I don't want to eat it, I want to throw up every time, but I have to stomach it. I'm so disgusting. I—" He stopped as Torifu hugged him, sinking into the other Akimichi's comforting warmth.

"You're not disgusting, Choza," Torifu assured him. "The fact that you feel that way shows the heart you have. I knew something wasn't right and I—ugh!" A wave of killing intent radiated from Torifu, like a snarling lion, before he reigned it back in. "I'm sorry you were forced to choke that down for so long. You won't have to anymore. I won't let it."

"B-But he'll hurt you, all of you, and—"

"We can take care of him, Choza," Torifu held him tighter, suppressing an angered snarl that twisted his pudgy face. "All of them."

Iruka figured that the next memory, the rotten tree by the dilapidated playground, brought him to what happened on the same night that Shikaku and Inoichi were also attacked. He stood in an empty training ground with the Akimichi clan symbol on the front gate that Choza barged through, a dark bruise on his left cheek discoloring his clan's birthmarks.

"Quit running, coward!" the Butterfly bellowed as he tore apart the gate with one large hand, a metallic screech ringing out through the night. The Anbu lunged forward, and Choza wasn't fast enough. The Butterfly's large hand clasped around the boy, and the clawed fingers locked together like a venus fly trap.

"No!" Choza cried out into the stuffy darkness, pushing against the hands to no avail.

"Who did you tell?!" The Anbu demanded, shaking the boy in his hands. "Cough it up, now!"

"I'm not gonna tell you!" Choza angrily screamed back. "I won't let you eat them!"

"Mouthy little coward, aren't you? How about I just visit your friends? I know they'll give me answers."

"Don't touch them! I won't let you."

"Oh, better make sure you don't get in my way then," the Butterfly scoffed and mumbled a jutsu, making Choza's heart drop. The dark, cramped space was illuminated by blinding flames snaking between the closed hands to attack the Akimichi boy. Instead of a petrifying fear or palpitating panic as the fire seared his chest, Choza was overtaken by a palatable rage at the thought of his punishment happening to his friends, his loved ones, imagining their faces contorted in agony. His killing intent fueled his burning body to act. He opened his mouth and bit on the hand's ring finger, ripping out a chunk with his teeth and fighting through the nausea of raw bloody meat to tear off another chunk. "You're the foulest creature I've ever tasted!" The Anbu agent roared with pain and anger as his finger was brutally severed, and Choza tumbled free out of his grasp, the memory going black as his burned body hit the ground.

"Seems Choza maintained some of the butterfly's appetite," Usotsuki chuckled.

"No." Iruka shook his head. "I doubt Choza is a…"

"Cannibal?"

 "Chakra eater. Despite what Akimichi forced him to do, he's still a kind-hearted man." His words were upheld by the picnic tables where Choza shared a hearty banquet with his son by his side and amongst family and friends under the bright sun. After watching the 15th generation Ino-Shika-Cho's more than troubling childhoods, it was a pleasant palette cleanser for Iruka to see how content they were in their desires.

"Do you still want to continue our mind peering, Iruka?" Usotsuki asked, golden eyes locked onto Choza's grinning face. "I have a feeling there will be the most unsavory memories that I question whether you can stomach."

"That doesn't matter. I must learn where this killing intent Minku Aoi senses is coming from. If that means seeing something 'unsavory,' so be it." Usotsuki turned to him and grinned.

"I will hold you to your word."

 

~ ✧ ~

                                  

Hyuuga Hiashi's mindscape was a luxurious temple with white marble floors, golden and silver décor, and a high ceiling that went on for many stories. It was spine-tingling cold, and Iruka's footsteps echoed in the still place as Usotsuki led him to their first chained-off door, stepping inside the memory.

A young Hiashi sat in the middle of his bedroom with his twin brother, Hizashi, wrapping uniform bandages around his chest. He was already dressed in his shinobi uniform. The morning sunlight pouring from the window softened the room and gleamed off Hizashi's forehead protector. The twin boys looked at Iruka when he entered the room, easily sensing their unease at his presence. No, not his presence.

"Good morning, Ojisan," Hiashi greeted, keeping his gaze low.

"Are you excited for your academy graduation, Hiashi-sama?" the older Hyuuga phased through Iruka to enter the bedroom. He wore a white forehead protector that parted his long, greying, and messy hair, and the sleeves of his dark lavender robe were ripped like they had been clawed apart by a cat.

"I am. Niichan and I will finally be shinobi. We'll make Otosan proud."

"Will you?" the older Hyuuga's cracked lips strained to smile.

"Yes, we will," Hizashi said, meeting his uncle's gaze with a firm glare. "I'm finishing Niisan's wrappings, so please don't interrupt us further, Hitora-ojisan."

"I'll finish the bindings, Hizashi-kun," Hitora stated more than offered, moving closer. "Your father needs you in his study."

"I'll go after I'm finished."

"But you do so much for Hiashi already. You wait on him hand and foot day in and out."

"No, he doesn't!" Hiashi refuted in his head, but then frowned. "Well, Hizashi does a lot for me, but I don't take advantage of him like that… Right?" "Ojisan can finish the bindings, Hizashi," Hiashi said, grabbing the roll from his skeptical twin's hands.

"Fine," Hizashi grumbled and left the room, eyeing Hitora on his way out. Hiashi swore he heard the door lock before Hitora picked up where his brother left off. Hiashi tensed underneath his uncle's harsh hands as one tightly gripped his shoulder and the other tightly wound the bandages across his chest.

"You look just like your father, Hiashi-sama," Hitora mused.

"So does Hizashi," Hiashi pointed out, looking at himself in the body mirror he faced.

"I remember when I helped prepare my brother for his academy graduation. I had to bind him just like this, and he was so nitpicky. Nothing could be loose; it could get tangled." Hitora pulled the bandages tight, and Hiashi took in a sharp inhale as they squeezed at the base of his neck. "And never go past his neck, it felt like it was choking him." Hitora tore off the bandage from the roll. "And I always followed his instructions perfectly. Lest I wanted to face punishment." He secured the end with a clip and patted Hiashi's shoulders.

"Thank you, Ojisan." Hiashi thanked and wanted to step away, but his uncle's grip on his shoulders remained firm, pulling him back close against him. "Ojisan?" he mumbled, looking at his uncle in the mirror and shivering at the sight of his activated Byakugan drilling into him with his chakra spiking with ill intent.

"You're just like your father, Hiashi," his uncle hissed, nails biting into his skin. His instincts wanted him to fight or even just run. Still, Hitora was faster, his kunai blade already pressed underneath Hiashi's wide eye and his bandaged arm squeezing around the boy's neck, his heart pounding painfully in panic. "What's Ojisan doing?! Is he under a genjutsu?!"

"Hizashi!" Hiashi managed to shout before his uncle's hand smothered his mouth tightly.

"You would scream for your perceived lapdog first." Hitora sneered. "Why so surprised? You didn't think I could do this to a main house member, that I lacked the will. Your cursed seal isn't the flawless collar you believed it to be when on an old mutt like me, and now," he grinned as he moved the kunai blade to Hiashi's forehead. "Retribution." "He's not really going to hurt me, right? He's just trying to scare me like usual. He wouldn't–"

"Mmph!" His shocked and pained scream was muffled by his uncle's hand, as the older Hyuuga carved into his forehead with the kunai. His image in the mirror was drowned red as the warm blood poured from his forehead to sink into his tearful eyes. He scratched at his uncle's hand and kicked back at him to no avail, the drilling pain in his temples making his head spin.

"This is how it felt, Hiraku-nii!" His uncle irefully spat. "When you branded this accursed seal to my skull so long ago! You'll know just how much it hurts me before I make that pain so much worse for you. It's what your filthy soul deserves!"

"Hiashi!" The crying Hyuuga heard his twin brother's worried shout outside the room before he angrily kicked down the locked door, his mouth agape in shock at the bloody sight before him.

"What are you doing, Ojisan?!" He questioned.

"What I should have done so much sooner," Hitora replied, thankfully bringing down the kunai from Hiashi's burning forehead, but pressing it against his neck as more Hyuuga members came rushing, also taken aback by the Hyuuga heir taken hostage.

"Let him go!" Hizashi demanded, getting into a fighting stance with his Byakugan activated. 

"You don't know who you're fighting for, Hizashi. You think he loves you, but he doesn't. Not as a brother. He'll wrap that leash around your neck tighter every day until you're left choking for the rest of your miserable life. I'll help set you free, though." He moved the bloody blade to jab at the bottom of Hiashi's eye. "Kumo pays a pretty price for a fresh pair of Byakugans. Without them, Hiraku would be so worthless that you'd have to take his place as the Hyuuga heir, Hizashi. It's not like he could stop you, the blind, bumbling bastard he'll be." Hitora cut just underneath the boy's eye and hollowed in pain, dropping the kunai to clutch at his head. Hizashi immediately moved in to grab his brother and pull him away from Hitora as the older Hyuuga collapsed to the floor.

"I got you, Hiashi," Hizashi assured as the twin brothers embraced tightly, Hiashi bleeding over his uniform. 

"What's the damage?" Hiashi flinched at his father's voice above him, calm and firm despite Hitora's pained screams. He pulled back from his brother and felt his father tightly grip his chin, hissing as he whipped the blood off his forehead to reveal the wound. His father grumbled, displeased. "You allowed this to happen, Hizashi?"

"No, sir, I-I…" Hizashi looked crestfallen. "I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry."

"Now both of your sons are branded, Hiraku-nii!" Hitora managed to jab through the punishment of his cursed seal. "You won't be able to tell them apart! Ha! There's my present to you!"

"... Hizashi, your punishment will come later. For now, be useful and get your brother treated," his father calmly ordered. "Be quick. You will not be late for your shinobi graduation. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Hizashi nodded and helped Hiashi out of the bloodied bedroom, leaving behind the cackling and screams of their uncle.

"Seems there was more than one Hyuuga Affair," Usotsuki mused. "Makes sense, the Hyuuga clan's dynamics are a breeding ground for resentment. Not that you're new to clan infighting, Umino."

"That was different," Iruka pointed to the memory room they had just left. "None of my family has ever looked at me like Hitora looked at Hiashi. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if Zabuza looked at me like that, hurt me like that."

They went to the third floor to reach the next memory, walking into the Hyuuga estate's courtyard on a chilly night, an adult Hiashi sitting on the porch in his night robe. He picked at his forehead, and with a disgruntled grumble, he pulled back the false skin, the seal keeping the cloaking tag attached to his forehead breaking. Hiashi crumpled the white tag in his hand and used the other to massage the old scar on his forehead, a crude mimicry of the Hyuuga Clan's Caged Bird Seal. He stilled when the front door silently opened and Hizashi stepped out, holding a blanket.

"Are you cold, Hiashi-sama?" He asked, keeping his distance. "I have an extra blanket."

"I don't need anything from you right now, Hizashi," Hiashi grumbled, body tense as he moved his fringes to cover his forehead.

"Not even my company?"

"... You can sit there," the Hyuuga head muttered and kept his gaze on the half-moon as his brother sat beside him, a distance between them. "Why are you out of bed?"

"I was going to ask you that."                 

"… I'm still mulling over the peace treaty with Kumogakure, I should be thrilled, but part of me can't believe it."

"Too good to be true, yeah," Hizashi agreed. "The way I see it, if you'll allow me to continue, we'll hopefully enter a fantastical era of peace between our villages, while keeping our swords close to our chests; just in case our enemies strike, we'll be prepared."

"Hinata will need a sword then as she gets older. She won't always have a guard to defend her against our enemies, and her passive nature has me worried she won't have the will to wield a weapon. She'll probably freeze, let herself be attacked." Hiashi brushed away strands of hair that tickled his scar, being tousled by the night wind. Hizashi looked at his twin with sullen eyes.

"… I'm sorry, Hiashi-sama."

"It wasn't your fault, Hizashi," Hiashi repeated the familiar words. "Besides, I just have the one scar. You…” "You'll have more than I'll ever have. Otosan's punishments for 'failing to protect me' made that certain. Mine has faded some; yours will remain until the day you perish, Niichan."

"I mean, I'm sorry for glaring at young Hinata-sama as I did the other day," Hizashi clarified. "I swear to you, I would never harm her. Not like…" He shook his head. "I didn't mean to aim my killing intent at her. I was just caught up in my thoughts, thinking about Neji and his fate, and directed that anger at Hinata-sama. I shouldn't have. I scared the heart of the poor girl, and I'm supposed to be her uncle. She shouldn't fear me…" Hizashi sighed, running a hand down his face and brushing over the dark bandana covering his forehead. "I'm sorry."

"… I forgive you, Hizashi," Hiashi said, and his twin looked surprised.

"Honestly?"

"Yes. I don't believe that you lack the heart to harm my daughter, and I know your anger. If I were born second, I'd be just as angry as you… Maybe everything would have turned out better if Ojisan had taken my Byakugan. Himiko would still love me no less, and you would have been given the chance to thrive, Hizashi. Be free."

"That's bullshit!" Hizashi heatedly retorted, and it was Hisashi's turn to look surprised. "Excuse my language, but no, that wouldn't have freed me, anyone. You saw how badly I was punished after that incident, and Otosan never fully trusted me again. He thought I worked with Ojisan to maim you, to free myself." his lip curled in anger, and his hands balled into fists. "What Ojisan did wasn't to free me, it was to hurt Otosan, but the only way he could was by harming you, took out all of his anger and hatred on you, Hiashi... I don't know if we'll ever break this cursed tradition, but I will break this violent cycle. I won't ever lay a hand on Hinata out of malice. She doesn't deserve my hatred." He promised his twin and to himself before letting out a tense breath, calming himself, and regaining composure. "Apologies for speaking out of turn, Hizashi-sama. I—" He was quieted by Hiashi's gentle hand on his shoulder.

"If the era of peace really comes about, we'll have much more time to do as we please. What would you like to do?"

"Whatever you wish."

"No, I truly mean it." Hiashi softly smiled. "What would you like to do, Niichan?" Hizashi stared in surprise for a moment before smiling as well.

"… Let's have a family picnic at the old playground, Niisan. The one Okaasan used to take us to." Hiashi nodded in agreement, and the twins shared a gentle laugh, eventually moving closer so their foreheads rested against each other, scarred skin caressing a cursed seal. They stayed like that for a long moment, enjoying each other's company as brothers, before parting ways for the night, Hizashi going back inside. In contrast, Hiashi went for a night walk to spend the last of his energy, but his body was still jittery despite his tiredness.

"Maybe my afternoon tea is too late in the day. I'm wasting my nights wandering when I should be resting, be at Himiko's side." He rounded the corner as he gazed at the moon, listening to the tranquil hum of the night. "At least it's beautiful to…" A shadow in his periphery grabbed his attention. Looking forward, he saw a dark figure standing across from him, frozen in momentary shock. Even in the dark, he could clearly see the light purple pajamas he dressed his daughter in, snatched in the figure's clutches, and hand over her mouth. Hinata's wide, frightful eyes peered through the night to stare right at him, brightening at the sight of her father. Three words ringing in Hiashi's head set something off inside of him.

"Hinata. Intruder. Kidnapping." A violent surge of killing intent rattled through his body, tensing his muscles and sharpening his Byakugan to a lethal focus, finding the intruder's heart, how it pulsed with fear. He silently charged, hand poised to strike, and the intruder tensed in retaliation, unsheathing a blade with his free hand. Flashes of his uncle's malicious glare haunted his mind as he thrusted his hand into the intruder's chest, nearly breaking his fingers to send a pinpoint burst of chakra directly into the man's heart. He felt the rumble in the intruder's chest as his heart burst like a popping grape. He grabbed his daughter from the dying man's grasp as he crumbled to the ground with one loud death throw, his groans falling into wet gurgles as a pool of dark blood formed around his prone body, bloodied tanto still clutched in his hand.

Now up close, Hiashi could finally make out the Kumogakure symbol engraved in the deadman's hitai-ate, his eyes widening in shock before an angered snarl curled his lips. "Betrayal! I knew it was too good to be true. Trying to kidnap my daughter in the middle of the night, disgraceful!"

"Hinata!" Hiashi cried out, still pulsing with adrenaline as he held his daughter close, feeling her tiny hands squeeze his arm. "Are you hurt?" He questioned, examining her with his Byakugan, and besides an elevated heart rate, found no wounds on her.

"I-I… I'm okay, Tosan," his daughter sniffled, and it hurt to see Hinata racked with such petrifying fear. She pulled back, and her eyes widened with horror. "But I think you're hurt… Your tummy." She pointed at his stomach, and he just realized the warm, burning sensation underneath the tear in his bloodstained robe.

"Yes, I am," he calmly said, not wanting to scar his daughter more than she already was. He carefully set her down, before sitting himself and stifling a pain groan, the numbing adrenaline wearing off. He coughed, tasting copper and feeling the warm fluid dribble from his lips, and he covered his stab wound with a hand, putting pressure on it. "Go inside and get your uncle, Hinata. Tell him I need a doctor. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can, Tosan. Don't worry, I'll get you help!" Hinata ran off, and Hisashi shuffled to lean back against the wall, his sliced insides screaming at him. He glared at the dead man. "I won't die here beside your gore. I need to send a message to all those who want to hurt my family. I'll strike you down with my bare hands."

Hiashi closed his eyes when he heard his brother's worried voice and the voices of his fellow clan members, and the memory ended.

"What a sad mess that all was," Iruka mumbled as he followed Usotsuki to the top floor. "I could see the Hyuuga clan starting a conflict with Kumo."

"Or the Hyuuga branches fighting amongst themselves," the demon supplied.

"Yes, that too."

The temple's top floor featured a sunny playground. Hinata and Neji were playing on the swing set, Hiashi and Hizashi pushing them while the rest of their family shared a picnic on the nearby grassy field. Iruka couldn't find the twins' uncle or father in the crowd or any cursed seals.

"An unachievable dream of a pitiful man." Usotsuki clicked his tongue. "Hamura must more than furious with the cruelty of this Hyuuga branch."

"That's Hamura-sama," Iruka corrected. "And what do you mean by 'he'd be furious'? Wouldn't anyone be?"

"Yes, I suppose anyone would," The demon chuckled.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Yuhi Shinku's mindscape was a pleasant surprise for Iruka. It was an onsen, natural hot springs sprawling down a grassy mountainside, with the bottom capped in shadows.

"Let's see what your memories are, Shinku," Usotsuki chittered, standing at the edge of a steaming spring.

"You seem too excited," Iruka scoffed.

"He seems like a man with interesting secrets." Usotsuki sank into the spring, and Iruka followed, reflexively holding his breath when his head went under the water and only breathing when he felt his feet reach the tiled floor. He opened his eyes and found himself in an office with dark red walls and illuminated by candles. A mahogany desk by the back wall was neatly organized with folders and a silver cat statuette on the edge. Behind the desk sat an older woman with long silver hair tied into a braid and dark, piercing eyes. Her hitai-ate was left to hang around her neck, but Iruka could see the glimpse of a scarred slash across her jugular, faded with time. She was reading a mission report while a young adult Shinku sat on the other side of her desk, wearing a black cloak that covered most of his body.

"He looks so similar to Kurenai-san." Iruka mused in a moment of levity, taking in his shapely face, ruby eyes, and tousled black hair as the chuunin's face flushed. "He's just as beautiful as she is, too."

"Shinku is her father after all," Usotsuki remarked with a sly smirk, and Iruka shot him an annoyed glare.

"Is there something wrong with my report, Ina-san?" Shinku asked, shifting in his seat as Ina looked at his report skeptically.

"No, there's nothing," she spoke gravelly. "You successfully seduced your noble target, retrieved the files from his safe, and left his estate in the morning without suspicion. It's a faultless mission."

"Seduced?" Iruka mumbled. "Is Shinku-san…" He kept his mouth shut before jumping to conclusions.

"I always perform at my best," Shinku smiled.

"Apparently so." Ina grabbed a folder on her desk and opened it, adding Shinku's latest report to the stack inside. "You have a near-flawless record with your three years in my department. You're the perfect honeypot agent."

"Is that really so surprising?"

"The perfect honeypot agent doesn't exist, Shinku-kun. Never seen one in all my years running this department. So, either you're a miraculous outlier or lying on your reports."

"Lie?" Shinku scoffed. "I'm smart enough not to lie to a Morino."

"Are you?" Ina leaned forward sternly, and the Yuhi faltered, looking away.

"I may have fluffed up my reports once in a while. Nothing extreme, promise."

"Take off your cloak," she ordered, and Shinku looked caught before forcefully laughing.

"Ha, apologies, but I'm not on the clock right now, Ina-san."

"Shinku-kun," she said, firm though her expression softened. "I know you suffered more injuries than you reported."

"… And what if I did?" Shinku shrugged. "I completed my mission. That's what matters."

"My agent's well-being also matters. I don't want to give them a mission if they're too sickly or injured. That's when disaster strikes most."

"I know… But I need to take every mission you can give me. My clan's finances suffered since my brother was forced to retire, not to mention the ryos needed to treat my sister. I just…" he sighed heavily, his smile completely faded away. "I have to take care of them."

“I understand, Shinku-kun. But you don't need to force yourself to do back-to-back honeypot missions. I can help organize standard missions from the main mission desk that pay similarly to help you. It'll take time you may not have, so I can speak with my clan head to see how we can help. I don't need you falling apart, Shinku-kun."

"Truly?"

"Do I lie?"

"… No, you don't." "I'm back in Konoha. I'm safe. I don't need to be so on edge now." He hesitated for a moment before opening his cloak, showing the bruising and bitemarks on his neck and the stained bandages wrapped around his chest and arms underneath his mesh undershirt. "My target wasn't alone. He had a posse of four—no, five people. They were conjoined twin sisters, but they could separate at will. Two were bandaged head to toe. They didn't wear any insignia but could knead chakra like shinobi, so they probably were missing-nin. Three wanted my services, and my target couldn't say otherwise. I realized why when we began, as they had more… sadistic tastes. Then they tried killing me when they realized I was a shinobi, but I handled myself fine enough, seeing as I'm still alive."

"I see," Ina nodded, keeping her reaction muted. "Have you seen a medic, Shinku-kun?"

"I saw a nearby doctor after I escaped the estate. He healed most of my injuries, but not all."

"Go see our medic-nin, then get some proper rest afterward. Push yourself too hard, and you'll break. I've seen it too many times."

"Don't worry, Ina-san. I plan to take a long nap and then some." Shinku smiled again, tired and natural. "Don't cry now. I've already done enough of that. Keep yourself together, Shinku. Don't fall apart." He put his cloak back on and left the office. The memory ended.

"So, Shinku-san was a honeypot agent," Iruka said as he and Usotsuki walked further down the stone staircase, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm prying too much."

"For a noble cause," the demon mockingly reminded. "Over my many moons of mind peering, I've learned the more impactful moments can occur during the most intimate of experiences."

"Is Shinku's next memory intimate?" Iruka asked, standing before the murky hot spring cast in shadows.

"We'll see." Usotsuki entered the spring, and Iruka was forced to follow. The Onmyoji was swept with dread, seeing a terrifyingly familiar setting: Konoha in ruins, bodies crumpled on the ground, and a foggy dust in the air. Shinku stood in the aftermath of the Demon Fox's attack, his grim gaze surveying his team scouring through the rubble for those who survived.

"Otosan!" He turned around, hearing Kurenai's voice, and saw his daughter carrying a weeping child in the distance. Iruka's eyes widened in shock, seeing the younger version of himself in Kurenai's arms. He didn't remember much of his first walk with Kurenai to the orphanage, too consumed by grief and sorrow to notice what was happening around him. Shinku left his team with a heads-up and met Kurenai halfway. "How is your search going so far?" she asked her father.

"We found twenty people so far, five alive, fifteen dead," Shinku answered, maintaining his professionalism despite the heaviness in his heart. "What about you?"

"We've organized sixty-three bodies so far, and we found this boy on his own. I'm taking him to the orphanage care center." She patted Iruka's small back, a glint of anger and sorrow in her ruby eyes. "How… How did this happen, Otosan? Why couldn't we stop it?"

"Some disasters are out of our control, dear." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"But I-I didn't even fight, and Yondaime-sama, he—"

"Gave his life so you and other promising youth could live to see another day, Kurenai." "I wouldn't know what I'd do with myself if I saw you amongst the dead. I'll never regret that decision." "Don't crumble to regret, when you still have a life to live, people to love."

"Do I know you from somewhere?" a voice from above inquired, and Shinku tensed, seeing the foreign chakra signatures, looking up. His eyes widened seeing a man with a sickly pale complexion and white, greasy hair that went past his shoulders, standing on the nearby roof of a half-destroyed home, wearing only a dark purple poncho with a torn hem and dirty bandages wrapped around his limbs. He looked down on the Yuhi with inquisitive eyes of dark black and misty white, and in a shaky breath, both the intruder's and Shinku's eyes flashed with recognition. "Oh, I remember you, ruby eyes. Even if you're practically an old man now. Remember me?"

"Unfortunately, Ujou," Shinku growled, standing protectively before Kurenai. "Enemy shinobi have taken advantage of our downed defenses already?! How could they act so swiftly? Did… Did they know this would happen?"

"Don't you remember ruby eyes, Kaori-chan, Shiori-chan?" Ujo asked the conjoined twin sisters who walked out from the wreckage to join him, looking a few years younger than when Iruka last saw them terrorizing his and Kotetsu's genin team.

"Yes, we do remember ruby eyes," Kaori said.

"Though he wasn't covered in all that armor last I saw him," Shiori chuckled, hanging onto her sister's back. "Though this reunion is fun, we're only supposed to be scouting the damage, Ujou-san."

"Not cause a fuss just yet," Kaori added.

"I know, but I want to strike before all the other hyenas start ravaging the leaves. At least get a fresh pair of eyes, preferably from the pretty thing there." He pointed to Kurenai, and Shinku felt a furious fire spark inside of him, blinking back memories of the night he spent with the sadistic trio as he unsheathed his tanto with full intent on using it.

"Flee when you have the chance, Kurenai. Protect the boy," he said under his breath, and Kurenai nodded.

"Hm, you make a good point," Shiori grinned, turning her excited gaze to the Yuhi. "No one likes spoiled goods."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kaori questioned, stained curved blades springing from her forearms.

"Nothing," Ujou laughed, cracking his knuckles, and Shinku tightened his grip on his weapon, radiating killing intent. "That won't happen here, I swear to you, Kurenai. I'll gut them before they can lay a disgusting hand on you!" Ujou took one step forward and was stabbed by a barrage of shuriken that flew from behind, Kaori and Shiori yelping as they were struck as well. "The hell?!" Ujou cursed, ripping a shuriken out of his backside and turning around, recoiling at the sight of the massive fireball careening towards them. Ujou and the twins, unfortunately, managed to dodge the fire attack with only the ends of their clothes singed, and begrudgingly retreated across the remaining rooftops.

"Kill them or capture the enemy-nin!" Fugaku ordered his Uchiha team as he landed on the burnt rooftop. The Uchiha officers raced past him in hot pursuit of the trio.

"Fugaku-kun," Shinku breathed in relief, and the Uchiha head leaped down to the Yuhi.

"Are either of you injured, Shinku-san?" Fugaku asked, his Sharingan inspecting the pair.

"No, we never made contact. Thank you for intervening."

"Of course, it's my duty. Not everyone believes I should fulfil it, apparently," Fugaku grumbled in frustration, but shook his head. "Did you have an idea who the intruders were or affiliated with? I don't recognize them."

"Yeah, I do and can send in my report. They're old clients of mine. Nasty clients, unfortunately," Shinku weakly laughed, and Fugaku glowered.

"They're dead then," he promised. "Don't let your guard down. They're sure to be more enemy nin prowling with how defenseless Konoha currently is. Be safe."

“You too, Fugaku-kun.” The Uchiha head dashed off after the intruders, and Shinku hurriedly sent Kurenai on her way as a worrying pit formed in his gut, worming deeper. "Never could I have imagined Konoha being so vulnerable. Our enemies could easily sneak in under the cover of night and slit our throats while we sleep. That shouldn't be possible. Ugh… Where is safe now?"

The memory ended.

Shinku's desire was to have a secure Konoha in which his family and loved ones could flourish.

"To think those monsters have set foot in Konoha," Iruka muttered. "And I can only imagine what they put Shinku-san through if that cave prison they took Kotetsu and Izumo gives any idea."

"There's no need to imagine. All the memories are here for us to explore," Usotsuki said. "We need to visit all the exciting memories we missed."

"No, we don't!" Iruka firmly said. "We pried enough here. We don't need to see… whatever sadistic taste these monsters have up close. Take us out of here now," he ordered, and the demon's golden eyes flickered dangerously, his smile straining, but Iruka held firm, ready to tighten Usotsuki's chains in a heartbeat.

"… As you wish, Iruka."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka felt more sickened and guilty throughout the morning with every clan head he visited and memory he experienced. Despite that, he knew the information he got from them would be more valuable than gold soon enough. The Inuzuka head had an old rivalry with the old Hatake clan head, though the wolfish clan only had one known member still in Konoha, Kakashi of the Sharingan, and the rivalry was practically dead in the present day. He mainly desired to sleep and spend time with his clan. The Shiranui head feared assassins or another village-wide threat that could kill Sandaime Hokage, and the shame from losing the Yondaime so soon into his reign haunted his conscience. He desired Sandaime's safety and for his guarding team to neutralize any threat thrown his way, though the clan head questioned Genma's abilities.

Aburame Shibi had a mainly one-sided rivalry with Iwagakure's own bug specialist clan, the Kamizuru, Shibi being the victor in most of their clashes. He carried no lingering hatred but wouldn't hesitate to defend his clan from them if need be. He desired to cultivate new bug species along with his young son. The Morino clan head had a bad history with what Iruka believed was Suna's Anbu, being tortured by them during the Second Shinobi World War, and had a silent distrust of Suna every time they visited. He desired to secure Konoha and maintain his clan's place with the T&I department.

Iruka was growing mentally drained and on edge when he headed for the Uchiha compound to meet with the Uchiha head. However, Usotsuki was clearly enjoying himself, excited to pry into the police captain's mind. The heavy pit in Iruka's gut worsened, seeing that elated golden grin, getting a sickening feeling about the next set of memories he'd witness.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Uchiha Fugaku's mindscape resembled the Uchiha police station, with its main lobby, offices, and detention center. The only main difference was that the entire building was flooded. Cold water lapped at Iruka's calves, and the station's water damage was apparent in the dark stains on the walls with peeling paint and sunken-in portions of the ceiling.

"I haven't seen a mindscape like this," Iruka worriedly observed, watching office supplies floating in the water and eyeing the mold spots on the walls. "Sure, certain parts in the other mindscapes were rotten or dilapidated, but it wasn't this widespread. Is it… damaged?"

"One's mindscape is built over years of life experiences and is affected by them," Usotsuki explained. "Certain events scar so deeply that they sear themselves into the person's mind for better or worse. One's poor mental state can also affect the mindscape. This mind has yet to fully heal."

"But it can be healed?"

"With time, yes."

Iruka followed the demon to the first memory inside the first-floor office. Iruka stepped into the aftermath of a bloodbath. The sunny sky perfectly illuminated the pools of blood and viscera drifting in the nearby river, and the picnic area on the grassy field was left in disarray, as if everyone had left in a panic. A young boy, Fugaku, sat by the river's shore, drenched and shaking, with a deep shark bite chewed into his forearm. His wide eyes burned with the Sharingan as they frantically searched the river, puffy and red as he cried bloody tears. "Riku-kun, Hanae-chan, where are you?... That shark beast didn't really get you… It couldn't have…"

"You survived, boy?" Fugaku jumped at the sudden presence behind him, turning around in a panic. The older man stood tall before him with one forest green eye and the other paled white with a scarred slash running across it, filled with mild surprise. He wore a shinobi uniform with a camouflaged green sash and waistband and a dark happuri with the Sarutobi clan symbol engraved in the center instead of a hitai-ate. His spiked brown hair with greying streaks was coated red, and the massive metal spiked kanabo was strapped to his back. Fugaku remembered seeing him at meetings his father went to. Father of the Sandaime Hokage and head of the Sarutobi clan, Sarutobi Sasuke.

However, the Uchiha boy was more shocked by what hung from Sasuke's hip with a wire, the large, decapitated head of a sharkly woman with greying skin, a kunai stabbed into her gills, fresh blood still dripping from her sharp teeth, and dead, pale eyes staring at nothing. He remembered so clearly the monstrous visage that carried those same eyes, filled with ravenous hunger, as those bloody jaws ripped Hanae's head from her body.

"Oh, you're Gakufu's boy," Sasuke said. I see you've awakened your Sharingan. That makes sense." Sasuke yanked out the kunai from the Hoshigaki's head and held it to Fugaku. "This must be yours then?"

"… Yes, sir," Fugaku mumbled and grabbed his kunai, still stunned. "You… you killed the shark beast, Sasuke-dono?"

"Indeed. Hojirosame won't ever devour another soul," the Sarutobi smiled, then saw the boy's arm. "You're injured. Let's get you some care. I know your parents are worried sick. Follow." The Uchiha boy tried to stand, but his numb legs couldn't carry his weight, so he fell back. “Here, Fugaku-kun.” Sasuke scooped the boy into his arms and carried him off through the ruined picnic area. A deep sorrow gnawed within the boy.

"Hanae… Riku…" he quietly wept into the Sarutobi's chest.

"Dear friends, I assume. I'm sorry I didn't arrive soon enough to save them," Sasuke apologized.

"No, I… I couldn't do anything."

"You survived. That's something. Whether by skill or luck. You now have the opportunity to thrive beyond yourself. I'm willing to take you under my tutelage if you desire. For now, don't trouble your mind with that. There's plenty of grief to be had, unfortunately." Fugaku relaxed in the shinobi's arms, feeling a sense of security, calming the fear and panic that once gripped him. The memory ended.

"Fugaku-san got his Sharingan during the Hoshigaki's first attack on Konoha," Iruka said as he stepped back into the flooded hallway. "Is that why his mindscape is flooded?"

"One of many reasons, I'm sure. The Sharingan symbolizes loss as much as it does power."

The next memory began on a mournful, gloomy day. Iruka stood in Konoha's cemetery, which had fewer graves than in the current day, but still too many. The funeral party seemed to be slowly dispersing. Still, a young, tearful Fugaku clung to her mother's black skirt before the freshly implanted gravestones, gifted with flowers and titled Uchiha Gakufu and Uchiha Kagami.

"Otosan… Kagami-ojisan…” Fugaku sniffled.

"We'll be okay, Fu-kun," his mother assured him, rubbing his head.

"Why couldn't they come back? They're both so strong."

"Missions can claim any ninja, no matter how strong."

"Oh…" Fugaku turned around, finding the lone man standing in the distance, locking eyes with him. "Then why did only Danzo-san come back? Is he stronger?" Danzo's frown deepened, and he broke his gaze with Fugaku, turning to leave. "Wait!" Fugaku ran toward the shinobi, hearing his mother call out to him. "Danzo-san!" He clutched onto the back of Danzo's black yukata, stopping the man in his tracks. "Please tell me, why couldn't Otosan and Kagami-ojisan return home with you? Weren't they strong enough?" He blabbered, unable to contain his tears. Danzo kept silent as he slowly turned to stare down at the boy with a tearless golden eye and a neutral frown. His other eye had been wrapped in bandages since his return.

"Yes, they were strong, but I… Their sacrifices outweighed any strength they had on that final mission."

"… What does that mean?"

"Once you're a shinobi, you'll understand sacrifice," the man harshly said, and Fugaku was struck with anger.

"But why do you still get to be here, and they don't? What makes you special?! Why didn't you sacrifice too, Danzo-san?!" the boy demanded. Immediately, Danzo's frown twisted into a menacing scowl, making Fugaku shiver.

"You stupid boy," Danzo hissed and yanked his yukata free from the Uchiha's grasp.

"A thousand apologies, Danzo-kun," Fugaku's mother said as she pulled the stunned boy close. "You know Fugaku's going through a hard time. We're all hurting, and will be for a while." She glanced back at the graves, rubbing Fugaku's shoulders, before looking back at the Shimura. "Being here for each other will help everyone with their hurt… Including you."

"I can care for myself fine enough, Akane-san," Danzo retorted and glared at Fugaku again, the boy recoiling behind his mother. I have more concern for the boy's mental state. He is not well." The Shimura walked away, and Fugaku heard his mother sigh heavily.

"Don't take what he says to heart, Fu-kun," she said, combing a hand through his hair and reassuringly smiling. "It's okay to be unwell during a sorrowful time like this."

"… Not as unwell as that man," Fugaku grumbled, his Sharingan glaring daggers into the Shimura's back. The memory ended.

"I've always felt some tension between Fugaku-san and Danzo-san," Iruka said as he went upstairs with Usotsuki, toward where the main office should've been. "I wouldn't have guessed it was because Danzo-san was the only survivor of his last mission with Fugaku's father and Kagami. There's gotta be a mission report that gives more information on that. But knowing Danzo-san, he probably has that report secured."

"Or we could find the memory once we get to his mindscape?" Usotsuki suggested.

"… I'll think about it."

The door to the office was surprisingly undamaged, with the Uchiha clan symbol boldly engraved on it. It opened without issue, leading to the next memory. Iruka stood on a balcony with a small, unknown town below and the night sky above, the full moon captivating a young adult Fugaku's attention as he leaned against the banister. His shinobi uniform was littered with scratches and tears, showing the wear of war. The Uchiha clan symbol on the back still remained despite the damage.

"You chose a lovely place for a late-night tryst, Gaku-kun," Mikoto smirked as she leaned against the doorway, her hair cut into a bob and her hitai-ate hanging from her hip atop her red kimono. Fugaku shot her an unimpressed look over his shoulder.

"I'm not an exhibitionist."

"Then why did you call me out here so late?" She went to be at his side, leaning against him. Fugaku buzzed. "She's warm."

"Have you heard about the White Fang's battle with Jimbesame the other day?"

"Hard not to with all the craze about it. Sakumo-dono got badly injured, but he left that shark beast worse off. Some people think Jimbe retreated just to die in a cave somewhere. No one's wounded an older shark beast like that since Sasuke-dono. It gives one hope."

"Hope," Fugaku wistfully echoed. "That's what I need now."

"What do you mean? You're the most optimistic ninja I know," she playfully nudged him with a smirk that fell when Fugaku's steely gaze didn't falter. "Hey, I know that look. What are you thinking about?"

"As you said, there's speculation that Jimbesame is dead. I want to make that a certainty."

"Fugaku," Mikoto groaned, frowning. "You know I can't go with you. I have to keep Iwa's underground team from advancing. Why run off from me now?" He could sense emotions of worry and sadness within her, like a sinking weight that anchored him to the spot, his chest tightening. "Please, don't look so sad, Miko-chan."

"I won't be going alone," he tried reassuring her. "My team had already agreed to join me in finding what remains of Jimbesame and putting him down while he's weak."

"How weak? Shark beasts recover quickly."

"Depending on how much chakra they can eat. The White Fang's and Jimbesame's battleground is isolated. There shouldn't be many people whom the Hoshigaki could feast on. This is the perfect chance to finally end him."

"… I know," she sighed, eyes drifting down. "I just hate that it's you, Gaku-kun.  You always sacrifice, and it's not always fair." She clutched her chest, and Fugaku felt her anger, a screeching raven set aflame and thrashing against its cage.

"Miko-chan, don't despair." He gently cupped her cheek and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "No matter what we face out there, I will return home to you. It would be unfair to you otherwise, and I wish to do you no harm. I promise you that."

"Such bravado, Fugaku-taichou," Mikoto softly chuckled, blushing as she smiled. "I promise I won't leave you either."

"You best not." He moved his hand down and gently parted her kimono to expose some of her chest, his fingers grazing the seal bonded on her sternum, a crow within intricate circles. "My Uchiha Soul seal is still beating strong. Perfect."  "I'd have to find you otherwise. Just like you can find me through our connection." Just as he felt her anger, he could feel her warming love caressing his chest, along with her soft hands on his cheeks, drawing his face closer to hers.

"Sure, I feel you through our soul seals," she smiled, her warm breath tickling his lips. "But I prefer feeling you in the flesh, Gaku-kun."

"Hm, me too, Miko-chan." Fugaku met Mikoto halfway, closing his eyes as their lips connected, face blushing fiercely and heart racing. He angled his face to massage his lips against hers, his hand on her chest starting to massage as well.

"I-I shouldn't watch this!" Iruka yelped, flustered, turning around from the intimate scene.

"You watched all the other memories well enough. What's disturbing about this one?" Usotsuki mockingly asked, having not turned away.

"It's not disturbing. It's too personal for my eyes. Can we go now?"

"Go? But we could miss vital information. For all you know, a Hoshigaki could attack at any moment on this lovely night."

"Ugh, fine. But I'm still not looking." Though Iruka kept his word, he still felt guilty listening to Fugaku and Mikoto.

"Ah, still so warm, Miko-chan... You feel so soft too, smooth... "Well, except for this, of course...What are you up—"  "Ah!"

"Don't get too comfortable, Fugaku-taichou."

"You always jump me like that, you sly vixen… and I adore letting you. Hm, what kind of shinobi am I?" 

"Ah! We can't do all that out here, Miko-chan!" Fugaku quietly screamed with a blushing face, and Mikoto shot him an annoyed look.

"You say that, but you've been fondling me for the past three minutes. What happened to Mr. 'I'm not an exhibitionist?'"

"Apologies. I got caught up in the moment," Fugaku mumbled, embarrassed, and readjusted her kimono to adequately cover her chest.

"Not enough in the moment that you'll let me take your pants off," she pouted, and he scoffed.

"I didn't say that,” he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. You can do that, just not here." She excitedly chuckled, her face flushing, and grabbed his arm.

"Then show me where we can really get started, Gaku-kun."

"Happily." Holding Mikoto's hand, Fugaku left the balcony to spend the night with his lover before his self-imposed mission. The memory ended, and Iruka was more than thankful to return to the flooded hallways.

"Well, it's heartwarming to know Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san truly love each other," Iruka reframed as he and Usotsuki headed down to the detention center, shuddering at the chilling wave of fear and musty scent that hit him when the demon broke through the lock on the entry door. The area was flooded like the rest, the bars of the holding cells rusted and the ceiling dripping, the droplets eerily echoing with the sloshing water as Iruka treaded through it. He realized where the potent scent was coming from when he passed the first cell as blood infested the water flooded inside, darkening it with a foul stench and creeping through the bars in the hallway. All the cells were like that, flooded with blood and making Iruka shiver. "These must be bad memories."

"Indeed," Usotsuki affirmed, stopping before a bloody cell. "Ready?"

"… Yes," Iruka reluctantly nodded, swallowing his hesitation. The metal chain locking the cell door broke with an echoing crack at Usotsuki's hand, and the rusty door creaked open before the two stepped inside the memory. Iruka found himself in a massive dark cove with a quiet ripple from the ocean water pooling inside and an earthy shore with rocky walls. The deeper inside of the cove was indistinguishable darkness. The moonlight only reached so far inside the cavern-like space, and Fugaku found a patch of moonlight by the shore to write. The shinobi looked unkempt, his hair growing out, his complexion pale, his dark eyes bleakly glinting, and hunched in on himself. He was dressed in only a worn dark purple robe with the Uchiha clan's symbol on the back, faded with a tear across it, exposing his bruised back. He quietly wrote into a mission scroll, moving the pen so slowly as if hesitant to make a noise, even as he shivered from the chilly draft.

Update #17

New Information

-         I learned how the Hoshigaki can travel so freely and undetected. It's some form of water teleportation jutsu where, once they drink from a large enough body of water, they can transfer themselves there. As far as I know, they can only perform this water teleportation jutsu in water. The farthest teleportation I know is from The Land of Waves to Uzushiogakure

-         Hoshigakis' intelligence and capabilities range from clan member to clan member. Example

Fugaku's heart sank when something rumbled behind him, a low growling sound that echoed through the cove. He let out a rattling sigh. "At least let me finish my report." He didn't turn around, continuing his message.

-         One example would be a Hoshigaki named Tenninsame, who appears to have the full cognition of a human and utilizes hand signs for jutsus. A younger Hoshigaki was with her, "Kisame" (?), and he showed all the cognition of a healthy young boy who was also proficient in jutsus.

The darkness moved, a large figure shifting as it let out low groans and hisses before a pair of pale, reflective eyes peered from the blackness, standing tall. The ground softly rumbled when it moved forward, something long and sharp scraping the earth behind it as it made deep, quiet mumblings. Still, Fugaku didn't pay any attention to it.

-         The second example, on the opposite end, would be Jimbesame. His mindset is more animalistic than rational, acting on instinct most of the time. He doesn't speak besides incoherent mumblings, growls, and groans. While he can use water teleportation, he has yet to use other hand-sign jutsus.

The monstrous creature came to stand directly behind him, and Iruka could start to make out a proper shape in the shadows. It looked to be a man, mostly, egregiously tall for any human and bulky with growing muscle under pale skin. Deep scars ravaged about half of its body, scales bending to accommodate the lumps. It's sported fearsome claws that put any meat cleaver to shame, and a long, serpentine tail grew from its lower back, sporting a tailfin that scraped against the ground with every movement. It's mostly human head sported a long, drenched, messy silver hair that fell over its face, but Iruka could still see the glistening shark-like teeth that lined inside its mouth when it yawned, and its blind, round eyes held something like glee. It made a low rumble in its throat, and Fugaku finally looked up at the creature.

"Jimbesame," he tiredly greeted the Hoshigaki. “Are you just curious or hungry?" His question went unanswered, and Jimbesame only moved in response, settling down behind the Uchiha, who continued to write.

-         He can follow basic commands like "stop, go, slow down, and attack."  He does not mindlessly wander, understanding enemy and ally territory. He knows who his enemies and allies are. Most of the time.

Jimbesame sat with his scarred legs on either side of Fugaku, feet in the water. His large hands clasped around the Uchiha's midsection, strangely gentle, claws not piercing skin. He made a low whine as he nudged Fugaku's shoulder with his mouth, nipping at the fabric of his robe. 

"Hold on," Fugaku grumbled and bopped the Hoshigaki's nose, Jimbesame pulling back long enough for the Uchiha to pull down his robe and bandages to expose his shoulders where healing bitemarks already resided. Fugaku continued to write even when Jimbesame opened his mouth and sank his rows of teeth into the flesh of his shoulder, teething and sucking on the freshly opened wound, only grimacing as his blood spilled to land on his message.

-         If he's too hungry, anyone can be food. And like all Hoshigaki, he prefers Uchiha over other sources of chakra. He's almost fully healed, and I have yet to find an exploitable weakness that isn't just pure overwhelming strength. I don't have that.

"Shit," Fugaku quietly cursed as he was hit with a wave of dizziness from his chakra being slowly drained by the Hoshigaki, dropping his pen and waiting for the world to still.

"This… This is how information was gathered on the Hoshigaki during the second shinobi war." Iruka said aghast, not wanting to believe his eyes.

"A very effective method, if taxing on the body," Usotsuki hummed.

Fugaku stifled a pained groan when Jimbesame released his shoulder and began licking his bitemark with a red tongue, lapping up the blood and massaging the tender flesh. His clawed hands began to move, rubbing the center of Fugaku's chest, accidentally scratching it. His robe slipped further open to show Miokoto's soul seal sewn into his skin, a sleek spiraling vixen. Fugaku shuddered and put his hands over the Hoshigaki's large ones, easing up the heavy-handling. Jimbesame trailed up the Uchiha's shoulder to nip at his neck, thankfully only bruising and not drawing blood, before reaching Fugaku's face, licking the man's cheek with a low whine.

"Wait, I need to finish this first," Fugaku said, pulling his face away and grabbing his pen to write the final part of his message.

Requests

-         Clean robe

-         Chakra Pills

-         Food Rations

-         Clean Water

-         Bandages

-         Rubbers

[For Miko's eyes only: I love you with all of my heart. I swear I will return to you once the time is right. I am still alive and somewhat healthy. I’m sorry, Mikoto.]

Fugaku rolled up the message scroll and tossed it in the water to float outside the cove where his messenger crow could retrieve it. Iruka was still processing the rest of the message when Fugaku leaned back against the Hoshigaki, and Jimbesame trailed his red tongue over Fugaku's lips. The chuunin recoiled when he saw the Uchiha open his mouth and allow the shark beast's bloody tongue inside.

"Oh hell!" Iruka cursed in shock and horror, immediately turning around to avert his gaze. "This is uh… It's a honeypot mission?!"

"Appears so," the demon hummed.

"So, there's another reason why Fugaku-san holds resentment for the Hoshigaki besides them having a taste for Uchihas. Got it, we can leave the memory now."

"I cannot do that."

"Why?" Iruka growled at Usotsuki.

"Because you said, 'I must learn where this killing intent Minku Aoi senses is coming from. If that means seeing something unsavory, so be it." The demon laughed his words back at him. "Besides, ending a memory so abruptly would cause harm to Fugaku; then you'll be caught for prying, Iruka."

"You're lying!"

"Do you desire to see if I am?" Iruka clenched his fists in anger, shooting the demon a seething glare. "I can't risk it with Fugaku's mind on the line."

"… Fine," he relented, sitting down with his back still turned, and put his hands over his ears, but he could still hear all too well. "I'm sorry for prying, Fugaku-san."

"Agh!” "Need air!... Too many teeth, too sharp… Ugh, I'll be getting a new robe soon. I can let this one go… Scales so smooth yet so rough I nearly cut myself.”  

"You want more tonight, Jimbesame?... Let me lie down… Miko.” “Kami, how did I get here? I'm supposed to be the next head of the Uchiha clan, submitting myself to the enemy so shamefully. Do I truly deserve that honor now?"

“Ready to get it over with?" "He's learning to start slow. Good. Maybe I can be as good a honeypot instructor as Shinku-sensei."

"Damn!... Careful." "Strange… He almost sounds apologetic." "Miko… Miko… I'm sorry. Miko… Sorry."

“Mi…Ko…Mi… Ko…”

"No. You don't talk," Fugaku worriedly mumbled to himself. "You can't."

“Mi… Ko…”

“Stop it.”

“… Miko.”

"Shut up! You're not supposed to know who she is! You don't know her! Stop saying her name!..."

"He's going to eat me!" "Sto—Argh!"

"Ngh, Jimbe, stop… It's Gaku. Gaku. Stop. It hurts… Heal…” “He listened this tie at least.” “Thank you.” "Always so cold… Even when you're burning something to ashes." "At least it's a beautiful night. I hope Mikoto's looking at the moon."

"Ga… ku… Sor… ry."

"Does he even know what he's saying? Or just repeating after me?"

"Agh!... Miko!" "Mikoto, please… love me when I return home." That was Fugaku's pleading thought before he was swept into blissful unconsciousness.

Iruka blinked and suddenly sat back in the Uchiha police station's office. Fugaku was sitting across from him, answering the questionnaire he had kindly agreed to answer.

"Onmyoji-san, if my son has nightmares about once a month, would you deem that repetitive?" Fugaku asked, and Iruka couldn't find his voice to respond, still reeling from the memory, Fugaku's memory. "Onmyoji-san?" Iruka finally mumbled a response, unable to keep his chakra in check, and took the scroll back with numb hands.

"Thank you for your time, Fugaku-san..." Iruka said, and should have left then, but not with the guilt clutching his chest. "Are you okay, Fugaku-san?" he worriedly asked and got an apprehensive glare in return.

"Why do you ask? Do you believe there's something wrong with me?"

"No, sir. I-I don't mean any disrespect. I only wish to check in. The past few months have been… heavy."

"Hmph… I am mentally sound and physically fit. I can perform my duties no less than the day before. Do not doubt that, Onmyoji-san."

"… I won't," Iruka said and stood on shaky legs. "Have a good day, Fugaku-san." He bowed before leaving the office and rushing to the nearest bathroom. He leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on his face, keeping down the bile that burned the back of his throat. Guilt and repulsion.

"I say that was a success. Wouldn't you agree, Iruka?" Usotsuki taunted behind him, and he didn't respond, not wanting his chakra to be more volatile than it already was.

"I need to stop," Iruka mumbled, his head hung low. Find a different way."

"Do you have time for another way? You only have the council left, and it is nearly done. You will save so many souls doing this."

"… That's what I have to tell myself," the Onmyoji exasperated. A faint memory suddenly came to him, boiling the blood in his veins. That cursed seal you put on Fugaku-san when you were possessing me," he looked up at the mirror, seeing Usotsuki leering behind him. It reopened all the old scars Jimbesame gave him. You were making him relive those awful memories, weren't you?" Usotsuki grinned.

"It made for a magnificent distraction, yes."

"You're awful," Iruka growled, chakra violently spiking.

"More than awful, you'll see."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Utatane Koharu's and Mitokado's mindscapes were surprisingly similar in formatting. Utatane's was a near-endless music hall with instruments leading to memories, and Mitokado's was the largest musical theater Iruka had ever seen, with props backstage containing memories. Surprisingly, getting to those memories was more difficult than the others. Usotsuki took more time to wear down the locks that encased the instruments and had to tear through multiple layers of curtain and wood to reach backstage. It was a strange hindrance, but it didn't stop them.

Mitokado Homura feared many threats, but mostly another disaster on the scale of the demonic fox's rampage. Utatane Koharu feared a similar one, that Konohagakure's security would forever be shattered. Beyond obtaining a safe and thriving village by nearly any means necessary, Utatane desired to be with Mitokado and Mitokado with Utatane, sharing each other's company and playing music. Listening to Utatane sing with her komabue and Mitokado masterfully strum his biwa in a delicate duet was the nice refresher Iruka needed after half a day of prying into other people's nightmares. Especially with the mind he planned to peer into next.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Iruka reluctantly knocked on the Hokage's office door, hearing his personal assistant, Zuki, respond and let him inside with that hollow smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Sandaime-sama," he greeted as he approached the desk where the Hokage solemnly sat. The Hokage was languidly filling out paper with an unlit cigarette in his mouth and exhausted bags under his eyes.

"Afternoon, Daigyo-san. How can I help you?" he mumbled back, gaze remaining low.

"... Please answer this short questionnaire, checking for any signs of hauntings. Only if you want to, though."

"Sandaime-sama is very busy, Onmyoji-san," Zuki said behind him.

"No, it's fine, Zuki-san. It'll be quick." Sandaime held out his hand, and Iruka gave him the questionnaire scroll with Usotsuki looming eagerly behind him.

"Ready to begin?"

"… Fine," Iruka mentally grumbled despite his hesitation, and allowed the demon's hand to enter the Hokage's head.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's mindscape was a sprawling festival. However, the grey, clouded sky rained down on the abandoned food stalls, faded streamers and discarded decorations, and gifts strewn on the ground to sink in muddy puddles.

"Hm, much worse for wear than when I last visited here," Usotsuki observed.

"Of course, you've already invaded Sandaime-sama's mind."

"Like you are now?"

"Tch, let's get this over with." Iruka followed Usotsuki to a discolored festival tent locked with chains, the demon worked longer to break. The Onmyoji anxiously waited and constantly looked around the desolate area. "Why am I so tense?"

Once Usotsuki finally snapped the chains, they walked inside to begin the memory. They stood in a training ground with the Sarutobi clan symbol on the main gate and a grey sky, gently raining. A young, boyish Hiruzen fell back onto the mushy ground in a panting heap, his black yukata dirty and ripped.

"Back on your feet, Hiruzen," his father ordered, taking a fighting stance, not a single tear on his black yukata. "Being so slow will cost you your life."

"… Like how Kaasan lost hers," Hiruzen growled underneath his breath, the bruise on his cheek stinging. "Is that why you wanted to leave her grave so soon? 'Cause you were embarrassed by her death."

"The only thing I'm embarrassed of is your attitude, boy," his father's green eyes glared. "Your training mustn't be halted for any occasion if you are to become Hokage one day."

"What if… I don't want to be Hokage anymore. If you want me to be that, it must be the worst thing in the world."

"What else would you be?" His father raised a brow. "Nothing if you can't even properly spar against me. I will build you to be more than you ever would be on your own. Just as my father did for me. You'll appreciate it when you're older."

"I doubt that." Hiruzen got to his feet, dusting off the dirt on his clothes, and tiredly raised his fists in a fighting stance.

"You need to fight like you're trying to kill me, boy. I know you want to." His father chided, and the boy angrily gritted his teeth. "Oh, I'll fight you, Tosan. But I won't kill you. I'm not going to be like you." He charged his father, and Sasuke raised his fist before the memory ended. The following memory occurred inside a nearby sweets shop, stepping inside a large circular tent resembling a makeshift office with Sasuke sitting behind his low desk as he read a report.

"What the hell did you do, Otosan?!" Hiruzen fiercely questioned as he barged into the tent, dressed in a scuffed shinobi uniform. A fellow shinobi was behind him, concern etched onto his face, and Iruka blinked in surprise.

"Shisui?" he gasped.

"I believe that's his ancestor, Kagami," Usotsuki clarified. "Don't get them confused."

"What did I do?" Sasuke inquired, not looking up from his files.

"You gave Danzo that dammed mission, didn't you?!" Hiruzen accused, stepping forward.

"Which one are you referring to?"

"You know what I'm talking about, old man! You sent him to be a prisoner in enemy territory!"

"So we have the inside information we need to bring down Iwagakure's air force, finally remove them from this war."

"I know you didn't even get permission from Tobirama-sensei, 'cause he would have turned it down in a heartbeat."

"And that's something I'll have to take up with Tobirama-sama."

"You'll have to take it up with me, too!" Hiruzen kicked the desk and sent the papers scattering over the tent. Sasuke groaned, finally looking his son in the eye.

"Tch, you're acting like I sent him off to die."

"You did worse! Torifu told me what he heard the night Danzo let himself be captured. How… awful the sounds were! Sounds he should only be making with the one he loves!"

"And during honeypot missions," Sasuke clicked his tongue. "Kami, why are you so shocked, Hiruzen? It's a shinobi's job to do these kinds of missions, you know that. Danzo is fulfilling his duty as any honorable shinobi should. That is admirable."

"Is that what you told him to trick him into taking the mission?" Hiruzen growled, his hands balling into fists and his chakra violently spiking.

"Saru-kun," Kagami calmly said and grabbed Hiruzen's shoulder, his eyes glossy and Sharingan burning red. "Don't fight. We need to save our energy." Hiruzen looked at the Uchiha's solemn face.

"Your Sharingan says you're more upset than me, Kagami-kun, but you're still so put together. I'm jealous." Hiruzen sighed and unclenched his fists.

"See, even Kagami accepts Danzo's duties." Sasuke made one final comment, and Hiruzen's anger reinvigorated in a flash, his body burning with violent chakra.

"You gave him no choice!" He spun around to face his father with a chakra-infused fist, and Sasuke blocked it with his forearm, a wave of force bursting from the collision. Sasuke snatched his wrist and yanked it down to smash into the desk, splinters sticking to Hiruzen's hand.

"That was sloppy," his father chastised, and Hiruzen retorted with a headbutt, cracking his forehead against his father’s nose and making the older shinobi recoil with a snarl. He wrapped his hand around Hiruzen's neck instead of his wrist, squeezing, and wound back a fist. Hiruzen's kunai struck first, wildly slashing at Sasuke's face, the older shinobi crying out, and Hiruzen kicked himself free, stumbling back into Kagami's arms. Blood dripped from Hiruzen’s blade and slipped through Sasuke's fingers as he covered his eye, hissing.

"This blood… is mine?" he muttered, shocked, before a subtle grin spread across his face. "Finally drew first blood, Hiruzen. Took you long enough." He laughed and took the camo-patterned sash from his waist and wrapped it around his head, covering his bleeding slash across his eye. Hiruzen remained stunned. "I… I grabbed my kunai?" The bloodied weapon slipped out of his shaky hands.

"I… I didn't—"

"Let's go, Saru-kun," Kagami said as he grabbed Hiruzen's hand. The memory ended with a terrible screech sounding outside the shop, echoing across the desolate festival grounds and over the patter of rain.

"What was that?" Iruka asked and looked outside the broken window, tensing as a dark shadow swiftly passed overhead, carrying a vibrant killing intent.

"Shh, be quiet," Usotsuki quietly shushed. "Seems the mental guardian that bothersome raven left still remains. A nuisance that is."

"Are we in danger?"

"In danger of your mind being ripped to shreds if it gets its claws on you."

"Shouldn't we leave then? I have enough information."

"Do you? Or are you looking for an excuse to leave so soon?"

"It can be both. Now get us out of here." or I'll make you."

"You aren't curious about the climax of Hiruzen's and Sasuke's relationship."

"Now, Usotsuki, or I'll make you."

"Such an intimidating Onmyoji you are," the demon mockingly chuckled, but released the jutsu all the same, and Iruka blinked awake back in the Hokage's office.

"There, all done," the Hokage said as he answered the last question and handed the scroll back to Iruka.

"Thank you for your time, Sandaime-sama."

"You're welcome. I have too much time anyway." Sandaime managed a softly smile as he sighed, one more bereft than Zuki's.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"One more." Iruka sighed as he entered the archives and headed for the lounge area, where he heard hushed voices.

"Pfft, you can't do a genjutsu melee combo, Rise-sensei," he heard Kotetsu scoff.

"And you can?" Izumo asked back.

"It's in the works."

"My technique is already complete," Rise boasted.

"Yeah, well, you're old, so you had time to work on it."

"If Rise's old, then what am I, Kotetsu-kun?" Danzo inquired, and Izumo chuckled while Kotetsu stammered. Iruka reached the lounge area and found the bandaged advisor in his usual armchair, Rise in the chair beside him, and Izumo and Kotetsu sitting on the sofa across from them.

"Good afternoon, Danzo-san and company," Iruka politely greeted, despite his dour mood.

"Oh, we're meeting with the Onmyoji?!" Kotetsu excitedly gasped.

"I am meeting with Daigyo-san," Danzo corrected.

"Aw, really, we got like five minutes of our break left."

"The others can stay if they wish. This isn't about anything classified," Iruka said.

"Very well. The pair of you still needs to move. Give the Onmyoji his seat." The advisor shooed the chuunins off the sofa for Iruka to sit down, Izumo sitting on Rise's armrest, and Kotetsu leaning against Danzo's chair.

"I have a quick questionnaire for you to answer so I know if you witnessed any haunting signs within your clan." Iruka handed over the scroll, Usotsuki's shadow looming over him.

"We definitely have some ghosts lurking around," Rise said.

"Ugh, I'd like to not think about how many ghouls are phasing through me," Izumo shuddered. The group's conversation faded into a muffled mumble, and Iruka was suddenly swept with dread, watching Usotsuki's hand creep towards the advisor.

"Just one more time, Iruka. Then you can be done with this." The demon's hand touched the Shimura's forehead, and the world fell into darkness.

Shimura Danzo's mindscape was a grand library with imposingly tall wooden shelves of scrolls and books and candlelit chandeliers hanging from above, illuminating the large hall and casting many, many shadows.

"Let's get this over with," Iruka impatiently grumbled, and strangely, Usotsuki kept silent as he led the Onmyoji down an aisle. He stopped and grabbed an aged scroll on the bottom shelf, handing it to Iruka, who took a steadying breath before unrolling it and falling into a memory. He found himself inside a modest cabin at night with a storm battering outside. A young Danzo sat awake on a futon in the dark living area, bandages wrapped around his chin, and dressed in a ragged dark purple poncho too big for him. Beside his futon was a sleeping man draped in a blanket with a sickly pale complexion, stringy white hair, and bandages over his eyes. Besides the patter of rain, the only other sound was a muffled commotion with a man's and a woman's voice from the nearby bedroom, the door slightly cracked open.

"The bad noises haven't stopped. Is that man hurting Okaasan?" Danzo thought and turned to the sleeping man. "Otosan's already hurt. I don't want Okaasan to be hurt too." Silently, he reached into his leather bag and pulled out a kunai before creeping over to the bedroom. He peeked inside the bedroom, golden eyes straining in the dark, but could make out the shape of his mother pinned to the floor by the cabin owner, hands around her neck as they thrashed against each other. "Okaasan!" A fierce protective flame sparked within his small heart, tiny hands gripping the ninja weapon as his body burned to attack, to bury his kunai deep within the attacker's chest. He gave a valiant attempt to do just that and charged, stabbing the attacker in his side and putting in all his weight to push it all the way in. The man's pained and shocked scream roared over the storm, and he fell off his mother, cursing up a storm as he doubled over. Danzo felt some relief seeing the man writhe in pain, his mother safe.

"Danzo!" his mother gasped with a raspy voice, pulling the blankets over her bare form. "What did you do?" she questioned, her silver eyes narrowing. He frowned, confused.

"He was hurting you, Okaasan," he innocently said, pointing to the wounded man.

"I'll definitely hurt you now, you damn wench!" The man angrily growled, sitting up against the wall. "I take in your filthy family, and you have your brat try to sneak me?!"

"We're leaving, Danzo," his mother frustratedly huffed, rolling away from the man's wild punch. "Go get your things. Now!"

"Yes, Okaasan!" the boy yelped and rushed out of the room to roll up his futon and stuff it in his bag and spare clothes.

"You aren't going anywhere, you bi—" the man's threat suddenly fell silent with a heavy thud and then a wet gurgle coming from the bedroom.

"Dan… what's hap… happening?" his father weakly spoke, trying to sit himself up and wincing in pain.

"The man was hurting Okaasan, so I hurt him with my kunai, but now he's mad, and Okaasan says we have to go now," he explained, slinging his bag over his shoulders before helping his father sit up. Guilt weighed on the boy's heart. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Danzo," his mother said, leaving the bedroom and redressed in a white robe, her lip split and bleeding, but he doubted it was her blood splattered across her face. "Having killing intent so young means you have the will to fight, to live." She shoved his bloodied kunai into his hands before packing herself, taking her things along with supplies from the man's cabin, and sealed them within a scroll. "The fault lies with me as well. I didn't properly explain to you what I was doing."

"What were you doing, Okaasan?" Danzo asked.

"Paying for our stay at the cabin. Some people will want your money, others will want your body. It is not a pretty thing, you'll understand when you're older, but it is a sacrifice we will make as many times as we need to allow you to thrive, Danzo," she determinedly said, and stuffed the scroll into Danzo's backpack.

"Indeed," his father coughed, blindly reaching around for the boy who grasped his searching hand. "We will get… you to Konoha, Dan… No matter… the cost.”

"C'mon, Zenkou," his mother said to his father, crouched down before him for the wounded man to wrap his bandaged around her shoulder, his black robe clinging to his weakened form. She stood with a heave, carrying him on her back.

"Thank you, Daika… for still carrying… dead weight," Zenkou murmured.

"You're not a corpse just yet. Don't act like it." She gently rubbed his bony hand before looking down at her son. "Ready, Danzo?"

"Yes, Okaasan," Danzo nodded, holding onto his bag strap, and left the cabin with his parents into the night. The memory ended.

"I didn't know Danzo migrated to Konoha like I did with my family," Iruka said, walking to the next memory with the silent Usotsuki. "Though it makes sense for the older villagers, being around for Konoha's budding years… Neither of us had a happy journey. The next memory was within a leather-bound book with nonsensical scribbles as the title, opening it once the lock was broken. He suddenly stood in an organized bedroom with a bookshelf and a teenage Danzo standing in front of a body mirror, Kagami tying a white obi around his light blue yukata. He felt his insides burn whenever the Uchiha's hands brushed against him, accidentally and intentionally.

"Thank you for your assistance, Kagami-kun," Danzo thanked, watching his teammate smirk in the mirror.

"I'm more than happy to help, Dan-kun. What do you want to do after the ceremony?"

"I thought we would spend our time together during it."

"Yeah, but that's like as a team. I mean…" He shivered as Kagami straightened his obi, his hands lingering around the Shimura's waist with a hopeful smile and a light flush. "Just the two of us doing something. Getting dessert or going to sit by the lake, anything sharing each other's company?"

"Oh," Danzo mumbled, surprised, his heart beat louder, faster, and he had to bite his lip to stop a smile from sprouting, anxiously gripping his yukata. "Is that your way of initiating a courtship?" he bluntly asked despite his heated face.

"Yes, it is." Danzo looked for doubt in Kagami's face, finding only hopeful confidence. "He's being so upfront out of nowhere! Well, not out of nowhere… If we start, we won't last long, our marital duties being what they are… But we should enjoy what little time we have."  

"I accept your invitation, Kagami."

"Really?!" Kagami gasped, and his Sharingan excitedly activated, its dark tomoe twirling in stunning crimson. "He has such beautiful eyes."

“Hurry up, Danzo-kun! You're going to make us late!" Hiruzen shouted from downstairs, and Danzo knew it was to annoy him rather than actual worry.

"Don't rush me!" Danzo yelled back, and Kagami laughed. "Go downstairs and pester that Sarutobi for me. I'll head down soon."

"You got it, captain." Kagami winked, heading out with a pep in his step.

"I-I couldn't have guessed that grumpy advisor had a relationship like this," Iruka said, stunned. "Though I'm sure he'd have me executed if I asked him about it."

"Where is it?" Danzo grumbled as he rifled through his jewelry box.

"Do you mean this, Shimura-kun?" Danzo stilled at the deep voice that hummed behind him, glancing in the body mirror to see his suspicions, which were unfortunately confirmed. Madara sat on his bed, wearing his slim golden bracelet around his wrist and his Sharingan activated, feeling them glare into the back of his skull.

"… Pardon if I'm mistaken, but shouldn't you be preparing for the ceremony, Madara-dono?" Danzo calmly asked, keeping his back turned and closing his jewelry box on his dresser. Nerves set alight seeing the Uchiha's head where he shouldn't have been. Danzo glanced at the door, so close but too far away, before looking back at the mirror, finding Madara hadn't moved. "Has he grown so bold? Tobirama-sensei did tell me he had growing suspicions."

"I desired to visit your humble Shimura residence before the festivities. I am going to give you something special."

"While I'm grateful you would bestow a lowly shinobi like me with your honored gift, Madara-dono, I must refuse." Danzo glanced at the door, poured chakra into his legs, and prepared to break for the door.

"Your refusal won't hinder my progress. Unless you desire to dance with me, Shimura?" The thinly veiled threat made Danzo fearful as much as he was wrathful. "Has he approached anyone else on the team so brashly? Torifu? Kagami? What is he planning?!"

"I'm not going to be a pawn in your traitorous plans, Uchiha," he growled and glanced back at the mirror, his eyes widening in shock and his body petrified stiff in a heartbeat. Madara's Mankegyo greeted him in the mirror with a cold stare, bouncing off the reflective glass and searing past his frightened golden eyes to pierce into his mind like a hot iron stabbing an open wound. Never had he seen such horrible eyes. His head was ripped with a horrific pain that blinded him, and he stumbled back, clutching his skull. He went to scream for help, but a hand clasped over his mouth to silence him, Madara pulling him back against his chest and keeping him restrained with a single hand.

"Blame your senseis for what you're about to suffer, Shimura. They poisoned your already sick mind," he heard the Uchiha calmly speak in his ear, every word like a hammer on his brain. "You won't sink your twisted claws further into Kagami's heart. You will be paired with a Uchiha who can properly tame you. Dread it all you wish, there's nothing else you can do, Shimura." The Uchiha stepped away, and the pain retreated. Danzo collapsed on his hands and knees, gasping and shaking. He opened his eyes, squinting at the light, and looked around his bedroom. It was empty, with no sign of the Uchiha clan head. He raised a shaky hand to wipe his teary eyes, and his golden bracelet jingled on his wrist.

"Get help." Danzo stood up, using the wall as a crutch as his head spun dizzyingly. "Get help." He left his room in a daze, the world moving more slowly, and went down the stairs to his team gathered in his living room.

"Huh, you don't look half-bad, Danzo. Trying to impress anybody?" Hiruzen teasingly asked, lounging on the tatami.

"Madara just attacked me in my room! He used his Mangekyo on me, and I don't know what he did!" That's what the Shimura wanted to say, but he felt his mouth move and heard his voice say:

"Certainly not you, Sarutobi."

"What? No, that's not right. Madara's planning to betray the village. Everyone's in danger!" He screamed, but his team didn't lose their cheerful demeanor, ignoring his warnings as they filed out of his home. "No, please! You have to listen to me!" He snatched Kagami's wrist before he could step out the door, the Uchiha turning to him with surprised dark eyes.

"A bit forward, aren't you, Danzo-kun?" he smirked.

"Please don't ignore me. Help me, Kagami, please!"

"My apologies, Kagami-kun, I just remembered I'm going to be busy later today."

"Oh… that's fine," his smile faltered. "We can always plan to meet another day."

"I don't want to meet another day either. I just said yes earlier to spare your feelings, but I realize how cruel that is. I cherish you as a teammate and teammate only. Is that okay?" Kagami's smile finally fell, looking shocked, then forcefully smiled.

"Yeah, it's okay, I understand, thank you for being honest. Let's go catch up with the others." He turned to leave, but Danzo didn't loosen his grip, stopping him.

"No, please, don't leave me, Kagami!"

Kagami looked at him, hurt and confused, though the longer the Shimura silently stared at him, the more his dark eyes looked concerned.

"Are you okay, Danzo?"

"Yes, more than okay." Danzo felt himself softly smile and release his grasp on Kagami as he walked past him.

"If you say so," Kagami skeptically murmured behind him. A glimmer of hope began to rebuild Danzo's shattered heart. The memory ended.

"I know stories about Uchiha Madara always paint him as intimidating, but seeing him so up close like that made him as frightful as a demon," Iruka shuddered. He eyed Usotsuki suspiciously as he remained silent. The next memory was woven into the parchment of a golden sealed scroll, taking them outside of a two-story home. An adult Danzo sat on the porch watching a group of children train with Kaira, her Byakugan thoroughly examining each of their forms. A little Rise sat beside him, his young daughter captivated by a scroll colorfully depicting wind nature jutsus. Her attention was quickly captured by the guest approaching from the trail.

"Good afternoon, Shimura home," Kagami greeted with a warm smile, and the children stopped their training to rush to his side.

"Gami-san," Rise mumbled, her golden eyes wide as the Uchiha approached the porch.

"Yes, it's Gami-san," Danzo gently smiled as Rise silently raised her hands toward the Uchiha.

"Hi, Rise-chan," Kagami cooed and picked up the Shimura toddler, whose expression remained neutral though her eyes glimmered as she clung to him. "I see you're studying diligently. A few more years and you'll be a wind jutsu master." They walked inside the home with Danzo, meeting the Shimura’s mother in the living room as she dusted the picture frames on the wall.

"It's a pleasure to have you over, Kagami-san," she greeted with a bow.

"The pleasure's mine, Daika-san, even if it's for a boring meeting," Kagami said and handed Rise over to Danzo's mother before heading for the Shimuras' office, a candlelit space cluttered with books and files. They settled into plush cushions across from each other.

"I'm ready to read the letter," Kagami calmly said. The air suddenly tensed as Danzo handed Kagami a messaging scroll. The Shimura anxiously gripped his lavender robes, his former teammate beginning to read. He maintained a calm, neutral expression throughout the message, his dark eyes narrowing at the words that assaulted them. "I see. They reached out after so long."

"Sasuke-sensei says it's only a taunt to provoke us, no true threat."

"For their sakes, it better be." Kagami rolled up the scroll and placed it in the trash bin. "I'm sorry you had to read that garbage, Danzo."

"I brushed it off, really," he half-lied. "I don't plan on submitting to them again for as long as I draw breath. We'll leave our horrid engagement behind, along with the shinobi war. I will not insult you like that again, Kagami."

"You didn't insult me," Kagami firmly said, reaching out a hand to grasp the Shimura's, uncurling his fist. "I know all you did was for your mission. I know where your heart lies." He stroked Danzo's hand with his thumb. "I will say that as often as you need to hear it. Even when we're old men with grey hair and hobbling on canes."

"Tch, you're too optimistic if you believe we'll live that long," Danzo scoffed. "I give us to forty, Hiruzen thirty, and that's being generous."

"No way, I say a hundred. I've got too much to do to live any other way."

"Really? What important plans do you have in mind?"

"I know one of them," Kagami smirked and moved closer to Danzo, his other hand caressing his cheek. The Shimura didn't recoil when Kagami leaned in close, a breath apart. "Showing love, my love for—" The Uchiha gasped, surprised when Danzo suddenly connected their lips, burning red.

"You're not going to end this private moment either?" Iruka grumbled to the suspiciously silent demon as he turned his back to the intimate moment.

"Yes, I want to grow old with you too, Gami-kun," "See us and our children thrive within Konoha, share the fulfilling joy. Keep holding my hand. Don't let go… Such beautiful eyes. They’ll haunt me for the rest of my days. I couldn’t be more fortunate.”

"…You ah, didn't let me finish. Seems you need some discipline, Shimura."

"You're welcome to try, Uchiha…”

"I made tea if you two wanted any?" Daika said as she knocked on the door, and Danzo nearly bit his tongue off to silence himself.

"No, thank you, Daika-san," Kagami answered, face flushed and Sharingan blazing.

"Okay, it'll be in the kitchen if you change your mind."

"I forgot you don't live alone," Kagami chuckled, getting off Danzo, who promptly snatched his hand.

"Then we flicker somewhere private. We won't walk around like a pair of heady mutts. It'll stir rumors."

"I'm certain those rumors already exist."

"Tch, more rumors then," Danzo grumbled, and Kagami laughed before they flickered away. The memory ended.

"Ugh, I'm going to need to shower all the guilt away," Iruka shuddered while Usotsuki attempted to unseal a dirty scroll. "Is that the memory of their final mission together?" The demon nodded, but then flinched as the scroll's seal flashed red, burning his hand. "You can't open it?" He received a look that said, "What do you think?" They left the memory alone, probably for the best, and thankfully headed for the final memory with the demon, locked tightly within a fleshly pale book that was more chains than paper and hidden at the shadowy bottom of a shelf.

They stood inside a large master tent with black curtains. Dark tatami lay on the ground, lanterns set around the edges to illuminate the space, and plush cushions and silky red sheets sat in the center where Danzo was lying down. Draped in blankets and on his back, Danzo rubbed his left eye, a brilliant crimson Sharingan that certainly wasn't his own. His body was strangely numb except for the activated doujutsu.

"We deserve a quiet night with all the work we have to do, Kagami," he mumbled in his head, massaging underneath the Sharingan. "That's what you see, right, a quiet night?" His pointer finger pressed too close to the eye, fingertip grazing the corner of his sclera and upper eyelid, but he didn't flinch. "I'll give you rest before I go back onto the field. Wouldn't want to strain you too far." His finger slipped underneath his eyelid, pressing against the Sharingan, and he gasped, pleased, and repeated the motion again and again. "Ngh! I'm relieved Rise's first infiltration mission went well, all things considered. She's grown so much, but still has a long way to go— Agh!" He suddenly let out a quick shout as sensation returned to his body, pain pulsing through his chest, and an anchoring weight on top of him. He clutched his burning chest, finding a bleeding, ripped hole where a chunk of flesh was missing.

Iruka blinked, and a woman loomed over the advisor, startling the chuunin. Her bare form straddled his hips, pale skin like a ghost in the dark, and her long, silky black hair draped all the way down her back and shoulders, pooling around Danzo's head. Her thin lips were painted with blood as a chunk of skin and flesh hung from her black teeth, the seal on the skin breaking. Her revealed presence brought a suffocating air that weighed the lungs, the tent suddenly becoming much smaller, cagey.

"That's where that dammed numbing seal was hiding," her low voice grumbled through the ripped flesh before spitting it out across the tent. "Have you returned to me, Shimura-kun?" Her dark green eyes gleamed like a pair of knives as she harshly smacked his cheek as if to wake him up.

"I'm very much here, old hag," Danzo hissed, face still stinging, and he closed his left eye, shielding the Sharingan. "You don't deserve to see this, Kagami." The youthful appearing woman gave an ugly laugh, low and grating.

"You're getting older yourself," she caressed his face, long nails scratching at the crow's feet settling around his golden eye. "You were such a young, spirited jackal when I first submitted you, and now you've aged so much, in spirit and body. Not that I mind all that much," she hummed as she leaned down over him, close to his face. "I'm curious to see how your eyes will change. They're always fascinating."

"Hmph, your eyes always remind me of vomit, Ono," he insulted with a simmering glare. She chuckled with narrowed eyes before crashing her bloody lips against the advisor's. Iruka turned his back with a frustrated growl.

"She must be from the honeypot mission that Hokage-sama was upset about during the first shinobi war. I see the mission didn't end then, sadly."

"Tell me, Shimura-kun, who do you prefer?... Me or Wao? I know I never taught my son the word 'delicate.'"

"Neither... Screwing my kunai would be more pleasurable than what you two have to offer."

"You shouldn't be so sour, Shimura-kun." "You're playing your part in keeping peace between our villages. We amalgamations and dusters have been behaving ourselves for years, haven't we?"

"Amalgamations?" Iruka mumbled with realization. “That's what Rise-sensei called those twin sisters, Kaori and Shiori. Is Ono part of their clan, organization?" he theorized to distract himself from the unsettling memory he had set himself in. Who are these shinobi?"

“‘Shinobi are nothing more than tools', isn't that your saying?" Ono continued. Well, you're a fantastic tool to me."

"Damn!" "You know my heart's not in it, Kagami."

"That's what I need! Feel you writhe underneath me. I don't want to bed a lifeless corpse…Or do I? Perhaps I'm too curious for your own good, Shimura-kun."

"She won't kill me… She won't kill me… She won't kill me… Can't breathe!"

Air rushed above him, and a piercing crack sounded with something warm splashing in his face before the pressure on his throat released, and the weight atop him sloshed off. He took in a greedy gulp of air to soothe his aching lungs and coughed as he rubbed his bruised neck. The darkness soon faded from his bloodshot eyes, and his hearing returned to him, the tent quiet except for soft wet gurgling and a small, frightened voice saying:

"Otosan?" Danzo sat up alert, head spinning, and looked shocked to see who was at the tent entrance. A young kunoichi with her Konoha hitai-ate headband around her long, shaggy black hair, her uniform lavender dress shook around her quivering form. The girl's golden eyes were glossy with concern, and the beauty mark shifted above her frowning lips, her hands still making the Tori hand sign.

"Rise!" he gasped his daughter's name and promptly grabbed his black robe behind him to cover himself before noticing Ono's strange silence. He looked beside him and his eyes widened seeing Ono crumpled in a growing blood stain soaking into the sheets, a clean hole buried in the side of her head and jutting out her face, her eye popped and oozing down her bloodied face along with chunks of brain matter. "What did you do?!" he questioned, and confusion befell Rise's face.

"She was killing you, Otosan," she said simply.

"… Right," Danzo sighed and calmed himself with a breath. He got up on numb legs to go to his daughter, crouching before her and gently grasping her tense shoulders.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No, you didn't, Rise. You responded as you should have. I didn't properly explain our arrangement to you. I should have told you I am on a mission to… entertain Ono-san to maintain relations between our clans."

"Oh… I understand, Otosan." Her clear frown told what she thought of the mission before an audible gasp came from the bloody cushions and sheets. Rise's eyes widened as she looked behind him. "Otosan? Ono-san's still moving."

"I know." He stood and calmly led her outside the tent, ignoring the growing angry growls, ripping of flesh, and the lanterns shattering in as a frigid, violent chakra tore through the air like a raging bull. He stood inside himself as he ordered:

"Report to Obaasan's tent and do not leave until morning, understand?"

"… But," her golden eyes darted behind him, filled with dread.

"Understand, Rise?" he repeated much more firmly, and she reluctantly nodded.

"Yes, Otosan." He waited until Rise went into his mother's tent across the large camp and shooed away the Root agents that poked their heads out of their tents to investigate the commotion before closing the tent and sealing it.

"The little one strikes to kill," Ono's raspy voice hissed, filling the enclosed space, followed by a wet cough. "Took one of my eyes, bitch. I'll have to repay her."

"Whatever you want from her," he weaved another fuuinjutsu, sealing his Sharingan closed for the time being, "you will take from me," Danzo lowly growled, a violent fire rebirthed within him. "I'll rid the world of you one of these days. You and your horrid son." He turned around to face the monster lurking in the dark. An amalgamation of twisted flesh and clawed hands on lanky arms crept from the shadows toward him, swathes of long black hair with chunks of flesh tangled in some of the locks carpeted the ground. A single emerald eye cut through the darkness to bore into his golden one.

The memory collapsed with a roaring shriek and made Iruka's heart drop, suddenly returned to the library mindscape, flooded with a familiar killing intent and a rumbling presence approaching from around the aisle. "This is the same dangerous feeling I got in Hokage-sama's mind!"

"Keeping quiet gave us the time we needed," Usotsuki victoriously smiled. "Took it much longer to find me this time." Iruka was about to ask when "it" peaked around the corner. A large rotting crow with feathers molting with every motion, much of its skull exposed, and its beak cracked in many places. Piercing crimson eyes sat in the back of its eye sockets that centered on him as it ruffled the feathers it had left with a rattling hiss.

"Get us out of here, Usotsuki," Iruka ordered, taking a step back, and the crow lunged forward, flapping its wings and letting out an ear-piercing shriek. "Now!" He jumped back to create more distance, sharpening his chakra and starting to weave a hellfire jutsu.

"Daigyo-san?" The crow vanished at the call of his name, replaced by the concerned and confused faces of the shinobi in front of him that would have been the recipients of his assault. "Where's the danger?" Danzo questioned, alert.

"No, I-I… I thought I saw something," he quickly excused, lowering his hands guiltily to the mocking cackle of Usotsuki behind the concerned group, grinning wide in the shadows. Iruka tightened the demon's chains with a snarl, and the laughing ceased with a burst of gold and obsidian returning to the seal on his stomach. "I'm so sorry… if I frightened you."

"Well, I doubted you'd blast us in the face, Onmyoji-san," Kotetsu said.

"Really? You practically jumped out of your skin, Kotetsu-kun," Izumo smirked, and his partner gave him a side eye.

"Still, I'm so sorry," Iruka continued, apologizing, trying to force the horrid memories out of his vision. "I… I shouldn't have done that."

"Are you well, Daigyo-san?" Rise asked, her golden eye examining him with concern, but all Iruka could see was the young face of a girl seeing her father being strangled. He fiercely blinked the sight away.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. A little tired," Iruka excused.

"Hm, if that's what you say." She glanced at her father with a knowing look, and the advisor nodded. "Break time's over, you two. We all got work to do." She stood up, Kotetsu groaning, and Izumo nodding attentively, the trio leaving the archives. Iruka awkwardly sat in silence, looking anywhere but the advisor as he finished the questionnaire and rolled the scroll back up.

"Thank you for your time, Danzo-san. I'm sure you have a mission or meeting you need to go to." Iruka held his hand out for the scroll, but the advisor held it close to his chest.

"What's troubling you, Iruka-kun?" Danzo sternly asked, tapping his fingers on the scroll. "You've been tense ever since our meeting."

"What's troubling me?" Iruka repeated to give himself time. "Should I just tell him now about Konoha's Second Great Death? Mind peering showed me the various it can happen, what terrible people and monsters that have hurt everyone in the past could return… No, that wouldn't be good. Like I said, with so many possibilities, I'd just make him paranoid. I remember how he reacted when he first saw my Tenshigan. My team and I need to take responsibility first." "What's troubling me is… I met with Hokage-sama, and you know how he's been since Isamu’s passing and Asuma’s departure. He's not getting any better." Iruka meant every word he said, and after a brief analysis with his golden eye, Danzo responded:

"I see. Your concern is appreciated, but you mustn't let it disturb your mind. I've known Hiruzen for many years, and he's been like this before… granted, never for so long, but he's always recovered. This time shall be no different," he sounded more hopeful than confident. "Continue your good work, Onmyoji-san." He held out the scroll, and Iruka took it with a bowed head, unable to look the advisor in the eyes. Iruka left the archives without another word, scared of what his voice would say.  "I feel more than sick… Was what I did today… Really good work?"

Chapter 24: Paranoia or Fate?

Summary:

Iruka is more than elated to what Konoha’s Second Death could be after waiting for nearly a year, when the Uchiha head announces his clan and the clan that preys on them, the Hoshigaki, are going to formally meet for the first time. Fugaku, on the other hand, grows more worried and fearful as the day he’d once again face the dreaded Jimbesame draws nearer.

Notes:

Author Notes:
The uncensored intimate scenes are in chapter 3 of “In the Damned’s Shadows.”
----
Character Ages After Time Skip
Name – Age (Birthday)
Iruka – 18 (May)
Rin – 22 (November)
Shisui – 19 (October)
Itachi – 14 (June)
Naruto – 8 (October)
Sasuke – 8 (July)
Mizuki – 20 (October)
Kakashi – 22 (September)
Genma – 25 (July)
Fugaku – 41 (August)
Danzo – 64 (January)

Mikoto knew something was amiss when Fugaku and Itachi returned from their mission of repairing the outpost. His son returned first in the late afternoon with his shoulders tight and a slight frown, which was quickly washed away when Sasuke welcomed home his younger brother. Itachi greeted her and took the to-go bento box she prepared for him before rushing to his room to prepare for his upcoming Anbu mission. She couldn't shake that frown from her mind, motherly instinct and all that, and went to stand in his open doorway.

"How was the mission?" She asked as Itachi grabbed his Anbu mask at the bottom of his dresser. "If anything exciting happened while rebuilding fences, I'll be jealous."

"… I wouldn't call it exciting," he said quietly before turning to her, that same frown returning along with her unease. "Otosan didn't want us to inform anyone yet. And even after to keep it strictly clan business."

"I understand," she nodded and gently closed the door. "What happened, Itachi?"

"… The Hoshigaki were the ones that damaged the outpost to draw us Uchiha out." Her stomach dropped, but she kept a calm face as she nodded. "Those damn shark beasts again. Why make our clan their prey? It pisses me off." "They didn't attack us, however, and only sent a messenger, Tenninsame. She gave him a scroll and a gift."

"A gift?"

"Yes. A peace offering, maybe?"

"Why would the Hoshigaki give a peace offering?"

"The scroll was an invitation for our clan heads to meet next spring. To change our relations."

"Honestly?" she couldn't help but scoff. "Sounds like the Hoshigaki just want to corral their prey together."

"Toyotama said she'd order her clan to not target Uchiha's for the next year."

"We'll see if that promise is kept. Where's your father?"

"He said he had business to take care of, but didn't specify where. My best guess is either Eiko-san's home or the Naka Shrine."

"Probably," she sighed, rubbing her chest where an unpleasant knot formed. "I won't keep you longer. I know your schedule is tight. Thank you for informing me, Itachi."

"You're welcome, Okaasan…" He paused, and she waited for a question that never came. Itachi gave his goodbyes to a disappointed Sasuke before heading out for his mission, leaving Mikoto to wait for her husband's return with an anxious heart.

Fugaku returned late at night after she had tucked Sasuke in for bed. She was lying on their shared futons, reading a novel in their dimly lit bedroom. She sensed his chakra signature first as he quietly entered the home, with the muffled thrum of the shower breaking the silence. She stayed put, waiting for him to no doubt collect himself before coming to her. He finally entered their bedroom, tense body dressed in his dark green pajamas, dark eyes darting past her gaze, and his hands bruised.

"Evening, Miko. Apologies for returning so late."

"It's okay. I heard you had a rough day," she said softly, closing the book she had stopped reading since Fugaku's return.

"Itachi told you what happened?"

"Yes, and only me. Let me guess, you spent the rest of the day mulling over your choices and nearly broke your hand punching a tree?"

"I didn't punch a tree… it was a boulder," he mumbled as he rubbed his bruised knuckles and sat down beside her.

"Did you come to a decision?" she asked, gently leaning against him, feeling him relax more as he sighed.

"… Only if the Hoshigaki can keep their promise not to hunt us for the next year will we accept their invitation to meet."

"Hm, had a feeling you'd make the riskier decision, but I get it," she reluctantly agreed. "If those shark beasts are telling the truth, this could be our chance to settle things between our clans after so many generations of bloodshed. Can't pass that up despite the risks."

"Yes. But I'll do all possible to mitigate those risks, train harder, and sharpen my Mangekyo. Genjutusus may be useless to the blind ones, but all the Hoshigaki can still burn," his hands balled into fists as his Sharingan burned in his eyes. "We'll return home. I'll have it no other way."

"And you have plenty of time to prepare." Miko gently grasped his hand, rubbing his sore knuckles. "So don't spend the rest of the year pulling your hair out. We'll get through this together, I'll spar with you and everything." She smiled, and he relaxed his fist, though his Sharingan remained.

"… Did Itachi tell you about the Hoshigaki's gift?"

"He mentioned a peace offering, but didn't say what specifically. What was it?" Mikoto asked.

"… A tooth blade."

"How generous. You can use it to stab one of the shark beasts in the eye," she softly chuckled, and Fugaku finally smiled, Sharingan fading.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Shisui did one last sweep of the surrounding area, checking the foliage on the shoreline for enemy-nin and any traps in the sand before returning to the camp inside the cove. 

"It's clear from what I see," Shisui told Suguru, who guarded the entrance with Mezu, Gozu, and Itachi. "Still be alert." Itachi and the twins nodded.

"All intruders will die." The Aburame confidently signed in response, killing intent wafting off him.

"Appreciate the enthusiasm." Shisui entered the cavern, hiding his mild surprise. "That trio usually talks back to me every chance they get, but they're not playing now. I know Iwa's amalgamations always put the agents on edge, but this Wao has them more than eager to kill. Danzo hardly mentions him, and when he does, he never does so kindly. There's clearly bad history." 

He found the advisor in a shadowed part of the cove, sitting on a tatami and leaning against the wall. His golden eye constantly surveyed his surroundings while he rubbed over his bandaged eye, a soothing technique Shisui had recognized while working with the advisor for many years.  Shisui made his approach known with a chakra flare, grabbing Danzo's attention.

"It's all clear, Danzo-dono. No sign of any traps or enemy-nin," Shisui said,

"… Good," Danzo mumbled, not losing any tension and chakra wound up like a timed paper bomb. "May we return home unscathed."

"We will, Danzo-dono," he tried assuring the stressed advisor with little success. "Is there anything you need? Some more tea? Your journal?" Danzo looked down at the ground in thought, biting his lip, before hesitantly removing his rubbing hand from his bandaged eye and patting the empty space beside him.

"Oh," the Uchiha couldn't hold back his hum of surprise before nodding and sitting beside the advisor. Though Danzo was still somewhat guarded, Shisui sensed his chakra gradually calm itself as his shoulder brushed against the older shinobi's. "He's never asked for my company like this before. He must be terrified… I wonder if I can," Shisui carefully maneuvered his hand over to Danzo's bandaged one, "reach out to him." The advisor tensed as the Uchiha's hand rested atop his, Shisui reassuringly stroking his thumb over the back of his hand. He waited for Danzo to either pull back his hand or chastise him for putting his hands on his official person. The advisor did neither. He stopped rubbing his bandaged eye in the comfortable silence between them and relaxed with a heavy sigh. Shisui smiled behind his mask.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"What's bothering you so much, Ruka-kun?" Mizuki's question pulled Iruka out of his head, away from his doubts about his actions earlier that day. Even staring up at the moon while sitting with his best friend on a park bench couldn't take his mind off all the disturbing memories he witnessed, how he broke trust to view them.

"I uh, just got a lot to do, Mizuki-kun," Iruka sighed.

"And you still made time for me. That's just like you. You worry about everyone else but forget about yourself all the time."

"No, I don't!" Iruka retorted, but faltered when Mizuki gave him a look. "Most of the time. But I can't let my guard down now. There's too much at stake."

"I think the kids will be just fine if you take a day off. But if you gotta work," Mizuki slung his arm over Iruka's shoulder, pulling the chuunin close, "don't be alone. You shut yourself off, and you'll go crazy. Come to me if you need anything, even just to talk or beat up anyone getting in your way." Mizuki grinned, his hand comfortingly rubbing Iruka's shoulder. "Don't be afraid to lean on me again, Ruka-kun."

"… Guess you've been around too long to let you go, huh?" Iruka softly chuckled as he leaned against his friend, sharing his reassuring warmth. "Thank you, Mizuki." "Right, I'm not doing this alone. We won't let those horrid memories go to waste. Whenever hell decides to rear its ugly face, we can face it together. There won't be a second great death for Konoha."

 

~ About 1 year later ~

 

In the dead of the night, in an isolated field, a burning light cut through the darkness in a booming explosion that disturbed the tranquil air, sending nightbirds flying and crickets scattering. Once the light died out, singed grass was left to smoke, and Fugaku breathed in the charred scent as he hunched over, panting, muscles sore, chakra reserves close to exhaustion, and his Mangekyo Sharingan wavered from strain. He wiped the sweat from his brow and walked to the center of the blast, glaring down at the shark bracelet left on the charred ground. The silver hair was thinned and burned black, brittle, the scales cracked around the edges, and the teeth were chipped. Worn, but still too put together for what Fugaku had put it through.

"Still not enough," Fugaku angrily growled as he picked up the cursed bracelet. It only creaked in his tight grip. "Hardly any time left too… If I could kill one of those monsters at least, all this would have been worth it." He shoved the bracelet in his back pocket as the dark sky brightened with dawn nearing. Making his way back home, an old memory of his resurfaced.

"You want more dancing lessons, Fu-kun?"

"Um, yes, please, Okaasan."

"Oh, I'm so excited! You must have a lovely girl you want to sweep off her feet."

"N-no, I don't! It's for a mission. A mission!"

"Of course, dear. Come here. I'll show you just how my father showed me, in old Uchiha fashion…. Slow and steady, Fu-kun… Slow and steady…"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

405 days. That's how many days Iruka had tallied since the grand soul devourer warned of Konoha's Second Great Death, and the Onmyoji had done all he could since then to exorcise any hauntings and ensure the clan heads were as content as they could be. He liked to think that he and his team were doing a good enough job, as Minuki Aoi had not returned to Konoha since his bloody premonition, a premonition that Iruka and his team would make false.

Iruka was more than pleased to attend the monthly clan head meeting. He arrived a couple of minutes early with Rin and Akuri and took their slim desk off to the side of the council's desk. The Konoha elders had yet to arrive, with most clan heads already present. They paused their conversations to nod to the Onmyoji when he entered, Iruka bowing back. Iruka tuned in to the clan head's conversation as they continued.

"You hear that the fourth Mizukage was almost assassinated?" Choza asked Shikaku. "By Krigakure's own demon no less, the irony of that isn't lost on me."

"Yes, I have, and I wasn't too surprised considering all the purges and his history of bloodshed."

"They call it the 'Bloody Mist' for a reason, I suppose," Inoichi shrugged, and Iruka kept himself from frowning.

"I hope Zabuza's doing okay since becoming a missing-nin," Iruka sorrowfully thought. "He'll be hunted like I was, but more aggressively, I bet."

"He was strong the last time we saw him. I'm sure he'll beat anyone who tries to take his head!" Akuri tried to assure him.

"Yeah, Zabuza doesn't strike me as the type to die easily," Rin added.

"No, he isn't," Iruka softly chuckled. "… I wonder if Minuki Aoi is in Kirigakure right now, devouring victims of the kekkei genkai purges. Did he know that would happen too?... Imagine if Kirigakure had its own Onmyoji to warn of the grand soul devourer. If all villages had one, actually. How much death would be prevented then?"

The Konoha council entered the room, signaling the beginning of the meeting, and the chatter died out as the Hokage stood before the table.

"Good morning, everyone. I hope you all are well," Sandaime said with a raspy, sore voice, coughing into his hand. Half his face was hidden by his Hokage hat, which was tipped down as he reviewed the meeting's itinerary. Iruka waited for his turn to have the floor, proud to give his positive report that hauntings were low and there were no signs of demonic activity.

"Are there any comments or concerns?" he asked at the end of his report, looking for raised hands. There was one. "Yes, Fugaku-san?"

"I know your abilities are for exorcising anything dead or demonic, but can you use them against living enemy-nin?" the Uchiha head asked, body rigid and chakra more tense than usual. "Odd."

"… Yes, I can use my abilities on enemy-nin, though I prefer to reserve them for yokai with some exceptions. I'm not seeking to curse anyone."

"What are those exceptions?" Fugaku pressed further.

"If anyone tries harming me or any of my allies in my presence, they are fair game. As well as anyone or thing that would bring mass death, such as any beastly adversaries."

"I see," Fugaku nodded contemplatively, and Iruka couldn't help but have questions about the clan head's odd behavior.

"Is there any reason you asked me that?" Iruka expected the Uchiha to either decline to explain or ask to talk in private, but after his dark, narrowed eyes glared a hole into the table, he looked the Onmyoji in the eye and calmly said:

"I received an invitation from the Hoshigaki for our clans to meet and delegate in a month. I request that you and your team accompany us, Daigyo-san." A stunned air filled the room as the clan heads and their guards showed their shock in their own ways. Shisui also gave a surprised gasp.

"You're serious, aren't you, Fugaku-kun?" Shinku questioned, the Yuhi head's crimson eyes glinting with shock and concern, when Fugaku nodded and pulled out a water-damaged scroll, he handed it to Iruka. Iruka opened the scroll and read the message.

‘Dear Uchiha leader Fugaku,

I am reaching out to you now with an offer for our clans to come together and rework our current dynamics. We should meet next spring. It would be in your best interest to accept, as I will never make such an invitation again in your lifetime.

Sincerely,

Hoshigaki leader Toyotama.'

"This could be it!" Iruka gasped in his head. "The second great death that soul devourer was warning us about! When the Hoshigaki and Uchiha meet, death is a certainty, right?"

"We can stop it, though!" Rin eagerly chimed in. "We'll stop that horrible prediction from coming true."

"Yeah!" Akuri cheered.

"Yes, my team and I will join you, Fugaku-san!" Iruka agreed, sounding more excited than he meant to.

"Thank you," Fugaku nodded, surprised by the Onmyoji's enthusiasm. "I also ask that Hokage-sama spare some of his Anbu to aid us Uchiha in case the meeting goes poorly, which it most certainly will." Fugaku turned his gaze to the council.

"Oh, I'm certain to have agents that can be of service to you, Fugaku-san," Sandaime said slowly, as if still processing what he'd been told. Iruka sensed an icy chakra signature that angrily spiked.

"Daigyo, hand me the scroll." Iruka almost flinched at the sharpness of Danzo's order, turning around to see that the advisor's scowl had deepened and his golden eye as sharp as a blade. The Onmyoji went over to the council, and the bandaged advisor practically snatched the scroll from his hand, speed reading the message before shifting his glare to the Uchiha head, who readily returned it. "Meet with me in my office after this meeting, Fugaku," the advisor ordered, sliding the invitation scroll into his robe.

"Gladly, Danzo-san." Fugaku crossed his arms over his chest, while Iruka returned to his seat, determination burning in his heart.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"We weren't supposed to announce it so soon, Fugaku-san," Shisui griped as he and Fugaku walked up the Hokage Tower to the Shimura's office. "I haven't gotten the chance to inform Danzo yet. He'll be more than upset."

"Apologies. It was very spur of the moment," Fugaku apologized. "I just couldn't wait any longer to know whether Daigyo's team would join us. Their might could very well shift the battle in our favor… And send any of our dead to the Pure Lands." "I'll tell the Shimura I forced you to keep quiet. I can handle whatever scolding he has in store. He won't talk me out of this."

"He'll surely try." The pair of Uchihas approached the door tucked away in shadow, the Shimura clan crest carved into the wood. Muffled voices were on the other side. Fugaku harshly knocked.

"You can come in, Fugaku-san," a different voice other than the advisor's responded, but the Uchiha head barged in anyway. The candlelit office space had little inside, a jar of red and black hard candy on the low desk, and a bookshelf on the left wall with a dark tatami on the floor for guests to sit. Danzo sat behind the desk, and to Fugaku's surprise, had a young child by his side with small spiked bones jutting from his knuckles as he rested them on the desk, whose striking aqua eyes stared intently at him through loose strands of black hair. The Shimura clan crest was on the back of his white yukata.

"Well done, Ozo-kun," Danzo praised, rubbing the boy's head.

"Thank you, Ojiisan." The bones sticking out of Ozo's hands harmlessly retreated underneath his skin.

"Good morning, Fugaku-san. It's been a while," Kugami greeted from where he sat on the tatami, with a young girl in his lap with long, spiked auburn hair and a pair of golden eyes that stared up at him curiously. She wore the Shimura crest on the red shawl over her shoulders.

"Yes. I see you have your hands full."

"Not as much as you, I hear. Doomed invitations."

"Is that the Uchiha leader, Kugami-ojisan?" the girl whispered to Kugami.

"Yes, Mari-chan."

"You all already know me, don't you?" Shisui smiled as he entered the office. Mari excitedly climbed out of Kugami's lap, and the young boy who had been lying on the floor, tossing and catching a kunai, jolted up with excited golden eyes and a grin on his freckled face, his ninja weapon clattering to the floor.

"Sui-san!" He exclaimed and rushed over to the Uchiha, his open yukata bearing the Shimura crest, along with Mari, both children clamoring for his attention.

"Mari-chan, Tadao-kun, what are you guys doing here?" Shisui greeted the children, ruffling the boy's short, dirty-blonde hair and patting the girl's head.

"We're here to show Ojiisan how good we've gotten," Tadao said.

"What are you doing here, Shisui-san?" Mari asked.

"Fugaku-san and I are here to meet with Danzo-dono." Shisui looked at the advisor. "Or is now a bad time?"

"Both of you stay," Danzo gestured for the Uchihas to sit. "Go ahead and take the children home, Kugami."

"You heard Ojiisan. Let's move out, team," Kugami said, standing up.

"Aw, we have to leave already, Otosan?" Tadao pouted to Kugami.

"Can't we just hang in the back?" Mari suggested. "We promise we'll be dead silent."

"No, this is a private meeting," Danzo said firmly and patted a frowning Ozo on the back, sending him off to the other children. “Tadao, you need to practice more control. Mari, you need to increase your stamina. Ozo, you need to up your intensity. Overall, you three have significantly improved. Well done."

"Thank you, Ojiisan," the three children simultaneously answered, a range of wide grins and faint smiles on their faces. Fugaku ignored the hollow pang in his chest, remembering the last time Itachi looked at him with that kind of appreciation. Too long ago. Kugami exited with the children, leaving the Uchihas and advisor alone, and Fugaku and Shisui sat down on the tatami.

"I knew something more was going on since there hadn't been any new reports of Hoshigaki targeting Uchiha for nearly a year," Danzo grumbled, focusing his glare on Fugaku as he pulled out the invitation scroll and slammed it on the desk. "Why didn't you inform me about the Hoshigaki's invitation sooner?"

"I told Shisui to keep quiet because I wanted to direct the situation without your input," Fugaku explained.

"Because I would have stopped you from making this ridiculous decision."

"You would have stopped us from potential peace. Even if there's only the slightest chance our meeting with the Hoshigaki ends in our favor, I must take that chance for my clan. And if we battle, I get to lop off shark beast heads."

"Or you give the Hoshigaki more power when they gorge on you. Do you know what you're putting at stake, Fugaku-san? What there is to lose?"

"I had nearly a whole year to think about it, yes. You remember what Sasuke-sensei said about sacrifice. You won't get any spoils in this world if you aren't willing to spill your own blood."

"Yes, I remember his saying very well," Danzo scoffed.

"Then you understand I'm not changing my mind about this. I already sent an acceptance letter, so there's no going back now." Fugaku took a deep breath, blinking away images of teeth and scales. "I know what I'm risking, who I'm risking it for." Danzo tapped his finger loudly as his eye narrowed contemplatively before turning to Shisui.

"I'm guessing you're on board with this scheme."

"Yes," Shisui confidently nodded. "This is the first time in history that Toyotama has given an offering like this. It'd be ridiculous to waste it."

"… Very well," the advisor, heavily exasperated, his scowl lessening its intensity. "You choose how to lead your clan, Fugaku-san. As Sandaime-sama said, we'll see what resources are available to aid you on your mission." He looked back at Shisui. "I'll talk to you later, Shisui. For now, you are dismissed."

"See you then, Danzo-san." Shisui bowed and gave Fugaku a small thumbs-up before leaving the office.

"What more could you scold me about, Danzo-san?" Fugaku grumbled. "I'm not that little brat that you can boss around anymore. You realized that, haven't you?"

"Yes, you have made that very apparent to me over the years," Danzo said as he rifled through the bottom compartment of his desk and then pulled a small square package wrapped in deep red paper and tied with a black ribbon.

"What is that?"

"It's a high-grade chastity seal."

"Oh," Fugaku quietly mumbled, a heated shame burning within him that soured his tongue. "I won't… It isn't that kind of mission!"

"I know, which is why I'm giving it to you. This'll protect you from Jimbesame's impulses," Danzo said calmly, his glare nonexistent as he moved the seal closer to the Uchiha. Fugaku eyed the package momentarily before reaching out with his sweaty hand to grab it and hide it underneath his flak jacket.

"Thank you," he softly mumbled, keeping his gaze low. He saw Danzo nod in his periphery and dismiss him with a wave of his hand. Fugaku left the office as soon as possible, passing by Shisui, who was waiting in the hallway.

"What did Danzo have to say?" Shisui inquired.

"He wished me good luck, strangely enough."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop." Fugaku repeated to himself at nauseum as he sprinted down the misty river, the canyon walls around him and his wounded team rocky and daunting to scale in their manic dash of survival. Fugaku's own chest throbbed from the deep bite mark that marred his flesh, Mikoto's seal bleeding as it thrummed with her loving chakra. He focused on its warmth through icy water soaking his pant legs and the suffocating mist that choked his vision. Even so, the pulsing chakra signature racing behind them was hard to ignore as it made its ravenous hunger known.

"What's the plan, Fugaku-taichou?!" Yashiro shouted beside him, panicked.

"We won't reach out of this canyon before that monster catches us," Kenta said through gritted teeth, clutching the gnarled stump left of his arm.

"How can Jimbesame still put up a fight with its wounds?" Manami hissed, having one of her Sharingan clawed out and a chunk of her shoulder bitten out. A piercing roar bounced off the canyon walls from behind, rattling their bones, and Manami turned around and spat blood: "Hell spawn!"

"Don't let this be the end, Fugaku!" The Uchiha captain shouted at himself. "You led your team here. You're despicable if you let them be ravaged by that monster. Get them out first, then worry about saving your pathetic self." "Start to climb up, all of you!" he ordered, pointing to the canyon wall.

"We won't have time to reach the top! We'll make ourselves sitting ducks," Kenta retorted, his arm stump spurting blood.

"I'll give you that time," Fugaku stopped and turned around to face the pursuing Hoshigaki head-on. Manami and Kenta also stopped, while Yashiro took his chance to head for the closest wall and start climbing.

"You can't, Fugaku-taichou!" Manami protested.

"I will, as it's my duty as your captain. I brought you here, so I'll ensure you get out."

"Still, we should fight with you," Kenta panted.

"You all have children waiting for you at home." Fugaku planted his feet on the water's surface and raised his hands in a fighting stance. "You promised them this war wouldn't take you from them. All I'm doing is helping you keep that promise. Now go!" Fugaku got some peace, hearing Manami and Kenta retreat and got terror along with it as the shark beast's chakra crashed into him, the water rippling violently underneath his feet and nearly knocking him off balance. "I'm coming back to you, Mikoto, Okaasan." He steeled his resolve. “Face me, Jimbesame!” He screamed, kneading what chakra he had left. "You already got a bite out of me. You'll have to fight me if you want more, monster!"

 

~ ✧ ~

 

"Are you doing anything today, Sasuke?" Sasuke looked up from his breakfast, surprised by his father's question. His father, along with his big brother, had been busy preparing for their upcoming mission to confront the shark beasts and had spent less time, well, more than less time with him than usual. Initially, he was surprised that his father joined him and his mom for breakfast this morning.

"Doing some studying and helping Kaasan around the house… What do you plan to do today, Otosan?" His father paused before answering, lifting his gaze from the table to properly look him in the eyes.

"I want to teach you some things today."

"You wanna teach me, Otosan?!" Sasuke excitedly gasped, almost not believing it.

"Yes. I wanted to pass on some of my knowledge to you before your brother and I leave for our mission."

"I'll also cook a delicious big meal for a good luck dinner," his mother added with a grin. "You two can pick up groceries for me at the market after your lessons."

"Yeah! I'll get ready now!" Sasuke happily jumped to his feet but scarfed down his breakfast before leaving at his mother's scolding.

It was strange to be walking the streets of the Uchiha compound with not only his father, but also with the Uchiha head out of his shinobi uniform. "He really is off from work today." It had been so long since only his father had taken him out for the day, let alone to train him. It was more than exciting, but also a bit nerve raking. "No matter what, I won't disappoint Otosan. I'll show him I can be just as good as Niisan… Okay, maybe not as good, but close!" Sasuke followed his father to the dock at Uchiha Lake, where he sometimes hung out with Itachi whenever his big brother had the time to simply relax.

"Tell me, Sasuke," his father started, standing before him with his arms crossed and his usual stern expression. "What is the fire jutsu that our clan is renowned for?"

"The uh, Great Fireball Jutsu!"

"Correct. Has Itachi shown you how to perform it already?"

"No. Niisan says it's too dangerous for me to learn yet."

"Well, it is dangerous, it'd be useless if it wasn't, but still, I want to teach you the same way my father taught me… while I can," his father sighed, and Sasuke looked confused.

"What do you mean, Otosan?"

"Nothing. Let's get started." His father brushed aside the question. "What hand sign do you use for fire jutsus, Sasuke?"

"That one's easy. It's Tora!"

"Correct. The Great Fireball Jutsu is no different. It has six hand signs. Hebi, Hitsuji, Saru, Ino, Uma, and finally Tora.” His father demonstrated the hand sign as he listed them. "You need to concentrate on kneading your chakra while you sign the jutsu, imagining a ball of fire as you breathe in. You'll feel your chest heat up and your throat burn before breathing out the flames blazing inside your lungs. Understand?"

"Yes, Otosan," Sasuke nodded determinedly and stood at the edge of the dock to begin practicing. His first attempt was less than impressive, his small hands struggling to get the signs just right and his chakra control not fully sharpened, spitting out sputtering sparks hardly hot enough to burn a leaf. His father helped guide him with each attempt, moving his hands to the perfect position and doing breathing exercises to hone his chakra control. He gave one final attempt, anchoring his feet, squaring his shoulders, and kneading a neat stream of his chakra as he weaved the fire jutsu. His chest grew hot as he drew deep breaths, finally signing Tora.

"Great Fireball Jutsu!" His throat burned as he breathed out a ball of burning hot flames, his eyes nearly blinded by the bright blaze, and he felt its heat wash over him. He felt immediately drained from the act, but it didn't stifle his joy from completing the jutsu. "Did you see that, Otosan? I did it!"

"Yes, I saw," his father said, eyes widened in surprise. "You learn so fast. Good job, Sasuke," his father praised and stiffly patted his head, an unusual affection that Sasuke ate up.

"Thank you, Otosan. I doubt my fireball's anything compared to yours, even if I've never seen it."

"I'm guessing you want me to show you now?"

"Yes, please," Sasuke excitedly shook his head, and his father nodded, motioning him to step back as he stood at the end of the dock. His father breathed in and weaved the jutsu faster than Sasuke ever did. The ensuing exhale was an explosion of flames that seared through the air and nearly consumed the entire space above the lake in a ball of blazing heat that blew back Sasuke's hair and made him retreat from the intensity. "That was amazing, Otosan," the Uchiha boy awed. "You'll definitely blast away all those hungry shark beasts!"

"That's the plan," his father sighed.

They went to the forest to do shuriken training next. Sasuke had done a lot of shuriken throwing with Itachi, though only with the wooden training ones. His father handed him his first authentic shuriken, which was made of sharpened metal and was weighty in his tiny hands. They were much harder to throw, missing the target completely with most of his tries. His father told him to build his arm strength if he wanted to throw harder, and gave him some extra help throwing it, practically throwing it himself at times, which explained the boy's sudden accuracy. Sasuke frowned and claimed he could try it himself. "I doubt Itachi ever needed help like this." He wound his arm back and gripped the ninja weapon tightly before throwing it at the tree. His grip must have slipped as a cutting pain sliced across his palm when he threw it, the shuriken burying itself in the tree's base.

"Ow!" He yelped and held his hurting hand to his chest.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" his father worriedly asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It… It doesn't hurt," Sasuke bit his quivering lip with glossy eyes that went wide as he saw the blood dripping from his hand. "But I'm bleeding, Otosan. Can the shark beasts smell me?"

"No, not here. You're safe. I'll patch you up." His father grabbed his water bottle and then Sasuke's hand to pour water on his cut, washing away the blood. His father grabbed bandages from his pouch and wrapped up his hand, the boy sniffling and wiping away the few tears that escaped his eyes. "There. All taken care of." Sasuke was about to say thank you when a branch snapped in the distance, alerting the boy to a presence he hadn't noticed. A dark, powerful presence that chilled his bones and struck his heart, jumping to hide behind his father, who looked relatively calm at what must have been a Hoshigaki charging at them. Sasuke yelped in fright when a massive wolfish dog broke through the forest foliage into the clearing, growling, its dark coat decorated with purple markings ringing its legs and two tails whipping about. When its intelligent yellow eyes landed on the Uchiha, its growling stopped, its narrowed pupils expanded as the dark aura it exuded conceded somewhat.

"Good afternoon, Fugaku-san, young Sasuke," the dog spoke with a woman's voice.

"Good afternoon, Kuroinu-san, Daigyo-san," his father greeted, politely bowing his head. Sasuke then noticed the Onmyoji riding on the dog's back, along with a familiar boy wearing a dark green cloak and a fox mask on the side of his head, sitting in front of the shinobi.

"Ha! We totally scared you, Sasuke!" Naruto loudly laughed, pointing a finger at the cowering boy.

"N-no, you didn't!" Sasuke angrily objected, face red as he leapt out from behind his father with a scowl. "I was just preparing to strike back against an enemy. You're lucky I realized it was your stupid face, or I would have blasted it away with a fire jutsu!"

"Pfft, you're too small for something like that, you big liar." Naruto stuck out his tongue and promptly stuck it back when Daigyo flicked his nose.

"I'll show you!" Sasuke prepared another fireball justu, but was stopped by his father, who slapped his hand over his mouth.

"Don't, Sasuke. You'll catch on fire." His father corrected, and the boy nodded, lowering his hands, but shooting a glare at the blonde boy, who reciprocated. "What are you doing out here in the forest, Daigyo-san?" His father asked.

"I'm doing sweeps to ensure nothing major haunts Konoha," the Onmyoji answered. "Since we'll be gone, I want to make sure everything here is as safe as possible."

"And this doesn't exhaust you too much?"

"Not at all. Don't worry, we'll have enough chakra to defend you against the Hoshigaki if necessary."

"I understand," his father nodded, relieved. "Carry on."

"Have a good day, Uchiha family." Daigyo gave his farewell, and Naruto gave Sasuke the faintest wave before Kuroinu ran off into the woods, fighting monsters Sasuke couldn't see and that he never hoped he would. Sasuke and his father ate at Uruki and Teyaki's café before taking the long walk to Konoha's central market to shop for groceries. His father let him ride on his back on the walk home, giving his legs some rest and letting him see the world from up high. He was surprised again when he got home, finding Itachi in the kitchen with his mother and helping her set up the kitchen to cook dinner.

"Niisan!" Sasuke exclaimed and dashed to hug his brother around his legs as he set pots on the counter. "You're home early!"

"I finished my training sooner than I thought," Itachi gently smiled as he rubbed Sasuke's head, but then his dark eyes noticed the bandages on his hand. "What happened to your hand?"

"Oh, this is nothing. Otosan and I have been out training all day. I even did the fireball jutsu! Can you believe that?! I accidentally cut my hand when I tried throwing a real shuriken, but I still hit the tree!"

"Oh…" Itachi looked at their father, and they exchanged a silent and brief glare before his brother smiled at him again. "That's amazing, Sasuke. You learn too fast."

"Ha, that's what Otosan said too."

Sasuke sat down with Itachi to discuss the details of his day while their mother began cooking. Then, their father approached them again, entering their bedroom.

"I'd like to teach you both one last thing, Sasuke, Itachi."

"Oh, what is it?" Sasuke eagerly asked.

"Execution techniques," Itachi grumbled, and their father gave him a scowl before softening his expression with a sigh.

"No, something more… collaborative. Come on." Sasuke held Itachi's hand as they followed their father to the spacious meeting room, where a record player was on the end table pressed against the wall.

"What are you gonna teach us, Otosan?" Sasuke asked, sitting on the floor with Itachi, their father standing before them.

"… Do you remember Uchiha dances, the ones you see at festivals?" their father asked.

"Yeah, I remember them," Sasuke answered, surprised.

"Well, I wish to teach you some of the moves my mother showed me. So, you'll also know how to dance with your lovers."

"Oh…" Itachi quietly muttered, his frown fading away.

"You know how to dance, Otosan?" Sasuke inquired.

"Yes. How do you think I got your mother to marry me?" his father softly chuckled, a surprising sound to Sasuke's ears. "The lovers' Uchiha dance is representative of a pair's unity. They use their Sharingans to copy each other's movements and remain in sync, becoming an extension of themselves as they guide their bodies through song." Their father demonstrated some moves first, moving his body in a smooth, graceful fashion that Sasuke hardly remembered seeing, and then let his sons try it. Sasuke wasn't shocked that Itachi got it on his first try, his Sharingan perfectly copying the fluidity of their father's movements, while he needed some extra guidance. Though he was perfectly fine with Itachi being his practice dance partner, as his father put on harmonic music from the record player for them to dance to.

"You have some lovely moves, boys," Sasuke paused his dancing at his mother's compliment. Seeing her standing in the entryway, the amber sky was glowing behind her.

"Could you show us your dancing, too, Kaasan?" Sasuke asked. "Please!"

"Hm, what do you say, Gaku?" Their mother looked at their father. "You wanna dance with this old vixen once more?"

"I wouldn't call you old, but gladly." Their father held out his hand, and she smiled brightly, taking his hand. Sasuke sat down in Itachi's lap as he watched their parents begin their dance, their mother putting a hand on his shoulder and him on her waist. They glided across the room in sync, never stepping on each other's feet and keeping rhythm with the music as she was twirled by a hand, and he moved with a graceful passion. Both of their Sharingan glowed a rich crimson, harmonically pulsing with every flare and time they came close together. Their dance ended with the song's final notes as he dipped her low, his mother happily laughing and father smiling. While Sasuke cringed when they kissed, he preferred that over them fighting each other like he had heard other parents arguing in the neighborhood.

"Dinner's about ready, so you boys get cleaned up and ready to eat," his mother said, kissing their father's cheek and then both sons' foreheads.

After dinner and with a full belly, Sasuke got ready to turn in for the night and was given another surprise. His father tucked him into bed and kissed him on his head.

"You did well, Sasuke-kun. I know your future is bright… I love you so much, Sasuke."

"I love you too, Otosan," Sasuke beamed despite his tiredness, watching his father smile at him for the last time that day. Sasuke hadn't expected his day to be so fantastic, but he finally got to train with his father, spent time with his big brother, and had his mother join the fun. He needed the sendoff before his brother and father left for their mission to face Kirigakure's shark beasts.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Fugaku awoke to an exhausted and pained body that quivered from a stinging chill that raked over his wounded back. He lay on his side, a heavy warmth pressed against his chest, and his head rested on something firm but supple compared to the grassy ground the rest of him lay on. He heard a river running close by and heavy breathing, maybe his own, but it was too loud, rumbling through his whole body. "This doesn't make sense… I was fighting Jimbesame so my team could escape. I hope they're safe… Then I was dragged under the water. I was sure the shark beast would eat me there and then… Did I escape and wash ashore somewhere? I'm practically chakra exhausted, so maybe… I have to get back home then." Groaning with a sore throat, he peeled open his strained eyes, and his heart stopped as he stared up into the sleeping face of Jimbesame, his damp silver hair tangled over his shut eyes, and Fugaku's blood still staining his pointed rows of teeth. Fugaku froze as his breath nearly left him, realizing he'd been lying on the Hoshigaki's arm with his other one over the Uchiha's midsection, keeping him in place.

"What the hell?! Why am I— He didn't kill me?!" Fugaku's panicked eyes looked past the shark beast, at the small cave they were in, daylight shining on the grassy forest and river outside. "Did Jimbesame take me to a new den to devour me later? That doesn't make sense. He was so ravenous, he wouldn't have the reason or patience. Doesn't matter. I need to escape while I can." The Hoshigaki was much leaner and more malnourished than the massive bulking form Fugaku had seen in the past, wounds suffered from his recent battle with the White Fang having yet to fully heal. Even so, he was still much bigger than the Uchiha and hadn't lost the will to fight, the drive to hunt.

Fugaku tried to move and was painfully reminded of his injuries, looking down at himself and stifling a gasp. His flack jacket and mesh shirt had been ripped open, exposing his chest and abdomen, which were marred with multiple bites of ripped skin and exposed tender flesh, Mikoto's seal pulsing with his rushed heartbeat. His legs weren't any better. His pants were ripped, showing the claw marks dug into his shins and sore bite marks sunk into his thighs. He recoiled seeing that his hips were scratched, slashing his undergarments as well, leaving him immodest.

"So humiliating, stripping me bare like this. Ugh, worry about clothes later. Get out of here, now!" He carefully moved away from the sleeping Hoshigaki through exhaustion and pain, sliding his head off his arm and slowly removing the beast's heavy arm from his side, setting it down. Jimbesame growled, and Fugaku froze, holding his breath and watching the Hoshigaki mindlessly lick the rest of his blood off his lips before settling back down. Too scared to stand, Fugaku slowly crawled around Jimbesame and toward the cave's exit, making each move as silent as possible. He kept his hopeful gaze focused on the outside, on freedom, eager for the sun to warm his chill body. Too impatient close to the light, he quickly put one hand forward and gasped in pain, accidentally stabbing himself on an edged rock.

He immediately bit his tongue to silence the sound, and panic buzzed through him, hearing the Hoshigaki stir with a loud groan, a growl rising from his chest as he patted the empty space beside him. Fugaku got up and made a dash for the exit, but his exhausted and bitten legs felt like jelly, and he stumbled over himself. He would have tripped over his feet if the Hoshigaki hadn't snatched his ankle in a clawed hand, falling to the ground with a hard thud, his outstretched hand a breath away from sunlight.

"No, let go of me," he groaned, and after failing to anchor himself in the dirt with his hands, he rolled onto his back to kick at Jimbesame. It was a weak attempt, his foot sliding off the Hoshigaki's shoulder as he dragged the Uchiha in close, mounting him with his hands on either side of his head. "Get off me." Fugaku flailed as much as he could in his drained state, which only resulted in a couple of powerless punches, pushing against Jimbesame's already bruised chest when the shark beast leaned in close to his face. The shark beast's pale, blind eyes somehow found his, the Hoshigaki's breath hot on his neck. "Why aren't you—gah!" Fugaku gasped more in shock than in pain when Jimbesame began licking the dried blood on his neck and upper chest, shivering at the rough and slimy sensation across his wounded skin. All it took was one bite to his jugular with those razor teeth, and he'd be dead, an easy meal to devour.

"Ugh, what do you want from me?" Fugaku questioned, not expecting an answer, but he got one. An electrifying shock pulsed through his chest when Jimbesame raked his tongue across Mikoto's seal on his chest, nibbling at the empowered marking and indulging in the loving chakra it emitted, devouring Mikoto's love. "Kami, no," Fugaku whimpered at the daunting realization, unable to look away from Jimbesame sucking on the seal etched into his chest and groaning in satisfaction. "It can't be! He's… gained the same affection Mikoto has for me through her chakra. Is that why he hasn't devoured me outright? Because he sees me as his… Calm yourself, Fugaku. If he didn't see you otherwise, you'd be dead. Mikoto's love has saved me again… for better or worse."

Fugaku focused on calming his racing heart and settling down underneath the shark beast, shaken but alive. "Keep calm. Let him see me as his mate and I'll be safe… More than safe. I'll be inside the Hoshigaki's operations. I could learn about their secrets, how they travel so far undetected, and their weakness. Sasuke-sensei always said espionage was the silent killer of most powers… But…” He shuddered as Jimbesame gradually drifted lower to lick the bites on his abdomen, getting too close to parts of himself that were only meant for Mikoto to caress. "My intimacy is only for Mikoto. I can't let this shark beast taint me, can I? What would Miko think? What would Okaasan say? Would Eiko-san think I'm unfit to be the next Uchiha head?"

"Ah!"“Miko, I’m sorry! Please, don't hate me..."

“Don't bite…" "Shinku-sensei prepared me for these situations, but never with a shark beast like this! Does Jimbesame even know what he's doing? Will he just rip me apart when he 'makes love '? Kami, it's going to hurt like hell, isn't it? Mikoto, I-I don't—"

"Dammit!…What… am I doing here?" he gasped as he stared at his back porch. On a cool night, he was in his backyard pond, the lights on inside his home providing a warm contrast. Silhouettes of his lover and sons passed through the windows. "How am I in my pond back home with this beast?! That isn't right. None of this is!"

"Ugh!" "Hush! I need to be quiet and finish the mission. I-I can't draw Mikoto and my boys out here. They'd be in danger and… I let them see me like this… Why—ah!... Why doesn't it hurt? It only feels… Ngh!"

"Argh!" Damn those teeth!”

"Hey, what's that weird sound?" Fugaku shuddered when he heard Sasuke's concerned muffled voice from inside, seeing his silhouette in one of the windows along with his brother and sister.

"Don't know, but it sounded like Otosan," Itachi said.

"No, it can't be," Mikoto shook her head. "Wait here, I'll go check outside."

"No, Kaasan, we're coming too!" Fugaku watched in horror with tearful eyes as his family went to investigate, heading for the back door. "No, no, no! This can't be! You can't see me like this! This isn't happening… It's a dream, no, a nightmare! Focus, Fugaku!" The Uchiha shut his eyes tight and made the release hand sign he'd do for any genjutsu just as he heard the back door open.

"Kai!" His body went numb, all sensation leaving him, and his head spun like he was falling from too great a height. He hit the ground hard, and feeling returned to him at once as he jolted from his futon with a silent scream and crying Sharingan. He shook with every panting breath. He shifted and cringed, feeling the stickiness past his navel and his budding tenderness. "Oh, Kami!"

"Fugaku, what's wrong?" Mikoto's sweet voice asked beside him, and her comforting hand grasped his arm. "Was it another nightmare?" He turned to her, and once he connected with her worried dark eyes, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss. She gasped, surprised, into his mouth as he kissed her deeply, and his hands grabbed onto any part of her he could, wanting to drown in her loving warmth. After her surprise, she reciprocated with a greater intensity, the pair falling on their sides, locked in an embrace of fervent kissing and deep massaging.

"Oh, you've already—Ah!"

"… I love you, Mikoto.”

"Mph, love you too, Gaku.”

"… I love you, Mikoto."

"Love you too, Gaku,"

"I love you, Mikoto," he cried one last time as he reached his climax, holding her in a tight embrace and his tear-streaked face buried in her shoulder. Her warm hands lovingly stroked his back as her lips softly caressed his cheek, kissing away the tears.

"I love you too, Gaku."

They showered together, cleaning themselves of their lovemaking, and Fugaku caught sight of the many hickies Mikoto had given him, her love bites bruising over the shark bite scars. After redressing, Mikoto changed the sheets and futon while Fugaku retrieved a withered old pouch from his study. He checked on the sleeping Itachi and Sasuke before bringing the pouch to the bedroom, where Mikoto had turned on the lamp and was sitting on the clean futon.

"I… I need to show you something I should have," Fugaku quietly said and sat by her side, passing the pouch to her. "This is the real peace offering the Hoshigaki gave me along with the invitation." With an anxious heart, he watched her open the pouch and took out the bracelet inside, pale blue scales and pointed teeth woven together with silver hair.

"It's a lot more… carefully crafted for the shark beast's taste," she said, hating how the sharp edges of the jewelry scraped her fingers.

"It's a personal gift for me," Fugaku mumbled, keeping his gaze low. "From Jimbesame." The bracelet suddenly burned her hand when she heard the name, realizing whose teeth and scales she was holding, and her Sharingan flickered like clashing flint and steel.

"No wonder it's so disgusting," she growled, almost spitting on it. "How could Jimbesame make something like this? Why?"

"He had help from Tenninsame in making it. He gifted parts of himself to me... because of what I gave to him during my mission."

"So, he's taunting you?"

"… I don't know anymore," he heavily sighed. "I've silently hoped Jimbesame would forget about me, just see me as any other prey. But he still feels…" he rubbed his chest, the soul seal woven into his skin that thrummed with Mikoto's love, "attached to me. I can imagine what he plans to do once our clans meet, if Toyotama allows him to act. I don't plan on submitting myself to him again… Not with Itachi and Sasuke being here. They deserve better than this," he smacked the shark bite on his shoulder. "You deserve better, too, Miko."

"Gaku." Mikoto wrapped her arm around Fugaku's back. "The Hoshigaki could ever tarnish my love for you." She gently removed his hand, showing her love bite, and pressing it to the soul seal over her chest. "I won't let you go, Fugaku. These seals prove my love for you and more." She lovingly smiled at him, and, his heart swelling, he smiled back at her.

"I'm the luckiest man to have a soul like you love me, Mikoto."

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Fugaku made a single visit before rallying his clan for their meeting with the Hoshigaki. He left early in the morning for a home secluded from the other homes, surrounded by a colorful garden. He knocked on the door, and after a moment, Shisui opened the door with a smile and was already dressed in his shinobi uniform.

"Good morning, Fugaku-san. You're here to see my father, I'm guessing?"

"May I?"

"... He's not any better," Shisui mumbled, smile faltering, and stepped aside for Fugaku to enter.

"I know." The Uchiha head walked inside the quaint home, nodding to the medic-nin caring for the sick man as she prepared his morning medication in the kitchen. He went to the bedroom door in the back and took a breath before opening the door, being hit with a thick air of sickness and sterilization, combating each other. The bedroom was too organized and full of dull greys to belong to his lively younger cousin. Sitting on the nightstand beside a bottle of pills was a picture frame of a younger Denzo with his family. He had his arm slung around his wife with a little Shisui sitting between them, baby cheeks rosy. His mother sat beside him, Denma's long purple hair framing her smiling face as her hand rested on Denzo's shoulder.

The curtains were opened to allow some warmth from the morning light, the sun's rays scattered across the bed and the sick man in it, buried in blankets. Denzo's face was sallow and sunken in from weight loss, his cracked lips cracked open to wheeze every dragged-out breath. His grown-out hair had lightened to a sickly grey, and a few stray strands stuck to his face, his hollow, unfocused eyes staring up into nothing. "I remember when Okaasan started looking like this. Her sickness never got this bad before she…" Fugaku swallowed the sorrowful knot in his throat before speaking.

“Morning, Denzo-kun. I wanted to visit you before I leave for the mission to confront the Hoshigaki. If we battle, I'll ensure to ruin the same shark beast that scarred you, Denzo-kun. Give you some form of justice. You would have been eager to join us, but Shisui is one of our strongest shinobi. He'll have enough fight for the both of you."

“… Gakufu… ojisan?” Denzo weakly mumbled, his eyes slowly moving to stare at Fugaku. "He thinks I'm my father… I suppose I look a lot like him."

"Yes, Denzo?"

"How… How are you here?... I've only seen you in pictures… Did you come to life?"

"Yes, I have. I wanted to see you."

"That's… so cool," a weak smile tugged at his lips. "Kugami's gotta see this… Where is he?"

"He's not here, but I'll tell him how cool this is."

"Aw, too bad… Do you know where Okaasan is? I got," he paused to give a wet cough, flecks of blood splattering his sheets. "… I got this nasty cough. She'll scold me for… being out in the rain, but she'll make me feel better… Where’s Okaasan?”

"She'll be home soon, Denzo-kun. Don't worry," Fugaku assured his sickly cousin, who sighed with relief. "I have to go now, I'm sorry. Goodbye, Denzo-kun.”

"See you later… Gakufu-ojisan."

Fugaku left with Shisui, breathing in the fresh morning air to cleanse his lungs of the heavy sickness.

"You didn't give your farewell, Shisui-san," the Uchiha head said, and Shisui looked up into the honey sky, dark eyes catching on clouds.

"I've already given my goodbyes to my father. He wouldn't know who was saying goodbye to him if I approached him now. I know what he'd say anyway. 'Knock those shark beasts dead, spinner. As long as you come home alive, you did good!" Shisui softly chuckled, imitating his father.

"Yep, that's what he'd say," Fugaku hummed and nudged Shisui, sharing a light chuckle and smile.

 

~ ✧ ~

 

Fugaku and Shisui went to Konoha's main entry gates, where the rest of the participating officers and their allies waited to depart for their mission. The Uchiha head was surprised to see a few more allies joining them than he expected.

"Moku-kun and I are at your service, Fugaku-san," Kakashi greeted with a slight bow, the Hatake's gloved hand atop the mokuton user's head to make him bow too.

"I'll give you my all, sir," Moku said, firm and stony. "The Hokage supplied us with a pair of Konoha's best. He thankfully still has enough wits about him."

"You'll make good use of that Sharingan, Hatake?" Fugaku questioned.

"Mah, I suppose. Keeping up with traditions, being Uchiha's guard dogs and all that." That was about the response the Uchiha head expected, but he didn't have an issue as long as the Hatake fought to kill. He approached the next group.

"What are you doing here, Shinku-san?" Fugaku asked the Yuhi head, surrounded by a small group of his clansmen, Kurenai at his side.

"We thought we false Uchihas could lend a hand to the real ones," Shinku chuckled, smiling, and put a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. "You won't do this alone, Fugaku-kun."

"I… Thank you." Fugaku gently smiled back. The other group of allies was arguing with some Uchihas, though the Root agents dug in their heels.

"We don't need help from a bunch of rats," Yashiro spat, pointing an accusing finger at the agents.

"You need all the help you can get, given your history of losses against the Hoshigaki," Mizunoe retorted.

"Keep quiet, Mizunoe," the Bear chastised his subordinate, who bowed his head apologetically.

"Stand down," Fugaku cut through the arguing with his firm voice and quieted his fellow officers.

"They're probably here to sabotage us," Yashiro grumbled into his ear, but Fugaku didn't fully believe the accusation, knowing who was under the bear mask. He stepped in front of the Root agents, arms crossed over his chest, with a sternly calm expression.

"Why has your team joined our mission, Kuma?" he questioned.

"To keep the Hoshigaki from gaining any more power," the Bear answered, a funny way of saying, 'to keep the shark beasts from devouring all the Uchiha officers.' "… Also, to get back what was taken from Denzo. They owe him a leg and so much more." "That's what I need to hear from you, Kugami."

"Very well, I'll let you join. But only if you and your team remove your masks."

"What?" Mizunoto scoffed. "Are you going to make Team Yokai unmask, too?"

"No, because I have more trust in them than I do in you."

"Hm, fair enough. I accept your terms, Fugaku-san." The Bear agreed and took off his Anbu mask before his subordinates could interject, the Shimura revealing his golden eyes and the handprint scarred into his cheek. "Better?" Kugami attached his mask to his hip.

"Better."

"Go on," Kugami gestured to the other three Root agents.

"… For the mission," Tsuchinoe said before taking off her bear mask with stitches painted over the left eye, which translated to her face. A stich-like scar ran across her left eye socket, the skin having healed over the missing eye, and went down her cheek and up into her eggplant purple bangs. Her remaining brown eye met Fugaku's gaze as she fiddled her hands together. "I'm Tsuchinoe," she softly said.

"Guess, I'm next," Mizunoe said, the tall shinobi taking off his mask to reveal a pair of sleek black eyes with a straight reddish scar running from the bottom of his square chin to his buzz cut hairline, splitting his face in half. "My name's Mizunoe if you didn't know."

"Very well," Mizunoto conceded, removing his snarling beastly mask to show his unscarred face. His crystal blue eyes were darkly underlined, his pink lips pulled into a displeased frown. "Call me Mizunoto."

"There, they properly introduced themselves." Fugaku turned to Yashiro. "You will work with them?"

"… Yes. As long as they don't try anything," Yashiro replied and backed off with the other Uchiha. Fugaku approached the last pair, Daigyo and a human Kuroinu standing away from the other shinobi.

"Again, thank you for joining us," Fugaku said.

"We're more than glad to help. I can sense we'll be needed," Daigyo said.

"Is Makiko joining us?"

"No. There's an… issue that requires Makiko to remain in Konoha."

"Rest assured, though, Fugaku-san," Kuroinu spoke, "We're still a devastating pair."

"I hope you show me that." Fugaku went to the front of the group, standing before the open gates where Itachi and Shisui waited.

"Are you ready to move out, Otosan?" Itachi asked, looking at the sun peeking over the horizon. "Before the sunrise finishes." The Uchiha head looked over Konoha one last time, his eyes lingering on the direction of his home, where Sasuke slept soundly and Mikoto sat on the porch watching the sunrise.

"Uchiha and allies!" he boomed as his heart raced with exhilaration, silencing the crowd and grabbing their attention. "Our mission to confront Kirigakre's dreaded Hoshigaki clan begins now!"

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Tenshigan: Among the Dead and the Living