The Uchiha Compound was rather silent when Madara and company returned. Everyone looked out the window to witness the group of brave and powerful shinobi. The first thing they all noticed was the head, and it wasn't Tajima. In his place, Madara stood tall as he led his people.

The group of the back was carrying a dead weight, hidden under multiple bandages. Bickering started.

Izuna looked at his brother, but Madara ignored everyone around him as he continued nonstop towards the main house. Dusk had fallen upon them, bathing the skies in red. The house wasn't as welcoming as Madara hoped. Behind him, Izuna closed his eyes as the rest of the Uchiha scattered around him. Itachi and Shisui were the only ones left.

"Izuna," his brother's voice brought him back to the present. Izuna looked up to meet Madara's glare from over his shoulder. "The house is empty."

A sense of dread filled Izuna. His first instinct was to make his way into the house and check his room. It was empty. Next, the room Hanako and Amane shared. Again, empty. Last, his brother's room. Empty. Certainly, Amane and Hanako were not there.

Madara had taken Itachi and Shisui to the living room when Izuna returned from inspecting the house. "They're not here." Madara looked up at his younger brother with tired eyes.

"Told you the house was empty."

"Where did they go?"

"My guess is they took the opportunity to inspect Utah's castle in our absence. We did return before scheduled, but they don't know that. Maybe they were counting on returning before us."

Izuna sighed. It was highly probable. "What should we do then?"

Madara sat down. "We wait. Utah's castle is far from here. If they're not back in five days, we'll look for them."

"Five days?" Izuna's shoulders slumped.

"In the meantime," Madara's voice got serious again as his eyes found Itachi and Shisui. "We need to cremate our father's corpse and find these two a place to sleep."

Izuna looked at them and then at his brother. "Okay..."

* * *

Pulling two bodies out of Utah's almost collapsing castle was no easy deed. Amane was almost at the edge of collapsing herself after she managed to find a place where they could be safe. When she was about to close her eyes, she caught sight of Hanako squinting at the sky.

"Wow, took you a long time to recover from the shock of finding your sister," Amane muttered in a low voice.

Hanako looked around the place and realized they were in the woods still close to the castle. She looked at the eldest girl, only to find her heavily breathing and her eyes almost closed. She got up in a second and moved to her side. "What happened to you?"

Amane sighed tiredly. "I got attacked by this black thing... However, he disappeared before I could take a good look at him. I did run from him to find you so..."

"Black thing?" Hanako frowned. "Zetsu?"

"Yeah, I had forgotten its name. It came after me after I teleported you into the surface."

Hanako sighed. "Well, good thing you're okay..." Something then crossed her mind. "Hikari! Where is she?"

"Behind you."

Hanako turned around quickly and saw her sister lying unconscious on the ground. Her breathing was shallow but she could wake up soon.

"What are you going to do about that woman?" Amane suddenly asked. Hanako narrowed her eyes as she measured her options. There wasn't much she could do.

"Kira told me that the only way I can save Hikari is by turning myself in."

"Are you going to do that?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Amane smiled slightly. "Well, you have a point there. The only way we can save her is by defeating Kira, and she'll only show up wherever you are."

"That jutsu she used..." Hanako muttered. "Do you know about it?"

Amane looked away from the girl. "You could say that..."

Hanako turned to look at her with firm eyes.

"I've been studying Space-Time Ninjutsu since I was ten. I have learned countless techniques and written notes about them in a scroll. I've also learned about forbidden techniques, which involve stealing time from people and things. But they were erased by their users so that no one would learn them again. They're too dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Then how did she learn it?"

Amane took a deep breath. "Those techniques are like curses. They stay with the person even in death, but there are techniques to transfer curses. So, my theory is that she might have found someone who had performed that technique on themselves and stole it from them."

"Is it possible?"

"Yeah, but that would kill them." Hanako pressed her lips into a thin line. Amane continued, "And by the looks of it, she might have killed a lot of people."

"Then what can we do?" Hanako looked up at her. "To get the time she stole from my sister."

"The technique Kira used was some kind of forbidden jutsu. One that allows one to steal time from anyone that comes into contact with. If we find a way to reverse that jutsu, we could make her return it." Amane explained.

Hanako closed her eyes and leaned against a tree. "We do not have a choice then. We need to find her."

"She'll come to you in a month. You just have to be ready to not waste a single second once she shows. You have to defeat her before time runs out if you want your sister to live."

Amane felt sorry for her. She finally got to see a familiar face again only to be threatened by a stranger. She couldn't understand what she could be going through, but Hanako didn't seem to be the giving up type.

A single flame of chakra was approaching them. Hanako recognized the signature as the man she had met a time ago. She looked through the trees until her eyes met silver hair and strong red eyes. When Amane caught sight of him, she cursed under his breath.

"I supposed, if I had found you roaming around this forest before, you would be going somewhere near the Castle of Utah," said Tobirama. "We received several reports from scared villagers about a man that destroyed their harvests. They said he was possessed by a demon. I was just gathering information about it."

"Let me guess, you thought that was me?"

The Senju lifted the side of his mouth into a half smile. "Very funny. Actually no, but I supposed you knew about it."

Hanako scoffed. "Well, good news. The villagers were right, Utah was indeed possessed by something, but not anymore. He won't bother anyone."

Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "I see..."

"By the way, what are you doing here? I thought the Senju had been called to the battlefield." Hanako looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We were. I opted out so that I could continue patrolling the area." Tobirama shrugged. "You know, in case that man appeared again."

"Then, what are you going to do about us?" Amane asked. "Are you going to let us go?"

Tobirama looked at them. They were both beaten, and there was also another girl completely unconscious. "As long as you don't attack me, I don't see a reason to attack you. Besides, if I wanted to, I would have killed both of you already."

Hanako took a deep breath. Tobirama's eyes were placed on her, not moving. "Were you attacked?" The Senju's question was so sudden, that it surprised her.

"Why do you ask?"

Tobirama almost laughed. "Isn't it obvious? That woman is about to lose consciousness, and that girl over there clearly needs a medic. If you stay here you might get killed during the night, and I don't think you'll make it back to the Uchiha compound if you have to drag two bodies with you."

Hanako frowned. "What are you trying to say? That even if you don't kill us, we'll die anyway?"

Tobirama sighed. "We have a medic in our compound. I can ask him to treat you, and then you can go back."

Hanako widened her eyes. "Why are you so kind all of a sudden? We are your enemy."

"You're also a Senju." That made Hanako gasp. "That's why I'm helping you. Maybe, for once my brother is right, and we can form an alliance with the Uchiha. Let's say, I think you can be a bridge to join both clans."

"Wow, someone record this, Tobirama Senju helping three girls from the Uchiha Clan, such a gentleman," Amane muttered.

"That would be nice, actually," Hanako nodded with a smile.

Amane widened her eyes. "WHAT? Are you going to accept help from him?!"

Hanako raised an eyebrow. "Why not? He said they have a medic. We really need a medic right now."

"He might be sweet-talking us into becoming his hostages!" Amane growled. "Never trust a Senju! Taking us into their compound and then letting us go? Just like that? I don't think so!"

Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest. "I never said I'd be taking you to our compound. I'll lead you close enough and then bring the medic."

"You are overthinking Amane, he is telling the truth." Hanako sighed. "I know when people lie to me."

Amane sighed. She was too tired to fight back, and maybe Hanako was right this time. "Fine... but don't let Madara know about this. He'll be mad."

Hanako smirked at that. "Yeah, I know that."

* * *

"So, is this Orochimaru's abandoned lab?" Fugaku asked as he looked down into a hole. Stone stairs lead down into an open metallic door. He looked at Tekka. "Is there someone here?"

Tekka shook his head. "I don't sense any chakra coming from inside, but..." He looked behind them at some trees. Fugaku narrowed his eyes and followed Tekka's line of sight. His younger son then showed from behind a tree, and he sighed.

"Sasuke, why did you come?"

The little boy moved from behind the tree and approached his father while looking at the ground. "I just don't want you to get mad at Itachi-nii..."

Fugaku's eyes softened, and he let out the air he was holding in his lungs. "He's gone. We'll have to wait for him at home. You said Shisui was with him?"

Sasuke was saddened at the thought of his brother leaving without him. "Yeah..."

"That does give me peace at least."

"He left me here..." Sasuke pouted. "Guess I'm still not good enough to accompany him."

Fugaku smiled at him. "I would have been even more mad at him if he had taken you with him. Let's train tomorrow, Sasuke."

Sasuke widened his eyes and looked up at his father. "YES!"