Chapter 13: Cooperation and Hope

This in not my book BUT I have asked for permission from the author but he still hasn't replied if anyone can get in touch with him let him know if he wants me to I can remove it from here

go check out the book at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13522981/1/Reincarnation-Ok-Pal-The-Story-of-Kenta-Yamanaka-Book-2

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Greetings, Fwends!

Actually got the chapter out on time this week! Gimme cookies!

This week we're wrapping up the Pain Arc.

As many of you who have made it this far into Kenta's journey have come to realize… I am in LOVE with plot twists (and developing a sadistic love of cliff hangers :) )

For those of you who ALSO love twists, you're in for a few HUGE twists!

Now, before I forget… And I have been forgetting this since Chapter THREE of Part 1!

Random Fact about my story! As you know, the last name/family name of our most beloved kunoichi, Ami, is Kogure.

DID YOU KNOW that canon Ami has NO last/family name?!

"Well then, Aello, where did you get the inspiration for her last name?!"

Glad you asked, reader # 613!

Kogure is the last name of the voice actress for Ami in the subbed anime! Ema Kogure!

She ALSO does the voices of "Naruko," aka, Naruto's Sexy Technique!

The more you know!

Now, on with the story! I am EXCITED to hear your thoughts on this chapter/the entire arc.

****************************STFU AELLO AND JUST WRITE********************************

Four Years Ago

"Hey, Kenta? Can I talk to you?" Naruto asked, glancing around as if he were anxious about something.

I finished my cool down stretches and wiped the sweat from my brow. "Of course. Let's go sit under the tree though. The sun is a royal bitch today!" I answered, smiling in reassurance.

Naruto nodded, sending a nervous smile my way. I frowned, wondering what Naruto had to talk about that would bring him so much anxiety. We talked over to the large oak tree that I had indicated. I let out a sigh of relief as I plopped unceremoniously to the ground.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Whatever Naruto had to talk about apparently wasn't an easy subject to bring up.

Was he in love with Fú?! That better not be it!

Nah, Naruto wouldn't do that to me.

Well, intentionally.

"So…? What did you want to talk about?" I asked. Naruto jumped, not expecting to hear my voice.

"Oh, um. I just need some, uh, advice." Naruto replied lamely.

"About…?"

Naruto closed his eyes, seeming to steel his nerves. He opened them and looked directly into my eyes. "Kenta. This bloodline I have. I… It scares me, ya know? Like… I just told Tayuya to stop, and she did! She had no control over her own body! She couldn't ignore a direct command from me, ya know?!"

"Why does it scare you?" I asked with a frown, wondering what was going through his very slow mind.

"Having that kind of power over someone. I don't want it! It's wrong! Why do I have this power?" Naruto was near hysterical, finally getting the meat and potatoes of the issue.

"I get it, Naruto. I do. But what can I do to help you?" I asked.

"I just… I figure you would be the best person to ask. What with your freaky mind-control and body-snatching. Is it wrong to control someone against their will?" Naruto asked, glancing down.

"Hmm. I can see why you'd come to me with such a moral conundrum. However, I'm probably the last person you'd want to ask for advice."

"Why? You do it all the time? Do you ever feel guilty? If you had this kind of power, wouldn't you not want it?" Naruto asked, desperation growing in his voice.

"Are you kidding me? If I had that kind of power, I'd have my minions do everything for me! Rub my sore muscles after an intense training session. Make my dinner. Read me a bedtime story. The list is endless!" I grinned at Naruto's look of absolute horror.

"Seriously, Kenta!? I'm being serious here! I know you wouldn't do any of those things. But c'mon! I need some real advice." Naruto said in agitation.

"I am being serious, Naruto. Maybe not such mundane tasks as those I listed, but for a Yamanaka, your bloodline is drool-worthy." I sat up and turned to face Naruto fully. "Listen, your ancestors were given such an ability for a reason. Your clan is known for a multitude of reasons across The Elemental Nations. Having no way to control a clan of people with humungous chakra reserves, who were known to live for almost two centuries that also had a penchant for experimenting with one of the most obscure branches of the shinobi arts? That sounds like a recipe for disaster."

I took his face between my hands, smooshing his face. "Follow your heart. If you don't want to use your bloodline, then don't! No one is making you! The option is there though. You'll know when you need to order someone, even against their will. You're too good and naïve to abuse such a power." I snickered as Naruto batted my hands away, face flushing in embarrassment.

Naruto breathed out a long sigh. "You're right. I'm overthinking this, ya? If I don't want to use it ever again, I won't!" He jumped to his feet, arms raised high above his head as he stretched out. He smiled down at me. "Right! I'll make a promise to myself, here and now! You're my witness so it's all official and stuff."

I jumped to my feet, smiling down at Naruto. "Alright. I'll hold you to it."

"Well, you know I don't break my promises. But, if I do, you have to hold me accountable, k?"

I nodded. "I'll think of some super embarrassing punishment for you."

Naruto grinned. "Alright. From this day forward, I will only use my bloodline to save the life of one of my clan members! Like… if I know their seal will blow up or something like that! Or like… If we're fighting, and they don't see the kunai flying at them, I can order them to move! Things like that! What do you think?"

I shook my head and sighed. "If that works for you. So much wasted potential. Think of it, Naruto. Personal. Masseuse!"

Naruto laughed and playfully shoved me. "That's what Fú is for though! I'm sure she'd rub your back if you asked!"

I snorted. "I have tried that. She rubbed my shoulders for exactly thirty seconds before she lay flat on the ground and announced it was her turn."

Naruto burst out laughing at that, the tension from earlier completely melted away as if it had never existed.

***************************************KY********************************************

I sighed as I remembered the memory. There is no way Naruto would have ever gone along with my plan. Ordering someone to perform a technique that will kill them is the opposite of saving the life of his kin.

He's going to hate me, and I will have to spend the rest of my life with that knowledge. Hopefully, since I am doing this for others, he will eventually forgive me.

'I highly doubt he will stay angry at you for too long.'

I jumped in shock, quickly taking in my surroundings. No longer was I in a fake tree hideout. Instead, I seemed to be in some type of industrial style basement; maybe even a sewer?

"Hello? Who's there?" I called out. "Where am I?" I finished in a much quieter voice.

"What a disgrace. A Yamanaka that doesn't even recognize a mindscape?" A deep voice rumbled from the deep shadows ahead.

I looked around once more, wrinkling my nose. "Whose Mindscape is this? It's… A dump. For a person to have such a representation in their inner workings indicates severe and deep-rooted psychological damage. I've never seen one so… depressing."

"A disgrace of a mind walker, AND a moron. Why my jailor admires you so much is a mystery I fear I will never solve."

Hearing those words made it all click.

Naruto.

I felt my heart grow heavy with shame, sadness, and guilt. Over a decade of friendship, and Naruto still has such deep-rooted trauma? Once this was over, we have to work on this. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and walked forward, deeper into the shadows. A towering cage appeared before me, Naruto lay at the base of the gate, fast asleep. I felt my temper flare a bit but quickly pushed it away. Now was not the time to lose my cool. Chomei had told me much about Kyubi; including his volatile temper when dealing with humans.

I stopped and dipped into a low and respectful bow. "Lord Kyubi. It is an honor to finally meet you."

"Not entirely moronic. Potential. Yes, I am the Great Kyubi! Strongest of the Tailed-Beast! I am glad that you know your place, human!"

I mentally rolled my eyes. Someone is full of themselves.

Coming from me? That's the ultimate insult because I'm basically perfection personified.

I smirked slightly at that thought, the reactions from my closest friends and family replaying in my mind. A few head lumps, eye rolls, and scoldings would most likely ensue.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Kyubi," I called out instead.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Our time is short. I am keeping Naruto's consciousness at bay while you do what needs to be done. Normally, I would have immediately expelled your invasion. However, you are correct in knowing my jailor's heart. He would not be able to order such a technique to be used, even to save thousands. You, on the other hand, have no issues ordering someone to their death. Pray tell, why should I continue to help you? I have no love for humans, alive or dead. My jailor's mental defenses are the weakest they have been in since I was sealed here, and his seal is weakening by the second. So, tell me, why I should help you when my freedom is so close I can smell it!" Kyubi asked, bringing his face down to meet mine.

"You would rather live in a cage than be absorbed into that statue. At least inside Naruto, you are not so easily captured. You are strong, Lord Kyubi, that is well known. However, against someone with the Rinnegan, you would be vulnerable. Whatever the connection is, those eyes possessed by Nagato are linked to your fate." I replied after a minute of thought.

Kyubi hummed and straightened to his full height.

"One thousand years ago, a monster rampaged across the lands, killing thousands. Two brothers confronted the beast, using the power their mother gave to them. After three days and three nights, the beast was finally defeated. The elder brother absorbed the beast's chakra, sealing it inside his own body. Together, the brothers created a prison for the empty shell of the monster and launched it towards the heavens. The younger brother followed the beast, vowing that he and his decedents would ensure the body would never be disturbed."

"For many years, the elder brother traveled the lands, giving the gift of chakra to the common people. When the end of his life approached, the man used the eyes he inherited from his mother, the eyes of a God. With their power over creation the man split the chakra of the great beast into nine separate entities. He breathed life into each being and gave them all a mission. Look after the humans, he told them. Protect them from future calamities such as the one the man and his younger brother once did."

"The nine beings gladly accepted their mission, and for centuries kept their promise. Eventually though, human greed won out. They began to capture the nine, sealing them away for their own power. Soon, the nine began to fear, and finally hate the humans. They forgot the mission they were entrusted so long ago and began to fight back."

Kybui sighed, which to me sounded louder than Sakura and Ino of the past announcing their love for Sasuke.

"I never forgot my mission. I help you now to honor the man you know as The Sage of Six Paths. To me, he is father."

I gasped on hearing those words. This was a story that I could bet ryo on, that very few in living memory had heard directly from its source.

"This man who bears the same eyes as my father is using them for personal and corrupt reasons. He intends to revive the beast my father defeated a millennia ago. I will do what I can do ensure that such an event does not come to pass. Many of my siblings are sealed away. I will work with you humans to see their freedom. My father gave me a second mission. As the strongest of the nine, I was charged in protecting my siblings. I will, for my father."

I bowed low once more. "I thank you, Lord Kyubi. Your mission is a just one. I will do whatever I can in my power to assist you. Lady Chomei is a dear friend of mine. I would see her free once more."

Kyubi nodded, studying me.

"You are a mystery to me, Kenta Yamanaka. You have the heart of a warrior, yet you embrace the shinobi lifestyle like a fish to water. You love openly and freely, yet you have a darkness in you. The darkness inside you is vast and consuming; being held back by the tiniest of membranes. I fear for the world if that darkness consumes you."

I stood up and gaped in shock. "I… I know this. I do what I can to fight it."

Kyubi nodded. "I know this as well. An ability of mine is to detect negative emotions. You are absolutely saturated with negativity, and yet you fill yourself with light and love to counteract the dark. It is an internal war that must be resolved sooner, rather than later. If the darkness wins, I warn you now, human. I will do what I must to protect my jailor."

I opened my mouth but closed it almost instantly. He… made some good points. I'd always struggled with that inner darkness. The struggle nearly consumed me after the death of my father.

Work out the memories from my past life. Work out how to defeat the darkness in my heart. Combat a group of S-Rank terrorists. The list ran on and on.

I need a vacation.

"I understand," I replied back after a moment. "You most likely won't have to worry about that though. After today I fear that Naruto won't even be able to look at me."

Kyubi snorted and shook his head.

"Since the night that you met Naruto, my seal was prematurely weakened. To survive the internal injuries, I needed to feed young Naruto more chakra than what I could at the time. Since then, I have been privy to all that has taken place around the boy. In the world around him, as well as every single waking thought he has. This human adores you, Kenta Yamanaka. He sees you as his kin. He will be upset, yes. It may be days, weeks, or even months before he does forgive you. He will eventually though. Do not let this burden weigh on your mind too greatly. You have more important things to worry about at this point in time."

"You are correct. I can feel Naruto's consciousness stirring. I must go."

"One last thing before you leave, Kenta Yamanaka."

I stared up at the behemoth form towering above me.

"The darkness inside you cannot be defeated," Kyubi stated.

I stared in shock. "Then what am I supposed to do?!"

"If you continue on your path, the darkness inside will consume the light. The darkness inside you is vast and ravenous. It will consume the world if it wins. Humans are complex creatures. You should know this, as it is your specialty. I leave you with this tip. You cannot cast shadows without the light. Now go. I will do what I can to keep Naruto's consciousness restrained."

I nodded, bowing one more time in respect.

'You catch more flies with honey than vinegar,' Mom's voice rang in my head. I rose from my bow and blinked, back in Nagato's hideout.

"Are you ignoring me, boy? What about the Uzumaki Royal Line? What nonsense do you speak of?" Nagato asked through labored breaths, the paralytic still in full effect.

I pushed Kyubi's words to the back of my mind to digest for later. I could feel Naruto consciousness attempting to shake off Kyubi's influence. I opened my mouth to reply but was interrupted by a new voice.

"Disobeying a direct order from your Kage is treason, the penalty is death. Naruto, you had better have a good explanation for disobeying me." Lord Fifth drawled as he entered the hideout. His crimson eyes swept the room swiftly. I knew though that he had memorized every single detail in painstaking clarity. "What happened to Kenta? Is he hurt?"

I glanced down at the body lying on the ground in front of me. I turned to Lord Fifth. "I'm fine," I said plainly.

"Why have you taken over Naruto's body, Kenta?" Lord Fifth asked.

"To force Naruto to use his bloodline. I knew that he would never agree to use it himself, even if it meant saving everyone this man killed." I reported, snapping a salute.

Hey, I was already in deep shit. No need to make it worse!

"I see. And what is your plan?"

"To order him to use the Outer Path Technique. Reviving everyone in the process at the cost of his own life."

Lord Fifth nodded. "A much better plan than my own."

"Lord Fifth?" I asked in confusion.

"I too came here for that very technique." He replied vaguely.

"Would… the Sharingan illusions be strong enough to force him to use it?" I asked a spark of hope igniting in my chest.

"No." He said, and I felt the spark die. "I planned on killing him, taking his eyes for my own, and using the technique to bring back the people I failed."

"Yeah, that plan is not a good one," I said in a flat voice.

"Naruto will hate you, you know this. I will gladly give my life for this village, Kenta. You don't have to do this." Lord Fifth said in a low voice full of concern.

I shook my head rapidly. "Naruto hating me for possibly the rest of my life is worth far less than your life, Lord Fifth. A storm is coming. Konoha will need you. Nagato isn't the man pulling the strings. He's just another puppet."

"What nonsense are you talking about, boy? Akatsuki is and has always been under my control."

"Oh really? Then what about that man in the orange mask? Tobi, I think is what he goes by? Looks to me like he is the one truly calling the shots." I called back.

"I only let him think he is in charge," Nagato replied. I winced, feeling Naruto's fury starting to combat my control. "I have to do this now, Lord Fifth."

"One last thing, what did you do to the woman over there?" Itachi asked, glancing at Konan. Her face was screwed up in concentration, attempting to fight off the effects of my poison that were starting to take effect.

"My most lethal and painful poison," I growled out. "No less than what she deserves. She's the one who brought Fú here. She's the reason Fú is dead and Chomei is sealed away."

"All actors must play their parts, even if they must throw their morals away. My dreams are troubled by the innocents I have slain. Their cries of anguish and pain stay with me in waking and dreaming." Konan said through gritted teeth.

"What nonsense are you spewing? Your mind shouldn't be breaking already. The itch is just starting to warm up." I said in disgust.

"I would appreciate it if you gave her the antidote." Lord Fifth said from my right.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Lord Fifth?"

"The man who has been feeding me insider information. My informant since I left the Akatsuki, is no man. My insider is a woman, and you are slowly killing her right now."

*******************************See that coming?!***************************************

A single hand burst from the ground quickly pulling up the body it was attached to. Kakashi appeared from underground, dragging a second body with him. Genma groaned in pain as Kakashi unceremoniously threw him to the ground.

"Your reactions are slow, Gemmy-Poo. You're lucky I thought to grab you when I did." Kakashi said with a smile on his face.

"Bite me, Hatake." Genma bit back, rubbing his temples. "Where's that art-loving freak? Is it too much to hope that he died in that blast?"

"Yup," Kakashi said, popping the P. Genma glanced skyward and groaned in annoyance. Deidara slowly descended, looking around at the aftermath of whatever that attack was. He whistled in appreciation.

"It didn't have the pizazz I normally go for, but the single moment of mass destruction was truly a masterpiece! I can't be shown up by that, ya?" Deidara called down to the two men. He straightened up suddenly, face morphing into a frown.

"Are you good to fight? He could attack at any moment." Kakashi asked Gemna lowly. Genma stood with a groan and popped his back.

"I'm good. Though I don't know what we can do against this guy. His range is ridiculous and neither you nor I are long-distance fighters." Genma replied with a sigh.

Deidara suddenly let out a sound like a wounded cow. "Seriously?! I was just about to show them my ultimate art, ya! Tch. Fine. Where?! You've gotta be kidding me! It'll take me days to get there, ya! Fine! I'm going!" Deidara looked back down at the ground. "You two are lucky! Head Honcho is calling for a retreat, ya. You two better train up! Next time we run into each other, I'm showing you my ultimate art, ya!"

And with that, the clay construct rapidly beat its wings, ascending quickly before shooting off towards the north.

Genma let out a sigh of relief.

"You sigh a lot, you know that?" Kakashi said, sitting down on the ground, letting out his own sigh of appreciation.

"This entire day has been troublesome." Gemna murmured, sitting down next to Kakashi. "Why do you think he was ordered to retreat? You don't think…?"

"I don't know and there's no point in working ourselves up over not having the information. We'll sit here for a few minutes to catch our breath then regroup with Lord Fifth." Kakashi responded.

Genma nodded. "Please be okay, Naruto. You too, Fú." He quietly prayed.

*********************************Mama Bear Gemmy-Poo!******************************

"Wow. I did not see that one coming." I said in shock. Even Naruto and Kyubi seemed to be momentarily dumbstruck by such a revelation.

"Konan! What nonsense is he speaking of?" Nagato growled out, staring at the petite woman.

"He speaks the truth. For four years I have been sending information to Itachi about Akatsuki. Our plans. Movement. Everything."

"Why?! Why would you betray me like this?!" Nagato roared in outrage.

"Because! You are NOT the Nagato I knew! The sweet boy I grew up with, trained with, lived with! He died the day Yahiko did! You're just some imposter who wears his face! The Nagato I knew would have never sacrificed his own family to gain power! I watched you, for years, sink further and further into this pit of madness! When Itachi left, I saw my chance to rid the world of the monster you had become!" Konan screamed out, tears of hurt and frustration falling down her porcelain face.

I watched the exchange with rapt attention. Internally I was doing a happy dance. This was excellent! Betrayed by his one and only friend? I couldn't have written a better scenario if I had tried.

I grabbed my head, wincing as Naruto was now fully awake. He and Kyubi seemed to be having a screaming match inside my head. I unsealed a tiny vial, throwing it to Lord Fifth who caught it expertly.

"I'm a bit of a sadist, so the antidote is very slow acting. She's going to have to endure some of the effects. I'd recommend putting her to sleep if she starts scratching profusely. Now, I have to do this, NOW."

"No! We are not done! I will not-"

"Nagato Uzumaki! I ORDER you to stay silent!" I yelled out over top of the man. Instantly, and to my insane pleasure, his mouth snapped shut instantly. His eyes bulged as the veins in his forehead and neck began to dilate. "You wanted to know about the Uzumaki Royal Line? This is their power. A direct order from one born of their blood is impossible to ignore by anyone with Uzumaki blood coursing through their veins. After some research, Naruto and I discovered its main purpose was to help a Jinchuriki control their tailed beast. If during training, the Jinchuriki began to lose control, a single word from a Royal could end the rampage before it began."

I walked over to my unconscious body and withdrew a scroll. I began to sweat, the concentration to keep control over Naruto's body increasing by the second. Naruto was going wild inside my mind, but I had to do this. I sent a silent prayer to anyone listening that the Kyubi was correct, and one day Naruto would forgive me.

I unsealed the object inside the scroll. I cradled Kono's head, whispering words of reassurance to it. I set it on the ground in front of Nagato.

"Nagato Uzumaki! I order you to use your power to repair Kono's body!" I called out. I felt Naruto halt in his mental assault. I could feel his confusion and near relief at my request.

The next order would seal the deal though.

I watched as Nagato's face turned a shade nearly matching his hair as he attempted to ignore my order. After only seconds though, I felt the pulse of power from his alien eyes.

I jumped as a figure quickly rose from the ground. The demonic head had matching eyes to that of its master. I cried out in alarm as the demonic head opened its maw and a tongue like appendage quickly wrapped around Kono's head. As soon as the tongue fully retracted, the demon began to chew rapidly. I stared in horror, wondering what I had just done.

My soul itself cried out in relief as mere moments later, the demon opened its mouth and gently laid a perfectly undamaged Kono on the ground. The demon sunk into the ground, its presence vanishing entirely. I knelt beside Kono, a small smile on my face. I could feel Naruto's own relief on seeing Kono whole once more. Aside from the lack of her chest rising and falling, she could have been sleeping. The look of pain and fear that had been frozen to her visage replaced by calm serenity.

I kissed Kono's forehead one last time before standing. I quickly walked over to the broken body of the love of my life. If Fú had not been unceremoniously dumped with her appendages splayed in awkward positions, she too could have been merely asleep. I gently lifted her, kissing her forehead once I had her securely in my arms. I walked back to where Kono was laying and gently lowered Fú to rest beside my baby sister.

I stroked the head of mint green that I had come to love, smiling tenderly. I stood, locking eyes with Nagato, who was now foaming at the mouth. His eyes were those of a cornered animal, knowing its death was mere feet away. I smiled in savage pleasure.

"You know what's coming next. Make it easier on all of us and just do the technique of your own free will." I loudly hissed, hoping that he refused.

My soul sang in pleasure.

"I. Will. Not." He managed to bite out.

"Welp, I tried. Hopefully that earns me a point or two with Naruto." I said nonchalantly. On feeling my pleasure at Nagato's refusal and my callous words, Naruto's consciousness began to fight tooth and nail once again.

"Nagato Uzumaki. You will not speak, you will not move, you will sit there." I ordered before throwing a senbon laced with the paralytic antidote. I didn't actually know if he'd need his hands for this, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Nagato didn't even wince as the needle pierced his flesh. His chest heaved as his eyes darted around wildly. They found Konan's who was staring back impassively. I could feel the turmoil waging inside her. The most dominant emotion though was relief.

I could also feel the emotions racing through Nagato.

I smiled darkly as the predominant emotion was fear.

At least he wasn't stupid.

"Nagato Uzumaki." I paused, for dramatic effect. "I ORDER you to use the Outer Path technique to revive every single Konoha soul that you and your followers took."

I felt the apprehension building inside Nagato.

"What do you wish to say? I order you to answer truthfully," I said in a hard voice, not allowing any loopholes or lies.

"It will not work on someone that has been dead longer than two days. At that point, the soul is too far detached from the body. Even the Outer Path has limits." He said in a rush before snapping his mouth closed. I took pleasure in the irritation that was rolling off him in waves.

I felt a slight pang of disappointment. I had held onto a small hope that somehow we'd be able to bring dad back. However, I took comfort in his words and knowing that he was waiting for me to join him. Hopefully later, rather than sooner.

"I see. That is fine. Nagato Uzumaki. I order you to revive those you and your subordinates killed in the last two days!" I called out, amending my request. "Every. Single. Konoha. Citizen." I bit off each word with a growl.

I watched as Nagato turned an even deeper shade of red to match his lank crimson locks. The vein on his forehead throbbed dangerously, but even he could not resist the words coming from an Uzumaki Royal. He slowly brought a single hand up, the appendage shaking violently as he attempted to fight for control of his own body.

I felt the chakra build and held my breath. Nagato's arm stopped, holding the half ram seal.

"Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life," Nagato said in a defeated voice.

I gasped and quickly turned off my sensing ability. The absolute torrent of power pouring from Nagato's eyes was nearly crippling!

The demonic head rose once more, higher than the last time it was summoned. Its jaw began to creak open, wider and wider. What seemed like an eternity later, the head stilled. I held my breath once more, a frown forming on my face as nothing seemed to be happening.

The surge of power that erupted from the Demon literally took my breath away. I heard Lord Fifth and Konan gasp from behind me.

Thousands upon thousands of strands of light began to pour from the open maw of the demon. Second, by second, more and more strands made their escape. I watched in elation as two of the strands shot straight towards the ceiling only to come crashing down into the two most important women in my life.

After several minutes, the stream of light ended abruptly, and the demonic head quickly sunk back into the Earth.

I held my breath, and on my third heartbeat, both girls took a sharp inhale of air and then began to breathe in a rhythmic pattern once again.

**********************************The First Breath of LYFE********************************

"I see. You all did your best. No one will blame a single person here. I know that Kenta will most likely thank you for doing everything you could to protect Fú. It's good to know that Naruto is safe." Genma said, speaking to the small group gathered at what was once the Uzumaki compound.

Honoka nodded sadly, eyes falling to the row of bodies that had been recovered from the debris. Among the dead, Lord Choza and Lord Choji. Both were the first to charge the invader once it was made clear that attempting to keep the seal running would only lead to everyone's death. Running straight at the monster with barely an ounce of chakra, they fought bravely but were cut down quickly.

Tears filled Honoka's eyes as she looked upon the form of her little cousin. Tayuya was next to fall. The illusions she wove momentarily caught the two men off guard, but neither Tayuya nor Honoka had enough chakra to use a technique to finish the deed. Before Tayuya could close the distance to finish either man off, the chakra hog snapped out of her illusion and drove a black stake through Tayuya's heart.

That was when Fú was captured and sucked dry, swiftly taken by the woman with paper wings. It was then that Honoka ran, dragging Karin with her. She had vowed not to lose a single member of her family ever again. She had already broken that promise, but she could still protect Karin. She threw the girl into the hidden safe house and sealed it tight, quickly writing the seal to make the area invisible.

She then hid, praying that she and her family would survive to see the sunrise. There were already too few Uzumaki left in the world. It couldn't afford to lose anymore. Thankfully, Lee and Guy showed up not a few minutes later, easily dealing with the two men.

It's only sheer luck that saw them survive that concussive blast that came just minutes after Guy and Lee arrived. Had Karin's tag taken any longer to heal Mister Guy, they would not have been in range to get inside the barrier when the blast hit. Honoka thanked her ancestors for looking over her and Karin.

Honoka sniffed, pulling herself together and out of her head. Once the family was back together, they would all mourn Tayuya and her bravery together.

"What's our plan?" Sasuke asked the group. "Do we attempt to find and back my brother up? Or wait here for orders?"

"We wait here. We have accountability of where everyone is. If we were to track down and locate Lord Fifth, I fear we would most likely ruin any type of plan he has. He can contact any of us at any time with his master seal." Kakashi informed the group. "Until then, we wait for Karin to finish the Hero Scrolls so we may honor our fallen brethren."

Kakashi's eye swept the gathered group, receiving a silent or verbal affirmation from each in turn.

"Kakashi, what do you think the plan will be once this is all over? According to that mad bomber you fought, our civilians…" Guy trailed off looking deeply disturbed.

"We will first have to locate the caravan to see if the claim was true or not. If not, we escort our people back and begin the process of rebuilding. If he was telling the truth… Gods, our people will call for blood. This could ignite a war." Kakashi muttered out.

"You did WHAT?!" Sakura yelled out. Kakashi and Guy quickly made their way over to the small group of teenagers.

"I mean… To be fair, I had just been told one of my best friends had been killed. It was a perfectly normal reaction. Now calm down, Sakura-Dear. Frowning leads to premature wrinkles." Ami replied as she gently cleaned Choji's body as best as she could.

"Ami… that… Oh, my gods." Sakura finished in a breathless whisper.

"What happened? What did you do?" Kakashi asked his fiancés apprentice.

"Nothing for you to worry that pretty face over, Captain," Ami said, glancing at Sakura.

"Ami…" Genma said in his mom tone.

Ami rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Okay, so, here's what happened. Don't overreact. It's not that big of a deal."

"Just spit it out," Kakashi said in irritation.

"Imaysentmandatoameandorderedhimtorazethevillagetotheground." Ami said so quickly not one person could understand her.

"Can you repeat that, much slower this time?" Genma asked, looming over Ami.

"I SAID. I sent Manda to Ame and ordered him to raze the village to the ground." Ami said in a cheerful voice. "But, before you yell at me, I did order him to ONLY attack humans wearing Ame's headband. He has explicit instructions to not eat their civilians. That would look bad on Konoha's part." Ami paused and swept her gaze around the group. "Oh! And my love sent a couple of beetles the size of houses to tag along and keep an eye on that feisty snake! They'll let us know if Manda was a bad boy or not. See! No harm, no foul!" Ami's bright smile never faltered.

"You… You… You…" Kakashi continued to just stare at Ami in shock. Ami, for her part, widened her smile and nodded excitedly.

"I think it was a brilliant move," Sasuke said suddenly, causing everyone to turn disbelieving gazes on the young Uchiha. "Manda is heavily tied to Orochimaru. If people report that he was the one attacking Ame, this will shift the gaze to Oto. No one will suspect a seventeen-year-old girl could, not only summon Manda but command him as well. Surprisingly, I was one of those people. You've gotten strong, Kogure. Let's spar sometime."

Ami's smile only widened. "Any time, Sasuke-Dear. Don't go crying to big brother Hokage when I send you to the hospital convulsing."

Sasuke shivered slightly at the look Ami was giving him. It wasn't quite insanity or madness. More like… ravenous hunger? Something. Whatever it was, Sasuke instantly began to regret challenging Ami.

"Young Sasuke isn't quite wrong," Guy said slowly. "Manda is widely known as only allowing Orochimaru to summon him. We will see what Lord Fifth says on the matter."

"I am in agreeance with Sasuke," a deep but quiet voice said suddenly, causing everyone to jump, except for Ami. Ami squealed in delight, attaching herself to Shino's arm and smiling brightly up at him. Shino, in an uncharacteristic move, leaned down and gave Ami a quick kiss to the cheek. Ami blushed heavily, but the sappy look never left her face.

"What are your thoughts, Shino? You and your clan always give logical opinions. You sent your summons with Ami's. What was going through your mind?" Kakashi asked, finally snapping himself out of the stupor Ami had placed him in.

"I will be honest. At the time, I was not thinking logically. My girlfriend was in emotional turmoil due to learning about Kenta's demise. I too was saddened by this news. Kenta is a good friend. We may not speak often, but when we do it is always an enjoyable conversation. I reacted emotionally alongside Ami. I think now it was not the wisest decision, but I do not regret it. Ame is the base of operations for Akatsuki. Attacking their city after repelling an attack made by their village leader is a show of strength to the other Great Villages. It sends the message that Konoha is just as, if not stronger than we've ever been." Shino paused and cleared his throat.

"Once other nations hear that we not only repelled the combined forces of Danzo Shimura, Orochimaru, and Iwa, they will be wary of us once more. I believe that Iwa is already weighing the pros and cons of allying themselves with us. Kiri is still rebuilding from its civil war. They will attach themselves to Konoha upon learning of our victory. Our bargaining in that alliance will be even greater since we hold two of their seven swords. Suna is already our ally. That just leaves Kumo. Even if Iwa only signs a trade agreement and not a full-scale alliance, it will cement the safety of Konoha while we rebuild what we lost."

Shino cleared his throat awkwardly as every single person was left gaping after such a speech.

"Oh, love. I am so proud of you! That is the most you've ever spoken to such a large group of people! I told you that you can do it!" Ami whispered excitedly.

"Thank you, Ami. It is all thanks to your support and helping me deal with my social anxiety." Shino replied in a low voice.

"That… is all very possible." Genma interrupted. "A well thought out conclusion. Let us hope that is the end result. We will report all of this to Lord Fifth. Ami, you do realize that both you and Shino could be severely punished for your actions, right?" Genma said, pinning Ami with a glare.

Ami's smile dropped immediately, her eyes falling to the ground in shame. "I know, Cpt Genma. I have already vowed to myself that I will not regret my decision and that I will accept any punishment handed to me due to my actions. I would do it again if given the chance." By the end, Ami had met Genma's eyes. They burned with determination, not an ounce of doubt.

"As long as you understand." Genma dropped his voice. "I for one support your decision. Had I been told that Kenta had been killed, I probably would have marched there myself."

"What I want to know is what Lord Fifth will decide upon with Taki. They betrayed us and allied themselves with Danzo! I know for a fact that Kenta will be out for blood." Sakura asked out loud.

"I believe once the rebuild is in full swing, my bro- Lord Fifth will demand an explanation from Shibuki. If he doesn't like what he hears… I honestly believe we will march on Taki within a year. Itachi hates war and violence. However, traitors to him are unforgivable. Especially with everything that's going on, Konoha, and the entire continent for that matter, can't afford to doubt our allies, and we cannot let such a slight go. Had they allied with anyone else, we could have been lenient like we were when Suna was tricked. However, they went right to the two biggest traitors in Konoha's history."

"It pains me to say this, but I believe young Sasuke is correct. War is a very unyouthful event, but in our world, it is unavoidable." Guy said solemnly.

"I would rather not go to war," Lee said, stepping into the gathering. He had been consoling Honoka for the last hour. She finally went to check on the progress that Karin was making with The Hero Scrolls. "Is there no other alternative?"

"It all depends on various circumstances. As Sasuke said, it all begins and ends with Shibuki's response." Kakashi explained.

The entire group fell silent after that, each person lost in their thoughts on what the future would hold. Sakura opened her mouth, attempting to change the subject to less dark thoughts. Right as the words began to leave her mouth, she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye. Sakura turned, her loud gasp catching the attention of everyone gathered.

"What is that?" Ami asked in wonder. "It's so pretty!"

Thousands of strands of emerald light raced across the sky towards the east. The small group watched the display with wide, curious eyes. Sakura cried out as a dozen of the strands took a sharp right turn and began racing directly for their group.

"Is this an attack by the enemy?!" Sasuke yelled out, eyes morphing into their newly awakened form.

"It could be anything. Prepare yourselves!" Kakashi yelled.

The dozen streams of light blitzed forward, the gathering shinobi tensed their muscles, ready to dodge whichever way was needed.

With multiple sighs of relief from various mouths, every person stared in confusion at the dozen bodies laid in a neat row all glowed slightly after each was struck with a single strand of light.

Three heartbeats later, a single intake of breath was drawn into the mouths of one dozen men and women in unison.

*******************************Konoha warpath!****************************************

"Release," I said in a shaky voice. I held my breath and weathered the sense of vertigo as my consciousness returned to my body. I inhaled sharply once back into my body. I quickly shook off the slight disorientation that accompanied the return. On hands and knees, I quickly made my way over to the small forms of Fú and Kono. I heard a groan of pain behind, knowing that Naruto was back in control of his body. I was prepared to weather hurricane Naruto.

After I heard the voices of my girls first.

I placed shaky hands upon the abdomen of both girls. Sobs quickly overtook my body as tears of joy, relief, and happiness spilled down my face. My hands rose and fell with the steady intake and exhale of each breath my girls took.

Kono was the first to stir. I watched as her face began to twitch. Memories from my past, memories I had taken for granted began to flash through my mind. Waking a six-year-old Kono up each morning for classes, she would make the same face. Her tiny face would scrunch up in annoyance at being woken. It was then I knew I needed to get out of the room because tiny fists soon started flying.

Kono was not a morning person, just like her brother.

I smiled brightly as Kono slowly came to. She cracked open her eyes, a look of confusion on her face.

"Big Bro? Where am I? What happened? Was that all a dream?" She asked quietly.

I took a deep breath, reining in my errant emotions.

"We're just outside of Konoha. No, it wasn't a dream. Big Bro though fixed it. I brought everyone back. Mom should be waking up soon wherever you guys were attacked." I explained in a soft voice.

Kono simply nodded, taking my words in stride. She noticed Lord Fifth supporting Konan over by the entrance. Her eyes then fell to Naruto and they opened in alarm.

"Is Big Bro Naruto okay?" She asked slightly panicked.

I nodded. "He is. He's just recovering, same as you."

Kono smiled at that and nodded. "I'm sleepy, Kenta. Can I take a nap?" To emphasize her point, her jaw cracked open in a big yawn.

I momentarily panicked, not wanting Kono to ever close her eyes again in fear that they would never open once more. I shoved that self-defeating thought aside and nodded.

"K. Wake me up in an hour." She said drowsily. She curled up into a tiny little ball, right there on the floor of the forest. I chuckled softly at her. Relief overwhelming my senses. I was snapped out of my loving big brother daze by the softest of groans to my right. I glanced down, seeing movement behind Fú's eyes. I knelt down and gently lifted the small girl into my arms.

"Fú. Love, it's time to wake up." I said gently.

Fú groaned again, this time much louder, and what sounded suspiciously like disappointment.

"Five more minutes." She mumbled out, snuggling deeper into my chest. My face lit up like Sasuke had just blown his fireball of love directly into my face.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," I whispered.

Fú cracked open her eyes and blinked blearily up at me. "Kenta? What happened? What- Oh gods! Lord Choza! Choji! Honoka! What-"

I cut her off with a finger over her mouth. "They're fine. Everyone is fine. Do you remember what happened?"

Her face sagged in relief as the tension left her body. "We were in the sealing chamber. All of a sudden, the Akimichi began to drop like flies. Honoka called for us to cut the chakra. I had been trying to help, but he was draining my chakra just as fast. We engaged the enemy. I saw Lord Choza and Choji fall. I went to rush to heal them, but I was grabbed from behind and knocked out. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here?"

"You don't remember anything between then?" I asked with a frown.

Fú shook her head. "I think I had a dream? I can't remember any details though."

I nodded, breathing a small sigh of relief. Whatever Becca did to Fú, it seems as though she wasn't aware. I felt Fú stiffen in my arms.

"Kenta? It's quiet." She said in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah, we're out in the forest outside of town. Only birds and other animals out here." I said, smiling down in reassurance.

Fú's chakra roiled in absolute soul-crushing fear. "No, Kenta! In here!" Her voice rose several pitches in her panic as she pointed directly to her temple.

I felt my face fall as I made eye contact with Fú. "I'm so sorry. I was too late to get to you. Chomei was extracted, Fú. I'm so sorry."

Tears instantly welled in Fú's eyes and she began to sob hysterically into my chest. "S-she was my best friend! It's l-like a p-part of me is missing! Kenta, I don't like the quiet!" She continued to cry, her wails of fear and heartbreak slowly rising in pitch. I felt Lord Fifth's presence behind me and I turned towards him. He raised a single eyebrow in question to which I nodded.

Lord Fifth knelt, Sharingan activating. "Fú. Fú, look at me." Lord Fifth said gently.

Fú raised her head, meeting Lord Fifth's gaze. She instantly became a boneless heap in my arms, her crying giving way to the gentle breathing of sleep.

"Thank you, Lord Fifth. I knew she would take it hard." I said quietly to the man, gently stroking the hair out of Fú's face. I kissed her once on the top of her head before gently lowering her to the ground. I still had one last objective to fulfill.

Show this man what true Pain was.

I felt the storm directly behind me, I rose to my feet and turned to face Naruto.

The sound of flesh meeting flesh rung throughout the clearing as I soared several feet back courtesy of Naruto's mean left hook.

"You. Fucking. BASTARD!" Naruto screamed, eyes transitioning back and forth between cerulean and crimson. "You had NO RIGHT to use my body like that! You knew my feelings about using my bloodline! You knew and you STILL went ahead and abused it!"

I stood up, brushing off some dirt. "So you would have rather that piece of shit live, rather than Kono, Fú, Mom, Iroko?" I met his blazing eyes with my cold teal gaze.

Naruto faltered for a moment before the anger returned. "There could have been another way!"

"Yes, there could have. I wasn't taking that chance though. I took the option with the largest chance for success. Grow up, Naruto. The world isn't sunshine and rainbows." I fired back, the ball of guilt in my stomach become heavier with each word I spoke. I knew this would happen. I knew this anger and rage would be directed at me in full force.

I didn't care.

As I told Lord Fifth. The lives of my sister, mother, fiancé, and thousands of others were more than worth my relationship with Naruto. I would choose this path. Every. Single. Time.

Naruto growled, unsure of how to respond. I took up the silence.

"Naruto. I love you. With all my heart. You are my brother in all the ways that matter. I am sorry, truly, for deceiving you and taking advantage of you. But I could not risk it. I would have done literally anything to bring them back. I would have killed Lord Fifth. I would have killed myself. I would have killed you if it was the only way." I stated, never breaking eye contact.

Naruto's eyes slowly began to fade and remain their baby blues.

"It's just… What you did. I guess I'm so mad is because you knew that I would be too weak to do it myself. I'm not like you, Kenta. I wish I was, but I'm not. No one is born evil. The world beats them down until they break. I could have fallen to a similar situation. I just… why did you have to resort to such a drastic measure from the start?! Are you so arrogant that you think your way is the only way?! Look at him! You knew this would kill him! You ordered someone from my clan to kill themselves! Who are you to decide that one life is worth more than another!?" Naruto's cold gaze met my own, shocking me slightly.

"One life is not worth more than another. They are equal in every way to the eyes of a stranger. We measure worth based on our personal opinions about an individual. Your clan, the Uzumaki, believes that family is the most important thing. I do too. Whose life is worth more to you, Naruto? A member of your clan that you know nothing about? Who killed tens of thousands of our citizens? Who has hunted down and extracted the tailed beasts from others of your clan! You would weigh his life in greater value than OUR BABY SISTER?! Than your OWN CLANSMEN?! A single-life is worth, not more, nor less than another. But this man's single life is NOT worth the thousands that he took! If you can't see that, we're done here!" I yelled, my temper rising.

Naruto looked down in shame. I caught the reflection of light as Naruto turned quickly on his heels. He beat a hasty retreat to the corner, refusing to meet my gaze. I was hoping he would have left. What he's about to see is not going to help my position. However, I wasn't changing my plans. I would deal with the consequences later.

I turned towards Nagato and marched forward. I stared apathetically at the shriveled husk before me. His hair had turned snow-white, his already emaciated form now a walking skeleton with skin.

"Before you pass to the afterlife, there's one more thing you need to see," I informed the man in a hushed voice.

I placed a single hand on his forehead, closing my eyes and concentrating. I made a half-ram seal, directing my chakra in the most familiar of ways.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Memory Crush," I whispered out. Nagato gasped as the memory I selected was instantly wiped from his mind. I focused and directed my chakra once more.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Memory Retrieval," I whispered once more. I felt Nagato tense under my palm, the ghost of a pleased smiled causing my lips to twitch.

"Ladies and Gentleman, for our matinee this evening I present to you a Kenta Yamanaka original short movie. Titled: The Puppet God." I called out in a dramatic voice. I felt Lord Fifth and Konan's chakra spike in surprise. Curiosity soon replaced wariness. Naruto's chakra was difficult to read. Dozens upon dozens of emotions warring with one another. I counted it a win that it wasn't just pure hatred.

I made a ram seal, and a puff of smoke later a single shadow clone stood beside me. We made eye contact and nodded to each other. We each placed a single hand on Nagato's head for the grand finale.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Memory Walk," I called out.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Memory Projection." My clone called out shortly after.

Seconds later, the memory began to play for all to see. Soon, the world, including my brother, would see the shame of Nagato Uzumaki.

***********************Kenta is NOT satisfied with having his girls back!***********************

We watched as a young Nagato sat on the floor of his family's living room. Though the house was small and worn, you could feel the care and love that poured from every single nook and cranny. Nagato sat on the ground, reading a book and occasionally stealing glances at the crimson-haired woman humming over the stove. A small smile broke across his face as he went back to reading his book.

Nagato's father was scribbling furiously on a scroll. A look of deep concentration painted his features. Minutes later, he laid his brush off to the side and began to scan his work. Line by line, his smile grew wider.

"I've done it!" Nagato's father called out.

"What's that, dear?" The mother asked.

"A seal that we will plant with our next set of crops. It will passively absorb the natural energy from deep under the ground, feeding it to our plants. It will ensure the plants will thrive and be healthy! Next winter will not be nearly as hard as this past one was." The father explained, beaming at his wife, eyes full of self-pride.

"That is wonderful dear! Winter was very hard on us, wasn't it? It will be nice to enjoy life, rather than worrying about how to ration our food until spring. You are incredible, my love." The mother said, walking forward and kissing her husband. The mother and father turned, smiling at their giggling son on the floor.

"What are you giggling for, baby?" The mother asked.

Nagato shrugged but failed at keeping the smile off his face. "I like seeing mommy and daddy happy." Was the simple reply.

Both parents looked on fondly at their only child. The pride they had in him painted clearly on their faces.

The mother opened her mouth to reply, but a scream of terror tore from her lips instead of words of love. A swirling vortex had just appeared at their doorway. The father jumped to his feet quickly, shouting instructions for the mother to take Nagato and run.

From within the vortex, the steel viper struck. Once. Twice.

The mother and father dropped to the ground. Eyes open and unblinking. The blood from the gaping wounds on their necks quickly pooling around their corpses. From within the vortex a masked man stepped swiftly into the living room.

His eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for any dangers. His gaze landed on the shaking child frozen in fear still sitting on the living room floor. Sharingan met bright violet, and the man laughed.

"This is who Master has chosen? He doesn't look like much. It matters not, I will follow his plan and get my revenge."

He closed the distance between Nagato quicker than the human eye could blink. He forced the child to look directly into his crimson gaze.

"You will not remember this moment. You will instead remember two Konoha shinobi breaking into your parents' house, killing them. They thought the old and decrepit thing was abandoned and mistook your parents for enemies. Kill first, ask questions second. In a fit of rage, you awakened your Rinnegan, killing the men in retaliation." The masked man told his lie in a monotonous and dead tone. Nagato's violet eyes, glazed over from the illusions the man was weaving simply nodded.

"Good. Now then, as a failsafe." The man glanced towards the door, the vortex opening once more. A masked woman stepped through the portal. Her only distinguishable characteristics were the locks of platinum blonde hair pulled into an intricate bun.

"You called, Tobi?" She asked in a husky voice.

"Yes. Use your abilities to make sure the false memories and real memories stay in place." Tobi ordered.

The woman sighed. "You never call me just to hang out, or have fun. It's only when you need me for my abilities. I'm starting to think you only use me for my techniques." She said, a distinctive pout in her voice.

Tobi scoffed. "You joined me knowing my plan. Where did I ever say anything about fun?"

"I'm only teasing you. Lighten up." The masked woman grumbled. Her eyes found the young boy still sitting dazed on the living room floor. She knelt, her head cocking to the side as if she were studying the boy. "This is the boy that master chose? He doesn't look like much."

Tobi chuckled. "I said the same thing. Master's plans have been flawless so far. We will follow them."

The woman nodded and placed a hand on the small child's head.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Memory Lock," she announced in a clear voice.

'Wait. What the hell is this? Who is this woman? Why does she know our clan techniques? There is no known missing ninja from my clan.' I thought to myself, watching the memory unfold.

The woman rose gracefully to her full height upon completion of her task. She turned towards Tobi. "It is done, boss. The boy will never know the truth while he lives and breathes."

"Good job. Master's plan continues as outlined." Tobi walked past the blonde woman and knelt in front of Nagato once more. From within his flowing robe he withdrew a glass jar. Inside the jar a pair of eyes lay suspended in the viscous liquid.

Not just any eyes.

Rinnegan eyes.

"Take care of these eyes, child. Master will return one day to collect them. If they are damaged in any way, your planned death will be much more painful." Tobi mumbled. He turned towards the woman. "Are you prepared for the procedure?

"Yes, yes." She said impatiently, hands igniting in the warm green glow of healing chakra. "Let's be done with this task. I have a self-appointed appointment with my large soaking tub."

Tobi grunted and turned back to Nagato. With a blur, Nagato was broken out of his trance, screaming in agony. He clutched at his eyes, eyes that were no longer there. With a burst of chakra, Tobi ignited the amethyst orbs that had once graced Nagato's face. The eyes quickly burnt to dust. Tobi opened his hands, the ashes of the young child's eyes dispersing like leaves on the wind. He quickly broke the seal on the jar. He set the jar on the ground, stood up to his full height, and stepped back.

"Your turn. Do not screw this up. This is an integral part of the Master's plan." Tobi commanded.

"I understand, Leader." The woman snarked out. She disappeared, reappearing behind Nagato. With a single green coated finger, she touched a spot on the back of Nagato's skull. Instantly, his screaming ceased, and he stilled on the ground where he had been thrashing. "Ah, much better."

She quickly rolled Nagato onto his back and from within a pouch on her hip fished out two horrifyingly archaic tools. Within seconds, she had the devices placed inside the empty eye sockets of the unconscious child, keeping them wide open to gaze emptily at the ceiling above.

With expert precision the woman plunged her small and delicate hand into the jar, quickly fishing one of the powerful eyes out from within its bowels. With deft hands and surgical precision, she quickly implanted the eye into Nagato's left socket. Her green coated hand hovered over the eye for a few moments and then it was removed. The left eye now held a single Rinnegan that looked as if it had been there his entire life. She removed the medieval-looking device and Nagato's eyelid fell back into place. Minutes later, the right eye was completed.

The green glow vanished from her hands, and once again a single hand was placed on Nagato's forehead.

"Yamanaka Clan Technique: Memory Crush," she said in a low alto.

The woman stood quickly, feigning dusting off her hands. "Done." She announced.

"I can see that. You are sure you performed the procedure correctly? He won't remember losing his eyes?" Tobi asked in a low voice, the hint of a threat hanging in the air.

The woman slowly turned towards her companion, a cold aura seemed to permeate the air. "You doubt my abilities? I can show you first hand how capable I am." She responded coldly.

"I do not doubt. I only need reassurance. These plans must be completed to perfection, we cannot risk even a single mistake." Tobi said hastily.

The chilling aura vanished instantly. "Of course, Tobi darling. He will only remember what you told him to. He will awaken to the… where are the corpses?! Tobi! You are scolding me about messing up the plan and you don't even have the Konoha corpses planted? Hypocrite!"

There was a split second of silence. "I did not forget. I was simply waiting until we left before laying the evidence."

"You are an absolutely appalling liar. As I was saying he will awaken to the corpses of his parents and two Konoha shinobi. He will think he killed the shinobi after awakening his Rinnegan. Nothing more, nothing less."

Tobi nodded, withdrawing two scrolls from his sleeve. With a small puff of smoke, two freshly dead corpses appeared. Tobi tossed the bodies to the ground. The vortex reappearing for the third time.

"Let's be off. This place offends my eyes." Tobi said, stepping through the maelstrom torn in the air.

The woman huffed and mumbled under her breath, making her way towards the portal. She stopped just as she was about to step through. She turned to her right, staring at seemingly nothing.

The memory changed.

"Hello, Kenta." The woman suddenly said.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, I looked around, wondering who she was talking to.

"I'm talking to you, child." She said in her husky voice. "No, do not ask questions. I have simply altered this memory to deliver this message to you. Only those of our blood can see this particular piece of art. Do you like it? I haven't performed the 'Memory Warp' in ages so I may be a tad rusty."

She paused, tilting her head to the side in the same manner that she had studied Nagato with. "I knew that one day you would find this memory. This is why I leave you this message. As you have likely guessed, Nagato isn't the mastermind. Not even Tobi pulls the strings. The chain of string-pullers seems endless, does it not? Anyway, I leave this message as a warning to you. The master puppeteer in this show is an incredibly powerful being. I have foreseen his inevitable resurrection. NOTHING you, nor anyone does will forestall this event. As for me, I am simply along for the ride. I have foreseen hundreds of endings to your story, Kenta Yamanaka."

"It was I who forewarned that spineless worm, Danzo, of the danger that Korinna Uzumaki posed. It was I who guided his hand to double-cross the original Akatsuki, creating Pain in the process. It was I who whispered the powers of everlasting life to Orochimaru, sending him spiraling down the rabbit hole of madness and obsession. It is I who whispered promises of a new age for the Uchiha, causing their unrest. I read the threads and follow them all, choosing which outcome will result in the fastest outcome for my master's rebirth."

"I could have simply let you continue to flounder, Kenta Yamanaka. However, I am intrigued by you. My master is a man who thirsts for battle. The greater the number of strong opponents gather to challenge him upon his rebirth, the more I shall be rewarded."

She took a step forward, placing a single leg inside the vortex. "His resurrection will happen exactly one year, eight months, twenty-one days, and six hours from the time you leave this memory. Train hard, my clansmen. Because before you have the honor of testing your strength against my master, I shall test you myself. You claim to be the strongest Yamanaka in recent history, I will show you that you are simply a boy pretending to be a man."

"If you are somehow able to defeat me, your true test will then begin. My son is exactly one year younger than you. Born mere hours after your time of birth, on the exact day you were born. He is my pride and joy. He alone is the strongest Yamanaka to ever exist in our clan's long history. You will need to train like a man possessed if you hope to even stand a chance against him. I have personally seen to his training since he took his first steps. Your claim of the strongest disgusts and offends me. I will enjoy watching him shatter your illusions of grandeur. I only warn you so that you can at least put up some kind of fight. It would be quite dull watching him beat on a helpless little boy. Train hard, my kin."

"Until then, Ta-Ta!"

She stepped into the vortex, vanishing into the void.

**************************WHO IS THAT? I DON'T KNOW HER!******************************

I blinked several times to clear my vision. My mind was spinning, attempting to process all that extra information I just learned.

Who was that woman? Who is this master she kept speaking of with such a feverish zeal? And her son? Is he as strong as she claims? Is she as strong as she claims?

'I'm our clans first Gods Damn S-Rank in a century. Does that psychotic bitch think to insult me? Ha! She should never have even left that message. Maybe if she and her bastard child had taken me by surprise, they would have stood a chance. I had already planned on pushing my training to the next level. Now? I will make sure I am the one showing HER what a real Yamanaka is capable of.' I continued to internally rant until my aggravated musings were cut off.

"KENTA!" Naruto yelled. "Hello?! Are you there?! Did your own technique backfire and make you deaf?!"

"Sorry, I was thinking. What were you saying?" I said off-handedly.

"I asked you if you had any idea who that woman was?" Naruto asked.

I opened my mouth to reply, but a passing thought interrupted me. I turned towards Nagato, a victorious grin stretching my face. I waved Naruto's ranting off and approached the man.

He lay strapped into his mechanical contraption. His entire frame lay slumped forward, his body language speaking of utter defeat. I inhaled deeply, reveling in the torrents of disbelief and despair oozing off the man. I stepped in front of him, victorious smile turning downright cruel. His eyes were wide in shock and disbelief. They stared straight ahead, unblinking. I leaned in close so that I wouldn't be heard. I felt the chakra of those around me, Naruto's anger and confusion the most prevalent.

"How does it feel, Nagato? How does it feel, knowing that since you were six years old your entire life has been a script that you've been reading from like a good little boy?" I giggled as he turned his disbelieving eyes in my direction.

"That… cannot be true. It cannot be real. I… I am a god. I was to bring peace to this war-torn world."

"No. You're a delusional fool who ate every single bite that was spoon-fed to him by his real masters without question. God's do not have their strings pulled; they pull the strings. You are a puppet God. Your entire existence has never been yours. You were simply in the chorus of this musical. Not even good enough to be a supporting lead, let alone the star." I glanced back towards the others that were gathered. Lord Fifth was staring intently at Nagato and I. Konan was quietly crying into his shoulder while Lord Fifth absentmindedly rubbed her shoulder. Naruto was staring at me. Anger and confusion warring clearly in his eyes.

"I… what have a done?" Nagato whispered, drawing my full attention back to him.

"You bit off more than you could chew." I spat back venomously. "You came to Konoha with illusions of grandeur. You listened to her lies about power that would never be yours. You fell for her act. Hook, line, and sinker. Don't feel too bad though, you weren't the first. She seems to be particularly adept at manipulating men with an ego bigger than their head that have a thirst for power."

I stopped to let my words sink in. I took another deep breath, shuddering as the anguish increased to new heights.

"Answer my question truthfully and I will make your death quick and painless. Who is that woman?" I asked quickly.

"I do not know. I never saw her face. Tobi always referred to as Queen. That is all I know. Please, end my life. End my suffering. I… I have caused so much pain."

Without thought, my body moved on its own. The sound of cartilage breaking echoed in the false tree. I heard Naruto's cry of indignation, but I ignored it. I jumped up onto the strange machine that supported Nagato, bringing my face to within inches of his own.

"How dare you. You come to MY village, hurt MY family and friends. Throw my sister's severed head at my feet. Rip my soul from my body. Murder thousands of innocents. Preach like a broken record how you will show this world what true PAIN is. NOW you want to repent? WHY do the villains ALWAYS see the folly of their actions when the fear of death takes root?! WHY did you not listen to Konan? The woman who stood by your side for as long as she could?! WHY did you not simply rule your country like a true leader, working your ass off to bring peace in the CORRECT way?! Peace cannot be achieved through a single shortcut! You must work your ass off, for your entire life if that's what it takes! If you can't achieve peace in your lifetime, you pass your will down to your descendants. Eventually, the world will know peace!"

I cocked my fist back, ready to swing again. My arm was deftly caught as soon as I began to bring it forward. I looked back, meeting the onyx eyes of Lord Fifth. He shook his head slightly, and I immediately released the tension in my arm. I turned back towards Nagato.

"You came to Konoha to be the harbinger of sorrow and pain, instead, you die in Her forests, a shell of the man who came here. You're a slight breeze away from falling through death's door, your victims are once again among the living, your plan has been foiled. The icing on the cake though? The only person in the entire world that still cared for you betrayed you. You came to this village thinking yourself a god. Instead, you leave the world of the living, another victim of Karma, a true Goddess."

I leaned back slightly and took a deep breath. My eyes snapped open, and before anyone could react, I struck.

In a strange sense of déjà vu, Nagato was once again screaming in agony. Where once sat two orbs of unparalleled power, now only empty caverns existed. I held the legendary eyes tightly in my hands, sneering down at the pathetic man.

"I have no idea who this Master that Tobi and my wayward clansman were speaking of. What I do know is that Tobi was very clear that these eyes that you were gifted were key in their plans. You will have no need of them in hell." I snarled in hatred.

I instantly gathered and converted my chakra, igniting the entire cavern in white light as the lightning danced around my hands. I poured more chakra into the raw element, holding for several seconds. I let go of my chakra, blinking away the black spots as the lightning faded away. I opened my palms and stared in disbelief. The eyes were completely undamaged.

"Damn. I guess these eyes are legendary in more ways than one." I murmured. I withdrew a stasis scroll from my pouch and sealed the eyes away. I turned towards Lord Fifth who was staring at me impassively. I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, reminiscent of Naruto.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away there. Permission to make a request of the Lord Hokage?" I asked awkwardly. I completely avoided the entire area where I could feel Naruto's anger building to new heights.

Lord Fifth studied me for nearly a full minute. Finally, he spoke. "Granted."

"If we are unable to find the means of destroying these eyes, I would ask that I be given permission and sole knowledge of where to hide them so that they do not fall into enemy hands. They are too dangerous to let another enemy of Konoha possess them." I requested with a salute.

Lord Fifth studied me much longer this time. Searching for… something. I began to squirm under his intimidating gaze. Onyx flashed to crimson and I then began to sweat. Lord Fifth abruptly cut off the chakra to his eyes and he turned on his heels.

"I will attempt to use Amaterasu on them in the very near future. If even that does not work, I grant you your request. If the knowledge stays with only a single person, the chances of a leak are less than a tenth of a percent. However…" He trailed off and turned his apathetic gaze on me once more. "If the knowledge gets out that you are the sole person who knows their location and you are captured, I expect you to take your own life if there is even the slightest doubt that you will give that information up. Either willingly or unwillingly. Do I have your word?"

I didn't answer Lord Fifth. Instead, I pointed to the crook of my elbow. Lord Fifth raised a questioning eyebrow at my actions.

"Surgically implanted is a capsule that can only be broken with my chakra and my intention to take my life. Willingly. Inside that capsule is my most powerful poison. It is a synthetic blend that is impossible to immunize yourself against, and there is no antidote for it."

Lord Fifth nodded at my explanation. "I am returning to the village with Konan. I expect things to be taken care of here. Oh, and wake up the two outside that you drugged before you leave. Being eaten by an animal would be the most embarrassing death to a proud shinobi warrior."

Without waiting for any kind of response, Lord Fifth flickered away with Konan in tow, leaving me alone with Naruto. I kept my gaze fixed firmly on the spot where Lord Fifth vanished, attempting to completely ignore the building storm. It was NOT an easy task.

"Finish him," Naruto said suddenly.

I turned toward him, eyes widening in mild shock. "What?"

"He's suffering and is going to die anyway. Regain some of your humanity by ending his pain." Naruto said in an eerily calm voice.

I furrowed my brow in irritation. "Regain my humanity? I never lost it."

"Really? Because that thing I just watched rip someone's eyes out sure didn't look human to me!" Naruto shouted back.

I felt my temper flair in response to Naruto's word. I flickered instantly, appearing in front of Nagato. His empty eyes stared hauntingly at me.

"Kill… Me… Please…" He croaked out.

I nodded, forgetting momentarily that he couldn't even see me. With a single fluid motion, I withdrew and thrust forward the kunai that had appeared in my hand, lodging it hilt deep into Nagato's forehead. The man instantly slumped forward, never to rise again.

"Happy?" I called out. I frowned on not hearing a reply, noticing that Naruto's chakra wasn't even in my range anymore. I momentarily panicked noticing that Kono's chakra was gone as well before the logical side of my brain realized that Naruto must have grabbed her before flashing away.

I grumbled as I jumped down from Nagato's monstrous machine and made my way over to Fú. I knelt and scooped the small girl up easily. She weighed maybe one hundred and ten pounds, and that was if she was soaking wet. I smiled down at her peaceful face before the perpetual frown I had been wearing a lot of lately took back its spot. I knew that losing Chomei would be hard on Fú, I just never realized how hard it would be for her. Chomei and Fú were close, closer than I realized. I guess it was hard to imagine such a strong bond when the other example to base it off was Naruto and Kyubi, who were not close.

I sighed deeply, the stress of the last day quickly catching up to me as the adrenaline finally began to leave my body.

I knew that Naruto would be mad at me, possibly even hate me. I just never expected him to be so unreasonable when it came to Nagato. Sure, he was an Uzumaki. But that man was a mass murderer AND a kin slayer! It was truly baffling and more than irritating that Naruto would take such a strong stance in favor of him! Sure, he was manipulated from a young age. That still doesn't excuse him or lessen the impact of his decisions.

He was manipulated into extracting all nine of the Biju. I could have felt some sympathy for his plight after seeing that memory in detail. However, murdering tens of thousands of civilians, many of them children, just to cause those of us defending Naruto and Fú emotional pain? That was purely Nagato's decision. It was unnecessary and cruel.

If Naruto wants to defend that, then I honestly will be less inclined to let Naruto's feelings of betrayal affect me. Using Naruto's body as I did was wrong, and for that I will do whatever I need to do to earn his forgiveness; working my entire life if I have to. But, regretting my actions afterward? No fucking way. I regret nothing. Nagato deserved what he got and more if you ask me. Had it been just he and I, there's no way I would have passed using 'Despairing Mind Trap' on that piece of shit. Naruto thought that was me being a monster? I'll have to show him some of my past fights. He'll quickly change his tune, realizing I went EASY on Nagato.

The demons inside roared their displeasure at not being able to fully break the man. I pushed them down and began the trek back towards Konoha. I left the faux tree, glancing around at my surroundings. The sun was beginning to set, finally. This day felt like it took a full week. Were we really being attacked by a force of thirty-five thousand just twelve short hours ago? I knew that Lord Nara and Lord Third's plans and tactics were legendary. I just never thought they would work THAT well.

I stopped, something tickling the back of my mind. I shrugged the feeling off, preparing my chakra to flicker away before the light bulb went off. I quickly unsealed twin senbon, flicking them lazily behind me. I waited a few moments before hearing twin groans from my sleeping comrades.

"When you two are fully awake, make your way back to Konoha. Lord Fifth's orders. Later." I called out, disappearing as I felt the indignation building from the two young men. I laughed softly to myself, eyes falling back towards the sleeping girl in my arms.

Whatever the future held; I would be ready for it.

At this moment though, I was elated.

Konoha, while the buildings were gone, survived the dual assaults. Our people suffered traumatizing events that could take years to work through, but they were back amongst the living. They would reunite with their loved ones, and hopefully, hold them a little closer and tighter going forward. Finally, my family was alive, and I would never have to live with the guilt of not being there for them.

Starting tomorrow, after a good night's rest, I would begin to train. I would train until my body gave up, then pick myself up and train even harder. I replayed the words of the rogue Yamanaka, reigniting the fire inside. I don't know if her words were spoken in truth or not. What I did know is that I would be ready either way.

That day, carrying my fiancé in my arms on the way back to the ruins of my village, I made a promise to myself.

NEVER again would I lose a single person I cared for.

I would become powerful. More powerful than any person in existence. Nagato claimed to have the power of a God; I WOULD have the power to rival any god.

I felt the scroll containing the legendary eyes call to me. Having that kind of power at my disposal would make my dream a definite reality.

Only a single question remained.

Would I be able to tame such a power, or would its all-consuming power tame me?

To be continued…

Before going any further… DO NOT JUMP THE GUN AND MAKE ASSUMPTIONS! YOU WILL BE WRONG UNLESS YOU CAN READ MY MIND!

That is all I will say on that single BURNING question in every reader's mind right now.

Thus ends the Pain Arc! What did you guys think?! My god I had SO much fun writing every single word. I know that in the beginning I said this story would mostly follow canon… But fuck it. This AU world I'm building is too exciting to follow that tired script. :D

Plus, HOW would I even get back on track after the shit I've pulled already?

So, who do YOU all think the mysterious woman known as Queen is? I will be shocked/outraged/sad/excited/every other emotion under the sun if one of you is able to guess :D

Next chapter is going to be A LOT more chill than this once. We MAY just get to see our favorite minor character next chapter.

Yes, I'm talking about Drunk Ino! (Well, she's MY favorite minor character)… Lord Fifth may also be persuaded to have a drink or two… Just keep Tsu-Bae AWAY from him. She's a bad influence!

Would anyone be interested in a rematch of Ino v Lee? If so, do we think that Ino can keep her crown as the drunken champion?!

Thanks once again to all my amazing readers who have continued to stay with Kenta and I on this wild and crazy story so far.

As always, I'm more than happy to discuss/chat/talk/listen to suggestions… basically anything! Just slide on into my DMs if you so choose to

FINAL note… This entire arc has been so intense… I kind of forgot about the fun weekly polls I was doing!

The results are in for Kakashi-Senpai! With a vote spread of 8 – 6 – 2 – 1… The house you all believe he would be sorted into… HUFFLEPUFF! YAY! Slytherin was 2nd with the 6 votes.

This week, we have a new poll. I am appalled at myself for not creating this one sooner.

Team 11s very own Mama Bear, Captain Genma! Which Hogwarts house would he be voted into? Click on my profile and cast your vote!

Until next week, Kenta fans! Have a fantastic Monday and week in general!