"Interesting. I've heard the Yamanaka clan once kept making illegal jutsus for themselves, barely acknowledging the Laws. It was a secret discovery I have found out once, when I used to spy for Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto said, eying the ponytailed blonde girl. She had a mermaid long hair, a strawberry blonde color that shined brighter in the sun. Though it was evening, she was still stunning.

Obito seemed vaguely caught up with the dark sage's words, as his Sharingan dropped into the moon. "I was thinking of killing her if her forgiveness was not deposited, but never mind. She seems to me like a girl who has fallen for the dark, but obtains a big heart for everyone." Now she had entered, and the door was closed. What the trio was not aware of was how humongous was their window, and sometimes it could lead them into a risky position where in they could always be watched.

Kabuto writhed his eight-inched tongue, a smirk in his hungry face. "Yes, she is a woman of faith. The question is, how long? I would love to control that beating heart of hers." He chuckled evilly, a common gesture that symbolized his similarity of nature with the deceased Orochimaru. "She is different, I see. She is no longer that annoying little brat I wouldn't mind plucking her blonde hair."

"You have changed, indeed." Obito complimented, if not an insult or a sign of mockery.

"My dear," Chuckled Kabuto, "people don't change. They cease to know who they really are until their masks have fallen. You of all people should know that." He was petting a snake in his sleeve, a snake that had the same color of his golden, cat-like eyes. It almost seemed to Obito as if they were a family, a family Kabuto had embedded in his body. The snake was speaking on some sort of language Obito did not intend to hear, nor he needed to eavesdrop from. He was busy taking a glimpse of the blonde girl.

Obito was there when Kabuto was made the Dark Sage. He had been there when he laid himself down, and injected all possible liquors from Orochimaru's remains to make him a better Sage. It was not the kind of Sage Naruto would transform into, or what the frogs frequently called themselves. It was a Sage as a dark sorcerer and the world would yet to know.

The snake was still talking, and for some reason it was as if Obito was never there. He took the advantage to take a long time bringing Kabuto's past into the line. He was just a boy when he was accepted by Orochimaru, not as an apprentice but nothing as a menial. So when Orochimaru was close to dying, Kabuto would be there to regain his strength, having clinging into this hope that he would somehow reconsider the thought of making Kabuto his next body host.

And what would Orochimaru have left of him? Nothing. Just an ignorant will he made himself, believing he would reach the heavens. Obito would become nothing of him. Madara trusted him above all that he would lead them to greatness, a world where hatred ends and not to mind the casualties. Kabuto on the other hand, he just wanted to achieve supremacy and a title.

"I smell a few Leaf noticing our presence. I'm surprised they're not naive at all, based from my experience." He said, as he nodded into the snake. The snake hissed as it glanced at Obito, before slowly slipping into Kabuto's thick mud-colored cloak.

Obito stared once again. There was another curse-mark in his wrist, just where the snake had vanished as well as where Rin's tattoo would have been marked. It was familiar and he could not be mistaken--that boy who had the power to plunge out his bones and use it as a weapon--Kimimaro. Another one was in his other arm when he adjusted his lens and his loose cloak almost revealed half of her bare arms. An impure's curse.

"I should get going. I have a coven of vampires to attend to." He said, as he had begun to turn around, but Obito was kept in his motion, standing icily. Kabuto stared at the same direction of his ruby eyes and realized he had still been glaring through Sakura's window. Kabuto smirked. "I know this is not my business in the matter, but do not let this village hold you still. A changed man must never go back on his words." He said. As Obito was on his journey carrying Madara's name, Kabuto meanwhile was studying the death of the man named Obito Uchiha and now there was a rumor that he still kept a Sharingan in his grave. Kabuto, amused, sent one of his tiny serpents beneathe his grave that lied on Leaf cemetery.

To his awe, the tomb had been empty. Since then Kabuto saw, rather than suspected at first, the mysterious glance of Tobi Uchiha that when jumbled by letters, as Kabuto was fiddling with his scrabble board, would turn out to be "Obito" (which lacked an O but was close to the actual name anyway). Kabuto kept on laughing darkly as he had crossed ways with the man falsely claiming himself to be Madara, until then, day by day, Obito was threatened by the fact that it was Kabuto's logic status and his gift of higher knowledge could advance him in battle.

"You go back in Taki." Said Obito. "I have businesses to discuss with one of these children, perhaps. You know how boredom strikes me well, my friend. They have something I need."

"What is?"

"Dark, enigmatic, powerful secrets. It's time for truth to be revealed." He said, as he vanished into the black space, perhaps making an escape earlier than Kabuto ever did. Kabuto mainly just shook his head, kept his transformation clear. They were clones of two gardeners talking, and that was one of the things Kabuto admired of Konoha--they are more than blind. Their level of obliviousness is astounding more than knowing that Obito was not truly the old, Madara Uchiha.

☤ τhε τhïɾḋ υсhïhα ☤

SING FOR THE DEAD

"I think you've had enough of that, kid." Kisame scorned, stealing Sasuke's glass. He was drinking a mixed beverage of Vodka and Sake, and by the color of Sasuke's face he was indeed intoxicated and flushed with more than enough excess of alchohol. Men in the bar did not seem to argue with him--he seemed to be the richest man in the world whose problems could only be solved by drinking. A pale thin bartender was eying them, wiping a bottle. "You know there are Sand ninjas sniffing your ass. You're even lucky you made it just in time to escape, or no alcohol for you until you lose your head."

Kisame just stared at Sasuke. Last night turned out quite a mitigation, as Gaara did not dare question anyone in the bar. He had sent his men scanning every quarter, every hidden passageways, but there had been no sign of him. No foot prints at all, just men and prostittutes. The women were all sent home with the courtesy of none other than the Kazekage. He looked as if he was searching for something else as he stared once back, gathered all the young female criminals that were detained--handcuffed--and left within specks of golden sand.

It was a routine the rogues have gotten used to. There was a time most of the Akatsuki decided to hang out there, when Pein had victoriously conquered half of Kiri. Deidara found the place, and they were welcomed with enormously wounded hands and given the largest booth in Requiem. It was a day to remember for Kisame. When the Nations have arrived, they were given a secret passageway that led to one of the most surprising tunnels--at the end of it, was a natural twenty-feet waterfall. The Akatsuki had never been happier than before.

"Don't start with me." Sasuke remarked, throwing another pieces of gold into the bar table. The bartender greeted him with a pleasurable smirk, as he went off to pour him another round of that deliciously enervating Sake bestseller. Kisame would love to drink with this boy right him, if he was not that stupid of blowing too much of his whistle.

Kisame frowned himself, carrying his Samehada, as if for the first time ever he was irked by its weight. "If the beer was all you came in here for, you should have told me. Nothing makes me any more happier than to get paid as twice as the entrance fee." He said, deciding to sit down while tapping a finger. He put his blade by his next chair, wrapped in a safety bandage like a barbie doll. If anyone would try to steal it, Samehada would have gotten back by his own.

Sasuke brought to his lips, reminding Kisame once of someone. He had the same hair, same angle and eyes as his brother and the only thing Sasuke lacked were the scars in his face. "What do you want?"

"I want you to act like your age and stop pretending like an adult. This place ain't nothing for you."

Sasuke was looking at the other girls in the side, when he turned to Kisame with a delightful smirk. "Who gives a shit?"

"I don't," Kisame said on his best behavior, trying to refrain from bashing Sasuke's head with a weapon or maybe just his hand. "Maybe I'm just here to clean up your mess. So you could think of Itachi every time you kill someone or making a shithole out of your life."

"How many times do you want to hear me say it, Kisame?" Sasuke asked in a patient voice, holding his bottle. "I'm fine. I'm better here." He leaned against the table of the bar, assuring him. "I've never felt any of my problems gone. I just don't feel like there's a part of me that still cares, you know? I hate killing people. I mean I used to like it--to see their faces when you suck the life out of them--then I realize, you don't get anything out of it than a pile of blood."

Kisame seemed to exhale a large amount of relief, and the expression thank you, thank you in his eyes was hilarious. "I am so glad to hear it."

"That's the point," Said Sasuke, deliria in his dark eyes. "When I kill people, I still don't know how to figure a way how to forget. To forget that I ever loved someone, after I left them, or even killed someone who was trying to protect me."

"Kid, we don't have to talk about this." Kisame responded, almost begging.

"What, you think I'm lying? You people are sick. You think you know every damn thing about a person. What's the meaning of Akatsuki, anyway?" Sasuke fought, drinking his Sake. "Dawn? Daybreak? There is no light."

Kisame was aware that he was drinking and he was clearly out of his head, but there are times you can just burst into one moment, when a dark, certain memory was brought.

Sasuke had been going to Requiem as far as he could remember. His tracks were still fresh since he would just leave Hayato outside like some sort of a street performer, so the Nations could finally seek him out. It was like he was deliberately forcing them to come to him, to catch him and have him thrown into a lake filled with crocodiles. He managed to produce an heir, atleast, if he was trying to kill himself he was willing to give up his dignity for that.

Kisame sighed, scratched his head. This was not the slightest person Sasuke should have become. When Itachi was dying, all he asked, especially to him and Pein, if there was an open opportunity for Sasuke to join the organization for the sake of keeping him alive, Kisame was entrusted of keeping after him. After all, he was still a boy when he had abandoned him. Pretty much the Sasuke he had entrusted to him that day could have grown stronger, and more careful with the things around him.

Everything went upside down. This--Sasuke was being reckless! He was being stupid and naive, and Kisame cursed Itachi for even entrusting that mission to him. He failed. Perhaps there was really no going back to him--the more ironic was that instead of Kisame coming to him, it was Sasuke himself who approached the Akatsuki and built a darkness of his own. A darkness he released and was never to be sealed, unlike the tailed-beast Naruto had inside. Sasuke had become the heir of darkness.

The bartender returned with a tray of fine glass and a wine. Sasuke even gave him a tip for Kami's sake. Sasuke was about to grab his wine when Kisame had wrapped his solid shark-like fingers into the green bottle, his eyes blazing. "You won't be having any of that."

Sasuke looked at Kisame and challenged him. Kisame could still remember the look of hunger in his eyes when he had battled Itachi, those greedy ruby eyes that did not fear the sight of war or chaos.

He activated his Sharingan. Secretly Kisame had earned enough fear through what he had seen with Itachi's battles. Victims died out of paranoia, blood leaked out from their ears. He did not need a clear demonstration from Sasuke.

"I know that you're made of water, and I know someone--who has the same abilities as you. That person is just behind you--" He said, and Kisame could inhale the same chakra he was born with Suigetsu--"if I kill you, I'm not only doing him a favor, but I could finally silent someone who blamed me for my brother's death. If you don't stop talking about Itachi, I will hunt you down, and I won't stop until my lightning gets into every veins of your body. That's a lot of water you have there. And not to mention Samehada has a lot in it, too." After all, Sasuke thought, it had been a while since he used his Chidori.

"You're a mess, kid." Kisame chuckled, as he stood up and grabbed his Samehada. Before something ill happens, he was sure as hell he ain't coming back here--where everyone particularly was crazy. He would come back here once the Akatsuki are summoned back to life, and when Itachi could finally speak in terms with him personally. One day Requiem will be spilled with enough blood his gang would spill, and that day was yet for the world to see and for the people to make remembrance of.

Something black loomed in his way. Sasuke managed to get in front of him as Kisame froze, his eyebrows angry. Sasuke was clutching his arm to the point he could feel that animal part of him being unleashed, his claws biting into his shark skin. "Call me that again and I'll kill you."

He dropped his hand momentarily, as Kisame just walked upon a shore of dancing people. He shoved his way through the crowd, wanting to punch a fist into the wall. He didn't see Sasuke again, not after that raven hair of his just disappeared. Those were the Uchihas. They vanished into thin air within a blink.

He thought of something: Madara would be mad. He stopped, carrying his Samehada as he watched an open space to get through the doors. He hated nothing more than to have Madara stepping a heel on him, the former witty Tobi that transformed into a magical Madara--alive, the Madara who had not appeared in a century.

He had summoned him earlier and told him what to do--if Hotaru insisted of coming back to Requiem, Kabuto would refuse to offer them his help. Kisame had enough of anyone else's problems that a part of him just wanted to leave and be free, yet he kept coming back. He stared back at the bar and realized Sasuke was with another woman, again. But it was not Sasuke's appearance that marveled him.

"Do not drink anything, both of you." Neji reminded. He had recently discared his eyepatch that concluded his appearance, being a thief and a certified pirate. A bandana was tied in his forehead, obscuring the mark of the Hyuga upon him. "Be wary. This place is filthy and occupied by wanted criminals over the world. We maybe vulnerable to any situation. As you can see, we're outnumbered. If one of you starts a riot, forgive me if it is my duty to escort TenTen back into the village."

"That's unfair! And then what??" Said Lee.

"I shall call for reinforcements."

"I have heard rumors of a hidden door with a mass of villains located in the Sound. We weren't quite looking, were we? All this time Sasuke was hiding right under our nose."

Neji exhaled carefully as he switched his Byakugan. He was willing to sacrifice TenTen for the sake of this mission, and so be it. He did hope nothing unexpected would come out of this. He taught TenTen everything she needed to know. She even slit her minidress that revealed her thigh, transforming her into an actual goddess. Neji had never seen her this girly and feminine, though he admitted he wished he could have been in Sasuke's shoes. No one could ever resist her.

And there she was, sitting on the bar next to Sasuke. They were already talking, her smile making a flirtation out of it. Then she would whisper something to Sasuke that made him give an interesting look at her, as if he had never met her. TenTen was in fact, more than morbidly shining. Either Sasuke was drunk to not recognize the girl who onced challenged him into a duel, or maybe she had not shown her blooming side. Until now.

But enough of that--he flicked his gaze towards someone else, a flash of red and white. Neji was not surprised as he saw two of Sasuke's favorite minions (as he thought so since he did nothing but to bitch them around)--Suigetsu and the Uzumaki girl. Neji was aware that the girl was able to feed anyone her chakra, but did not put to question the white-haired boy's abilites. All of them seemed terrifying and dangerous that he shivered.

"Taka is here. I can see them." He said closing his eyes. When he opened them, the crowd was bursting into a loud, boisterous laughter. "I need you both to listen carefully. This is the plan."

They drifted their heads lowly, and attentively listened to the Hyuga heir. Very carefully he had laid the details for them. Sasuke would not be easily captured, but if they were to exert precautions and act cleverly, there was still a chance on getting him. All TenTen had to do was to make sure he'd fall on her hands. Lee argued, stating that Sasuke would not would be easily fooled. Neji backfired this and told him that this Sasuke was different from the Sasuke they've faced before---strong and ruthless.

as if he'd be a fool, he thought to himself, but debated that if TenTen somehow managed to reveal her identity at the very end--and told her that she knew where Sakura was, Sasuke would not trade his revenge for the dramatic opportunity.

In short, the plan was retrieving him back, if that means pressing him further to the mysteries he had left for them. It would be the same with the Sasuke Retrieval Squad, but it was different now. Neji had grown. TenTen had grown. He realized that the more they were ignoring Sasuke, the more he was willing to irk their lives until his very last cup of Sake would be filled. Then he would offer a toast for his insufferable, ignorant little friends.

"Lady Tsunade didn't order anything about kidnapping.." Lee protested in a light whisper, his head down.

"Seduction, kidnapping, does it even make a difference, Lee? This is our last chance."

"I must warn you, Neji." Gai said, no longer joking. "This is a risk you are taking. Given the circumstances, Sasuke is overpowered by anger and revenge. And a man bearing an enormous hatred makes himself the most evil and cruel of all. This is not a time to make an upgrade."

"Then I will take the risk."

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8.2.14 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TSUNADE!!!

I really enjoy writing Naruto's POV for the first time:)

Vomment? I like reading your comments!