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Part I- Konan: Unending Rainfall
I want to hit my head on a wall. I cannot believe I got taken hostage of all things, and so easily. It would make more sense if Yahiko, the Airhead of Akatsuki, were taken hostage because sharp as he is, he can sometimes be so obtuse that Nagato and I wonder how he is still alive. Kie and Kyusuke like to say that he has the luck of the devil. That makes me wonder why people even say that, because devils are supposed to be 'evil' and evil doesn't get luck, does it? 'Evil' gets hammered into the ground by the good guys- at least in fiction. Not in reality, so maybe that's where the idiom comes from. And not in fiction like what Jiraiya-sensei's hits were, either. His story inspired by Nagato, The Tale of The Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, is nice- but not the Icha Icha series. Yahiko and Nagato couldn't stop blushing for over quarter of an hour after Jiraiya-sensei read the draft out to us. I sometimes think he did it just to see them blush- especially Nagato's, thanks to his red hair he looks very funny while blushing. I didn't- things like that just don't embarrass me. Also, I was just spacing out anyway.Where was I, again? Oh yeah- hostage situation. I scowl annoyedly because Hanzo is making me kneel and get my robes all muddy. My wrists are tied with rope- but the main point is that the ropes are made with chakra-suppressing seals almost woven into them. So no fun paper jutsu for me to play with. Not to mention that the damn ground has explosive tags imbued with a Fire Release technique embedded in it. Even if I use taijutsu to run, which I can't because my feet are tied- I'd have to hop- I will be blown up. And without Dance of the Shikigami, I will go boom into a bunch of blood and flying viscera. I saw someone die like that once and boy did that look icky. I doubt anyone, least of all me, will enjoy that. Okay, so maybe Hanzo and his lackeys will, but yeah. Priorities, Konan, stop rambling.So Hanzo just told Nagato to kill Yahiko or watch me die. They are both terrible options, but I think the latter is less awful. Watching someone die because of your own inaction is much better than killing someone else with your own hands. I should know.Later, I wonder what I expected my boys to do. Watch me die? They'd probably suicide bomb themselves before that. I'd do the same for them.So in hindsight, I should not have been shocked at Yahiko impaling himself on Nagato's kunai. In hindsight, I should not have shrieked Yahiko's name. But this is not hindsight, it is the now. Yahiko runs forward, slamming himself onto Nagato's kunai, and he says something in our red-headed teammate's ear. I don't know what he says. It is too soft to hear over the rain, and he is too far for me to read his lips through the rain. He slumps forward and thumps on the rain soaked ground, and I scream. I scream his name, the three syllables ripping themselves out of my throat. Nagato howls, an inhuman sound, and all I can think is his voice is higher pitched than mine and I shouldn't be thinking trivial shit like this because Hanzo calls out an order for the people around him to fire. Kunai shoot at Nagato, and he waves them away, the Rinnegan pulsing with chakra in a way that I can feel even though my own chakra is sealed away and my chakra sense is dulled. Nagato bites his thumb and raises his hand, and I know what he is going to do, he is going to use that thrice damned Kuchiyose of his to summon that big-ass statue, even though it drains him every time and he ends up with severe chakra exhaustion.And then Yahiko's arm moves. It lifts up and makes the sign escape, and cover, and even though my mind says he's dead, my body reacts instinctively to the hand-signs Jiraiya-sensei made up for us which we passed on to the rest of the Akatsuki, and I am flipping like an acrobat, using Hanzo as a handhold, throwing myself up and twisting midair so that I plummet down the cliff. My hands are tied, my feet are tied, and the reason I didn't try this before now is because I'd either get peppered with kunai or smash my head falling.I swear, I'm learning chakra scalpels or at least how to use jutsu without handsigns if I survive this clusterfuck. Not that that'd help with sealed chakra, but even seals can't seal all chakra, a little would be available, and a little goes a long way."Konan!!!" Nagato pauses before slamming his hand on the ground and yelling 'Kuchiyose no jutsu', and instead does two things. First, he repels the kunai ready to pepper me with holes. Two, he pushes away the Ame ninja flying- jumping- at me. And Yahiko- Yahiko who should be dead- gets up and jumps up, catching me.In hindsight, I should have noticed how little blood was 'pooling' around Yahiko.Yahiko's arms are holding me princess style, which is very much not appropriate for a battle situation since it leaves arms occupied- the left one under my knees and the other under my back. Hi right hand curls over my ribcage, his fingers pressing into my chest. He evidently has not noticed the fact- yet."I'M SO SORRY!" Yahiko shrieks when we land, noticing the inappropriate position of his right hand. I wave it off- or I would, were not my hands otherwise occupied within ropes, so I instead speak."It's okay, Yahiko. Ropes." I hold out my hands, and he bends- because yeah, I'm on my butt because my feet are tied together rather tightly, and it's hard to stand. Yahiko cuts the rope with a kunai, and it's like the three of us are in our own private bubble. In a way, I guess we are, because Nagato is literally maintaining a safe-space around us with his Shinra Tensei.I stand up, rub my wrists a little, note the damage to my boys- one shallow shoulder stabbing for Yahiko, one Rinnegan overuse resulting in chakra drain for Nagato- then I place my hand on Nagato's shoulder, catching him and spinning him into Yahiko. Then I raise my arms up high.
It is time.
Paper twists into being apparently out of nowhere- Yahiko and Nagato often ask why my paper is impervious to rain, and the truth is they weren't that way to begin with. They were papers, easy to destroy, and then I changed them. I brought the particles together, strengthened them, and my paper became different. They stopped being weak to water, though they will still be destroyed by fire, they can protect me, if at the cost of becoming ash.And it is easy to forget that paper is what seals go on, usually. I am no seal master, sensei was and is the master. But I know standard seals, know how to set them on my own which many if not most don't, and have even got three seals I created myself. I have even more ideas. But I don't need those self-made seals now, I just need the standard-est of standard seals, the Explosion Seal that goes on Explosive Tags. The kanji forms in my mind- baku 爆- and the seal transfers to the sheets of paper that fly around me like a tornado.I blink for a nano-second to concentrate. The sheets fly towards Hanzo- that lying schemer- and his lackeys.爆It all detonates, and my chakra has only gone down by a quarter. As it is, I'd had full reserves- I had been caught without a fight- and this is nothing. The cost is entirely from creating the paper, because the seals themselves take no chakra to put, very little to activate, and draw the rest of the chakra they need from their surroundings.I guess it helps that I detonated several exactly where I'd been held hostage, making Hanzo's Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation go off as well.I don't, even for a moment, mistake this escape and Yahiko's sudden return to life as a victory. It is not. We can't defeat Hanzo- no, maybe a berserk Nagato can, but it might kill him as well- so we have to leave.Yahiko seems to know that too. He grabs a hyperventilating Nagato, tosses him over his shoulder, and beckons me. I obey instinctually and we leave.Fire burns under Ame's everlasting rainfall, as dawn breaks slowly behind the curtain of water like it always does.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Nagato is still hyperventilating on Yahiko's shoulder. I wonder how much of it because of Yahiko's pseudo-suicide and how much is because of the same orange-haired idiot's resurrection.We reach one of our oldest hideouts. It is small, but it is enough, for now. Yahiko places Nagato gently on the ground and straightens. "Yahiko," I order, "Robe. Off. Now." He acquiesces, shucking off his dark robes then wriggling out of his mesh shirt. Sans the robes that make him look older, he looks the seventeen he is. I poke at his injury and he winces. I ignore the wince, he deserves this. The cut is not too bad, the kunai cut through skin, flesh and muscle, but cleanly and not too much. My fingers glow green as I trace the wound carefully. I am not a great medic by any definition, but since the actual best medic here's hyperventilating in a corner, I'm the only other choice. I sit back and stare for a moment. The wound has scarred- a better medic would do better, maybe Nagato could have healed it without it scarring-  but it isn't too bad. A pink-brown line that will hopefully fade over time. But the insides are fully healed and that's the main thing. Then-I smack Yahiko on the head, hard, and he yelps. Nagato stops hyperventilating at the sudden sound, and his head snaps up."You blithering idiot." I snap at Yahiko, and he rubs his head sheepishly. Anyone other than my boys- and sensei- would stare because I am not a very articulate person. I tend to talk in short words and shorter sentences. And I rarely yell or scold. I'm more of the silent glarer.Of course, my boys and sensei have the honor of being the only people in this universe who can annoy me enough for me to snap. And often, too. "What were you thinking?" I ask. "Were you planning to give Nagato- and me, but more him- life-long trauma or what?""...sorry." Yahiko says, and something is off. His eyes are dark and tired, and they look old. Older than they should be, than they were only yesterday."...Yahiko?" Nagato asks, and he knows something's wrong, too, because his chakra pings in the rhythm that says confused.Yahiko is very evidently struggling to find words to put his thoughts into. Finally, he takes a breath."I'm from the future," he begins, and then he doesn't stop.Half-an-hour later, I'm still staring. My eyes are still burning.In the not-past, Yahiko did kill himself. Nagato had used Kuchiyose, fully summoning that weird statue. It had impaled him with black chakra receivers, and he'd rampaged, with Hanzo left as the only survivor. Nagato had been left crippled.In the not-future, I and Nagato approach Uchiha Madara out of grief and join him. In the not-future, we find that Madara's objective is the casting of Infinite Tsukuyomi, an infinite genjutsu that will fulfil everyone's desire. In the not-future, the Akatsuki changes under Nagato and me, because we want Yahiko back even if as a dream. It would feel real anyway.In the not-future, Yahiko's body is turned into the 'Deva Path', one of the Six Paths of Pain. So Nagato renamed himself as Pain. Wonderful.Yahiko in the not-future still knew what happened, because his soul was still tied to his body because of his attachments to us. In the not-future, Nagato kills Jiraiya-sensei. In the not-future, a boy called Uzumaki Naruto brings back the light in Nagato's heart, and Nagato dies reviving several people he killed. In the not-future, I am left alone. Yahiko theorizes that I may have fought the man calling himself Uchiha Madara, then calling himself 'Tobi', after Nagato's death.It is easy to believe this not-future. Nagato is easy to love, and he finds it easier to love. A Nagato who lost Yahiko will be an embodiment of grief and pain. A me without Yahiko will be an amoral thing without a conscience."I suspect Tobi is- was- not Madara though." Yahiko says. "He might be a lackey of Madara though."I don't know what to do, what to say."What should we do?" Nagato asks, his head lowered. His hitai-ate has slipped down his forehead and his bangs are shading his eyes. His voice is shaking."Let's meet up with the others." Yahiko says. "Once your chakra recovers a little, Nagato." Nagato grunts. His chakra is down to a quarter of what it is normally. Silence falls.I slide my still wet and muddy robes off, then hunt in my pouch for my scissors. I slide them out of their strap, and touch the metal to my hair. Snip. Snip. Blued hair falls around me in a circle as I reduce my chin-length hair till it just reaches my ears. Snip. Snip.It has no reason in it, this action. My hair does not need cutting, it isn't that long. It is the same length as Nagato's. I just need something to do with my hands, and this is one of the few things I can do now. Of course, I can try my hand at the boys' hair, but I am not good at cutting other people's hair. Nagato's messy bangs bear testimony to that, and as for Yahiko, he is the sort whose hair grows slowly. It doesn't need cutting. Or I can practice, but I shouldn't tire myself. So my hair falls prey to my need for moving my hands."We can go." Nagato says finally, adjusting his hitai-ate as I bundle my robes and shove them into a storage scroll. Thank heavens for Jiraiya-sensei's fuinjutsu classes. I touch my hitai-ate- it is stitched onto my belt. The belt generally goes over my robes, right now it's under because I'm not wearing my robes anyway. The hitai-ate-that-isn't-one is always on my belt. I just can't wear it on my forehead. strong arms ho-I shove the memory back into the metaphorical grave it rose from. Ghosts from the past won't help here.I wonder what Yahiko plans to do."Nagato?" Yahiko says suddenly. "I should have mentioned this earlier- but- you have a clan. Though that clan was kinda wiped out- but there.. are still some left."Nagato stares. I know that he doesn't remember his parents' names, remembering only 'okaa-san' and 'otou-san', but he has a clan?"Your last name is Uzumaki." Yahiko continues, "and- uh- that means you're kinda related to Konoha?""Konoha?" Nagato asks, and I understand his shock. His parents were killed by Konoha shinobi- though he doesn't blame Konoha for that, not now. Shit happens all the time during war. But Uzumaki means Uzushiogakure, and Uzushio was destroyed in the Second Shinobi World War."Mn." Yahiko hums. "Remember Jiraiya-sensei said he'd had a genin team? One of those genin is the person who'll become the Fourth Hokage. Namikaze Minato." Namikaze Minato isn't Hokage yet, I know, because news about a new Hokage would spread very fast. But anyone would know 'Namikaze Minato', the Yellow Flash of Konoha, "and his wife- well, I don't know if they're married yet, but they probably are- is called Uzumaki Kushina.""Wait," I say, "isn't that the Nine-Tails' jinchuuriki?" It is common knowledge, the jinchuurikis of Konoha. The first was Senju Hashirama's wife, and the one now is apparently the Fourth's. Or the one who will be the Fourth's wife since I don't know if they're married yet like Yahiko says. Konoha is one of the only villages that advertises the identity of its jinchuuriki- because they have the Nine-Tails which is too strong for any of the other villages' seals to contain, anyway. I have heard of Uzumaki Kushina from war talk, as the Red Hot-blooded Habanero who comes out of nowhere, red head flying, and fights as though a monster, without using the bijuu contained in her. She is feared for herself and not the monster within her.Yahiko nods. "Both she and Namikaze Minato die a couple years from now. It is the next jinchuuriki, a kid called Uzumaki Naruto, their son I think, who talks to Nagato and.." he trails off. We know the rest.I take a decision- it will not help anyone if we mope around here."Let's go." I order, and the boys fall in line behind me. We have comrades to find."Kyusuke, Kie, Daibutsu." I say. We have lost many members- like to Hanzo when I was captured- and these three are the only ones left. We were never a large organization to begin with. "The talks with Hanzo fell apart. We will shortly depart for Konoha."Daibutsu barely reacts, as is his norm. He nods his head slowly- he is the oldest of us, and looks it, he is around twenty-three.Kyusuke reacts with confused blinks. Kyusuke is one of our first members, right along with Daibutsu. He has long black hair, black-colored cat-like pupils and has black markings around and below his eyes. His cat eyes go wide. He is twenty-two, the second oldest now. We had others, but they are gone.Kie reacts calmly, as is his wont. He joined us a few months after Daibutsu and Kyusuke, and he is actually the closest to me, besides Yahiko and Nagato. He was born a girl, and physically, he still is, but he has always been a boy. That was how he got thrown out of his home, and out of the Ame shinobi corps that Hanzo led. The only ones who know this are me, Yahiko and Nagato. He has black eyes and long brown hair that he ties in a bun in the back. His build is ambiguous enough that he can look the way he wants to. He once told me that he wanted to find a medic who could do something about his chest. That and stop his monthly menace. I'd like to stop mine too. He is also older, at twenty, and is a former Jounin like the other two."Let us leave, then." Yahiko gestures. "There's someone we need to meet.""Who?" Kyusuke asks. He once confessed love to me, which sent Yahiko's (and Nagato's) metaphorical hackles right up. I turned him down, since I am not attracted to men anyway. He took it in stride, and we are still what we were before, comrades. He has a kind heart below his sharp exterior.Yahiko smiles at that."The person who taught me, Konan and Nagato. The Toad Sage Jiraiya."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"What the-" Kie swears. "Two Jounin level chakra signatures, incoming!"I hiss. I sense the chakra too now that Kie mentions it, because my sensory capabilities are more short-range than long, and I have to concentrate to feel.In another second, someone comes flying through the air and smashes into the ground a foot away from Nagato, who stumbles back and nearly falls on his ass. The person who came flying has Jounin level chakra, and seems a little stronger than the other one I sense. I expect to see an adult, or at the very least a teenager, so I am not prepared to see the child I see.He is a child, though he is gangly and tall, it is evident from his baby face that he's can't be more than eleven or so. His skin is somewhere between tanned and normal, and he has narrowed dark-gray eyes. His hair is silver and wild, with longish bangs. He stands up and I note his outfit and weapons- he is wearing a loose sleeveless grey jacket ambiguously covered in blood and kami-knows-what, mesh on his arms, black fingerless gloves, and lighter grey shorts. I note the mesh poking out from under the shorts, and the heavy-duty bandaging on the calves meant for muscle support which means a level of focus on taijutsu, and the scroll on his back that screams fuinjutsu, not to mention the blade at his waist. A wakizashi if I'm right, probably because the kid's still not tall enough to wield a katana.To sum the kid up- taijutsu and kenjutsu definitely, fuinjutsu most probably, and who knows what else. Also, the shade of his silver hair looks like how the legendary White Fang of Konoha is described, and didn't I mention the kid has a Konoha hitai-ate?I didn't? My bad. His chakra screams Jounin though he isn't wearing the Konoha-typical flak-jacket for Chunin and above, but then again, sensei didn't either.He gives us one look before ignoring us completely, instead focusing on the Iwa shinobi that comes charging at him, a tall and muscular man of maybe thirty. He swings at the kid- taijutsu- and he dodges-"Hatake Keisuke!!" The Iwa nin shrieks, "Brat!""Fuck you to hell and back, buddy!" Apparently-Keisuke yells right back. I spare a thought towards who taught such a tiny kid to swear like that and another at I guessed right, a Hatake, before Keisuke Body Flickers away, right behind the Iwa nin, and slams his wakizashi straight through the older man's chest, twisting the blade viciously. The Iwa nin bursts- bursts?- into mud.And his chakra pops up next to Kie.I freeze. Kie is Jounin level, but he is a medic and sensor and long range ninjutsu user, so close-range combat isn't his specialty. He sets great traps and his seals- especially the explosive ones- aren't to be scoffed at, and he's great at Water Release. Not close range, though.The Iwa nin grins before aiming a powerful punch at Kie's torso- it will rip through him, I know, because he has enhanced his hand with chakra and he's wearing metal knuckles, but I can't do anything. We ended up in a bad position- Nagato, I and Yahiko are still grouped together and Kie is a little further away, within earshot, and next to Kyusuke, who is good with speed, not power and the Iwa nin punches--and Hatake Keisuke is suddenly there, and he grabs Kie's arm and sends him spinning into me, and the Iwa nin's punch hits the kid glancingly on the shoulder, and he goes flying for the second time in a minute. As Nagato's eyes focus and Yahiko draws a kunai and my papers warp into existence, the Iwa nin jumps back.I am planning to attack him, but before that, Hatake Keisuke yells."You wanted me to lose my temper, buddy? Well, here's the thing. You succeeded." He wipes some blood from his bleeding and scraped shoulder, and slams his bloody hand on the ground. Black lines spread out from the point of contact-"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" He didn't even use hand seals.Bakeneko is the first thing that comes to mind. A huge cat the size of two tiny houses rears up, and squishes the Iwa nin under a massive light-gray paw before he can react. This time, the Iwa nin becomes blood and viscera and not mud. One up for Hatake Keisuke, then."Haruji." The bakeneko goes from house-sized to kitten sized in a moment. I note that its grey fur has yellow and red in it, for some reason. "That was reckless. Your chakra just-""I know," Keisuke snaps, and yes, his chakra has gone down. Still not too bad, but with the fact that he's technically in enemy territory- or at least not 'own territory', this is the Land of Rivers which has maintained a pretty neutral stance of 'sorry we're weak and can't fight', but still. In wartime, anyplace except your own village is enemy territory. So going down on chakra is a big no-no.Keisuke sighs theatrically. "Nana-chan, disperse," he says, and the kitten poofs into smoke. Then the silver-haired shinobi flops onto his back, and yells. "Look, you guys either get lost or fuck off.""...the options are the same." Kie says.Keisuke lifts his chin a little. "That's the point. I saved your ass, so get lost.""And why did you do that?" Yahiko asks. His eyes are narrowed, so I guess that either he doesn't know this person from his knowledge of the not-future, or this person is an enemy.Keisuke pauses. "You had nothing to do with my fight. Also- you're Akatsuki, right?"I freeze. "How-""I thought so." Keisuke sits up, his jacket now soaked and muddy as well. "I've heard of you- besides, you look familiar.""Look familiar?" I snap, chakra ready, "We've never seen you before.""Look familiar as in I've heard descriptions of you." Keisuke says, getting up. "One orange head, one blue head with a thing for origami-" his eyes shift to Nagato, "-and one Rinnegan user with red hair. Also," he continues before we can interrupt, "red-san, why do you have that shade of red hair? And why does your chakra feel like sensei's?""And who's your sensei?" Yahiko asks. Nagato is just silent, probably baffled. He doesn't do well with fast speakers who treat words like kunai, throwing them out at full speed.Keisuke gives him an unimpressed look. "Uzumaki Kushina," he says, and we splutter right before Keisuke's eyes widen."Fuck." He swears. I don't know why- I can't sense anyone coming-"Is anyone of you a sensor?" Keisuke asks, and Kie raises his hand. Keisuke snaps, sharp, "Extend your sense, now. Tell me if you recognize the chakra signature approaching us."I think for a moment that Keisuke is still too young to be so acclimated to battle the way he is. Acclimated to death.Kie shuts his eyes and makes the Ram seal with his hands. Five seconds later, his dark eyes snap open."That- that chakra is Hanzo," he hisses, and Keisuke winces. "I suspected." he sighs. "Is Akatsuki on Hanzo's bad side or what? I have never met him before, so I am probably not his target and he is heading right here."I pause for a moment, then sigh. "Hanzo said he'd negotiate with us. Only, his negotiation turned out to be murder." Keisuke raises an eyebrow. "Or, specifically, he asked Nagato to kill Yahiko."Keisuke freezes. "Are you three really Nagato, Yahiko and Konan?" I stare. I just told him my boys' names, but I didn't tell him mine."How do you-" Nagato begins, and Keisuke interrupts him with a sharp. "Because Jiraiya-sama won't stop gushing about his 'cute students', that's why."I groan. That's exactly what I'd expect sensei to do. I do wonder how Keisuke knows sensei so well, but I suspect it is because her sensei, Uzumaki Kushina, has ties to Namikaze Minato who is- was- also Jiraiya-sensei's student. I then notice Keisuke's shoulder- it isn't just bleeding, it's-"Your shoulder's dislocated," I say."So it is." Keisuke grabs his left shoulder and pushes it back into its socket. The six of us collectively wince at the crunch."Don't you have nerve endings or what?" Nagato asks, his usual protective tendency flaring up. Keisuke grins wryly. "I've had worse," he says. "Now then, what about Hanzo? We have five minutes, tops, before he's here." He tilts his head. "Choice one, run. It will fail because Hanzo is fast. Choice two, fight, distract and then run....." he starts grumbling under his breath about something that sounds suspiciously like 'Flying Thunder God'.Yahiko interrupts. "Can you fight?" he asks. Keisuke gives him an unimpressed look. "Of course.""What sort of a fighter are you?" Yahiko shoots."I can use taijutsu, ninjutsu, kenjutsu and fuinjutsu. I don't use genjutsu mostly. Sensor. Moderately good at iryo-ninjutsu." Keisuke rattles off. "And you?"I answer this time. "Paper ninjutsu, Wind Earth and Water Release, all ranges, taijutsu and iryo-ninjutsu," pointing at myself, "mostly ninjutsu, best to worst Water, Fire and Wind Release, kenjutsu, any range," pointing at Yahiko, "dojutsu that manipulates gravity and ninjutsu, all Elemental Releases, any range," Nagato, "medic, sensor, long range ninjutsu, Water Release mostly" Kie, "speed, Fire and Earth Release, Lava Release, mid-close range," Kyusuke, and "Water Release, bo-wielder, mid-close range," at Daibutsu.Keisuke raises an eyebrow. "That's a team of heavy hitters," he remarks before sliding his headband off. "Though I advise you to not get in close and personal to Hanzo. D'you know where he got the moniker 'Salamander' from? He has a venom sac in his body, if I am correct, and something to do with poisons."I rub my forehead. "I get it. Kyusuke, Daibutsu-" I turn to my companions, "stay back. Don't engage. Same goes for you, Kie. Nagato I and Yahiko will take on Hanzo."Keisuke snorts. "Interesting decision- get ready!"Hanzo's chakra is here.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Hanzo lands hard, kicking up dust and mud and water and- yeah, blood. The recently demised Iwa nin's blood.I note Keisuke tucking away his headband. It's probably so that his actions don't drag Konoha into this whatever it is. It definitely won't be within the mission parameters of whatever mission Konoha gave him. Speaking of Konoha, some of the ninja I saw with Hanzo were- I shake the thought out of my head. Not the time. I also note him slick his hair back. With the water and mud in his hair, the silver that screamed White Fang even to me and definitely would to someone like Hanzo who'd probably fought the White Fang at some point, is hidden. It looks a muddy grey-brown now."Akatsuki." Hanzo says. Keisuke quips, suddenly, interrupting Hanzo. "Why did you try false negotiations, Hanzo the Salamander?"Hanzo spares the kid a glance. "I do not need people undermining my reign."Keisuke's face hardens, and all the animation slips off of it. His face is eerily calm and emotionless now, and a shiver runs up my back. This kid is dangerous. Killing Intent seeps into the air, making Hanzo flinch back a little. Even the six of us feel the effect, though the Intent is not directed at us.Keisuke's hands morph into several seals with speed, and I don't recognize the jutsu-"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet." My eyes widen- Keisuke used maybe twelve hand-signs while the Water Dragon Bullet normally needs forty-four. And it's a B-Rank to boot, needing huge amounts of chakra.A dragon forms from thin air- I suspect Keisuke is using the water vapor in the air, we're in the Land of Rivers, so it isn't raining, and the water on the ground. The rest is probably from his chakra, and that's shocking mainly because the dragon is huge.And it lunges right at Hanzo."Lightning Release: Lightning Cords!" Before the dragon is even gone a meter away from Keisuke, he shoots the next jutsu, this time with only four handsigns. Like the name, cords of lightning extend from Keisuke's hands, slam straight into the water dragon, and said dragon glows.Then it crashes into Hanzo."Why are you wasting chakra like that?" Yahiko yelps. Keisuke sticks his tongue out. "I didn't burn chakra," and I notice that his chakra level has barely gone down. Not enough to justify his use of two techniques like this one after another."How-" I and Kie begin, and Keisuke places a finger on his lips. "Secret," he says, "though I'm glad it's working."From the corner of my eye, I notice flakes of paper on the ground. But then the mist and crap hiding Hanzo from view dispels, and he comes lurching at us, and my attention focuses back on Hanzo. He throws a kusarigama at us, the sickle edge flying with precision, slicing at us.Everyone dodges. I don't.I let the blade rip through me like through so much paper, ignoring Keisuke's squeak, and I fall apart, turning into sheets of paper. Maybe it's me showing off, maybe it's not.
Dance of the Shikigami.
Paper swirls around us, and it is all me. Yahiko and Nagato often ask how I do this. I am not sure. I don't think my physical body exists when I use this technique- it goes somewhere, uninjurable and safe, while only my chakra and mind hold the paper together. My body isn't made of paper. My clone is. My papers are me, as each one is destroyed my consciousness condenses more and more. If they are all destroyed, or if I stop the technique or run out of chakra, then my real body will return from wherever. I run my metaphysical hands through the familiar hand seals which is more like running the seals through my mind-
Paper Drizzle-
"Kie, Kyusuke, Daibutsu, fall back!" I order, forming a face to speak, and the three of them jump back. Nagato raises his hand- "Shinra Tensei!!"Hanzo gets blasted a hundred or so meters away. Ow. Yahiko follows up with a Fire Release Flame Bullet, while I-
-Paper Explosion!
-add my explosive paper to the mix.That must have hurt. I swirl back together, forming my real body again, and Keisuke gives me a look- "We have to run." he says suddenly, eyes flaring in some emotion I can't read, and I stare. He continues, "Look, I was on my way back to Konoha anyway and you guys are heading there too, right?" I nod mutely, "So we go." Keisuke says firmly before biting his thumb hard.He swipes the blood on his other hand and slams it to the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" I wince as his chakra drops until it's a little less than half of what it was. And then I realize that there are two bakeneko this time. The grey one from before and an ink black one as well. They are both house sized."Nana, Nene! I'm leaving Hanzo to you- hold him off as long as you can, don't die!!" Keisuke yells."Roger, Haruji!""Understood, Keisuke-dono!"The cats turn to Hanzo, and Keisuke grins."Time to go."We are jumping through trees- specifically, we have entered the Land of Fire. That was maybe twenty minutes ago, and it's been an hour since we ran away from Hanzo. Keisuke's chakra is steadily going down, but not too much. It is still at low Chunin level. I wonder why he is helping us so much. Protecting Kie from the Iwa nin was one thing but-"Why are you helping us?" Kie voices my thought, and Keisuke turns his head.He speaks slowly, pausing and hesitating, though I don't know how much of it is because he doesn't know what to say and how much of it is because of exhaustion. There are bags under his eyes, now that I look closely, and it's evident that he's been on the road for a while. And that's not taking into account the fatigue from using the Summoning jutsu twice in the span of ten minutes."One.. You're Jiraiya-sama's students." Keisuke starts. "Two, I agree... with what... Akatsuki's trying to... do.." he smiles, suddenly. "And three, I think sensei... will be happy to see another Uzumaki.. not to.. mention... Jiraiya-sama..."Ah that's right. Keisuke said his sensei is Uzumaki Kushina. "How do you know Jiraiya-sensei?" I ask.Keisuke gives me a look and stops, probably so he can stop pausing between every two words. "I'll assume you mean how do I know him well enough to have heard of you and not how I know of him. Well, Minato-san- that's the Yellow Flash- is Kushina-sensei's boyfriend, I should say, and my brother's sensei, and he was Jiraiya-sama's student. That's how."So Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina aren't married yet, I note. Keisuke brightens a little at the thought of his sensei. "Sensei and Minato-san are planning to get married once this clusterfuck of a war gets over though."I once again wonder how this kid knows so many swear words. Speaking of- "How old are you?" I ask, "And what rank?"Keisuke replies, "Twelve, nearly. Jounin.""That's.. very young." Nagato says. Keisuke shrugs. "I graduated at like six then made Chunin couple years after that. I've been a Jounin since a little before I turned ten." That's still not very long. If he's nearly twelve now, he's only been a Jounin for two years or so. Though that's pretty long, his promotion age was so low. But that is what happens in war. And he is talented. I wonder why he had a gap of two years between Genin and Chunin, then realize it was probably because the exam might not have been held because of the war. Calculating backwards, Keisuke must have graduate either the year the war started, or the year right after."Keisuke-kun." I say suddenly, remembering some of the definitely-not-from-Ame shinobi I saw with Hanzo. "I saw some ANBU with Hanzo- and I'm pretty sure they were Konoha's."The ANBU- the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai which every one of the major five Hidden villages and some of the smaller have- is not supposed to be 'known' or to 'exist'. All the same, it is something of an open secret among the upper echelons of shinobis, and even lower ranked ones know they are there, and exist. For civilians, at least those who aren't connected to shinobi, they are a more of a myth, an urban rumor. A story to tell children. And each village's ANBU does have distinctive features, even if it just their uniform. Something which is easily changed, so I can't be sure the ninja with Hanzo were Konoha ANBU, or even ANBU in the first place. The masks, for example- Konoha ANBU tend to wear animal-styled porcelain masks, Kiri ANBU wear masks with slits for eye-holes and the village's symbol etched into the forehead, and Suna ANBU wear pieces of cloth to cover the lower-halves of their faces so only their eyes are visible. ANBU from different villages tend to dress differently and I know the Konoha ANBU wear black clothing and grey flak jackets, the Suna ones have a thing for reds and browns. And the not-Ame shinobi with Hanzo wore animal-masks, black clothes and gray flak jackets. Sue me, so I was and am a little suspicious.Keisuke trips over his feet and nearly falls of the branch he just jumped on before Nagato grabs his arm."What?" He snaps, though I think the snap is more from shock and surprise than anger. "Konoha ANBU? In Ame?"I nod. "Animal masks, black clothes, gray flak jacket."Keisuke grits his teeth. "There are no ANBU missions going to Ame- I should know- and it's not Konoha's style to interfere with something like what Hanzo- wait. Did those 'ANBU' have tattoos?" I can literally hear the inverted commas Keisuke is insinuating around the word ANBU."No, though I could only see their shoulders and upper arm." The rest was covered, goes unsaid.Keisuke makes a face. "Fuck that-" he breaks off. "Those weren't ANBU, though there's a chance they were ROOT.""ROOT?" Nagato asks."Mn." Keisuke hums. "ROOT is.. ok so they're a part of ANBU, but they work under a councilman of ours. Not under the Hokage.""That's still ANBU-" I begin."They aren't under the Hokage," Keisuke says, "they are perfectly capable of doing stuff behind the Hokage's back- and they do. The councilman in question is a shithead.""Aren't you throwing out ranked stuff at us?" Yahiko asks. "Won't information like this be classified?"Keisuke gives him an unimpressed look for the umpteenth time. "None of this is information I know by virtue of being a Jounin or anything- ok, ANBU technically is- but the rest is from hearsay and my own... observations and conclusions. I am free to share this with anyone. As for ROOT- I already knew they were involved.""How?" I ask."Why do you think I insisted we leave, and fast?" Keisuke counters. "I know the chakra signature of ROOT's head very well. He was headed towards us, and he knows me. I don't need trouble now- besides, I hate the guy."I don't know if Keisuke meant to or not, but he gave away the fact that the head of ROOT is a man. Or he might be misleading us, but who knows? And why would the Hokage let someone work behind his back? I doubt Keisuke would know that much, and even if he did, I don't think he'd tell us.Time passes in silence. The lighting goes from bright sunlight to dull to darkness as evening rolls around. Keisuke speaks for the first time in hours. We did not stop even once, not even to eat. Keisuke ate ration bars he had, and the six of us ate ration bars that I had in my storage scroll. My exposed shoulders feel cold without my robes- which I really need to clean. Somewhere in the third spot on my to-do list after meet Jiraiya-sensei and talk to him. I can only hope he is in Konoha."Do you want to camp out or stay in an inn?" he asks. "There's a place near here."We all stop. Keisuke stares at us bluntly. "Of course that's only if you behave yourself. That innkeeper's a shinobi and hates a ruckus."Yahiko nods. "We will behave." It is funny because Keisuke is younger than us, but we're still listening to him.Keisuke grins. "Then come on. Remove those headbands though. Konoha and Ame aren't very friendly after all.""Are you kidding me?" Yahiko asks, staring at the inn's signboard."Nope. The innkeeper has a sense of humor, that's all."I stare, struck dumb, at the sign that happily proclaims 'The Inn for Idiots!!'"It's shinobi-run and meant for shinobi to stay in too," Keisuke continues, "like the rooms are defendable and the building has seals woven into it and stuff. Also, the innkeeper says all shinobi are idiots, thus the name."We troop in silently. There is nothing to say."Welcome!" A short woman with blond hair tied in a ponytail and dark eyes, wearing a delicately colored kimono approaches us. She looks like a civilian, but her chakra, though subdued, shrieks shinobi. Chunin level? Higher? I can't say. "I am Miyako." "Kei-chan!" She says, noticing Keisuke. "It's been a while. Miki missed you!" As Keisuke opens his mouth to speak, someone comes running up- a child, because the footsteps are light.A little girl throws herself at Keisuke, hugging her happily. "Kei-nee! You came!!"The girl is cute, with pink cheeks and blond hair a shade lighter that Miyako-san, who I suspect is her mother. She wears a blue dress and can't be more than five.Wait.Kei-nee???"Keisuke-kun..." I begin tentatively, because Keisuke is busy petting Miki-chan's hair- I'm sure the child is the Miki Miyako-san mentioned- and telling her not to run so fast. "Are you a girl?"Keisuke stares at me a moment, then starts laughing. "Yes." he- no, she, says. "Sorry I forgot to give you the heads up. It keeps happening and I keep forgetting to tell people. I don't mind, by the way, so don't apologize."The last line is evidently for my blushing boys who're both trying to fall over apologizing. Them and the other three, though Daibutsu isn't blushing, he never does. Keisuke's eyes crinkle at the corners. I can still not equate Keisuke and girl in my mind- it's not just hi-her appearance, it's also her speech style. She uses a rough style that mainly men do, and she uses 'ore'.I sigh. "Sorry all the same." Keisuke shakes her head in resignation as someone throws the inn's door open."I'm home! Miki-chan, were you a good girl for your Kaa-chan?""Mama!" Miki squeaks and jumps into the newcomer's arms. The newcomer is a tall woman with pale-blond hair the same shade as Miki's and narrow brown eyes. She is delicately made up, and is wearing a kimono. I wonder how Miki was born if she has two mothers. I wonder she is adopted. I wonder at the fact that both her parents are shinobi, and not active in this wartime."Miki-chan, don't run like that, what if you trip?" Keisuke scolds."I won't, Kei-nee!"And then I notice Miki's pure white eyes. She is blind. I wonder how she recognizes people- and then Keisuke explains like she read my mind. "Miki-chan is a sensor. Here-" She brings Miki to each of the six of us and introduces us by name."Look, except Konan-san, they're all nii-san, alright?" Keisuke shoots me a glance, "Unless I made a mistake?" I shake my head. "Right on."Keisuke smiles."I'm sure you'll all want a bath!" Miyako-san says. "Come on.""You've never been in a hot spring before?" Keisuke sounds affronted. "Come on, we're fixing that now. Men's bath that way-" she gestures."I'm not going, sorry." Kie sidles away as the other four go off in the direction Keisuke showed.Keisuke raises an eyebrow. "Why?" she asks bluntly. Kie shakes his head, and I know. It's because even though Kie is a guy, physically he's still female. Too evidently so to bath with the guys, two of whom don't know about Kie's past. Yet."Were you born a woman?" A voice asks from behind and I jump. Miki's 'mama' has sneaked up on us quite effectively. Shinobi indeed.I am becoming too comfortable- I let my guard down.Kie flinches violently, and the platinum blond woman smiles at him. "I'm the same," she says, "I was born a man, y'know.""Ranka-san." Keisuke says quietly. "You're as intuitive as ever. Even I didn't guess."Ranka-san smiles. I realize then that Miki is probably Ranka-san and Miyako-san's biological daughter."Kie-kun, you can bath in the women's section if Kei-kun and Konan-kun don't mind. Or you can wait till they're done.""I don't mind." Keisuke shrugs. "You're welcome to join us- Konan-san?""I don't mind either." And I don't. I wouldn't even if Ranka-san said she wanted to join us.Kie smiles gratefully."You're quite... accepting about things like this." Kie says to Keisuke, who shrugs nonchalantly. We're sitting in the hot springs- and it feels like heaven.Keisuke, I note, has one of those slender skeletal builds that often look fragile on civilians. But there are muscles all over her, no one would call her fragile. Scars mark her skin everywhere, lightning shaped pale ones on her fingers- backlash from Lightning Release, calluses from sword wielding, nicks and bruises everywhere, longer scars here and there. And then there is a waterproof bandaging around her abdomen- I wonder where she got an injury like that. Then I realize that she fought that Iwa Jounin- and took that devastating punch to boot- while injured. Then traveled over three thousand kilometers. I wonder just how high her endurance levels are."Shinobi are a little more casual about stuff like this." Keisuke says. "I think it's cuz.. we can die anytime y'know? No point giving shit about who you love or what you are, Kie-san. Besides, I know someone like you- well, like Ranka-san actually, but yeah. She- well, she was born a guy y'know? But she always knew she was a girl- and her parents- they were shinobi- accepted her. They died when she was young, though. And then her sensei and said sensei's former teammate kinda helped her transition her body, too?""That's possible? To change your body?" Kie asks."Not fully." Keisuke shrugs. "The kid I just spoke about- she can't have children, but otherwise, she will mature like all girls do. Curves and all that."Kie blushes. I laugh."But you can, too." Keisuke continues. "I guess for you it's your chest and then that monthly menace, right? I haven't got that yet, and they say I won't ever, and I'm so damn thankful. Sounds like a pain."I start laughing, and Kie joins. Keisuke is right, periods are a pain, especially for shinobi. There are suppressant pills available, but they taste god-awful and are pretty expensive. I still use them though. I wonder why she says she won't get them. Some health condition?"Kie-san, you should talk to a medic." Keisuke says."Mm. Thanks." Kie slides under water till his mouth is covered and sends bubbles up in the water. His cheeks are still red.I choke down a laugh.I wonder how long I can smile so easily, with the not-future hanging in front of us all.

L-R: Miyako, Miki, Ranka.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Konan, Nagato." Yahiko says as I finish setting up the privacy seals. The three of us are sharing a room, and Kie, Kyusuke and Daibutsu are sharing another. Just as usual. I don't know where Keisuke went. Maybe she's spending time with Miki-chan or Miki-chan's mothers."We need to talk.""We do." Nagato nods. "Does Keisuke-kun figure anywhere in that... future you know?""No." Yahiko shakes his head. "Look, the only Hatake I know- aside from the White Fang who is someone I haven't met- is a person called Hatake Kakashi. A Jounin of Konoha. He is younger than us by maybe four years, but I think it's possible Keisuke is his sister. Probably younger sister, since she says she's twelve and Hatake Kakashi now must be thirteen. I think.""But if you don't know her-" I begin."-that means she is probably dead in the future I remember." Yahiko finishes my sentence. "If she dies sometime in the next few years, then I would not know of her. Otherwise, were she alive, I doubt someone of her skill would not be involved in the clusterfuck that the future... was? will be?" he waves his hands vaguely.Ooh Yahiko's grumpy. He rarely swears otherwise.Yahiko sighs. "So many people die... and I know so little."He isn't wrong. His knowledge does extend twenty years into the future, but events are already changing around us, and Yahiko's knowledge is limited, on top of which there is what happened after Nagato's death. What happened to me. What happened to that other Akatsuki. The real identity of Madara Uchiha- the swirly faced man called himself 'Tobi' in the not-future, and Yahiko says that he probably is an ally of Madara than Madara himself. He uses something called Kamui, a warping teleportation ability.No wonder Nagato couldn't touch him.Knock."Konan-san? Nagato-san, Yahiko-san, you in there?"Speak of the devil. It's Keisuke. "Come on in!" I deactivate most of the seals so Keisuke won't be blown up on entering. I think she noticed the seals, though. She walks in and shuts the door, and I reactivate the seals."It's about tomorrow." she says without preamble. "Look, I can't just... waltz into the village with a bunch of do-gooder vigilantes, whether or not they are Jiraiya-sama's students." she plops down on Nagato's futon. "So listen. At normal traveling speed, we're around four hours from the edge of the forest around Konoha. And it takes approximately two hours through. We will not enter the forest- we will go to the outpost.""Outpost?" I ask. Keisuke nods. "Means a lot of waiting, but that's... protocol. The outpost is three hours from here. Once I- we- get permission, it's another three hours to the village. Two if we go fast. We should be able to do it easy tomorrow. Provided...""Provided?" Nagato prompts.Keisuke fidgets. "Provided Kushina-sensei is in the village. Or Minato-san. Or Jiraiya-sama. Any of those three. Will just make the process faster." she taps a frantic rhythm on her lap. "Or.. I'm gonna get in trouble..""Look, if it's that much trouble-" I begin, but Keisuke interrupts. "Not with the Hokage or anything," she says with a smile, "my teammates are the ones who'll yell at me for doing reckless things. Don't worry."I sigh. This girl is reckless, and brave, and ridiculous. I even find myself being sorry she died- dies?- in the not-future.Keisuke gets up and throws a thin notebook at me- where did she even get that from?- and wiggles her fingers. "That's part of an old analysis of mine about Bloodline related idiosyncrasies. You should see it, both you-" she points at me "-and you." she points at Nagato. "Good night." and she waltzes out of the room.It is half an hour before we open the notebook, because Yahiko's paranoia insists that we need to check it for traps. The pages are filled with even but not so neat handwriting which must be Keisuke's. I start reading, with Yahiko and Nagato hanging over my shoulder.

I stare. At the thesis which is full of random tangents and statements, that might well have been written by an adult, at the letter in the end to me and Nagato.…might not be his.If Nagato's Rinnegan isn't his, then whose is it? Why does he have it?Yahiko says softly."I think it won't do to underestimate Keisuke-kun. She might be very dangerous."I whisper. "...I agree."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Choza-san!"There is very evident relief in Keisuke's voice as she greets a rotund man with a big nose and purple paint lines on his cheeks."Keisuke-kun. What are you doing here?" Choza raises an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure you had a mission in Iwa. And who are your... companions?" He smiles softly without any suspicion, though I'm sure it's there somewhere. None of us are wearing out Ame hitai-ate, and I'm still not in my robes- I didn't get time to clean them, and my extra set is still somewhere in Ame. Still, he will know we're not Konoha shinobi."Causing chaos?" Another person pops up- a man with long blond hair and greenish eyes. "Inoichi-san." Keisuke says, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you and Choza-san here? Not fighting?""Injured-" Choza says with a wry grin, "Broke my leg and Inoichi broke a rib. Temporary rest, you might say." Inoichi smiles, and I know that this man is danger. He oozes intellect. (Hopefully Yahiko won't do anything stupid.)"Ehh." Keisuke grins. "Fine. Is sensei in the village now?""Kushina-san?" Inoichi checks some documents. "Nah. Mission. Who else?"Keisuke frowns. "What about Jiraiya-sama or Minato-san?""Funny questions." I notice Inoichi and Choza shoot the six of us wary looks. "Can those people be trusted?"Keisuke says grimly. "With luck." She draws a gray scroll with a red band around it. "I'm sending this to either Minato-san or Jiraiya-sama. Whichever one's available.""Minato-san's away." Inoichi says, "Jiraiya-sama's here till tomorrow.""Fine." Keisuke says. "You guys- get ready. We'll probably leave in a while."Konoha is big. Ame, I admit, has its skyscrapers and stuff- we are a small country and space is premium- but Konoha sprawls wide and extensive. I dart a look at the Hokage Mountain- three faces, Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen.In the not-future from Yahiko's memories, two more faces were there. Namikaze Minato. Senju Tsunade.I tilt my head back and extend my chakra sense. There are shinobi here and there, more than in Ame when everyone is away at war, but probably only a fraction of Konoha's normal, most shinobi will be fighting now. Even though there is no fighting within Konoha, there is still an air of tension. Among the civilians too. And I can't sense Jiraiya-sensei or anyone at that level of power, for the matter, so where is the Hokage? He should be here."Keisuke-kun." A tall man with spiky hair in a ponytail and a scarred face walks up to us, hands in his pockets. He oozes intelligence even more than Inoichi did, and I stiffen."Shikaku-san." Keisuke greets, then names us all to him. "And this is Nara Shikaku, the Jounin Commander. Shikaku-san-" she says, turning back to him. "I need to meet the Hokage, now. Is Jiraiya-sama with him?"Nara Shikaku nods, looking a little mystified. "Yeah. I guess you can go- but who are these people?"Keisuke rolls her eyes. "A headache." She leads us away, then pauses for a moment, looking over her shoulder. "For you," she adds with a mischievous grin. Nara Shikaku groans, evidently knowing Keisuke well enough to know what she means.I don't, but I still feel apprehensive."Kei-chan!" "Keisuke-kun!"Three people greet us in the Hokage's office. Evidently, there are seals here to prevent sensing.The first person speaking is a girl. She is tall, the same height as Keisuke if maybe a very little bit shorter, and is strongly built. Her skin is suntanned and her eyes piercing violet. Her hair is stark white, a contrast to her skin, with black streaks in it, wild, spiky and choppy. She is also scarred, burns on her left arm, and a scar from the underside of her left eye, another from her jaw disappearing into her top. I even notice a faint scar at the corner of her mouth, tugging her lips into a permanent half-smile.She can't be much older than Keisuke- maybe thirteen to Keisuke's twelve. She is also just a kid, still. Barely a teenager. Scarred like this. War, my mind supplies helpfully. Even me and my boys are still seventeen. I shove the thought back, because the two people who said Keisuke-kun are the Third Hokage- and- and--and Sensei.Jiraiya-sensei, hair as long and wild as ever, smile as wide as ever, even though the smile slips off his face, looking no different from when we last saw him.Jiraiya-sensei, staring at us in shock."Yahiko? Nagato- Konan!" he exclaims, and then crushes us in a hug, me laughing, Yahiko and Nagato protesting, and we're all smiling.Only Nagato and Yahiko's smiles are strained, and then I remember. Remember what Yahiko said.
"In the not-future, Nagato kills Jiraiya-sensei."
And the instrument was probably Yahiko's body. Which means Yahiko remembers killing sensei. And Nagato knows what 'he' did in another lifetime. They can't not think of that.I can. I am callous and I'm realistic, and I know that the Nagato who killed sensei, the Yahiko who killed sensei, were none the ones I know- they are all part of another world, another lifetime.Maybe the injuries will haunt my Yahiko forever, but the least I can do is heal them, by making what hurt him never happen here."Ahem. Keisuke-kun, what are Jiraiya's students doing here?" The Third Hokage interrupts finally. Sensei stops trying to actively squash us and Keisuke stops lounging against a wall. She tosses a scroll at the Hokage."Mission report," she says, "and as for why the Akatsuki are here-" she scowls at this, "go ask that to Danzo. Seems he's having fun making random alliances with Hanzo to eliminate people.""Keisuke-kun!" The Hokage thunders, eyebrows narrowing. "Explain yourself!"I wonder who Danzo is. Is he the head of the 'ROOT' Keisuke mentioned? The person she allegedly sensed back in Kawa? There is no other reason for her to mention him now and here...Keisuke glares at the older man with venom. "Sarutobi-sama, you give the council too much power." she groans and rubs her eyes, while the white haired girl watches with a raised eyebrow. I suspect she might be one of Keisuke's teammates. "Look, I was in the Land of Rivers-""Your mission was against Iwa shinobi." Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupts. "How did you end up in Kawa?""The Iwa platoon I was fighting with split up. And I had to chase them.""What happened to your subordinate, Tensei Kira?""Died." Without a pause, I note, Keisuke doesn't even blink. And she had a subordinate. Even though she is so young. And she can speak of another's death with such bluntness. She is used to death."Kei-chan." the white haired girl says. Keisuke gives her a half-smile before resuming."The last member of the platoon was who I was fighting in Kawa. That was when I met these people. I killed the Iwa nin, and Hanzo attacked shortly afterwards.""Hanzo the Salamander?" Jiraiya-sensei shoots up. "You survived an altercation with him?"Keisuke grins tiredly. "My summons are good in a pinch and my fuinjutsu experiment worked."Keisuke, I decide, is very good at giving answers without giving anything away."And you brought random people here?" the Third snaps."They are Jiraiya-sensei's students and were headed here anyway." Keisuke says glibly, "besides, Konoha owes them compensation."
"Compensation?"
"Where is your best friend Danzo now?" Keisuke asks bluntly. "And where has he been the past few days?"Sarutobi Hiruzen frowns annoyedly. "In the village, of course!"Keisuke says, carefully enunciating each word. "Then why. Was. He. In. Kawa. Chasing. The. Akatsuki?"Ok, so my guess was right. Go me!The Third stares. "He was what?"Keisuke spits the words out of her mouth, venomous."In Kawa. Chasing the Akatsuki. Not to mention, someone looking just like Konoha ANBU sans the tattoos were there at a fake negotiation of Hanzo's, which's objective was to wipe these people out." she waves at us. "Konoha ANBU without the tattoo. Ring a bell, Sarutobi-sama? Or have you not heard of ROOT?""I-"Keisuke continues ruthlessly. "Even if those were impersonators, I will swear up and down and agree to be interrogated by Sharingan or by a Yamanaka that Shimura Danzo was chasing the Akatsuki. If you try insinuating that I made a mistake in chakra sensing, I will boobytrap this building. And then punch you in the nose."The Third Hokage stares- no, everyone stares. There's a hard edge to Keisuke's voice, and her tone has no lightness in it. She is serious."If Kei says it was Shimura-san, then it was." the white haired girl says. "Kei doesn't make mistakes. She never forgets anyone's chakra signature." She gives Keisuke a concerned look, and I wonder why, before noticing that Keisuke's eyebags are as bad if not worse as they were back when we fought Hanzo, and she is slightly pale.She's probably worn out. This close, I can feel the exhaustion in her chakra if I concentrate a little. I feel worry well up- I may not know Keisuke well, but she helped us, against Hanzo, then continued helping us. If not for her, we might be dead. If not for her Kie would be dead.The Third pinches the bridge of his nose."Sarutobi-sensei." Jiraiya-sensei says. "You can trust my students, you know. And Keisuke-chan isn't the sort who'd do something without reason.""Jiraiya-sama, the-"We don't hear the rest of what Keisuke is about to say, because she sways and pitches forward, only saved from falling on her face by the white haired girl catching her."Kei!"The white haired girl, I learn, is Inuzuka Yuuki. She is one of Keisuke's erstwhile Genin teammates, and is also a Jounin. She is a combat-medic, a powerful medic and an equally powerful fighter who fights. She isn't a medic-nin, not the normal sort. She's a little like the Slug Princess Senju Tsunade. She fights most of the time and heals when she can't fight. Her canines show sharp when she smiles, and I have an inkling it has something to do with her name 'Inuzuka'. I seem to have heard of an Inuzuka Clan and if they have 'Inu' in their name, they may have something to do with dogs..."What's wrong with Keisuke-kun?" Yahiko asks. We've been left in a room near the Hokage's office along with Sensei while Keisuke was taken away. Yuuki just returned here."Chakra exhaustion to some extent." Yuuki sprawls on a sofa with a sigh. "Mostly because of backlash from some new experiment of hers. That and she seems to have gotten stabbed through the stomach.""She was fighting with an injury like that?" Kyusuke says in horror. He may not admit it, but he's the sort of person who's a big softie under a sharp exterior.Yuuki rolls her eyes. "Honestly? She's done worse. Has had worse. But the injury was partially healed- Kei doesn't have a medic status, but she's still pretty good at healing." she cracked her neck. "So it was just exhaustion, overall. She has great endurance, but month long skirmishes would wear anyone out."So Keisuke had been on the road for a month. A twelve year old child. Wartime does this to everyone. I sigh mentally and shove the thought away.Yuuki leaves the room, and Yahiko turns to Sensei."I have something to tell you, sensei. And you three too."I feel a shiver up my spine. He is going to tell them.And he does.Sensei is crying. Yahiko and Nagato are crying. Kie's face is buried in my shoulder, and Daibutsu is patting Kyusuke on his back. I don't know how many of Yahiko and Nagato's tears are because everyone is accepting them, not blaming them.My face is dry as I pat Kie gently. I have shed all the tears I might ever shed eleven years ago.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

T&I. Torture and Interrogation. I feel shivers up my spine. It is not fear for me, but for my friends. I know, logically, that Konoha needs to do this. This is wartime and we're from another village. Even if it weren't wartime, we're all too powerful to be left loose, unchecked. Keisuke is with us, and that comforts me for some reason. Yuuki is gone- work, says the boy who replaced her. This kid has short, unkempt hair, black eyes and long eyelashes. He is pretty in a slightly girly way, and I think he'll be quite a looker when he grows up. He's a little shorter than Keisuke, though he has to be the same age. Keisuke introduces him as Uchiha Shisui, her third and last teammate.I give him a half smile. Jiraiya-sensei went ahead with Nagato, mainly because of Nagato's Rinnegan, and Yahiko went with them. Kie, Kyusuke and Daibutsu aren't getting interrogated, I think it's probably because they are, though Jounin level, not crazy strong like me or Nagato. Yahiko is strong too, but half the attention he gets is courtesy being Akatsuki's leader.I still got Keisuke, and I'm glad. I have things to ask her."Keisuke-kun, can I speak of the notebook you gave me, Yahiko and Nagato?" I ask.Shisui gives me a terrified look. "Oh no no no- what did Kei do? What was the notebook? A thesis on murder? An actual weapon? A thesis on how to seal jutsu in scrolls? A-""A thesis on Bloodlines, Shisui." Keisuke interrupts calmly. "Yes, Konan-san, what did you want to ask me?"Putting away the thought of sealed jutsu in scrolls, I ask. "Why did you say my paper jutsu might be a kekkei genkai? My.. I wasn't born in a family with Bloodline Limits."Keisuke hums. "Kekkei genkai can manifest in people who weren't born of parents possessing them. You might say they are rooted in anomalies. DNA anomalies and chakra anomalies- though I guess you don't want to hear that. The reason I think your paper jutsu is a kekkei genkai is because you turned into paper. It's unlikely for a normal ninjutsu- though I've heard that Kiri's Hozuki clan's Hydrification Technique is a Hiden and not kekkei genkai... Of course, there's an easier way of finding out- you use hand signs, right?""I do," I say, perplexed.Keisuke gives me a wicked smile. "We'll just have Shisui try and copy it with the Sharingan!"Behind us, Shisui winces. I almost feel pity- it must be hard having a crazy teammate like Keisuke. But then again, all shinobi are a level of crazy. Even if Keisuke is a different level of crazy.Before I can ask Keisuke about Nagato's Rinnegan, we arrive at the door of Room-0109.My interrogation chamber.An array of five people and machines. Keisuke just had time to whisper an it's a mind reading jutsu at me before she had to step back. Among the five shinobi here, two stand out. An older man with graying blond hair and blue eyes, whose chakra is stronger than the others. And a woman with chin length blunt cut blond hair and stormy gray eyes, whose chakra is even stronger than the older man's."Konan-san," she says, her voice low, "please try not to resist." And then she forms a hand seal in tandem with the other four and the world goes dark in my eyes.They trawl through my memories, reliving my days with sensei, my days after we form the Akatsuki. They relive my hostage situation, and I thank Yahiko for making Nagato put Rinnegan blocks against Yahiko's story, because we don't need that complicating things, not when sensei knows. The block doesn't even ripple, and the interrogators don't notice. They relive the fight with Hanzo's lackeys, out meeting Keisuke, fighting Hanzo, our journey to Konoha.And then the probe touches the grave in my mind-
-no no no no-
-and my ghosts crawl out.
I am small. I have parents. My mother is dead. My father is scary. I have two little brothers Kouki and Koushi.

Dad hates me.
… strong arms hold me down, gag in my mouth, blindfold on my eyes... … touch, hit, strike, repeat...
Hits searing across my skin- Kouki- don't hit my baby brother- Koushi- no-

-Dad, shrieking at me.

-the knife goes THROUGH Kouki and he doesn't move again-

I should have done something.

Run away.

RUN AWAY-

"Ko-nan."

He won't go away.

I split, and I explode.
 
"Kouki. KOUKI."
He won't move. His body is charred, arm and leg exploded off. By  me.
I killed him. I killed both my brothers.
 "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!"I thrash around, the cuffs on my wrists attached to the chair the only thing holding me in place. The interrogators all drop their hand signs, and hurry forward-I can't. I can't. I want the handcuffs off, I want to be out of this basement, I want to feel the sun and wind, I want out-"Konan-san!" Keisuke's voice. Keisuke's hands, undoing the cuffs, helping me up. I'm breathing hard, eyes wild."Inoshi-san, Yumi-san. What did you do?"My breathing has calmed down, through my hair I see the blond man and woman look a little sheepish."Keisuke-kun, sorry." The woman- probably Yumi- bows her head. "It seems we accidentally reawakened Konan-san's childhood... memories."Keisuke scowls. "What of the rest? Have you-"Inoshi- the older man- nods."The statements Konan-san made are true."Keisuke sighs."Then, come on, Konan-san. Let's go. Shisui?"Shisui grins at her- and me. We leave, my back straight. My ghosts are not dead, ghosts cannot die. But they can be buried. I am the Konan who killed her brothers, through inaction and action, but I am also the Konan who learnt from Jiraiya-sensei, the Konan who is part of Akatsuki, the Konan who may be broken but who has been put back together.I am Konan of the Akatsuki, and the ghosts of the past cannot stand against dawn.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The air in Konoha is different from Ame. It is warmer, lighter, compared to Ame's perpetual rain. The air is scented with different smells, dry earth, food. I smile wryly. I am not missing Ame, though maybe I should be. I know Nagato and Yahiko are, devoted as they are to Akatsuki's cause.I am not. I don't deny the fact- I never will. I am devoted to the people I love, not to ideals. Maybe it's a part of me broken beyond repair, but I don't see any ideals in this world worth fighting for. All that I can fight for are my friends- my family."Konan-san.""Yuuki-kun?" It is the white haired girl again. She smiles at me, a flash of white teeth and sharp canines. "Are you waiting for Nagato-san and Yahiko-san?" I nod mutely. "They will take time. Don't worry- Jiraiya-sama is with them."I sigh. "I know. But-""You still worry. Because they are your teammates." Yuuki finishes my sentence easily. We're walking down one of Konoha's streets- cleared by T&I, four of us have permission to go around, provided we're with a Konoha shinobi. Seems I got Yuuki-kun, and I saw the other three with a shinobi with a senbon in his mouth. Nagato and Yahiko are still in T&I...Yuuki pats me on the shoulder, and I want to laugh. I am seventeen, and the oldest of the inner Akatsuki- Kie, Kyusuke and Daibutsu are all twenty and above- because though we were born in the same year, Nagato's birthday falls late in the year, while Yahiko, though born on the same day as me, was born in the late evening, something he heard from his mother. I know I was born in the morning- it is one of the few things my mother told me. Because I only knew her only for a short while.I am seventeen, and a teen of thirteen is comforting me. And succeeding."Are you okay? Kei said there was an issue during the mind reading.""I'm fine." I say bluntly. And I am. Yuuki smiles crookedly. "Well, that's fine then." She picks up the pace, calling for me to follow her.And I like that, because the last thing anyone needs when they are alright is misplaced sympathy. "Ichiraku... Ramen?" I stare. Yuuki grins. "Sensei loves it here," she explains, "so our team comes here a lot. Also, it's good." she adds as an afterthought. I slide into a seat and order after Yuuki does."Yuuki!" A voice yells. A girl of maybe eleven or so barrels into Yuuki's back. She has brown eyes and violet hair in a spiky ponytail, and wears her hitai-ate on her forehead. She grins, wide eyed and giddy.If this kid doesn't have a crush on Yuuki, then I'm a fish. And I hate fish."Anko-chan!" Yuuki smiles. "Back from your mission?"Anko smiles. Her chakra is strong, I note, however not unusually so. I put her at Genin, or just promoted Chunin at most."Yes!! My first C-Rank," Anko says, confirming my thoughts. C-Ranks do go to experienced Genin, but not in wartime when missions are very dangerous."Congratulations on making Chunin, by the way." Yuuki pats Anko's head, and Anko smiles. Then she turns on me. "Who's that, Yuuki?""Hm? That's Konan-san. She's visiting on official business."Anko gives me a half glare and sticks her tongue out, and I almost laugh. She's jealous of me, and it's cute. All the more so because Yuuki is younger than me by a lot, too young for me. Ok, so it's only... four years? But still."Yuuki! Kushina-san's back, she's asking for you! Anko, take Hana!" A voice yells.By the time I turn, the person who spoke is gone in a swirl of leaves and brown hair. Yuuki yells a sorry and disappears, leaving me with Anko and the money for the ramen on the table.Did I mention Anko suddenly has a kid on her lap?"Who was that?" I say, almost to myself, and Anko replies."Inuzuka Tsume." she starts eating Yuuki's abandoned ramen. "Yuu's aunt." She shifts the baby on her lap- the kid must be maybe three or four, and is sleeping. "This is Hana. Tsume-san's daughter.""Really? She seemed..." I only got a glance at Inuzuka Tsume, but she looked young. Maybe my age -no, a little older, but still only twenty something at most."Young?" Anko finishes my sentence (and the ramen). "Yeah, well- Yuu's mom was the oldest of three, Tsume-san's the second kid. But Tsukiko-san- Yuu's mom- didn't wanna be a shinobi and kinda left the clan. Tsume-san's been the clan head for a couple years now since her dad, the previous head, died in the war." she waves her chopsticks vaguely. "And Yuu doesn't wanna be head, and Tsume-san's younger brother's her cousin who was adopted by her dad, so she had a kid for convenience's sake. 'Twas a one night stand."I stare. "Ah."Konoha shinobi are really strange.Keisuke is perched on the Third Hokage's face. I mean the stone version, not the real one. The real one's probably in his office, for one. Most might say 'no one would perch on their Kage's face' but I wouldn't put that past Keisuke."Keisuke-kun... why did you say my ninjutsu might be a kekkei genkai?" I want to know more about Nagato's Rinnegan, but that is a conversation better left for when my boys are here as well."How do you control your paper? How do you create it?" Keisuke returns. She looks better than she did yesterday. Her eyebags are mostly gone, and she feels less exhausted. We'd arrived in Konoha yesterday afternoon, I spent the evening in T&I and then with Yuuki and Anko, and I slept in what I suspect is Yuuki's apartment, alone for the first time since meeting my boys. It is morning now."I... just do?" It's not easy to explain. Paper has always been something I've loved, playing with it, and manipulating it is no different from breathing. It began with manipulation physically, with my hands, and devolved into my using chakra to manipulate the paper."Do you use chakra strings?" Keisuke asks, eyes glinting as she takes out a notebook from... somewhere. She's dressed casually- loose light gray shirt that hangs off her shoulders, dark shorts and a pouch at her waist which I'm pretty sure is a weapons pouch. Casual for a shinobi."No.""That's the point," she says scribbling something in the notebook. "You control the paper directly, like it's an element. But it isn't, not exactly, so it being a kekkei genkai is a possibility."

"Look," she continues without pausing, "I can even accept controlling paper without it being a kekkei genkai- maybe your chakra control is so good that you're imbuing paper with your chakra, but no. You created paper back then against Hanzo, you placed seals on them, you turned into paper.""So it is a kekkei genkai?" There is a feeling of shock in me, I can't believe I have a kekkei genkaiYahiko's going to be so jealous.Keisuke smiles, snapping her notebook shut. "Once we do a few experiments, we can be sure."I don't think that smile bodes anything good.I was right- that was the devil's smile."Next!" Keisuke waves her pen. Shisui is groaning- mostly in annoyance. For the past maybe an hour, Keisuke has been running tests on my paper jutsu. On me.She gave me nature testing paper first, and the sheets became soggy and then muddy between my fingers. "Water and Earth Release," Keisuke declared. Then she made Shisui activate his Sharingan and try and copy my jutsu."Paper Drizzle!" It is one of my slightly less destructive jutsu- when I'm not using explosions with it, at least. Shisui's Sharingan spins red, and his hands morph into the seals I use. Nothing happens. And that proves Keisuke's point, because there are, she and Shisui both say, few cases where the Sharingan can't copy a jutsu. Foremost is kekkei genkai, followed by when the Sharingan user in question doesn't have the elemental affinity of the jutsu they are trying to copy, followed by jutsu that don't use hand seals- those can be copied but only if the Sharingan user understands the technique theory, and then practices the fuck out of it. Hard as hell, or so Shisui says."Hm." Keisuke chews the end of her pen. "Your paper ninjutsu's almost certainly a kekkei genkai, or I don't know.. the combination is probably Earth and Water, because paper is made from bark and water and Wood Release is an Earth Water combination...""But how?" I ask. "If Water and Earth make Wood, why would it make Paper in my case?"Keisuke raises her head. "The same combination can result in different outcomes. Mud Release is a kekkei genkai- admittedly one I've only read of- but it's also a Water Earth combination."Oh. It is hard to believe- I have never been the special one. Nagato is, with his Rinnegan, Yahiko with his charisma, I am the fighter. The strong one, the ruthless one, the loyal one. I am not the special one- but I am, now, and it is a novel feeling.I can get used to days like today, days spent laughing and experimenting, and all I need is my boys back, and it would be more perfect than I deserve.But days like these never last. At least, I will think to myself later, it was not death and destruction.It was- will be- a blood red typhoon

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"HE'S AN UZUMAKI?!!??!?! I HAVE A BABY BROTHER!!!!?!???"I wince at Kushina's yell. I am in the Hokage's office now, with Yuuki, Shisui and Keisuke, and my boys are back as well. The other three aren't here- Kyusuke and Daibutsu are off doing kami knows what, and I saw Kie with a brown haired boy who Yuuki said was Inuzuka Tsutomu, her uncle. The kid is young, though, maybe eighteen or so, and I realize that Yuuki's aunt, Tsume, isn't much older. Yuuki's mother and her younger siblings must have a pretty wide age gap.Coming back- we are here because apparently Uzumaki Kushina wants to meet us. I stare at her some- and then more, because she is beautiful. Violet eyes, light tan skin, and gorgeous crimson red hair the same shade as Nagato's- only Nagato's looked maroon till now thanks to being always wet from Ame's rain. Kushina's hair is longer, waist length and it was tightly braided and bound till five minutes ago when she undid it. It spills like water down her back, blood and fire and beauty.She wears the Konoha flak jacket with what I learn is the Uzumaki clan symbol on its back- a red swirl which is on the shoulder of all Konoha standard blue outfits and on the standard flak jackets' backs, as a commemoration of now-gone Uzushio, only Kushina's is larger than the normal one. Except for that, Kushina's outfit is not the typical blue standard- it is a red sleeveless top, mesh on her arms, black fingerless gloves, black trousers, kunai holders strapped to both legs, pouches on both sides of her waist, a full length katana across her waist, and I notice the shape of scrolls in her flak jacket pockets.And right now, she's hugging Nagato so hard I'm afraid for his ribs. Nagato is making squeaky sounds like a mouse, with his face stuck in Kushina's shoulder. Nagato's already hit his growth spurt, but Kushina's taller.Yahiko's laughing, because of course. He's using Jiraiya-sensei as some kind of pillar, holding sensei's shoulder to prevent himself from sliding onto the floor and rolling around, which would be even less dignified than what he's already doing. I groan. Airhead of Akatsuki indeed."Yahiko, stop laughing. Kushina-sama, if you could release Nagato before he suffocates, I would appreciate it." I say, lacing my voice with polite please-don't-kill-my-friend and I-am-sorry-Yahiko's-an-idiot. Kushina laughs and releases Nagato, who promptly collapses on top of Yahiko, whose shoulders are still shaking. Well, at least he isn't crying tears of laughter anymore.Kushina currently has her face in Nagato's, staring at his Rinnegan, and I wonder what's going on in her head. Yuuki tugs her back with a muttered sensei you're scaring him, and Shisui laughs with Keisuke.Evidently, Yuuki is the voice of reason and the other two are the crazy hellions. I smile a little, and the Hokage clears his throat."Kushina." he says, and the red-headed woman snaps to attention, throwing a scroll at the Hokage. Clearly, Keisuke learnt the throw-mission-reports-at-the-Hokage trick from her teacher.I feel a curl of regret in my heart to think that none of these three- four including Kushina- exist in the not-future- all of them dead and gone. Buried in the cold earth, or maybe not at all because shinobi often die deaths where there's nothing left to bury except memories.The Third Hokage catches the scroll with practiced ease, and slides it into his desk. "Akatsuki," he says, voice measured and quiet. "Tell Kushina about the masked person." I think he is still upset, maybe with Keisuke and what she said about Danzo. Who is this Danzo to the Hokage? Someone close, if his displeasure indicates anything."Kushina-sama," I begin, and tell her. About Akatsuki. About 'Uchiha Madara' and Hanzo and his betrayal even though the Hokage didn't ask me to, about our meeting Keisuke, the fight with Hanzo, then I stop, coming to an end. I also say that 'Uchiha Madara' mentioned wanting the bijuu, though he didn't, actually, but Kushina doesn't need to know that- Tobi will want the bijuu, soon, and least said soonest mended, and Jiraiya-sensei knows. He can stop any calamity that may-or-may-not-happen. Kushina listens, quiet and silent, and purses her lips.I speak of Keisuke sensing Danzo a second before thinking I should have asked Keisuke's permission, but Keisuke gives me a half-smile of reassurance, and Kushina slams a palm on the Hokage's desk. Sarutobi Hiruzen flinches back slightly, and Kushina yells in his face."HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP DANZO?""He only has Konoha's-""Fuck Konoha's best interests." Kushina snarls, and voila I know where Keisuke learnt to swear the way she does. "Danzo is a power hungry asshole and you know how long he's wanted the Hokage's hat. You've read my reports about too many supplies going you-know-where and kids- even clan kids disappearing sometimes, you know about ROOT! You are too sentimental!!!""Kushina." Jiraiya-sensei places a hand on the raging woman's shoulder. "Calm down." Kushina shakes his hand of and huffs."Sarutobi-sama," she says, a hard mocking edge to her voice, "do you know Danzo has been manipulating the war?"I stare. Later I will reflect that Kushina is trusting Akatsuki a lot to be speaking of such matters in front of us- but right now-Why would someone manipulate a war? To stop it?"He has been pitting Iwa against us by showing dead Iwa nin 'killed by Konoha'. I heard reports like that, and I know we didn't do anything like that. And then we have this clusterfuck with Ame and Hanzo- Danzo is out of control, and you know it." She scowls fiercely. "Stop him before it's too late."She stalks out, and Yuuki, Keisuke and Shisui follow her, Keisuke giving us a wiggle of her fingers before leaving. The Third Hokage presses his fingertips together with a huff, and addresses us."Akatsuki." he says quietly. "If you wish for Konoha's protection- to stay here- you'll be required to work missions." I nod in reply, in tandem with the others. "The other three also," the Hokage says warningly, and Yahiko gives him an easy yes in reply. The Hokage pinches the bridge of his nose, a thing which I've noticed Jiraiya-sensei do, sometimes. The Third Hokage had been sensei's teacher, if I remember correctly."What are your ranks?" he asks. Jiraiya-sensei rolls his eyes. "Sarutobi-sensei, these three are Jounin level, if not Kage level.""The other three?" The Hokage asks."They are all former Ame Jounin," I say by way of a reply.Sarutobi Hiruzen speaks slowly."Then, I'll give them a test mission.""Tsutomu." the Hokage says, an hour later. I'm the only one left here- Nagato and Yahiko went who knows where with sensei- though Keisuke is back and lounging on the window-sill. Kie is here with Inuzuka Tsutomu. Tsutomu is of average height and has bags under his eyes, brown hair, and red paint stripes on his cheeks. He slouches, his hair a mess over his face. He's wearing the typical blue-clothes-and-flak-jacket combination, with his hitai-ate on his forearm instead of on his forehead."You will run this A-Rank mission with Kie here." Kie's head jerks up at the Hokage's words, and I shoot him what I hope is a reassuring look. He nods slightly, both to me and to the Hokage's expectant expression."Understood." Inuzuka Tsutomu's voice is rough. He turns and leaves, Kie scurrying after him."Judging by what you told me, they will be a good combination." The Third Hokage says musingly. "Kie is a long range support type, and Tsutomu is a close range fighter."I both can and cannot like this man. He sees people in terms of value, sentiment barely touching his decisions, and that is how a Kage should be, I understand that. But I also have Yahiko's tale of the not-future where the Fourth Hokage and Kushina die, and their son, the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, is left orphaned and hated by the village, nothing mitigated by this man. I cannot condone that, can never. Loyalty to my loved ones has always been first in my book, will always be.Keisuke says suddenly, her voice sharp, "Hokage-sama. You will not- and let me repeat, will not- send Uzumaki Nagato on any missions.""And who are you to order me?" the Hokage says, but there is an edge of warmth to his tone, a slight softening of his eyes. He may be angry with Keisuke for what she said earlier, but he likes her too.Keisuke grins, all sharp canine teeth, something I notice for the first time, and glinting eyes. "I am one of the foremost researchers in Konoha, y'know? Also, I doubt anyone wants a loose cannon in the form of a Rinnegan."Sarutobi Hiruzen sighs."True," and he dismisses us with a wave. Outside, Keisuke smiles her there's-gonna-be-trouble-soon smile at me."Come on," she says, "What are you waiting for?"She spins, laughing."Let's experiment."I would groan if it were not beneath my dignity, so I smile instead, and let her drag me away.I have been victim of her experimenting once, let Nagato suffer instead this time. I send up a quick prayer for my friend I just threw under the bus. Or under Keisuke, as may be.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Keisuke taps my hand. "Come on," she says, and I follow her through the Administration Building which holds the Hokage's office, a twisting maze of corridors and doors. Keisuke says we could leave through the ventilation system, but those are apparently crowded now. I extend my chakra sense- and yeah, there are people in the ceilings.Konoha is weird.And then we open a door which is probably the one leading to front hall which leads to the outside--and we walk in on Kyusuke and Daibutsu kissing.Later, I find out that the other three had been given temporary residence here, while me, Yahiko and Nagato have been staying with Kushina's team.Right now, I squeak, and the two break apart, Kyusuke's lips are red, his cheeks flushed. Daibutsu is as stoic as ever, but his cheeks are also slightly tinted pink.And Keisuke is laughing. She holds her sides, trying not to fall over, and Kyusuke squawks. "It's not funny!""But it is!" she wheezes. "Your expressions are the same as that time when I walked in on Genma and Raido. I thought they'd die of embarrassment."I spare a sympathetic thought in the direction of whoever Genma and Raido are. They need it.I tap my foot on the ground. Apparently, Nagato is still being pestered by Kushina, who is trying her level best to adopt him, which, according to Keisuke, means he'll probably- no, definitely- be occupied for the rest of the day.That is why I am on Training Ground Forty with Keisuke and Inuzuka Tsume. Tsume is not in the clothes she was when I saw her before- which was the Konoha standard blue ensemble and flak jacket- and instead in her own kind of casual. She is wearing some kind of long green dress- it has only one kind-of sleeve, the left side is cut away, showing her stomach, and there is a slit showing her entire right leg and the black tiny shorts she is wearing. There are black boots on her feet. She also has a red belt looped around her waist probably to hold her dress in place, and has green tekko that go up to her upper arm. Her spiky brown hair is short at the back with longer bangs framing her face, and she has the same red paint stripes Inuzuka Tsutomu had. I wonder why Yuuki doesn't have them."Tsume-san's one of our best taijutsu users." Keisuke says conversationally. "Gai is also good, but he's away and Tsume-san's a better match for you 'cause Gai is still kinda short." she makes a gesture. "You told me a bit ago that you were not too good at taijutsu, right?"Tsume grins at me, feral and wild. Something jumps in my stomach at that. "Konan, right?""Don't die," she says, and comes for me with a vengeance. t takes all the skill I have- the lessons from Jiraiya-sensei, my spars with my boys and the other Akatsuki, my battles because war doesn't leave anyone untouched and all us Akatsuki have fought, if only for us, and still Tsume is overwhelmingly strong, each blow has a plan behind it, perfect follow-ups, each move has a reason, building up to something more dangerous, and if this were a real battle with life at stake, mine would be gone.It ends with me sprawled on the ground, Tsume's foot poised over my chest- she could stomp down, and I would die, because there is more than enough raw power behind her taijutsu that such a strike would cave my chest in, and possibly crush my lungs.She doesn't actually do it, instead offering me a hand."You're good," she says with a grin, hauling my sore and aching self up. "I'm gonna enjoy teaching you." I stare, because Keisuke told me this was a practice spar to test my abilities.Not an interview to get a teacher. I am not annoyed- Tsume may only be a few years older than me, but she has a wealth of battle experience and technique I don't- but I am still shocked.Keisuke gives me a shit-eating grin, and I nearly facepalm. Of course Keisuke, that absolute gremlin of a shinobi, will set up something like this.I'm not complaining though- Tsume is good, and she's hot. Not that the latter has anything to do with her teaching me, but still. She's ultra-hot, and I am not going to deny it. And her having a kid doesn't come into the equation anyway.I look up at the sky to guess the time- it should be late evening now, making it over a day since arriving here- but the sky in cloudy like Ame, not as bad, but not what I expect in Konoha. Thunder booms and it starts raining.None of us move. Keisuke tips her head up and the rain drops on her cheeks look like tears, but she is smiling, slightly melancholic. The water is plastering Tsume's hair to her scalp, the red paint on her cheeks are still clear, not running and her clothes adhere to her and I have to tear my eyes away.I tilt my head up, tasting the rain on my tongue, feeling the water trickle down my shoulder, watching the sunset which is so similar yet different from the sunsets in Ame. One flutter of my eyelids, and I can see the sunsets in Ame clearly.Red orange sun sinking into the horizon behind a curtain of unending rain, leaving darkness behind.The Konoha one is different, the rain lighter, gentler, but it is almost as beautiful.I smile.I could get used to this.