Chapter 16: Burdens and Promises

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

======================================================

Welcome back, Fwends!

Ok, this chapter has… A LOT going on in it.

Some shit is aboot to go down!

I only have one announcement and it's a big-ish one.

There will NOT be an update next week. I will be out of town for my best fwends wedding Shenanigans starting Thursday.

Having said that… Let's get into this chapter. It'll give y'all a LOT to think about over the longer break.

Letttttssssss GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

"You are sure you want to do this?" Itachi watched the young woman across from him like a hawk; the first sign of hesitation and he would end this before it started.

"I've never been surer of anything in my life, Lord Fifth. I would rather die in the attempt to become stronger than live as average." Tenten replied truthfully.

Itachi sighed. "You know that the chance of success is in the single digits, right? You are far from average. I would not have assigned you to the initial strike squadron had I thought you were simply average."

Tenten smiled brightly. "I appreciate the kind words, Lord Fifth. Working with Lee and Neji, I know where I stand. We work well together. Our teamwork is flawless. But, when it is just me, I struggle. I take full responsibility for that. I have wasted years of training trying to become a master of every weapon in the world. I should have instead focused on one close combat weapon and one ranged weapon. Mastering those would have been more beneficial to me than being mediocre with all of them."

"I will survive this. When I do, I will work harder than I ever have to create a fighting style that is unique to me. I will practice it, every day, until I master it. I swear this to you, Lord Fifth… I will become a kunoichi that rivals Lady Tsunade one day. Please, let me do this."

Itachi stared deep into the teenager's eyes, searching for any type of doubt. He wanted to find something, anything, to call this off. Presenting this option to her was a mistake. She was the next in line to be the primary defense of Konoha. He couldn't keep –

He couldn't keep coddling them and treating them like they were children. Tenten was eighteen. She was a legal adult both in the shinobi's eyes, as well as the civilian's. She could make her own decisions, and she already had.

Itachi pulled out the scroll that held the dangerous parasite inside. He unrolled the scroll and spread it across the table in the room where Tenten would be held and monitored if she survived the initial bonding.

"If you are sure, please give me your hand. I will make an incision and place the Jiongu there. It will immediately seek to create a habitable environment inside your body. It's going to hurt, Tenten. We can't give you anything for the pain either, as we have no idea if it will further decrease the odds of your survival. Do you have any questions? This is your last chance to change your mind. No one will think less of you, I promise." Itachi stated, eyes full of concern for his troop.

His answer was Tenten holding her arm aloft, fully extended, palm face up. She nodded curtly, her eyes burned with determination to survive.

A flash of silver and a hiss of pain and surprise was the only noise that broke the silence. Itachi held the scroll over the wound that was slowly creating a pool of blood in the outstretched hand. Itachi handed Tenten a piece of wood with a layer of cloth wrapped out it. Tenten took it, and immiedaly placed it into her mouth, biting down gently. She deftly secured the device with one hand, signaling that she was prepared.

A burst of chakra preceded the small puff of smoke that erupted from the scroll. A black mass fell swiftly to the ground as gravity went to work. The black mass hit the pool of blood, springing to life and disappearing in an eye blink, straight into the open wound on Tenten's hand.

Tenten's world exploded in pain, the cloth covered wood in her mouth creaked ominously as she bit down hard enough to break bone.

Tenten fell to her knees, her entire body feeling as though it would tear apart at any second. The pain was unlike anything Tenten had every felt. She could feel every single movement the parasite made inside her. Her skin writhed and bubbled as the Jiongu quickly began to overtake every single organ in the girl's body.

The pain was becoming unbearable, blood began to leak from her eyes, mixing with the tears of anguish that cascaded down her face.

Tenten fell to the ground, her breaths coming in labored pants.

Darkness began to creep along the edge of her vision, her entire body began to shut down, the pain becoming a distant memory.

Tenten's breaths came slower and shallower, the tears long dried up. The heart that had beat in her chest from the moment it formed while still in the womb, fluttered once, before it too, went silent.

As the darkness claimed her and her eyes drifted shut for the last time, a voice, a thought, an emotion whispered its intentions in the young woman's mind.

'Live'

Thump… Thump.

**************************************TT*********************************************

"HA! Man that was a good one, Kenta! Have you been working on your comedy instead of training?" Naruto asked me with a shit eating grin.

My only answer was a flat stare.

"C'mon, Kenta. You can't be serious? It makes no sense."

"Why doesn't it?" I asked.

"I mean… Why me? What could I do that you couldn't?" Naruto fired back.

"You wouldn't let the power go to your head. You wouldn't abuse the power. You wouldn't hurt people just for fun, nor would you accidently hurt the people you love because you got lost in the drunken haze." I admitted quietly.

"You wouldn't either! I know you, Kenta! Sure, you can be a little sadistic and cruel, but you're not evil!" Naruto urged with a bright smile on.

"Yes I am!" I shouted, rising to my feet. "You don't know me, Naruto! You only think you do. You only see what I let you! There is a darkness inside me. A darkness that frightens, but excites me at the same time. I'm afraid that the darkness will consume, but I also just want to dive in headfirst and let go."

I lifted up my shirt, showing Naruto the large imperfection that spanned my entire stomach, the discoloration of lighter tissue easily visible against my darker skin.

"Look at this! This is what happens when I get even a taste of power! I get the title of S-Rank, and I thought I could go toe-to-toe with anyone, and I almost lost my life because of it." I let go of my shirt, letting it fall back into place. I pointed at the jar that sat between us. "You put those in my skull, and I WILL have the power to go toe-to-toe with anyone. What happens next, hm? I'll tell you. The darkness inside WILL consume me, and then it will consume the entire world."

I dropped into the chair I had vacated and sighed, scrubbing my face furiously. "Naruto. You have an ability that terrifies you. An ability you will only use as the very last resort because of the power it holds over other people, and it only works on those with your clan's blood! If you took this power, it would have that level of power over anyone. You are the only person that we know will not abuse this kind of power. You will only use this kind of power as a last resort."

"W-We?" Naruto asked, eyes swimming with doubt.

"Myself and Lord Fifth. Yes, Naruto. Lord Fifth himself thinks you are only one who can wield these eyes. He believes that you are the rightful bearer of these eyes. You do not seek more power for fame, or recognition. Your desire to grow strong is completely selfless. You want to be strong enough to protect your family, friends, and village. That's all. You have no ulterior motive for why you train as hard as you do."

"That's not true." Naruto said in a quiet voice. "I want to become Hokage so people will respect me and look up to me. That's pretty selfish."

I snorted. "That was your original excuse when we were kids. When the entire village saw you as nothing but the Kyubi demon. You've already got their respect. People no longer glare at you, whisper behind your back. We walk through down and people wave and greet you. They see you now for who you are. Their fear of the unknown blinded them along with their grief over losing loved ones. Since you've become a shinobi, your actions and accolades have slowly, but surely made them see you for you."

Naruto squirmed in his chair uncomfortably, refusing to meet my gaze.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a soft voice.

"I just… I feel like I'm never good enough. I know that the hate and the fear are mostly gone… But I feel like until I become Hokage, people will always wonder in the back of their minds when I'm going to just magically turn into the Kyubi. I know it sounds stupid, it's just… not a worry I can just make go away."

"Why would becoming Hokage magically make all those doubts vanish?"

"I don't know." Naruto mumbled. "I guess because people view the Hokage as near invincible. The Hokages of the past defeated the Kyubi already. Once I'm Hokage, I just feel like people will finally know I'm strong enough to keep him from breaking free. Or something like that, I guess."

"I understand what you're saying, Naruto. I can't tell you that I understand how you feel, because I don't. I never had to experience what you did growing up. The only thing I can do is to keep reminding you that you have so many people who love you and believe in you already. You will never be able to please everyone. You will never be able to erase that seed of doubt in every single villagers mind either. But if you keep attempting to do both, you'll eventually get burnt out. Just keep being you. Keep thriving as a shinobi. Keep protecting the villagers to the best of your ability. That's all you can do. That's all any of us can do." I smiled at my best friend.

Naruto shot me a grateful smile. "Thank, Kenta. I know it's a silly fear. And I'm working on it. Hearing you remind me that I do already have a great group of people to call family and friends helps put it back in perspective."

I nodded. "So, what do you say? Do you want to add another tool to your belt to help you achieve your dream?" I motioned at the jar before us.

Naruto stared at the jar and its contents for several minutes before he turned cerulean blue eyes full of terror on me. "I'm scared, Kenta." He nearly whispered.

"Don't be. You are the only one in the village who can use these eyes to their maximum potential without letting the power go to your head."

"But what if you're wrong? What if I turn into a monster just like Nagato did?!" Naruto asked, his breaths starting to come in panicked gasps.

"Naruto. Naruto! Look at me!" I yelled. Naruto slowly turned toward me. "You won't. I won't let you. And if I fail in that mission and you become a monster," my eyes hardened, locking Naruto with my intense gaze. "I will put you down myself."

Naruto let out a shaky breath. "How can you promise me that though? What if you can't stop me?"

"I won't ever need to." I said simply.

"How do you know?!" Naruto shouted, "If you can't see the future and can tell me with one hundred percent certainty, then stop lying to me!"

"Naruto. I can't see the future, but I know you. Look at you," I gestured toward him. "You're having a panic attack thinking about what could happen. That right there tells me that you will not fall to the temptation."

"But I – "

I watched in fascination as Naruto's eyes seemed to glaze over for a few moments before he shook himself out of it. He let out a weak chuckle.

"Kyubi told me that if I brought shame to his father's legacy he would fight tooth and nail, every second of every day, until he broke free from his seal and took over my body. He said he'd rather see the eyes of his father destroyed than used for evil purposes from his jailor."

"Wait. Does Lord Kyubi know how to destroy those eyes?! Nothing we did works on them!"

Naruto sat a few moments then nodded. "He says he does know, but he won't tell. He says… this is my final test. When I asked him what test, he wouldn't say."

I made a noise of frustration before sighing. "Naruto. I know you're scared. We all are. The future is so uncertain at this point. We march on Taki in a few weeks. The real leader of Akatsuki is still out there, planning their next move. The Shinobi world itself is in turmoil with the changes in power; latest reports say Kumo is getting antsy. The entire world is a simmering pot of water; a single change in temperature could send it boiling over. We need to be prepared to face the unknown and come out victorious."

I grabbed Naruto's hand, squeezing it in reassurance. "You are allowed to say no. I won't be mad. Lord Fifth won't be mad. No one will. This is your decision and yours alone. I will stand behind you either way. I believe in you, Naruto Uzumaki… the dumbest son of Tori and Inoko Yamanaka."

A shaky laugh was pulled from Naruto's throat. "If I do this… You have to promise me, Kenta. And I don't mean a Kenta promise. I mean a Me kinda promise."

"I will agree once I hear your request. But if I do agree, it will be a Naruto kinda promise. That I will agree to." I said confidently.

"If I do this… and I do lose myself and become a monster. Promise me, Kenta. You will kill me before I do something that normal me couldn't live with." Naruto's blue eyes swam with self-doubt and fear.

"I'll do you one better. I swear, on my father's name and my ancestor's pride… If you lose yourself and we can't get you back, I will stop you, at any cost."

Naruto closed is his eyes, inhaling deeply before letting out a slow and shaky breath. "Let's do it. Akatsuki is still coming after me. Nagato's memory showed us that these eyes are crucial in whatever their final plan is. If they want to get Kyubi, I'll stop them. If they want these eyes, I'll stop them. It's time to grow up and become a shinobi. I have to put the village needs ahead of my own. If my Kage believes that I am the one to wield these eyes, then I will do so to the best of my abilities. I will not allow Akatsuki to continue to have their way."

Naruto met my gaze and I gasped. Never in my entire life had I seen his eyes so full of self-assuredness. His chakra was bursting with confidence; the fear and self-doubt completely gone without a trace.

"I will do whatever it takes. Including bearing the burden of mastering the Rinnegan, not letting it master me."

*****************************************NU*****************************************

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Obito roared into the face of the woman he held by the neck.

Konan met the single crimson orb with a dazed and drunken smile. "Not here, obviously."

Obito snarled and tossed the woman aside. Konan hit the ground, hard, and rolled a few feet before stopping. Obito turned towards the wall, an opaque vortex opening up where his gaze landed. Seconds later, a tall blonde woman stepped through, her teal eyes sweeping the scene once before locking onto Obito.

"Tobi. Darling. What a pleasant surprise. What droll task do you require this time?" She glanced at Konan. "I am not a garbage disposal, may I remind you?"

"Did you know?" Obito snarled.

"Know what? You'll have to be specific. I know many things. Well, I know everything if we're being honest." Queen replied with a dangerous smirk.

"Master's eyes! They're not here! I ordered Konan to bring Nagato's body back intact, and she brings back a corpse without Master's eyes!"

"Well of course I knew that." Queen said in a bored tone.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Obito screamed in rage.

"You didn't ask, child. Do NOT forget your place, boy! You do not give me orders. You do not control me. You have your mission, and I have mine." Queen replied, her voice never rising, but anyone could feel the sense of danger approaching.

Obito took a deep breath, attempting to get his emotions under control.

"You? You're a Yamanaka. Why? Why are you helping him? Why are you turning your back on your home?" Konan called out weakly from the floor where she still lay.

Queen laughed derisively and stalked toward Konan slowly. "Konoha? My home? Please. That village will burn once I'm done with my mission. Let me tell you something about Konoha. The nice village. It is corrupt. It is a cesspool of power hungry politicians and weak willed shinobi that will do whatever it takes to cover-up anything that would besmirch their name. Including making a young Genin disappear because her testimony would put a founding clan's heir on trial. They preach 'The Will of Fire.' I tell you this, the 'Will of Fire' is nothing but pretty words they tell themselves to make them feel better."

Queen let go of Konan's hair and turned on her heel. "Is that all? Or can I go back to what I was doing before you so rudely interrupted.

Obito's head snapped towards Queen. "You bitch. I may not give you orders, but you will not talk to me in such a dismissive manor. We are equals."

"Ha! Oh, darling. If we were equals, I would already be on a beach somewhere, enjoying the sun and drinking alcoholic beverages with those little umbrellas. No, Tobi. We are not equals. I am here to babysit you and to clean up your messes. You are sloppy. You are weak. You are unfit to even put yourself in the same category as me. You are only here because there was literally no one else we could use. Pull yourself together, throwing a hissy fit is unbecoming of a shinobi." Queen sneered and turned, back towards the portal that was still open.

Obito bellowed in rage, his hand lashing forward. Something silver streaked from deep within the shadows of his sleeves. Inches from piercing Queen in the back, a blur appeared, knocking the blade aside. The blur moved, appearing in front of Obito. Obito saw the hand lash out. He activated Kamui, smirking at the audacity of whoever this was.

A hand closed painfully tight around Obito's throat as he was yanked forward. Sharingan eye met Sharingan eye. Obito felt his eyes widen in alarm.

"W-who are you? How d-did you grab m-me?" Obito gasped out.

"Your eyes do not work when they are in my field of vision. No bloodline works when my eye falls upon them." The hooded figure said in a deep tone.

Queen laughed in delight and rushed forward, slinging an arm around the mysterious man. She kissed his cheek and turned her smiling face toward Obito. "How rude of me. I forgot that you two haven't met yet. Obito, this is my son, Hisoka. Hisoka, this is Obito. Thank you for defending me love, you know you didn't have to."

"He attacked you, mother." Hisoka stated plainly, eyes boring straight into Obito's soul.

"I know he did. He wouldn't have hit me though, we both know that. Now, put him down. He still has his uses." Queen commanded.

Hisoka nodded and dropped Obito. Sharingan eyes fading to teal.

Obito rubbed his tender throat, staring at the young man. "I… You never told me you had a son."

"You never asked." Queen replied, smirking in triumph as she watched Obito's shoulders tense.

"And he has the Mangekyō Sharingan already?" Obito asked, prodding for any information he could glean from the boy.

"No. My Mangekyō is eternal." Hisoka said dryly.

"How? Who's eyes did you take?"

"None. I am from his line. The line that is directly descended from Indra Otsutsuki himself. Our eyes do not deteriorate when awakened."

"His line…? Who is your father?"

Hisoka turned away from the man and walked over to Konan. "What do we do with her? She is a traitor, no?" Hisoka pulled out a kunai and held it to Konan's throat.

"Stop." Obito ordered. "I still have uses for her."

Obito walked over to the woman who still lay on her stomach, not having the strength to rise. He knelt down until he was eye to eye with her. Mangekyō spun rapidly, its hypnotizing gaze holding Konan in its trance. After a moment, Obito rose, and Konan's head slumped to the floor.

"What did you order her to do?" Queen asked curiously.

"Mother, may I go?" Hisoka asked interrupting Obito.

"Of course, dear. Do you remember where we're meeting in two weeks?" Queen asked, giving her son a peck on the check.

"Yes, mother. I will meet you there." Hisoka stated, vanishing as quickly as he appeared.

"Sorry. You know how teenagers can be. No manners when they have toys to go play with." Queen giggled. "Now, what nefarious plot have you thrown my sweet little Konan into, hmm?"

Obito shook himself out of the trance of seeing Queen look so… human. "Ame and Konoha will be discussing an alliance. She will be my agent, keeping me up-to-date on their plans and movement."

"Hmm. I approve. Well done, Tobi-dear."

"Who is that boy's father?" Obito asked once again.

Queen stepped towards the open portal once more. She turned just as she was about to step through. "You can't tell? He looks just like him when they were that age." Queen smirked as she felt Obito's chakra thrash in disbelief.

"Impossible. But he said his eyes! It doesn't make sense. Izuna – "

"Was already dying. His eyes were taken to ensure that no one else would have access to them. Izuna's Mangekyō was far too powerful to let anyone else use it."

"That boy… Your son…" Obito felt his legs shake violently, his stomach churned, the taste of bile quickly rising in his throat.

"My son is the true heir to the Uchiha Clan. His line is traced all the way back directly to Indra. He will finish the job that you couldn't, cleansing the earth of their tainted line. In their place, a new, better Uchiha Clan will rise from the ashes. When the time comes, he will cleanse you too, Obito Uchiha."

Queen gave Obito a once over before turning back around, placing one leg in the portal. "Madara Uchiha was the strongest and most powerful Uchiha since Indra himself. His son, MY son, will surpass him. Konoha marches on Taki, Madara's Rinnegan has been transplanted into Naruto Uzumaki, the Kyubi Jinchuriki. Hisoka and I will clean up your mess, once again. In due time of course."

Queen looked back over her shoulder, smiling brightly. "Hisoka beggedme to allow him to meet my nephew, his cousin. I just couldn't resist when my baby asked me with those puppy dog eyes! Ta-Ta, Tobi-Boy. I will let you know what happens between Konoha and Taki. Though, I think we both know."

"Ne-Nephew?" Obito asked dumbly.

"Oh, you didn't know? I mean, neither does my nephew, considering I've been supposedly dead for… oh… twenty years, give or take. I forget really." Queen laughed. "Oh yes. Konoko Yamanaka. Killed in action after she and her team were ambushed by a team of Iwa Shinobi that had somehow magically snuck past our patrols, all the way into the heart of Fire Country. Oh the lies they weave."

Queen turned her head back toward the portal, her fist clenched in anger. "They will know the consequences of their actions, one day soon." She relaxed her hand and took a deep breath. "Yes. Kenta Yamanaka. S-Rank Shinobi. Golden child of the Yamanaka Clan and Konoha."

Queen let out a peel of laughter. Laughter that was anything but joy. "Hisoka will crush him. I will enjoy it."

Queen stepped through, vanishing altogether.

Obito closed the portal and sank to the ground. His mind was racing. So many secrets and cover-ups he was never informed of.

Queen was only a year older than Obito. She came to Madara when she was sixteen. Madara was almost fully fused with the demonic statue at that point. There was absolutely no way that he could have impregnated her.

Something else was going on.

Obito did not like being kept in the dark. He did not like not knowing the full story.

Most of all, Obito hated being used. He would never be used. Not again.

He would get to the bottom of this.

And if Madara thought he could pull something over on Obito, then Obito would make damn sure that Madara never took another breath of fresh air.

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

Queen step out of the portal, dusting off her blouse. Her nose crinkled in disgust.

"Ame is such a shithole. It's a shame that Manda couldn't finish the job. I might just spare that fiery teammate of Kenta's. She holds promise," Queen turned, smiling. "Don't you agree, hon?"

Hisoka appeared and shrugged. "I don't know much about her."

"She's quite beautiful. She would make an excellent matriarch to the new Uchiha Clan."

"If you say so, mother." Hisoka mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Do you think he bought it?"

"Obito? Of course he did. He's an idiot, blinded by jealousy and rage. We've sent him on a wild goose chase, chasing shadows that don't exist." Queen laughed in derision.

Hisoka nodded. "If he truly believes that Madara could have been my father, then he truly is hopeless."

Queen's smile softened and she stroked Hisoka's cheek. "I see so much of him in you. I truly wish you could have met him."

Hisoka smiled sadly. "Me too. Tell me again how you two met."

Queen laughed. "Again? You've heard this story a dozen times!"

"I know. But it makes me feel closer to him somehow."

"Well, let's go inside and I'll tell you while I make dinner."

Hisoka nodded and followed his mother into the palace. It was child's play, really, for Hisoka to place the Fire Daiymo in his illusion. His mother truly was a mastermind. Konoha would be looking everywhere for them, everywhere except their own backyard.

The mother and son opened the door to the apartments normally reserved for foreign dignitaries. Queen made a beeline straight to the kitchen and began to rummage through the pantry.

"Let's see. The first time we met was actually not very far from here. I was on a mission for Madara when our paths crossed. I saw his headband and I swear I could only see red. I rushed him. I think I surprised him by the ferocity in which I attacked. But, as you know, he beat me. Soundly. As I lay on the ground, waiting for my life to end I stared straight into his eyes."

"He asked me 'why do you hate me? I haven't done anything to you.' I told him that it was nothing personal. I just hate Konoha in general. He asked me why and I told him to look past the glitz and glamor if he wanted to see Konoha's true face. Imagine my shock when he told me he would. I waited for death to claim me, when that pompous asshole sheathed his sword and started walking away from me."

"I screamed at him. Told him to finish me off. He simply laughed and said killing me would deprive the world of one of its most beautiful flowers. Of course that shut me up. I didn't see him again for a few months after that. The next time we met was in Tea Country. I saw his smug face, and attacked him again. This time, it was my turn to win and leave him alive, so he would know my shame. Over the next few years we'd somehow occasionally run into each other, every time our battles became more and more ferocious."

"I wanted to read the threads, to see why this one boy kept appearing in my life. I was too afraid though. I should have. It's the only regret I have in this world. When I was 16, we met for the final time. Not on the battlefield though. We met in Hot Water Country at one of the hot springs. He and his team were on mandatory rest and relaxation after their previous mission had gone awry. I was there because I simply wanted to be."

Hisoka laughed at his mother's antics. He loved her, but would never defend his mother's vanity and materialistic side. It's just who she was.

"We were in a bar, and after the awkward initial encounter, ended up spending all night together, just talking and having a good time. When I woke up the next morning, he was gone. A letter was left on his pillow with promises to prove to me that not all Konoha Shinobi were that bad. Imagine my surprise when three months later, I find out I'm pregnant. Just my luck I thought, my child is going to be the bastard of some Konoha scum."

"You were born, six months later. Between my pregnancy, taking care of you, hiding you from Madara and Obito, I was hardly ever out exploring like I once was. The years passed, and I never him again. I continued to playback that night we spent together. Your father was an optimist. He wanted to see peace across every nation. He wanted to change Konoha for the better. I didn't realize until much later, that over the course of our many battles and the night we spent together, I fell for him. Me! I fell in love with Konoha trash."

"When you were four, that's when I heard the news. Your father had been killed; suicide they said. I didn't believe it, not a chance. I did my own digging. I did what I was afraid to do while he was still alive. I began to read the threads that had already been woven. I learned the truth. I learned who was responsible."

"Danzo Shimura." Hisoka growled out. "At least Kenta did one thing right, killing that bastard."

"I agree with you there, hon. I wish I could have been the one to end his miserable existence. Remind me to thank my nephew before we kill him."

Hisoka nodded, fist clenched in anger. Without warning his fist lashed out, destroying the wall behind him.

Queen turned around and frowned. "Again? Hisoka, what have I told you about losing your temper?"

"Sorry, mother. It just… makes me so angry."

"What does?" Queen asked, sitting next to Hisoka and rubbing his back.

"I know that there's irony, and irony is supposed to be funny. But I just can't see the humor, knowing that the person I despise the most in the world has based his entire fighting style after idolizing MY father." Hisoka bit out.

"I know, sweetie. Just remember. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and that imitation will never be as good as the real thing. You'll get to show him one day that his imitations fall well short of the son of the man who created the style." Queen said in sympathy.

Hisoka nodded, a dark smile crossing his face. "You're right, mother. I'll make him wish he had never even heard father's name before all this. Shisui of the Body Flicker was the strongest Uchiha to ever exist. Had he not been double crossed by his own village, he would have surpassed Madara one day. I will do what my father was not able to do. I will show Kenta, and then the world what Shisui was truly capable of."

Hisoka stood up and walked over to one of the cabinets, pulling out a scroll. He unraveled the contents, smiling at the genius work of his father. "Because I am the only one who knows the truth. My father never told anyone, not a soul. If they knew, if those Konoha trash knew what father was truly capable of, they would have feared him even more."

Hisoka threw the scroll down. Queen looked fondly on the scroll, remembering receiving this shortly after Shisui's death.

'Uchiha Secret Technique: Dance of One Thousand Corporeal Clones.'

"A true piece of art. As powerful of a sensor as I am, I could never figure this technique out. He was a genius among geniuses." Queen sadly said.

Hisoka nodded. "It's bullshit. Minato Namikaze perfected the Second Hokage's technique and was hailed as a genius. Had anyone found out that an Uchiha had perfected one of his techniques, it would have been a scandal like no other." Hisoka ground out.

"Hypocrites. All of them. We can't let our anger distract us from our mission. We are close. So close to the end, my son."

"I know, mother. I won't jeopardize anything. I want to meet my Father more than anything. Together, we'll be able to truly reform this broken system."

"We will. We just need to keep stringing Obito along. Let him continue with Master's plan. When the dust finally settles, both Obito and Madara will be dead, and your father will be the one who is finally resurrected."

Queen withdrew a vial from within her pouch. Inside lay a few strands of raven black hair. "With this, we will be a family, finally."

***************************************HU*******************************************

"Oi! Who's there? I heard ya enter, ya know. When can I take this stupid blindfold off?" Naruto yelled out to the hospital room he was staying in.

"Talk to me like that again and I'll punt you across the village. Understand me, brat?"

"Ah! Sorry, Granny-Tsunade!" Naruto quickly apologized.

"How many times do I have to tell you?! Either call me Aunt or just Tsunade! I'm not old enough to be a grandma!" Tsunade growled out.

"What?! Yes you are! You're old enough to be a – "

"Naruto, don't finish that sentence." I said in exasperation.

"Oh! Kenta's here too?" Naruto called in excitement.

"Yes, and so is Ami. You aren't using your inside voice around Ami. You know how much she hates that." I informed the boy with a wicked smirk, Ami nowhere in sight.

"Ah! I'M SO- ah, I'm sorry Ami. I'm just anxious to take this blindfold off. Please, no manners lessons? I'll buy you dango!"

Tsunade roared with laughter and I quickly joined her.

"Ami isn't actually here, is she…?" Naruto asked in a flat voice.

"That was a good one, kid. You and I need to go drinking some time. I feel like we'd make a good pair." Tsunade said, wiping the tears of laughter away.

"As long as you're paying." I replied with a smile.

"Fuck you. Alright, Naruto. Today is –"

"HELL YES!"

"NOT THE DAY!"

"AW NUTS!"

I rubbed my temples, combating the headache trying to form. "She's messing with you. Seriously, I'm going to give you a manners lesson if you scream one more time."

"Wait, really? Please stop messin with me. I haven't been able to see anything in a week. It's starting to mess with my mind, ya know?" Naruto requested in a much more civil tone.

"Alright, alright. I'm going to first remove the bandage. We will sit for thirty minutes, letting your eyes get used to the small amount of light that will come through the gauze. After that, we'll remove the gauze and you will keep your eyes closed for thirty more minutes. After that, we will slowly open your eyes. We don't want to overload your senses all at once. If you do not follow my instructions, I will not only but the bandages back on, I will call in a favor with the Hokage and have your banned from Ichiraku for a month. Do I make myself clear?" Tsunade asked the boy, emphasizing her last point in great detail.

Naruto nodded his head rapidly, not even daring to speak in case he irritated his cousin.

Over the next hour, Naruto followed Tusnades instructions to the letter. Finally, it was time.

"Alright, Naruto. As slow as you can, open your eyes." Tsunade said in a gentle voice. She and I were leaned in close, neither wanting to miss history in the making.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Naruto's eyelids began to retract. Second by second, millimeter by millimeter. I took a gasp, seeing the purple of the Rinnegan showing through.

Naruto's eyes snapped open in shock, Tsunade and I inches from his face.

"WHAT THE HE – "

A wave of invisible force slammed into me, tossing me back like a ragdoll. I hit the wall and slid down. I pushed myself into a sitting position, groaning and coughing, attempting to catch the breath that had been knocked out of me.

"Oh my gods. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it. I don't even know what I did! Granny! Kenta! Please don't be dead." Naruto was hollering a mile a minute.

I waved his concerns away. "Our fault. We were right in your face. Your new peepers just reacted to your shock. Seriously. It wasn't that ba – ooohh fuck I think you broke my ass."

"I think you broke my tits." Tsunade groaned, pushing herself up off the ground from where she landed on her stomach.

"I'm no doctor, but I think it's safe to say the new eyes are working just fine."

"Yup. Still gotta run some tests though. OH good gods… Seriously, Kenta. Does my left boob look smaller than the other? I feel like it does!"

******************************Naruto Broke Tsu-Bae's Tits!********************************

"Yes! Freedom!" Naruto yelled as soon as we stepped out of the hospital. I rolled my eyes at his antics. "Let's go get some food! Ramen!"

I was about to agree with Naruto when Lord Fifth appeared right in front of me. I hid my surprise, quickly snapping a salute.

"Apologies, Lord Fifth. I'm probably in your way, aren't I? I'll just scoot over here." I told the man, smile in place.

"Actually, now that I see you here, I require your assistance." Lord Fifth said in a suspicious tone.

"Aw. Are you going to have him for a while, Sir Hokage?" Naruto asked with a pout.

Lord Fifth glanced at Naruto, his Sharingan activating. He blinked and the crimson faded to back to black.

"Those new eyes look good on you, Naruto. And I can't say. It could take us just a few minutes, or it could take hours." Lord Fifth explained.

"Aw. Okay. I understand. I'll catch you later, Kenta! Bye Sir Hokage." Naruto waved and disappeared in a flash.

I felt the vein bulging in my forehead. "Ami is seeing this memory. I will enjoy Naruto's pain."

Lord Fifth chuckled. "He doesn't mean anything by it, don't be so hard on him."

"I know he doesn't, sir. It's just… Twelve years we've been working at that particular train wreck. It's like nothing we do or say penetrates that thick skull of his."

Lord Fifth smiled. "Well, come with me. We're going to check on a patient."

I fell in beside Lord Fifth. "Who, sir?"

"Tenten. I was informed that she awoke today. She's been unconscious for two weeks. She miraculously survived the fusion with Jiongu. Her heart had completely stopped for nearly a full minute. I thought I had lost another good shinobi much too soon. But then it started beating on its own. Seems the Jiongu has taken a liking to her."

My frown of worry soon turned to a blinding smile. "That is incredible. I knew Tenten was tough as nails, but she basically flipped the Shinigami the bird and stomped her way back to the world of the living."

Lord Fifth laughed lowly at that. "That is certainly one way to look at it. Here we are."

Two ANBU stood out a door that was seal shut. The ANBU snapped salutes to both Lord Fifth and myself.

"Bear! It's good to see you back on roster. Wife and baby doing well?" I asked the man, clapping him on the shoulder.

I felt the joy radiating from him as soon as I mentioned his family. "They are doing extremely fine. Thank you for asking. Come by sometime before the operation. You can meet the little one."

"I'll do just that. Tuesday work for you?"

Bear nodded and I sent him a grin.

Lord Fifth pressed a thumb to the seal on the door. There was a small hissing sound, followed by the turning of a deadbolt.

"Be ready for anything. We don't know what will happen in there. The Jiongu has been… protective of her while she is unconscious. It has accepted her as its host and will strike with lethal force if it feels we threaten its host. Ready?" Lord Fifth asked me.

I nodded. At my affirmation, he pushed the door open. We stepped inside and I jumped back as my senses were screaming at me.

It was unnecessary. Even faster than my reactions, Lord Fifth had already wrapped the two of us in the ribcage of his Susanoo.

"Lord Fifth! I'm so sorry! I can't control it – "

"It is fine, Tenten. I know. I will explain, at least my theory, and we will work out a solution."

I poked my head around Lord Fifth, waving and grinning like a madman. "Hi Tenten! Hey, once you get that thing under control, let's spar!"

Tenten let out a shaky chuckle. "What is it with you boys? All you think about is sparring and training."

"I have an idea. Kenta, let's here your theory on why the Jiongu is acting the way it is." Lord Fifth commanded.

I nodded, stepping around him and moving closer to the girl, stroking my chin in thought. I vanished, reappearing on the far side of the room as numerous threads had struck like vipers. I moved again and again, gauging the threads reactions. Finally, I landed back behind Lord Fifth, the threads bouncing off Susanoo's cage.

"I think I've got it. We know the Jiongu is a type of parasite. Parasites are carnal creatures, their only purpose in life is to survive and reproduce before they die. Jiongu stays alive as long as its host does, so we can eliminate the need to reproduce. So, Jiongu's only purpose in life is to survive. Parasites are primitive creatures, they operate solely on instincts alone."

"We know that unlike a normal parasite, the Jiongu forms a symbiotic relationship with its host. The host provides shelter, safety and nutrients to Jiongu. In return, the Jiongu grants its host incredible boosts to nearly every facet of their life. Normally, the parasite relies on its host for protection, however we've observed in the wild that under certain conditions the parasite will do everything it can to protect its host."

"What kind of conditions?" Tenten asked curiously. She was absentmindedly stroking a few of the threads that were still poised to attack.

"If the host is unconscious and unable to defend itself. If the host is incredibly weak. If the host is sick. Those are the major situations. There are other cases we've observed, but they're usually rare and situationally dependent." I explained.

"Well I'm none of those things, so why is Jiongu attempting to fight you all like a cornered animal?"

I glanced toward Lord Fifth who nodded. "To you, you are none of those things. To Jiongu, you are in a weakened state. You are not whole. It will continue to attack anyone that comes into this room until you are whole."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tenten asked with a frown.

"Do you remember what Lord Fifth explained when asking for volunteers?"

Tenten furrowed her brow. "I… Bits and pieces. But nothing particularly stands out."

I nodded. "The Jiongu has the ability to replace any organ in your body that has been damaged or destroyed. One of its properties is integrating an organ, without the body rejecting it. I don't know how it's done. Fú wasn't even sure on that part. It also has modified your body in a way that increases your survivability. The Jiongu allows you to take in and store up to four additional hearts. Judging by the areas that Jiongu was aiming for, it seems that until you have all four, it will not stop until it considers its host 'complete.' Thus, it judges you as severely weakened."

"Wait. You mean I have to…" Tenten gulped.

I opened my mouth but Lord Fifth stopped me. "I'll take it from here, Kenta. You were superb. I couldn't have said anything better myself. Well done." Lord Fifth placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

I froze.

'Did… Did I just get head pats from THEE Itachi Uchiha?! Oh Gods. I can die happy now.'

Using all my training in self-control, I casually swatted Lord Fifth's hand away, much to my extreme disappoint.

Mini Glare to make sure he understands he can NOT do that to me.

Lord Fifth chuckled and turned back to Tenten.

"Normally, yes. If you are on the field and one of your hearts is destroyed, you will have to replace it with another. If a heart you have were to stop working or become defective, you will have to replace it. I had some foresight about this day. I ordered Tsunade to retrieve the hearts of Shinobi that had recently died during the invasion. Let us hope that this will be enough, or I'm afraid that you will have no choice but to take all four from living people." Lord Fifth explained in a flat tone.

"I… Don't know if I can do that." Tenten said in quiet voice.

I let out a bark of laugh. "Sorry, Tenten. You might not have a choice. Whether you want to or not, Jiongu will not stop until you have four more hearts. If you don't want to potentially hurt or kill an innocent or a comrade, let's pray that whatever Lord Fifth has cooked up works."

Lord Fifth withdrew a scroll and marched forward. Jiongu instantly coiled itself, ready to strike. Lord Fifth placed the scroll on the ground, unsealing the contents inside before jumping back.

Jiongu struck, a lightning fast black mass dove right into the smoke before it had even cleared. The threads retracted quickly, retreating back into Tenten's back.

Tenten gasped. Either from pain or shock I couldn't tell. Her chakra spoke of extreme levels of confusion. A few minutes passed by before I felt my eyes widen slightly. I stared at the girl, her chakra was rising rapidly.

Several tense minutes later, Tenten let out a shake breath. "That… was the strangest feeling. Jiongu it… rearranged everything inside me. I felt everything moving, making room for the new hearts. It seems that these hearts were still fresh enough. Jiongu was able to restart them quickly. It's strange… It feels… warm now."

Lord Fifth glanced at me and motioned with his head. I stared back in disbelief as this man was literally ordering me to sacrifice myself.

'Isn't it the Hokage's duty to protect everyone in the village?' I signed to the older man.

'Isn't it your duty to protect your Hokage at all cost?' he replied back.

'I feel like this is some kind of oversight that ends in a strange, never-ending loop.' My fingers danced rapidly, Lord Fifth snorting at the end of my sentence.

I sighed and stepped out of the safety of Susanoo. I took one step toward the girl. Nothing. A second. Nothing. On the third, Tenten gasped in shock.

I froze immediately. "What's wrong?"

"It… It's intelligent! It can talk! Not in sentences, but I think…" She closed her eyes for several moments. She opened them, a dazzling smile lighting up her face. "It asked me if you were a friend. I told it yes. I felt happiness from it then. I then told it that it is not allowed to attack anyone unless I say it is okay to. I then felt uneasiness from it. I told it that I will let it know when we are in a dangerous or safe area. In dangerous areas, any danger it detects it can retaliate. In safe areas, no attacking without my permission. It understood me! This is… This is amazing!"

"You were correct, Kenta. Seems that with four hearts, it stops operating on instincts only." Lord Fifth said softly from beside me.

I blushed profusely at the praise. "Thank you, Lord Fifth. This is only because Fú gave me some knowledge before we confronted Kazuzu."

"Even so, you did well."

"Thank you, sir."

"Tenten. We will be going. I will tell your teammates that they can visit you tomorrow. I'll have some food sent up, as I'm sure you're hungry. You will stay here for two more days under observation. Use this time to learn as much as you can about your new partner. Once released, you will be assigned to train with Fú Uzumaki until the operation. Any questions?"

Tenten snapped a salute. "No sir. If I think of anything, I'll wait until tomorrow and challenge Lee that he can't deliver my question to you in under ten seconds."

I burst into laughter. "Oh man. Why didn't I think of that?! Challenge Lee to deliver a message? He'd be the fastest courier to ever grace the elemental nations."

Tenten laughed alongside. "That's the plan. Thank you, both, for your help. I will learn to master this new power. I promise."

Lord Fifth and I bid farewell to the older girl and exited the room.

"Thank you for your assistance today, Kenta. I'm sure you can guess why I asked you to come?"

"Having a comrade and familiar face helped put her at ease, rather than just the Hokage himself coming?"

"Correct again. You're free to leave. Thank you, once again."

I snapped a salute. "Happy to help, Lord Fifth. Let me know if you need anything else."

I turned to Bear. "When the food gets up here, one of you take it in. Just in case Jiongu decides to ignore Tenten and attack anyway."

Bear saluted. "Understood."

I waved back and smiled, "Seeya Tuesday!"

*************************************NU*********************************************

"Concentrate, Naruto. You can do this." I encouraged.

Naruto's brow wrinkled in concentration. He held out a single hand.

"Universal Pull!" Naruto yelled out. The rubber ball we had been practicing on came rocketing toward his outstretched hand. Faster than Naruto could react, the ball hit him directly between the eyes, causing the boy to fall backward with a yelp. I laughed loudly.

"Good thing we didn't start with a rock like my suggestion, eh?" I laughed.

Naruto grumbled unintelligibly under his breath, pushing himself to his feet.

"Again!" I ordered.

Naruto threw the ball across the clearing. Once it came to a halt, his hand rose once more.

"Concentrate! Control the pull. You've got this." I called out.

"Universal Pull!" Naruto yelled once more. The ball zoomed toward his outstretch hand, this time slightly more in control. It hit his hand this time, but with enough force to bounce off before he could grasp it.

"Hey! That wasn't as fast this time, ya know?" Naruto yelled toward me, grin splitting his face.

I nodded. "Keep practicing. Over and over. Work on controlling the force of your pulls."

Naruto nodded.

We spent the next six hours working over and over on this single technique until Naruto could control the force of his pulls almost perfectly.

"Good job, Naruto. I want to try one last thing then we'll go get ramen. Might treat." I said with a grin.

"Oh, hell yes! What're we doing?!"

"I want you to enter Sage Mode." I ordered.

Naruto stared at me a few moments before nodding. He sat cross-legged on the ground and shut his eyes. Three seconds later, he gasped in shock.

"What's wrong?" I asked in alarm.

"Absorbing naturally energy. It… I'm done already." He said in wonder.

"You're kidding?" I asked dumbfounded.

He shook his head. "Nope."

I crouched down in front of him, his eyes still shut. The first thing I noticed was that the normal yellow marksing around his eyes had deepened in color slightly to an almost red.

"Open your eyes." I commanded softly to not startle him. Though in Sage Mode, he most likely sensed me.

Naruto nodded and opened his eyes. I stared in shock. Gone was the deep purple of the Rinnegan. The color had lightened noticeably to a lavender shade. The concentric rings hand thickened slightly, and the pupil was nearly invisible.

They looked pretty badass, not going to lie.

"Anything look different?" I asked, standing back up.

Naruto gazed around, his mouth falling open. "I can see it."

"See what?"

"Nature Chakra. It… It's beautiful." He said in awe.

"That's pretty dope. Alright, let's try this out and grab some food."

Naruto nodded, accepting my hand to pull him up. "What're we doing?"

I pointed at the tree line. "Use your repulsion power. Let's see if Sage Mode affects your abilities at all."

Naruto nodded with a grin. He raised his hand once again.

"Almighty Push!"

I yelled out in shock. The wave of force that erupted from Naruto hitting me off to his left side. I stumbled back a few feet, my head slowly turning to the actual target of Naruto's attack.

My jaw hit the ground.

Gone.

Everything in front of Naruto for nearly five hundred feet was just gone. The trees, grass, rocks, all of it.

I stared at Naruto who was looking at his hand in wide-eyed shock. I shook myself out of my stupor and whooped in glee.

"Naruto! This is incredible! Those Akatsuki bastards aren't going to know what hits them, literally!" I laughed.

Naruto turned toward me and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Heh. I'll, uh… Have to be careful when using that one, eh?"

I ran forward and wrapped his head under my arm, roughly messing up his hair. Naruto shoved me off with a laugh.

"Let's go get that ramen. Three bowls! That's all I'm paying for. Anymore is on you. I've got a wedding to pay for in a few months!"

**************************************AK*********************************************

The day was finally here. The day that Konoha went to war once again.

The day that Taki would fall.

The day that the world would be forever changed.

I stood beside my two teammates. Ami to my left, Naruto to my right.

Fú stood at the head of the gathered shinobi.

Teams Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten were huddled around us. Kakashi, Genma, Asuma, and Guy were part of their own team, their primary objective was to protect Honoka who stood beside Guy.

Lord Fifth stood beside Fú. His white and crimson robes waving in the slight breeze that accompanied the early autumn morning.

"You all know what your mission is. Failure is not an option. I am not here to wish you luck, you do not need it. I am not here to reiterate how crucial this group is to the success of the mission; you know it already. I am simply here to simply see you all off and to give you one final order."

Lord Fifth's crimson gaze slowly swept the small gathering.

"Do not die."

All twenty-one of us snapped to attention, saluting our village leader.

He spun on his heels, and his arm shot forward.

"Destroy them." He ordered.

With barely a sound, we vanished into the trees.

In less than three days, Konoha would occupy Taki.

In less than three days, the world would be forever changed.

To Be Continued…

Wowzers. A lot going on that chapter!

Queens identity has been revealed, along with her son! How is their presence going to shake up the inevitable 4th War? What will her little lie to Obito do to his final plans?

Akatsuki seems to be in turmoil, their plans falling to pieces by the second.

Konoha marches on Taki. What's going to happen with that?!

Find out on the next episode of Dragon… Ball…. Z!

I mean. Find out on the next episode of: Is Tsunade's Left Tit Actually Smaller Now?!

One last reminder: No new chapter next week!