Wandering Heathens

Regret

Obita watched from afar as Madara and the rest of the Akatsuki extracted Kurama from Naruta. Shinjo had spent time torturing the poor jinchuriki because Madara wanted Kurama at full power before she was extracted.

She watched as Kurama was pulled from Naruta and sealed into the Gedo statue. Shinjo sat back, covered in blood and a satisfied smile on his face. I've made a mistake, she thought as her stomach churned at the macabre scene in front of her. Even Kakuza was keeping her distance from Shinjo as he fell further and further into the Curse of Hatred and she had confessed to Obita that she wasn't sure if she even loved him anymore because he was no longer the carefree and laughing Shinjo she had followed and fallen in love with. Now he was a sadistic murderer who took pleasure in killing and harming those around him. Madara had her claws in him and she refused to let him go.

"It's done" Kakuza said to Obita, disappointment and regret lacing her voice. Obita merely nodded and began walking towards Madara. Reaching her, she knelt down and bowed her head. "What now Madara-sama?" Madara's Sharingan looked down at her former pupil and protege and she smiled cruelly. "Soon we will launch Tsuki No Me and the World will be ours! And I will be the Eternal Leader!" "Yes, Madara-sama" Obita replied sadly.

One by one the Akatsuki filed out, each with their own thoughts. If any of them opposed the plan they kept it to themselves as Shinjo and Madara had no qualms about killing them to make their plan a reality.

Shinjo reached out to hold Kakuza's hand but she pulled it away from him and quickened her pace, the disgust she felt with him evident on her face. He scowled but he didn't try to touch her again. He'll show her a lesson later when they were alone.

Obita sighed and dismissed Zetsuki before returning to her room. She fell onto her bed and threw her mask against the wall, the clattering it made as it fell to the floor echoing in her empty room. Rolling onto her stomach, she pulled her book to her. She flipped a few pages and re-read the research she had uncovered.

Shinjo's eyes were unique. He could manipulate time and space, like her, but he had the added ability to remove himself from danger by flickering out and reappearing where he chose, much like Shisui. She had traced the eye's lineage back to Madara's time in Konoha, where she had discovered Kurome Uchiha, Madara's second in command of the Clan, after Izuna.

Kurome was killed by Tobirama during Madara's final battle with Hashirama and his death had finally broken the Uchiha leader's mind. Before his death he had fathered a child, Kagami, who's descendants included Shisui and Obita. This was all a mistake. How I wish I could undo the past and choose the right path!

She stood and retrieved her mask, placing it over her face and Kamui'd out of the Akatsuki Tower. Seconds later she reappeared in a hospital room in Konoha.

Ryuu lay on his back with bandages covering the laceration that he had received from Shinjo. Dark circles lined his eyes and his face was pale and gaunt from his recent trauma, physically and psychologically. Obita softly walked over to his bed and removed one of her gloves, placing her bare hand on his. He shifted a little and slowly opened his eyes. He focused on Obita and sighed, briefly closing his eyes before opening them again to look at her.

"Killing someone as they lay helpless is poor form" he joked weakly. Obita gave him a sad smile and removed her mask. Her hand cupped his cheek and she began crying bitter tears. "I'm so sorry" she whispered. "You chose your path. Now you must walk it" he whispered back, placing his hand over hers and pressed it into his cheek. "You always were too nice to me" she replied, a soft chuckle leaving her throat. "Hmmm and I paid for it" he murmured, removing her hand from his face and gently placing it on the bed.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice hoarse from the screaming while under Shinjo's genjutsu. Obita was silent for a while, looking at the crisp white blankets and Ryuu waiting for her answer. Finally she spoke "I'm not sure what I want but I do know that Shinjo and Madara must be stopped. If they succeed, everything and everyone we know and love will cease to exist." "Maybe that's not a bad thing" Ryuu mused. "How can you say that?!" Obita demanded. He looked into her eye and said, firmly, "easy; I don't love anyone."

With those words Obita's heart broke. Everything looked hopeless and she couldn't think of a way to save anyone. Ryuu watched her cry and felt his heart clench at the sight. As much as he hated what she had done to him and Shinjo and the events that had transpired since he was forcibly removed from the Akatsuki, he still felt something for her; a small flicker of human emotion.

Without a word, his hand gripped her robe and he pulled her towards him, catching her by surprise. His lips found hers and he tasted her, slightly salty from her tears. She pressed closer, desperate for touch, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into her mouth without much resistance.

Her hands trailed over his exposed skin and he winced when they accidentally touched his wound and he pulled back. "You need to go" he whispered, peppering her neck with small kisses. Obita moaned softly, not wanting this moment to end. "If they catch you here they'll kill you" Ryuu said, his breath tickling her skin. Obita finally pulled away and placed her mask on. "I'll try to come back" she said but Ryuu shook his head no, "it's too dangerous. I'll meet you in the Land of Rivers, at the old hideout, in five days."

Obita nodded, gave his hand one last squeeze, and Kamui'd out. Ryuu sighed and looked at the ceiling. Well Zuko-sensei, what do you make of this? It seems events are necessitating a faster response. Maybe I'll see you sooner than planned. He shifted until he was somewhat comfortable and fell back asleep.

In his dream he could see Shinjo walking ahead of him but no matter how fast he ran or tried to catch him, he was always out of reach. He touched him once but Shinjo had disappeared into a cloud of smoke. In another, Shinjo stood atop a burning pile of corpses, laughing loudly as he sentenced all those he saw to death, the blood soaking his robes and dripping off his skin as he licked his sword blade with a maniacal glint in his eyes.

He knew that they were on a collision course and one of them was going to die before the battle was over.