Dragon in Marvel

Time Line: 3 Years after the sealing of The Rabbit Goddess.

Two half-Ōtsutsuki sat atop a cliff-like terrain, overlooking the vast expanse below.

More accurately, the cliff was a scar left by their mother when she slashed downward with her arm, aiming to cut Hagoromo's legs. Instead, she carved a gouge into the planet itself. The "vast expanse" they saw was, in fact, the vacuum of space.

Space was visible not because it was nighttime, but because the atmosphere had thinned drastically. A clash—Kaguya's fist against the combined guard of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki and Hamura—had displaced a portion of it into the cold emptiness beyond.

The resulting chakra from their clash prevented the rest of the atmosphere from rushing in to fill the void, which, in a way, helped delay the planet's collapse.

"Brother... I don't see a solution to this."- Hamura said, his gaze fixed on the remnants of the planet.

"Why would you suggest we settle down and try to start a family in these conditions? I still haven't moved past my wife's passing. I'm not ready to try again."

From this distance, he could make out the planet's ridges and canyons, which looked as though they had been carved by giant fingers. The lakes were crater-like, and the bays formed where land had been erased. The planet was a testament to their cataclysmic battle.

"... Hamura... Gamamaru showed us a future where Madi heals people, right?"- Hagoromo asked. Unlike his brother, who was watching the desolate planet, he gazed at the ocean of stars.

"Yes... but I don't think such a future will come to be… not when the planet is expected to fall apart in less than 200 years. Maybe we should have listened to Mother... Perhaps we shouldn't have fought her, even if she was responsible for our wives' deaths. At least for the sake of those who perished… and the planet itself..."- Hamura said, his heart barely containing his regret.

"Brother, what happened was not entirely our fault. The one who started it all was the man who attacked Mother amid our argument. We didn't strike her first."- Hagoromo replied, his voice laced with an intensity that attempted to hold back his own regret.

"You know that's not exactly it, we went to her intending to confront her, Hagoromo."- Hamura shook his head. 

"Be that as it may... We didn't make the first attack... I digress, in the future Gamamaru showed us, the world was not falling apart."

"So?"- Hamura wondered what his brother was getting at. 

"So, somehow, between now and then, the world is fixed. How far are you with your best estimates about fixing the planet?"

"... Maybe 500 years to avoid the planet's collapse and about 10,000 years to completely fix it."

"That matches my best projections. This means that since we predict the planet's collapse in about 200 years, someone or something will fix the planet before that."

"... Ah! I see... Onee-sa-... Madi, maybe?"- Hamura went happy for a moment, just for a moment, before he remembered their betrayal. He remembered he had no right to feel happy about the woman who entrusted their mother to them before parting.

"... Yes. That's why I suggested we leave behind descendants... She will unseal Mother and without the interloper's help, we don't stand a chance against Mother, much less Madi."

"... What's the point of it?"- Hamura asked doubtfully. 

"The point is... If what Madi said is to be believed, she will pass away and enter a personal cycle of reincarnation, I was thinking that we might make use of our descendants to seal Mother while Madi is weakened."

"Are you trying to cheat death? And why do you think the planet would sustain another battle of this magnitude?"

"Just our souls, Brother. We will undoubtedly die due to the wounds left in our bodies, Mother was that monstrous, but not even Madi could touch our souls, our spirits! We could make use of that. And I'm not saying we fight back as soon as she is unsealed, I'm saying we let Madi and Mother fix the planet and then appear after she dies to seal Mother."

"... That's not a bad idea... We use script to bind our souls to the planet and that way Madi will have no choice but to leave our souls in peace—just in case Luci decides to break our souls—and we leave our descendants as insurance... Maybe it could work."- Hamura said after thinking it over, he—just like his brother—agreed that their mother needed to be sealed.

It was an idea that was tactically ingrained in their minds after careful and prolonged manipulation of Gamamaru.

"Correct, not even they would risk destroying the planet just to get rid of us."- Hagoromo added. 

"... I still would like to confirm if they really could have healed Suna and Hana."- Hamura said. 

"We can ask, but we should still prepare beforehand... Because of how much Madi loved Mother, I don't think we will get a chance to do much after she discovers we sealed Mother."- Hagoromo. 

And so, the twins got ready for the eventual return of the big-bad-but-necessary, Madelyne. Though they understood the planet's dire need for her help, it didn't stop them from bestowing upon her the title of villainess in their minds.

In their eyes—after so much manipulation from Gamamaru and the inability to take back their betrayal—Madelyne was the villain of the story, they needed her to be the villain, otherwise... it would mean that their actions were not justified, and their hearts couldn't accept that, they must have had justification. They needed justification.

Just like how they justified the need to seal Kaguya by speaking about the natural energy drainage due to the God Tree.

Just like how they did their best to ignore the monumental death toll their little rebellion took. 

Just like how they called the resulting evidence of their fight on the planet a necessary sacrifice. 

They needed that justification!

Time Line: 20 Years after the sealing of The Rabbit Goddess.

"..."

"..."

In a world of soft and glistening colors, two souls stood in silence. This ethereal realm represented the planet's energy source—a place that, for the foreseeable future, would become the home of their souls.

From this world of soft and glistening colors, they could peer at the happenings of the surface by using certain points of reference—the Tailed-Beasts, the giant Tenseigan, and the reincarnations of Asura and Indra—and by projecting avatars of Natural Energy. 

The avatars of Natural Energy were perfect for spying on the average shinobi—given that they couldn't sense this energy—but risky when it came to Madi Futagami.

Hagoromo and Hamura stood silently observing as Madi dispersed into motes of light and disappeared from the surface world. 

"... She was in that state and she was able to twist our necks with a thought... Are you sure we will be able to do anything after she unseals Mother?"

"What other choice do we have, Hamura? They will drain the planet dry if we don't step up."

"..."

"..."

"... Mother was incapable of healing Hana and Suna."- Hamura spoke about the confirmation they received before their deaths from Madi's mouth. 

"I don't think it matters... we not only sealed Mother due to their deaths, but we also sealed her because of the God Tree... Yeah... It doesn't matter now... We were not in the wrong, brother... we weren't, right?"- Hagoromo asked as if trying to convince himself of his faulty logic. 

"... I don't know, brother... I don't think that man was trustworthy enough for us to believe his claim about how any Ōtsutsuki could've healed Hana and Suna, so there must be some truth to Madi's claim about how Mother couldn't have possibly healed our girls... I... I... Maybe we rushed too recklessly into this..."

"... Are you saying Gamamaru lied to us?"

"... I don't think so, he helped us learn several healing arts... But... I don't think Onee-sama will heal anyone else when she didn't heal our girls... at least not the type of healing our wives needed... I... We... We should see if she will grant immortality to someone along the line, she didn't unseal Mother, so we have time to witness how truthful her claims were."

"... And if she doesn't grant immortality to anyone?"

"... Then... Then.... I don't want to think about it brother... *Sigh* I'm this old and still can't... *Sigh* No, it doesn't matter now, right?"

"... Right, it doesn't matter."

"... It doesn't matter..."

"... It doesn't matter..."

...

...

...

A few years these souls went by in their usual denial until they felt a subtle pulse spread through the Ethereal Realm. 

It wasn't long before they found the cause, a baby girl was born in one of the shelters left after The Fall, and the Natural Energy of the world gathered around her as if to bless her. 

The souls in denial would observe as this girl grew up, her father passed away and she didn't heal him nor did she grant him immortality. 

"They were not that close, brother, this doesn't mean anything."- Hagoromo said. 

"I know, I know."- Hamura agreed, but he had a foreboding feeling in the deepest of his soul.

"... It doesn't matter, we will see what she'll do about her mother..."

"... Yes, I know... It doesn't matter..."

She grew up, and flew to Luna, then came down. 

"She didn't unseal Mother?"- Hamura asked, incredulous. 

"She is weaker than before, considerably so. In her current state, we could have defeated her, I think she will need to follow the unsealing steps."- Hagoromo observed. 

"Onee-sama did once say that Luci-sama created her body, so that makes sense. That's a relief, it should give our descendants some time to grow... Well, it's not like she seems that interested in them, aside from seeing them as a nuisance."

They continued to stalk the young girl until she turned into a grown woman, they saw as she lived her life, got closer to her people, helped relocate them to a safer location, started the long process of healing the planet, spread knowledge, travel the planet looking for the sparse populations they were never able to assemble, and more. 

As Aya helped the survivors and healed the planet, even their tiny consciences started to hurt. Aya didn't act like the monster they wanted her to be. 

And finally, the first 'trial' came. Aito—her mother—was on her deathbed. They were not able to observe this, for obvious reasons, but they got all the confirmation they needed when one of the scouts commented on the passing of 'Aito-sama' and how sad 'Aya-sama' was. 

"..."

"..."

"... Brother..."

"It's not the time, yet, Hamura. And we don't have eyes in Sunagakure—the Tenseigan can't penetrate their defenses—for all we know Aya simply granted her immortality and hid it from the general population. Don't jump to conclusions yet!... Yeah... It's not the time yet... It's not here yet... Alright?"- Hagoromo's soul wavered, just as much as Hamura's did. 

"You're right... It's not time yet..."

"Yeah, not yet..."

Time passed and the world of soft and glistening colors shook, Aya had passed away. 

The souls in denial waited for the next reincarnation, and soon enough the world accepted the next Madi. 

This one was harder to observe, they were only able to locate her due to the changes the world was experiencing, from what they observed with the Giant Tenseigan, it was clear she was focused on healing the planet.

When the aforementioned two centuries passed, the planet was vibrant with life, not exactly living beings, but life in the sense that the planet was no longer approaching the Planetary Collapse scenario. 

The Ethereal Realm shook once more and one more of her reincarnations passed.

The third reincarnation went as it came.

"Dead at birth?"- Hagormo asked.

"..."- Hamura didn't reply. 

The fourth life came and it wasn't long before Indra's reincarnation was contacted by a wealthy merchant who went by the name of Teiru. The souls in denial quickly identified the reincarnator. 

The merchant hired the Uchiha and sometimes the Senju, but one thing was clear about this man, he was working for the betterment of the territory that in the future would be known as The Land of Fire. 

Teiru would focus on his business for seasons and then focus on continuing to heal the planet, he would create and sponsor orphanages and buy slaves to educate as his subordinates. Teiru never involved himself with a romantic partner and the closest thing to a family was a boy he adopted with the intention to name as his successor. 

After leaving behind all his assets to the boy, Teiru ascended to Luna and passed away in Kaguya's company. 

Her fifth life came... and that's the life that started the breakdown of Hamura Ōtsutsuki. 

She was reborn as a descendant of Hamura, they observed her life—just like they had always done—and the tension their souls felt when she gave birth to twin girls was unmeasurable. 

It was a feeling between expectation, dread, condemnation, denial, reluctance, and—somehow—happiness. 

Sure, Aya lost her dear mother (Aito), but the death of a parent is different than the death of a child. Neither said it, but they were eagerly looking forward to it.

Would she prove to be the hypocrite they believe her to be? Or would she prove them wrong?

And...

...

...

... Watching as Sara gave a tearful goodbye to her clearly mortal girls on her deathbed, broke Hamura. 

"..."- Hamura no longer communicated with his brother. 

"Hamura! Don't let this be the end of you! We don't know what's happening in Sunagakure, maybe she was not that attached to her daughters, maybe Aito is still living under the sand with a different name... we don't know! We can't be sure!... We... Brother?!"- No matter how much Hagoromo shook and yelled at his brother, Hamura never answered, he absentmindedly stared at the projection of the surface world. 

The sixth reincarnation came, like usual. The girl grew up and when she was powerful enough she would dedicate her efforts to the healing of the planet. When the broken soul and the one in denial saw her sacrifice herself to protect the planet they laid waste to and kill the demon, Hagoromo changed and Hamura stayed broken. 

"...It... doesn't... matter... right?... Mother... must remain sealed!... right?... It doesn't matter... It doesn't matter... It's not time yet... it's not... right?"

"..."

"I knew you'd understand, brother!"

"..."

"You're correct, Hamura... We must observe, we can't draw conclusions yet... Besides, the Rinnegan hasn't been born again, so it doesn't matter... it's not the time to precipitate into action... it's not the time yet.

"..."

"Exactly, Brother. Gamamaru showed us. Just like you said, he didn't lie to us... either way... It doesn't matter... It's not time yet."

"..."

The seventh reincarnation was short and then came the 8th. 

By the eighth reincarnation, Shukaku was admitted to Sunagakure a few times, and the crazy souls could no longer deny that Aito was dead. 

Hagoromo paid no attention to this fact, because 'it doesn't matter'. 

Hamura was already broken, so it made no difference to him.

Then she continued with her reincarnations and when she was born as an Uchiha and made contact with Black Zetsu, it was clear that Indra's previous reincarnation's plan would succeed in this life...

"I give up."- Hamura spoke for the first time in centuries. 

"Brother? What are you talking about?"- Hagormo was so lost in his fantasies to justify the sin they committed that he wasn't surprised after hearing his brother talk, because to Hagoromo... his brother had been supporting him all these centuries before. 

"You plan to fight her after she unseals Mother... I give up thinking... let it be as you want... I give up living... at least, let my death amount to something... whatever that is... you can't do it alone... you'll need Isshiki... I give up."- Hamura replied with a clarity that belied the vacancy in his sanity. 

Hamura disappeared from the world of soft and glistening colors, Hagoromo tracked his chakra and found him in Juno, he saw as his brother merged his soul with the host of Isshiki and used his chakra to fix what could be fixed in the sealed body and create what could be created that the body was lacking, until an abomination of three souls was left, Isshiki, Jigen, and Hamura's soul. 

The amalgamation gave the body Isshiki needed, Jigen's spirit was devoured by the parasite and Hamura willfully let himself be predated. Now he only needed to wait for the moment his seal was to be undone. 

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Thank you for your support, brother."- Hagormo commented, before going back to his delusions and hyperfixations. 

The Rinnegan shone with a bright light, and the black circles in his eyes made it look more like swirls instead of rings. 

—————————————————

Time Line: 1037 Years after the sealing of The Rabbit Goddess. (Current time)

The 'departure' of Lucian meant nothing to most, except for two women. 

One was obviously Madelyne, she had been with Lucian far longer than she remembered, which meant that—even if she didn't want it—there was a sense of dependency on him. 

Lucian would wake her each morning and assist with any task she requested, no matter how small. Cooking for her, helping her shower, and dressing her were among these tasks. Then, each night, she would go to bed and join him in the Starry Ocean.

Meaning he was the first and last thing she saw every day of her life.

It wasn't only about companionship. Lucian would normally be alert while she rested or had her guard down, he would sometimes play music in her mind, help her when she didn't understand something, practice with her when she wanted to develop new jutsu, talk to her when she was bored, and more. 

"Damn it! I never knew I was so dependent on him! The cold fucker will return one day and act as if he didn't miss me—because he most certainly didn't—and here I am, having to find a new meaning to life!"- She said to herself on an evening when she couldn't fall asleep. 

"Don't worry, Onee-sama. I'm here, you can discharge all of your repressed love on me, I can take it."- From the other side of the bed, the second woman who was most affected by the departure of Lucian, Sahara said while little-spooning her sister. 

"... Well, whatever! I don't miss him that much."- Sayaka settled down her emotions and went back to sleep. 

"~Huehehehe~"- Sahara enjoyed her non-resisting sister's body and fell asleep.

Yes... that's the impact Lucian's absence had on her life. Due to Sayaka's craving for connection, she was less reticent to the advances of her perverted sister.

It was no longer limited to the privacy of Sayaka's home. After confirming the sand people's 'passing', Sahara stopped hiding and accompanied her sister openly in her daily life. 

Which in turn meant that Sahara joined Akatsuki. 

"... Your sister, you say?"- Konan—who became the defacto member to deal with matters concerning Sayaka—asked as she saw the suspicious individual lift Sayaka onto her lap and pet her as if she were a doll. 

"... You don't choose your family."- Sayaka said with a serious expression that greatly contrasted with her seating position. 

"... I thought you couldn't choose blood relatives but you could choose your family."- Konan was having trouble matching the current scene with the soul-shattering bloodlust she felt from Sayaka at that time.

"You're not wrong... I guess the appropriate expression would be, that parents don't choose their children. I didn't know she was going to turn out like this when I was raising her."- Sayaka complained. 

"The saying is about how children don't choose their parents, but I understand what you mean."- Konan decided that it wasn't healthy to discuss more about this particular topic. 

"Sahara is closer to my level of power than Pain's, so she is a good addition to Akatsuki... not that I think we would need this much firepower, but you get it."

Sayaka's comment placed an unseen pressure on Konan's heart. 

"I see... Sahara-sama, welcome to Akatsuki."- Konan decided not to antagonize the walking calamity sisters. 

Smart moves like this are what made it hard for Sayaka to claim Kakuzu was the sanest member of Akatsuki, then again, Konan has been idle as her friend is clearly being duped by 'Madara'. 

After that there was an incident of a certain money-craving immortal targeting Sahara due to the high bounty there was for any shinobi of The Desert, but that obviously ended in almost all of Kakuzu's hearts destroyed, but one, as he escaped.

From that moment on, Kakuzu was not seen in Amegakure again. 

Turns out that Sahara was vindictive, so she had allowed him to escape with one heart to regularly send one of her clones to bully him.

"Ehmm... Sahara-sama, could you stop destroying Kakuzu's hearts? It's been a few months and he hasn't been able to operate because your clone would destroy his hearts every time he replaced the lost ones."- With an indescribable expression, Konan had to mediate for Kakuzu. 

Konan started to question the life choices that led to her mediating between two immortal beings as if she were their teacher or mother.

"Eh? The greedy boy told on me?"- Sahara asked, eyes blinking in surprise. 

"Kakuzu says that he promises not to target you again unless your bounty matches Sayaka-sama's."- Even Konan had a hard time relaying the shameless 'apology'.

"... No, I don't think I will. Tell him that he should make it part of his daily life to stockpile replacements for his hearts, tell him that I will keep sending a clone to play with him until I get bored."- Sahara's life was never at risk when Kakuzu attacked her, but she was vindictive that way. 

"... *Sigh*... He says that he has some pictures of Sayaka's life as Aya Uzumaki, and he would be willing to share them with you in exchange for the cessation of his hunt *Sigh*."- Konan felt as if her job was less 'graceful' the more she got involved with the Calamity Sisters. 

"Oh! You should have started with that!"- The swirly eyes in Sahara were all the confirmation she needed. That hyperfixation and craving couldn't be hidden.

Life kept moving on and nothing major as the assassination of a Kage in a certain water village happened, one day Konan approached Sayaka with a request.

"Sayaka-sama, can you have us participate in the building of the dam?"

"Why? Isn't it faster if I do it on my own?"

"I and the other students would prefer to participate, it will help us polish our learned skills in Earth and Water Release... Of course, we will abide by whatever you find more convenient."- Konan knew very well that they were not in a position to make demands. 

"... Well, honestly I was going to do it alone, but I think it's not much of a problem if the project is delayed a few months, so fine, let's have you participate."- Sayaka was building the hydroelectric project because she was bored, so she never went about it in the most rewarding way, she only cared about doing things with her own hands and keeping busy.

In the end, having the students help would provide her with more 'entertainment', so she agreed. 

The second year of Sayaka's stay in Amegakure arrived. Sayaka got used to only having herself in her mind—which is the common standard for most beings—Sahara's contribution to this couldn't be underestimated, proof of this is how it seemed like they went back to the times they did everything together when they were little. 

They woke up together, showered together—much to the delight of a certain pervert—worked together, shopped together, cooked together, slept together, and more, they were virtually joined by the hip.

Akatsuki Ten-Tails plan went by as intended by Zetsu and 'Madara' and—with the ability to gather information of the Zetsu clones and Sunagakure's personal information network—the remaining Tailed-Beasts were easily located. 

"The time to accomplish our enterprise is nearing."- Pain's voice echoed through the underground chamber. 

Some members—like the immortal duo—were not physically present. As always, they were bounty hunting.

Tobi and Deidara were also not physically present. Deidara had been taken in by Sayaka as a disciple in the art of explosions after she showed him some of her most prided works through genjutsu. 

After seeing the art of the foremost expert in explosions on the planet, he found himself lacking. So he went on a trip of self-discovery and improvement, Tobi was forcibly sent with him because Sayaka said that her sister was a better fit to be her partner than him so he was assigned to the Artist of Akatsuki.

According to the monthly reports Sayaka was receiving from her disciple, things were looking up. As is evidenced in the following correspondence:

_________________________

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

Dear Master:

After your most glorious and explosive enlightenment in the profoundness of art, I'm not ashamed to confess I found myself lost. 

How could my meager explosions compare to the divine beauty you showed me?

How could my greatest heights match the impactfulness of your simplest miracles?

How could I strive to compare and draw parallels between our artwork?! 

These and many doubts plagued my mind these past weeks. I felt stuck, my art was not advancing, and worst of all... I saw no way to reach to the ankles of your artistry.

I will be forever grateful for the hint you dropped into my undeserving hands!

I did as you suggested and started to study this 'Chemistry' you mentioned.

Trinitrotoluene!

Nitroglycerin!

Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate!

Oxyhydrogen!

These are some of the divine words I found in the sacred texts you guided me to, whoever this author Aya Futagami was, was divinely inspired! 

Oh! The insights! The Enlightment! The Genius! Oh, MASTER! I can tell just by reading these sacred scriptures, this person was most certainly a fellow connoisseur of true definite ART!

I dare not think about the limits of your knowledge, Master, but I feel the holy duty to share with you my findings. I had this useless baggage (Tobi) send you a copy of the sacred texts. I hope with this, I can find a path towards repaying my debt to you, Master. 

With love, your 💥Deidara!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

_________________________

"YOUR Deidara?!"- Sahara shouted after reading the letter in Sayaka's hands from behind her.

"..."- Sayaka chose to remain silent. 

"Oh, I'll kill that worm! How coulditDAREtothink thatITcandreamtobeYOURposseSSION?!"- Her speech turned into a shriek by the end and her words got mangled and mixed.

"..."

Continuing with Akatsuki's meeting... 

"In preparation for it, we shall stop our activities outside of Amegakure to make sure none of our members will be injured or tired for when the time for action calls."- Konan followed after Pain. 

"Those of you short on resources or weaponry, contact Sayaka."- Pain added. 

Sayaka was known as the member in charge of weapon manufacturing, she handled everything from explosives tags to scrolls and more. 

"The identities of the jinchūriki have been determined, and the location of the Three-Tails has been found. The monitoring of the targets has been left to the Zetsu clones. For the following year, you're instructed to gather your strength and rest. When the time is right... we shall begin with our final assault!"- Pain's voice reverberated through the hearts of all the mental cases of Akatsuki—which was all of them. 

'Hehehehe! Mother, I'm so close. These puppets will bring to fruition our ambition and all of the chakra shall return to you, Mother, the rightful owner!'

"The world shall know art! Hahahahah! My masterpiece will illuminate all of the uncultured in its luminous blessing! HHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!"

"Fufufufu! I can't wait to find the ultimate truth! This world of lies will end and from it, the beautiful truth will emerge."

"Ah, my lord will be pleased, I can already feel it, so many sacrifices, so much blood ~ah my lord! HEar mE! NoNE of you wiLL BE Allowed TO INTERfere in my Lord'S offering!!!"

"Finally, I will depart from this stupid world and spend eternity with my Onee-sama ~Huehehehehe! I can't wait to spend eternity with Onee-sama ~HUEHEHEHE!"

'Yahiko, I wonder if you're proud of your legacy.'

'Peace, I can already feel it. Yahiko, we miss you.'

'Rin, my love, just wait for me a bit more... Rin, my Rin, I can barely wait.'

'I wonder how much money I can make of this. Ugh, If I'm going to be on the same battlefield as the psycho-sister, then I should go and collect some hearts. Will Sayaka gather some for me if I file the request under the name of war preparations?'

'... It's no wonder the Snake Kid was part of this group. Birds of a feather...'- Sayaka wondered how Obito managed to find the craziest shinobi in existence and gather them into a somewhat functioning organization.

Not long after the meeting, the Hydroelectrical Power Project was completed. 

A small party composed of those who participated in the building of the dam was celebrated.

And by the end of the first month since its official inauguration, the numbers were already speaking for themselves. 

"Sayaka."- Kakuzu, crass as ever, addressed Sayaka after his supernatural sense for money led him to enlightenment. 

"'Sayaka-sama' you mean!"- Sahara barked. 

"Psycho-sister, shut up! This has nothing to do with your perverted incestuous lesbianism! This is about money!"

"At least you're knowledgeable enough to understand."- Sahara replied with an uplifting tone of voice. Simply because she mistook the 'your' in Kakuzu's expletive as a plural, implying that the relationship was mutual.

"... What?"- Kakuzu was confused. 

"Whatever, Sayaka I want in."- But moved on because there were more pressing matters to attend to than to understand the mind of the demented sister.

"Are you talking about the energy business?"- Sayaka understood very well the obvious desires of Kakuzu. 

"Yes, the excedent of energy is being wasted. The dam has the potential to generate billions if adequately handled. This is a plan I made in my free time."- Kakuzu handed her a business proposal.

Somehow, in only one month, Kakuzu became an expert in electrical grids... That's how far his madness and greed took him. 

Sayaka speed-read it and she had to admit that for the era and someone who never studied the career, the plan was about 80% solid, and that was impressive. 

"You plan to use my connection with Konohagakure to sell energy in The Land Of Fire, are you sure this won't backfire?"

"We both know that you're only formally recognized as a rogue shinobi because they had to designate you as one, but if you decide to parade in Konoha you'll probably be showered in apologetic glances... And, your students currently represent the pinnacle of power of Konoha."

"That's a somewhat accurate assessment. Knock yourself out, Kakuzu. Discuss it with Konan and the kids running the dam. Sahara here can use all variants of Magnetic Release, she can help you build the electrical grid."

Sahara was going to decline but then she remembered that the greedy immortal in front of her might possibly have more of the 'currency' she accepts, so it didn't sound like a bad idea. 

"You know my price."- Sahara said. 

"... Will these suffice?"- Kakuzu handed her a package with some photos and a painting of two redheaded 'sisters', Kushina and Aya Uzumaki. 

"How did you even find this? Uzushiogakure blew up with everything in it."- Sayaka was surprised to see the portrait Sato Uzumaki commissioned of Kushina and her.

"I met a guy named Sasori who was collecting 'information' about Aya Uzumaki, that's how I realized that maybe these would someday be valuable, my sense for money told me so. So I smuggled a few items as they were shipped to Konoha during the enclosure."

"Ah, Sasori-chan! I was the one that sent him on that mission, he was the type of guy that would even sell a kidney to fulfill his missions."- Sahara recounted.

"Try a piece of his liver."- Sayaka added.

"What?"- Sahara asked, Kakuzu was as intrigued as her. 

"That guy sold the Snake Kid a piece of his liver for some 'info' about my life as Eiko Senju, coincidentally, that piece ended on this body."- How funny how things are connected, Saya thought.

"Ugh, if a piece of someone was going to end in Onee-sama's insides, it should have been mine!"- Sahara pouted as she complained. 

"... I'll go about my business."- Madwomen! He thought as he escaped for the sake of his sanity.

And so, the selling of energy started to pick up after the two weeks it took Sahara to connect Amegakure and Konohagakure's electrical grid—she was motivated that much by the promises of more material about Aya Uzumaki. 

Sayaka talked with Konan to excuse herself for a couple of months, she had some matters to attend to in Abeyance so she planned to take a vacation from her life in the living world. Sahara most certainly followed her.

_______________________

Abeyance

"Madi, so it's just less than a year more and we will reunite with Naruto?"- Kushina asked, she was doing a terrible job containing her discomposure. 

Minato placed a consoling hand over her own. 

"Yes, that should be it. After Luci is healed, we will fully resurrect you, after that, it's up to you what you'll do."

"What do you mean, Madelyne-sama?"- Minato asked. He was one of the few who used her full name, all others were used to her different names—which were closer to nicknames now.

"I don't know if you've been informed, but we are leaving this world. Me, Luci, and consequently everyone in Abeyance. I assumed you two would be staying with Naruto, right?"

The couple looked at each other's eyes. From Minato's side, there wasn't much to think about. He was robbed of his role as a father and—even if belatedly—he would like to recover it. Kushina was a different story. 

"Sister... Can't you just stay long enough for our deaths and then we all go away together?"- Kushina naively asked. 

"Will you leave Naruto behind after that?"

"... Can you wait for his death too?"

"And what about his children? I doubt he would like to separate from them just as you don't want to separate from yours even after death."

"..."

"..."

"So there's no way, is there, Madelyne-sama?"- Minato asked.

"Well, if one of your descendants decides to live a life of solitude and no attachment, then you end the chain of affection... Technically, I could wait indefinitely... But what about Luci? Luci most likely has his own life that he needs to return to."

"... But... Sister, I would never see you again."- Kushina teared up.

"Kushina... You should have never met us. We should have never ended up in this world... *Sigh*..."- Sayaka took a deep breath when she saw how her words were coming across wrong.

"What I am trying to say is that what you're describing is called 'Life'. People die and that means separation, and such a thing is as natural as living... My sister, I love you. I'm infinitely grateful to Luci who allowed me to meet you, I am infinitely grateful to you, who pushed me to reincarnate to accompany Naruto, but even so... our time to separate will come."- During her talk, Sayaka moved closer to the tearing redhead and hugged her tightly. 

Only she knew how much Kushina loved her back. She could feel the intensity of her love through her empathy, and the immense regret she felt about choosing her son over Sayaka, who had given her quite literally a life. 

After going through more hugs and caresses, Minato and Kushina left. It was time to talk with Mikoto, but her talk went a bit different. 

"I'm following you, Sayaka."

"Ehhh?"

"Don't look at me like that, I do want you to allow me to visit Sasuke and be part of his wedding, if possible the birth of his first child too, but after that, I would be a hindrance to his life..."

"I don't think Sasuke would feel that way about his mother."

"I was part of the same clan he abandoned, I knew he would inevitably create a distance between me and him when he started to overcome his trauma, and I was prepared for that. So instead of serving as a reminder of the tragedy to my son, I rather move on from this accursed world."

"... You're awfully similar to your great-grandfather."- Sayaka absentmindedly muttered. 

"Eh, what great-grandfather?"- Mikoto asked in doubt.

"You share blood with Madara Uchiha. I thought he died without knowing the touch of a woman, apparently, he didn't, and by the looks of it, you never knew?"- Sayaka tilted her head and Mikoto comically mimicked her.

"Which begs the question, how is that possible? Sasuke is the vivid image of Madara's brother, Izuna Uchiha."- Sayaka could always be surprised by the inability of shinobi clans to keep proper records.

"Is that so? But how come we are similar?"- It didn't matter much to Mikoto. 

"According to Zetsu, Madara also thinks of this as an accursed world, that's why the resemblance jumped out to my eye when you mentioned it."

"Ah... I don't think that is a strange thought among shinobi, is it?"

"... Maybe not."

After that, they talked about the well-being of the Uchiha babies she, Kushina, and Nawaki were raising and then Sayaka moved on to Tsunade's house. 

She built it right next to Nawaki's homestead.

When she arrived at Abeyance, seeing her grown-up little brother with a family of his own hit her harder than expected, not even after Sayaka used the Edo Tensei to transfer Dan Kato's soul to Abeyance did she teared up that much. 

 "Ah, Sister! What brings you around these parts? I thought you had forgotten about this sister of yours."- Tsunade hugged her while complaining. 

"I did indeed forget about you, but I came to check that up."- Sayaka teased while placing a hand on her belly.

"How could I ever forget about this little one?"- Sayaka playfully grinned. 

"So that's how it is. I'm just a womb with legs for your future nibling, is that it?"

"Don't forget the breasts, a womb with legs and breasts for my future... nephew."- Sayaka revealed!

"I—"- Tsunade started but was interrupted by an even louder voice. 

"I'M GONNA HAVE A SON!"- The father-to-be, shouted from the kitchen. 

"Tsunade-sama!!!"- And Shizune joined. 

Seeing that both Nawaki and Tsunade got to have a life after escaping from the 'accursed world' brought a smile to her face. 

Leaving behind the small family Sayaka blinked to Shisui's home.

*Knock* *Knock*- She called to his door. 

Shisui lived closer to Izumi's home than the rest of the citizens of Abeyance, yet he led a somewhat reclusive life.

"Oh, Sayaka-sama. Come in, I assume you're here to discuss something important, right?"- Shisui had grown into a man of physical appearance similar to his grandfather, Kagami Uchiha. 

"Somewhat important, but not really."- Sayaka said as she took a seat and waited for Shisui to prepare some tea. 

Shisui returned and after serving her a cup of tea he sat down. 

"... Is this about Itachi?"- He reluctantly asked. 

"Yes, Itachi is dead. He killed himself..."- Sayaka curtly informed.

"I didn't destroy his soul, in case you're wondering."

"... I see... Do you think I did wrong? Leaving everything behind to Itachi."- Shisui asked, his voice taking a glassy tone.

"... Well... Yes and no. Do you know about the saying of not blaming the drowning man?"

"About understanding the plight?"

"Yes, that's it. From my point of view, you were drowning men. I don't blame you for leaving everything behind to Itachi and further breaking him apart. I did blame Fugaku, but his role was supposed to be that of a guardian, yours? Not so much."

"... I..."

"Like I said, Shisui. Objectively speaking, you were too young to undertake such a task. The future of the clan and the village was not a responsibility yours to bear. I'm not saying you're sinless, no one is, I'm just saying that you did what you thought best under your circumstances."

"... Sayaka-sama, if that's the case... why did you blame Itachi?"

"Oh, I didn't blame him for what he did to the Uchiha Clan. I blamed him for what he did to my friends."

"But it was the best he thought he could do."- Shisui countered.

"I also told him multiple times that I was there in case he needed help. I visited him and tried to keep tabs on him and his life, but he never visited me, and I was okay with that, I knew he was in a difficult position, which is why I in numerous times told him to lean on me if it became too much... but he didn't. He had the tools (Me) but he didn't use them and decided to kill my friends, and that's crossing my line, and I don't do well with betrayal."

"..."

"He didn't do the best he could do. The best he could do was talk with me, whom he knew had influence in the village's council. Who also was the strongest force of the clan, and had specifically offered him multiple times help... He should not have touched Mikoto or Izumi."

Sayaka knew she wasn't being entirely fair in her judgment, but she really disliked betrayal.

"... I understand... Is this what you came to inform me?"- Shisui asked dejectedly. 

"In a year or so, I will leave this world. Do you want to remain in Abeyance or do you want to return?"

Shisui's eyes widened and then he assumed a pensive mood. After mingling—as much as he barely did—with the sand people, Shisui came to learn a few implicit truths, among them about the alien origin of Sayaka, but he never got confirmation, until now that is.

"... Sasuke-kun is the new head of the clan, right?"

"Not exactly, he started a new clan under the name of the Uchiha, but the clan died that night."

"Do you think he will accept me?"

"Possibly, but why would you try to return to the world of the living? You have nothing left waiting for you, do you?"

"... I feel like I could achieve greater heights in Konohagakure than here. I'll be eternally grateful for what you did for me but I feel like I have no role to play in this place... This world is so different from where I grew up."

It was a matter of need. This world did not need the shinobi known as Shisui Uchiha. He could have started over and created a new facet of himself, but that was not who he was. 

He could not forget the training and indoctrination he went through, nor the battles he fought, they became a part of him. Inseparable.

"Understandable, Shisui. I will return you to the world of the living after the last ordeal."- Sayaka smiled amicably. She had no hard feelings for him and she had suspected he would choose this option. 

Sayaka spent a few more weeks in Abeyance, and after a total of two months returned to Amegakure. 

_________________________

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Konan, Kakuzu, Sahara, and Sayaka observed the report laid on the table. Their emotions were quite varied. 

For his side, Kakuzu felt like going on a heart-harvesting trip to Kumugakure. 

Konan could barely hide her nervousness. She knew now was not the time for this and that Nagato had specifically requested for them to rest for a year. 

Sahara couldn't help but feel that Sayaka was hotter today. 

Sayaka wondered why there were so many idiots in the idiot world. 

"So, because you promised to repay them for teaching Sasuke the Lightning Cloak they demanded the blueprints of the dam... Why did you promise something so idiotic?"- Kakuzu asked, he was feeling as if some worm was trying to steal the market from him. He held the monopoly! No one should be allowed into the holy grail of business that hydroelectric energy was!

"I didn't promise that, they just felt entitled to it. They implied they would target Sasuke otherwise."

"Then let them!"- Kakuzu couldn't understand how an Uchiha's life was worth more than his treasure. 

"That's not the problem, Greedy Kid."- Sahara interjected, while blatantly drenching him in her bloodlust. 

Normally this would have been enough to cripple him, but Kakuzu ran on the power of money, no bloodlust was enough to stand between him and his money.

"How is that not the problem?"- Konan asked, trying to keep the conversation as civil as possible. 

"It's about Sasuke's position in Konoha. Sasuke is to be wedded to the Yamanaka clan heiress, and as far as I heard, he got involved with the child of the daimyō of the Land of Snow, Koyuki Kazahana. His value—military and political—exceeds the cost of a war with Kumugakure."

"Then let it be war! How is that our problem?"- Kakuzu asked. 

"The jinchūriki are mobilized during a war."- Konan explained what Sayaka was implying.

"That's not the only problem, Greedy Kid. Don't you think the electrical grid might be targeted during the conflict?"- Sahara added. 

"And overall, when you're not a mercenary like you used to be, war means loss of money."- Sayaka said.

"You're still thinking about making a profit during wartimes, but now that you need to think about the service you're providing you should dread the thought of a war rampaging in your territory, in this case, the electrical lines connecting the dam with your customers."- Sahara explained.

Kakuzu ran the numbers and understood what the Calamity Sisters were saying.

"UGH!"- He snarled.

"... And you're forgetting how this would impact Akatsuki."- Konan added, she now understood that none of the three present here cared about Akatsuki, but she would feel better if they at least acted like they did. 

"Can't you give them something else?"- Kakuzu asked. 

"Or nothing at all, it's stupid to feel entitled about it when you only copied what you saw, isn't that the literal description of one of the Sharingan's abilities, why are they acting like it's a big deal?"- Sahara said. 

"They are stupid like that. By the way, is there any communication from Iwagakure?"- Sayaka asked. 

"No, they've been silent ever since you killed their Kage."- Konan. 

"Just tell them that I'm willing to share something else, but not the dam."- Sayaka offhandedly said. 

"... I don't think they'll take it."- Kakuzu surprisingly portended.

"Why? The dam is not even that valuable in my eyes."- Sayaka's comment turned Kakuzu's eyes to the Ryō symbol.

"I'm interested in hearing more about these other valuables you speak of. But regarding your question, every great nation has at least five or ten appropriate spots where they could build a dam, at least!"- Kakuzu brought out a map from his storage script with several marked locations, he had done his homework a long time ago. 

"Leaving aside the benefits a dam would bring to them, the amount of profit that single dam is bringing Amegakure is a matter of concern. Basically, if they can't have it, no one should."- Kakuzu snarled. 

"Greed and selfishness, how amusing."- Sayaka replied in a bored tone. 

"Konan, you should start Amegakure with the war preparations."- Sahara said.

"SHIT!"- Kakuzu was suffering from success. 

"Pain is not going to like it... We were so close to peace."- Konan said before leaving after seeing how none of them cared about what Pain liked or not. 

One of them only cared about her sister, the other about money, and the last one was a mystery, but she certainly didn't care about Pain's likes. 

A letter went out and it wasn't long before a reply came back, not an unexpected one. 

There were some flowery words mixed in there, but the meaning came across: 'No'.

"Is your Raikage perhaps... crazy?"- Sayaka asked the envoys, Samui, and her squad.

Amidst the grinding teeth and trembling fists of her younger squad members, she impassively replied. 

"No more than usual, no."

"I see, well... Tell him that he is welcome to target Sasuke and start a war with Konohagakure, and I'll be waiting for him here in case he thinks he can take me."

"... *Sigh* Thank you for your reply."- Samui sighed as if complaining about her job. 

"Do you think they will attack us?"- Pain asked after the envoys exited. 

"No, the Raikage should know it serves no purpose to attack me—other than wasting shinobi's lives—so while I'm here no force will be mobilized to Amegakure."

"That's not a problem, then. You will remain in Amegakure and the rest of us will move when needed."- Konan said. 

"Yeah, I was not planning to help with the capture of the jinchūriki, anyway. So, just bring them alive and I'll take care of the rest. Staying here doesn't change anything."- Sayaka said before teleporting away. 

Not long after that, news arrived. Sasuke Uchiha was targeted and in response, Konoha demanded compensation from Kumugakure. Compensation was denied and both countries stationed their troops at the border between the Land Of Hot Water and the Land Of Frost. 

War started.

But there was something strange, The Alliance was not going in full force.

Taking into account the precarious situation of both Iwagakure and Kumogakure, this would normally be seen as a smart move, but the Raikage was not known for his cold thinking.

"Did you hear anything from the Zetsu clones?"- Sayaka asked with interest. 

"No."- Pain replied. 

"Maybe due to bearing the future of two villages on his shoulders, he is taking a careful approach. The two daimyōs could have strongarmed him."- Konan suggested. 

"That makes sense, Konan. But he is holding back about 40% of his total forces. The only reason Konoha hasn't overrun Kumo's front is that they are weary about a trap."- Sayaka said.

"That weariness will soon fade."- Pain added. 

"... So we shouldn't move to collect the jinchūriki?"- Konan asked.

This was the main issue of the discussion, the time to start collecting Tailed-Beasts had arrived. 

"No, we can't stop. We are so close to ultimate peace and letting the world know pain... we can't hold back. Move out in teams of four, I will capture the Six-Tails. You, 'Madara', Hidan, and Kakuzu will go to the Two-Tails."- Pain ordered Konan. 

"Then I'll have Sahara go for the Five-Tails and the Seven-Tails. I'll send a clone to the Three-Tails—there won't be any fighting there so it isn't a problem. Also, I'll personally go for the Grumpy Fox, I'll leave a clone posing as me here."- Sayaka said.

"Deidara will move with Kisame for the Four-Tails and wait for reinforcements from Konan's team to make a move on it, since the Eight-Tails is on the battlefield we will wait and make a move with me and Sahara."- Pain commanded. 

"I will start preparing."- Konan flickered away. 

"Nagato."- Sayaka called.

The Pain puppet turned to look at her, he was getting ready to go out but stopped when he heard Sayaka call his name.

"I marked Konan's soul... Just in case. Do you want me to mark yours?"- Sayaka was not exactly friends with Konan but she did it on a whim, just like the offer she just extended Nagato. 

"Why?"- The Pain puppet asked.

"You can say that it was to prevent the enemy from getting their hands on info from her corpse, the other members are not part of your inner circle, and killing 'Madara' is almost as hard as killing me."- This was a statement filled with lies, but Sayaka was not about to have a heart to heart with him, so she used the most convenient lie. 

In truth, she was preparing for a scenario in which she might have to hold their souls hostage against one another... or so she told herself. She wasn't willing to admit that she had grown attached to the idealistic pair of idiot friends and felt sorry for their future—even if only a little—on the other hand, she could also use Konan's soul to induce Nagato to a meltdown.

"No, I don't need it. I will make this dream a reality, I can't do so by having a fallback plan."- The puppet shook its head in denial. 

"Have it your way."- Let's see how far that resolve will take you when you lose your only anchor to reality, Sayaka thought. 

And so, the final operation of Akatsuki started.

______________________

Sahara was not very pleased with being away from her Love, but given that her Love was the one who asked her, she had no other choice than to agree. 

She decided to go to Takigakure first. Takigakure was one of the minor villages that swore alliance with The Alliance, but given its status as a minor village, Sahara thought that they would most likely be less protected than the Five-Tails, which was protected by whatever was left of Iwagakure.

And she was correct. Using her Love's dimension as a conduit, she teleported to the coordinates of the Zetsu clone keeping the Seven-Tails jinchūriki under watch.

"Hello, Tobi, is it? Where's the girl?"- Sahara asked the clone.

"Ah, the sister of Madi-sama... If it's you, you might know."- The clone said.

"What? I was asking for the girl's location so as to not waste time looking for her."- Sahara replied. 

"Not that, Sister-sama. I wonder... Can you tell me what it feels like to take a dump?"- Tobi, the White Zetsu, sad as if it was the most natural thing to ask.

"... First of all: What the fuck!"

"I also don't know what it feels like to fuck, can you tell me?"

"... Second of all: I haven't taken a dump in a few centuries now, so I don't remember."- Her body's script ensured she made use of 99.999987% of all the matter that entered her digestive system, the rest was expelled through perspiration. 

That was if she ate, but the passive intake of ambient natural energy was enough for sustenance. 

"You... You're like me, Sister-sama!"- The clone got all excited about it.

"*Sigh* Whatever, just take me to the girl."- Sahara just wanted to return to her Love.

While obfuscating their presence, Sahara and the clone calmly walked to the little house of the girl. 

"She is not here."- Sahara commented before entering the house. 

"She will be, Sister-sama. She usually goes to the top of the tree, but she'd be back around this time."- The clone replied. 

And it was as it said, not long after a petite, tan-skinned kunoichi landed in front of the house. She was flying assisted by two insect wings sprouting from her lower back. Her mint green hair fluttered with the wind as she joyfully skipped to her house. 

Inside the house, Sahara waited for her out in the open.

"Oh, who are you?"- With almost no vigilance the girl asked. 

"Hello, girl. My name is Sahara Futagami, does the beetle inside of you recognize my last name?"- Sahara asked. 

"Futaga—"- The girl paused in mid-speech. Her face experienced a few changes.

"A friend? Chōmei said you're a friend that will take me to a place where I can make many friends."- The girl skipped to Sahara and grabbed her hands with stars in her eyes. 

"... I see you were not treated kindly either."- Sahara laid a hand atop the green hair and softly petted the girl, just like her Love does. 

"My name is Fū! And my friend is Chōmei."- Fū eagerly introduced herself and her Tailed-Beast. 

"It's hard to make friends when everyone hates you before you talk to them, but Shibuki said that the villagers would eventually get to know the real me... but I don't when that was supposed to be, it's been some years since then. Are you sure I could make friends in the place you're taking me to?"- Fū questioned with unshed tears. 

"Yes, this place is called Abeyance. I will just leave a small mark on you and by the time you wake up you'll be greeted by a world of unbiased people, just like me and you."- Sahara replied, without stopping the petting, Fū pushed her head harder against the hand. 

"That's... That's AWESOME! I will go and tell Shibuki about it."- Fū jumped all around the house excitedly.

"Sure, Fū. Go ahead and tell him."- Sahara said. 

And with those words, Fū fell asleep while standing. 

In the dream concocted by the genjutsu, Fū was given a teary and warm farewell by Shibuki. His wishes for a happy life were conveyed, just as Chōmei told her about how it couldn't follow her to Abeyance but it wished her the best. They talked for days about the things that they would do in their new lives. In this dream, Chōmei was able to exit her body, and Fū could physically hug her only real friend, just like she always wanted. 

They spent a long time traveling the world with their new friend, Sahara, and they ate all sorts of food the glutton jinchūriki always dreamt of trying. Sahara took her to wonderous and beautiful landscapes and they shared moments like these as friends. 

Eventually, she separated from Chōmei, and as sad and heartbreaking as that was, she knew it had to happen because Chōmei was going to stay behind to protect Shibuki and Takigakure, or so it said.

"Fū, I told you that I will always be in here."- One of its insect limbs pointed at her chest.

"These friends you'll make will love to hear all about the times you and I spent together."- It petted the green mint hair like it saw Sahara do in the real world.

"*Hic* Okay, Chōmei. But know that I will miss you lots."- Fū gave one last warm hug to her friend and closed her eyes, the next time she opened them she'll be in a new world. 

"Thank you."- Chōmei said to Sahara.

"It was no skin off my back. I'll make sure she becomes well-adapted to Abeyance."- Sahara told the chakra beast before ending the genjutsu. 

That night, Sahara stealthily absorbed some of the chakra of the villagers before going away, she sent a clone with the unconscious Fū to her sister and then moved on to the Five-Tails.

She teleported to the Zetsu clone keeping an eye on Han, the jinchūriki of the Five-Tails.

This time there was none of the gentleness she showed Fū, because a few squadrons of Iwa-nin were waiting for her. 

Not specifically for her, but for someone.

"So it was true, you're hunting for the Tailed-Beasts."- Han said as the squadrons readied their weapons. 

"~Mmmmm, interesting."- Sahara said. That was all she thought of the situation. 

"Girl, I don't know who you are, bu—"- Han stopped midway through his spiel. 

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank* *Clank* *Clank* *Clank* - Weapons fell and everybody lost conscience while standing, all of them fell into a sound-induced genjutsu when Sahara said 'Mmmmm, interesting'.

She approached Han and made contact with him to talk with the 'inside man'.

"Five-Tails, what happened?"- Sahara asked the horse-like entity. 

"Eight-Tails betrayed you. His jinchūriki shared the news about the ambition Madi Futagami had of collecting all the Tailed-Beasts."- The horse said, disinterested.

"Ah! That's interesting indeed, but why? He should know you stand no chance against Luci, right?"- Sahara asked. 

"That's why I told Eight-Tails that it was madness, but he said he would trust his partner."

"Is that some sort of Stockholm syndrome? Agh! Whatever, let's transport you first. If they were waiting for us here, then most than likely they are ready to ambush the other teams."

"I think you're right, Han has been guarded for about a year now."- The Five-Tails shared.

Sahara exited the inner world of Han and during the few seconds the conversation took enemies had approached, but it didn't matter. All around her were new shinobi frozen in place, all held still by their metal equipment. 

Sahara didn't spare them a glance, she absorbed all of their chakra and they fell dead on the spot. Contrary to the villagers in Takigakure, these welcomed her with their hostility, and she had no qualms about dealing with violence with even greater violence.

In total, almost a thousand fell that moment to her, there were still more rapidly approaching her position, but she had no time to deal with them, so she flew in the direction of the Four-Tails. Since that was the Akatsuki team with the least amount of members. 

She believed that Obito Uchiha and the others would hold back whatever army attacked them long enough for her to arrive. On the way to the Four-Tails, she tried to teleport to the Zetsu clone monitoring it, but it didn't work. 

Meaning that the battle had most likely started already. 

An hour of flight later, when she started to sense the reverberations of chakra from the conflict on the horizon... She saw a bright light.

The sky turned white, and the clouds cast shadows, the terrain below her gained shadows and the world bore witness to the birth of a small sun, once more. 

*BOOOOOOM*

The wave of displaced atmosphere caught her but Sahara kept flying forward, her body was not impeded by the impact. 

She flew toward the only two chakra signatures that remained.

She landed in the glassed terrain and waved her hand upwards. A column of dirt climbed upwards and then she found Kisame and an unconscious burned meat slab, probably Rōshi.

"Are you okay, Sharkboy?"- Sahara asked while stabilizing the Four-Tails's jinchūriki.

"Argh!"- Kisame complained as he used a kunai to cut the parts of his body that had clumps of burning lava still attached.

"That idiot almost killed me!"- He shouted from the pain.

"The jinchūriki? Was he that strong?"- Sahara asked. 

"No, Deidara."- Kisame observed the glassed crater where they stood. 

"We were observing the target, as instructed, but we suddenly got ambushed. Initially, it wasn't a problem, I held back the jinchūriki while Deidara dealt with the worms, but the idiot got trapped in a genjutsu all of a sudden and shouted: 'Master! I will show you my ultimate art! WITNESS ME!'; I'm not good at Earth Release, but I managed to bury us deep enough when I saw the idiot summon a metal sphere as big as a house."

"... At least he got rid of the army."- Sahara commented. 

"Army? Were there that many of them?"- Kisame asked while looking around. 

"They planned to deal with you in waves, a few clicks away a second wave was coming, I assume they got scared off by the explosion."- Sahara said.

"... Who wouldn't? That was bigger than the Tailed-Beast Bombs the jinchūriki dropped on me."- Kisame said with his classical psychopathic smile. 

It was hard to understand if he was happy or suffering.

"Can you move?"- Sahara asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Still have enough chakra left."- He held tight to his sword. 

"Then run, go as fast as you can to Amegakure. Once you're within the range of my sister you'll be safe, otherwise, assume that the entire planet is looking for you."- Which is not that far from the truth, Sahara thought. 

"And you?"

"I'll go assist the other team."- Sahara popped a clone to accompany Kisame and then flew off. 

'So that's why they made the act of demanding compensation from Sister.'- Sahara thought as she flew to the Two-Tails.

'They wanted to force her to stay in Amegakure to deal with the rest of Akatsuki when we departed to collect the Tailed-Beasts... I wonder what they prepared to deal with Sister... Maybe Hagoromo contacted the Eight-Tails and that's why it broke the deal it made with Sister... Sounds plausible enough.'- She mused. 

By the time she arrived at the location where the Two-Tails was supposed to be, she caught a glimpse of Konan muttering something—while surrounded by hordes of enemies—before billions of paper tags flooded the battlefield from the more than 50 storage scripts she had Sayaka brand on her body. 

The paper tags pushed her clothes away and it looked as if an avalanche was called forth. The streams of paper tags rushing from the storage scripts in her body looked like white streams of pressurized water released from a dam.

Obito grabbed the restrained but defiant Two-Tails' jinchūriki and exited to Kamui. Kakuzu tried to kill Konan to stop her but the rush of paper tags pushed him back. Pieces of Hidan were spread all around the battleground. Thousands of shinobi convened to Konan—the origin of the avalanche—and then... different from Deidara's instantaneous art... billions of explosions happened continuously.

Cries, shouts, yelling, suffering, despair, chakra, explosions, blood, bones, flesh, hair, metal, clothing, fire, water, wind, dust... in conclusion? She brought 'Pain' to the battlefield. 

"Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu, and now Konan. Leaving Pain, Obito, Kisame, me, and you. That's about 99.9999% of Akatsuki's power, we are still good."- Sahara turned around to find Sayaka, her eyes followed the scene, glazed over with boredom.

"Love, I guess you came after receiving word from one of my clones."- Sahara wasted no time and moved to hug her sister from behind. 

She could no longer hold Sayaka up, given that Sayaka had finished growing up and now they stood equal in height, so she laid her chin on her right shoulder, not before taking a deep breath of her neck and leaving a kiss on her cheek.

"Don't call me that, and this is a clon."- Sayaka reproached, but, other than that, did not attempt to stop Sahara's caresses. Sahara smiled faintly at this.

"You said you wanted Nagato to despair for him to voluntarily revive Madara, right?"- Sahara asked.

"No, I said he was going to despair, so we might as well use his life to bring back Madara."

"Why do you need Madara? Can't you use Obito?"

"Well, I think the original owner of the eyes should use them."

"I see... And the truth?"

"... I hate Obito."

"Why, Onee-sama?"

"... He reminds me of what I could have become."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"If we leave aside his wrongdoings against me... I simply hate him, because I could have ended just like him."

"Trying to deny reality and imposing your fantasies?"- Sahara summarized Obito's character.

"Yeah... You know, I was created in a lab."

"What?!"- Sahara found it hard for such a perfect work of divine art to have been created in a lab.

"Yeah, believe it or not, I was created in a lab."

"Was it Luci?"- She would understand it if Lucian had done it.

"No, I still don't know how I chanced upon Luci, we are waiting for him to regain his memories to know, but it definitely wasn't him. It was a human called Nathaniel Essex."- Sayaka, seeing the flabbergasted expression on her sister, decided to explain further.

"Essex wanted a girl named Jean Grey to reproduce with a man named Scott Summers, well a lot is going on in that, but the point is that I was born as a clone of Jean Grey and my purpose was to serve as a backup womb."

"I was about five years old with the body of a mature woman, and my entire reason for existing was something as stupid as a replacement womb. If had given up on reality, I might have turned into a tyrant like Obito trying to materialize my delusions despite the suffering of those around me. Just like Essex."

"I had the makings of a villain... So Obito's tearjerking story, to me, is simply an excuse for his Schizophrenia. Maybe I'm not considering his plight, maybe I'm judging him hard because I dislike him, but you know what?"- Sayaka turned to the side to face Sahara. 

"What?"- Sahara asked. In rapt attention to her Love's every word, despite the ongoing detonations in the background. 

"Lucian told me that I shouldn't use the same ruler to measure others, he told me that I was the one and only protagonist of my life, so what if I was being a hypocrite? He said it didn't matter. He told me that no matter what was of Obito, or what could have been of him, what matters is what is of him, and since Obito is a broken man trying to break the world to bring everybody to his level, I should have no consideration for him or his suffering."

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*- Sahara happily clapped. 

"Ah! Luci~Kyah! Hahahahaha! He is the only one who knows the real treatment you deserve, Onee-sama. I 100% support Luci's teachings."- Sahara exclaimed while nodding her head.

"... *Sigh*"- Sayaka knew she was being spoiled by those around her, but what was she supposed to do? She had no parental figures in this life and Kaguya always was the voice of restraint in their friendship.

"Let's go back, there's nothing to save of Konan, she gave her life to clear a path for her dead lover's dream."- Sayaka's clone dispelled and Sahara teleported to Amegakure through Abeyance. 

Obito, Kisame, Sahara, and Sayaka stood in the chamber containing the Gedō Mazō. 

Aside from them, there was the colossal body of the Three-Tails, Isobu. Whom Sayaka's clone had transported by temporarily becoming its vessel.

Sayaka waved a hand and the Yugito Nii was thrown closer to the statue.

She was unconscious, but the Two-Tails in her was not, and it was very cooperative. The cat also asked herself what her stupid octopus brother was thinking. 

"Eat!"- After her words the nine dragons of clue chakra came out and absorbed the willing Two-Tails, Yugito Nii's soul was moved to Abeyance—just like the cat had requested it. 

"Isobu, it's your turn."- Sayaka said to the giant turtle.

"Ah, finally I will repay my debt. It's been a few centuries, Aya, and I've been eagerly awaiting the day I become debt-free! Please don't be too rough with my idiot brother, he can be mentally challenged sometimes."- Isobu replied in a good mood. 

"Don't worry, Isobu. He'll enjoy the same deal as the rest of you."- Sayaka replied. She was being careful with her words due to the others listening.

"That's all I ask."- The Turtle gave her the best equivalent it could of a smile... He failed, but when your mouth is covered by armor, what can you do?

"Eat!"- The same scene replayed. 

Then came the Four-Tails, followed by the Five-Tails.

And when it came for the turn of the Six-Tails, as if planned, Pain arrived carrying the unconscious host of the Tailed-Beast. 

"Konan died. So did the others absent."- Sayaka broke the news with as much care as the Americans dropped the Little Boy in Hiroshima. 

"... What?"- The God's voice broke, like glass. 

But Sayaka didn't reply, she used her telekinesis to pull the jinchūriki on Pain's grasp closer to the statue.

"Eat!"- She commanded and the nine dragons did their jobs. 

After that followed the Seven-Tails. And then she summoned Naruto. 

*Poof!*- She had gone to Konoha just to inform him that the time was coming, and also to hand Sasuke the eggs she had frozen for the past three years for him.

"Oh, what an interesting place, Sayaka-chan."- The energetic teen commented. 

"There you have it, Naruto-kun."- Sayaka smiled amiably at her friend. 

"Hello, Sahara-chan. Sayaka-chan told me about you."- He immediately greeted Sahara when she spotted her.

"If she did why are you not using formal speech?"- Sahara—contrary to her usual behavior—was a dignified elder when compared to the child that Naruto was. 

"Nah, there's no need for that between family, dattebayo!"- He smiled and winked at her with a thumbs up. 

"Onee-sama, this kid is being disrespectful!"- Sahara complained, but she was doing so with a smile. 

"Naruto, let's get to killing you faster, your mother misses you and has been annoying me for months."- Sayaka sped things up, she was feeling the rampaging chakra in the chamber below this one, so contrary to the frozen solid Pain puppet, Nagato was falling apart. 

"Ah, right! Let's do this!"- Naruto excitedly exclaimed. 

"That kid is as mental as Itachi's little brother, I see now that Sayaka-sama's influence is to blamed."- Kisame commented.

"Eat!"- The nine dragons did their job. 

"Sayaka, what happened to the bodies?"- Obito asked.

They had all seen how the bodies disappeared when the last of their vitality was lost. 

"In my personal dimension, why?"

"I want to use them for the Edo Tensei."

"Sure, go ahead and retrieve them then."- Sayaka half glared at him and that was the end of the argument. Obito knew he couldn't even find Sayaka's dimension, let alone invade it and retrieve the bodies.

"Is it my turn now?"- Sahara asked. 

"Yes."- Sayaka replied.

Sahara, under the perplexed eyes of those present, walked to the Gedō Mazō and started to pull chakra crystal after chakra crystal of Sunagakure's people.

*Cling!* *Cling!* *Cling!* *Cling!* *Cling!* - Sounded the crystals each time they fell to her feet.

Hundreds...

Thousands...

The crystals pilled up under her feet. 

"That was the last one."- Sahara said. 

"Eat!"- And was absorbed by Gedō Mazō. 

"..."

"..."

"... I see, the teacher was just as mad as her students. I already knew about the sister, but this takes it to another level."- Kisame commented.

"Don't spout bullshit, it was needed. If you don't seal the Tailed-Beasts in order it could damage the Gedō Mazō due to instability. Sahara modulated her chakra to match that of the Eight-Tails, which will buy us time, maybe a month, but possibly less."- Sayaka explained. 

"Sayaka! Then you should have waited for us to capture the Eight-Tails!"- Obito shouted, he was angry that Sayaka had just placed a timer on his dream. 

"So what? We just need to capture the octopus."- She said while removing some dirt from her nails. 

"Sahara was one of our heavy hitters!"

"Oh, I see. Maybe you're right, even I would have trouble fighting the whole world."- This was a lie. 

"'Oh, I see'? That's all you can say?!"- Obito was rageful. 

"Calm down, 'Madara'. Didn't you just mention the perfect solution to this problem?"- Sayaka hid her malicious grin. 

"The Edo Tensei?"- Kisame interjected. He was greatly enjoying the show. 

"Yeah."- Sayaka said.

"Who will you use?"- Kisame.

"Who knows?"- Sayaka pointedly stared at 'Madara'.

And Obito exited to his dimension. Not wanting to deal with what Sayaka was implying. He didn't want to revive Madara, it was never his intention, he wanted to become the Ten-Tails jinchūriki himself.

Kisame exited the chamber and Sayaka hovered to the one below it. 

The said chamber could more accurately be described as the wake of a tornado closed off by walls. The chakra in the room was violently rioting, just as the natural energy.

Nagato was breathing heavily after the emotional outburst he had.

Stucked in his chair, eyes full of hatred, he asked.

"How?"

Sayaka showed him a memory she got from Sahara through genjutsu. 

"She was surrounded and the enemy was not giving them time for 'Madara' to teleport away with the girl. She created an opportunity by directing all hostility to her. Since only 'Madara' could make it out of that enclosure she chose to sacrifice herself."

"..."

"But it's alright, right?"

"... What?!"- Nagato growled.

"I mean... she died for the sake of peace, no?"

"..."- Nagato bit his tongue.

"Was it not your plan that advocated about bringing pain to everyone to promote understanding and achieve peace?"

"..."

"Simply add this tragedy to your well of pain and then share it with the rest of the world."

"..."

"I mean, that's how peace by pain works, right?"

"..."

"It doesn't matter how much pain you suffer because you'll just end up sharing it with others, right?"

"..."

"Oh! Of course, I'm not saying that peace by pain is a form of denying your suffering, that's not what I meant."- Lie.

"..."

"Sure, in the end, the achieved peace will deny your pain, but why would that matter, right?"

"..."

"What matters is that peace is attained, so what if your suffering loses importance?"

"..."

"You're not a selfish being, how would you be when you're trying to bring world peace to fruition?"

"..."

"So it doesn't really matter if your pain loses importance and is denied as a consequence of the peace it brings... right?"

"..."

Sayaka walked to Nagato and waved her hand in front of his head, but no response was found in those swirly empty eyes. 

Sayaka was not simply talking her ass off. She was taking advantage of the emotional unrest of Nagato and inserting doubt in him through telepathy and her spoken words. 

She subtly manipulated his mind in a way that the Rinnegan would not react, because to his mind, it broke itself on its own, and Sayaka's words were simply a small push, the real trigger was losing his only anchor, Konan.

"It didn't think it would work, Madi-sama. This is amazing! Perfect!"- The Mistake Child (Black Zetsu) commented after emerging from the ground. 

"Did you bring it?"- Sayaka asked, she despised talking to the thing. 

"Madara Uchiha's belongings and body."- He said as a casket with a partially mummified body and Madara's Gunbai Uchiwa popped up. 

Sayaka walked to Nagato and spent a chunk of chakra.

"Nagato, I marked your soul, just like I did Konan. Don't you want to meet her, your loved friend?"- Sayaka asked. She had already retracted her thought guidance from his mind. 

"... Yes, but the plan must go on."- The broken man said.

"You're not mistaken, the plan is of paramount importance. But don't worry, Madara—the real Madara—and I will carry on with your will."- She pointed at the casket.

"... We always knew the other was an imposter. But how can you guarantee that you'll continue with the plan after my passing? That's what you're asking for, right? For me to revive Madara."

"This plan has been my plan for almost a thousand years, Nagato. Madara was brought along when I discovered that we shared the same views about world peace, and you were brought along after his replacement—Obito Uchiha—witnessed your suffering."- Nagato was too far gone to mind the small discrepancies. Like how come he was brought along after his suffering started but he had already been wearing the Rinnegan since he could remember?

"Obito Uchiha, so that's his name. Should I do it now?"

"No, Nagato, not yet."

"Why?!"- He snarled. He wanted to reunite with Konan now!

"I'm sorry to keep you away from your friend longer, Nagato, but remember, the plan is of paramount importance!"

"... *Sigh* Right, the plan must go on."

"We need to assess the situation and when the time is right you can revive Madara and go on your merry way knowing that we will fulfill our worldview."

"... Alright."

Sayaka and Zetsu left the casket there for storage and accessibility and went to her house. 

"Is it alright to wait longer?"- Zetsu asked.

"Yes, we need Obito's green light."

"Why, Madi-sama?"

"Because I don't know what tricks the twins will pull, and he is part of the strength we might need in the future."

"I see, we are waiting for him to get on board with Madara's revival."

"Yes, hopefully with him, Madara, and Kaguya, you'll be strong enough to fight whatever the twins bring to the table... *Sigh* This would be easier if Kaguya could be revived with her full strength, but alas, even if she was brought back in the same state she was when she was sealed, she would be all wounded and injured."- Sayaka lamented. 

The fight took a toll not only on Hagoromo and Hamura but also on Kaguya. Adding the separation of her chakra, soul, and body, along with the corruption from the God Tree, results in a very unsatisfactory resurrection.

Isshiki—even in his imperfect state—was that strong, and her pulling punches back on her children didn't help her situation. 

"We are close, Madi-sama, let's take our time and not get ahead of ourselves!"- Zetsu's words appeared to be more for itself than Sayaka.

"... Right."- Sayaka ignored him, she disliked him just as much as she did Obito and couldn't wait to get rid of this smear on Kaguya's reputation. 

_______________________________

{A/N:

So I'm already about a quarter through the next part, it should be out next week, it's just that I've been considerably busy with RL stuff, but I'm still writing, if only a little bit less than usual. 

Thank you for reading!}