Naruto: It Could Be Worse... It Always Could, Part 2.

Things unfolded almost as Hiruzen had expected.

His standing among the Hyūga improved—not significantly, mind you—but enough for him to be seen in a more favorable light. This was particularly true because Hinata Hyūga was well-liked among her clan for her resemblance to Haruna Hyūga, the founder of the Royal Branch.

The evidence extracted from the Kumo-nin was enough to condemn him, but not to implicate Kumogakure itself. With the help of the Yamanaka clan, they determined that he had acted mostly on his own.

... Somewhat on his own.

He held a personal grudge against Konohagakure due to the war, which had cost him a loved one, and a zealous loyalty to Kumogakure. There was a tacit agreement from the rest of the delegation about his actions—just nothing conclusive, offering them plausible deniability. Hiruzen was an expert at recognizing such nuances.

Publicly, he maintained his image as a magnanimous leader, though it became more challenging as he aged. What some perceived as mercy could easily be mistaken for weakness.

From the catalog, he chose a life-support script of a higher class than what was previously available, along with a presence-concealment script. He was satisfied with these choices.

If there was one thing that left him uneasy, it was the information regarding the ninjutsu Sayaka had used. Mo-dan Wō-fe-a release? What was that? And why were there numbers in the name? It matched nothing in their records. He suspected—given Sayaka's cheerful tone in the memory—that she was either using the verbal cue to confuse the Kumo-nin, mock him, or she was simply being playful.

After all, if Eiko Senju could use seal-less ninjutsu, Sayaka Uchiha probably could too.

After the incident, something unexpected occurred—a Hyūga visited the Uchiha compound. Hiashi Hyūga brought his wife, Nozomi, and his daughter.

Normally, such a meeting between the Hyūga and Uchiha would have triggered alarms within the Konoha Council, especially for Danzo. However, the council didn't see Sayaka Uchiha as an Uchiha. In fact, they barely saw her as human.

To Hiruzen, she was a treasure trove or a potential tailed beast bomb. Koharu and Homura saw her as an asset, while Danzo saw her as both a pawn and a security risk—especially after one of his subordinates had nearly taken him out with an explosion.

But, as Danzo had predicted, Sayaka and the Uchiha were like oil and water. They ignored each other and didn't mix. The only exceptions were Izumi, Itachi, and Mikoto Uchiha, which was within expectations. For the council, Sayaka and the Uchiha were separate entities.

Hiashi and his family were formally led to the house of Fugaku, the Uchiha clan leader.

"Hiashi Hyūga, what brings you here?"- Fugaku asked, his stony expression mirroring Hiashi's.

"As you may know, my daughter was recently rescued from a dead man's clutches. I came to thank Sayaka Uchiha for her help."' Hinata and Nozomi stood with Mikoto, a distance away from the clan heads.

"It's good to see your daughter in good health."- Fugaku replied.

"The sentiment is appreciated."- Hiashi said in the same stoic tone as Fugaku.

Mikoto and Nozomi exchanged a faint smile as they noticed how much their husbands resembled each other.

"I've sent for the girl. She should arrive shortly."- Fugaku said.

Hiashi nodded, and then they fell silent. Occasionally, they sipped tea, but otherwise, the room remained quiet.

The wives felt uneasy, but they understood their husbands well enough to know that this was a logical silence—one that simply existed without discomfort.

"She's adorable."- Mikoto commented, referring to Hinata, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Thank you, Mikoto-san."- Nozomi replied with motherly grace.

"She's the same age as my youngest."- Mikoto said with a fond smile.

"Sasuke, right? I hope they get along well."- Nozomi said softly, placing a hand on the shy Hinata.

"I hope so too."- Mikoto agreed.

After a few minutes, Mikoto excused herself and later returned with a plate of assorted desserts. Nozomi was surprised to learn that the recipes came from Sayaka, and Hinata's eager response suggested she loved them as much as her mother did.

Eventually, Sayaka entered the room, led by Itachi.

"Sorry for the delay. I was busy 'food-dropping' on the fox kid."- Sayaka said playfully. 'Food-dropping' was what she called the act of secretly leaving food in Naruto's apartment or in his path.

"Girl!"- Fugaku reprimanded her for mentioning the jinchūriki.

"Don't mind it. These people keep better records than the Uchiha, don't they?"- Sayaka said meaningfully, glancing at Hiashi.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sara-sama."- Hiashi and Nozomi said, much to the adults' surprise, addressing Sayaka by a different name.

'They don't know the whole truth, so play along.'- Sayaka spoke telepathically to the Hyūga.

"See? I told you they'd deduce that my interest in the fox kid stems from Eiko Senju and her relationship with Kushina Uzumaki."- Sayaka said with a smug grin.

"Sara?"- Fugaku asked, noticing that his guests weren't alarmed by her mention of the jinchūriki.

"Sara Hyūga was a wielder of the kūhakugan. She and Haruna Hyūga were instrumental in founding the Royal Branch of the Hyūga clan."- Sayaka explained.

"The teachings left by Sara-sama have guided our clan for centuries. It's one of the main reasons our clan has enjoyed greater prosperity than most, even through the Warring States Era."- Hiashi added.

The Hyūga were renowned for their status, both in combat and within the village. Their ability to field a high percentage of battle-ready shinobi per clan member made them invaluable. Only the Shimura and Sarutobi clans outnumbered them in total members, though no one was surprised by this.

"Sara-sama also left us the Caged Bird Seal script."- Nozomi said, pointing to a small tattooed bird-shaped script on her neck.

Hinata had a similar one, though hers, recently added after the attempted kidnapping, looked like a small owl. Every Hyūga bore a script resembling a bird someplace above their shoulders, a unique part of their culture.

"So that's the origin of the script that has protected your Byakugan for so long."- Mikoto mused.

They moved on to the purpose of their visit and invited Sayaka to a dinner at their home next week, which she gladly accepted. Afterward, the Hyūga departed.

"Sayaka-chan, did previous holders of the kūhakugan ever play a role in Uchiha history?"- Mikoto asked once the guests had left, wondering if there was a link between the Hyūga and Uchiha clans.

"Not in any good light. Sara Hyūga had minor clashes with the Uchiha, and some other holders had business dealings with them, but nothing significant. Until now, that is... if you can even call my relationship with the Uchiha 'belonging to the clan'."- Sayaka replied factually, without bitterness.

"Ugh, I'm sorry about that, Sayaka-chan."- Mikoto apologized, uncomfortable.

Fugaku remained stoic, his thoughts unreadable. As clan leader, he couldn't afford to express personal opinions.

"It doesn't bother me. They keep to themselves, and I keep to myself. Besides, there's Itachi, Izumi, and you, Mikoto-san."- Sayaka said with a dismissive wave of her wand before flying off.

Watching her fly away, Mikoto turned to Fugaku.

"Speak your mind, Mikoto."- He said softly, understanding his wife's concern.

"I feel like the clan is making a mistake by ostracizing Sayaka-chan."- She shared.

Fugaku, though outwardly stern, was always patient with Mikoto.

"I see that it is a mistake to ostracize her, but to the clan, it's a different story. There's even talk of forbidding Izumi from visiting her. You and Itachi aren't a problem because I've claimed you're acting as my informants, but there's no excuse for Izumi."- He explained.

"But that could hurt the clan."- Mikoto said in frustration.

"It's possible but unlikely. Sayaka's character is such that she wouldn't turn against us. The clan may be missing an opportunity, but they're not making an enemy out of her. There might be profit from an association with her, just as the council has found, but with her origins and appearance, there's no easy path to that profit."- Fugaku said.

"Why?"- Mikoto asked, though she already knew the answer.

"To the clan, Orochimaru might as well be her father. She wears script on her skin like the Sand people. She doesn't have the Sharingan. And she is so foreign to us—her behavior, speech, and way of thinking. You've seen it, Mikoto. She's not part of the village, much less the clan. She feels more foreign than the envoys from Kumogakure."- Fugaku said.

Mikoto fell silent. Deep down, she knew that Sayaka's looks, mannerisms, and personality were too different from the Uchiha's strict code of conduct. As much as she wished otherwise, she couldn't deny it.

She looked toward the sky, where Sayaka had flown off.

Sayaka Uchiha was on her own.

"... But the council has a working relationship with Sayaka-chan, why can't we?"- Mikoto asked.

"They do, but they treat her more like a foreign business partner than a villager. We can't even coexist with our fellow villagers—do you think we can manage with someone as alien as that girl?"- Fugaku wasn't blind to the chasm between the village and the Uchiha.

"But, Fugaku... is there really nothing we can do?"- Mikoto's question sounded almost like a plea.

"Mikoto, I lead the clan; I don't lord over it. You know as well as I do that our people are prideful, for better or worse. That's just how we are. We are Uchiha."- Fugaku couldn't change them, nor did he have that kind of power.

"Even if I put effort into reforming the clan's way of thinking and finding a way to make them accept her, dissenters would emerge. And with the council looking for a way into our clan, they'd pick up these dissenters and promise them my position in exchange for their cooperation. This temporary instability would give the council the opening they're seeking, and it would only create more division within the clan. The Uchiha must present a united front—we can't afford any gaps right now."

"..."- Mikoto understood what her husband was saying, but she didn't like it.

"*Sigh* Even though I also want to build a relationship of mutual benefit with her, the best outcome I can see is maintaining the current situation. We ignore each other. I'm sorry, Mikoto, truly."- Fugaku moved closer to his wife and gave her the hug she needed.

And so, with little changing, time slipped away.

As time passed, if anything was different, it was Naruto Uzumaki's routine.

Sayaka had been almost singlehandedly feeding him. He still received some food from the ANBU, but once they realized meals were occasionally appearing in his home, they almost stopped entirely.

It wasn't difficult for the Hokage to figure out who was behind it, as there was only one known method of space displacement that left sand residue. However, he said nothing, knowing there was no safe way to start that conversation.

What was he supposed to say? 'Hey, Sayaka, I see you're taking care of the village's resident weapon of mass destruction that we're possibly trying to starve and turn into our mortal enemy by making him public enemy number one. Thanks a lot!'

Or maybe he could bring up how they were abandoning the child of the sister of the previous kūhakugan holder. Different scenarios played out in Hiruzen's mind, none of which ended without him feeling ashamed.

So, with Sayaka essentially taking over Naruto's food situation, she decided to make it a little fun.

One day, when Naruto returned from his usual day of scavenging and child endangerment, he found a kamidana in a corner of his apartment. In front of the kamidana was a scroll with pictures—since he couldn't read—showing instructions to follow for his next meal.

The illustrations showed a wild-haired blonde child dressed like Naruto running from his apartment to a certain spot and back, which was worth half a meal.

The next set depicted the child doing some weightless exercises. Completing the routine earned another half a meal.

Then, cleaning the house was worth half a meal.

Taking a shower? Half a meal.

Ignoring the villagers' mean comments? Half a meal.

Naruto, with nothing better to do than suffer and wallow in it, decided to try following the instructions to see what would happen. He was already suspicious about his 'Ghost Meals'—he was a child, but not slow, and he knew meals appearing on his table from nowhere wasn't normal.

After completing enough tasks to earn a full meal, he waited impatiently in front of the kamidana. With a poof and some sandy residue, a plate of hot dry ramen appeared—or at least, that's what it looked like to Naruto. In reality, it was carbonara.

"Yes!"- He exclaimed as he took a whiff of the carbonara.

And so, Naruto's new routine began: waking up, taking a shower, and doing some calisthenics equaled breakfast. Cleaning, running, and ignoring the villagers equaled lunch. More calisthenics and another shower equaled dinner.

From time to time, Naruto would also receive missions. He would be given a notebook and a few pencils, and his mission was to copy the shapes of symbols from a picture book into his notebook. He was being taught how to write.

Sometimes, he had to match symbols with pictures. He was being taught how to read.

It wasn't limited to that. Often, he would get a picture book from which he could choose clothes, toys, bedding, shoes, and other daily necessities in exchange for meals... He was essentially online shopping.

'I feel like I'm training a pet with treats.'

|Except these are the basic necessities of a child.|

'I'm just missing some positive human interaction in his life... I don't want him to turn into a psychopath.'

|What about Hinata Hyūga?|

'Her? Why?'

|Her meekness would mesh well with his Uzumakiness. Her tenderness—thanks to her mother's influence—will complement his hunger for affection.|

'You're right... but how? Hinata is basically royalty. How will Naruto meet her?'

|Can't you just introduce them? Ask Hiashi to let you borrow Hinata and then assign Naruto a mission to play with her.|

'Will he accept such a shady as Danzo mission?'

|It's like a system mission.|

'Ah?'

|Like when you read a story where a character accepts missions from a system, they don't question it. For Naruto, your relationship is like that between a character and their system. It's rudimentary to us, but to him, it might as well be divine.|

'*Gasp!* I'm making a system!'

|Exactly. There are rewards for daily tasks, missions, a system store, training for physical skills—and when you start giving him ninjutsu and scripture as rewards, it'll be training for supernatural skills. You're just missing a stats chart.|

'It's a weak system, but a system nonetheless.'

|So? Will you have him meet Hinata? The other option is Sasuke, but you know how Indra and Asura tend to act when they're near each other.|

'I guess... It's not like I have many other options, do I?'

|You don't. As Sayaka Uchiha, you barely speak to anyone other than Itachi, Mikoto, or Izumi.|

'I don't see a reason to make friends in this life. I feel like I'll leave soon, so I'm keeping attachments to a minimum.'

It didn't take much to convince Hiashi to let Sayaka borrow Hinata for a day. To them, Sara-sama was someone trustworthy, someone they could entrust their daughter to without worry. Sayaka took Hinata to the shade of a tree she had used as a benchmark for Naruto's running exercises—then she abandoned Hinata there.

A few minutes later, as Hinata began to panic, her big eyes filling with unshed tears, Naruto arrived, as if searching for something.

"Ah!"- He exclaimed when he spotted Hinata alone by the tree.

"Eeep!"- Hinata was startled at first but soon realized it was just another child, like her.

"Hello! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I came to play with you, dattebayo!"- Naruto announced as if it were common sense.

"..."- Hinata stood still while Naruto pulled out a cloth, along with a few coloring books and pencils from his backpack—courtesy of the 'system's store'.

"Come on! I have my favorite colors! We can share!"- Naruto beamed, particularly happy about this mission.

"... Okay... Do you have pink?"- Hinata's childlike mind quickly shifted from abandonment to the bright colors of the pencils.

"Pink?"- Naruto asked, confused about which color that was.

"Like my eyes."- Hinata pointed at her byakugan after sitting down opposite Naruto.

"Oh! I do! I have most colors, I think. I had to work hard, taking a few showers to get them, hehehe!"- Naruto grinned proudly.

"... Showers?"- Hinata was left puzzled, trying to connect the dots between showers and coloring pencils.

At a distance, hidden from most eyes, Naruto's ANBU stood across from Sayaka.

"Why did you do that, Sayaka?"- The squad leader asked.

The ANBU, aware of Sayaka's involvement with the jinchūriki, knew this meeting was part of her plan.

"Why couldn't I?"- Sayaka replied without taking her eyes off the children.

"The Hokage and the council have authority over Naruto Uzumaki and his relationships. You're not allowed to arrange encounters for the jinchūriki with third parties. Your previous actions were tolerated because they were deemed beneficial to the village. But aligning the jinchūriki with one of the village's clans is a different—"

"SILENCE!"- Sayaka commanded, using chakra and psionic energy to force their mouths shut with genjutsu.

"You protect Naruto and report to the Hokage. That's your duty. You don't get to question me or what I do—I didn't ask for your conjectures. Worm, who do you think you are to speculate about the repercussions of my actions?"- Sayaka glared at the ninja who dared to probe her motives, most likely on behalf of the Hokage.

The ANBU squad showed a moment of panic before dispelling the genjutsu, glaring at Sayaka.

"... The Hokage will hear of this."- The leader stated, signaling for one of his subordinates to report.

"Worm, that's exactly what I told you to do. Get lost, and don't bother me while I'm watching these children."- Sayaka waved her hand dismissively.

Grinding their teeth, the ANBU returned to their positions, forced to observe the children play.

At some point, the subordinate returned, and the squad had no choice but to concede and do their jobs.

Sayaka later approached the children and brought them ice cream.

"You left me!"- Hinata accusingly pointed at Sayaka, Naruto observed with interest and precaution.

"But I brought ice cream!"- Hinata needed a little coaxing to forgive Sayaka but finally accepted after seeing Naruto happily devouring his.

"This is delicious! By the way, who are you?"- Naruto asked after accepting candy from the stranger.

"Sayaka Uchiha. I'm friends with Hinata. Can I join you guys?"- She asked, eyeing the coloring books.

"Sure! But... can you teach me how to fly like you?"- Naruto excitedly passed his hand below Sayaka's floating feet.

"I can make you fly a few times, but I can't teach you."- Sayaka offered.

"Okay!"- Naruto agreed.

Naruto and Hinata took a few rides on Sayaka's aerial express, and after laughing until they were tired, they returned to coloring. Just as she had for Itachi and Sasuke, Sayaka gifted Naruto and Hinata a realistic drawing of them playing.

And so, Naruto Uzumaki made his first friends.

After parting, Naruto felt a bit down. But when he returned to his apartment and saw that meeting with Hinata and Sayaka had become a weekly task, he quickly recovered his Uzumakiness.

Meanwhile, when Sayaka arrived home, she found Itachi waiting for her.

'Somehow... he found a way to get even more traumatized.'

|It's probably his sharingan, his chakra is unusually active behind his eyes.|

"Who died?"- Sayaka asked with no tact at all.

"... Tenma."- His sharingan unconsciously activated.

"Your teammate, how did it happen?"

"Genjutsu, a masked man killed him... I couldn't do anything."- Itachi was filled with sadness and regret, something for which he was not equipped to handle.

'Do you think it's the same guy?'

|It's hard to tell, but it's possible. That would beg the question of why he's approaching Itachi. It's not like there's anything special about Itachi, is there?|

'Not that I've seen, his trauma is pretty generic and besides being slightly more talented I don't think there's anything else.'

|Maybe because of his position as the son of the clan leader.|

'We will have to put a pin on it and wait, I'm still too weak to take on the fight to the guy.'

Sayaka and Lucian could not appreciate his talent for what it was, a once-in-a-lifetime level of talent. To them, it was better than the rest but that was it. Like a faster child than his peers, nothing more.

"Come, I'll give you some of my dango."- Sayaka pushed Itachi inside her house.

Later that night, Itachi returned home with a belly ache because he had eaten too much dango, but at least his mind, for now, was on something else.

Not much happened that year, Naruto, Hinata, and Sayaka became an item and it was normal to see the three children together.

What did change a little was the dynamic of Naruto and the villagers, they no longer dared to outwardly bully Naruto. They still ignored and avoided him, but now they didn't use violence on him.

While some might say that the change happened because of the two new friends he made—one of them being an Uchiha and the other the princess of the Hyūga—the real reason was that anyone who got physical with Naruto would then find themselves with a new mindset the next day and shiver every time they saw Sayaka or Naruto. Rumors spread.

"Sayaka-chan, is it necessary to torture the villagers?"- Hiruzen asked, Sayaka had become both a pain in his ass and the solution to a situation he regretted allowing to happen.

"What torture? That's just their dreams getting warped into something nightmarish due to their guilty conscience, that has nothing to do with me or torture."- Sayaka lied through her teeth as if she was spouting facts, not even the years of experience Hiruzen had detecting lies could crack Sayaka's mask.

"Is there a need to lie, girl?"- Homura Mitokado—better known as glasses elder—asked, his patience for Sayaka was running thin.

They had all seen the memories of the villagers they examined, and all of them had the same dream of Sayaka simulating their past interactions with Naruto, and every time they got physical with him, she would torture them. The dreams were so realistic a few ninjas had problems processing them so they needed to switch ninjas after a few minutes. Sayaka became famous within the Yamanaka clan after that.

"Several of my clan members have verified that they saw you in the nightmares."- Inoichi Yamanaka said.

He was in the room because Hiruzen had called him as a witness.

"But did you find my chakra in them?"- Sayaka asked calmly.

From the people of this world, she found that only some of the Ōtsutsuki could detect her psionic energy, and those could be counted with one hand.

"..."- No one wanted to speak. It was part of the reason why they were paying so much attention to this altercation.

"Guilty conscience, that is the answer. I feel offended that they are associating punishment with me, a little girl, you should arrest those perverts and kill them. But I can't fault them for their dreams, can I? That would be as stupid as faulting me for their dreams, because obviously no one can control dreams without chakra, right?"- Sayaka explained common sense.

"... *Sigh* Sayaka-chan, you can go... If you can find it in your heart, please understand that they suffered during the night of the Nine-Tails attack."- Hiruzen dismissed her and pleaded to her heart.

"Anyone who hits a child should be thankful I didn't dismember them on the spot."- Hiruzen's words reached Sayaka's heart.

Sayaka left, leaving the office in complete silence.

"She's a monster dressed as a little girl the age of my sweet daughter... I can't say I approve of her action against the civilians, shinobi shouldn't involve civilians as much as possible, but I can't condemn her. I would do the same if it was my precious daughter instead, Hokage-sama."- Inoichi gave his opinion, he could feel the weight in Sayaka's words.

"In her own words, she is not a shinobi so those rules don't apply to her."- Koharu Utatane spoke with abundant displeasure.

It's not the first time Sayaka has used those words, Lady Elder was tired of hearing it.

There wasn't much they could do; it was true that they had no evidence, even though Sayaka was undoubtedly the perpetrator.

The following year, around April, Sayaka waited outside the academy. She wasn't the only one. Around her were several others waiting excitedly or nervously.

From an aerial view, a perfect circular zone of exclusion centered on Sayaka could be seen. Most of the villagers and shinobi alike avoided her.

The wait wasn't long until the students began to trickle out of the academy. Some had bright smiles, while others had dark clouds floating above them.

"Sayaka!"- The 11-year-old Izumi Uchiha shouted excitedly, wearing a brand-new forehead protector around her head.

"Congratulations, Izumi. I'm happy for you."- Sayaka said, petting Izumi.

"Hehehe! I told you and Itachi that I would get it!"- Izumi happily replied, enjoying the petting—especially the way Sayaka left her hair afterward.

"Come, let's go to my house. I made something for you."- Sayaka wanted to get Izumi away from the judging eyes of the onlookers.

Back home, Sayaka gifted Izumi a necklace with a three-tomoe Sharingan set in a matte red gem.

"I love it!"- Izumi exclaimed, jumping to Sayaka into a hug.

"I'm glad. It should help you regenerate your chakra about 320% faster. It has other functions too, so keep it with you at all times."- Sayaka said, resigning herself to the enthusiastic hug.

As the months went by, Itachi began to spend less time with Sayaka until she only heard about him through Izumi. Itachi had been training hard for the Chūnin Exams. Apparently, the village was foolish enough to allow him to participate alone, and Fugaku was idiotic enough to permit it.

Nevertheless, Itachi prevailed and became a Chūnin at the age of ten.

*Knock* *Knock*—Sayaka knocked on the door of Fugaku's house.

"Eh, Sayaka, what brings you here at this time?"- Mikoto asked, surprised. It wasn't that late at night, but it was well past dinner time.

"I brought this gift for Itachi. It's meant for when he grows up a little more."- Sayaka said, floating a black and red katana toward Mikoto.

"Oh, it's beautiful, Sayaka. Are you sure this is okay?"- Mikoto received the katana on behalf of Itachi since he was not around that night.

"Yes, it's alright. Just tell him that I asked: 'Why the rush?' He'll understand."- Sayaka said. She had repeatedly told him there was no need to rush his shinobi path.

"I'm sorry, Sayaka-chan. I know Itachi hasn't been a good friend lately. The clan demanded that he maintain his image as the next head."- Mikoto said, looking away uncomfortably.

"Ah, so Fugaku's excuse about Itachi spying on me has expired... That's regrettable, but I understand. You don't have to feel bad about it, Mikoto. You know this won't affect our friendship, right?"- Mikoto had grown to accept that she had found a friend in the little girl floating in front of her.

"I know, Sayaka. See you next week for our usual tea time?"- Mikoto asked with a smile, her previous frown disappearing.

"At the same time as always, Mikoto."

Sayaka flew away, with her usual detachment from the living world, and arrived home for her usual visit to the dreaming.

'Do you think the clan will survive to see Itachi as the next head?'- Sayaka floated in the cosmic oceans of her mindscape, resting the back of her head on Lucian's chest, his arms possessively serpented around her waist, both looking at the stars above.

|It's hard to tell. Either they rebel or they don't. If they rebel, they'll win with Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan, but the village may cease to exist under the opportunistic strikes of other powers.|

'And if they don't, they'll probably cease to exist under the oppressive hold of the village. What a shitty situation.'

|It's a product of their stupidity and the reforms of the smart Senju.|

'They should have used their power as the police force to improve their standing. Instead, they acted like idiots and tried to do a 'good' job.'

|What do you plan to do?|

'I'll save the babies—Izumi and her mother, Mikoto and her sons, and myself. Everybody else can go ahead and die for all I care.'

|How will you save them?|

'I'll mark the babies and have them store chakra from the parents in a script. The moment they are in mortal danger, they'll be teleported to Abeyance by the script. I'll let Nawaki-nii and Kushina-chan know. They can take care of the kindergarten.'

|We should start soon, then. We don't know how many years are left before the powder keg explodes.|

'Mhmmm, tomorrow I can start. For now, I'll relax and ignore my problems.'

Cloaked in natural energy and using script to bend the light around her, Sayaka visited the homes of the infants like Santa Claus at Christmas. Sadly, no milk or cookies could be found, but there were many horny parents. No presents were left, only a small scripture placed in the inner ears of the infants. No joy was observed the next day, but there was a subtle draw of chakra from the parents whenever they were close to the infants.

_______________________________________

On a moonless night, one so dark that neither of the two natural satellites could be seen and so cloudy that no starlight touched the soil, Sayaka floated above the Naka Shrine.

She descended slowly to just a few feet above ground level, near the shrine.

"Why did you stop hiding, kid? I thought I was going to end up freeing your mother without seeing you once."- Sayaka said, looking at the ground.

Slowly, a flytrap-like being emerged from the earth, half of its body white and half black.

"Madi-sama."- Black Zetsu knelt respectfully.

"By the time I knew of your reincarnation, my plan was already in motion. I thought you might have opposed my plan. I knew Luci-sama wouldn't be healed for another few millennia at least. I believed my plan was the fastest way to ensure the release of Mother and her successful claim of what rightfully belonged to her."

"And that is?"- Sayaka asked.

"The chakra."

'So this is the will of a corrupted Kaguya...'

|Makes sense, the God Tree wants its chakra back.|

"And what was this plan?"- Sayaka prepared herself for the answer.

"Pinning Indra against Asura for the eventual development of the Rinnegan."

'Okay, that's not as crazy as I expected.'

|It's saying that indirectly he is responsible for the current and previous instability around the world.|

'Why?'

|Most of the fighting started with those two and eventually spread to the rest of the clans. That doesn't even account for the times it may have interfered directly.|

'... Ugh... Kaguya, what have you done?'- Sayaka now understood what Lucian meant.

It would be too much to give all the credit to Black Zetsu. Even in Lucian and Madelyne's original worlds, humanity never stopped fighting, so there's no reason to believe this world's humanity would be any different. But it was undeniable that Black Zetsu bore part of the fault, and by proxy, Kaguya.

"What changed? Why are you approaching me now?"

"... The One-Tails..."

"Oh, so there's a bearer of the Rinnegan. Was it Madara Uchiha?"- Sayaka realized that if Black Zetsu was planning to start collecting the chakra beasts, it meant the Rinnegan had resurfaced.

"He was, but currently the eyes are in the care of a descendant of one of the Uzumaki who escaped the blockade before Uzushiogakure was besieged."

'Some of those who made it out—how many successfully escaped?'

|Out of the hundreds Sato sent out, fewer than 30, I believe.|

"I see. Shukaku grew too strong for your puppet to handle, and now you need my help..."

'That's probably your fault.'

|It seems it is, but Shukaku was a good student; he absorbed everything I taught him.|

"It is as you say, Madi-sama."

"Does it have to be now?"

"No, in a few years."

"I'll help, but I need you to get me up to speed on everything you're planning. No lies, or we're going to wait until Lucian unseals Kaguya."

'When do you think I'll be ready?'

|You could start a suicide spree, and possibly after more than 20 suicides, you'd gather enough soul resources to heal me. Or you could wait until your body ages about 10 years, which should be enough.|

'Isn't it easier if I do the suicide spree and get it over with?'

|Considering that we can only reincarnate into suitable fetuses, it might take longer than 10 years. In the end, the timeframe is similar.|

'So waiting it is.'

"I agree, Madi-sama."- Black Zetsu said, with no other choice. Shukaku was terrifying.

Black Zetsu spent almost an hour explaining his plan to Sayaka, detailing his puppet Madara puppeteering Obito, who in turn was puppeteering Nagato...

'What the heck is this convoluted shit?'

|It is... Madness, but there's some logic to it.|

'Wouldn't it have been better to study scripture and chakra for a thousand years and manually unseal Kaguya? Or maybe unite the Senju and Uchiha to make it easier to mix their chakras?'

|It's possible, but realistically speaking, unlikely.|

'Agh! But this little shit turned out to be more of a monster than I thought. Would Kaguya get mad if I killed him?'

|I don't think so, but are you sure?|

'Why? Isn't it better to just wait, then kill myself and heal you? We are almost there, just a decade or less.'

|Maybe, but you still haven't decided what you'll do with this world. Besides, this plan is already in motion. It doesn't matter whether you let it run or not, and...|

'And?'

|And once I recover my memories and we return to my world—which is possibly your world as well—we'll be going back to a place with beings capable of killing something like me. Why not enjoy a last 'safe' vacation before we return to our maddened world?|

'... I hadn't thought about that. So, we just follow this crazy plan? Just like that? Lots of people will die.'

|Not to the letter. Why not change it a little?|

'Like what?'

|Have Sahara mark the souls of the jinchūriki; I'll revive them later.|

'And what about the innocent caught in the crossfire when the God Tree is used to collect chakra to summon Kaguya onto Madara?'

|We'll provide the extra chakra needed ourselves. You sacrifice your life, I heal, and we return to pick up Kaguya and leave this world of war.|

'Okay, that's possible. How long is the gap between my death and our return?'

|I don't know, but it doesn't matter, does it?|

'You have a point. I guess I will tentatively follow this plan and see where it takes me.'

Having made her decision, Sayaka shared a few changes to Black Zetsu's plan, which he had no choice but to accept. They parted ways with the understanding that they would reunite when she was ready.

______________________________________________

As the months passed, Sayaka grew increasingly worried about Itachi's absence. She had been getting reports (gossip) from Izumi, but it wasn't the same as seeing him herself. So, Sayaka decided to visit him in a place where they wouldn't be pestered.

One day, Sayaka followed Itachi to the Naka River.

"Hello, future clan leader."- Sayaka said as she descended from the sky to his level.

Itachi was startled, pulling out a kunai and activating his Sharingan. He relaxed when he saw it was Sayaka.

"Sayaka-chan..."- Itachi said, unsure how to continue.

"What? That's all I get? No hellos? Sorries?"- Sayaka prodded, making Itachi uncomfortable.

"I apologize, Sayaka-chan. The elders..."- Itachi trailed off.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't need a rundown of what those living corpses said. I just came to check on you. Take this; you can share it with the kid you're expecting."- Sayaka handed him a basket with a few sandwiches from her storage script.

"... You knew?"- Itachi was surprised, as he was sure no one knew he met with Shisui at that spot regularly.

"You're within my sensory range."- Sayaka also handed him a bottle of apple juice and two glasses.

"This far?"- Itachi asked, surprised.

"Yes, we're not that far."

"Thank you."- Itachi said, grateful for many things: not revealing his meeting place, the food, her concern, the blade she had gifted him, and more.

"Don't sweat the small things, Itachi. If you need help, you know where to find me. That's all I wanted to say. I'll go now; I don't want to interrupt your playdate."- Sayaka grinned at the last part, mockingly.

"It's not a playdate."- Itachi retorted, knowing she was teasing.

"Sure it's not. Remember to spend some time with your brother; you're his favorite person after all."- Sayaka recalled the hateful looks the little Indra had given her when Itachi used to spend time with her.

Itachi nodded in defeat, and Sayaka gazed at the woods and then flew away.

"She's quite something, isn't she?"- A new voice said.

"She is terrifying."- Itachi responded calmly, recognizing the voice he had been expecting.

"I agree with you on that, Itachi. Even to me, she felt dangerous."- Shisui Uchiha added.

"I thought if I trained hard enough, I would stop getting this weird feeling from her."- Itachi said, lowering his head.

"The one where she makes you feel..."- Shisui trailed off.

"Weak."- Itachi finished for both of them.

"Yeah, it was strange. I felt like I could take her on, but at the same time, not... weird. We should invite her to our 'playdates,' shouldn't we?"- Shisui opened the basket, catching a trace of the delicious smell from the sandwiches.

"You know we can't. If they find me with you, not much will happen. But if they find Sayaka with us, it'll be a problem. You already know about Izumi's situation."- Itachi frowned.

He and sometimes Shisui had to deal with extremist Uchiha who tried to direct their hate towards Izumi.

"I say we should let those guys bully Izumi-chan and find out."- Shisui said with a bright smile.

"So another victim appears? Last time Sayaka crippled a clan member, I was forbidden from visiting her. I don't want to know what will happen if another one appears."- Itachi recalled the man who could not mentally function after Sayaka found out he had hurt Izumi.

"Aren't you a bit curious about what the horror girl would do?"- Shisui asked, morbidly intrigued.

"... Shisui, do you know the case of the civilians and the nightmares?"- Itachi responded.

"... Fair enough."- The case was notorious among the shinobi of the village.

Another year passed, and it was time for Hinata and Naruto to start their academy years.

Hiashi and Nozomi Hyūga accompanied Hinata on her first day. Mikoto and Itachi attended with Sasuke; several other clan kids came with their family members.

"Sayaka-chan, why don't you want to be a shinobi?"- Naruto asked as he walked to the academy with Sayaka floating beside him.

"What for?"- Sayaka tilted her head in question.

"To become strong! To be independent, make money, travel the world, and find friends!"- Naruto said excitedly.

"Are those your motivations?"- Sayaka asked with interest.

Although she had essentially raised Naruto, Sayaka kept away from the usual indoctrination parents do to their children. It didn't mean he was raised to be an ignorant fool; Naruto received several 'missions' involving reading texts Sayaka provided to help him expand his worldview.

Texts like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, The Republic by Plato, Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, and many others were part of the staple of reading that shaped Naruto into the child he was today.

An unintended consequence of cultivating him as a well-rounded individual was that Naruto began questioning the world around him. Despite his youth—though sometimes unnaturally wise—his inquiries were directed only at Sayaka, Hinata, and the kamidana, the pillars of his life.

Why do the villagers hate him?

Why does the Fourth Hokage look like him?

Why does the Third Hokage visit him often?

Why was he expelled from the orphanage at such a young age?

Why are there shinobi around him at all times?

Why is there a giant orange fox in his dreams?

Why is he called the demon fox child?

Why was he being raised by an ethereal being in the shape of a kamidana?

When Naruto began questioning the kamidana about its existence, Sayaka simply told him that she was a friend of his mother and that she would reveal herself when he became a chūnin. Since his dream was to become a shinobi, Sayaka used this as an opportunity to set a goal for him.

"Yes! I want to get to know the world, and I can't do that without strength, dattebayo!"- Naruto answered with his usual enthusiasm.

"That makes sense, Naruto-kun. To answer your question, I don't need to be a shinobi to do what I want. I already do what I want, so being a shinobi would actually restrict me."

"Is it because you'd have to report to the Hokage?"- Naruto asked, his expression thoughtful.

"It is. I answer to no one, and if I were to receive the education of a shinobi, I would be expected to return the investment in the form of loyalty."- Sayaka explained.

"I see. I think I understand. You already possess a form of power that grants you freedom."- Naruto concluded.

"Yes."

"... Then I'm glad for you, Sayaka-chan. But I'm sad I won't get to see you as often now."- Naruto grabbed Sayaka's hand and looked at her with longing.

'This kid... Why does he look like he's trying to get into my panties?'

|You taught him how to interact with females. Hinata and you were his practice targets. As you know, Hinata is head over heels for him, proof of your education.|

'Yeah, but I wasn't teaching him how to charm women. I was teaching him the gentlemanly way of my life as Teiru.'

|Don't you remember the many broken hearts you left in your wake?|

'I thought that was because you made me handsome.'

|Partly, but mostly it was your way of speaking to females... as if you understood them.|

'Because I do! I'm a female! I've been one for most of my life!'

|Technically, you've been a sexless soul for most of your existence.|

'That's just a technicality! You get what I mean!'

|I do, but whether you like it or not, Naruto was trained in the art of interacting with females by you, and he used Hinata as his practice target. He is all but confirmed as the de facto fiancé of Hinata, and some who don't know better see you as his concubine. Most shinobi think that the Uchiha and the Hyūga banded together to bind the jinchūriki in marriage with the clans through you and Hinata.|

'... Ugh.'

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I'll come to pick you up every day!"- Sayaka petted his head.

As they arrived at the academy, the parents made way for them and shielded their children from what they saw as the unholy presence of Sayaka and Naruto, especially Sayaka.

Naruto hugged Sayaka goodbye and went inside with Hinata.

"Hello, Inoichi. I see you do have a cute daughter as your bragging implies."- Sayaka said to the only adult who wasn't avoiding her.

"I'm proud of her, Sayaka-chan."- Inoichi placed his big hand on top of the blonde head peeking out from behind his legs.

"This is Sayaka Uchiha, Ino. Introduce yourself."- Inoichi said with a calm smile to the girl.

"Ehmm. Hello, I'm Ino Yamanaka. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"- The girl was confused by the floating child who spoke without honorifics to her father but obeyed her father and introduced herself just as she was taught at home.

"Hello, Ino-chan. I'm Sayaka Uchiha. It's nice to meet you."- Sayaka levitated to Ino's level and made a small cardboard box appear from her storage script.

"It's a present—a carrot cupcake."- Sayaka explained to the puzzled parent-child duo.

Ino's eyes lit up as she looked at her father for permission. Inoichi nodded.

"Thank you, Sayaka-chan."- Inoichi said.

"You can eat it after the welcoming ceremony."- Inoichi added.

After this, the parents were led to a different seating arrangement from the children, and they all waited for the Hokage to start his welcoming speech.

After a few minutes of delay, the Hokage arrived, and the hearts of most of the children raced with excitement. Hiruzen was indeed famous.

He spoke about academic expectations and projections, groups, and rules, and eventually, the Will of Fire.

"... To those who possess the Will of Fire, everyone is family. The desire to protect one's family builds thicker and stronger bonds between each and every one in the village. If the Will of Fire is embraced by everyone, the village will be alright no matter what happens..."- Hiruzen's speech resonated with the hearts of many.

|Interesting how he seems to be unaware of his own hypocrisy.|

'Really? I thought he knew, especially with everything going on with the Uchiha and what he did to Naruto.'

|As far as my empathy suggests, he mostly believes what he preaches.|

'How disgustingly interesting. He even has the gall to preach while Naruto is here.'

|It's similar to the Will of the Beyond.|

'It's not!... Well, maybe, but the Will of the Beyond wasn't about teaching kids to sacrifice their lives for the village. It was about the sacrifice of those who were about to die to secure a future for their descendants.'

At the end of the ceremony, Sayaka was the first to exit the academy. She was tired of listening to so much idiocy.

With her daytime companions now busy with their academy studies, Sayaka's life fell into a routine of accompanying them to the academy in the mornings and waiting for them to come out. With so much downtime, Sayaka decided to laze around and eat. The more biomass Lucian had available, the more material he had to strengthen her body.

From time to time, just to annoy Naruto's ANBU squad, she would float and wait near them.

Other than that, she lived her life leisurely. About once a month, a 'random' Root ninja would attempt to kidnap her; of course, these attempts ended in explosions. By now, she was sure Mummy was also enjoying their little game. Otherwise, how could he explain the meaningless waste of resources?

Another change was that 'someone'—totally not Mummy—leaked her information, and she now enjoyed the title of having the highest bounty in history. It got to the point where at least once a week, some outsider would attempt on her life.

As expected, these attempts ended in the same way as Mummy's. Several bounty houses were blown apart, which only served to increase her bounty, but Sayaka didn't care.

Sayaka heard from Lucian that perhaps Mummy leaked her information to use her as a tool to eliminate some of these bounty houses in the underworld. Or that maybe Konohagakure was using her infamy as a deterrent to the other warmonger nations.

One thing that intrigued Sayaka was the unexpectedly high bounty, suggesting that more than two nations were contributing to it, which was suspicious. It seemed that even lands without ninja villages might be involved.

'Any idea?'

|No, it would be expected if Kumo and Iwa were paying for it.|

'And it isn't outside of Mummy's capabilities to find a way for the Land of Fire to contribute.'

|It also wouldn't be hard to convince the Land of Water, given that they were affected by Aya Uzumaki.|

'I thought so.'

|But it is strange that even villages south and west of the desert are contributing funds.|

'Yeah, I never had quarrels with those guys.'

|Why don't you ask your people?|

"47?"

"Aya-sama."—He materialized in her room.

"Any idea why so many people seem eager to contribute to my bounty?"

"The resurrection of Tsunade Senju is one reason."

'That makes sense. Everybody wants a piece of immortality, and given that Mummy even shared that Aya was the ruler of the desert, they might connect my eyes with the key to immortality.'

|He said it's only one of the reasons.|

"And the others?"

"There have been multiple conflicts with people impersonating us and attacking VIPs from other nations."

'Huh?'

|Probably Mummy is afraid of giving more breath to Sunagakure and thinks that by making it the enemy of the world, it might be somewhat restricted. Your eyes' connection with the desert would be the reason they want them.|

'Is it our fault, then?'

|It's not. It's his... if it is him.|

'Chances are it is.'

|It's also possible that he is colluding with other nations who want a piece of the 'succulent cake' known as Sunagakure.|

'You're not wrong. If they ignore the sandworms, they might mistakenly think that Sunagakure is an easy cake to be devoured.'

|But that's because the sand people rarely fought as an army. They must think the sandworms are the main form of Sunagakure's defense.|

"Thank you, 47."

"It's my pleasure, Aya-sama."—He merged with the shadows and disappeared.

With a climbing bounty on her head, Sayaka continued her life with no problems. If anything, she found something to do in her downtime—fighting assassins.

It wasn't a problem since she could have cloaked herself when she didn't want to be seen.

The tension between the village and the Uchiha continued to escalate. It was to the point that Sayaka more than once wondered if she would have enough time to mark all the babies.

'Maybe I should borrow some chakra from the grumpy fox. What do you think?'

|Sahara could help, or you could borrow chakra from your assassins. They won't need it in the Pure Lands.|

'That's a genius idea!'

Thus, her modus operandi changed. Instead of packing the assassins after her bounty in explosive love, she left them as husks, fully drained of vitality and chakra.

"Sayaka-chan, the husks?"- Hiruzen called her one day and asked her in private.

"I need some chakra for a personal project of mine. Instead of returning them with an explosive surprise, I thought I might make use of them. Waste not, want not, right?"

"Chakra and vitality? What for, Sayaka-chan?"

"Multiple reasons, but the main one is that I don't know when you and the Uchiha are going to clash. I don't want to be counted as collateral damage, thank you very much. So, I'm getting ready for war!"- Sayaka said this delicate and complex thing with a carefree smile.

As if it wasn't that big of a deal that she just mentioned the village and its remaining founding clan might battle.

Hiruzen took a deep drag from his smoking pipe and then let out a veritable cloud of smoke. The smoke avoided Sayaka.

"I see... Sayaka-chan, you should know that the village would never be your enemy, right? Our differences with the Uchiha don't include you, even if you share the same last name. And of course, it will never come to what you're suggesting. The Uchiha is one of the founding clans of the village. We would never fight against them."- Hiruzen spoke as if he was trying to convince himself, not exactly Sayaka.

"..."- Sayaka gazed at him for a few seconds.

In his eyes, she saw the vicissitudes of age. She saw the cloudy eyes that at some point had looked at her during her life as Eiko Senju while speaking about the village filled with light and drive.

Eyes that once held hope, responsibility, weight, power, control, energy, and will.

"Have you considered passing on the mantle and stepping back from the inevitable bloodshed that is approaching, Hokage?"- Sayaka showed her sincerity toward him.

She had long since used empathy to discover that Hiruzen was neither bad nor good. He was human—flawed, selfish, and many other adjectives could be used for him, but evil was not one of them. Not exactly, at least.

He was not innocent, and he surely was not guiltless. But definitely not evil.

So, just like the many humans she'd met throughout her life, Sayaka learned to see the man known as Hiruzen Sarutobi for who he was, not just his crimes.

Would Sayaka save his life? No.

Would Sayaka take his life? No.

That was her stance on him.

"..."- Hiruzen's eyes widened and his mouth fell into a semi-open state. The smoking pipe dropped from his hand and mouth, but Sayaka kept it afloat.

"..."- Hiruzen remained like that for almost a full minute.

"I... Thank you for your sincerity, Sayaka-chan."- He said while grabbing the floating smoking pipe and then motioning toward the door.

They were not friends, nor enemies; they were business partners. Hiruzen was not about to cry on her shoulder, and Sayaka was not expecting him to. But he understood Sayaka's stance and recognized that even if he was a zero to the left for her, she showed a form of concern and tried to give him her best advice. He was thankful for that.

Not long after she departed, his 'friend' stepped in.

"So?"- Mummy asked.

"It was as you expected, Danzo. She would not interfere if her life is not targeted."

"What about Mikoto, Izumi, and Itachi Uchiha?"

"She would protect them, just as she would protect Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga."

"That's a problem... I'll see what I can think of."

"Danzo?"- Hiruzen asked before he turned around.

"Hiruzen?"- Mummy asked, wondering what Hiruzen needed.

"You're not to act, is that clear?"- Hiruzen held his gaze with Mummy.

"... If they act first, I will react for the sake of the village."

"Only if they do, my friend. You're not to provoke them and you're not to act first."- Hiruzen declared.

Mummy acknowledged the warning with a nod and left.

__________________

Later that year, Itachi joined ANBU.

'Why would they put someone as damaged as Itachi in ANBU?'

|I stopped questioning the logic behind this village some time ago. Now I just accept it for what it is.|

'But Itachi is ten... This just makes no sense... fucking world.'

|Should I destroy it?|

'... No... There are babies in here.'

|We can evacuate those, can't we?|

'... Maybe, but let's put it on hold for the moment.'

Sayaka then floated to pick up her 'friends' from the academy. This year they turned six years old. Sayaka was past her first millennium, not counting the time she spent in The Void.

It was hard to call them friends, but she would usually tweak her mind with telepathy so they could connect as friends. It also helped sell the image that she was a child to the village.

"Sayaka-chan! Can we spar today?"- Naruto eagerly asked.

"Are you guys starting with taijutsu training?"- Sayaka asked.

"Just the basics, Sayaka-chan."- Hinata answered, and Naruto nodded.

Hinata had started taijutsu training way earlier than the average kid, given that taijutsu was one of her clan's specialties.

"Let's go to Naruto-kun's place, then. Or should we go to Hinata-chan's?"- Sayaka asked.

"Let's go to Hinata-chan's. Her training ground is bigger than mine."- Naruto said.

Sometime early in the year, Sayaka had arranged for Naruto—the heir of Kushina and Minato—to have a proper home from Hiruzen, as it should have been rightfully so since his birth. His new home included a training area and was closer to the Hyūga compound.

Sayaka spent the rest of the day sparring with the two children and correcting them. She knew the Gentle Fist style from her time as Sara and had experienced countless battles, making her overqualified to teach the children. But she had fun. She enjoyed her time with her two friends.

This continued for a few months. One day, when she was returning home, something interesting came within the sensory range of Lucian.

|Let me guide you.|

Sayaka followed the mental prompts and flew, fully cloaked, to a forest a certain distance from the Uchiha Compound.

In a small clearing, a group of masked shinobi and Mummy stood opposite of a child. Uchiha Shisui had his Sharingan activated and glared viciously.

"Danzo, you were plotting this all along!"- Shisui Uchiha said.

"This is all for attaining true peace for Konoha."- Danzo said, staring at the sky above him.

He was looking out for flying little girls.

"Shisui... Do not worry. I will make good use of your eyes."- He already had a target that would ensure the prosperity of Konohagakure.

The Root ninjas jumped into the air and flung their weapons at the Uchiha.

Shisui defended and deflected but didn't catch the figure of Mummy appearing behind him.

In a skillful, fluid move, Mummy gouged out one of his Sharingan.

'You think he practiced that move beforehand?'

|Probably. Otherwise, I doubt Konoha, being the holder of most dōjutsu users, would be brazen enough to include eye-gouging katas in their taijutsu curriculum.|

'Yeah, that looked like a practiced move.'

|He does have a Sharingan under wraps, so...|

Shisui Uchiha used a smoke bomb to escape back into the forest, out of the encirclement. While on the run, he was poisoned and almost died under their explosive scripted kunais—one of the scripts Sayaka had sold to the village.

But at the last second, he manifested a green Susanoo with a red tomoe at its center. The Susanoo opened its chest, and projectiles of green chakra flew out, taking out most of the ninjas.

Shisui couldn't maintain it for long due to the poison taking its toll on him. When it seemed as though the last two ninjas had won, they were taken out by two streams of fire. Itachi had arrived.

He carried his friend to their usual meeting spot. Above a cliff overlooking the Naka River, two waterfalls flowed imposingly on the face of the cliff on the other side of the river.

"I thought... you were on a mission."- Shisui said laboriously.

"Something didn't feel right, so... I came back."- Itachi said with a pained face and voice.

Shisui told Itachi about what he uncovered from his encounter with Mummy.

'My friend is going to be left with a bigger trauma if we don't heal Shisui.'

|I agree.|

But just before Sayaka could make a move, Shisui gouged out his other eye and offered it to Itachi.

'Is everybody practicing eye-gouging katas now?'

|It appears so... I don't think we will get to heal him.|

'Yeah, that's what I'm seeing. If we healed him, the Uchiha would find out about Mummy's betrayal.'

|Which would spark the conflict. We are okay with that, but the children are not.|

'I'll heal him anyway. I'll hide him and then gift him to Itachi. I'm sure Itachi will appreciate the present.'

They observed Shisui traumatize Itachi and then kill himself by jumping off the cliff, Itachi awoke his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Just as the body hit the water and was sunk by the turbulent flow, Sayaka teleported to it and dragged him to the bottom, out of sight. Once at the bottom, she created a bubble of air for them.

She then placed a hand on his chest and had Lucian start the healing process. With a motion of her other hand, she pulled the water out of his lungs and forced in oxygen-rich air.

She made sure to keep him unconscious while they stabilized him enough to move.

Less than ten minutes later, they were ready. She moved the bubble to another location downstream and emerged—fully cloaked.

A couple of minutes of flight later, she arrived at the compound. She made herself visible to create an alibi and floated the invisible Shisui above her.

Under the usual scrutiny and glares, she floated to her home and entered without paying attention to the ants below her feet. She floated to the guest bedroom, but after opening the door, she found Abeyance.

Using the appropriate scripts and collecting chakra and natural energy for a few years, Sayaka had created a stable portal to her dimension. It was impossible to open the portal without her, so she didn't worry about it. Even if someone could see the secret script inside the frame of the door, they wouldn't understand it.

"Kushina-chan?"- Sayaka called after coming out of a door leading back to the living world.

"I'm coming!"- A muffled shout came from the kitchen.

"Eiko-chan!"- Kushina eagerly said and glomped her into a hug.

This was not the first time they'd seen each other since Madelyne reincarnated, but Kushina was just like this every time they reunited.

"Who's this dying kid?"- Kushina asked curiously, eyeing the floating Shisui.

"Shisui Uchiha, got done by Danzo. Can you heal him back to health? I don't have enough chakra to do it, and being seen alive would bring problems to the village and his clan."- Sayaka lowered him so Kushina could examine him.

Kushina ran her green glowing hands over his body a few times.

"Full recovery... maybe a year? The poison running through his veins did a number on him."- Kushina gave her prognosis.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter if it takes more than a year. Like I said, it's best if he remains 'dead' for the foreseeable future."- At least until the Uchiha rebelled or not, Shisui Uchiha should stay dead.

"What about his Sharingan?"- Kushina asked.

"I'll have Sahara send me a pair from my collection in Sunagakure. I'll teleport them to your lab when I receive them."- Sayaka had met plenty of Uchiha in her life, and most tried to take advantage of her in one way or another. For assorted purposes, she had taken to collecting bodies or body parts and sending them to Sunagakure for study.

"Good... then... How is he?"- Kushina asked shyly.

"Here, I'll leave a memory package of my time with him or spying on him. You can go over it in your dreams."- Sayaka touched her forehead with two fingers and pushed a memory package into Kushina's mind.

"Thanks, Eiko-chan! I love you!"- Kushina brought Sayaka's face to her own by cupping it in her hands and branded ten kisses on her face in less than three seconds.

Sayaka simply rolled her eyes and told her that she loved her back. She then said her goodbyes and returned to the living world.

She couldn't stay long there because time would start to fluctuate while the portal was open. If she wasn't careful, she might spend 5 minutes in Abeyance and ten years crossing back to the living world. Time was crazy like that between the two dimensions.

The next day, the clan was shrouded in indignation, suspicion, anger, grief, and sadness. Shisui was a pillar of the clan due to his reputation as a genius. He was a boy—almost 14 years old—who brought joy wherever he went.

No one believed that he had taken his life as Itachi and the forged letter said. Itachi was especially under scrutiny because Shisui had previously been given the mission of monitoring Itachi after the latter changed when he joined ANBU.

Itachi was approached multiple times by his clan members. Some were violent, others were only verbal, and some just glared from a distance. It was evident that he had become public enemy number one. No one liked the higher-ups of the village, but they disliked, even more, traitors. Itachi, the Konoha Corrupt Four (KC4), and lastly Sayaka, in descending order, were the most hated in the Uchiha clan.

"Itachi."- Sayaka said while landing next to him. He was seated with his legs dangling over the edge of the cliff where Shisui had finished traumatizing Itachi.

"Sayaka."- Itachi replied softly, with little intonation.

"Are you thinking of joining Shisui at the bottom?"- Sayaka asked, looking down at the rapids.

"No, he wouldn't like that."- Itachi was now well used to Sayaka's bluntness.

"Right, what was it that he said? Something about leaving the village and the Uchiha to you and making use of his eye?"- Sayaka turned her head to look at Itachi's face.

His face was a mix of surprise, displeasure, and caution.

"You saw."- Itachi stated.

"I did, from the point where Danzo's men ambushed him."- Sayaka pulled a sandwich from her storage script and handed it to Itachi, getting another one for herself.

"Danzo did have a point. It was unfortunate how an Uchiha didn't know how to use the Sharingan."- Sayaka brought out apple juice and handed a glass to Itachi.

"What do you mean, Sayaka?"- Itachi asked, his voice nearing hostility.

"Kotoamatsukami, one for each eye. I don't know how often he could use it, but one use for Hiruzen and one for Danzo—problem solved. Manipulate them into changing policies, Shisui talks with Fugaku, and between the two—three if you're included—force the extremists of the clan to settle down. A few years later, you set an Uchiha as the next Hokage or Tsunade—given that she doesn't hate you guys—and you're set for the next 20 years at least... Like I said, problem solved."- Sayaka didn't mince her words.

"The village wouldn't accept that. The rest of the elders of the council would notice, and the clans wouldn't allow an Uchiha to sit on the Hokage seat."- Itachi countered.

"You're naive and stupid, Itachi. The other elders are useless and weak; they wouldn't oppose because they couldn't. The clans would accept it if you played it right, gained favor, talked with the appropriate people, and made connections—things you apparently don't know about. But what could you expect from children whose main talent is killing?"- Sayaka smiled sardonically.

"... The village still wouldn't accept it."- Itachi persisted.

"Itachi, do you know the story of the father of your captain?"- Sayaka asked with some mystery in her voice.

"Sakumo Hatake?"- Itachi asked.

"Yeah. Sakumo Hatake was a loyal shinobi and a caring father. He was revered by the villagers and contributed greatly during the Second Ninja War. He was expected by many to be the next Hokage, taking the mantle from Hiruzen before Minato Namikaze did."

"All of these expectations didn't bode well with Danzo and Hiruzen. Hiruzen didn't like it, but he also didn't act on his desire. Danzo, however, was different. Danzo brought a high-risk, high-reward mission to Hiruzen and suggested the village's best should take it. Hiruzen agreed it was the soundest move."

"The mission was a trap. Sakumo's teammates were planted by Danzo, mostly Sarutobi clan and Shimura clan members. At a critical point in the mission, Sakumo had to choose between the lives of his teammates and the successful completion of the mission. He chose the former."

"A ninja's mission is foremost, right? That's what you idiots say?"- Sayaka asked mockingly, not waiting for Itachi to answer.

"Danzo spread rumors, Hiruzen discovered Danzo had leaked information on an S-Rank mission. Danzo provided a scapegoat and claimed it was the enemy who spread these rumors, not him. It was obvious he was lying, but since there was no changing reality and Hiruzen was worried about Sakumo's rise in fame, he didn't punish Danzo. The damage was already done, right? Danzo took this as tacit approval and had the teammates Sakumo saved discredit him in public."

"Public enemy number one, from one day to another, from hero to traitor! Sakumo took his life to apologize for the damage he did to the village."- Sayaka threw a file with evidence of her story to Itachi.

Itachi knew about the public version of the story and suspected there was more to it, but as they said, let lying dogs lie. Why stir trouble about something that happened so long ago?

"Why are you telling me this, Sayaka?"- Itachi asked after reviewing the files Sayaka had handed him.

"To show you how the village are just clowns who could be easily manipulated. You wouldn't need to use Kotoamatsukami to change their opinion on the Uchiha from one day to another. Just manipulate public opinion, and the Uchiha would go from hateful pricks to rightful protectors... You were just too stupid to think of this."- Sayaka said accusingly.

Itachi's eyes widened momentarily but soon returned to their clouded, pained state.

"What's the point of this? Shisui is dead, Danzo has his other eye, and there's nothing that could be changed. One doesn't change reality."- Itachi had long accepted that he couldn't change what happened.

"I'm telling you this so that you can understand that there were other options you were too idiotic to consider, just as there are now."- Sayaka said thoughtfully.

"... What do you suggest?"- Itachi looked at her with a nascent glimmer of hope in his heart.

"Capitulation and opposition are not the only two options. You can escape."

"How? Where to?"- Itachi asked in frustration.

"The village resents the Uchiha; they wouldn't oppose your disappearance. I will get you the support of the Hyūga and help you convince the other clans to allow it. As for where, it's the Desert."

"... You have connections with them."- Itachi said in realization.

"All users of the kūhakugan have connections with the people of the Sand, Itachi. I'm even willing to provide Konohagakure with enough compensation to ensure their non-interference."- Sayaka offered.

"... Why? Why would you help us? You've received nothing but scorn from the clan. What do you gain from helping us?"- Itachi asked.

"I'm not helping the Uchiha clan, idiot. I'm helping you, Itachi, your mother, and Izumi. I don't care if your clan extinguishes tomorrow; I just care about my friends. If you continue on this path, they'll be part of the end of the Uchiha, and that can't be allowed."- Sayaka said sternly.

"... I... I... I can't accept your offer. The risk of the other villages taking advantage of a lengthy process such as the migration of an entire clan is too great. I also know my people well enough to understand that they are too prideful; they would never accept."

Sayaka glared at him silently.

"Agh! Do what you want then! Just know where my line is drawn, Itachi. I will maim this village if they lay a hand on my friends, you included..."- Sayaka began to float away.

"... Fucking idiot."- She muttered before letting gravity pull her down to the river and then flying away, dragging her finger over the surface of the stream.

Unbeknownst to Sayaka her show of care made Itachi feel better, even if she insulted him at every stop of the talk.

'Should we kill the clan and be done with it?'

|You know it wouldn't work. Itachi, Mikoto, and Izumi would then be sitting ducks for the village.|

'It would work if we kidnapped them.'

|We are currently not strong enough to do that successfully.|

'I know... I'm just frustrated!'

|Maybe go spend some time with Hanabi Hyūga?|

'But they got mad when I sneaked into her crib and forbade me from doing it again.'

|Then kidnap Hanabi and sleep with Hinata.|

'That makes sense.'

It was late at night, and Sayaka followed Lucian's suggestion. While cloaked, she sneaked into the baby's room and floated Hanabi out through the window. She then circled the house and entered Hinata's room through the window. She softly moved Hinata to the side and sandwiched the baby between them.

"Sayaka-chan?"- Hinata asked, half-asleep.

"Shushh, we came to sleep with you, Hinata-chan."- Sayaka took hold of her hand and guided it to Hanabi's head.

"Hanabi?"- Hinata asked, her Byakugan not active in the dim light of the room.

"Yes. Can we?"- Sayaka asked while petting Hinata.

"Sure."- Hinata fell asleep, and Sayaka spent a few more minutes petting the little girls.

'You were right, this took away some of my frustration.'

|Babies are therapeutic.|

'I think to some, babies are synonymous with lack of sleep.'

|That's because they can't use empathy to share the feeling of :soothing:.|

'You're right. That's why Sahara was left to us by Kaede-kaasan and Yuudai-tousan. She never cried with us.'

|Somehow that turned into the Sahara of today, the one who gets aroused by her sister.|

'Yeah, that was a failure.'

|She is 'cute' in her own way.|

'Cute? Can you understand cuteness?'

|Not exactly, but her soul is almost as pure as the babies', so I can say that, in a way, to my eyes, she is cute. Like a baby.|

'Yeah, there's nothing cute about that pervert. I love her so much, but you can't deny reality—she is a pervert.'

The next day, Nozomi and Hiashi panicked when they couldn't find their daughter. But one quick swipe of the Byakugan later, and they were glaring at the sleeping Sayaka with Hanabi soundlessly sleeping on her chest and Hinata hugging them from the side.

_________________________________________

Continues on the next chapter (Hopefully the last, I'm tired of writing!)