Crossroads (A Naruto Fanfiction)

Keep Your Enemies Closer

Warning: Long monologues. But hopefully interesting long monologues and changes to canon.
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"Uchiha Madara,"

The air in the room immediately shifted. It wasn't the oppressive weight of blood lust or the echoes of stunned silence. Rather, it was as though a herd of animals suddenly snapped their heads up to stare in wait of the impending predator.

"Yoi," Itachi spoke up and stepped into their line of sight. "Was my brother intentionally taken with Rin-san?"

"No," they denied. "It was pure coincidence. Zetsu was born as a fragment of Madara's will. To put it simply, Zetsu embodies both chakra and spirit. His unique existence allowed him to sense Satsuki's spirit, and through that, he can sense me as well. Zetsu has the curiosity of a child, especially towards something he finds similar to himself. That is why he took Satsuki along with Rin."

"What does that mean for Satsuki?" Itachi pressed.

Yoi observed the group and took note of Fugaku's narrowed gaze, Kakashi's cold stare, Minato's inquisitive eyes, and Itachi's unquestionable resolve. "Zetsu wouldn't aim to kill us. His curiosity stems from a neglected aspect of Madara's later life."

"And what is that?" Minato inquired.

Before pulling Satsuki into this world, Yoi was constantly in touch with all life forms that lived on this planet. They knew their happiness and pain, their aspirations and losses. Madara was no exception. "His wish to be understood and accepted," Yoi answered

Minato sighed. "I see," he said. When the children of Konohagakure are taught about the founding of the village, they learn of the glorified history. The unification of the Senju clan lead by the First Hokage and the Uchiha. It's no surprise Madara's name is removed from the textbooks and the Uchiha didn't want to highlight that the first rogue ninja was one of their own. "But how is it possible to manifest someone's will?" Minato couldn't hide the part of him that sought knowledge. It was practically part of his nature as one of the two seal's master of the village.

Yoi didn't answer immediately. Information beyond the realm of mortals were tricky to reveal and fundamentally unnecessary to understand. It was why Yoi didn't bother to explain the idea of the main universe and its branches, none of that would help Satsuki fulfill what he was brought into this world to do. However, one of their enemies was now a creature that required the explanation that only a deity or a spiritual being like Yoi could answer.

That in itself risked danger. It was information that could be twisted within mortal hands. Satsuki wouldn't hesitate to explain if he knew, but Yoi had been there since time itself. The best of humans could crack under the weight of greed whether it be selfish or selfless. In the end, however, Yoi needed them to understand who their enemy was.

"What I say cannot leave this room, documented, or researched." Yoi's bold demands seemed to reverberate throughout the Hokage's office. Their chakra shifted and seeped into the senses of everyone present to assert just how serious their demands were. Everyone turned stiff when they felt the pull of natural chakra in the air and knew without a doubt that there would be consequences if they didn't heed Yoi's words.

Yoi only continued once they were sure they made themselves clear. "Within each person, a portion of their soul nourishes their chakra core. As such, a person's chakra imprints their spirits. The most common example of this is the concept of chakra summons, where an imprint connects the summoner to the summoned, facilitating entry into each other's dimensions."

"Shinobi seems to believe that chakra itself is what binds you to a summons. No, it is your own soul. A summons, creatures built upon the foundations of natural chakra, subconsciously read the spirit of the one who wish to contract them. When they are interested, they test to see if you are worthy of them. If not, they banish you. However, that is between two existing spirits. What Madara did was fragment his spirit into nature itself. He knew he was likely to lose against Hashirama and planned ahead." Yoi stopped and met Fugaku's eyes. The white-blue iridescents shouldn't have been able to convey much meaning but Fugaku understood what they sought from him, and he gave his approval. What Yoi revealed to them went beyond clan secrets and politicking.