Chapter 99 - Crumbling

Sakura had numbed Ryouko’s arm and inserted a needle with a vaccine into it. She immediately noticed Ryouko perk up a little. He gave her a silent nod of thanks.

“Ekyt, today is a proud day for you, and for Lord Third. As told to Master Jiraiya by…someone who has a right to say…
I name you the first legend of this new generation!”

Ekyt (‘Ryouko’ had melted away by now) was shocked. Literally frozen to the spot. He couldn’t even say anything. But that was understandable. So much had happened the past few hours. It was a lifetime’s worth of activity in one short burst.

“…”

Sasuke was burning with anger. His jonin guards had relaxed the second Tsunade had relayed the news. He used that as an opportunity to get away and take another shot at Ekyt.

Ktang!

Ekyt had ducked low and smacked Sasuke’s hand, knocking the blade into the air. In the same motion he drove his elbow into Sasuke’s stomach, then gave him a hard shove backward. The ’12 Shinobi Guardians’ waistcloth fluttered as he moved.

“Do we have to do this, Sasuke? I promise you a fight- once Orochimaru is dealt with.”

Sasuke grinned nastily, retrieving his sword. “Funny thing about a fight… You don’t have to agree on the time and day!”

Sasuke had landed deftly behind Ekyt and stabbed. Ekyt had seen this coming and used a Replacement Jutsu. He had a kunai to the back of Sasuke’s neck.
“Funny thing about a fight…even if both parties don’t agree, that doesn’t mean that the attacked can’t become the attacker.”

By now, Itachi and Azami had come. It was surprising to everyone that Sasuke’s face burned with shame when his brother came near. Could it have been genuine brotherly love? After all the Uchiha boys had been through, could they have somehow bonded?

“Enough, Sasuke.”

That was all Itachi said. And all he needed to say. There was some unspoken understanding between the brothers. Sasuke glared once more, but lowered his head and apologized.

“…” Ekyt couldn’t think of anything to say that could help the situation. So he kept quiet.

“Kid…time to quench your thirst…and show you something else from the Third Hokage.”

Ekyt met Jiraiya’s eyes. He looked around the circle, then dropped to his knees and bowed. He couldn’t bow low enough to these people. They had saved his life, and they had stuck by him, no matter what. Even old enemies could become new friends. Friends could become closer. And those that were somewhere in between could quickly shift to being either friend or foe.

Ekyt got up and followed Tsunade and Jiraiya. He suddenly felt both proud and burdened.
--

Under the Hokage mansion, there was a meeting room. Only the elders and Hokages had ever congregated there. A lot of the blackest history of the Leaf was dealt with down here. Things that were unspeakable, and even largely unbelievable. There were millions of scrolls, meticulously stacked in some kind of order. But there were eight scrolls that were black, and over them were blood seals of the Hokages.

“The Third’s Crystal ball did more than just watch over the village,” Tsunade began, reaching for a scroll. Jiraiya pulled up three cushions to a low table that was in the center of the room. Unlike the rest of the room, it was kept spotless. Not a speck of dust.

Above the eight black scrolls were eight similar packages. They were drawstring pouches, but even a raw genin could tell you weren’t supposed to touch these things. A Hokage-level chakra emitted from them.

“Before we spring this on you, I need to know that you’re okay with what’s happened.”

Jiraiya was completely grim while talking. Ekyt bowed his head, then sat down on his cushion.

“…I am.”

“Of course you’re not. No one is ever fine with this. The moment you accept killing as a way of life if the moment you take the path of evil. Orochimaru’s path.”

Jiraiya’s tone was harsh; unforgiving even. Ekyt knew that the tone wasn’t for him- Jiraiya was back in his youth, fighting Orochimaru to stop him from leaving. And failing at that, as well.

“The Third Hokage left you specific instructions, Ekyt. I wish I could give you more time to mull this over. But there is no time. We need to take a gamble…”

Tsunade dropped the scroll and package in front of Ekyt.
“I’m betting on you. I know you’re going to fight Orochimaru. And you know you won’t be alone out there. But for now…we need you to follow Sarutobi’s instructions.”
--
--

Ekyt unrolled the scroll first. But it was blank, save for something similar to black summoning marks in the center. Instinctively, he knew that whatever was in the package went in the center of this scroll.

As he began to work, a deep melancholy hit Ekyt. Things seemed so hopeless. Now that he had become a legend…what happened next? What was he supposed to do? Both the girls he had been in love with had gone with other men. And let’s face it, he’s not getting any younger. With his twenty-first birthday just a few days away, Ekyt felt precious little to celebrate about.

Work! he commanded himself. He unrolled the package, and from within it came a familiar object.
Sarutobi-sensei’s crystal ball.

Without understanding completely why, Ekyt put it on the center of the scroll, built up his chakra, and began to look. At first, things were black and cloudy, but soon the clouds lifted. Ekyt looked closer, his brow furrowed in concentration. He began to relay what he saw in a monotone voice.

“…Orochimaru will aim right for the heart of the village again. His objective is to destroy it, whatever the cost. He has thousands of men. And he’s made an ally with the Raikage and his men, who are still outraged over the ‘Hyuuga incident’.”

Ryouko removed the crystal ball and unrolled the scroll more. He found writing. This time, it was hints on Orochimaru, and a detailed history of the Uchiha clan.

“…I’ve got to go see Kakashi. Master Jiraiya, if you’ll please bring Sasuke and Itachi as well…this whole matter is going to come down to the Sharingan. There must be SOMETHING I can learn by sparring with them.”

“You do remember that Sasuke will try to kill you…” Tsunade reminded him.

“I know. All the better. If he succeeds, then I don’t have to worry anymore. If he comes and me full-force and I win, I’m likely to learn something to defeat Orochimaru. I can learn from this. And I’ll be the one to fight Orochimaru.”

Ekyt turned around on his cushion, bowing to Tsunade and Jiraiya.

“Now then, my will…My Lady, should I perish in combat, I want all my worldly assets to be used to rebuild whatever parts of the village become damaged. I plan to beat Orochimaru, but I’m not optimistic enough to think there won’t be some kind of cost.”

Ekyt stood up again, pacing around the room. He looked nervous, and his hand automatically reached for a cigarette he didn’t have. But that didn’t matter a second later, when an idea struck him.

“Yuushi and Okayu…Asuna and Mimizu… My Lady, I’d like your permission to use a forbidden jutsu. One I created and want forbidden, actually. It’s not dangerous. But it’s not something I’m proud to have invented.”

There was no argument. Jiraiya and Tsunade grasped the seriousness of the situation. If Ekyt wanted to break a rule- one he set himself- things were serious.

“Tell me what you need,” Tsunade told him firmly.

Ekyt nodded, his face paling. This was easily going to be the most akward jutsu he had ever done.
--

Shizune, Sakura, and even Hana Inuzuka joined Ryouko, Mimizu, Asuna, Yuushi, Kantai and Okayu in a giant medical room that was normally a morgue.

“We have four bodies, recently deceased. Asuna, you work with Hana. Shizune, you work with Yuushi and Kantai. And Sakura, you’re with me. We only have a little time, so we have no room for error…”

Neji Hyuuga came in next. He and Ekyt had been cordial long enough for Ekyt to ask him for his help.

“Please tell me what you see in this tag, Neji.”

Neji’s Byakugan focused on the tag. It was a red tag, and roughly as long as a kunai knife, and maybe as wide as your hand. But if was slightly warm to the touch. As Neji looked, his wide eyes got wider.

“It’s…tenketsu. It’s a chakra network.”

Ekyt nodded, saying a quiet ‘Thank God’ under his breath.

“Good. I wasn’t sure that this worked. That is my chakra sealed in those tags. Medics, I need you to plant these tags inside the body, dead center mass, three inches below the navel at the ‘Ki point’. …”

Ekyt put a hand to his head, frozen for a moment. His mind, not one hundred percent recovered yet, flashed back to the Akatsuki. All he remembered were six people, all with odd piercings. And these weird eyes…

He shook himself back to reality.

“Please do cosmetic surgery where possible. I hate to disgrace the dead, but we have no choice if we’re to help the village this way. I also ask that none of you ever repeat what went on in this room today. This jutsu, which I’ve called ‘Pure Resurrection Chakra Clone’, is going in the books as forbidden the second the medics are finished.”

Ekyt stopped once more, meeting the gaze of everyone in the room.

“I’m not proud of this. But that’s not why it’s so important to keep quiet. If Orochimaru finds out about this, my plan- our best hope, as it goes- is ruined. We get one shot to do this correctly. And… since at the end of this, I’ll likely be executed by the village… Thank you all. For everything. If I AM executed…I’ve only got a couple regrets, and none of which have anything to do with the Leaf Village. If dying in service to your village is every shinobi’s dream…then I’m going to die with a smile a mile long.”

With that, Ryouko left the room. He had three prior engagements to deal with.
--

Itachi defeated Ryouko, but not by so much this time. In fact, it had taken Tsukuyomi to bring Ryouko to his knees. He had managed to land a hit on Itachi, too. But he hadn’t learned more about the Sharingan. Despite that, something niggled at Ryouko. He felt like there was something he had overlooked. Perhaps it would become more apparent in the next fight…

“Itachi, you mentioned that you were going to go blind, right?” Ekyt asked, getting up from the grass and wiping blood from his mouth.

“Yes. The only way to avoid it is to take the eyes of another Sharingan user. My brother and ‘Tobi’ are the only two who could qualify. So I’ll be blind rather than hurt Sasuke or face ‘Tobi’.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about this. This ‘fake’ body you created that Orochimaru stole…it has the Sharingan, right? If I manage to take his eyes and give them to you…will that stop the blindness?”

Itachi wasn’t sure. This thing DID have Uchiha eyes and blood, as he had personally contributed himself. Theoretically, it could.

“But how likely is it that you’ll get the eyes? Against someone even I have little chance of defeating easily…”

Ryouko looked away, speaking out of the corner of his mouth.
“Itachi, we both know that I’m going to die after this. Either by execution, or by opposing Orochimaru. But I WILL take Orochimaru with me. The second he falls…take his eyes. If I’m alive, I’ll deliver them to you. But no matter what…get his eyes.”
--

Next was Kakashi. He was slightly easier to fight than Itachi when he focused only on his Sharingan. It was here that Ryouko began to notice something. He was learning to read body language, and was adapting well. He was never a believer in watching an opponent’s eyes anyway. Their eyes didn’t pull a kunai on you, after all.
Still, in his haze of concentration, Ryouko lost the fight. But again, not by much. This time, however, he had picked up on something- something big.

“Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. That was fun. And it really helped.”

Kakashi patted Ekyt’s head, giving him a smile. “Sure. Now, since you’re the de facto leader of this fight…where do you want me?”

“You’re asking me? If I had my way…you’d be with Naruto, as would Yamato and Sai. I have my doubts that the Akatsuki will back off entirely. Especially since we’re taking a hit from Orochimaru, no matter how quick he’s beaten off.”

“Protect the Jinchuuriki, eh? Makes sense to me. Now do me a favor: live through your fight with Orochimaru. Because there’s no way the village will execute you after that. Not if my team and I have anything to say about it.”

Ekyt thanked him again, though they both knew that there was little to be done if the village decided to kill Ekyt after all.
--

This was the last match. Ekyt vs Sasuke. There would be no holding back. And Ekyt would get to test what he had learned against Kakashi and Itachi.

The boys fought for nearly an hour, both exhausted. Sasuke had, so far, copied Ekyt’s jutsus because Ekyt threw them one by one right back at Sasuke. There was no time for Chidori or anything else. It was this last jutsu that would decide if Ekyt had figured out the Third’s clue.

“Fire Style…”
-

Ekyt lay down, chest heaving with exhaustion. He didn’t want to get up from this spot on the grass, even with Sasuke lying nearly within arm’s length. It had cost a lot of energy, chakra, and pain- But it worked! Ekyt had one advantage on Orochimaru now! With a grim smile, he knew he could win. He HAD to win.

And thankfully, Itachi and Azami had kept an eye on Sasuke during their match.

“Thanks, Sasuke. You might have just saved the village…”

“…I hate you. But…I hope you win. If I had my way, you and Orochimaru would kill each other. That way the village would be safe.”

Ekyt gave Sasuke a tired grin. “You might just get your wish.”
--

Naruto and Sakura actually went to seek Ekyt out. They found him, sitting in a dark corner of a tea house, nearly shaking.

“Naruto, down here!” Sakura told him while pulling on his leg. They ducked down to listen/watch Ekyt. He was muttering to himself, and had a Go board in front of him, arranged in a strange way.

“(mumble mumble) …Orochimaru will take at least 3, and he’ll still do damage. But we won’t be alone after that. The Akatsuki won’t wait long. What’s left of them…those eyes…I’ve got to think of something. There’s no way we can survive two assaults on the village. I’ve got to stop this somehow…(mumble)”

Ekyt began to move the pieces on the Go board. They clacked as he arranged them a certain way. In the center was a mass of white stones, surrounding by little green stones.

“The Leaf is here…”

On one side were purple stones. They surrounded the village, but were thin.

“Orochimaru’s men…”

And finally, there were red stones. There were only eight of them, but six of them were big stones- closer to rocks, really. And one was a rock the size of Ekyt’s palm.

“Akatsuki…six of him…one of her…and that one…”

From a leather bag, Ekyt pulled out large white stones with green stripes on them. He placed twelve of them down.

“Tsunade, Jiraiya, Itachi, Azami, Sasuke, Me, Yuushi, Mimizu… Then we have Kakashi, Naruto, Yamato… (Ekyt added more stones)…Sakura and Asuna can deal with the medics… and Kakashi, Yamato, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune can draw the Akatsuki away. No, what am I saying?! I can’t ask them to do that. It’s not my call anyway!”

Ekyt stopped his muttering and picked up his teacup. He must have been angry, because the cup shattered in his hand and all over himself. But he didn’t seem to notice that so much. Green tea dripped off his headband and fell onto the table, onto the one black stone in the center of the white ones.

“The memorial…”

-

Sakura and Naruto watched this, hearing every word. It was clear that Ekyt had been planning for something, and he had no idea what else to do.

“Keep the Akatsuki away…But he’s letting Orochimaru in…Why?” Sakura asked, mostly herself, her hand on her chin. “If we kept Orochimaru out with some of us…”

“Hey, yeah!” Naruto agreed. “That’s right! We can counter-strike! And the Akatsuki…They can chase me! I’m what they want, anyway!”

Sakura was silent, her head dropping just a little. She finally spoke up, not lifting her head.
“…Naruto…” she said. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his. “Don’t do it! I love you!”

Even though they had been dating, that wasn’t something Naruto expected. It got even more odd when Sakura flung her arms around him, adding ‘don’t go’ into his ear.
--

Ekyt had known that Sakura and Naruto were there. He also heard what they had both said. He smiled a little to himself, maybe even a little forlornly, and swept the board clear.

“Killing this bastard child of Itachi’s is my duty… I thought of Itachi…but no one should have to bury their own child.”

I can see it… when he was going to die; he had hoped that…thing…would somehow be of some solace to Azami. It had himself, me, and her in it. Neither of them can kill it. It’s my job to do it.

Ekyt wished he could go back to being ‘just a servant’ of the Leaf. But now he was being pushed to the fore, and he had to deal with this distaste head-on. He was outmatched, outclassed, and likely outnumbered. But Naruto and Sakura had just really fallen in love. And Azami and Itachi were happy…the Uchiha clan was being rebuilt…
What was one sacrifice, amongst all that? One life gone, exchanged to protect many?

That was both the warrior’s duty and warrior’s pride.

Ekyt knew this, and yet he hoped that he wouldn’t have to call on his warrior’s pride.

Leaving the distracted Naruto and Sakura, Ekyt put two fingers to his face and disappeared in a puff of smoke and leaves.
-

There was one other difficult situation that needed attending. Two girls had openly shown interest in Ekyt.

First was Mimizu. She was his Assistant Captain when it came to ANBU’s Special Investigation’s unit. She was a rogue Mist-nin accepted into the Leaf because she was a former ‘Seven Sword’. She could cut someone ten times before they could even move. She was twenty-one, the same as Ekyt, cute, and perky.

Second was Asuna. She was a miko (Shinto Priestess) whose sister had been struck down by the Akatsuki. Ekyt had failed to save her. He then begged Asuna to teach him a jutsu unique to her family. She had taken a liking to him. In contrast to Mimizu’s super-sweet nature, Asuna was more frank, and abused Ekyt during training. But she’s as socially akward as he is. Plus, she nursed him back to health when his mental state plagued him for a year’s time. They had kissed, and there hadn’t been a spark- but that could change, right?
-

The girls waited together, having both been asked to meet in the dark teahouse by Ekyt.

“Good luck,” they said to each other in unison. They both nodded in return, then sat down, waiting for Ekyt to come in.

The door flap moved aside, and Ekyt came in. He was dressed in his usual uniform, but he looked more tired and sickly than usual. The stress was aging him, though he still had a baby face.

“…It was my birthday a couple days ago,” Ekyt began. “I’ve been depressed since then. And now, I have a decision weighing on my mind. And then we come to this decision. …”

Ekyt closed his eyes. “Mimizu…”

Mimizu sat up straighter. But then Ekyt said:

“Asuna…”

Ekyt lowered his head and eyes, sinking to his knees in front of both of them.
“I have no answer for you. All that’s been on my mind is death. Death is not the way for a relationship to start. I just…I have no answer. All I know is the martial way. Love…it’s not something I understand. But it’s something I want.”

Asuna stood up, her tea clattering on the table. Mimizu’s wide eyes looked at her, shocked at the abrupt movement. She noticed that Asuna’s fist was clenched so tight her knuckles were white.

“Ekyt…I can’t wait anymore. We agreed there was no spark. And the way you’re talking, you think this place will be a war zone and you’ll die anyway? Right?!”

She marched up to him and hugged him. It was so abrupt and out of nowhere that no one was sure how to react.

“…I’m going back to my temple…” Asuna told him, her tears falling on his shoulders. “I came here to see you get well…I did. Now I’m going to leave before I see you die.”

With that, Asuna marched away, not even looking back.

“…” Ekyt had nothing to say. Eventually, Mimizu took up her favorite perch on his shoulder, watching the other girl walk away.

“She’s holding back, I betcha!” Mimizu exclaimed, just like usual. She spun so that she could face Ekyt. “Are ya gonna be mad at me if I go with Okayu? I kinda had a crush on him for a while and all…”

Ekyt looked her in the eyes, his gaze even and unreadable. “Are you doing that to make this easier on me?”

Mimizu shook her head like a little kid, her blond hair swishing back and forth. “Nuh-uh! He’s just hot! Hot in a different way than you, y’know?”

Ekyt gave his reserved chuckled, and then a downright melancholy: “I know…But you two match up nicely, I think. Go get ‘im, girl.”

And that left Ekyt alone. Again. He wasn’t sure if he had loved either girl. But he knew that their friendship had changed forever. Just standing there, Ekyt spoke to himself.

“This is what Orochimaru does…this is what the Akatsuki do…they ruin lives. I’ll see it ended. I can’t let this happen. I just can’t. Because of the Akatsuki, I’ve lost three chances at love. …No. Because of myself, I’ve lost at love.

All that’s left is my loyalty to the Leaf. And they hate me. They want me dead. And considering who I’m fighting…they might just get their wish.”

There was no sage advice when Ekyt could have used it the most. Master Sarutobi was dead. Tsunade couldn’t associate with Ekyt anymore- not because she didn’t want to, but because she needed the village’s support. For now, Ekyt was ‘tolerated’. In other words, anything he did, he did alone. Or with the support of a very few in secret.

“I need to take a walk…” Ekyt said to no one in particular. And for no particular reason, his walk took him to the Leaf’s Hidden library.

As he opened the door, Ekyt felt himself relax. But that wasn’t right… Why should he relax? He couldn’t relax! He just had to strategize. But there was no one to bounce ideas off of. No one to talk to, now that Mimizu and Asuna had left his side. Yuushi was married, and had a big brother now.

In a way, losing all these connections makes this that much easier. I don’t have any family here. No wife, or girlfriend… So if I die, who am I hurting? No one but myself. And I don’t matter.

Desperate for company, Ekyt took out his summoning scroll. Once he opened it, Hidan’s head was now his company. The thing could still talk. Granted, it wasn’t much help, consider half of what was said was expletives, but it beat being alone.

“Everyone else’s life has come together for them. Why not mine?”

Ekyt had finally said it aloud. The thing that had bothered him the most. He had never cared much what others thought- or at least he had convinced himself that he didn’t. But truthfully, it mattered now. Here, in a place where he had been accepted, and even respected…to suddenly be hated hurt a whole lot. He had been forgiven by the village before, so Ekyt had half-assumed he would be forgiven this time, too.

Being wrong hurt like hell.

Ekyt sealed Hidan’s head again, letting his head drop into his hands. He really was at the end of his rope. That’s when he felt a warm, familiar hand on his shoulder.

“Honey, don’t you have anything to say to your Father and I?”

Ekyt’s mother, Shinobu, had her hand on her son’s shoulder. Ekyt’s Father, Shiro, gave the boy a nod instead. Each gesture was affectionate in it’s own way.

Shinobu was an average sized, beautiful (in a motherly way) woman. She didn’t show her age, and was kind to just about anyone- until you crossed her son or husband.

Shiro always had Ekyt’s back, whether Ekyt knew it or not. Now that the boy was more powerful than his Father, that seemed all that much more important.

“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?” Ekyt was astonished, and couldn’t get up quick enough to give his parents hugs and kisses.

“That’s my doing, Ekyt. I wanted your parents here.”

Tsunade and Jiraiya, with Naruto and Sakura, stepped into the room. Naruto was looking around, amazed. He didn’t know about this library. Sakura did, of course, since she had to treat Ekyt’s wounds here more than once.

“I’m sure Ekyt doesn’t tell you all that goes on his life.” Tsunade shot a sideways glance at Ekyt. “But there have been a number of notable things recently that you should hear. Firstly, he has slain his first man.”

“Out of necessity to save me,” Jiraiya added instantly. “He was so hesitant to do it, I thought I was a goner! And I’ve never seen anyone beat themselves up so much over it! You raised a fine man.”

“Not to mention he was named the first legend of this new generation. An accomplishment that, in and of itself, sets him apart.” Tsunade opened her mouth to say more, but Ekyt’s fist slammed the table.

“ENOUGH!” he roared, tossing the table out of the way, growling at nobody. “Don’t you DARE compliment me! Killing a man makes me a legend?! How about the rest of my messed-up life?!”

Enraged, Ekyt stomped around in a circle, his fury shocking everyone in the room.

“I’ve ruined every good thing I’ve had! I’ve fallen in love three times, and not once did it work! One girl betrayed me, one left me before I could say anything, and another loves someone else! And a fourth just randomly picked another, better man! What is legendary about me?! NOTHING! NOTHING IS LEGENDARY ABOUT ME!”

Naruto and Sakura both stepped forward to calm Ekyt down, but he drew back into a defensive stance.

“If I have to raise my hand against the two of you, I’ll never forgive myself…” he said in a low, warning voice. “This isn’t a happy occasion. Orochimaru is coming, and after that, the Akatsuki! And if you think the dregs that remain of that damned organization aren’t enough to destroy us, you’re wrong!”

Ekyt pulled out his Go board again, setting it up as before.

“No matter how many times you play, you lose. The white is us, all bunched up and waiting for an attacked. But if the one stone with the green and red stripe attacks the purple stone…in other words, if I attack Orochimaru… The Akatsuki will invade before Orochimaru’s men have weakened us. There are enough strong shinobi to fight them off…with lots of losses. But if we -”

“You are NOT my minister of defense, young man!”

All eyes were on Tsunade as she admonished Ekyt. Ekyt was across the room, but he strode straight to her and looked her in the eye.

“I’m not, but SOMEONE has to make a plan. Do you have time to do that, My Lady? Or, rather, do you have a better idea?”

Tsunade dug her heels in, as did Ryouko. This was going to be one explosive argument.

“Excuse me? Are you telling me you approve of this war?”

“Are you telling me that you can delude yourself into thinking there’s no problem here?!” Ekyt shot back.

“Junior Danzou.”

That did it. Ekyt snapped.

“You’d compare me to him! TO DANZOU? The very man I’ve fought against?! My Lady, this has proven that you and this village both have turned your backs on me. My course of action is the only one that makes any sense. I will act with or without your blessing. So you can send people to back me up, or I can go myself.”

Shinobu caught a glimpse of Sakura. Ekyt had often mentioned the pretty young female. It was obvious she was with Naruto, another person Ekyt spoke or wrote about frequently. It didn’t take Shinobu long to see why Ekyt liked the girl. It was obvious she cared for him, on some level.

The other girls he had written about were scattered in terms of how detailed he went. He had talked in length about Azami, though. Through Tsunade, Shinobu knew what happened with that. She hadn’t known until that point that her son had fallen so deeply in love that he still held some feelings for his would-be assassin.

It’s no wonder he’s become so upset. Legendary status has only made life harder for him. This is his world, and there’s nothing I can do for him, except support him as any parent supports her child.

Ekyt bit his thumb. Slowly, he ran it across the metal of his hitai-ate headband. A line of blood had been drawn through the Leaf symbol.

“Then I act alone, so you won’t be involved in whatever happens,” Ekyt said, finally.

“Don’t be stupid! Of course I won’t let you act alone! I’m just asking you to rethink your attack! If we let Orochimaru in, we can trap him! And if the Akatsuki come, they’ll aim for Orochimaru first! Then we can eliminate them both.”

Ekyt sat down on a hard wooden chair, rubbing the blood off his headband. He put a real cigarette in his mouth and started to think.

“I can beat Orochimaru…and with my other jutsu, I can protect a few key points in the village. But the Akatsuki will post a problem. I’m going to be hurt or killed, Lady Hokage. My plan calls for that from the start. I’m going to need to be healed, and very quickly.”

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