Wandering Heathens

Hatred

The scout kneeled down, resting his weight on the balls of his feet, and touched the scorched ground. A crater surrounded by burnt and singed woodlands was the physical evidence of someone unlocking great power. Another scout approached the first. "Well?" she asked.

Standing to his feet, he looked at her with the pupil-less lavender eyes of the Hyuga, saying "there is much pain and anger attached to this chakra. Whomever has this chakra is headed down a dark and troubled path." Nodding, the woman looked at the ground. "Can you identify who's chakra it is?" "No. It's an unfamiliar mix to me. The wind chakra is easily identifiable but the black chakra? I've never encountered it before." "Right. We need to tell the Hokage. Juni! Head back to Konoha and report what we've seen!" She ordered a timid looking man. "R-right!" He replied and began running back towards the Land of Fire.

The Hyuga and the kunoichi scout began moving away from the devastation, beginning the next phase of their mission: where did the Ryōshi go?

He found himself in darkness, with no walls or floors or ceilings to frame the room. Was it even a room? He looked around, seeing nothing but black. If I ever make it back I'm calling bullshit on this Afterlife gig.

A small orb of light entered and began to grow, pushing the darkness away. "Come to us" he heard followed by feminine giggles. He looked into the light and saw men and women of various shapes, sizes and colours, all nude. His mouth began salivating at the sight and their encouragement and giggling made him change from walking to running, towards the light.

He was so close! A few more steps and he can reach out and grab a hand... Suddenly his way forward was blocked by an imposing and intimidating man. His anger radiated off his body and his eyes pierced Ryuu's. "Your mission is not done. You are here too soon" Zuko said, his voice even raspier in this dimension. "Zuko-sensei!" He gasped in shock and fell onto his butt in his hurry to avoid colliding with him.

Zuko unsheathed his katana and held it in his hand, the blade somehow absorbing the darkness around him. Vague and shimmering colours and a landscape began appearing. Valleys, rivers, greenery, it was a peaceful looking scene. Zuko advanced on Ryuu, repeating his message: "your mission is not done. You will need to make decisions and perform actions you may not want to do. But the mission must be completed!" He shouted the last sentence before plunging his sword into Ryuu's chest, exactly where Shinjo had stabbed him.

A primal scream tore itself from his throat and everything began to fade. The laughter of the men and women became haunting, ghostlike, and Zuko's determined eyes were the last thing Ryuu saw before he felt himself hit the ground hard.

He curled onto his side and into a fetal position, his hands clutching at his chest where Shinjo had poisoned him. His breathing became erratic as the poison permeated his chakra system. Before he passed out, he heard faint voices calling for help and a pair of soft hands on his.

Down in the deepest depths of the Akatsuki Tower, Obita and Zetsuki sat in front of a carved stone throne. Upon it sat a woman with long spiky black hair, dressed in simple navy robes and pants. Her legs were crossed and she rested her head on a gloved hand. "So, I see he has awakened his power" she said, almost boredly. Zetsuki remained silent; she knew not to speak in the woman's presence. "He has and he defeated the other" Obita informed her.

Madara laughed, the sound sending chills down Obita's and Zetsuki's spines, and smiled at the two. "So it begins! Train him! Bring him into the fold! Soon this World will know darkness!" She proclaimed. Bowing lowly, Obita and Zetsuki took their leave.

"Will you give him a Sharingan?" Zetsuki asked as they moved further away from Madara. Obita paused to think and finally replied, "if he can truly survive the darkness and hate then I'll give him one. Since he's not a Uchiha, it will be a battle for him to win the Sharingan and make it work with his body." Zetsuki paused before looking at Obita, "but Kakashi is able to use it and she didn't have to-" "I TOLD YOU TO NEVER MENTION THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE!" Obita screamed as she beat Zetsuki to soothe the hatred she felt at her former teammate. "I'm sorry!" Zetsuki whimpered pathetically.

"I gave Kakashi my Sharingan when we were kids so it's had time to grow and adapt to her chakra and body. If I give one to Shinjo, he will need to make it work for him. It will be an interesting trial" she said before she Kamui'd away and into her own room.

She strode over to a locked cabinet, made a sign and opened the now unlocked doors. Eyes whirled in their preserving liquid, blindly seeing and recognizing nothing. She touched a jar labeled "Shisui" and watched as the eye spun in the liquid. Perhaps not. She moved her hand to touch a jar labeled "Izuna". No, not the right match. Kagami's won't work either and Fugaku's ability doesn't match with Shinjo.

Sighing, she closed her cabinet and locked it before heading to her desk and removing a book from within. Time to study, she thought as she threw herself onto her bed and opened the book. "The Base Abilities of the Sharingan" the chapter was labelled. She began reading and mentally making a list of the compatible abilities that Shinjo possessed.

Something peeking under her pillow caught her eye. Curious, she pulled it out. It was a worn book, taped together and it's pages filled with notes and scrawls made over the years. This is Ryuu's. Why is it here?! "Because I kept it Obita-chan!" Tobi said. "I don't want it here! The man is dead! He was a means to an end!" Obita yelled. "But I liked him!" "ENOUGH! We won't speak of him anymore! He is DEAD to us!" Obita shouted and Tobi went silent.

Grabbing the offending book, Obita got off her bed and threw it across her room where she then incinerated it with her Fireball Jutsu. Enough is enough! These side dalliances need to end. The time of Tsuki No Me is upon us!