44 Chapter 44 : Raid Part 5

Woosh.

The Akatsuki was back. Every one surrounded the group. Kenji could tell, but he didn't have a chance without his vision.

Itachi glared at the half circle. People he spent years with, deceiving, playing, being something he's not. "Lord Hokage."

Minato moved his eyes carefully. "Yeah. Kenji, Here, right now."

Kenji followed his voice. Slowly, he moved towards the man. It was a standoff. The akatsuki eyed Minato and Itachi. They did the same. The only sound was Kenji stumbling over pebbles.

Right when he reached Minato's hand, he was at the West gate. Along with Obito. Minato hit the ground trying to focus his breathing. That was a long ways away.

Kenji stood there in thought. Why would they need Rei? Where would they take her? Who was behind all of this? Questions he had no answer to, him especially, hated not knowing things. It irked him.

Minato stood at the entrance of the gate, staring at the rubble that he once called home. "I guess the akatsuki controls the leaf now. Looks like we won't be back here for a while."

Itachi broke the silence. "Lets regroup with who's left. We should find somewhere to go first."

"Right." Minato turned away. He caught Kenji's face. Even he couldn't tell what he was thinking. His left eye was black and purple underneath. His pupils were void of color. His face was plastered with blood, particularly his lower lip and chin. Minato caught a glimpse of all the scars, prompting him to actually think about what the kid had went through.

"What are you thinking Kenji?" He asked trying not to sound too forceful.

"I don't know yet." Kenji mumbled.

He started walking the dirt road as two men followed.

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In the woods, miles away from Konoha, Tsunade was hard at work. Hundreds of people were injured, many dead or were in the process. The bags under her eyes were featured for everyone to see.

"Tsunade!" She turned and saw Minato. The happiness withered quickly when she saw Itachi, but even more since Kenji was being courted by his arm.

She approached and led with "You idiot! Why can't you stop getting hurt for two seconds!"

Kenji didn't say anything. Minato took her attention. "Could you just try the best you can. I know you're swamped, but...please."

"Of course."

She led Kenji to a cot under a tree next to several others.

Watching the kid being handled so carefully, Itachi's breath hardened. His short of breath baked his mind. He knew it wouldn't be long. He looked at Kenji as someone equal to his brother. His cousin. Someone on the same level as Sasuke in terms of how much he cared.

Tsunade examined him for a while. Kenji layed there, not moving a muscle. He tried to feel the air. The presence. The chakra. His mind wandered to Aya's lesson. The very first thing she taught him. Sitting on her lap, not a care in the world, learning about the ninja world. Everything is made of chakra. That line echoed through his head. He pulsed his own chakra around, like a sonar. He picked up vague images of everything, but not truly 'seeing' like he wanted.Just in case, he wanted a back up plan.

One thing that caught Kenji's attention was the vial in Tsunade's pocket.

"Can I ask whats in your pocket?" Kenji croaked out.

".....Morphine....." Tsunade stopped her hands and eyed him. "Why?"

Kenji sat there. "Tsss. Not for what you're thinking. Trust me. Even though it's tempting, Not until the people I love are safe."

Tsunade continued to test his eyes. "You think your mother would let you kill yourself?" She whispered in his ear. "The answer would be no."

"..."

"Ms. Tsunade?"

She turned around and found Itachi next to her. "Can I discuss something with you?"

Tsunade sighed. "Sure."

Kenji could feel them in the corner. He caught Tsunade's facial features, they weren't certain at all.

The two finished talking and walked to Kenji.

"Kenji." Tsunade sounded uncertain.

"Itachi wants to give you his eyes."

Kenji's face didn't change. "No."

"Yes." Itachi demanded.

"No."

"Kenji. You are my younger cousin and my student. I won't allow your life and work as a ninja be for nothing. Besides, I don't have much more time as one anyway."

This was the first time Kenji's face made any sort of emotion. "What??? What do you mean?"

"I have an illness. Ms. Tsunade has advised me to give up being a ninja if I want to live a sort of normal life. I figured I would have to eventually. I'm just glad I was able to teach you before it happened."

Kenji couldn't see it, but Itachi wiped a few tears away. Tsunade was surprised he could cry.

".....Are you sure?" Kenji asked.

"Yes. I had planned to save my eyes for Sasuke if he needed them, but he needs to be saved first. And you're family too, so I want to."

"Tsunade, How certain are you it will work?"

"I'm only fifty percent certain. Since you possess the byakugan also, I'm not sure how it'll react. But I don't have any equipment, so you'll have to be awake, it'll be painful."

"I don't feel pain anymore. It's fine."

Both Tsunade and Itachi lowered their heads at his remark.

"What about my eyes?"

"itachi will receive yours, but I'm not certain if He will be able to see either."

"Lets do it." Itachi was ready.

Tsunade set up two tables in the middle of the circle. There was only a few small campfires for warmth, so the moonlight was the light source. Every villager witnessed the operation. Parents covered their children's ears. It was painful for both, but after they were accustomed to the pain, the screaming ceased.

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A week later.....

The operation was successful...mostly.

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NOTE : I couldn't find that much information on the details of transferring eyes, so I'm going to do it my own way.

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The power of the sharingan wasn't necessarily in the eyes, it was in the mind, traveling to the eyes. Tsunade discovered the origin. In the specific part of the brain that housed the power of the sharingan, Kenji's was fried. Itachi's was sort of in shape, so after several healing sessions with Shizune, Itachi regained part of his vision in a week. The basic one lane road for his sharingan, from the brain to the eyes regenerated when Kenji's eyes were used.

Kenji on the other hand still couldn't see. Tsunade experimented constantly with his vision. Since she rewired his byakugan and sharingan to the same channel, the healing process was slowed to almost nothing, since the transfer of sharingan was coupled to the byakugan. It was similar to the sharingan in the sense that it came from the brain. He was stuck in the middle. Both dojutsu channeled to his eyesight, but canceled each other out. Complete opposites.

Tsunade came to the conclusion that he would never regain his eyesight fully. And the reason it deteriorated so quickly in the first place, was because it was destined to happen. Even without the use of the mangekyo. The two dojutsu were constantly fighting for supremacy. Grinding against each other, corrupting his vision. He was lucky he could still use them both. ALl the unique abilities worked, but at the same time, Kenji had to use them to see, in a sense.

His vision was gone, but he learned something that no dojutsu user has ever thought of. Kenji activated his eyes, but instead of seeing, he felt. Both powers, worked with chakra, saw chakra, so Kenji pushed that distinct chakra from his eyeballs. Instead of sonar from his body, he applied the dojutsus, sonar version wraith. He got the idea from Jiraiya's sage mode. During their brief training together, Kenji asked all about his sage power. And the ability to sense chakra very distinctly, appealed to Kenji. Especially now. He could only lay out surroundings ten feet around him. He was no sensory ninja. Even with the byakugan. If he learned sage mode, he could control an entire war.

Minato was restless. A week with his daughter kidnapped was not ideal for his health. Kenji was walking around now, slowly, around the camp, trying to get a feel. Minato could still see the white glow beneath the bandages. Kenji walked into the tent.

"...Lord Hokage right?"

"That's me. Looks like you're starting to get the hang of that."

"Yes Sir. I don't have time to learn sage mode right now, so this is the best I can do. Give me one more week and I'll be ready."

"Ready?"

"Yes Sir. I'm determined to save Rei,my senseis, my family, and the villagers. And I know everyone is spread thin right now. I'm the best shot you have."

Minato smirked.

"I guess you're right. I would ask Itachi to accompany you, but his health is priority. I'll have a sensory ninja give you some pointers. Is that ok?"

"Yes Sir. Thank you." Kenji slowly walked out, feeling everything. Even the ants by his feet.

Minato watched him. He could tell. The way Kenji addressed him, Kenji was serious. Minato only harbored more respect for the sixteen year old.

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Ok I know I left some things out from my explanation so oh well. I was thinking of how to do it and Matt Murdock came to mind. His senses are hightened, and I sort of thought the same with the Byakugan and sharingan. When the chakra pulses into Kenji's eyes, it then vibrates into the open instead of being utilized in his eyeballs. Sort of like Matts hearing and how he sees. idk. Hope it satisfies you all. I read it like three times to see if it made sense, so It makes sense to me atleast. I will do everything in my power to avoid hashirama cells. lol. Have a good one fellers. YERRR!