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Chapter Text

BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT ESSAY: MISSING ASSIGNMENT
STATUS: CONCERNED
DAYS MISSED: 20

        Her laptop, placed on her bed, presented the following words in bold capitalized letters. With the comfy blanket wrapped around her body under the dark lit room, her heavy bagged eyes scanned those warnings accompanied with the bright flashing screen light as if it was the norm.  

        [Real First Name] [Real Last Name] was a psychology major first year student (well forced to as she was not interested in other majors) from [University Name]. Not the best student out there. Seen as per above, she was in a way almost failing her classes. Her professors wanted no more to do with her attitude and her lack of responsibility, her classmates had been avoiding her, and her parents had completely cut ties with her, always complaining why she could not be like anyone else. 

        But she was used to it. Although at first she was sunk deep into deep depression, she could find her way out to her light. That was watching and reading Naruto. Naruto, one of the best-selling manga series about ninjas and pursuing his dreams to be the best ninja in the world within the manga community, was her most favorite manga of all time. Manga and anime? Watched them all. Naruto merch? Brought them all. Doujinshis? Read them all. However, it was not merely a matter of preference, she was actually infatuated with three of the Akatsuki members: Itachi Uchiha, Sasori of the Red Sand, and Deidara. She had always been rematching the arcs where those three appeared before they were killed. She could understand because they were the antagonists of the story (except for Itachi if you know what I mean), but she had always thought those three characters still had more potential to develop as they were killed to early.

        She had always thought that it would have been better if she could exist in that world and helped them develop their characters. Having those ninja abilities would be very cool to use too, but that was a mere childish thought. As she made a conclusion of not going to class today as usual, her phone with an unknown number rang.

        “Hello?” she said. It was unusual for her to receive any calls as everyone completely avoided her.

        “Hi. You’re [Real First Name] [Real Last Name], right? I’m Fuwa Shirotani a new counsellor of the university. I heard that you haven’t been coming to school for quite a while and have been missing deadlines. If you’d like, you could come talk with me.”

        She has had multiple counseling before, but none of them were effective. She had a feeling that this talking with him would be the same.

        “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

        “I understand that previous counseling have not been successful, but I have many suggestions that could maybe fix your problems. You would be much more relaxed if you have someone to talk to.”

        In a way that was true. However, she had this lingering feeling that she had to visit him. It had never happened before. She was not going to do anything today anyways.

        “… Okay then. I’ll go.”

        Knock! Knock!

        After hearing a soft “come in”, she entered the new counsellor’s room with her hands slightly shaking. It was a bright, spotlessly clean room, with his desk filled with neatly stacked textbooks. The counsellor, who was sipping a drink from his cup, stood up from his desk, and gave her a small smile and shook hands with her. He was a pleasant-looking young man in his formal clothes, with hazel eyes and short raven hair. He drew up a chair for her near his desk and seated himself just behind. 

        She did not know what to say. She was also quite sleepy as she had pulled up an all nighter the day before. 

        “So, how are you feeling today?” he asked. He clasped his hands in front of him.

        “… Not well as usual.” She started to feel uncomfortable. His somewhat basil-scented cologne was spreading into her nostrils.

        “There’s no need to be so tense. Let’s talk about something interesting. I heard from your mother that you enjoy reading manga. Naruto, was it?” 

        She did not know that he had been contacting her mother.

        “Uh… yes.” She was not very sure where the conversation was heading.

        “Actually I’m also a big fan of that manga series. I still remember waiting for the new chapters when I was still pursuing my degree.”

        “I see…” 

        He stood up.

        “I do know that you’ve been very unmotivated lately. So what if…” he leaned towards her ear,  “I told you that you could spend your time in the Naruto world?”

        She froze. The direct closure was one thing, but just what did he mean by the latter?

        He shifted back to his chair and let out a small laugh.

        “Don’t be that surprised. What I’m saying is the truth. What do you say? Would you like to live in that world for the time being?” His eyes bored into hers.

        She leaned back a bit. Just what was he saying? How is that possible?

        “… How can I trust you?” she asked timidly. Staying in the Naruto world used to be one of her dreams, but that was definitely impossible. “But I mean it would be nice to spend time there.”

        He grinned. “Then, I’ll take that as a yes.”

        With that said, he made several Naruto-looking hand seals that resembled the Summoning Jutsu and slammed his hand down to his desk. Black inked Japanese characters formed around his hands. Puffy white smoke exploded with a loud bang, covering her vision. 

***
        Coughing from the smoke, the young woman woke up, realizing that she was lying down on her stomach on the brushy rough surface. Her hands felt leafy textures around her fingers, and could feel a faint smell of dirt from her nose where her face has been slammed into. She stood up with widened eyes as the smoke cleared up.

        The desk, textbooks, and chairs of the counseling room had vanished. All she could see was tall, evergreen trees with their branches dancing with the cool wind. Soft chirps of birds echoed in the air. The azure sky had some blotches of white clouds floating within in. The sounds of the water running down the lake was pleasant to hear.

        Where the hell am I? 

        She looked at her hands, and saw that it looked the same. But she could not be so sure. She ran towards the lake that was glittering in seven colors from the reflection of the sun. She looked down into the water. Her face was different. Her hair colored changed into [hair color], her eyes were [eyes color], and she was wearing a kimono-looking blouse held close with an obi, long shorts, and shinobi sandals. She looked around Deidara’s age.

        Wait… HOW CAN THIS BE? Am I really inside THAT Naruto world? She touched her face as if she never knew who it was that was reflecting from the water. She pulled her cheek to see whether it was a dream but only to feel a stinging pain in that area. Realization sets in. She was not in that human world anymore. 

        She landed on her knees. What could she do now? How could she get back? Her mind was muddled with thoughts. But really, was she in the Naruto world? By simply wearing Japanese style attire would not represent anything.

        ANSWER. Yes, you are now inside the Naruto world. Naruto Shippuden to be exact. 

    A voice echoed in her head. This voice… she had heard it before. It belonged to her counsellor, and Naruto Shippuden?

        ANSWER. Yes, I was Fuwa Shirotani, but now you must call me the Great Sage.

        Great Sage? Just what do you mean? you asked in your mind.

        I’m the one who will be guiding you during your time in this world. Just to make sure you understand everything, you are currently a ninja who has the Kekkei Genkai that allows you to use any nature transformations. You can also analyze anyone’s abilities and mimic as your own.

        Nature transformations and analysis? If she could use any, then her character would be very overpowered. Is it really what she should have? However, since she had the skills, she would have to try some.

        As a test, I would like to try Kakashi’s Chidori.

        HAND SEAL ANALYSIS COMPLETED. The Chakra Nature is Lightning Release. Chidori is an offensive attack where high concentrations of electricity is accumulated to the user’s hand and can cause fatal damage to the target. The hand seals are: Ox → Rabbit → Monkey.

        A sudden rush of information surged through her mind—precise images of hand signs and the flow of chakra. Moving almost instinctively, she raised her hands and formed the seals one by one, just as instructed.

        The moment she completed the final seal, a sharp tingling spread through her right hand, followed by a burning sensation, electric and alive. A high-pitched chirping, like the cry of a thousand birds, pierced the air as blinding light crackled in her palm—raw lightning dancing between her fingers.

        She stood in awe. It was real—she was actually inside the world of Naruto Shippuden.

        Turning her gaze to a nearby tree, she dashed toward it, her hand now crackling with lightning. With a swift thrust, she slammed her Chidori-charged palm against the trunk. The bark disintegrated instantly, and the tree split in two, one half crashing heavily to the ground.

        Oh my gosh. It worked!

        Overwhelmed with excitement, she jumped and skipped in giddy circles—only to trip over her own feet and plunge headfirst into the nearby lake with a loud splash.

        Cold water blurred her vision as she sank deeper and deeper. Tiny air bubbles drifted past her face, and her legs, already tired, kicked feebly against the weight of the water. Panic surged through her chest as her lungs began to burn. How deep was this lake? She couldn't tell. All she knew was that she was sinking—fast—and she didn’t know how to swim.

        Am I really going to die like this? Just float around like seaweed until my body rots?

        No—there had to be a way out. Her mind raced.

        Wait! I still haven’t tested the extent of my Kekkei Genkai. Guren’s Crystal Release… what was it called again? Crystal Wall Formation? Something like that!

        HAND SEAL ANALYSIS COMPLETED. The Chakra Nature is Crystal Release. Crystal Wall Eight Formation is an offensive attack that crystallizes a large area and everything within it. The hand seals are: Rat → Dog → Horse → Ram → Boar → Dragon → Rat → Ram → Boar.

        With her remaining strength, she swiftly weaved the hand seals.

        A brilliant flash of light erupted from the lakebed. Suddenly, [favorite color]-colored crystal began forming beneath her, spreading outward in symmetrical lattices. The water around her solidified with a chorus of sharp, crystalline cracking. The growing structure surged upward, lifting her rapidly toward the surface.

        She burst into the open air, gasping as her lungs greedily drank in oxygen. Lying flat on the gleaming crystal surface, soaked and breathless, she realized how close she’d come to drowning.

        Looking down, she saw the entire lake had been transformed—solidified into a breathtaking sheet of [favorite color] crystal, refracting light into shimmering rainbows. What incredible power...

        Finally, she slid off the mineral surface and collapsed onto the grassy shore, her breaths shallow and quick.

        Why am I feeling so tired? Did I use too much Chakra?

        ANSWER. Because you’ve used two Chakra natures, you’ve lost 30% of your Chakra. To replenish your Chakra, you must rest for at least 30 minutes.

        Okay. That’s fine. Although she could use any Chakra natures, there were still some limitations. She had to be more careful from now on. More importantly, she had burning questions that needed immediate answers.

        Hey, Great Sage, why did you bring me here and how can I get out?

        ANSWER. To get out from this world, you have to accomplish a mission. You must locate and join the Akatsuki—and make Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara fall in love with you.

        She blinked. WHAT???

Chapter Text

         [First Name] could not understand what was being told. Make the Akatsuki fall in love with her? How the hell is that possible? Even though she liked and fantasize them, it was not to the extent of creating a real romance story.

        Great Sage, are you misunderstanding something? I do like those three characters, but it’s impossible to add any romance in their lives, and they’re killed in the end anyways. Furthermore, I don’t even have a real boyfriend! How can I possibly do that?

        ANSWER. Nothing is impossible in this world. With my guidance, you will win their hearts. Even though they all died in the original story, you now have the power to change that fate.

        So that means I’m changing the story? Is that even ok? And do you even have love experience?

        That’s completely fine. And no, I don’t. But I’ve watched enough romance anime and dramas to expertly analyze and apply emotional dynamics in real-time.

        That sounds so dubious.

        Shut up, brat. 

        Did you just reprimand me?!

        Before you meet any of them again, you need to power up. Right now, leaving this area would put you in serious danger.

        The Great Sage is adamant, huh. To be honest, if she were to go outside, she would be definitely killed for sure. No choice, but to follow it.

        After receiving training and instructions from the Great Sage for possibly two whole months (according to him), she was now capable of controlling her Chakra, and use ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, and even create her Jutsu based on the existing nature attributes.  She had also learned that the forest that she was residing in was not located in any of the shinobi maps, so it could be said that she was somehow safe. However, the most surprising fact was that a small one floor wooden house stood in the middle of the cluster of verdurous trees in which the Great Sage had told to reside since she was summoned to the world. She would definitely said that it was comfortable to stay in due to the abundant food stocks and ninja tools in the wooden shelves; it was as if the previous owner of the house expected someone to come live in it. As for the identity of the Great Sage that still remained suspicious, she decided to find out later. 

       She also felt that by spending time here, she somewhat felt much more relaxed and more independent during the time she stayed here than in her own world. Did she really want to go back after her mission had unlikely cleared though? Even if she did, people were going to ignore her once more. She had always contemplated about it.

        I believe that you are ready to meet the Akatsuki.

        The Great Sage suddenly spoke.        

        [First Name] who was lying on her small bed and staring at the wooden ceiling above her cringed inside. She then sighed and lifted herself up to reach for her small backpack.

        Great Sage, where is the Akatsuki anyways? 

        ANSWER. The Akatsuki has several hideouts around the Shinobi world. However, the one that they are currently residing in is in the south. Estimated distance needed to be travelled: 800 km. Time needed: 12 hrs

        THAT’S SO FAR! How am I supposed to do that? Even if I have these ninja powers, I don’t think I could reach there!

        ANSWER. That’s not a problem. You can use my Sage Gate to enter any place in this Shinobi world you want. 

        Wait what?

        SAGE GATE ACTIVATED. Location: Akatsuki’s Hideout.        

        A Japanese style slid door suddenly appeared throughout the smoke. It slid open, revealing an illuminating light from within that enchanted her attention to enter inside.

        She gulped. She slowly walked forward towards the door. She then stopped. In the end, the idea of adding romance into those three lives was still bothering her.

        Before going in, how would I know that those Akatsuki members would be... in love with me? 

        ANSWER. You will have the ability to see the colors of their emotions. 

        What is this? Some psychic ability bullshit?

        EMOTION ANALYSIS SKILL ACQUIRED. With emotion analysis skills, you will be able to see these different colors with their respective meanings: brown for surprise; orange for crush or infatuation; yellow for friendship; pink for sweet love; purple for lust; blue for respect; red for passionate love; green for jealousy; black for hatred.

        Wow. Reminds me of a shoujo manga I know of. But she knew that the that purple and black colors sounded ominous.

         Your goal is to change the three members’ colors to red, but be careful for the ones that are black. Black can cause destructive effects to the whole relationship.

        Okay, okay, I get it. To be honest, she had a feeling that every member’s color would be black due to the manga plot line that she had read.

        With that said, she entered the door and was sucked into the void.

        After what felt like an eternity in darkness, the door finally slid open, revealing an eerily familiar sight—a large brick-red shrine standing solemnly across a still river. Behind it loomed a massive brown boulder, a single red tag plastered in its center, as if sealing something behind it.

       There was no mistaking it.

       This was the Akatsuki’s hideout—just like she had seen in the series.

       Despite being awed by the entrance and her urge to take non-existent photographs, she felt her legs shaking because of a certain problem.

       HEY, GREAT SAGE! Just why the hell are we directly in front of their entrance? Isn’t that a no-go? Isn’t this too dangerous?

        Silence.

       NOW, YOU IGNORE ME?

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. DEIDARA and SASORI are within sight. Be prepared.

        WHAT?! I’m not mentally prepared yet—

        “Hey, woman! You’re not supposed to be here, hmm!” a familiar voice called out. That was Deidara for sure.

        “She must be eliminated; she could be a ninja that was ordered to infiltrate our hideout,” a husky voice added. Sasori in his Hiruko, definitely.

        She turned her back towards the voice. She could see that iconic black chin-high cloak that was embellished by signature spots of red clouds of the Akatsuki that the two were wearing. Deidara’s yellow pony tail with his bang covering his left eye, and Sasori’s Hiruko puppet that had a turtle shape—she wished she could have seen his real form. She wished she could have time to take a good look of her favorite characters. She definitely wanted to take photographs of them!

        She raised her hands up. “W-wait, I’m not here to do anything harmful—”

        Deidara reached into his clay pouch, scooping out a handful of white clay and pressing it into the mouths on his palms. With a manic grin, he molded the substance into a swarm of medium-sized spiders before hurling them in her direction. He raised one hand, forming that infamous hand sign.

        Crap, he’s gonna make them explode! No choice but to use this!

        ICE RELEASE ACTIVATED. Ice Imprisonment has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        Her hands moved swiftly, muscle memory taking over. The moisture in the air crystallized, forming razor-edged glacial shards that swirled around the incoming spiders and encased them in thick ice. The dreaded explosions fizzled out before they could even start.

       She let out a breath of relief. Deidara, now standing alone before her, looked visibly startled.

        Wait, where did Sasori go?

        “You should be watching your back. How naïve.”

        She spun around instinctively—just in time to see a storm of sharp needles speeding toward her. Poisoned, no doubt. Classic Sasori.

        WATER RELEASE ACTIVATED. Water Formation Wall has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

       Her fingers flew into the Tiger Seal. A massive wave surged from the river below, rising into a towering wall of water that intercepted the needles mid-air, scattering them harmlessly to the ground. As the wave receded, droplets sprayed her face and soaked her hair, leaving her dripping—but she had no time to care

        I should not be doing this! “Guys, please listen to me! I’m not here to fight! I’m here to join the Akatsuki!” Wait???

        “You sure can speak such nonsense.” Before Sasori could attack her, another male voice called out.

        “Stop it right there. I’ve seen enough.” She knew exactly whose voice it belonged to.

        AKATSUKI MEMBERS LOCATED. LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Itachi Uchiha is within sight.

        She looked up, seeing herself surrounded by the mention Akatsuki members with Pein’s rippled Rinnengan eyes and Itachi’s crimson Sharingan eyes staring down towards her.

Chapter Text

        This was the worst situation she had been into. This was as if she had landed a shark. And although she knew that Pein could be frightening, seeing him in person created more impact towards her. And Itachi… she hoped that he did not have a bad impression towards her. That would ruin the whole mission.

        The Akatsuki members jumped down from the tree branches and swiftly landed in front of her besides Deidara and Sasori. She could not deny, but she was feeling over satisfied and ecstatic with the Akatsuki members before her. 

        Pein’s famous black piercings and striking orange hair, Konan’s paper rose origami, Hidan’s silver hair and Jashin necklace, Kakuzu’s the old man with tendrils, Zetsu the venus fly trap man, Kisame the shark guy… and the orange lollipop mask Tobi? Just why was he here? Which arc of Naruto Shippuden was she in?

        ANSWER. You’re currently in the Kazekage Rescue Mission Arc. This is before Gaara’s capture.

        Before Gaara’s capture? This was before Tobi, no Obito, was part of the Akatsuki. She was becoming suspicious of him, especially when she knew about his plans of the Eye of the Moon Plan.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The colors of the emotions of the members are as follow. Pein: black, Konan: black, Hidan: brown, Kakuzu: brown, Zetsu: brown, Kisame: brown, Tobi: brown. The color of emotions of your love interests are as follow. Itachi: brown, Sasori: brown, Deidara: brown.

        With that said, she started to see those respective colors flowing out from them in a form of an aura.

        Okay, at least my love interests are brown. She would understand why they would be surprised as she just appeared in front of their entrance. However, as for Pein and Konan, she understood why their colors would be black. Obviously cause she read the manga—

        “What’s your name?” Pein asked.

        It would be the most appropriate choice to fake her name. “It’s [Fake First Name] [Fake Last Name].”

        "Which village are you from?” His voice sounded as if he was gouge her eyes out if she lied.

        Shit! I don’t even know! Great Sage, help me!

        Silence.

        Again?!

        “Uh… I don’t belong to any village.” She smiled.

        “Hmm? You don’t belong to any? Well, judging from your jutsu just now, I’ve never seen anyone who could use both ice and water Chakra releases.”

        It’s actually every Chakra release though…

        “I heard that you’d want to join us?” Konan asked in a slightly softer tone compared to Pein.

        “Yes! I believe that the Akatsuki’s philosophy is to be revered and followed,” she spoke with sudden confidence. At least Konan was kind! She was one of her favorite female characters. And this was the only way she could think of in order to interact with them!

        “Ho? That’s very interesting! You should also join the path of Jashin!” Hidan called out.

        No thanks…

        "We might earn more money from recruiting her," Kakuzu added.

        Money is everything huh, Mr. Kakuzu.

        “Her Ice Release is very rare to find these days,” White Zetsu added.

        Wow, thanks for the compliment, Mr. Suspicious. She had read the manga.

        “And Water Release, she could be compatible with Samehada,” Kisame added.

        Uh, no. 

        "She can be Tobi's friend!" Tobi said.

        Sure... Mr. Suspicious #2.

        “Oi, are you sure about this, leader?” Sasori asked. “She could be trying to steal information about the Akatsuki.”

        Why are you so cautious, Sasori?! She knew that it would be hard to add any romance to begin with!

        “Sasori no danna, judging from her behavior and how she stopped my explosions with her beautiful ice crystals, I believe that she is also another artist, hmm! That’s why I support her!”

        Deidara, thank god! Maybe romance is possible!

        “Well, I don’t think she has any bad intentions, but I will be observing her,” Itachi said.

        Okay, makes sense.

        “There’s no way I’m accepting this,” Sasori said. “You guys are retards if you don’t understand the consequences.”

        “Very well. Then how about this?” Pein proposed, turning to Sasori. “Sasori, have a match with [Fake First Name]. If you win, she won’t be joining us.”

        “Sounds interesting,” Sasori replied, a grin clearly audible in his voice, even if hidden behind Hiruko’s shell.

        Huh?! WHY?! Sure, she knew Sasori was powerful—one of the reasons she liked him—but that didn’t mean she wanted to fight her crush! A quick glance around told her the other members were intrigued. Apparently, this match was unavoidable.

        “Looks like I have no choice,” she said nervously, squaring her shoulders.

        They moved deeper into the forest, to a clearing surrounded by massive, ancient trees. Thick vines twisted through their branches, and the dense canopy above barely allowed sunlight to touch the undergrowth. The clearing was quiet—too quiet.

        [First Name] stood across from Sasori, keeping a medium distance. The other Akatsuki members watched from the shadows between the trees, their presence heavy and expectant.

        “Let’s begin,” Sasori said smoothly.

        Smoke exploded from Hiruko, and when it cleared, a red-haired young man in the Akatsuki cloak stood smirking at her, hazel eyes gleaming.

        “I could’ve fought you as Hiruko,” he said, unrolling a scroll with practiced ease, “but I’d rather show you what real defeat looks like. This is the best form for that.”

        With a puff, the Third Kazekage puppet appeared—its arms bristling with poisoned blades, gleaming menacingly.

        Even though she fully understood the danger, she couldn’t help but internally scream: Oh my god. It’s Sasori in his real form.

        “What are you staring at?” he asked, tilting his head. “I’ll start the first attack.”

        Oh shoot. No time for this. And she thought that this was just a mere match! Sasori completely looked like he wanted to murder her!

        He moved his fingers as if he was playing the piano, causing the puppet attached to his chakra threads to hover towards her in dashing speed accompanied by by the ominous clatter of wood and metal. She knew that breaking the puppet into small pieces would simply be the best option as it would stop it from moving. The Great Sage did say that she had analytical abilities, didn't she? This was definitely the time to to use it.

        Great Sage, analyze Sasori!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. Sasori’s Third Kazekage puppet has the ability to use Magnet Release and its arms contains numerous poison blades. Since you don’t possess any puppets nor are there any puppets available, the Puppet Skill cannot be mimicked. Therefore, the most benefiting solution is to use Crystal Release to prevent him from using iron sand by crystallizing it within the molecular level.

        Okay, thanks. You finally answered me. God. 

        CRYSTAL RELEASE ACTIVATED. Crystal Pentagonal Prison has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        Her hands formed the Seal of Confrontation. “Crystal release: Crystal Pentagonal Prison!” A circle of light spiraled beneath the puppet, illuminating the battlefield. With a resonant cracking, [favorite color] crystal erupted upward, encasing the puppet in jagged, prismatic formations. Shimmering dust scattered into the air as Sasori’s chakra threads snapped, earning a sharp tsk from him.

        The other Akatsuki members remained silent.

        “Oi, what’s with that weird jutsu of yours?” Sasori asked. “I’ve never heard of Crystal Release before. And to be honest, from Ice, Water, to Crystal Release, just how many can you use?”

        Obviously, she could not answer that.

        “Well, it’s a secret!” she teased.

        “You really are interesting, you know that? It seems that I have great material for my puppet collection right in front of me. I will examine you to the bone!” His piercing hazel eyes bored into her [eyes color] ones.

        That sounded kind of wrong. Wait, what was she thinking! Anyway, she finally remembered another weakness of Sasori. It was his core! She had been rematching Sakura and Chiyo vs Sasori for a bunch of times after all. 

        “Hmm? That’s not happening because…” she dashed towards the man with her palm placed in front of his core beneath his cloak. His eyes widened. “I’m gonna destroy this precious—”

        Her knees buckled.

        WARNING. Chakra reserves have fallen below minimum limit. Entering sleep mode. Estimated time recovery: 2 days.

        She felt as if energy had been sapped from her body. Her vision darkened as her body collapsed to the ground.

Chapter Text

        [First Name] opened her heavy lidded eyes to see a wooden ceiling in geometrical grids above her. Her head had been resting on a soft pillow and her lower half had been covered by a comfy blanket of the futon. She groaned and placed her hand over her forehead that had been aching in pulses. She had no idea where she had been resting. She had never been to this room, nor had no idea who took her in. 

        Where am I?

        ANSWER. You’re currently inside the Akatsuki’s hideout. You’ve been sleeping for two days, allowing full recovery to be reached.

        Hideout? Memories then flushed into her mind. Wait, she fought with Sasori? And Deidara and Itachi talked to her? OH MY GOD! and Sasori mentioned that she was interesting?? He face started to burn up. However, she did not expect that her Chakra reserves would be that low! She had to do something about it. More importantly, and she was inside their hideout? She totally believed that they would have killed her or something. Kill… with the Akatsuki members planning to kill her made her confidence about the mission to fade away.

        Hey, Great Sage! What exactly happens if the mission fails?

        ANSWER. You won’t be able to return to your world. You’ll be trapped in the void and rot to death.

        She froze. Just because of a failed love matching mission would lead her to death. This was getting ridiculous! What? Are you serious? And really, just who are you, Great Sage?

        ANSWER CANNOT BE GIVEN.

        This had never happened before. What was this? Was it something not supposed to be asked? Before she could continue, the Great Sage spoke again.

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Deidara is within sight.

        “Thank god, you’ve finally woken up. We thought that you were suddenly dead or something. It’s been two days, hmm!” a voice called out.

        She moved her eyes to the door. Deidara and Konan walked in with a tray of food? She could not even believe that her love interest would be doing this! This was once in a million!

        They sat beside her futon.

        “Pein has granted permission for you to join the Akatsuki,” Konan said flatly. “Despite collapsing, your abilities were deemed sufficient. I'm Konan.”

        Really? That Pein was impressed? Well, at least she was a step forward towards her goal. And yes, she already knew her name. But… Sasori was fine with that?

        “I’m Deidara! Leader is right! I didn’t know that you could both use ice and crystal! As an artist, I would have to say that they are gorgeous, hmm!” Deidara added.

        That Deidara just complimented me! She blushed inside. Wait, this is my chance for this weird romance story!

        “I also think that your explosion art is magnificent,” she said with her eyes directly looking at his. “It looks really pretty when your clay explodes.”

        His blue eyes seemed to sparkle. “You really think so? You really are an artist, [Fake First Name] unlike danna who likes eternal beauty shit that I would never understand. Art is definitely beautiful when it’s ephemeral.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the emotion of your love interest is as follow. Deidara: yellow.

        Yellow as in friendship? She blinked as honey yellow aura flowed out of him slowly. She barely talked to him and merely recently joined, and he was already showing the friendship color. Was not this too easy or did Deidara just want to have an artist friend who appreciated his art? It was probably the latter. Aww, how cute.

        Konan placed the tray of food beside her. “Once you’re done eating, let’s go to the basement. Everyone is waiting. And if you have anymore questions about how we function, please ask me. We don’t really have female Akatsuki members here.”

        Konan was probably the kindest member she had seen so far. She was glad that she was transported in the arc when Konan was still present. However, Konan had never smiled once. [First Name] clearly understood why.

        After eating, [First Name] followed Konan and Deidara towards the basement. She never knew that there were actual rooms where the Akatsuki members resided in other than the basement itself. That was mostly because the anime nor manga showed the interior of their basement. She totally thought that they just stayed at the basement doing nothing but Tailed-Beasts extraction.

        She then reached that ominous dark, secluded cave with rocky surfaces with that gigantic Demonic Statue of the Other Path at the back. Its nine eyes were glaring at everyone near it, especially the young woman, and looked haunted to her with sharp spiky protrusions at its back. Actually being there herself made her legs shivered as the Akatsuki theme song played in her head. She could see the members of the Akatsuki all stood in a horizontal row behind the dominant orange-haired figure. She knew that there were intimidating in the anime but also in this world? She stood next to Konan.

        “First things first, I will introduce our members,” Pein stated. With that, he started to introduce the members, one by one, and they all gave a curt greeting respectively, but most was laced with indifference. Of course.

        Sasori remained emotionless (okay), while Itachi gave a small nod (Itachi is kind as always). 

        “Our goals are all the Tailed Beasts from One Tail to Nine Tails,” the leader continued. “I understand that the progress towards our ambition would be tough and the opponents are strong, but we will gather all of them and bring the great ambition of the Akatsuki to fruition. We eleven shall accomplish this. And remember, failure is not an option.”

        She remembered these words from the manga. But they all failed in capturing the tailed beasts in the end. It was kind of funny when listening to it.

        “[Fake First Name] [Fake Last Name], just think of the Akatsuki as a place that will protect you, a place where each of the members are cooperative.” Konan said. “Moreover, as long as you complete your work, anything else you care to do is your own business.”

        She nodded.

        “And we have a new mission,” Pein declared. “It’s to capture the one-tailed beast!”

        She knew this was coming. This was the Kazekage Rescue Mission Arc after all, and Gaara almost died in this part of the story! Although she liked the Akatsuki, it would not hurt to help the other Naruto characters, right?

        ANSWER. Yes, by helping other characters, it would not affect your mission. As long as you could accomplish it, there are no problems.

        That’s a relief.

        “For this mission, [Fake First Name] will be joining Deidara and Sasori,” the leader added. “It’s an opportunity for us to see her interpersonal skills as an Akatsuki.”

        What? She appreciated that she was now closer to her love interests, but Sasori’s piercing eyes were making her sweat in contrast to Deidara’s gleaming grin. Maybe Sasori was not satisfied with the battle?

        She had to end this animosity between her and him. She walked towards him. “Um… Sasori-san, I understand that you must be unsatisfied with me joining here because I’ve lost—”

        “What are you talking about?” he asked. “You truly have great artistic abilities with your Chakra natures; therefore, it would be a waste to kill you off. Moreover, that battle was a draw. I would not call it as lost at all.”

        She became slightly startled. She did not expect that not only Deidara but also Sasori to be complimenting her! What was going on today?

        “But…” His eyes bored into hers. “How did you know about the core? I’ve never revealed my puppet form to anyone.”

        Oh right! How could she completely let herself be this careless? She could have kept quiet about it!

        She smiled. “I just sensed that something should be there. You’re a puppet master after all.”

        She felt as if her heart skipped a beat.

        He sighed. “It looks like I’m not getting an answer from you immediately. That’s fine, but let me warn you, you're still suspicious, so if you were to probe the Akatsuki, I’ll kill you.” His voice was laced with menace.

        She closed her mouth shut. That would be understandable because her behaviors were purely guided by the Great Sage and her knowledge about Naruto, but she did not think that Sasori would be that protective of the Akatsuki. It was as if this place was his second home—

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the emotion of your love interest is as follow. Sasori: blue.

        Azure blue aura flowed out from the redhead. Respect? That was respect? That looked like he still wanted to murder her for good. She knew that she could not be relieved of anything. At least her Chakra natures were unintentionally perceived as art, allowing his color to change from brown to blue.

        “Anyway, your task is to go to Sand Village and capture that Jinchuuriki, Gaara, the fourth Kazekage,” Pein continued. 

        She gulped. It was time to fight (most likely avoid) for real.

Chapter Text

        During the next few days before the capture, [First Name] mostly talked with Deidara and Konan as they were the most approachable. Deidara constantly showed her his clay art, claiming that it was inspired by superflat, while Konan had been providing her with information about the Akatsuki, so she could understand how the group functioned better. She did not mind as she wanted to stay with them in peace, and would do anything for relationship development. In contrast, for Itachi's case, she had found it difficult to talk to him because he was always stuck with Kisame and was on long missions with him. She had no idea when they were coming back. Therefore, no progress could be made. As for the other Akatsuki members, they did not really interact much with her either, except for that masked member. She felt that Tobi had been conspicuously staring and following her almost everywhere as if he wanted to be found. She did not know his intentions, but it was very suspicious.

        However, she was also elated because not only it was the day of the mission, but also she was was finally receiving her Akatsuki cloak! Her eyes sparkled as she started visualizing herself wearing it as she had only seen it in cosplay events. She had always thought that the cloak looked super cool and intimidating with its red clouds, but she had never had the chance to wear it.

        She started to hum as she walked towards Konan’s room down the hallway as she had prepared the cloak for her.

        “Hey, [Fake First Name]-chan! How are you feeling? You’ve been out for two days!” Tobi came running towards her from behind.

        He appeared again, but towards her instead of the usual stalking. How strange.

        “I’m feeling better. Thanks, Tobi-san,” she replied as she focused her attention towards his orange mask. To come think of it, this was the first time she had talked with him directly. What did he need from her?

        “Just Tobi is fine!” 

        Her suspicions on him increased. Since he was already here, analyzing him would be the most appropriate choice.

        Great Sage, analyze Tobi, no, Obito Uchiha!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. Tobi, real name Obito Uchiha, is one of the main antagonists of the Naruto series. His ultimate plan along with Madara Uchiha is to trap the entire world in a dream to save mankind.

        I know that already! I need something else! Why the hell is he here? Is this too early for his appearance?

        ANSWER. Obito Uchiha’s appearance is indeed way too early in this plot line. However, it seems that he is plotting something. More information is needed to be analyzed.

        More information? She could not believe that even the Great Sage did not have any knowledge about it. She would also have to agree that Obito seemed to be plotting something.

        “But really, you’re not from any village?” his chiming voice penetrated her thoughts. “How could that be? Or are you amnesiac, or possibly a rogue ninja like us?”

        “Uh… no.” Why was he so curious?

        “Then how about your Chakra releases? How could you use so many of them?” He placed his finger on his mask and tilted his head.

        “I just trained a lot…” If she were to speak further, it would be dangerous.

        “Really? Is it because of your Kekkei Genkai? And how did you even know Sasori-senpai’s weakness? No one in the group knows about it.”

        “That’s just a coincidence…” She smiled. Sweats started to form in her palms.

        He leaned closer. “It’s as if you knew his ability fully well.”

        Why did he seem to know something about her? Did he know that she was not from this world? When did she expose—

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Itachi Uchiha is within sight.

        As soon as the Great Sage finished its words, a familiar voice called out.

        “Tobi, leader is calling for you. You should get going.”

        She looked behind, only to see that iconic long tear troughs and the Konoha headband that was crossed right through it horizontally. She could feel her face warm up. 

        “Ah, Itachi-san, welcome back! That was fast!” Tobi said and shifted away from you. He then made a salute with a loud “Yes sir!” and immediately dashed to his leader.

        Did Itachi just save her? Oh my lord! That ideal older brother that she used to fantasize all the time was now standing next to her. As she recollected her thoughts, she realized that Itachi was staring at her. Oh shoot. With her face slightly pink, she would have looked so weird right now!

        “Don't mind Tobi,” he said. “He’s always been prying in other people’s businesses.”

        How considerate! Unlike some redhead I know of. But she could not help but stare at his cold onyx eyes that were hiding his sorrow feelings about his past actions. He had probably regretted and felt guilty of the Uchiha massacre. Anyone would have the same reaction if they had to experience that traumatic event.

        “It’s ok, and thanks, Itachi-san.”

        He slightly raised his brow. “… Your face is red. Are you having a fever?”

        SHIT! My blush! Was it that obvious? “N-no, it’s a bit hot in here!” 

        He only gave a short silence. “Anyway, good luck with your mission.” He walked away.

        That's all? She had expected to have a longer conversation with him, but she understood why; it was not as if he wanted to be all chummy with the Akatsuki member after all. Moreover, seeing herself as a potential love interest was totally out of the question.

        ANSWER. That seems to be so. Good luck with that.

        I don’t need your opinion on that! And I thought you were supposed to be neutral!

        That’s the truth. According to the Emotion Analysis, there is no color present, meaning that he is indifferent.

        Indifferent? She could feel as if she was being absorbed into the hells of hopelessness. Why was everything so hard? She had had experiences with otome games (not like she was pro at it), but Itachi was the most difficult character ever! At first, Sasori seemed to be an annoying character to create any romance with, but respect was certainly a development when compared to Itachi. Deidara was also way too easy. Everything was too complicated for her.

        After reaching Konan’s room, [First Name] could not help but gawk the interior design. There were neatly stacked origami papers on the table, in which many of them were folded into different kinds of flowers. Her room was also spotless unlike her own room where Naruto manga scattered everywhere. The sweet smell of rose entered her nostrils. 

        “Here’s your cloak.” Konan, who was standing near a shelf, said as she gave her the famous black high chin cloak.

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. The Akatsuki cloak is made out of high quality wool infused with Chakra. Impact from heat and cuts can be nullified. 

        That was unnecessary information, but she could not deny that as she felt the slightly soft fabric in her fingers, she wanted to jump around. She finally had her own cloak after all!

        Konan’s face seemed to darken. “[Fake First Name], I still don’t agree with Pein sending you to this mission as you’re still new, but you have to come back, okay?”

        She did not expect Konan to be that considerate. She knew that Konan was the most empathetic member among the Akatsuki, but not towards her.

        “Konan-san, why are you being so kind to me? You don’t know much about me yet,” she asked.

        “I just have a feeling that you don’t have any bad intentions in joining here, and it’s the first time we have a second female member joining us. That’s all.” Her face remained glum.

        [First Name] could understand what Konan had been through before this version of Akatsuki was established. 

        “… Konan-san, you should smile a bit more. It’d probably look good on you. And of course I’m coming back with those two,” she smiled. 

        The violet-haired woman seemed to be quite startled for a moment.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the Akatsuki member is as follows. Konan: brown. 

        Well, that was not intentional, but oh well.  At least there was slight changes within Konan's feelings. Donning the Akatsuki’s cloak and wearing the straw hat in her head, she was off to her first mission.

Chapter Text

        Outside the basement, she was immediately met with Deidara’s usual grin and Hiruko’s sharp reprimand about how much he hated waiting in the forest—especially when the birds wouldn’t stop chirping. Honestly, it was nothing new. She had grown used to their personalities by now.

        Deidara molded his clay into a massive, minimalist bird with wide wings.

        “Get on,” he said.

        Her knees buckled. She hated heights. Hated them. But there was no other way to get to the Sand Village—this was their mode of transport, after all. Still, the thought of soaring who-knows-how-high through the sky made her stomach churn. And if they were going covertly, that meant flying really high. One wrong move and—splat.

        ANSWER. You’ll be flying approximately 7620 km above the ground for two days. If you were to fall off, you would die for sure.

        Great Sage, you’re not helping me! And just why are you emphasizing on the word “die”?

        “U-uh, I don’t like heights…” she softy whimpered. 

        “HUH?” the young blond asked. His eyes widened. “Are you serious, hmm?!”

        “Such incompetence,” Sasori muttered.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The colors of the emotions of your love interests are as follows. Deidara: brown. Sasori: brown.

        She would understand why those two were so surprised. Weren’t ninja supposed to be able to adapt to anything situation even in air? She started to feel sorry for them.

        “No choice, huh?” Deidara asked and then patted his shoulder. “Then grab onto me. You’re scared that you’d fall off, aren’t you?”

        Her face flushed. Deidara… was letting her hold onto him?! That was physical contact! Direct physical contact! She hadn’t even gotten this close to anyone back in her own world. She was about to decline, but Sasori’s murderous glare from the side convinced her otherwise. With a stiff nod, she climbed onto the clay bird, sat down, and—with trembling hands—gripped Deidara’s broad shoulders.

        Her eyes darted around in a panic. Oh my god oh my god oh my god—this was basically a hug! Meanwhile, Sasori climbed on behind her, radiating the energy of a very unimpressed chaperone.

        The bird flapped its wings and took off, cutting swiftly through the air.

        As [First Name] observed the moving white clouds behind the young blond’s back and her skin brushed by the cool wind, she started to recall the whole Kazekage Rescue Mission Arc. Kankuro, Gaara, Sakura, and other members from both the Leaf and Sand Village were injured, Chiyo died in the process—she did not want this dreadful event to occur before her eyes. She had to change it.

        “I have a request. When capturing the Jinchuuriki, can we not kill anyone during the process?” she asked. 

        “You’re still a brat I see,” Sasori scoffed from behind. “Here, we’d do anything we can in order to capture all the Tailed Beasts, That includes murder. I don’t know where the hell you got it from, but reality is not all happy-go-lucky.”

        That was true.

        “I know… but we don’t actually need to go that far, right? We just need the Jinchuuriki. That’s it.” Please agree!

        “Your naiveness is going to dig your own grave,” Sasori said. “Grow up.”

        She felt a burning sensation in her throat. “And just why are you being so pessimistic?” Wow, even if he has the bishonen looks, Sasori is being such a dick in here.

        Agree. 

        Even the Great Sage agrees!

        “You two, stop arguing! Sasori no danna, at least respect her opinion! That’s not cool, man!” Deidara interrupted. “And [Fake First Name], Sasori no danna is a veteran in battlefield. Although he sounds mean, there is some grain of truth in it, hmm.”

        She would have to agree on that. He was not called Sasori of the Red Sand for nothing.

        “And to be honest, even if I really want to show those Sand shinobi the magnificence of my art, we’re doing this mission covertly, so I would rather not get involved with other people, or else it would be much more troublesome, but," he moved his eyes towards her, "it’s undeniable that we have to teach [Fake First Name] how the Akatsuki fights in battlefield.”

        Did that mean that Deidara agreed with her? YAS! 

        “Hmph. I would not want to get involved in taking care of this brat. What a waste of time.”

        “She’s definitely still inexperienced, hmm.”

        And just why is everyone thinking of her as a kid? It’s understandable that Sasori is 35 years old, but she’s around Deidara’s age!

        ANSWER. I guess it’s just your personality.

        SHUT UP!

        After two days with [First Name] unintentionally sleeping on Deidara’s back from time to time and then blushing from regret (Deidara didn’t mind), the bottom that used to be purely evergreen patches of tress changed into oxidized sea of sand. 

        SAND VILLAGE LOCATED. Your destination will be reached within 5 km. 

        Despite getting some dust into her eyes, she slightly opened her mouth at the landscape. The whole area was covered in arid dunes and powdery hills that blew away due the strong breeze. There were also huge gritty cliffs of rocks that protected the spherical buildings that seemed to be made out of stucco with elaborate details. It was a breathtaking view. 

        Landing at the entrance, also made out of cliffs, the three were welcomed by a sand shinobi, who turned out to be Sasori’s spy in concordance to the story, allowing free entry inside the village. However, as she began to feel her chest beating fast (she was still not mentally prepared to fight against anyone), Deidara told her to wait with Sasori outside of the village’s entrance as he planned to capture Gaara by himself.  At first she was planning to go with him to prevent Gaara from being badly injured, but Deidara told her that he could handle it alone as an artist. Although that was not a lie, she could not help but feel worried as Gaara did rip his arm off in the story. That would definitely not be artistic.

        But being stuck with Sasori alone… it was so quiet and awkward that she wanted to sink into the ground. She had to say something.

        “Sasori-san, I’m sorry for raising my voice at you,” she apologized.

        “Well, that was what I was expecting from a brat.”

        Is he still trying to pick a fight?

        “Since we have nothing to do, let me ask you a question. What does the word ‘art’ mean to you?”

        Yo, I don’t know either! Do I look like an art student to you? She remembered failing art class during high school. She could not draw, paint, or even sculpt! And Sasori seemed that he would be very infuriated if she did not offer him a good answer.

        WORD DEFINED. Art is the expression or application of human creativity and imagination, typically in a visual form to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power (Dictionary).

        Oh my lord. You also did in-text citation for this definition?! And from Dictionary? Are you serious? Sasori would kill her if she answered it that way.

        She then had an idea. “To me, art is freedom of expression. Art allows humans to express their feelings and thoughts to their own subconsciousness.” Did it sound too generic?

        “That’s an interesting perspective you have there.” Phew. “Elaborate on it. I want to hear more thoughts from an artist like you.”

        He still wants me to keep going? “Uh, like you know that art style, surrealism where it uses irrational juxtapositional images to convey a message.” That was all she could remember during her modern art unit!

        “That’s a pretty fascinating approach to art, but I’ve never heard of it. Where did you learn this from?”

        Oh shoot. Maybe modern art wasn’t such a thing in the Naruto world--

        KANKURO LOCATED. Be prepared to fight.

       She immediately landed her eyes forward, seeing the mentioned sand shinobi with his signature purple face paint before the two with scrolls in his hands.

        Sasori seemed to smirk inside his puppet. "Seems like we won't be as bored anymore."

Chapter Text

         Three scrolls lay unrolled on the ground, black-inked characters boldly etched across the center of each parchment. The face-painted Sand shinobi knelt down, hands clasped together in focus.

        “Karasu! Kuroari! Sanshō!” Kankuro shouted.

        Puffs of smoke burst from the scrolls, followed by the familiar clatter of wooden limbs—his puppets had arrived.

        [First Name] flinched slightly. Wasn’t Kankuro supposed to show up after Gaara was already captured? Something felt off. Deidara hadn’t returned yet either.

        ANSWER. According to the original plot line, Kankuro is supposed to appear after Gaara’s capture. However, it seems that there is some change in the order of events. 

        Again? That left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was becoming peculiar to her. However, fighting against this sand shinobi was more urgent to her. She could only sigh inside. She knew exactly how this match was going to end, obviously with Kankuro being poisoned to the point his entire body became paralyzed. Without Sakura’s medical assistance, he would not have survived. Even if that was the case, just by looking at all of this about to be unfolded, she could not help by feel heavy weight in her chest. She felt pity for Kankuro who would have to fight against the creator of his own puppets. How unlucky! At least, she could knock him out without leaving any fatal injuries. 

        She stepped forward “Please let me handle this—”

        In an instant, Sasori’s metallic scorpion tail shot toward her, its sharp point stopping just shy of her throat.

        She froze.

        “A brat like you should just watch,” he snapped coldly. “I’ll show you how an Akatsuki fights.”

        I thought you weren’t interested in teaching me. “ O-okay,” she whispered, sweat starting to bead along her brow.

        “Giving me a handicap?” Kankuro asked. “Very well. The results would be the same after I defeat you and her afterwards!”

        “I’m your opponent. That’s final.”

        Within five minutes, [First Name] could only stare as Kankuro collapsed, twitching on the dusty ground, his limbs jerking weakly from the poison. Her eyes flicked to Sasori’s tail—the same one that had paralyzed him. What if it had been me instead?

        It was exactly as she remembered. Still, witnessing it in real time left her stunned. Sasori hadn’t wasted a single movement. Every strike had been precise, intentional—lethal. Meanwhile, he hadn’t even budged from his place. Not a scratch on him.

       She knew it would be lethal if she just left Kankuro alone. She had to do something. She ran towards the collapsed body and bent down.

        “What the hell are you doing?” Sasori asked. 

        “Just checking if you completely knocked him out!” she answered and focused her attention onto the bleeding chest. She could see dark liquids of toxin still dribbling down from it.

        Great Sage, analyze!

        DAMAGE REPORT. Poison made out of arsenic, lead, and mercury has entered Kankuro’s bloodstream and is destroying muscle cells. Symptoms are as follows: paralysis, numbness, and death within three days.

        That was worst that she had thought. Even for Sakura, she needed to use various types of medicine and tools to extract all of the poison out, which was not what she had possessed at the moment. What could she even do here—

        ENHANCED HEALING ACQUIRED. Objective: Poison detoxification. Would you like to use it on Kankuro?

        She became silent for a moment as she repeated those words in her mind. Wait, Great Sage, you could do that?!

        ANSWER. You’re now able to heal any sorts of medical injuries in an incredible speed.

        She deadpanned. Wow, anything could happen as the Great Sage had mentioned earlier on. That would be great to use it on Kankuro who she knew that he was going to die soon without any medical aid.

        And just why didn’t you tell me earlier?

        Didn’t think you’d need it, brat.

        Okay, nice.

        I repeat. Would you like to use it on Kankuro?

        Of course, yes!

        She immediately then placed her hand that was radiating with turquoise Chakra onto the injured’s bleeding chest. She made sure that it was not as visible as Sasori could have slit her throat at that moment. She could see that one of Kankuro’s onyx eyes were still slightly opened.

        “I’m here to help you.” she whispered.

        He closed his eye shut.

        HEALING COMPLETED. Poison detoxification is successful.        

        His ashen, pallid face reverted back to its usual coloration.

        That was more effective that I had expected. With her chest being weighing lighter, she then gave a sign to the Akatsuki behind her that Kankuro was completely defeated. Around the same time, Deidara came gliding in the air on his bird, with the fourth Kazekage’s unconscious body with fractures of sand guard present on his face, wrapped in its tail. Deidara, as expected, had his arm ripped off, and was wincing at the pain. She would have wanted to heal Gaara, so that he would at minimum, survive after the Jinchuuriki extraction; however, Sasori was not going to miss it this time. 

        “We’re better get outta here before the villagers know what’s up,” Deidara called out.

***

        Perched once again on Deidara’s clay bird high above the dusty sky, she held tightly onto his shoulders. Her eyes kept drifting to his injured arm, where thick, viscous blood continued to ooze out, and then to Gaara—still unconscious, his condition uncertain.

        That familiar weight settled in her chest. But first, she had to tend to her comrade.

        “Deidara, show me your arm,” she said calmly.

        He lifted the torn limb toward her, streaked with crimson blotches. His skin looked like it was screaming in pain.

        “Even without my arm, I’m still an artist, hmm!” he grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “But honestly... I underestimated him. Our opponent was a Jinchūriki, after all.”

        She already knew that. She also knew he was lucky to still be conscious.

        ENHANCED HEALING ACTIVATED. Objective: Arm reconstruction. Would you like to use it on Deidara?  

        Yes.

        She raised her hands over the wound. A soft turquoise light began to glow, enveloping the torn flesh. Slowly, striated muscles stretched from the severed edges, sinew reconnecting as new bones—humerus, radius, and ulna—formed and aligned. Veins and arteries branched out, oxygen-rich blood flowing through them, and new skin wrapped itself over everything like a final brushstroke on a masterpiece.

        HEALING COMPLETED. Arm reconstruction is successful.

       Deidara stared, mouth slightly open in disbelief. “Wait… did you just reconstruct my hand, hmm?!”

        He flexed his fingers, turning his arm this way and that in awe. 

        “Yep.”

        “This isn't a skill that any medical nin could do, but damn that’s awesome! Thanks a lot!” he beamed. “I didn’t know you could also heal, and even to this extent! You must have great artistic skills, [Fake First Name]!”

        Her chest heated up. That was the first time she was thanked for such a long time. In her world she had never had the chance to help anyone out as they would only react negatively and unaccepting of her if she had done so. However, they were not to be blamed for. It was her instead. She was the one who had that irresponsible personality that made everyone avoided her. If she could have only changed--

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: yellow.

        The same honey yellow aura flowed out of the man. I got friendzoned again? Was Deidara also difficult to gain special feelings from? Better than brown in her opinion.

        Sasori, who was behind her, seemed to be silent throughout the whole retreat. Maybe he was fascinated about her healing abilities? Nonetheless, Gaara’s condition was making her feel anxious.

        Hey, Great Sage, when a tailed-beast is extracted from its Jinchuuriki, the Jinchuuriki dies, isn’t it? Is there anything we could do with enhanced healing?

        ANSWER. No. Even with enhanced healing, it is impossible to revive the dead. 

        She was not expecting to hear that from the one who could do it all. She gritted her teeth in silence. There were limitations to what the Great Sage could do too. Then what am I supposed to do?! I don’t want anyone to die!

        The best solution is to rely on Chiyo’s Reanimation Jutsu as seen in the plotline.

        GODDAMN IT! Reanalyze! Your calculations must be wrong! There should be at least a solution that she could agree to!

        My calculations are not wrong. Although it’s not your mission to interact with other characters in the story, you’re currently involving yourself in unnecessary matter. I would suggest you to refrain from doing so.

        Her face darkened. Obviously, she was aware of that. She knew that Gaara would be saved in the end anyways but with Chiyo’s sacrifice. She started to understand what Sasori really meant on how reality was not as happy-go-lucky as she had thought it would have been.

        But was there really nothing she could do?

        As soon as she stepped off the clay bird outside the boulder-covered entrance, she removed her straw hat and let out a sigh. After this, she would be expected to participate in the Tailed Beast Extraction—an event where she couldn’t do anything to help the poor Kazekage. The helplessness gnawed at her.

        There was so much happening that she didn’t even know where to begin sorting her thoughts. In contrast, Deidara was still grinning like a lunatic, completely unfazed, as if regaining his arm had erased all his problems. Sasori… was acting strangely. He hadn’t moved—just stood there in his usual stiff posture, completely silent.

        “Sasori-san, you’re not going in?” she asked, voice tentative. “Are you okay—”

        Before she could finish, smoke exploded from the puppet.

        In an instant, her back slammed against the uneven cave wall. A hand clamped tightly around her throat, fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. Her breath caught. And then she saw them—those sharp, hazel eyes, glaring into her soul with murderous rage.

        “Oi, just what the hell did you back there?” His voice, laced with menace, lowered. His grip tightened. “Don’t act dumb. You healed the enemy, didn’t you?!”

        Deidara’s eyes widened. 

        Shoot. Did he find out? But this is bad. Her lungs were suffocating. Her throat felt as if it was going to break at any time soon. 

        WARNING. Oxygen concentration levels are constantly depleting. It would be fatal if you don’t escape soon.

       She wanted to move. To form a seal. But her limbs were weakening fast.

        “Danna, calm down! She’s our teammate!” Deidara grabbed at Sasori’s arm, trying to pry him off. “Why would you think so?”

        “Before you arrived, I thought it was weird that she was checking on that Kankuro brat, but it turned out that she was secretly healing him. I knew it. She is a traitor!” He then moved his eyes to the partner. “And you, you’re such a blockhead. You’re trusting her too much. That’s why I hate brats!”

        She had underestimated his perceptive skills. “… That’s not it… I… I told you that our only target was the Jinchuuriki… others are not involved…” she choked.

         “I don’t care about your optimistic ideals. Although I would say that it is impressive for you to be able to find the cure for my poison, I’m gonna kill you right now.” He took out a grimy black poisoned needle that she had never seen before and aimed it at her throat. "Let see if you could cure it this time."

        Are you serious? It had not even been long ever since she was sent to this world, but now she was going to get killed by her love interest. Wasn't this a dead end? Wow, and seeing the face of this bishonen before her death was such a ridiculous moment in her life! How could this be?

        “If you don’t let her go, I’ll have to get rid of your hand, hmm!” Deidara was about to throw clay explosives, but both of his and Sasori’s hand were pulled away.

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Itachi Uchiha is within sight.

       [First Name]’s knees gave out beneath her as she collapsed, gasping for air. Her vision blurred, but through the haze she caught sight of familiar jet-black hair tied in a low ponytail.

        Sasori’s glare snapped toward Itachi. “She’s not a member! She’s the one who—”

        “I’ll handle her,” Itachi interrupted calmly. “You two return to the basement and begin the One-Tailed Beast extraction. We’re running out of time.”

        Clicking his tongue in frustration, Sasori turned away. Deidara cast a quick glance at the girl, then silently followed Sasori into the depths of the hideout.

        Itachi’s gaze settled on the young woman still wheezing on the ground. “Get up. We need to talk.”

Chapter Text

        The young woman’s palms sweated. Her frazzled nerves jumped all together. Her stomach shifted uneasily as black onyx eyes fixated onto hers. She sat on a log in the opposite direction of the Akatsuki member who did not move an inch ever since they had arrived inside the forest. As much as she had wanted to heal Gaara, she knew for sure that Itachi would not allow her to do so.

        “So I heard that you healed Kankuro, that Jinchuuriki’s brother, didn’t you?” Itachi asked. “Why did you do that?”

        She had to be honest. “… I just did what was right. Our only target was the Jinchuuriki. Other than that no harm should be inflicted on anyone else.”

        He closed his eyes. “I see. Then let me ask you a question. What if that shinobi whom you have healed started attacking you?”

        She became silent. That was a possibility. In Kankuro’s eyes she was the enemy that he had to defeat. There was no guarantee that he was going to suddenly become comrades with her.

        “I think that was what Sasori was trying to convey, even if it was not as obvious as it should have been. Although he doesn’t express it, he cares about the Akatsuki, including their own members. He’s also ready to judge everyone as a traitor if he found anything suspicious.”

        That meant that Sasori was concerned about her? How could this be? And why did it feel like she had just broken his trust? She stopped in her tracks as she remembered that aloof member’s backstory. His parents were killed in the mission without anyone telling him the truth after all. She could not imagine how he had felt when realizing that drastic reality on his own, and coping with it by sleeping with puppets resembled his parents every night in order to feel less lonely. How could she not be aware of this? 

        Her guilt weighted like iron. “I’m sorry.” If she were to see him again, she would have to apologize.

        He seemed to be a bit startled by her answer. “That’s fine."

        Did I say something wrong?

        “Now, let me ask a serious question,” his eyes narrowed, “From various Chakra natures, supreme healing ninjutsu that had never been seen before, and seemingly profound knowledge of the Akatsuki members, what are you?” 

        Itachi was as sharp as seen in the manga. If she were to say that she was a normal psychology student, suddenly sent to this world, and was given super powers, just what would he say?

        “… I just like doing research and train myself,” she replied. 

        “I don’t think by simply researching and training, you would achieve this much knowledge and skills. It is as if you are being told and given those skills.”

        Darn! Was her identity going to be exposed now? She had not even made any progress with him!

        “Are you…"

        She bit her lips.

        "... related to Orochimaru?” 

        She blinked. She could not believe what she was being asked. Oro…chimaru? An image of that pale, androgynous face with golden eyes and purple markings emerged in her mind. NO!

        “No, no, no! I mean, I would understand why you would say that, but I’m not related to that snake pervert!” 

        “Snake pervert…?” he paused for a moment. 

        Did Itachi just feel flustered?

        He then reverted back to his usual solemn look. “By saying snake pervert, you must know a lot about him too. But with all of that said, what I wanted to tell you the most is that..." he clasped his hands together, "leave the Akatsuki."

        She froze.

        "Even if you’d probably know by now, the Akatsuki is willing to commit murder if anyone is in the way, including friends, comrades, and even family members. With a person as empathetic as you, you’d probably suffer afterwards. Therefore, it would be wise if you leave now.”

        She stayed still. How could she possibly follow that? She was just finally getting to interact with her love interests, and now she had to leave? However, Itachi did have a point. If she were to continue helping others, the Akatsuki would be questioning her intentions. She then remembered the Great Sage’s warnings about her being too much involved unnecessarily.

        “I’m not trying to be mean, but have a think about it—” He stood up as a sudden huge flock of birds came flying out from the trees out of panic. 

        The young woman did the same and could hear loud thumps of timber falling down, one after another. 

        “Looks like we’ve been attacked.” 

        LEAF SHINOBI LOCATED. Deidara is currently fighting against Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake. Sasori is currently fighting against Chiyo and Sakura Haruno. Kisame Hoshigaki is currently fighting against Team Guy.

        They’re here already? Why was everything happening so fast?

        “We’d have to call this discussion an end for now. See you later.” With that, he weaved his hand sign and faded out.

        What to do now? Itachi’s suggestion surely did engrave into her mind. It was possible that he was looking out for her like he did for his beloved brother, Sasuke. ARGH! And now the climatic battle in this arc had just begun, and she did not even want to get involved in it! But she would have to help them as an Akatsuki, wouldn’t she? The problem is helping who? Deidara or Sasori? What about Gaara? Why was everything so complicated? Her head ached. There was so much to think about right now!

        ANSWER. In the original plot line, Sasori is killed by Chiyo and Sakura, while Deidara still survives. The best decision is to assist Sasori.

        She frowned. Of course she knew that, but helping Sasori—after what he’d just done to her? He probably hated even the sight of her now. And even if she did step in, he’d likely reject her help or worse, attack her again.

        NOTICE. If your love interest ends up dying, you'll have failed your mission.

        She ruffled her hair. Okay, okay, I’ll go!

        Reaching the basement that had been demolished with pieces of oxidized rocks, spiky rods of coal-black iron sand and dismembered puppet limbs, she peeked to see that cherry blossomed haired young woman and that light purple haired old woman, whom were tattered with purplish bruises and bleeding wounds, hiding behind one of the rocks from that mousy red haired member. He was now in his distinguishable puppet body with metallic spinning claws attached to his lower back, poisoned stinger in his stomach cavity, and a “core of living flesh” in the left with the Kanji for “Scorpion” written in red.

        To come think of it, it was the first time she had met other Naruto characters besides the Akatsuki themselves. She could not help but stare at Sakura's cherry blossom hair. Although only Rock Lee had mentioned it, she would have to agree that her hair did look beautiful as if she was the princess of cherry blossoms. [First Name] shook her head to disregard that thought. Did she really have to fight those two? She really had no grudges against them (well, she did think that Sakura was pretty annoying) and they were obviously heavily injured, but if she were to appear in the middle of the battlefield, what would Sasori say? He obviously hated her guts. Oh right! She knew what to do! It sounded like a dumb idea to her, but she had got no choice.

        TRANSFORMATION JUTSU ACTIVATED. Please weave your hand signs.

        She held the Ram sign. Smoke erupted from her body, revealing the familiar mousy red hair, hazel eyes, turquoise nails, and chin-high Akatsuki cloak. She knew that she would receive a ballad of reprimands after this, but who cared anymore. She then dashed into the battlefield in a swift in front of the three shinobis who froze as soon as she landed.

        Sakura slightly opened her mouth. “… There are two Sasoris? How is that possible?”

        “There’s no time to be thinking! Sakura, you take the one with the cloak, while I deal with him!” Chiyo said and reverted her attention back to the real Sasori.

        Sasori, on the other hand, raised his brows. “Oi, I don’t know what you’re planning, but don’t get in my way.”

        Of course that’s not happening because if I don’t save your ass, you’d probably die. “What are you talking about?” [First name] asked in the man’s voice. “I’m the real Sasori. Let’s continue the fight, shall we?” She moved her eyes to the man who was still staring at her with puppet eyes that were unmoving. How creepy.

        Great Sage, analyze Sasori’s puppet technique once again!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. PUPPET TECHNIQUE MIMICKED. Please select your puppet to apply your technique.

        Compared to last time, there were more than enough puppets for her to use here. She looked at the leftover almost broken puppets that were lying down on the rocks. She raised her hands towards them, allowing blue Chakra threads from her fingers to connect with their wooden limbs. She then smirked. Let’s see how effective this is.

        She moved her fingers in a rapid speed, hovering her selected puppet donned in a red cloak to Sakura. Its hands brought out piercing katana swords and began swinging them, ready to slice flesh. The leaf kunoichi charged at her and managed to dodge left and right from the two blades despite receiving a few bleeding lacerations with pants. [First Name] would not deny, but it was impressive that she was still enduring until now (yes, she did hear many people were unsatisfied with Sakura’s lack of development afterwards, which was such a shame).

        The leaf kunoichi kicked the puppets hands with her fullest power, flinging their swords out from their hands. She then jumped up high with her fist aiming towards [First Name] like it was a heavy hammer.

        “SHANNAROU!” she roared.

        [First Name] knew that her puppets would be too slow to block her punch. [First Name] pulled her hands away from her puppet, releasing the Chakra threads. There was only one way to finish this.

        Great Sage, analyze Sakura Haruno!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. ENHANCED STRENGTH MIMICKED. Would you like to use it on Sakura Haruno?

        Yes!

        Although this is cheating, no hard feelings, okay? She whisked her head to right, avoiding Sakura’s heavy blow. She then clenched her hand and ushered her iron fist towards the Sakura’s abdomen, sending her flying towards the end of the basement. Sakura heaved. Her body collapsed onto the ground. She became motionless.

        [First Name] did not think that Sakura’s had so much strength. She would have to be careful from now on. Furthermore, that was not Sasori-like, but whatever.

        “Sakura!” Chiyo yelled from the other side.

        Miss, she’s not dead. [First Name] then turned her head towards Sasori who was inside his new puppet body donned with a red cloak. His limb now armed with a sword raised upwards towards the elderly who was down on her knees, panting for breath.

        “You’re dead, old hag!” He swung the sword at her neck.

        Shoot. He’s clearly going to kill her! Before [First Name] could do anything, two humanoid puppets, one with the same mousy red hair, and the other with dark brown hair, stabbed their swords through his core. Viscous blood slowly trickled down. Sasori, now eyes widened, coughed up blood.

Chapter Text

        “You lowered your guard at the end, Sasori,” Chiyo gasped—then collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap.

        Without thinking, [First Name] sprinted toward Sasori, eyes wide as she took in the sight of blood dripping from his mouth. Her throat went dry. She knew this battle’s outcome—had memorized it from the canon—but witnessing it unfold in real life made her blood boil. This wasn’t fiction anymore. This was real. She couldn't take it.

        Sasori’s puppet body grinned lazily. “I don’t know who the hell you are or why you're impersonating me, but go ahead. Kill me. I’ve already lost—”

        His wooden head whipped sideways at a jarring angle as her fist collided with his cheek. A loud crack echoed. She was breathing heavily, steam rolling off her form as her [hair color] hair and [eye color] eyes blazed into view, no longer disguised.

        Her expression darkened. How could he still be so emotionless?

        “This is for Lady Chiyo,” she said coldly, her voice stripped of its usual warmth.

        Sasori raised his eyebrows slightly and chuckled, straightening his head back into place. “Well, this is unexpected. The traitor was masquerading as me all along? Tch. Can’t let my guard down even once. But you should know—this body doesn’t feel pain.”

        “Yeah,” she muttered, tightening her fist, “that’s why I’m hitting you again.”

        Her next punch struck his abdomen, tearing through the hollow in his core. He coughed, blood splattering across his chest—some even landed on the glassy eyes of the puppets beside him, like red tears trailing down.

        “This one’s for Sakura.”

        His gaze flicked up to her [eye color] eyes. “How foolish. Even if someone of my own blood—like my old hag—died right here, I wouldn’t feel a thing. My heart and body are one and the same. I’ve killed hundreds, maybe thousands. She’s just another name on the list. It’s easier that way—”

        Her foot connected with his face, sending him crashing down along with the puppets modeled after his parents. The sound of splintering wood echoed as they landed.

        “And this one is for me—because you pissed me off.” Her voice quivered with restrained rage. “How dare you treat human life like it’s worthless.”

        The Sand Village's twisted philosophy… It all made sense now. It was disgusting, really. Her professor once said culture shapes the mind—and Sasori was living proof of that. But she was done listening to this lunatic.

        “…Is that really something a shinobi should say?” he asked, limbs twitching weakly. “Especially an Akatsuki? You don’t belong with us.”

        She narrowed her eyes. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t. But that’s not gonna stop me from knocking some damn sense into you.”

        He fell silent.

        She yanked the swords from his chest and threw them aside, kneeling next to his fallen form.

        DAMAGE REPORT: Sasori’s core is rapidly losing chakra and blood. Fatal outcome imminent without immediate intervention.

        She pressed her glowing, turquoise-chakra-covered hands against his deteriorating core.

        “Are you trying to heal me?” he asked, incredulous. “Don’t bother. My chakra’s nearly gone. I’ll cease functioning soon.”

        “Shut up,” she snapped.

        Great Sage, analyze!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. Sasori’s core contains living flesh and high concentrations of chakra. Despite enhanced healing, full restoration is unlikely due to insufficient biological material.

        She clenched her jaw. Was her love interest—no, her idiot—really going to die in front of her?

        “Do you have any more of your human parts left?” she blurted out. It was a strange question, but she had to ask.

        He scoffed. “No. I discarded everything when I turned myself into a puppet. Why?”

        “There has to be another way…” she muttered.

        Great Sage, reanalyze!

        Her eyes scanned his bleeding core, desperate. There had to be something. Anything she could use.

        “You’re really trying to save me?” he asked, voice as flat as ever. “Shouldn’t you be healing the other two first? They’ll die within two days.”

        Of course she knew that. “I’ll take care of them after. You come first.”

        He gave a weak laugh. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in your half-baked ‘friendship games.’”

        “And when,” she growled, “are you finally going to take me seriously? I’m not playing.”

        REANALYSIS COMPLETED. Sasori’s core contains viable stem cells capable of dividing and differentiating into specialized human tissues. Formation of organs and systems is possible due to heightened emergent biological properties.

        Her eyes widened. YES. It was a sliver of hope! She didn’t fully understand what the Sage was saying, but the word “organs” had to mean something promising.

        She still couldn’t tell a prokaryote from a eukaryote—but who would’ve thought her high school biology nightmares might actually save a life?

        ENHANCED HEALING ACTIVATED. Objective: Full body reconstruction. Would you like to use it on Sasori?

        She stopped in her tracks. Wait, full body reconstruction? Arm reconstruction was one thing, but full body? 

        Hey, Great Sage, I know that you can do anything, but that’s also possible? Isn’t it a bit too much?

        ANSWER. Yes, as mentioned earlier, you are able to heal any sorts of medical injuries. However, for this case you would have to also switch to auto-healing mode where I can assist to my fullest extent. Moreover, by using full body reconstruction, all of your Chakra reserves will be depleted and cause temporary comatose stage. There is a 50% chance of you not waking up at all.

        She lowered her eyes. Even if there were risks, she knew for sure that she ready had to save him… she had to save this lonely puppet master.

        I don’t care. Do it.

        The Great Sage was silent for a moment.

        UNDERSTOOD. SWITCHING TO AUTO-HEALING MODE in 3…

        Thanks. I’m counting on you.

        She then moved her head towards the puppet master. “You were asking what I was planning to do, right? I’m gonna reconstruct your human body.”

        2…

        His unmoving eyes were wide open. “You’re still bluffing even at this moment, aren’t you? Although you could magically reconstruct Deidara’s arm, a full body is too far-fetched. Give it up. If you keep healing me, you’re gonna waste your Chakra for nothing. You woman truly love to do useless things, don’t you—”

        1…

        Her eyes lit up with a fierce emerald turquoise, mirroring the chakra building in her palms. A surge of aquamarine energy exploded outward, wrapping around them both in a shimmering, cool glow. Her [hair color] hair whipped wildly in the swirling current. Her hands—now no longer her own but guided by the Great Sage—moved on instinct, weaving unfamiliar hand seals at impossible speed.

        Then, it began.

        From the bleeding core at his chest, tendrils of tissue began to unfurl like spider silk. Striated muscle formed in elegant, concentric patterns, wrapping themselves with anatomical precision around newly constructed bones. Veins, cartilage, sinew—layer by layer, his body began to take shape again, born from light and will.

        Sasori could only stare, stunned into silence.

        [First Name] was just as awestruck. The Great Sage hadn’t been exaggerating. Not at all.

        And yet—she wasn’t finished.

        “Sasori-san, let me tell you one thing. That’s hell of a stupid stereotype,” she continued.

        “... Stereo… type? You’re bringing up new concepts again.”

        Psychology was not a thing in the Naruto world either, huh? “It's an overgeneralized belief of a categorized group. What you said about women loving to do useless things is a generalization. Not everyone is like that.”

        “Hmm…” he trailed off his thoughts, “You’re trying to change my way of thinking like that Deidara brat, aren't you? Anyway, before dying, I guess I’ll do something new as well.”

        “You’re not gonna die,” she corrected. Her eyes were switching from left, right, up and down, in an incredible speed as her fingers attached with green Chakra threads were sewing the tissues together in a swift.

        He smirked. “Right. I’ll open up to you as that concept is pretty engrossing.” His doll eyes fixated on hers. “After my parents didn’t come back home, I figured that they were dead. To discard my loneliness, I created puppets in the image of my parents, but it didn’t give me the real parental love I desired.”

        She knew about it, but she let him continue.

        “I also had a friend who ended up dying from my poison. I couldn’t save him. That was when I started adhering to my beliefs that true art was everlasting to the point I turned my body into a puppet as I could change and repair as many times as I'd liked. However, I still feel that I’m incomplete. I may live as a puppet, but I still depend on my core.”

        When actually hearing from the lonely red-haired man himself, she could not help but feel sympathetic to him. In her case, she still had her parents; however, most of the time she was distant with them. Her parents (mostly her father; her mother still listened to her) were strict and absolute; they always told her to study, get good grades, be at the top of the class no matter what. At first she did obey them and accomplished outstanding results, she started to feel tired… and even bored. She started to question what the point of doing all of it was, and became completely unmotivated. That was one of the reason why she decided to study psychology as she was told that it could allow her to understand human thoughts and behaviors better, although they were times she was lazy to study.

        Nevertheless, at the same time she could feel energy draining out from her quavering arms and legs. She could not give up now. Sasori was an exemplar of a child that lacked parental love. Without anyone as his role model to guide him for a significant part of his life or having a sense of belonging and identity, he would have probably been outcasted since he was young. She could remember studying about Social Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Learning Theory in one of her lectures. However, the time for reprimands were enough. 

        Let’s put some of my counseling knowledge into use. First, show empathy and sympathy.

        “Sasori-san, I’m so sorry you have to go all through that,” she apologized in a soft tone. “I can’t imagine having living a life without any of your parents by your side and losing your only friend. You must have felt very lonely.”

        “Oi, oi, I’m not that pathetic to the point of receiving empathy from someone like you,” he sneered.

        TISSUE RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETED. Now all of the muscle tissues, tendons, and ligaments of his entire body had been reconstructed but were still pallid in color. 

        Second, show them that you understand their situation.

        “Thank you for opening up to me. I now understand why you hated waiting, and how much the Akatsuki meant for you. I’m sorry for breaking your trust,” she continued. 

        He was now listening.

        Lastly, offer suggestions. 

        “As naive and immature it may sound, whenever I look at your puppets, I can feel your soul, hard work and dedication throughout their elaborate details. So instead of interpreting eternal art literally, I think you should see it as a collection of efforts that can be bestowed upon another. Art is much deeper than you think it is.”

        He paused for a moment.

        “I know that you still hate me, so after I’m done with healing you, you can do whatever you want. I’m not gonna bother you anymore.”

        ORGANS AND ORGAN SYSTEMS RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETED. His vital organs were now in their respective locations in his body covered with actual soft skin, and his blood vessels were functioning properly. His scalp was now replaced with real keratinized mousy red hair. His two eyes were still closed. 

        Almost there! She needed his heart to start beating. 

        Her vision started to become blurry once again. She landed on her hands as her Chakra started to dim. She panted. Damn it! She was almost finished with the healing process, and now she was going to collapse? Her Chakra reserves were running low after all. Her arms began to tremble as if they were crying. Before her eyes started shutting, she could see two pairs of transparent hands holding her hands gently. 

***

        White. That was all she could see. Her eyes were reverted back to her normal [eye color] ones. She looked around seeing no one beside her. Sasori was no longer there; the basement was longer gone. Just where was she this time?

        “Ah, you’ve finally woken up, [Fake First Name]-chan!” an unrecognizable voice called out. “I’m so glad! But you really did punch my son twice and even ended with a kick! He deserved it though.”

        She had no idea who was talking to her and how he knew about it.

        “Dear, you’re scaring her,” another unrecognizable voice said. It belonged to a woman this time. "But I can't believe he did strangle her before this."

        She looked forward, seeing two human figures, one with mousy red hair and another with dark brown hair that resembled Sasori’s puppets. They were smiling at her. Realization then set in.

        She gulped. “U-uh, are you two possibly… S-Sasori-san’s p-parents?” Her voice was shaking. She totally had no idea what the hell was going on right now. 

        “Yes. Although we are just souls that are remaining inside our son’s puppets,” Sasori’s mother answered. “We’ve seen everything.”

        Then that means I’m currently inside that infamous... TALK-NO-JUTSU? HOW? She knew that many viewers had been complaining about the excessive use of Naruto talking to enemies and changing their views very easily. However, she was not expecting of being involved in it. And wait, they had seen everything? Shit, shit, shit! Were they going to scold her for low-key beating the crap out of their son--

        “We’re presenting ourselves to you because we want to thank you for stopping and saving our son,” his father continued. “He’s finally free.”

        Nice, no scolding! But she did not think that his parents were thanking her. She blushed inside due to the honor she had received. It was too much to take in.

        “… But would it be better if you show yourselves to Sasori-san? He’d been waiting to see you two for such a tiring long time,” she suggested.

        “Of course, we’d love to, but we can’t,” the father lowered his eyes. “He’d rather not see us with his present state.”

        “We truly regret leaving him alone all this time and turned him this way. We’d never ever wanted him to become like this,” his mother added. “He probably hates us for doing that to him.”

        That was absolutely not true. Everyone who had watched Naruto knew exactly that Sasori really did love his parents. [First Name] walked forward. “… I don’t think so. Although it is unfortunate that you two had been absent from his early childhood, it is not your fault, so please stop blaming yourselves. Sasori-san wouldn't want you two to think like that either."

        The two parents began to shed tears of redemption. They then gave her gleaming smiles. "That's probably true."

        They then looked at each other and nodded. “Now then, it’s time for us to go,” they held her hands. “We’ll leave Sasori to you. Please take care of him for our sake.”

        They were leaving him to you? What a progress! She nodded. “Although I'm still not as confident, you can count on me.”

        The mother smiled. “And just for a farewell gift, I'll give you some advice. A key to open Sasori’s heart is to give him hugs. He loves hugs ever since he was a kid.”

        She blinked. “Wait, how did you know about—”

        The mother winked at her as everything became vividly illuminated, blinding the young woman's eyes.

        "Thank you."

Chapter Text

        She opened her eyelids once more, seeing the same gridded wooden ceiling above her. She was again resting inside a futon but was wearing a simplified yukata. Was she back in the hideout? 

        ANSWER. Yes, you’re currently back inside the Akatsuki hideout. Full body reconstruction has been successful.

        She could feel a huge weight being lifted off from her shoulders. That dickhe—Sasori didn’t die from blood loss after all. However, that also meant that she survived the risk! But how?

        Before you became unconscious, two sources of Chakra were sensed. It seems that they have lent their Chakra for you to stay alive.

        Somehow she felt that those sources came from Sasori’s parents. She smiled inside, but how did his mother know about her actual goals? Did the Great Sage do something? Oh right! How was Sasori doing now? And Deidara? He did look pretty pissed off when Sasori tried to kill her. 

        She was about to lift herself up, but her limbs were too lethargic. She looked at her arms, seeing that there were quite thinner and were sickly pale. It looked like she had been malnourished for a while.

        Because temporary comatose stage has now ended, it will take time before self-regeneration can be activated as Chakra reserves are still limited.

        Right, got it. And how long was I out?

        Nine days. 

        I was out that long?! Full body reconstruction truly was very Chakra-consuming. She was then startled by the boisterous noises of some sort of heated argument muffled outside of her room. What was going on?

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Deidara and Sasori are within sight.

        Hmm? Were they here to visit her—

        “—Sasori no Danna, can’t you at least show some gratitude?!” Deidara’s voice was raised. “Although I do respect you as a fellow craftsman, you’re too emotionless, hmm—”

        “—Hmph. What’s that gotta do with me? I warned her, but she did it anyways. It isn’t my fault that she hasn’t been awake, is it?” Another familiar voice replied. It belonged to Sasori. “And stop bothering me. She’s clearly going to die soon, even the doctor says so. Give it up—”

        She twitched her eyebrows. Hey, hey, don’t give up on me that easily!

        “—What—how could you be so heartless?!—”

        Deidara is arguing for me? Her chest beat faster. She barely had anyone supporting or arguing for her back in her own world. This was a first for her.

        “—Deidara, it seems that you don’t understand the situation. She’s not part of us. She’s a traitor who stupidly did things out of her own hand, and she’s just suffering from their consequences.”

        Wow, I feel personally attacked. With her utmost strength, she crawled to the door, silently slid the door open, and peeked through the slit to hear the conversation better. The young blond with his eyes narrowed was standing right across the young man whose mousy red hair was slightly ruffled, hazel eyes that were gleaming with life and breathing skin with faint tints of pink that indicated proper blood circulation. She could not help but only gawk in awe. Compared to his puppet form, he was definitely more good looking, truly a bishonen! She mentally fan girled inside.

        “Danna, you’re the one who doesn’t understand. If she really was a traitor, she wouldn’t have healed my arm!” Deidara shouted.

        True.

        “That’s merely because she wants to deceive us by acting as if she’s innocent. More importantly, you’d better stop getting so attached to her. In this shinobi world, everyone will eventually die. That includes her. It’s that simple.”

        His attitude hasn’t changed, has he? She started to feel sorry for Sasori’s parents. It would still be difficult to change his behavior.

        “HUH?! I dare you say that again, hmm!” The infuriated man grabbed Sasori’s collar. 

        Sasori still had that same indifferent expression on his face. “Do you want to make me angry? I don’t want to be wasting my time arguing about someone who’s at her death’s door, so let go of me. I’m going back.”

        “Why you?!” He raised his fist towards the emotionless man’s face.

        She had always been a pacifist and would not want this argument to be too heated to the point of violence. She ran towards the two. “G-guys, stop—” Her jaw was hit with such force that blood pooled into her mouth. She faltered and landed on her knees. Pain erupted from the point of impact. Crimson trickled down from her lips. Her cheek became presentably bruised. 

        Sasori’s eyes widened. 

        “[F-Fake First Name]?!” Deidara ran over to her with flailing arms. “Shit, are you okay? Hold on! I’m gonna get you some ice-packs!”

***

        Holding a chilly ice pack on her bruised cheek, she was sitting down on her futon and attempting to chew her food that Deidara had just brought without touching the inside of her cheek. Deidara, on the other hand, was having a sullen look that screamed out “I’m sorry!” Although she was not expecting to be greeted by his powerful fist after waking up, she knew that he was not the one to blame.

        “[Fake First Name]… my bad. I didn’t mean to punch you, but are you feeling better now?” the flustered young man asked. 

        “Yeah. It’s not your fault though, but thanks for arguing for me. I appreciate it.” She attempted to smile but only winced in regret. She started regaining energy back from her food.

        He lifted his chin up and crossed his arms. “Of course, I would! Danna’s just being plain rude! He can’t even appreciate you who had fully reconstructed his body! What a jerk, hmm!”

        “Well, he just doesn’t know how to thank people. I’ll just let it slide.” She understood why.

        “[Fake First Name], you’re too kind! He might use it for his advantage, hmm!” 

        That was another compliment from Deidara, but she knew that he only saw her as a comrade. It would have been better if he saw her as something else. What a shame; however, she still felt somehow secure by his words.

        “But really, compared to doing an arm reconstruction, full body requires so much Chakra to the point that it left you out cold for more than a week! Your medical ninjutsu is out of the world, hmm.”

        She scooped out some more of her rice. “It takes practice to get to this far.” Great Sage’s abilities were truly out of this world—

        The door slid opened, revealing that familiar puppet master. He was standing there with eyes focused on her.

        “Oi, you, follow me,” Sasori demanded.

        “Uh, why?” she asked. Sasori was not the type to ask anyone to follow him.

        Deidara stood up in front of her. “Danna, what are you trying to do?” 

        And now he’s protecting me? Do pure comrades do that? She was now unsure.

        “Don’t make me repeat myself. Follow me.” His eyes were narrowed.

        She gulped. She did think that a puppet version of Sasori was scary, but with his human form, it was much more frightening! But it seemed that he really wanted her to follow him, and she did not have anything to do anyways. Why not?

        “Sorry, but that’s not happening—”

        “Deidara, it’s fine.”

        He turned his head towards her. “Are you sure, hmm?”

        “Yeah. If that Sasori-san is asking me to follow him, it means that there is something important.”

        “… Right. If you need help, call me out loud, okay? While you do that, I’ll inform Leader that you’ve woken up.”

        Deidara was one of the kindest Akatsuki members. Confirmed.

        “Got it.”

        As [First Name], still with her ice pack on her cheek, followed Sasori down the corridor, everything was silent except for tapping sounds of their footsteps. Just where was he taking her? She could not help but also stare at his thick mousy red hair that was perfectly slightly ruffled once again. It had to be soft for sure. Again, why was she thinking about this? She sounded like a stalker!

        She was then taken into a room and was instantly marveled at the puppet models that were hanging around in two separate rows beside a small hallway that lead to his wooden desks. Wasn’t this Sasori’s room? That room that he had never let anyone enter besides himself? She felt so honored that she did not know what to say. But more importantly, she understood that he was a puppet master, but not to this level! The quality of the intricate yet elaborate details on his puppets were clearly higher than her grades!  

        She then moved her eyes to his desks, seeing wood cutting tools, disjointed wooden body parts, unrolled scrolls, and books—he was so dedicated in art for sure.

        “Sit.” He brought a stool for her next to a clean desk.

        “O-okay…” She sat down with nerves in her stomach.

        He brought out a small box and opened it. It was filled with bandages, forceps, and containers that were filled with some sort of cream. He then gently removed her hand that was holding the ice pack, and tilted her face with his cool fingers, bringing your bruised cheeks close to him.

        She immediately flushed as she stared at his hazel eyes that were full with life compared to the unmoving doll eyes. When scrutinizing him for the third time, damn he was sure good looking as many of the Naruto’s fans had said. But… that Sasori was touching her face! Oh my god, oh my god, what’s he’s gonna do?

        She then felt a soft, cooly damp cotton-like texture gently dabbing on her swollen cheek.

        “Deidara really didn’t know how to give you first aid treatment?” he asked as he scooped some more translucent  aloe vera liquid substance onto the cotton ball with his forceps. “How useless.”

       Sasori's treating me??? The color of her face was about to turn into a darker shade of pink, but she calmed herself down. “... Why are you helping me? You told me that I was a traitor.”

        “I just don’t like owing anyone a favor, although your one was a forced one. You even got punched in the face even though that was supposed to be for me. That’s not what a traitor in any other world would do. How reckless could you be?” His voice was filled suppressed anger.

        Well, I wasn’t planning for that to happen. And was he admitting that she was not a traitor in his eyes anymore? It kind of made her happy. “I’m sorry.”

        He sighed. “You’ve said that three times now. Stop apologizing for everything like an immature brat.”

        “Ye—Ouch!”  She winced at the stinging pain.

        “Bear it.”

        You’re my mom now? “Yes…”

        “To be honest, I didn’t expect you to actually reconstruct my human body, completely accurate and this precise. You’re medical ninjutsu or whatever the hell it is is definitely extremely otherworldly,” Sasori said as he brought out an adhesive plaster with some sort of crushed green herb-looking powder attached to it.

        Of course that’s because I don’t belong in this world.

        “I can’t deny it, but I do feel much more alive compared to my puppet body. I wouldn’t have thought that I would be able to return back in this form, breathing in air, and feeling warmth," he moved his eyes to his hands, "It seems that I'd really have to cherish human life better. That’s probably what that old hag wanted me to know.”

        Sasori was actually listening for once. She smiled inside. “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear from you.”

        He smirked. “Your perspective of eternal art was also indeed true.… a collection of efforts, isn't it? As an artist, I should have had understood how the audience would see my artwork in a more insightful way. I guess changing my opinion wouldn’t be as bad as I thought it would be.”

        The young woman wanted to smile so badly, but her cheek was not allowing her to do so. It was then that the Great Sage started speaking: EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Sasori: yellow.

        Honey yellow aura radiated from him like how it did for Deidara. Another friendzone, huh? She was now not suprised, but it was better than nothing.

        “And what you said about ‘stereotype’, I take it back. Not all women love to do useless things, that includes you, but labelling you as a woman is still too early.”  

        So are you complimenting me or what? “I am a grown-up woman—OUCH! That hurt!” She winced for the second time after receiving a slight pressure pushing down onto her inflamed cheek as he compressed that cool adhesive plaster.

        “Stop bluffing. You can’t even stop whining about the pain. You’re still a brat. That’s final.”

        She curled her lips. She could not understand why every of her love interest would end up being either in a friend zone or a sibling relationship. 

        His mother’s advice was suddenly brought back to her mind. Sasori loved hugs, didn’t he? However, if she were to follow his mother’s advice, Sasori would probably kill her! She had just finally able to change his emotion color from brown to yellow! A hug could instantly turn his emotions to black or something worse!

        ANSWER. I recommend you do it.

        HEY, GREAT SAGE, READ THE SITUATION! Of course I can’t! I’d probably get killed and become one of those shriveling puppets!

        It’s now or never. You’d never know when you’d have the chance like this.

        That was kind of true. She was getting bored of always receiving the friend zone route, and to be honest she had wanted to hug one of her favorite characters in real life. 

        With her face deeply flushed, she breathed in and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, receiving a faint scent of fresh mint in her nostrils.

        “Sasori-san, thank you."

        Silence hung in the air.

        She started shedding tears inside. Right, I knew it. It doesn’t work. Bye-bye, world. It’s time for me to become a puppet.

        She slowly shifted away from him whose face was lowered into his cloak. Her limbs tensed up. “… Sasori-san… please forget about that, and are you okay?”

        He stood up and oddly placed his hand over his face. “… That’s none of your business. I’m just not feeling well. And how long are you planning to stay here anyways?” He handed her a container filled with ointment. “Treatment is over. Just get out already!”

        Maybe he was actually mad about me shamelessly hugging him out of the blue!

        With a small nod, she left the room with the ointment in her hands. She heavily sighed. Crap. Why did she do that? Sasori must had only liked hugs when he was a child not now! She had no idea how to interact with him after this—

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Sasori: orange.

        The Great Sage suddenly spoke.

        O-O-ORANGE?! She mentally widened her mouth. She immediately turned her head back to the door, only to realise that she had closed it, so she could not see his reaction. How she wished that she was still in that room! Nevertheless, she could not believe that his color could change from yellow to orange in one day! Even Deidara, whom she talked to the most, didn’t have that much significant change! 

        But does that mean that he has a crush on me?

Chapter Text

         Holding the ointment in her hands and having the adhesive plaster attached to her cheek, [First Name] began strolling down the corridor to go back to her own room. Her face was now sprinkled with pink hues. Not only she received medical treatment from him but also had him show the orange emotion color! His mother’s advice worked after all! She could die happy—

        “Hey, hey, [Fake First Name]-chan, atta girl!” The familiar orange masked man suddenly poked his head from a nearby wall and gave her two thumbs up. “You hugged Sasori-senpai, didn’t you?”

        She froze. “Y-you saw it?” How could he know? Oh right. It was definitely done by his Mangekyo Sharingan. Was he spying on her? For what reason?

        He skipped out towards her, and placed his thumb under his chin. “Well, I was just walking around here and saw you and Sasori-senpai entering his studio, so I was curious. He never allows anyone to enter after all. But I can’t believe that that emotionless puppet blushed! You must be something!” He patted her shoulder. He then moved his attention to her adhesive plaster on her cheek and then her hands that were holding the ointment. “My, my, my, he really does care about you, [Fake First Name]-chan! But you should be careful. This could become an Akatsuki scandal!”

        A-Akatsuki scandal? “What do you mean?”

        He sighed and shook his head. “You’re indeed still new, huh? How pitiful. The thing is Leader doesn’t like romance inside the Akatsuki.”

        What? She had never heard of it, and it was not as if she was going to become so lovey-dovey although her mission required it. She raised her eyebrows. 

        After a few seconds, he pointed at her. “Got ya! That’s a joke! I actually don’t have a clue about what he thinks about it!” 

        She simply stared at him. Right. She totally forgot that this alter ego liked to make jokes. She had better things to do. “So, Tobi-sa—Tobi, why do you keep on following me?”

        “Why? I just want to be friends with you! After seeing Sasori-senpai—oh, should I say that?”

        “What?” It seemed that he was hiding something.

        “Actually, never mind! Anyway, can you be my friend?” He started playing with his fingers as if he was a high school girl who was confessing to her crush.

        Even though the beginning part was pretty concerning, but friends? She knew that he was acting as his alter-ego, and his appearance in this time line was still very suspicious. If that was one of the ways she could observe him, she might had to accept it.

        She sighed. “Okay. Let’s be… friends.” 

        Tobi spun around and raised his arms up. “YAY!”

        Was this the right decision? Friends would be better than enemies anyways—

        “Hey, [Fake First Name], leader’s calling for you!” Deidara’s voice called out from the front.

        Tobi whisked his head to the young blond. “Ah, Deidara-senpai, listen to this! [Fake First Name]-chan embraced Sasori-senpai!” He wrapped his arms around his own shoulders, mimicking the event.

        Her cheeks started to become warmer. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT TO—OBITO?

        Deidara deadpanned. “Oi, Tobi, that’s not even funny. Danna’s gonna have your head.”

        At least Deidara would not believe in him. Probably because he was used to Tobi’s idiotic sayings. Phew.

        He gave him a hurt look. “Ehh??? You don’t believe me? [Fake First Name]-chan, say something!”

        Why are you involving me in this?! Deidara was her friend, and she did not want to lie to him. She had to be honest. “Uh… yeah…? I hugged him… I think?”

        The young blond dropped his jaws. “WHAT THE FUCK?! [Fake First Name], why the hell are you hugging him when he has done all of those things to you, hmm?!”

        Cause the Great Sage told me so! But she did manage to turn Sasori’s emotions to orange, so she was kind of as guilty. “Well, as a summary, he made up with me, treated my bruise and gave me this ointment,” she brought the container to his goggling eyes. “So I thought that maybe h-hugging him as a thankful gift would be a …. nice choice?” She forced a laugh.

        “And more importantly, he blushed!” Tobi clasped his face in bewilderment.

        YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY THAT, DO YOU--wait, Sasori did blush after all???

        “JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?” he yelled with his face bored with shock underlying with huge puzzlement. He then placed his hand over his eyes. “I’m going to need time to take it all in, but really, [Fake First Name], I didn’t know that you were his type. I only thought that he was only lived for art, and that love was non-existent to him, hmm.”

        That’s what I thought! 

        “Wait… Deidara-senpai, do you possibly… like [Fake First Name]-chan too?” Tobi tilted his head.

        WHAT? She knew that Tobi had the habit of pestering other people’s business but not to this extent! No wonder why Deidara had been very irritated by him in the series! There should be limit to how irritating someone could be!

        The mentioned young man looked daggers at the man-child with eyes that would gouge his intestine out. “Tobi! Say one more time, and I’ll be deciding how you’ll die!” he seethed. “[Fake First Name] is an Akatsuki comrade and a fellow artist. I don’t see her as anything in that way, hmm.”

        Oh, really. Well, she did get friend zoned twice. Probably that’s true. Somehow she felt her expectations were too high. 

        Tobi clicked his tongue. “Aww, that’s a shame. I was expecting to see some spicy drama between you and Sasori-senpai. But aren’t you kind of a hypocrite, Deidara-senpai?” He crossed his arms. “You said that she was your comrade, but you clearly punched her in the face. Who does that? Don’t you think that’s kind of abusive? Or are you into that kind of stuff?”

        Did he spy on her from the start? “You know about that too?”

        “Of course! Deidara-senpai and Sasori-senpai were arguing so loud that anyone could hear!” he then moved his attention back to the flustered young man, “But I can’t believe that you punched her!”

        “THAT’S—IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, HMM!” Deidara explained. His forehead started sweating.

        “Accident, huh?” Tobi slowly walked over to [First Name] and held her hand. “Well, that’s not going to happen anymore, as I’ve become her new friend, right [Fake First Name]-chan?”

        She became slightly startled with his direct contact. She had never held hands with a guy before! 

        “WHA—” Deidara seemed to be lost for words.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: brown.

        NO! She finally made her way through the friendzone route, but Obito was just putting he into square one! She had to clear up this misunderstanding. “Tobi, even though we’ve agreed on being friends, but Deidara is my number one; he’s my bestie.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: yellow.

        YES! It came back! But did she just claim on wanting to pursue the friend zone route? Darn it!

        Deidara lifted his chin up and grinned in triumph. He then shoved Tobi away from her. “[Fake First Name], let’s get going. Don’t make the Leader wait.”

***

        Leaving Tobi who gave a sullen look as a response, Deidara sent her to a room where she had never entered ever since she had joined the Akatsuki. Once she knocked and opened the door, she again, gawked at the interior design. Similar to Konan’s room, this room had multiple bookshelves with lots of textbooks and folders neatly stacked side by side. On one side of the room, the orange haired leader was at his desk where there were stacks of paper, and scrolls, and seemed to be writing some paper work, similar to how Tsunade did, while Konan was bringing him more stacks of paper. She did not expect to see Pein being so busy as he had always been presented as an intimidating overpowered antagonist in the series. It gave her a new perspective on him.

        “[Fake First Name], how are you feeling?” he asked. He stopped writing. He raised his eyebrows as he moved his attention to her cheek. “What happened to your cheek?”

        Wow, my cheek has been the hot topic of today, huh? She did not want Deidara to get involved in any more trouble. “I fell before coming here, but it’s not an actual big deal. And yes, I’m feeling better.”

        “Is that why we’ve heard such loud noises coming from your room?” Konan asked. “[Fake First Name], you should be careful from now on.”

        Did everyone know everything in the Akatsuki? “Yes. Thank you.” 

        Pein clasped his hands together. His threatening Rinnegan eyes bored into hers. “Anyway, I heard that you successful reconstructed both Deidara’s arm and Sasori’s full human body?”

        “Yes, I did," she replied with confidence.

        “That’s a very impressive medical ninjutsu you have there. How did you do that?”

        I just told the Great Sage to do it. Nothing more. “Well, it’s actually another part of my Kekkai Genkai besides my Chakra natures. It allows me to heal any sorts of injuries.” She tried to make it sound as impressive as possible.

        “But a full body reconstruction is not merely ‘any sorts of injuries’. It’s very overwhelming; we’ve never seen it before,” Konan said.

        Me neither! “That’s what makes my Kekkai Genkai special.”

        “So it was indeed a good choice to let her join us here. She can not only fight for us but also serve as an Akatsuki’s medic. We look forward to see you continue working for us.”

        That’s it? She was clearly sure that they were going to ask her about healing Kankuro, and probably her origins, but they didn’t? Did Itachi do something?

        “I will.” She bowed.

        Once she closed the door, she breathed out in relief. Having a conversation with Pein made her legs shiver. She was still not used to the intimidating look he would always give as if it was a lie or bullshit detector! It was probably luck that made her survive until now.  She probably needed more time to adapt to everything.

        When she was about to find Deidara, she spotted that raven-haired man standing still in front a cluster of hyacinths that reared that violet blue heads in the evergreen garden outside of the corridor. He seemed to have slipped into reverie. However, she could not help but gaze as his facial features that were gleaming by the afternoon sunlight. Accompanied by the bonsai trees that were lined perfectly in their wooden boxes, and a nearby shimmering pond with lily pads, he did prove another kind of handsomeness, compared to Sasori and Deidara's bishonen looks. It was then she realized that he was also staring at her. Before she could escape, he called her over, which she had no choice but to follow, and repeated the hot question that Pein asked about her cheek to which she answered the same thing to Pein.

        “By the way, Itachi-san, what were you thinking about?” she asked.

        “My past, although it’s not relevant anymore.”

        It was probably about Sasuke. He had to feel guilty about massacring the entire Uchiha clan except for his own beloved brother.

        “So do you want something from me?” he asked. "You’ve been staring at me for a while."

        “Ah, yes! Say, Itachi-san, you didn’t tell Leader about me helping our enemy and your suspicions on me?” 

        “No. I don’t think it was necessary as you didn’t have bad intentions,” he said. “But it’s a good thing that you’ve woken up. Sasori seemed to be quite worried about you after he brought you back here.”

        “What do you mean?”

        He became slightly startled. “Well, he’s not the type who would say this kind of thing anyways. He carried you back here after you collapsed and quickly told us to find a doctor.”

        He carried her? Wow, was Sasori a tsundere? Okay. So, that was what Obito was about to tell her from before. She could not help but smile inside. “I didn’t know that, but I mean he did treat my bruise after all.” She pointed at the adhesive plaster.

        He moved his eyes to her plaster in silence.

        Did I say something wrong again? She knew that Itachi had always beens the silent type, but this was too much for her to know what he was thinking of!

        He then traced his eyes to her [eye color] ones. "Anyway, about our discussion from before—what’s your answer?” he asked. His voice became solemn. “If you haven’t heard about it, apparently there was a Sand elderly who sacrificed her life by using Reanimation Jutsu on that Jinchuuriki in order to resurrect him. When having heard this, do you still want to be part of us?”

        That was Chiyo. She lowered her eyes and clenched her hands. She knew that this had to happen. Even if she had been transferred into the Naruto World, it did not mean that significant events would change. This was a shinobi world, where shinobis fight and die for the sake of peace after all. There was no way to prevent Chiyo's fate, but she could not leave now.

        “Although I feel bad and truly appreciate her honorable actions at her final moments, it’s true that I’m uncertain where I really want to be here. It may be wise to leave earlier as you’ve mentioned,” she said. “But I still need more time to make a final decision. I’m so sorry even though you’ve been looking out for me.”

        He nodded. “I see... If you have any concerns about your missions or anything else, you can always come talk to me. That’s all I can do to help you as you still remain here.”

        He finally opened up a little! She smiled. “Thanks, Itachi-san.”

        She then made her way back to Deidara who had already been waiting for her at the corridor, leaving the man who reverted back to his reverie in the garden. 

Chapter Text

        “Oi, [Fake First Name], you’re doing it wrong again,” Sasori said as he looked at the minimalistic humanoid wooden puppet that had sprawled on the table in his studio. Blue Chakra threads were dangling, and some were even unattached.

        After [First Name] had been completely recovered and her bruise had been healed, the redhead had been teaching the young woman how to do puppetry. Initially, it was her who asked him to teach as she thought that it would be one of the ways to interact with him, which was first instantly denied, but after countless pleads he somehow finally gave in—was it probably because of the hug? And he even started calling her by her first name! She could have used the puppet technique that she had mimicked from her battle with Sakura to show that she understood his lessons, but she wanted to develop her own skills without depending on Great Sage's abilities and understand how other Naruto characters function in the world, though she would say that her skills alone were definitely lacking.

      At the same time, she could not help but think about Chiyo. Even though they barely interacted in this world, she could not revert her attention away from the fact that she had given her life for Gaara, and the young woman herself could not do anything to prevent it—

        “Are you even listening?” His voice was raised.

        She broke from her trance, and reverted her attention back to her hands that were tangled with Chakra threads. “…Ah, I slipped.” She placed her hand behind her back. “I’ll do it again.”

        He clicked his tongue. “How pathetic. You can’t even do this basic stuff? Are you seriously determined to learn puppetry?”

        It would make sense it he started rebuking her. Moreover, she was never an art student! Puppetry was out of her league! “I’m trying, but this is so hard!”

        He sighed. He then stood behind her back, brought his arms to the front, and held her hands. His face was brought close to her ear. “Listen carefully. You concentrate your Chakra into your finger tips in order to attach their threads to the puppet’s legs…”

        He’s so close! Her cheeks heated up. She could smell that faint scent of mint from him once again, and his charming voice that was clear in her ears were making her heart pulsate nonstop.

        But the case about Chiyo… she was Sasori’s grandmother. He had already lost his parents, and his friends, and now his grandmother? She could not help but feel sorry for him. Did Sasori even know about this?

        “… and then move your index and ring finger up and down to allow your puppet to step forward, got it?” 

        She broke from her trance the second time. “Y-yes!” Wait, I missed half of what he’s said! “Um… could you please repeat it again?”

        He sat on a stool near hers and crossed his arms. “You’re acting pretty weird. What’s the matter with you lately?”

        “I think I haven’t been sleeping much.” She forced out a laugh. 

        He propped his chin in his palm. “… If it’s about that old hag, I already knew about it. ”

        She looked at him with widened eyes. Then why was he so indifferent? “But Sasori-san, don’t you feel sad about it?”

        “Sad? Not exactly, but it did leave me with an an empty feeling. Although she paid more attention to helping the village than me during those days, I would say that she did take care of me. She was the one who introduced me to puppetry after all. I’m grateful for it.” He moved his eyes to her puppet that seemed to be calling its owner to control it properly.

        She could not help by feel pleased with Sasori’s change in attitude. 

        “But all in all, this is about me, so you don’t have to feel that depressed about it,” he said. He then sighed once again. “You really like to meddle in other people’s business, don’t you?”

        WHAT? “I was just being considerate…” she mumbled.

        He raised his brows for a moment. He then seemed to snap out of his thoughts and slammed down a huge stack of books about basic puppetry in front of her face. “Anyway, here’s your punishment for spacing out. You’d better finish reading all of these by tomorrow.”

        She goggled at him. She was never even a studious type of person! Reading all of them in one day would kill her!

        “Wha—but even if you say that, it’s impossible, Sasori-san!”

        “No buts. You were distracted, and this is what you deserve. You should be grateful that I’m spending my precious time on teaching you.”

        That was true because she forced him to teach her. She pouted. “Fine.”

       He suddenly gave another short stare towards her facial expression.

        Is something stuck on my face? Before she could speak anymore, the redhead stood up and turned his back towards her. “… You’d better come for tomorrow’s lesson on time as you’ll also be having a test," he affirmed.

       She frowned. “PLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK!” 

***

        Next, she hung out with Deidara in his own studio. Compared to Sasori’s studio, his room was filled with brownish black blocks of clay in their boxes on the floor, causing the smell of fresh dirt to waft in the air. On his shelves, there were piece of elaborate ceramics ranging from plates, bowls, and actual animal figures that were inspired by super flat elements. He was truly another kind of artist.

        “Uh, [Fake First Name], what the hell is that?” Deidara asked tentatively.

        The bird that she was attempting to mold had its beak in disproportion to its drooping eyes, while its wings were as flat as piece of cut wood. It seemed to be shouting for forgiveness.

        “It’s an avant garde bird,” she softly lied. “Actually no, I’m not good at molding clay.”

        “That’s fine! I can teach you, hmm!” He grinned. “So,” he pulled out a new lump of clay in to his hands. “You do this, that, and then baam! You got it!” He showed her a perfectly molded bird where its head was lifted in triumph and confidence. "How beautiful! I really am a genius!"

        Although his way of explaining was worse than Sasori.

        “Deidara, can you explain it clearer? You simplified it too much.”

        “Really? My bad. Whenever I mold my clays, I just visualize and then I got it, hmm.”

        Right… And it did not seem that she was making any progress with him either.

        Hey, Great Sage, is there any way to change Deidara’s color to orange?

        ANSWER. Deidara’s interest for art is larger than anything else. Impressing him with art is recommended.

        Impressive him with art, huh? Her mind lit up.

        “Deidara, what’s your favorite color?” she asked.

        He looked up from his clay. “Of course, yellow! It’s the same color you see during an explosion, hmm!”

        That was nothing unexpected. Yellow, right? Got it. 

        CRYSTAL RELEASE ACTIVATED. Objective: swan sculpting. 

        She focused her attention onto her palm. Latticed structures of gleaming topaz started to connect themselves from her skin and twisted into a small swan with faint crystal chimes echoing throughout the room. The brilliant yellow hue glittered attractively in the light as if the sun’s rays were lighting the ocean.

        “Here. I’m giving this to you.” 

        He widened his eyes. “Wait, isn’t this real topaz?! And its yellow glow clearly shows that it is purely refined!” His eyes then sparkled. “But this is too beautiful! Are you sure I can have it, hmm?”

        “Yep. You’ve always been there for me ever since I’ve joined the Akatsuki. That’s why I want to thank you.”

        “[Fake First Name]…”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. 

        With this, it had to change to orange this time!

        Deidara: yellow.

        WHY?! She mentally deadpanned. Did Deidara really have no interest in love or something? Even that Sasori had his one turn to orange! 

        With yellow aura emitting from the young man, he brought out a medium sized ceramic vase with three yellow-painted roses on which their green stalks were wrapping around them beautifully. She could tell that he dedicated his time and effort through their intricate details.

        “Because you’ve given me this, I’ll give you my newest artwork too! It’s proof of our artistic friendship, hmm!”

        NO! Although she was grateful that he was giving her this gift, she did not want him to see her in that way! The young woman could only thank him despite feeling unsatisfied with the whole situation. She had a feeling that she was being more and more pulled into the friend zone route.

***

        Heavily sighing, [First Name] sat at one of the tables in the living room with Sasori's puppetry-related books scattered around on the table. A plate of white dangos dressed with browns caramel sweet soy sauce and a cup of hot green tea that she was planning to eat for break time were also placed on the table. Sasori was really trying to kill her mentally. Not only she had no idea what the majority of the vocabulary meant, but her eyes were also wandering around in the frenzy as the Japanese characters were making her vision blurry. Deidara’s ‘friendship’ vase that she had placed in her room earlier were not making her mood better either. 

        As she started jotting down notes based on the puppetry books, she spotted that familiar raven-haired member walking pass the room. When coming to think of it, compared to Sasori and Deidara, she talked to him least often. She had to use this chance to develop her relationship with him. She then moved her eyes towards the dessert on her plate. Itachi liked to eat dango, didn't he?

        Holding the plate in her hands, she walked towards him. Her face was slightly flushed. Come on, you can do this! "Um, Itachi-san, do you want to eat--no, let’s eat together!” Wait, what? That doesn't even make sense!

         Itachi only stared at her in silence. His eyebrows were raised.

        Oh no! He definitely see me as a weirdo now! I mean who would accept this offer anyways? We're not even friends! She started to regret her actions.

       “… I guess I’d take your offer.” His eyes were fixated on the dumplings.

        She stopped in her tracks. Itachi could not resist the dangos, huh? She smiled.

        As he started indulging the dangos beside her at the table in the living room, she could see him cracking up a small smile. She could not help but feel warmth in her chest. She then snapped out of her thoughts, and focused on her mission; she was not able to evoke any color emotions from him after all. He was the most difficult character she had to interact with in the whole series! However, because he was already sitting next to her, she had to use this opportunity in order to make another move. Maybe asking him for advice and acting grateful would work!

        “Say, Itachi-san, I have a question to ask. How do you make the other person open up to you? It's been quite hard for me.” She propped another dumpling into her mouth, receiving a burst of sweet and slightly salty sauce and soft sticky mochi. That was the only question she could think of at the moment, but in a way, she really wanted to know how he would approach it.

        “… I would start by having a small talk or sharing common interests because it creates a friendly atmosphere between them. Then after that person feels comfortable, they may start bringing up their personal matters as they understand that you’re trustworthy.” He placed his skewer onto the plate.

        What was this? Social Penetration Theory? Did Itachi take psychology or something? He was indeed insightful. 

        “But as I’ve seen so far, you’re doing a pretty good job,” he continued. “You’ve been talking with Sasori and Deidara much more than any other member could do.”

        Of course she knew that! That was why she was asking him in the first place! “Yeah, but,” she gripped her dango stick,  “I… I want to be close to you as I am with them too!” she bursted out loud. She then paused. Oh wait, did I just reveal my thoughts to him?!

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: brown.

        With chocolate brown aura flowing out, Itachi stared at her in bewilderment. That was normal. She knew that he would probably see her as a weirdo now. She closed her eyes shut with flushed cheeks.

        "... Sorry, I was a bit taken aback. You want to be close with me, you say?” he asked.

       She silently nodded.  

        “Well, I appreciate your thoughts, but you shouldn’t be close to someone like me. I’ve done too much to be forgiven.” His eyes suddenly darkened.

        He was still tied to his past after all. She knew it could not be helped as anyone would be traumatized with the Uchiha massacre event, especially when he was the one who had committed it. However, it was not as if he really wanted to do it! Anyone who was a fan a Naruto understood that for sure! She had to tell him that!

        “But Itachi-san, I know that you’re good person deep down! You’re the one who’s been looking out for me, and giving me life advices! I know that you might have had a traumatic past and regretted some of your actions, but I do know that you didn’t have bad intentions, so please stop thinking of yourself in that way!”  

        He became silent for a moment. “Really, it seems that you know so much about me,”

        Oh shit. Did she suddenly expose herself again? She would not know how to cover up anymore—

        “but thanks,” he gave her a small smile, “it’s been a while for anyone to say like that to me.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: blue.

        Azure blue aura emitted out for the first time. That’s a progress, but at least he smiled!

        "[Fake First Name], you actually reminded me of someone I know of," he said. "He'd always admire me and wanted me to teach him all sorts of things even when I was busy. Although there were many times when he couldn't properly follow what I told him, I just couldn't leave him alone."

        That was Sasuke for sure. He really loved his brother, didn't he? That was one of the reasons why she saw Itachi as an ideal older brother.

        "He must be grateful for having someone like you in his life," she said. 

        "I guess so." He then moved his attention to her stacks of books. “Anyway, you seem to be quite troubled with Sasori’s books. Would you mind me helping you?”

        “No! Please do so!” She smiled. Gaining respect was better than nothing.

Chapter Text

        Staring at Deidara’s ‘friendship’ vase with light pink anemones—she had picked them from the garden—inside on her shelf, [First Name] could only sigh. She knew that the young man wanted to focus on his art for his entire life; therefore, romance was out of the question. That was one of the reasons why he went out of his way to steal the Forbidden Jutsu of the the Earth Village that enabled him to knead Chakra into clay, and later on became a missing-nin after all. The sculpture of yellow roses that were wrapped around the vase was not helping either. She was completely pulled into the friend zone route. 

        Similarly, Itachi continued to present the blue emotional color whenever she had small talks with him; however, she had an underlying feeling that he was seeing her as a little sister rather a love interest, which was not something she was proud of. Moreover, the fact that he had helped her study Sasori’s books and eventually allowed her to pass his arduous test was making her thinking that he was acting as an older brother. 

        In contrast, Sasori had shown the orange emotional color whenever he taught her puppetry at random times, although it would always end with the two outcomes: one, he would hide his face or two, he would give her more homework. She did not know that he was that shy about it, but it made her somehow embarrassed as well.

        It was then Pein called her to his ‘office’. As she began walking down the corridor, her eyes met with the silver-haired jashinist man with his red triple-bladed scythe behind his back and the hooded old man with green irises. They seemed to have returned from a mission.

        “Hey, it’s that princess!” Hidan waved at her. “Your prince charming’s not with you today? Did you two break up or something?”

        Prince charming? She somehow felt that he was talking about either Sasori or Deidara as she was mostly with them. She could not deny that their bishonen looks could make anyone think that way. Moreover, this was the first time she had actually directly talked with Hidan and Kakuzu.

        Disregarding his comment, she gave them a curt bow. “Hidan-san, Kakuzu-san, thank you for your hard work.”

        Hidan let out a small laugh. “Being polite, aren’t ya? Anyway, since you’re here, do you want to join the Way of Jashin?”

        Right. That was nothing new. She had never imagined joining his religion as human sacrifices was its main ritual. How inhumane.

        “Hidan, stop pushing your weird religious ideals onto her, and you’re wasting time. We have to report back to the Leader,” Kakuzu said.

        “Hey, hey, what gives, Kakuzu?! That’s a great sin! and propagating the Jashin religion is not a waste of time; it’s a duty!”

        The two then began bursting a heated argument, which [First Name] had no intentions of joining. She then used this chance to secretly head towards Pein’s ‘office’. Once opening the door, she met the young blond, presumably ’best friend’, and the orange masked ‘forced friend’ who were standing in front of the leader’s desk. 

        “I’m calling you three here because I have a mission to assign,” Pein said. His voice was solemn. “It’s time to capture the three-tails.”

        Three-tails? Was she suddenly fast forwarded into the Three-tails Appearance Arc? How? Hidan and Kakuzu were both perfectly healthy and fine! Weren’t they killed by Shikamaru’s team before this arc even occurred?

        ANSWER. Due to your presence in the Naruto world, some events have been omitted. However, it is not going to affect the main plot line.

        Are you sure about that? Many events are fast forwarded and omitted to the point that I don’t know how to react or plan forward anymore!

        Don’t worry. I’ll support you until the very end.

        Somehow, it made her feel reassured. The Great Sage had always been there for her, helping her approach her mission (not always properly) and keeping her safe. She then remembered watching the Three-tails Appearance Arc with Naruto and his gang (she did not remember all the characters) who tried to seal the beast. However, when considering this plot properly, if she was to go onto this mission, she was technically supporting Obito and Madara for their Eye of the Moon Plan as they needed all of the nine tailed beasts. She started to doubt herself of whether this was the right thing to do.

        “Oi, Leader, why the hell is Tobi in our group, hmm?!” Deidara pointed at the orange masked man who gave a sullen look.

        “Sasori is currently searching for new materials for his puppets,” he replied. “That’s why Tobi is going to be his substitute.”

        That was what Sasori had told her from a lesson she had with him from the day before, only to receive a load stack of homework that she had to do before he returned (she did whine about it). But it was not out of her expectations since Deidara was teemed up with Tobi during this arc.

        “Glad to be working with you, [Fake First Name]-chan, Deidara-senpai!” Tobi raised his hand up.

        She nodded, while Deidara only huffed in annoyance.

***

        “Deidara-senpai, are you sure that you really don’t have a thing for [Fake First Name]-chan?” Tobi asked again. “You’re letting her grab on you. Isn’t that what lovers do?”

        The three Akatsuki members were sitting on Deidara’s clay bird that was soaring up high in the azure sky. [First Name], again, was tremblingly holding onto Deidara’s shoulders as her frantic eyes tried to look upwards. Her chest was pulsating so fast that she could not organize her thoughts properly. Why couldn’t she stop be scared of heights? She remembered the time she was on a roller coaster and screamed the shit out of herself throughout the entire ride. 

        “Of course not! [Fake First Name]’s just not good with heights, so I’m helping her, hmm.” He replied without turning his face towards the masked man. “Can’t you see it?!”

        “Ehh? I can see that, but I’m not good with heights either! Can I grab onto you too, Deidara-senpai?” he pleaded.

        “NO!”

        “Why? That’s unfair!”

        “You’re being annoying! I’ll drop you down from here if you don’t stop babbling nonsense!” Deidara sent him a glare.

        He clicked his tongue. “You always act so kind to her. You’ve just broken my poor heart—”

        Deidara's glare darkened.

        “J-Just kidding! [Fake First Name]-chan, help me!” Tobi wailed and suddenly latched onto her shoulders with flailing arms, throwing her off balance.

        “T-Tobi, stop moving! I’m gonna fall—!” she yelped. Just as her grip began to slip, a sudden push from behind forced her forward—straight into Deidara’s back. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his waist, her face squishing into the firm muscles of his back.

        And then it hit her: a faint scent of lemongrass.

        Wait… Sasori smelled like mint, but Deidara was lemongrass? Both scents were surprisingly pleasant—no, wait, what was she even thinking right now?!

        “Oops,” Tobi snickered.

        Flushed with embarrassment, she quickly peeled herself away and returned her hands to his shoulders. “S-Sorry, Deidara!”

        He didn’t seem bothered. “Nah, it’s fine, hmm.” Then he turned to Tobi, eyes burning with silent fury. “Anyway, Tobi... that was your final warning.”

        Without having a chance to redeem himself, a blaring boom was heard, and Tobi was flung out of the bird with a streak of ashen smoke from his buttocks with loud shrieks that echoed the whole landscape.

        [First Name] could only sweatdrop. It reminded her of one of scenes where Tobi made a joke to Deidara about being part of the tailed beasts as his name ended with the word ‘-bi’, only to be hurled into the air with Deidara’s explosions. But he deserved it.

        Deidara, on the other hand, muttered a few profanities and continued focusing the sight in front of him. However, the young woman could not help but think about the previous hug. He clearly was adamant to his attitudes towards her. She was starting to give up.

***

        Once the clay bird had landed inside a verdurous forest that led to a lake where the three-tails inhabited, the two began to stroll towards their destination with birdsongs coming in soft chirps. Tobi later joined with his buttocks obviously a bit burnt with smoke still present. She did not know how he managed to cope with Deidara’s explosion all this time. Probably by his Sharingan.

        Tobi then somehow called her over from behind. She gave Deidara a sign and came over to the masked member.

        “Hey, [Fake First Name]-chan, I’ve been thinking this for a while, but are you possibly two-timing?” Tobi whispered. He then gasped. “How disgraceful! You already have Sasori-senpai!”

        So that was what he wanted to call her for?! He still had not broken the habit of pestering others, hadn't he? “No, I’m not! And we have nothing between each other!” She tried to make her voice sound as soft as possible.

        “Yes, you do! And you’re clearly trying to flirt with Deidara-senpai!” He placed his hands on his hips. “I’m going to report this to Sasori-senpai once we return.”

        She only stared at him with widened eyes. If Sasori were to know about this, his emotion color would definitely turn to black! She had already made so much effort to turn it to orange! Furthermore, she was not doing this because she had wanted to even though she did have feelings for those two characters.

        “Well, well, well, looks like you’ve taken the bait! But I’m not going to tell him under one condition.”

        “… What is it?” she asked hesitantly. 

        “Let me help you with your romance schemes. Since we’re already friends, I really want to see Deidara’s reaction when he realizes that you’re flirting with him!”

        It took moments before she replayed his words in her mind. He was going to help her? Obito was not even successful in making Rin recognize his feelings! However, it did not seem that he was planning to do any harm. To be honest, throughout the whole Naruto series, she did sympathize with Obito; he simply wanted to achieve his dreams on becoming the Hokage and accepted by the village, but only to be guided by the wrong person. She guessed that the alter ego that Obito was exhibiting merely wanted to have fun, although he did turn Deidara’s emotional color to brown once. 

        “So what do you say?” he asked.

        “I don’t trust you that much, but don’t do something weird like last time.” She was bored of receiving Deidara’s friend zone reaction anyways. “And I’m not trying to flirt!”

        “Yes, yes, leave it to this Tobi-sama. Even if I don’t look like it, I’m actually an expert in romance!” He pointed his thumb towards his face.

        She merely deadpanned. She then reverted her focus back on Obito’s early appearance. 

        Great Sage, are you done with Obito’s analysis?

        Yes. REANALYSIS COMPLETED. Obito Uchiha’s early appearance is indeed caused by a change in the order of events after your presence in this Naruto Shippuden world. He is still planning to fulfill his Eye of the Moon Plan with Madara Uchiha.

        Really? Maybe she was overly suspicious of Obito’s behaviors. That was possible as he was the calculating and observant type. She had to overthink it too much.

        It was then the three finally reached the large silver-blue lake. It was as flat as a mirror without any ripples as if the beast was trying to hide its presence. Around the edges were trees that reflected their forms so enchantingly smudged in the basin.

        “The lake is too big to be searching for the three-tails,” Deidara said as he hopped onto a new clay bird. “It’s much faster to make it come out by itself.”

        He threw clay water spiders into the lake, creating numerous gigantic water shoots that rippled the water surface, breaking its beautiful reflecting images. [First Name] and Tobi hopped onto the wavering lake and stood with Chakra focused on their feet. 

        A few seconds later, an enormous grey crab-like shell with sharp spikes all over its body rose towards the water surface, cascading water down like a waterfall and slightly splattering the two. Its three scaly shrimp-like tails, bloody red muscle tissue, and crimson pupils were glaring and intimidating as if its been woken from its slumber.

        “Wow, if you look at it more closely, it kinda looks like a giant turtle. A powerful one too,” Tobi commented.

        “Tobi, you can take care of the rest. It’s time to show us your skills, hmm,” Deidara said.

        “Aw, really—GAAH!” He screamed as he freakily bolted away from the beast’s large tail that was raised above him.

        The three-tails began to propel its heavy body with a series of large water waves towards the poor man-child.

        “Are you sure that we should leave him alone?” [First Name] looked above.

        “Of course. He pissed me off, hmm,” Deidara replied without batting an eye.

        “Since this is a water creature, shouldn’t we let Kisame-san or [Fake First Name]-chan handle it?!” Tobi asked frantically. A trail of water splash followed his quick footsteps. “They assigned the wrong guy for this!”

        “How useless,” Deidara sighed from above.

        She knew for sure that Tobi, no Obito, would be able to survive from that. He had the Sharingan for gods sake, and Deidara was going to help in any other way by using explosions to render the beast immobile. She then began to feel a slight pang in her chest as her eyes fixated on the beast's dull eyes. Wouldn’t the explosions create excruciating pain for the beast? Even as an Akatsuki member, she did not want to do any harm to it. There was only one way to solve this.

        “Let me handle this,” she said firmly. “Tobi, get as far away from it as possible!”

        With an exaggerated salute, Tobi dashed out of the beast’s range.

        ICE RELEASE ACTIVATED. Ice Confinement has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        She quickly formed the required seals and slammed her cold palms onto the water’s surface. Instantly, hexagonal lattices of ice crystals spread outward from her fingertips, glazing a wide radius of the lake. The delicate pattern swiftly thickened, transforming into a massive glacier-like structure that surged upward—encasing the Three-Tails in solid ice. A frosty mist rolled over the water, shrouding the scene in an eerie, frozen haze.

        “Wow, [Fake First Name]-chan, your Ice Release is way prettier than Deidara-senpai’s weird boom-booms,” Tobi cheered, clapping. “And thanks—you totally saved my life!”

        Before she could respond, he flung his arms around her shoulders, aggressively nuzzling the rough surface of his hardened mask against her cheek.

        Deidara shot him an intense glare.

        Tobi tilted his head. “What, Deidara-senpai, you said you didn’t like her, didn’t you? So you’d better stop giving me that scary look. It’s rude, you know?”

        So that was what he was going for. But was Deidara really going to take this situation seriously? She did not believe so.

        “That’s why today, I’d like to formally declare in front of you two,” he then moved his attention towards her. Tobi brought his hand out. “[Fake First Name]-chan, please go out with me!”

        [First Name] raised her brows. Was Tobi trying to make Deidara jealous? But he did not have any special feelings for her to begin with! She started to doubt Tobi’s intentions. Before she could say anything, she felt her wrist being pulled backwards, causing her to stand beside the triggered young blond whose face tightened.

        “Tobi, go drown yourself.” With that said, a chain of tall water shoots erupted from the lake with loud booms, causing the man-child to shriek for his life.

       Deidara released his grasp and turned away. “We’re going back.”

        The young woman could only stand still and held her wrist where he had grabbed her. Not only the plan was a fail, but Deidara was totally pissed off!

Chapter Text

        Sitting on the clay bird behind Deidara once more, she could not help but feel awkward towards the whole silence that hung in the air. Tobi, on the other hand, was chained to the glacier that three-tails had been confined into, which was being dragged across the lake by more clay birds.

        She needed to make his mood better. “Um, Deidara, about that… Tobi was just joking, so forgive him, okay?” She was as guilty as she had allowed Tobi to help her.

        “Like hell I would! Although you don’t say it, he’s clearly making you feel uncomfortable! He has to learn his lesson! And to be honest, I don’t even understand why Leader is making him join us! We’re fine as partners, hmm!”

        Deidara was indeed that ideal caring and loyal friend that anyone would ask for, including her. It had been such a while for her to have a friend that had actually cared for her to this extent. She then started to rethink about her mission. Did she really have to see him as a love interest? She was fine the way things were; she did not want ruin the relationship she had with him.

        “I mean, Leader must have a reason for this, and I don’t feel that uncomfortable anymore,” she said.

        "Are you sure?"

        “Yep, anyway, can you show me more of your artwork? I’m very interested in the new creations you have!”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: yellow.

        With a bright grin plastered on his face and honey yellow aura radiated from his body, he inserted a lump of white clay into the mouth of his palm. After a few chews, it spat out a medium-sized owl figure.

        “[Fake First Name], look, in this new artwork, there’s such details in lines that exceeds a two dimensional form. However, that’s not all. The highlighted extravagance of this clay is that it explodes over a 4km radius!”

        She smiled. “That’s awesome! You could totally make your enemies piss their pants once they saw this!"

        He nodded. “I’m going to perfect it, so that anyone who sees my art will be captivated by its brilliance!” His eyes then suddenly darkened. “But there’s something that’s bothering me for ages now.”

        “What is it?” Was something wrong with him?

        “Itachi’s Sharingan! He’s always acting so damn ‘cool’! Those overconfident eyes are an atrocity! They always reject my art, and they piss me off!” he yelled. “He think that it’s art? Don’t fuck with me! I’ll never accept it!”

        She was fully aware of Deidara’s hatred for Itachi’s Kekkai Genkai. As a Naruto fan, she would agree that having a Sharingan was basically like having a cheat card as its abilities were too overpowered, and sometimes coincidental to the point that many viewers had said that the Uchiha won their battles due to plot armor.

        “Once I return back, I’m gonna defeat him! That’s what I’ve been training for ever since I’ve met him, hmm!”

        She could only feel sorry towards him. Itachi was inarguably on another level, and with his superior uses of genjutsu aided by the Sharingan, Deidara would be no match for him. She really wanted to tell him that, but his eyes gleaming with determination stopped her lips from moving.

        “Wait, isn’t that Sasuke?!” Deidara instantly pointed below towards the green canopies. He then pressed on a few buttons on his eye scope. “He’s down there, hmm!”

        [First Name]’s face instantly washed blank with confusion. She had no idea what the hell Sasuke was doing during this time, and why was he even here? Which arc was she in now?!

        ANSWER. You’re currently inside Itachi’s Pursuit Mission Arc. The plot has been fast forwarded for you to interact with the targeted characters better.

        That was too fast for her! Every muscle of her body then froze as her mouth dried up. Wasn’t this the arc when Deidara committed suicide in order to defeat Sasuke? Her brain stuttered for a moment. She had to prevent Deidara, her best friend, from approaching him at all costs!

        “Sasuke? Itachi-san’s brother is around here?” Tobi managed to speak from the glacier.

        “We’re giving that Uchiha a piece of us!” Deidara shouted.

        “Deidara, that’s not our objective! We can deal with Sasuke later!” Her voice was filled with alarm.

        “No way! I’m going to take this chance to test my abilities before fighting against Itachi, hmm!”

        Of course that’s not happening because he was going to lose anyways! She could still remember reading the comments section on how Deidara’s C0 could be called as Patrick Star no Jutsu as his explosion was shaped in the form of a star, although she did laugh a bit.

        Before she could speak anymore, the overconfident young blond had already finished molding another large clay bird, and sent it flying towards the young Uchiha who had been strolling around the forest.

        “Katsu!”

        A fiery ball of yellow flame was ignited after a blinding flash, billowing an enormous ashen smoke from the ground. Some debris could be seen falling off.

        Shit, he really did it! The young woman nerves frazzled. She had forgotten how he prioritized his art more than his own life. How ridiculous!

        “I did it! I defeated Sasuke!” The young blond showed his fist.

        Once the smoke cleared up, the spiky raven haired young man, donned in a black cloak, was seen wrapped around a huge white scaly snake that was slightly scorched. His crimson Sharingan eyes were glaring at the three from below.

        Clicking his tongue, Deidara landed his birds on the lakeshore nearby the explosion scene. [First Name], with palms sweated, and Tobi who was finally released followed him from behind. 

        “Where is Itachi Uchiha?” Sasuke asked. His voice was laced with menace. “If you tell me, I’ll let you go.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the character is as follows. Sasuke: black.

        Despite the licorice black aura that flowed out from him, [First Name] could only feel sympathy. Sasuke at this moment had no idea Itachi was just trying to protect him and the Hidden Leaf Village to the point that it let Itachi to his demise and Sasuke regretting his actions. If only someone could tell him the truth, his hatred would have been diminished. She stopped in her tracks once more. Wasn't Itachi going to be killed soon too?! Everything was really going to quickly!

        “This guy’s really is Itachi’s younger brother,” Deidara commented. “These bastards just confuse their blessed heritage for their powers!”

       With an indifferent expression, Sasuke then rushed towards Tobi and unsheathed his katana, slashing his shining blade through the masked man’s abdomen. However, it was slipped through easily by his Mangekyo Sharingan.

        She jumped upwards and landed on a tree branch along with Deidara, while Tobi faked his collapse.

        “One down. You can’t seem to shut up, so I’ll ask about Itachi—”

        “Ouchie!” Tobi lifted himself up and placed his hand behind his back. 

        Sasuke gave the masked man a brief glance.

        “What are you doing, Tobi?! Don’t lower your guard just because he’s a kid, hmm!” Deidara shouted.

        “But his body flickering technique is just too fast for us to deal with!” he whined. 

        It was true that Sasuke was powerful. She knew that with Obito’s abilities, he would be able to defeat Sasuke instantly; however, he was not going to do so as it was not the time for this step of his plan. She had to do something.

        Great Sage, analyze Sasuke Uchiha!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. Sasuke Uchiha possesses the Sharingan and can use Fire Release and Lightning Release. As of now, he cannot use the Mangekyo Sharingan, but his genjutsu prowess is not to be underestimated. 

        It was a good relief that he had not possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan or else he would be harder to deal with. Nevertheless, with genjutsu, she would not say that she was completely safe either.

        By the way, is it possible to mimic Sasuke’s Sharingan abilities? If she were to have some of its abilities, she could somehow counter his genjutsu.

        ANSWER. No. You would be too overpowered if you were able to mimic any dōjutsu in Naruto.

        HUH? But you said that I could mimic anyone’s abilities!

        Yes, I did. That’s why I’m saying that you’d be too overpowered for no reason. You are already able to use all Chakra natures and even have enhanced healing abilities, you ungrateful brat!

        She twitched her eyebrows. It had been a while for the Great Sage to be reprimanding her this way, but she did not expect that she would have this many limitations! More importantly, she had to change her plans now. She had to settle this without violence!

        “Sasuke-san, we’re not here to fight you,” she said. “We’re sorry for attacking you all of a sudden.”

        “I don’t give a damn. Just tell me, where the hell is Itachi Uchiha?!”

        “As if we’d tell you!” Deidara’s brought his hands forwards in which they spat out white semi-solid clay that formed into large abstract-inspired figures.

        And her best friend was not willingly trying to give up either. “Deidara, you’d better stop it now! I’m being serious!” 

        “Shut up! I know what I’m doing!”

        He was clearly not listening to her.

        His clay figures began launching their molded fists at the Uchiha only to be slashed with his lightning-infused blade. Their slashed parts then instantly reattached with each other and continued charging at him, completely wrapping the young man’s body with their white clay.

        “Katsu!” Another flash of light radiated, causing a great gush of blazing flame to belch upwards, and leaving a mushroom-shaped smoke to rise.

        "How about that?!" Deidara grinned.

        A short piece of log was then flung out of a smoke, while Sasuke, again unscathed, was seen landing on the ground with the same emotionless expression on his face.

        “As expected from Deidara-senpai,” Tobi crossed his arms.

        “Oi, Tobi! Whose side are you on here?!” Deidara’s angry veins popped out. He then pulled out some more clay and clasped his hands together. “Tobi, [Fake First Name], since this is gonna take a while, you guys go back to the hideout with the three-tails. I’ll deal with Sasuke here.”

        Obviously, she could not leave him alone here! “Wait, don’t—” Her legs and back were held by Tobi’s arms whom suddenly appeared behind her, carrying her up from the branch.

        “Yes sir! Don’t die on me, Deidara-senpai!” Tobi shouted as he began to dash towards the other side of the forest.

        “Of course not! Don’t underestimate my art, hmm!”

        “You think I’m letting you two go?” Sasuke leaped upwards and was about to swing his chokuto, but he was blocked by Deidara’s clay spiders.

***

        “Tobi, let go!” [First Name] yelled.

        Amidst the loud explosion sounds and the ground that was slightly quavering, Tobi was still carrying the young woman as he hopped from branch to branch, heading towards the lake where the three-tails was tied to.

        “Nuh-uh! This is Deidara-senpai’s fight. He doesn’t like people interfering! I’ve learned it the hard way!”

        “But we can’t just leave him alone!” If she was a minute late, he would probably die!

        “Don’t worry about it! He’s strong! He’s not gonna lose that easily!”

        “No! That Sasuke Uchiha is stronger than him! Deidara’s going to lose! With the Sharingan, Deidara has the disadvantage!”

        “You’re really underestimating him—”

        She locked her arms around his neck, squeezing his air passage. The masked member started choking.

        “O-okay, okay! I give up! I’ll put you down!” He placed her feet on the ground gently and gasped for breath.

        He then raised his hands up. “Hey, hey, hey, [Fake First Name]-chan, don’t you think that you’re being a bit inconsiderate? Deidara-senpai cares about you. That’s why he’s doesn’t want you to get involved in the fight!”

        “I know! But I can’t just leave a friend! Even if the mission is important, abandoning friends is the worst thing you could do!” Obito’s quote that she paraphrased flew out of her mouth.

        He stood still. “… Friends, huh?” 

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the Akatsuki member is as follows. Obito: black.

        She had possibly reminded him the tragic event when Kakashi killed Rin with his chidori. Although Obito did not understand the whole truth, she could not help but feel pity towards him. Losing Rin, the crush of his whole life, in front of his eyes would be deeply traumatic and engraved in his heart forever.

        But right now Deidara was the priority. “Yep. Deidara is my friend. That’s why I have to go.” 

        Tobi remained silent.

        She then sighed, and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Tobi, you’re also my friend, so I’m going to come back. I promise.”

        With Tobi who appeared to have slipped into reverie, she hopped onto the tree branches towards the battlefield. Her stomach could not stop shifting uneasily, and she could feel her pulse beating in her temples. If Deidara were to die, she would have no idea how to save him!

        Great Sage, analyze Deidara’s situation!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. Currently, Deidara is planning to use C0, which is a suicide bomb technique that produces a gigantic explosion from massive amount of Chakra. It can cover a 10 km radius if exploded.

        That was the worst case scenario! She then sped up her feet, and suddenly stopped on a nearby branch due to that familiar boisterous voice.

        “You should be expressing admiration over my artistic ability! Those eyes completely ignore my art! Don’t give me that shit!” She could hear Deidara yelling voice. He had to be close!

        With a few trees in front of her, she could finally see her best friend on his faltering knees with heavy pants. He was now in his sleeveless midriff shirt that was tattered, and his skin was filled with bruises and singed wounds. Similarly, Sasuke was also on his knees, breathing heavily and his Sharingan had been deactivated.

        “That’s not my problem. Tell me where Itachi Uchiha is.” Sasuke was still indifferent.

        “How much are you underestimating me?!” Deidara ripped his shirt off, revealing that ominous stitched large mouth on his chest.

        It was the first time she had been struck with this much fear.

Chapter Text

       “This will be my ultimate piece of art. I shall die and become art itself. This will be like no explosion before it, and bequeath a scar on the Earth unlike anything else. Then, my art will receive the admiration it’s always deserved!” Deidara smirked. He brought his hand toward his stitched mouth, and started to pull its thread. “While in awe of me, you’ll be killed! There’s no escape! Now, cower in fear! Drop to your knees in despair! Cry your heart out!”

        Sasuke, on the other hand, attempted to lift himself up but his quavering legs were giving up. He was definitely not in the position to fight anymore.

        Having seen this, [First Name] sighed in relief. Although Deidara had not inserted clay into his chest mouth, she knew that she had to cease the battle immediately.

        BOIL RELEASE ACTIVATED. Corrosive Vapor has been selected. pH of 3 has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        After forming her hand signs, her fogging breath started to become scalding hot. She inhaled deeply and blew out a gush of boiling acidic steam towards their area, melting Deidara’s last savings of clay into liquid white mud, while Sasuke began to wince as his skin was becoming singed.

        Deidara immediately lifted his head toward her. “[Fake First Name]?! I told you to leave—OW! IT BURNS!” His skin started to perspire accompanied by red burning patches on its surface.

        “Endure it for now.” She hopped down and wrapped the young blond’s sweating arm around her shoulder. His aching limbs were faltering. Talk about confidence!

        She then moved her attention towards the young Uchiha whose eyes were burning with determination to fight despite of his unmoving limbs. Her eyes softened. At least she wanted to give him a chance to rethink his thoughts on Itachi before she left.

        “Sasuke-san, let me give you some advice. Please try to think harder about Itachi-san’s intentions. You may regret your actions later.” 

        With that said, she leaped upwards towards the tree branch, carrying the weakened friend with her.

        Sasuke slightly opened his mouth. “What the hell do you mean—HEY, COME BACK HERE!”

        The trees began to veil into her vast blanket of white, swallowing the two Akatsuki member’s silhouettes. 

***

        “Oi, [Fake First Name], let me go!” Deidara yelled. “I’m not done with him, hmm!”

        [First Name] had been jumping from branch to branch, trying to find a safe place to hide. She knew that Sasuke would not be able to find her anyways as her boiled mist was too thick and irritating painful. What a dejavu. First, it was her who told Tobi to let go of her, but now it was her and Deidara? 

        “That’s not happening! You’re all injured!” Once she found a safe place to hide, she would begin healing him. 

        “So what? I have to defeat Sasuke, so that I can prove that those funky eyes are nothing but a show!” 

        Did Deidara suffer from inferiority complex or something? Even if she did watch the whole series, his backstory was not as clear. “Just calm yourself down, will you?! Your art or whatever can be dealt with later!” 

        “My art is the most important thing in my life!”

        Her face tightened. Her fire seed grew as his words replayed in her mind. “You still have the nerve to talk about art when you were about to commit suicide?! I’m speechless!” 

        “What did you just say?! I’m an artist until death! I’m willing to sacrifice anything for it!”

        “Oh, I see! Then, this makes this whole thing more convenient! You want me to say ‘Deidara, sacrificed his life for art. That’s awesome!’ Is that right?”

        "That's--"

        Spotting an open area with a placid river that was clear to the point that its smooth pebbles could be seen below, she pushed his body towards the stream, splashing cool flailing strokes of water everywhere and causing the radiating ripples to cancel each other out.

       Attempting to suppress her burning rage, she trudged through the flowing water with her shoes and the lower hems of her cloak now wet, bent over and fixated her eyes on his. “Hey, clean out your ears and listen up, Mr. Artist. Don’t you dare compare art being fleeting with actual human life. If you really want to die, then do it for something that has more value!”

        With his face dripping with water, his eyes widened.

        “Like really? You wanted to prove Sasuke that your art was to be revered just because you hated the Sharingan, and you’re willing to die for it? Just how petty could you be?!”

        Compared to Sasori’s situation, his one was due to pure pride! Emotion did really affect thinking and decision making after all. What he was saying right now was clearly not rational.

        “We’re friends, aren’t we? Have you ever considered how I’d feel if you just suddenly lose your life over a petty fight?!” Maybe her thoughts about an ideal friend was wrong in the first place.

        He became silent.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: brown.  

        That was expected, but she paid no heed. “If you still think that way, then I’ll leave you here. Go back to your arsonist life or whatever the hell you’ve been doing.” 

        She stood up and turned her back to his direction. It had always been like this. Just before she could actually become attached to an actual friend, they would always leave her.

***

        “[Last Name]-san, this is [classmate name]. From today, she’ll helping you out at school. Just think of her as a friend whom you could talk to,” her high school counsellor said.

        It was the third time she had been meeting with her counsellor. Donned in her school uniform, she was currently sitting on a chair near his desk, while her classmate was standing beside him. [First Name] had been telling him about her lack of motivation with school and her family’s stressful environment for quite a while. It seemed that he had found a solution for her.

        Her classmate cracked a smile.

        With a small startle, [First Name] averted her gaze and moved her eyes back to him. She was not used to the response she had been given. Although [classmate name] was her classmate, she did not remember seeing her much because of her frequent absents from school.

        “Don’t worry. I’m sure this would help you. It’s a counsellor’s job to be helping their students anyway.” He patted her shoulder.

        She nodded. “Okay…” 

        [classmate name] looked like a nice person. Maybe she could become her friend.

***

        “[classmate name]-chan, sorry for keeping you waiting!” [First Name] with her school bag across her shoulders, came running towards the school gate with soft pants.

        By spending more time with [classmate name], she had begun going to school regularly and become more attentive to class, which was one of the reason why she stayed back quite a bit late. She felt bad for making [classmate name], whom she considered as a friend, wait for so long as her homeroom teacher was teaching her school contents she had missed. She had to make up for it. 

        “Let’s go to a cafe. I’ll treat you!”

        Her classmate moved her eyes towards her [eye color] ones. Her face became solemn. “[First Name]-chan, let’s just end this.”

        She stopped in her tracks. “… What do you mean?”

        [classmate name] clicked her tongue. “You still don’t understand? Even though I’ve been befriending you because your counsellor told me to do the so, I’m done with this crap.” She ruffled her hair and pointed at her. “You’re impossible, you know that? Who the hell would even want to talk to an emotionless person like you?”

        She lowered her head. It was true that although her classmate had been helping her, and she was grateful for it, she was still unable to express her feelings properly. She needed more time for it. 

        “I’m sorry. It’s still hard for me to process my thoughts, but I’ll try harder.”

        Her classmate raised her brow. “That again? All you do is apologize. To be honest, I’m getting so bored of faking my sweet attitude to you as you would always be so indifferent about it. Do you even care about me? It’s like you’re incapable of understanding emotions!”

        Her classmate then walked away, leaving the young teenager to stand still with a storm of thoughts muddling in her mind. When did her classmate even begin to feel bored about her? Wasn’t she happily smiling at her a few moments ago? Where did all of that helpful attitude go? 

        She wished she had realized them earlier.

***

        “[Last Name]-san, would you mind telling me about what happened with [classmate name]?” her counsellor asked. He clasped his hand on his desk.

        She was back with scheduled meeting that she had with her counsellor.

        “We had a bit of an argument,” she softly said. “I don’t think she wants to talk to me anymore…”

        The counsellor let out a heavy sigh. “[classmate name] is one of our best supporting students in the class. She would always care for her classmates and help them at her fullest.” He placed his hand on his forehead. “I can’t believe that this happened.” 

        Her eyes widened. “Wait, that’s not it, Sensei. She said that—”

        “What? You’re the one that’s wrong. You’re never able to sympathize with other people. If you keep this up, you’ll be lonely until the day you die.”

        She froze on her chair. He said that he was going to help her. Wasn’t this the duty of a counsellor? Why was he neglecting her own voice? With her fist clenched as betrayal stabbed her chest, she stood up from her chair and slammed the door shut as she exited the room.

***

        Just because she could see the color of emotions, it did not mean that she could change the way things were. She could not believe that she had to remember this cursed memory that she had locked in her mind, although Deidara’s attempt for suicide did not necessarily correlate to it since he did not feel bored of her, but rather it was out of pride. Guilt started to fill her chest. She did go overboard with him after all.

        Wasn’t I also letting emotions overcome my own thoughts?

        Shaking her head, she hopped off on another tree branch with her clothes damped, and started heading towards the lake where she dropped off the three-tails. Once arriving there, Tobi and the beast had already been gone. He had to use Mangekyo Sharingan to carry it back to the hideout. Well, at least there was less work for her.

        That’s the first time I’ve seen you this emotional.

        The Great Sage suddenly spoke.

        Shut up. He pissed me off, but damn, I didn’t think I’d say that. I don’t how to face him anymore.

        When thinking about it, Deidara was merely a Naruto character. After all of this mission had been accomplished, she would return back to her original world anyways. She really had to stop getting so attached with him.

        It’s probably going to be harder for you to change Deidara’s emotional color to orange.

        I know, but I just wanna take a break from this whole thing.

        After reaching back to the hideout, [First Name] remained sullen, causing other Akatsuki members, especially Sasori, to wear questioned looks on their faces. Tobi, similarly, had been asking her whether his support for his ‘romantic schemes’ was a mistake or not, only to receive an ignored response from her. Not only she did not want to talk about it, but she was getting wary about his next moves as the arc revolving Sasuke killing Itachi along with Tobi taking Sasuke into his plans was coming soon. As for Itachi, he had been gone to another mission with Kisame; therefore, she could not even approach or talk to him about his portentous death, which made her feel even more anxious. In contrast, Deidara had completely shunned everyone and locked himself within his own room apparently. That was what she had heard from the others. She had not talked to him since then.

***

        “[Fake First Name], you look awfully stressed,” Sasori said as he was jotting down notes in his notebook.

        [First Name] was at the redhead’s studio once more, and was helping him with organizing the new puppet materials that he had brought in ranging from rare steel rods to black nightshades. Even if she would agree that these materials were impressively selected, she could not stop thinking about what she had said to Deidara. She did not want to bother Sasori with this issue either.

        “Really? It must’ve been your imagination, Sasori-san. I’m perfectly fine!” She forced a smile.

        He placed his pencil down and brought his face near hers. “What? Trying to act tough? How funny. Your face says a different story.” 

        She could feel her cheeks heating up as she realized that his hazel eyes were boring into her [eye color] ones. Was her facial expression that obvious?!

        He sighed. “If you have something to say, I’ll hear you out.”

        He was willing to listen to her? She did not expect that from Sasori, but she really wanted to vent her bottled feelings anyways since it was making her stressed. Throughout her anecdote that seemed to be so long, she had omitted her past since she did not want to expose her true identity.

        "--and then I left him there," she ended. Her face was now reverted back to glumness.

        “… I see. Well, that’s what I’d expected from brats like you two. You guys are prone to argue at some point.” Sasori propped his chin into his palm.

        He still saw her as a kid at this moment? “… Yes, but I feel kind of bad. I think I spoke too harshly. Deidara might feel so down right now.”

        “To be honest, he’s always been the type that wants to die young, so what you did was the right thing. You don’t have to feel that guilty about it.”

        She lowered her eyes. “You think so?”

        He became silent for a second. He then brought out a small plastic packaging with cubical candy-looking pieces in their paper wrappers. 

        “Here. I brought this while I was traveling.”

        She became a bit startled. Sasori brought a souvenir gift for her? She totally thought that he would have only been focused on his search for new puppet materials. She was out of words.

        He deadpanned in response. “Oi, what’s with that slack-jawed expression? If you’re not gonna eat, then I’ll take it back.”

        She flinched. “I-I’ll gladly eat it!” She opened the bag, unwrapped the cube, and propped the light pink colored candy into her mouth. Its sweet strawberry milk taste filled her mouth, causing her to smile with her hand placed on her cheek.

        “It’s so yummy!”

        He smirked. “Of course. It’s from the best candy shop in that area.”

        Was he trying to make her feel better? Her chest felt warm. “Thank you so much, Sasori-san.”

        “No need. But more importantly, you’d better stop having that gloomy face, or else you’re gonna become an old hag someday.” He pointed at her forehead.

        Old hag? Somehow, she felt triggered. “That’s so mean!”

        He cracked out a small smile.

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Deidara is within sight.

        Knock! Knock!

        With raised eyebrows, she moved her head towards the source of the noise as the redhead opened the door. Her love interest’s striking blond hair could be seen outside.

        Sasori crossed his arms. “Took you long enough.”

Chapter Text

        With her chest pulsating and forehead sweating bullets, [First Name] sat on a stool in the opposite direction of Deidara whose face was lowered. Sasori, on the other hand, stood behind her with an indifferent expression. Just why was Deidara here? Why did Sasori invite him? But this silence was making her feel awkward. She had to say something.

        “How’s your injury?” [First Name] started.

        “… It’s almost completely healed, hmm.” 

        “Just cut to the chase already. We don’t have all day,” Sasori said.

        Deidara lifted his head towards his master. “I know that! Stop telling me what do, Danna!” He then moved his eyes towards her and clenched his hands on his knees. “… [Fake First Name], I’m sorry for yelling at you, and not considering your feelings at all. My pride for art took over my actions.” 

        Words left her. She stared into those blue eyes that screamed out for forgiveness. Wasn’t he supposed to leave her like how others did? Why was he even saying these things to her? Her mind went blank.

        “Even before I fought with Sasuke, you’d been trying to stop me for my sake, but I totally ignored it and acted on my own.”

        She did not know why, but she felt that all of her bottled up feelings began to dissipate. She had to respond. She was also guilty. “Deidara, I’m not that mad anymore. To be honest, I was also wrong. I spoke too harshly. I’m sorry.”

        “No, what you said was right. I totally deserved it. I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”

        “Yeah, you’re pathetic,” Sasori said. “I don’t expect less from a brat like you.”

        “Hey, Danna! Aren’t you supposed to cheer me up in this situation?!” Deidara’s angry vein popped up. “You’re being a bit too blunt, you know, hmm?!”

        “But at least, you’re admitting it. I’d say that’s sufficient enough.”

        He raised his brow. He then crossed his arms and huffed as if he was trying to hide his smile. “Well, I don’t want to here that from you.”

        [First Name] could only feel warmth in her chest. Maybe getting so attached to him as a friend would not be as bad as before. She could tell that the young man in front of her was genuine and would not dare repeat those actions anymore. She had to treasure this relationship with him. 

        She stood up and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Deidara, your art is one of the best in the world! You don’t have to prove it to anyone since we already know that! And as for Itachi-san, although his Sharingan is very powerful, your art is in the same league! If someone rejects your art, then screw them! You don’t have to be bothered since you have others who actually admire you work! Like me! I’m your number one fan!”

        “Although I still have no idea what your art is trying to convey, it’s definitely impressive,” Sasori added.

        After a few pauses, Deidara flashed out his usual beaming grin that she had waited for so long as he rubbed under his nose with his index finger.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: yellow.

        With the usual honey yellow aura radiating from his body, he stood up from his chair. “Well then, since I still feel a bit bad, I’m gonna make another artwork for you, [Fake First Name]! Do you have a particular concept that you want? I can do them all, hmm!”

        Deidara was indeed that special friend who she would never want to lose. “I’m fine with anything actually ‘cause I like all of your artworks, but if I really have to choose…”

        “Oh? What is it?”

        She averted her gaze away from him as light pink hues dusted her cheeks. Her lips were pressed together. “… A swan. A swan that matches with the one I made for you… We’re friends so…”

        Did I sound too childish? She simply wanted to have that popular ‘friendship charm’, the one where friends would have the same object as each other in order to display their friendship.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: orange.

        She stopped in her tracks. She then moved her attention back to the amber orange aura from the young blond whose face was a blush of champagne pink. His eyes were locked onto her facial expression as if he was lost into a trance.

        What?

        He then seemed to snap out of his thoughts. “S-swan, right! Leave it to me, hmm! Anyway, see ya later, Sasori no Danna, [Fake First Name]! And… thanks for everything!”

        He ran out of the room briskly, leaving the young woman flustered. Was Deidara blushing just now? Why? The Great Sage did activate the emotion analysis for the crush emotion, but was she imagining things? Deidara was not the type to be romantically involved with anyone! However, she could not deny that her chest did skip a beat.

        She then shook her head. Yep! She was probably imagining things! The emotion analysis might have been wrong! More importantly, she had to thank Sasori. He was the one who brought Deidara here, allowing her friendship to be restored. She then whisked her head towards the redhead who seemed to be fixated on the door where the young blond had left. He appeared to be silent.

        Was he feeling a bit unwell? “Sasori-san?” she called out.

        Without responding to her, he walked back to his desk and continued jotting down notes with muteness.

        The young woman could only sit still. W-what the hell just happened?!

***

        On the next day, [First Name] met with Deidara in his studio, receiving a glistening ceramic swan that was the same size as the one she made for him. She became awed. The feathers of its wings were elaborate and skillfully textured, its neck was bent beautifully, and its beak was colored with shining gold. If he was to sell this impressive craft, he would make a lot of cash for sure. She felt that the crystal sculpture she made looked like nothing compared to his one, but Deidara did put a lot of effort into it. That was what mattered the most.

        “Wow! It looks so pretty! Thanks, Deidara!” she smiled. “We now match!”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: orange.

        Again? So it was not her imagination after all? 

        “Uh, yeah! Glad you liked it, hmm!” He placed his hand behind his head.

        Despite his yellow bang that was covering his left eye, she could obviously see that his face was again covered in rosy hues. 

        How cute… Compared to Sasori’s embarrassed face that she had yet to see, Deidara’s one was definitely adorable. However, she could not help but think about the day before. Sasori totally went on silent mode at her after Deidara left. Was he jealous? Probably not. The emotion analysis for jealousy was not activated either. Or was he just concerned or curious about Deidara’s sudden change in behavior? She did not know.

        “… By the way, [Fake First Name], you’re letting Danna teach you puppetry, aren’t you?” His voice penetrated her thoughts.

        She looked at the young man who lowered his head. “Yep. Why?”

        “Do you also…. want me to teach you clay art?” His voice was solemn.

        She paused. She was not expecting to hear that from him. Although Deidara had been helping her with molding clay, it was purely for fun.

        “Of course unlike how we used to hang out, we’ll have serious lessons and all those stuff, hmm.” He was now facing towards her with determination as if he would not accept any other answer besides “yes”.

        She knew that there was no choice but to accept this offer. She did not want his color to revert back to yellow either as her ‘friendship’ feelings for him were now being overcome by deeper, igniting emotions.

        “Sure! But you’d better teach your lessons properly, Mr. Artist. No explosions out of the blue, okay?”

        “Wha—but my art culminates in an explosion, hmm!”

        “I know that, but the basics come first, right?"

        His crossed his arms. "F-fine."

        This kind of Deidara was also endearing to her.

***

        Sitting under a large tree in the garden with its cool shadow enveloping around the young woman, she sighed. Despite of her being able to achieve significant progress with Deidara, Itachi still had not returned. Just how long was his mission going to take anyways?! Should she use the Sage Gate to meet him? No, that would make her become suspicious, but what she knew was that she had to start planning on how to prevent Itachi from getting killed without Obito and Zetsu knowing. It was definitely going to be difficult for her because both of them were powerful. Could she even beat them--

        “Ah, it’s [Fake First Name]!” Two verdant venus fly trap extensions suddenly rose upwards from the grassy field in front of her. “It’s quite unusual to see you alone!”

        “She’s always been unusual.” Another voice was heard. It was huskily low compared to the previous childish one. 

        She immediately shifted away from the half black half white humanoid figure that began to lift itself up from the ground smoothly, revealing its Akatsuki cloak and its remaining two legs. Her palms sweated. The person or creature whom she had to avoid was right in front of her!

        She had to make herself look normal! She gave him a curt bow. “… Hi, Zetsu-san. What brings you here?”

        “I’ve always wanted to talk to you!” White Zetsu grinned. He then leaned his face towards her. “Hey, hey, is it true that Deidara and Sasori fell head-over-heels for you?”

        “What?! No! We’re just friends!” She flustered. It was true that White Zetsu was the ‘chatterbox’, but how did he even know about this?!

        “Are you sure about that? Deidara’s face has been as red as a tomato whenever he talks to you, while Sasori seems to be more lively because of your presence.”

        “Cringey first love,” Black Zetsu scoffed.

        Wow, rude. A ‘wicked tongue’, wasn’t he?

        “I have another question! Who would you pick? Is it Sasori, the emotionless puppet master or Deidara, the careless arsonist?”

        “They’re all worthless.”

        She forced out a small laugh. “You seem to be so interested in my love life, Zetsu-san.” Was this the only topic he wanted to talk to her with? Was he serious? Did he have hidden intentions?

        Great Sage, analyze Zetsu!

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. Zetsu is composed of the white half, which is created from the DNA of Hashirama Senju, while the black half is the physical manifestation of Kaguya Otsukitsuki's will. He is the one who helps Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha achieve the Eye of the Moon Plan. As of now, he does not appear to have bad intentions towards you.

        Are you sure about that?

        “Of course! This is the first time that there’s a love drama within the Akatsuki after all! It’s very exciting, you know?” White Zetsu interrupted her thoughts.

        “I see…” She forced a smile. Could I go now?! This isn’t good for my heart!

        “Hmm? You look quite down. What’s wrong?” White Zetsu asked. His voice sounded like he was worried.

       Shoot, did I just slip? “I just feel a bit stressed.” Because of you guys!

        “You should try drinking chamomile tea! It’s super effective for stress relief!” 

        She was not expecting to hear that from him. She knew that White Zetsu was friendly and kind to his allies, but he was giving her suggestions? And that tea was specific as hell. Maybe he knew a lot about plants since he was created from plant materials himself.

        “Stop helping her. It’s none of our business.” 

        “Ehh? But [Fake First Name] seems like a good girl!”

        “The hell are you talking about? You only talked to her just now. Stop getting so attached to her that easily.”

        “You’re being mean, you know.”

        Hearing this conversation between the two Zetsus, her mind lit up. White Zetsu seemed to be this other loyal friend whom she could potentially develop bonds with. He did help Obito meet Kakashi and Rin without Madara’s consent, so maybe this fact could be beneficial for her in the future.

        “… Zetsu-san, can we be friends?” she asked.

        “No.”

        “You want to be friends with me?” White Zetsu asked.

        “Yep. You sound like a nice person.” Please accept it!

        He instantly beamed. “Sure! Then call me Zetsu from now on, [Fake First Name]!”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the Akatsuki member is as follows. White Zetsu: yellow.

        That was easy. 

        “Oi, you’re gonna regret this.”

        "Stop being pessimistic already!" White Zetsu whined.

        But what mattered to her was that she had formed a friendship bond with him. She would not say that she was safe, but it would definitely decrease the risks that may occur upon her. With a smile, [First Name] waved them a goodbye and headed back towards her room.

Chapter Text

        Pure white.

        That was all [First Name] could see once again—empty, endless white stretching in all directions. Was this the Talk-no-jutsu realm again? She hadn’t even finished processing her last visit. Was someone going to show up this time?

         Her gaze swept across the nothingness… until it stopped on a blurry figure in the distance. Tall, with slightly messy dark hair and a black shirt. Something about him tugged at her memory, but his face remained clouded—like a dream she couldn’t quite recall. She squinted, but the features refused to sharpen.

          “[First Name]-chan, you’ve done a pretty good job so far,” the figure said, his voice muffled and distorted—as if underwater. “But there’s more waiting.”

          He even knew her real name? She instantly stepped back. “Who the hell are you?! You’re acting as if you know so much about me!”

        He let out a small laugh. “Come on now, don’t be like that! Just think of me as a friend. I’m not planning to do anything bad. Even if I look very suspicious to you, I truly see you as a younger sister.”

        “Yeah, sure, Mr. Stranger.” Her eyes narrowed. "And I don't want to have that kind of relationship with you."

        He put his hands on his hips. “Aww. You’re not being cute at all! But anyhow, that’s not what I’m here for,” his voice became solemn, “I’m giving you a warning. Be especially on guard against that orange mask man. It appears that he’s starting to become suspicious of your actions.”

        Obito was becoming suspicious of her? If that was true, that would be a huge problem for her in the future. However, how did this person in front of her know about it? It was as if he had always been watching her since the start.

        “At this moment, if you were to miss a step, you wouldn’t be able to save Itachi Uchiha.”

        She froze. She knew that Itachi was going to be in danger soon, but she did not expect to hear that she would not be able to save him. Moreover, it seemed that this person also knew her intentions.

        “And unlike other cases, I highly suggest that you bring your allies with you. You wouldn’t be able to save him alone.”

        She stood still. When considering Obito and Zetsu's involvement during Sasuke and Itachi's battle, on one hand, it would be wise to have some comrades helping her out; she did not think that she could beat them alone. On the other hand, it did not mean that Obito would not start getting suspicious on those comrades either.

        “Why are you helping me? Identify yourself!”

        “You will know later.” With a small smile, he brought his hand out.

        She was about to shift herself away until she felt a gentle pat on her head.

        “We’ll meet again soon.” 

        His voice echoed in her ears as he faded away.

***

        Under the egg yolk sunlight that poured through the slits of the curtains, the young woman opened her eyelids and immediately lifted herself up from her futon. With her head aching and small sweats trickling down her forehead, she clenched her blanket as she recollected her memory from the previous encounter. Just who was he? Why was he warning her? What did he even want? Her mind was in a frenzy, but his warning about Itachi was making her feel anxious.

        She then remembered that soft touch on her head. His hand was definitely warm as if everything he had said was genuine. No! She snapped out of those thoughts. His identity was not the most important thing she had to think right now! Itachi and Kisame still had not returned back to the hideout! Were they suddenly assassinated or something?! No, that was not possible; both of them were powerful. But just what was taking them so long? She then moved her eyes towards her shelf, seeing Sasori’s ointment container and Deidara’s vase and ceramic swan along with some failed clay sculptures that she did from her lessons with him. Although she was relieved that those two did not meet their demises, she could not help but feel worried whether this outcome would be the same for Itachi. 

        Besides those two gifts, she also spotted a tea cup that was half emptied with honey yellow chamomile tea. White Zetsu’s suggestion of drinking that tea was truly effective. From that day she made a ‘truce’, she had been seeing him, or rather, he had been appearing in front of her at random times and shared random talks, although it was mostly related to his curiosities of her love life. Despite Black Zetsu displeasing remarks, she would not deny to say that she actually enjoyed White Zetsu’s presence. He was simply like that one guy who liked to know everything to the point of being quite annoying but had a good heart at school. 

        With a small yawn, she stood up and headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

***

        Holding her small schedule notebook in her hands, [First Name] strolled down the corridor towards Deidara’s studio with her eyes scanning her notes. At 10am she was supposed to have a clay art lesson with Deidara, and wait… it crashed with Sasori’s time! She ruffled her hair. How could she make this mistake?! It was possible due to the fact that Deidara had also been teaching her; therefore, she could not adjust her time that properly. Before she could go change it, she caught a glimpse of that blue-grey skinned member with his bandaged Samehada sword behind him walking in front of her. However, that Uchiha was not there.

        She inserted her notebook into her pant pocket and ran towards him. “Kisame-san, Itachi-san’s not with you?”

        “He’s currently making preparations for his unfinished business,” he replied.

        Was it for his battle with Sasuke? How could this arc be progressed this quickly? “What is that exactly?”

        “Itachi-san has told me not to tell anyone, especially you [Fake First Name]. Why are you so particularly curious about it? You’re acting quite suspicious.” He raised his brow.

        Was I being that obvious?!  “I’m just concerned.”

        “Well, I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with him, but I suggest you don’t get so attached like how you did with Deidara and Sasori-san.”

        “Why is that?” 

        “He’s cold-hearted. A kid like you’d probably suffer afterwards.” He closed his eyes.

        Kisame was not aware of Itachi’s actually true feelings at all. Even if she wanted to argue for him, she resisted. 

        He moved his small shark eyes towards her [eye color ones]. “But anyways, since you’re here, let’s have a match, [Fake First Name]. I really want to know why Itachi-san’s interested in a rookie member like you.”

        With her face flustered, she instantly brought out her hands in a defensing position. “M-match? But I don’t like violence, Kisame-san! And I already know that I’m gonna lose!”

        “Don’t worry. I’ll hold back a little, but I can’t guarantee about your injuries.” He smirked. 

        She could not help but feel sweats forming in her palms. Did she really have to fight him? Were her injuries going to be severe--

        “Let us be the spectators, hmm!” a familiar voice called out.

        She looked at the side seeing the young blond arsonist and the redhead puppet master who appeared to bear pissed off looks as they glared at each other.

        “Um, why are you guys here?” she asked.

        “Stop acting dumb. Your lesson with me crashed with his,” Sasori looked daggers at her, “How dare you waste my precious time for this brat. If you don’t know by now, I can throw you out at anytime.”

        She flinched. Oh right! She totally forgot about that! But he was going to throw her out???

        “Hey, Danna! Your lesson crashed with mine!” Deidara pointed at him. He then reverted his attention back to the shark member. “Besides that, we heard your conversation! Let us watch, hmm!”

        Sasori only uttered a curt ‘hmph’.

        “Very well. You guys are welcomed.” Kisame grinned, revealing his sharp triangular teeth.

        The young woman, on the other hand, could only feel her mouth being dried. She would want to refuse, but Kisame, by no means, would accept it. She could not believe that she had so many interruptions towards her goal!

       The four Akatsuki members arrived at the same verdant forest where [First Name] had once fought Sasori. This time, however, large puddles mirrored the green canopies above and the clear azure sky. A faint scent of damp earth lingered in the air—it must have rained the night before.

        Her gaze shifted to the opponent standing before her. He was still grinning, radiating an overwhelming, intimidating aura. She exhaled quietly, steeling herself. She needed to end this battle quickly—she had to find Itachi.

        “[Fake First Name], give Kisame no Danna a good kick in the ass!” Deidara shouted from above, perched on a tree branch. “Don’t let his seniority scare you!”

        She sweatdropped. It must be nice to be so blissfully unaware of the danger ahead.

        Sasori remained silent, watching from another tree branch.

        “Well then, shall we begin?” Kisame said with a grin, weaving hand signs before slamming his palms into a puddle. “Water Release: Four Shark Shower!”

        A massive surge of water shot into the air and split into four sleek, shark-shaped droplets, hurling toward her like gleaming needles eager to pierce flesh.

        ICE RELEASE ACTIVATED. Ice Imprisonment has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        Eyes locked on the projectiles, she swiftly formed her hand seals. Moisture in the air crystallized, coating the sharks in a web of ice. They froze midair and crashed to the ground, shattering on impact.

        “As expected of your Ice Release,” Kisame called. “But how about this? Water Release: Water Shark Bomb!”

        He thrust a hand forward, summoning a massive water shark that launched toward her with a thunderous roar. She gritted her teeth. There was too much mass—it was beyond her Ice Release’s freezing threshold.

        It’s time to use this.

        LAVA RELEASE ACTIVATED. Lava Wave selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        She formed the Bird seal. A bubbling pressure built inside her mouth—thick, molten rock, glowing orange and emitting sweltering heat. She inhaled deeply and unleashed a wave of viscous lava that surged forward in a torrent.

        The shark evaporated in a violent hiss of steam. Charred, solidified fragments of igneous rock rained down, thudding onto the soaked forest floor.

        “Lava Release? That’s a rare Kekkei Genkai,” Kisame said with a wide smile. “Now this is getting interesting.”

        Was it the right choice to use it? She did not want want to reveal anyone about her Kekkei Genkai. She then wiped the remaining lava from her immune lips with her thumb as beats of sweat started to form on her forehead from the water vapor. She would want to end this match now.

        Without pausing, Kisame pulled Samehada out from his sash and jumped forward, swiftly swinging it towards her shoulder. She knew that one of Samehada's abilities was Chakra absorption, so using more Charkra release techniques would not be as effective.

        ENHANCED STRENGTH ACTIVATED.

        She brought out her kunai from her pouch and firmly clashed it with the heavy bandaged sword that was leveled with her nose. Her blade was slightly quavering due to his immense strength. She would have been struck if she did not use Sakura’s abilities.

        Another toothy grin split her opponent lips. “You also managed to stop my strike, huh?” He then pulled out his sword away from her and inserted it back into his sash. “I am truly impressed by your various Chakra natures and your strength. I now understand why Itachi-san’s interested in you. Let's call this a day.” 

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the Akatsuki member is as follows. Kisame: blue.

        [Fake First Name] sighed in relief as she inserted her kunai back into her pouch. Finally she was done with this whole ordeal!

        “Because I’m satisfied with this battle, I guess I’d tell you something beneficial,” he continued as azure blue aura radiated from him. “Itachi-san’s currently going to fight Sasuke-kun one-on-one.”

        Her face turned pale. A sense of panic spread throughout her body as his words replayed in her mind.

        “Oi, [Fake First Name]! That was awesome!” Deidara ran towards her with Sasori behind him. He raised his palm with its mouth smiling for a high five. “But just how many Chakra releases could you use—”

        “Sorry, Deidara, Sasori-san, I really have to go now.” Her voice shook.

        “Where are you going?” Sasori asked.

        “… I’m going to Itachi-san.”

        “What for? Aren’t we gonna interfere with his battle, hmm?” Deidara asked.

        “No, that’s not it,” she clenched her hands. “If I don’t go, Itachi-san’s gonna die!”

        The three Akatsuki members became startled.

        Kisame instantly moved his head towards her. “What nonsense are you saying, [Fake First Name]? Itachi-san’s powerful. He’s not going to get killed by his little brother, isn’t he? And he only told me that it’s going to be just a fight, not a murder of some sort.”

        “NO! I know you guys may not believe me, but Itachi-san is really gonna die. Please just let me go. I’m so sorry.” She lowered her head. How could she be so careless? Why didn't she act faster?!

        “… If [Fake First Name] is that serious, we should believe her,” Sasori said. “But I have a problem.”

        “… What?” 

        “You really think that a brat like you could stop those two alone? Stop being preposterous. I’m coming with you.”

        “Wait—Danna, I was gonna say that!” Deidara then reverted his attention towards her. “I’m also coming, hmm!”

        Obviously she could not bring those two in danger. If Obito was to find out, they would also be killed instantly. “Don’t. If you guys go, he’s going to be suspicious of you two. Moreover, you guys wouldn’t be able to stay in the Akatsuki any longer.”

        The three members all bore confused expressions on their faces.

        “… He?” Deidara asked. "And just what do you mean by that?”

        And why was she starting to become exposed at this time? “Sorry. I can’t say that either. But all I could say is that if you guys help me save Itachi-san, he would come kill all of us since it’s gonna ruin his plans.”

        “So? You’re thinking that we’re that weak?” Sasori asked. “Are you underestimating us? I wasn't expecting to hear that from you.”

        “That’s not what I’m saying!” She raised her voice as her face tightened. “He’s very powerful, and worst of all, he knows all of us because he's an Akatsuki member!”

        They all became silent with eyes widened.

        “Basically… you’re saying that there’s a traitor within the Akatsuki?” Deidara asked. His face darkened. “Are you serious, hmm?!”

        She slowly nodded. Telling them this much information would not be harmful, would it?

        “But wouldn’t it be better to tell Leader about this?” he asked further. “You know, he can immediately kick him out with those funky Rinnegan eyes.”

        Did she really have to explain everything without trying to expose herself? And of course, Pein would not follow what she said since he trusted Obito without actually knowing the whole truth.

        “That’s impossible as he’s in control of the Leader. Leader won’t even listen to us,” she replied bitterly.

        They all exchanged glances. 

        “Well, well, looks like this is more of a serious problem than I thought it would be. Itachi-san is one of my respected partners in the Akatsuki. It would be a shame if he were to die this early,” he moved his eyes towards her, “[Fake First Name], although I’m highly suspicious of your actual identity, I’m coming too; I’m actually curious of this traitor you’re talking about.”

        She knew that Kisame was supportive towards Madara and Obito's Eye of the Moon Plan, and if he helped Itachi, he might also be in danger.

        “Me too! [Fake First Name] is my friend and I trust her more than anyone else in the Akatsuki, hmm!” the young blond affirmed.

        “You’re not gonna change my opinion. That's final," Sasori added.

        “I highly suggest that you bring your allies with you. You wouldn’t be able to save him alone.” The suggestion from that man in her dream emerged in her mind. At this point, she had no time to be assessing the credibility of his advice. 

        Her eyes locked onto the three of them. “Fine. Let’s go together.”

***

        After packing up her belongings in her drawstring bag, [First Name] trod down the corridor as she started to head back to the forest where the four decided to meet. Was it the right decision to bring them with her? Nevertheless, there strengths would definitely help her if she were to meet Obito and Zetsu in the future.

        “[Fake First Name], why are you such in a hurry?” a woman asked.

        She looked forward seeing Konan who appeared to wear a worried look on her face. She then started to remember the scene when Obito killed Konan as she was trying to stop him from proceeding with his plans. She could not help but feel pity for her. She was one of the characters who did not deserve to die.

       She had to be honest. “Konan-san, I’m going somewhere… dangerous, and I might not come back.”

        The violet-haired woman became silent for a moment.

        “… I see. Then, take this with you.” She brought out a small origami butterfly. “I know that you are under the circumstances where you can’t tell me about it, but this will be helpful for you in the future.”

        Konan was indeed very kind. If all this had not happened, she would have wanted to talk to her more often. She wanted to do something in return.

        “Thanks, Konan-san. Since you're giving me that, I'm also giving you something in return,” she focused her Chakra on her palm, causing the moisture in her skin to precipitate out into mineral purple crystal. Some of its solid structure twisted, turned, and flattened into a cluster of blooms, ending with a small shimmering amethyst rose sculpture that matched her hairpin. Its deep purple lilac glow from the crystallized petals reflected in her amber eyes. “It’s kinda like a farewell gift.”

        The woman’s face was about to change to a sullen expression, but it was a replaced with determination. “I wish you all the best.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the Akatsuki member is as follows. Konan: yellow.

        As honey yellow aura radiated from her, the two exchanged their parting gifts with saddened smiles.

Chapter Text

     “…I’m honestly baffled,” Kisame said, glancing forward. “Is [Fake First Name] always glued to your back like that, Deidara?”

     The four Akatsuki members were riding on Deidara’s massive clay bird, soaring high above the clouds as the wind whipped around them. The formation: Deidara up front, [Fake First Name] clutching him like her life depended on it (because it did), Sasori seated behind her, and Kisame at the rear, directing them toward the Uchiha hideout—where Itachi and Sasuke were currently engaged in what was sure to be a dramatic, trauma-laced showdown.

     “Y-Yeah! She’s… ugh, just not good with heights, hmm,” Deidara muttered, trying to sound casual even as a faint flush crept up his neck.

      Kisame raised a brow. “[Fake First Name] can leap through trees with no problem, but freaks out the second we’re airborne?”

     “I-It’s different!” she snapped, trembling as she squeezed her eyes shut. “If I fall from a tree, I break a leg! If I fall from this—I turn into abstract roadkill!”

      Deidara let out a half-snort, half-laugh. “Tch, dramatic much, hmm?”

      “It’s not dramatic if it’s true!”

       “How pathetic,” Sasori muttered behind her. “You’ve been on this bird how many times now?”

       “I don’t need this judgment right now, Sasori-san!” she yelled over the wind.

       “There’s a more efficient way to not fall off,” Sasori said blandly. Without warning, he reached forward, grabbed her wrist, and tugged her back so she leaned against his chest. “This. Now stop squirming.”

       She squeaked. Her face instantly went red.

        “Hey, Danna! I’m fine with her holding on me, hmm!” Deidara whisked his head towards him with raised eyebrows.

        “Stop being ridiculous. You're responsible for ascertaining that your minimalistic bird can fly properly. You tend to lose your focus easily.”

        “WHA—AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY MINIMALISTIC?!”

        “Hmph. I said what I said.“

        “What is this? I wasn't going to believe in the rumors, but it does seem that there's some love drama going on here,” Kisame let out a small laugh. “But isn’t it the time you tell us about your actual identity, [Fake First Name]?”

        The two artists became silent.

        She knew that she had to explain her real identity someday, but now was not the time. “… After we’ve saved Itachi-san, I’ll explain everything to you.”

        “Very well.”

        “And also, I have another request. Since we can’t go back to the hideout anymore, do you guys possible know where we can escape?” she asked. After saving Itachi, she would need to find a safe place to hide from Obito and Zetsu’s reach.

        “That's easy stuff. I know a place,” Sasori said from behind. “When I fought during the Third Shinobi War, my squad used to stay in a hidden basement in the mountains near the Sand Village. I wouldn’t say that it's the most comfortable place to live in, but it's better than nothing.”

        “Okay. That’s already good enough.” It was truly the right decision to bring Sasori with her.

        “But I can't believe that we have to escape. How pathetic,” he said, “Is that guy you’re so scared of really that strong?”

        “Yes. He’s probably stronger than the Leader himself.” Her voice was solemn. Although Pein had the Rinnegan, the overpowered abilities of the Sharingan far outweighed it.

        The Akatsuki members became stunned.

        “Wait, he's stronger than the Leader?!” Deidara asked. "I do think that Leader is very strong, but if he's even stronger, what would that make us?!”

        “That's why we have to hurry up.”

        “... Got it. I’ll speed up. Sit tight, hmm!” 

        The clay bird increased its flapping motion and soared forward with intense speed.

***

        Once the clay bird landed on an open grassy area of the virescent forest that surrounded the Uchiha hideout, the four hopped down. The sky was now awash with grey with some streaks of light that still managed to peek through. The air was humid and was preparing for the upcoming rain.

        “Is this the entrance of Uchiha’s hideout, Kisame no Danna?” Deidara asked. 

        “Yes,” Kisame said. “But It looks like we'd have to walk further—”

        “Ehh? I was wondering why I have to be on standby here, but I can’t believe that it’s you, [Fake First Name],” a familiar voice said. “I’m shocked!”

        The four moved their eyes forward, seeing that iconic venus fly trap human creature rising from the ground.

        [First Name] then remembered that man’s warning once again. Obito was truly suspicious of her to the point that Zetsu had to block them from meeting Itachi. Darn!

        “Zetsu, please let us pass,” [First Name] said.

        “Sorry, but I’m not allowed to do so,” he replied. “I’ll kindly ask you to leave. I don’t like to use violence against you since you’re my friend. Besides, what’s with this number of people? Are you guys gonna have a party after this or something? Let me join too!”

        “You idiot, it’s clearly not a party. They’re here to stop Itachi,” Black Zetsu corrected.

        “What??? Why?!” he gasped.

        “Oi, Zetsu! We really have to go! If we don’t, Itachi's gonna die, apparently, hmm!” Deidara said.

        “Huh? Itachi’s not gonna die that easily, is he? You’re exaggerating too much.” He raised his brow.

        “And just why are you on standby, Zetsu?” Kisame asked.

        “We can’t tell you that.”

        The Akatsuki members exchanged glances.

        “It appears that what [Fake First Name]’s said might be true,” Kisame said. 

        “I see… if you’re not letting us pass, then we’ll have to go by force.” Sasori placed his scroll on the ground, unwrapped it and summoned the Third Kazekage puppet.

        Kisame pulled out his Samehada from its sash, while Deidara pulled out lumps of clay from his pouch. In contrast, [First Name] stood still. Did she really have to fight Zetsu? What was the point of becoming friends with him in the first place? She merely wanted a truce.

        Black Zetsu snickered. “Looks like we’ve got no choice.”

        The two Zetsus pulled themselves apart from each other, dividing their aloe vera extensions in half. 

        “You take Deidara and [Fake First Name]. I’ll take Kisame and Sasori.”

        “No way! I don’t want to!”

        “Stop whining! Do you even know why we’re doing this?!”

        With a sigh, White Zetsu released large cascading tree roots from the hard ground. Their rough brown bark were looping and writhing like mad snakes as dirt scattered all around.

        “[Fake First Name], no hard feelings, okay? I’ll end it quickly!” he yelled.

        “Oi, don’t forget that I'm also here, hmm!” The young blond threw small clay spiders from the bird he was standing on above.

        “Katsu!”

        Multiple balls of yellow flame went ablaze after a flash of light, causing the tree roots to be incinerated within the ashen smoke accompanied by large explosive booms.

        “Hey, hey, fighting from above is not fair, Deidara!” White Zetsu whined.

        “Hmph! You deserved it! You’re not gonna attack [Fake First Name] under my watch!”

        The young woman, on the other hand, focused her attention onto the smoke. Explosions seemed to be effective with this. She had to do the same.

        SCORCH RELEASE ACTIVATED. Explosive Blast has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        Once she held the Seal of Confrontation, small bright orange flaming orbs were formed into the air and combined themselves into a large scorching sphere of red inferno. It was then propelled towards the rope of barks, evaporating the entire moisture of the wood, and incinerating the majority of the roots into black ashes. Smoke rose upwards.

        “Nice, [Fake First Name]! Art is definitely an explosion!” Deidara complimented.

        “And just how many Chakra releases can you use? Isn’t your Kekkai Genkai cheating?” White Zetsu asked. He then shook his head. “Since Wood Release doesn’t work anymore, I have to use this.”

        WARNING. White Zetsu's spores are detected on your body and are absorbing your Chakra. Chakra levels are depleting.

        A huge lump of heavy white mass suddenly grew from her body like a gigantic mushroom that was engulfing her existence. She tried pulling them out but to no avail.

        “Don't worry. I’ll finish this without hurting you,” he said as he started walking towards her. “Just go to sleep for now.”

        “Let go of her!” Deidara yelled.

        “Just calm down for a sec! You’re gonna hurt her if you try to dump your explosions on those spores!” 

        She started to feel her limbs quivering as her energy was being sapped. She knew that these spores or whatever had to be eliminated immediately before she started to faint!

        LIGHTNING RELEASE ACTIVATED. Objective: Electrocution.

        She focused her Chakra onto all parts of her body, sending a crackling stream of electricity towards the lump. Suddenly radiating and convulsing as the electric current pulsed through it, the entire white mass drooped down onto the ground. She then panted for breath as sweats starting trickling down from her forehead. Not only she had used so many Chakra releases in one day, but Zetsu did absorb a significant amount of her Charkra. That was not a good sign.

        “What—you can even do that?” White Zetsu asked with an exasperated gasp.

        “You’re wide open!” Deidara threw more clay explosives towards the white creature. “Katsu!”

        Her senses heightened. White Zetsu would definitely be exploded into white burnt pieces if he was hit! Remembering her talks with him, she could not see this happen in front of her eyes!

        CRYSTAL RELEASE ACTIVATED. Crimson Fruit has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        She instantly slammed her hands down onto the ground, causing a circle of beaming light to radiate around the white creature. A triangular dome of glistening crimson ruby immediately stacked itself from underneath, encasing the member within its protective structure. After the explosions had gone off in a series of booms and light flashes, the crystal was still intact and White Zetsu was unscathed.

        She felt weight being lifted off her chest.

        “[Fake First Name], just what are you doing?!” the young blond asked. “He’s our enemy!”

        “Zetsu is my friend, so don't harm him!” She then released her jutsu, shattering the dome into shimmering crystal shards.

        Amidst the falling fragments, White Zetsu bored a confused expression. “… Hey, why are you helping me? Even if I got exploded, I’m just a clone.”

        “I told you. We’re friends. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. And the same goes to you. You've been attacking me in the least harmful way you could do.”

        After a few pauses, he sighed. “You're really a good girl, aren’t you? But if you continue to do this, people are gonna take advantage of you someday, you know?"

        “I know, but your case is different.” She gave him a smile.

        He became silent for a moment. “Hmm… then I’ll let you go. But only [Fake First Name], that is. If all of you go, he’s gonna get mad at me.”

        She stopped in her tracks; she did not know whether she had to feel happy or surprised by his answer.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the Akatsuki member is as follows. White Zetsu: yellow.

        “What?! Don’t give me that!” Deidara yelled. “I’m coming too, hmm!”

        “You're acting awfully ludicrous,” Sasori said as he pulled his Chakra threads on his puppet. “Although that sounds like a nice offer, we, by no means, are letting her go alone.”

        Kisame gave White Zetsu a glance.

        “Really, you guys are so protective towards [Fake First Name]. It’s scaring me,” he cracked a small smile and put his hands on his hips. “But my answer is no. Only [Fake First Name] can go. That's it.”

        “Oi, the hell are you planning to do?!” Black Zetsu asked as he was blocking Kisame’s water sharks and Sasori’s black iron sand rods with his tree roots. “Don’t you dare tell me that you're betraying him?!”

        “No, I’m not since our objective isn't gonna be affected anyways, but I just have to help her, you see.”

        “… Zetsu, are you okay about it?” she asked. Wouldn't Obito destroy his whole existence then?!

        “Yep. You want to help Itachi, don’t you? I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

        But Itachi was the priority. After giving him a small thank you nod, she then moved her attention toward the young blond and the redhead. “You guys don’t have to worry about me. I’ll come back safe. Just wait at that hideout.”

        “You're not going anywhere!” Black Zetsu stretched out his twisting tree roots towards her in a dashing speed, only to be ripped off by Deidara's explosions and Sasori’s iron sand rods.

        It was true that bringing allies was not the wrong choice after all. If she were to see that man in her dream again, she would have to thank him.

        “[Fake First Name], we’ll handle things here, hmm!”

        “But how are you exactly going to meet us?” Sasori asked. “You don’t even know the location.”

        Of course, I'll just use the Sage Gate. “Trust me. I have my ways.”

        With a wave, she rushed towards the woods.

***

        Under the the pitter patters of the cool rain, [First Name] increased her speed as she hopped from the slippery tree branches up the mountains, and her hair that was drenched with water was plastered onto her face. Her chest pulsated, and her blurry eyes widened. Was Itachi going to be okay? Was she too late? Had Obito already reached them? She did not want to think of the worst case scenario. 

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Itachi Uchiha is within sight.

        She looked forward, seeing that terraced mountain with its upper layer dilapidated into fractured pieces of cemented rocks that were soaked in water. A huge slate was seen standing straight with the Uchiha symbol carved into it. Underneath, Itachi’s drenched wounded body was lying down with crimson blood trickling down from his lips to his chin, and his index and middle fingers were also covered in blood mixing with rainwater. His eyes were dull. Similarly, Sasuke was lying down with a thick line of crimson that traced from his forehead to his singed cheek. His eyes were closed.

        With her hands trembling, she immediately leaped towards them and kneeled down with her knees now damp. She brought her face closer to Itachi's pallid one.

        “Itachi-san!” she called out, only to receive no response. 

        Don't die on me! Great Sage analyze!

        DAMAGE REPORT. Itachi Uchiha is exhibiting signs of hemoptysis, likely caused by pulmonary edema. His eyes are also severely strained, with blood vessels around them damaged from excessive use of the Sharingan. Symptoms include vision loss and bloodshot eyes. Immediate medical intervention is critical, as the condition could prove fatal if left untreated.

        This was worst that she had expected. Was this the reason why she had always seen him fighting at a distance or use Shadow clones to deal with enemies in the original Naruto series? However, she had totally thought that Itachi would have already died. Was it because of her warning towards Sasuke that lessened Itachi’s injuries? She then traced her eyes towards the young Uchiha who was presentably wounded, but he was still breathing properly. At least he was still okay.

        But more importantly, she had to heal them before Obito or Zetsu came back, or else everything would go as how they had planned.

        NOTICE. Chakra reserves are low. Enhanced healing cannot be activated.

        What? Then what the hell am I supposed to do at this time?! Obito could be coming here at any moment!

        Carrying Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha to Sasori’s basement is recommended. Please activate the Sage Gate.

        That was true. That was the only option she had right now. She then focused her attention to the Uchiha brothers once more. Although Itachi was her love interest, she could not possibly leave Sasuke in the hands of Obito. She had to bring him with her too. They would be probably be very heavy together; however, using Sage Gate would make everything easy—

        “I knew it was you after all,” an intimidating low voice said from behind. “Sorry, but game is over.”

        She froze. She then slowly moved her head towards the orange masked man whose blood scarlet Sharingan could be seen through its hole.

Chapter Text

        With intense alarm surged through her body, she was about to raise her hands to weave her hand seals, but her limbs froze like stone. I can't move my body…? Is it his genjutsu? It was probably because she looked at his Sharingan directly! Darn!

        The orange mask man bent down in front of her. He then lifted her chin up with his thumb and index finger, bringing her face with some of her drenched locks of hair plastered on her cheeks towards him.

        “Do you know that you're not supposed to be here?” His voice was laced with intimidating menace. “Why are you making it hard for me?”

        Her face only tightened, and her lips were tied together. She could not muster her strength to utter any sounds.

        “Oh right. You can't speak because of my genjutsu,” the black tomoe dots of his Sharingan rotated, “Here you go.”

        Finally gaining her voice, but her limbs still stiff, she locked her eyes onto him. “… Itachi-san’s our comrade… I can’t let him die…”

        He clicked his tongue. “That again? From Sasori and Deidara—you’re always acting like a goody-two-shoes. It makes me want to puke.”

        She knew that Madara's influence on Obito eradicated his happy-go-lucky personality that he had as a child. How she wished that he would have maintained it.

        “Well then, since there's nothing I can do with that personality of yours, I have an offer to make. What do you think about joining me?”

        She fixed her gaze at him as his words replayed in her mind. “What are you trying to say?” 

        “Just listen. With your Chakra Releases and superior medical ninjutsu, you’d make good use in helping me achieve my goal, so if you join me, I won’t do anything to Itachi.”

        She could not believe what she had just heard. And he was not going to do anything with Itachi? She knew for sure that she could not trust his words. Moreover, Sasuke was also in danger! 

        “What about Sasuke?”

        “Hey, hey, you’re being quite greedy, aren’t you? You see, I need Sasuke for my goal too. In this world, where there is light, there is also darkness. As long as there are winners, there will be losers as well—“

        She remembered Obito's speech about his plan in one of the anime episodes she had watched. Although she understood why he would say such things due to seeing Rin die in front of his eyes, she totally did not agree with it. If there was any chance for her to change his opinion, she would take it!

        “--The selfish intent of wanting to preserve peace initiates wars, and hatred is born in order to protect love. A world of just peace and love--that's what I’m trying to create.”

        That was enough of his sayings.

        “That's it?” she asked.

        He stopped in his tracks. “… What?”

        Her [eye color] eyes bored into his Sharingan eye. “Is that all you're trying to say? Sorry, you took so long; I missed half of what you said.”

        He immediately scrunched her hair with his iron grip. His nails were digging into her scalp as if they were needles that were piercing her skin. “YOU DAMN BITCH—”

        Hey, Obito, that hurt, you know?!

        As much as she would want to wince, she forced her lips to continue speaking. “All in all, what I can say is that your plan is just a horridly bad misunderstanding. No matter how idealistic your world is, it is destined to fail. People are going to hate, suffer, and feel sorrowful. Humans aren't perfect, but that’s what drives us to work together to achieve true peace and love.”

        ”STOP TALKING LIKE YOU KNOW SO MUCH!” He slammed her face onto the wet gritty rock surface, causing her scraped forehead to start trickling blood. 

        Did I say too much? And that hurt even more! She felt as if her entire head was vibrating in intense pain.

        “What a shame. I was planning to let you live, but I've changed my mind. I’ll kill you here.” He grabbed her collar, bringing her neck close to his sharp kunai tip.

        Am I really going to die here? Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame were probably still occupied with Zetsu’s continuous attacks. No one could save her now. Her eyes darkened. Dying in a Naruto world might not be half as bad. She had not even accomplished Great Sage’s mission, so dying due to unexpected reasons would be okay, wouldn't it?

        But her speech with Obito was not over yet.

        “Let me… say something before I die,” she said.

        He snickered. “You're being funny. But I guess I can hear you out.”

        She inhaled deeply. "Even if you do this, Rin-san wouldn’t come back."

        His stared at her with wide eyes. “… Oi, how the hell did you know that?!”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the Akatsuki member is as follows. Obito: black.

        She gave him a smirk.

        As licorice black aura radiated from him, his grip on her collar tightened. “ANSWER ME!”

        Despite feeling weight being lifted off her shoulders, she closed her mouth shut. She did not want to expose herself any longer, but at least she warned him.

        “If you're not telling me… then DIE!” His raised his kunai towards her neck. 

        She looked at his drenched pumpkin orange mask and his glowering Sharingan eye with her dull eyes. His kunai tip aimed towards her neck in a slow motion. I guess I’m dying for real. Bye, Great Sage, bye everyone. Staying in the Naruto world was a fun ride--

        “Let me help you.” A familiar voice suddenly emerged in her mind. It was from that man in her dream.

        ENHANCED GENJUTSU NULLIFICATION ACQUIRED. 

        Wait, what?

        ENHANCED STRENGTH ACTIVATED.

        Huh?

        SWITCHING TO AUTO-BATTLE MODE.

       Her eyes instantly flared red. Before she could even process it, her hand seized his wrist—the one holding the kunai—and twisted his entire arm sharply to the right. A harsh pop echoed through the air.

        “Agh!” he shouted as the kunai clattered to the ground. Clutching his now-limp arm, he stumbled backward. “My genjutsu isn’t working? That’s impossible!”

        CRYSTAL RELEASE ACTIVATED. Crimson Fruit has been selected.

        Her hands slammed onto the ground, encaging the Uchiha brothers within the huge scintillating ruby dome that shot up behind her. Raindrops bounced its smooth surface like bullets.

        Is that for protecting them from Obito? But his Kamui can pass through anything! 

        Her body then charged towards the masked man and started weaving hand signs in a swift.

        BOIL RELEASE ACTIVATED. Corrosive Vapor has been selected. pH of 1 has been selected.

        She inhaled deeply, then exhaled a blast of steaming acid toward the masked man. The mist expanded rapidly into a thick, white fog, eroding everything in its path. Obito’s Akatsuki cloak tore under the corrosive assault. Angry red burns bloomed on his exposed arms. Even his mask began to melt, revealing cracked, aged skin beneath the left side.

        Oh, I see! When this warm vapor meets the cold surface since it's raining, the jutsu will become more expansive. Moreover, Obito's Kamui can only be used for five minutes, right? So when he starts to become tangible, he will instantly become singed!  She was starting to become impressed with the person who was helping her.

        He narrowed his eyes. Despite his twisted arm, he weaved his hand signs. “Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”

        He tilted his mask just enough to expose his mouth, then exhaled a blazing orb of fire. It roared forward like a miniature sun, vaporizing the rain around it. The heatwave washed over her, sweat already forming on her brow.

        What am I going to do this time? She then realized that her body was standing straight in front of the sun fire. Wait, why the hell am I standing in front of it?! Get away from it, you idiot!

        GREAT FIREBALL TECHNIQUE MIMICKED.

        Her hands weaved the exact same handseals, and her mouth blew out the sun orb towards his. It grew more intense as the two orbs clashed into each other until the two fires dispersed.

        W-wow, that's awesome. You had me worried for a second!

        “You even copied my jutsu?!" he spat, clicking his tongue. “You’re seriously pissing me off!"

        Suddenly, the air around his right eye spiraled into a vortex. His body vanished into it.

        Shit, where did he go?! Her pulse spiked. Eyes darting through the white fog, she barely had time to react before— 

        “Too late!” A brutal kick slammed into her abdomen like a freight train. Her body was sent flying, crashing into the jagged rock behind her. Debris exploded on impact. Pain lanced through her torso, her lungs emptied with a wheeze, and her arms went limp.

        Gasping for air, she forced her shaking limbs to move, trying to lift herself.

        Auto-battle mode, she thought grimly, if you’re really helping me—start healing. I won’t last much longer like this.

        ENHANCED HEALING—

        “Oh no, you're not!” More metal kunais stabbed her shoulders and knees with their blades sinking deep enough for her to scream inside. Her skin torn as scarlet soaked her cloak and pants.

        Her throat was then grasped by his clenched grip, cutting off her air supply. His menacing Sharingan eye were blazing red.

        “You really did it, didn't you? I’ll kill you for real now!” His fingers tightened around her throat.

        Small ragged gasps started to escape from her as her fingers tried to claw at his hands. Her crystal dome shattered into sparkling fragments. The corrosive vapor started to disperse. 

        AUTO-BATTLE MODE HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF. AN EMERGENCY HAS RISEN.

        Her eye color reverted back to her [eye color] ones as energy was being sapped away.

        Move it! Do something! Her limbs would not listen to her. They were all motionless as if they were waiting for the reaper to take their souls. Even with Great Sage's auto battle power, she was still weak against Obito? A huge sense of panic exploded within her. Damn it! Damn it! Damn--

        “AMATERASU!” 

        In an instant, fiery jet-black flames rampaged throughout Obito’s body like a mad fire that showed no concern for what would be left after. He screeched as he rolled himself down on the broken rocks.

        Her throat was now released, and her lungs inhaled for air that they had longed for so long. Her blurry eyes slowly moved towards the dome fragments seeing Itachi, who was still lying down, panting with both of his crimson Mangekyo Sharingan eyes scrunched up with concentration towards Obito. Streaks of red were trickling down from the corner of his eyes.

        He still had the energy to save her? 

        However, it was not long until Itachi closed his eyes and became motionless, causing the black flames to extinguish.

        With heavy breaths, Obito let out a laugh as he lifted himself up. His skin was exposed with reddish brown burnt scars  “That was a close call. Looks like I've won—”

        “KATSU!”

         After a blinding flash of light, a gush of belching flame rose with a huge cloud of smoke.

        “Don’t you dare touch [Fake First Name] with those filthy hand of yours!” She could hear Deidara’s voice from above.

        Obito's eyes were fixed on the young blond. “What happened to Zetsu?!”

        She then felt her back and legs being held gently. She looked up seeing that redhead puppet master whose face darkened. 

        “He’s now out cold. Dead like a log,” Sasori replied. “That wasn't even a fight. What a letdown.”

        They were here to help her? “Why…?” she gasped.

        “You're truly stupid,” Sasori said as he gently pulled out the kunais from her flesh, causing the young woman to wince. “Wait at the hideout? You're totally nuts. You're all injured.”

        That's true. She gave him a painful smile.

        “… Ha. Don’t you think it's time to stop getting so chummy?” Obito asked. “Look, she’ll eventually die by the hands of your enemy. You’ll regret because you couldn't protect her. Reality is cruel. Things don’t always go well as planned. Just like how it was with me!”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the Akatsuki member is as follows. Obito: black.

        [First Name] could not help but feel pity for him. Obito probably was feeling regret for not being able to protect Rin like how Deidara and Sasori were doing for herself.

        He weaved his hand signs. “FIRE RELEASE: BOMB BLAST DANCE!”

        A massive vortex of glowing vermillion flames erupted from his mouth, spiraling violently into the sky like a firestorm.

        “That’s pretty rude,” a voice cut in smoothly. “Are you forgetting about me?”

        Kisame landed in front of the oncoming blaze, grinning as he formed his own hand seals. “Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!”

        He unleashed a colossal torrent, a wall of water that surged forward in crashing waves. The two jutsus collided—fire and water exploding into a geyser of steam. The air sizzled. Nearby rocks hissed as their jagged edges were worn smooth by the deluge.

        “I didn’t think the traitor would be you, Tobi-san,” Kisame said, baring his teeth in a smirk. “Looks like everything is truly full of lies.”

        Obito burst from the receding water, drenched but still fuming. He clenched his hand into a tight fist.

        “Why you?! You don't understand a thing! You have to understand true solitude of losing your loved ones—”

        “Nonsense. As if we’d let her die that easily,” Sasori said. “Although I don’t give shit about your past, hurting her because of your petty laments makes me mad.” A stony glare carved into his dark eyes.

        “Oi, Tobi, you bastard!” Deidara yelled. “If you want to vent your stupid past so much, do it to someone else! I swear if you hurt her again, I’ll fricking kill you!”

        She became startled by their reactions. 

        Obito stood frozen. It seemed that he was quite stunned by their words like how he did when Naruto talked to him. She shook her head. As much as she had wanted to change Obito's perspective further, she had to use this chance to escape!

        “Guys, help me carry those two!” she yelled.

        “Sasuke too, hmm?!” Deidara asked.

        “Yep!”

        “But—”

        “Just do it!” We have no time to waste!

        Deidara frantically nodded and wrapped Sasuke’s arm around his shoulder. Kisame did the same to Itachi. Sasori stood up with her drenched body in his arms.

        SAGE GATE ACTIVATED. Location: Sasori’s Basement.

        Smoke erupted in front of her, revealing that same Japanese-style door. It slid open.

        “Get inside… QUICK!” she shouted. 

        “… You’re not escaping!” Obito thew out more kunais from his Kamui, only to be blocked by thick barks of tree roots.

        A white humanoid creature rose from the ground in front of her.

        Her eyes widened. “Zetsu?!” Why is he here?!

        “Just go. Hurry!” he said as he released more cascading tree roots from the ground. His white back was facing in her direction as if protecting her was his life mission.

        Zetsu was indeed one of the most loyal friend she had seen in her life.

        With a nod, the Akatsuki members dashed towards the door.

Chapter Text

        The Sage Gate slid open, revealing a dark interior where the pitter patters of the rain could be heard from its ceiling. All around the room were some comfy chairs, wooden shelves and tables. There were also ancient candle brackets on the walls; however, it had been so long that there was no wax residue on them. Her eyes were then drawn forward seeing that this space was actually a warren of small rooms built from timber. She would not say that it was a bad place to live in. 

        NOTICE. Chakra reserves are still little but are enough to activate enhanced healing.

        She immediately focused her attention on the Uchiha siblings whom were being carried by Deidara and Kisame. She had to heal them now!

        She scrambled out of Sasori’s arms and staggered to the injured men. “I’ll explain everything later! I have to heal them first!”

        She then winced as her wound from her legs started to open. Her knees faltered.

        “Stop.” Sasori held her wrist and wrapped his arm around the lower part of her abdomen as if he was trying to not touch her wound as he lifted herself up for her to sit properly.

        She moved her eyes towards his hazel ones. “Huh? I can’t! If I don't heal Itachi-san, he’s gonna die—”

        Her right cheek was stretched out. A stinging pain burst in that area.

        She clasped her burning cheek. “Ow! Sasori-san, what the hell?!”

        “Such a lousy attitude you're having here. Just calm down and listen.” He bent over to her and brought out a handkerchief. He then wiped off the blood that was trickling from her forehead. “When I was about to die, what did you do? Don’t make me wait in returning your favor ‘cause I’m not done with it.”

        She paused. Was he feeling worried about her wounds? But she had already thought the ‘favor’ she had done for Sasori's body reconstruction was over. 

        “Come on. Show me your injuries. All of your healing efforts would be pointless if you were in this condition, wouldn't it?”

        With flushed cheeks, she slowly nodded.

        “Hey, [Fake First Name]! Don't worry about Itachi and Sasuke.” Deidara crossed his arms. “Although I don't know much about medical treatment, I will treat them for the time being, hmm!”

        “You can just play with your clay at the corner,” the redhead pointed at the corner of the room. “You’re gonna make them worse.”

        “Wait—DANNA, THAT’S NOT FAIR!”

        Deidara was also kind. She was grateful for bringing them with her. “Then, Deidara, bring in some towels and a bucket of water! Just try to sterilize those two injuries!”

        “You got it!” He scurried his way to the shelves.

        “What about me?” Kisame asked.

        Oh right. He was still here. “Uh… you can help Deidara and please bring some bandages to stop some of their bleedings.”

        He became silent for a moment. “Am I an afterthought…?”

***

        “OUUUCH!” Her face contorted with tears forming from her eye corners for the millionth time as the redhead wrapped bandages around her pierced knees. 

        [Fake First Name], who was now wearing a simplified yukata that she found in one of the closets as her cloak was wet, had been receiving medical treatment from him at a wooden table. A candle was lit, illuminating its flickering orange light throughout the whole room.

        Her scraped forehead was attached with an adhesive plaster, her sore shoulders, abdomen, and back (at first, she was adamantly reluctant to show them, but his death glare made her give in) had been applied with the cool medicine as the pain that used to ebb her cells without any mercy started to fade away.

        “Done. You can stop bursting my eardrums now,” Sasori said as he packed up the bandages. “But that bastard did you pretty bad, didn’t he?” His face seemed to darken.

        This sort of injuries were to be expected from Obito. She did not know what would happen if those three did not help her, but Sasori was that concerned?

        “[Fake First Name], is this okay?” Deidara called out. He was kneeling down besides the two Uchiha siblings who were lying down on the futons, still motionless. “I just wrapped bandages around their chests, hmm.”

        Kisame, on the other hand, was changing the water buckets that was dirtied with blood into new clean ones. She did not expect him to be that helpful. Maybe Itachi did really mean a lot to him.

        “That’s fine, Deidara. I’m coming over there.”  

        With aquamarine green Chakra encompassing Itachi’s lying body, she focused her palms onto his chest as most of his wounds started to disappear. Although the healing process would take less time compared to Sasori’s full body reconstruction, she could not deny that his injuries were severe. Sasuke really did lash out all of his anger and hatred towards him. She hoped that they could reconcile. 

        Itachi’s eyes started to open slowly. His fingers seemed to regain their energy.

        “Itachi-san!” she called out as heavy rocks were lifted from her chest. She could not be more elated to see him gain consciousness.

        “… Where am I…?” His voice was hoarse.

        “Sasori-san’s basement! And Sasuke-san is here with us!”

        He widened his eyes and lifted himself up. “Sasuke?!”

        He moved his eyes to his side, seeing Sasuke lying down on a futon beside him. His eyes were still closed.

        “But I still have to heal him,” she said.

        “I see…” He then looked at his hands and chest. “… Did you heal me, [Fake First Name]?”

        “Yes! I healed both your eyes and your illness!” She knew that he had kept his illness as a secret, which made Zetsu confused to why there were times he could not dodge some of Sasuke’s attacks in the original story.

        “… Thanks.” He gave her a closed eye smile. “You saved my life."

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: yellow.

        Honey yellow aura radiated from him. She smiled in return. Finally his cold attitude had been thawed!

        “Oi, Itachi!” Deidara pointed at him. “You should be grateful that [Fake First Name] went out of the way to save you and Sasuke! She almost died, you know, hmm?!”

        Itachi fixed his gaze towards her plaster and bandages. His face turned into an apologetic look. 

        “I’m so sorry that you have to go all through that,” he then gave Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame a brief glance, “And just why are you three here again?”

        “[Fake First Name] said that you were going to die, and that there was a traitor behind the Akatsuki, so we followed her, Itachi-san,” Kisame answered.

        “Traitor?” He instantly placed his hand over his forehead. “Was it Tobi?”

        She knew that Itachi had met Obito before joining the Akatsuki, but he did not know his true identity. “Actually I have something to say about it.”

***

        After healing Sasuke who was still unconscious on his futon, [First Name] and the Akatsuki members sat at the table. She breathed deeply. Even if she was going to tell them everything, she planned to omit the parts about their world being called as the ‘Naruto world’ and the emotion analysis as that would be perceived as too far-fetched. Moreover, if she told them that her mission was to make them show the red passionate color, they would totally see her as a weirdo!

        “Before going to the main topic about ‘Tobi’, I have to introduce myself first,” she started, “My actual name is [First Name] [Last Name], and I don’t come from this world; I was brought here by a summoning technique.”

        Everyone became silent.

        “I don't know why either but as soon as I was summoned here, I was given a Kekkai Genkai, which allows me to use any Chakra releases, enhanced healing, analyze, mimic anyone's abilities, foresee events, and travel anywhere I want to. I know that it’s a lot.”

        She then moved her eyes towards Sasori who raised his brows. “Sasori-san, you were asking me why I knew about your puppet core, right? It's all because of my analysis abilities.” Although that was somewhat a lie, she had to use her analysis abilities as an excuse for now in order not to expose about the existence of the Naruto World.

        He gave her a brief pause.

        “How about your mimicking abilities?” Deidara asked. “I’ve always seen you use your Chakra releases and enhanced healing, hmm.”

        “As much as I want to show it, my Chakra reserves are pretty low right now,” she said. After healing both Itachi and Sasuke all in one go, her energy was now drained. If someone were to punch her right now, she would immediately faint. 

        Deidara only utter a short "hmm."

        “And because of this Kekkai Genkai, I knew that you three, Sasori-san, Deidara, and Itachi-san, were going to die if no one came to help,” she lowered her head. “I’m so sorry for not telling you guys the truth.” 

        At this point their emotion colors might change since she had been lying about her identity all this time. She was mentally prepared for that.

        “… Even if I still need time to take it all in, I would say that I appreciate you for sharing it with us,” Sasori said.

        “Danna's right! You're still our comrade, [First Name]!” Deidara added.

        “You saved all of us after all,” Itachi said.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: yellow. Deidara: yellow. Sasori: yellow.

        She felt warmth spreading in her chest. She really could trust all three of them.

        “But then the main problem lies towards ‘Tobi’,” Kisame said.

        That was right. “Tobi is actually Obito Uchiha." Her voice was solemn.

        Itachi froze.

        “Who's that?” Deidara asked.

        “Kakashi Hatake’s old friend,” Itachi replied. “I thought he had died from his mission many years ago.”

        “According to my analysis, he is the one that is controlling the leader. The reason why he wants us to capture all of the tailed beasts was not because of world domination; it is for achieving his Eye of the Moon Plan, where he would use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to trap everyone in a dream for a peaceful world,” she continued, “And during my fight against him, he told me that he wanted me to join him. I refused, obviously. I mean who would want to live in a world like that.”

        “And why did you have to save Itachi’s brother?” Sasori asked. “Wasn’t your main goal only Itachi?”

        “About that… Obito was actually planning for Sasuke-san to kill Itachi-san, so that he could take him into his group. Of course, I’m not letting that happen.”

        Itachi's face seemed to turn pale. Similarly, the Akatsuki members seemed to be at a loss of words. So much information had been disclosed after all; however, she was relieved that they actually believed in her.

        “… Then, what are we supposed to do now?” Deidara asked. “We can’t go back to the hideout as [First Name] said, hmm.”

        “Well, we’d have to stop Obito Uchiha from achieving the Eye of the Moon Plan,” Itachi said. “As for now, the tailed beasts that the Akatsuki still have to capture are the eight and nine tails. We have to stop them before it happens.”

        They all nodded. [First Name] would also agree. It would make situations worst if Obito succeeded since she did not want to fight Madara or Kaguya. They were too overpowered!

        “And lastly, [First Name], every time you're going somewhere, at least one of us has to be with you,” Sasori said with his hazel eyes bored into hers. “We don't know if that Obito Uchiha bastard would come after you again like last time. And besides, since you're stupid, it makes everything worse.”

        She twitched her eyebrows. So was he concerned about her or just wanted to mock? “Wha—I’m not!”

        “Yeah. You are. Just look at your injuries first, seriously.”

        She pouted.

        “Danna, don't you think that you're being a bit mean?” Deidara asked. "That's not cool, hmm."

        At least Deidara was kind enough.

        “What? Trying to be considerate, I see. You’re spoiling her too much. Brats really are brats.”

        “I’M NOT SPOILING HER!” His angry vein popped out.

        "Has it always been like this, Kisame?” Itachi asked.

        “Yes, ever since we came here to the Uchiha hideout to save you,” Kisame sweat dropped.

        “Hmm…” he cracked a small smile.

        At the side, Sasuke then seemed to have woken up. His head was turning left and right as if he had no idea where he was taken. 

        Itachi stood up from his chair. “Anyway, I want to have a long talk with Sasuke. We can discuss this further later.”

        She knew that this was the best time for them to clear up their misunderstandings. With nods, they all dispersed into their own rooms to rest.

***

        With her belongings now arranged in her new room that consisted of a futon, a rustic wooden shelf and wooden drawers, some tables, and a small bathroom, [First Name] sighed. Although it would be long before Obito found this basement, she felt anxious about his next moves. Not only it would be her who was in danger, but also all five of them. He would probably be so infuriated by now as Sasuke and Itachi were taken with her. Moreover, what happened to White Zetsu? He did save her until the end. 

        Knock! Knock!

        LOVE INTEREST LOCATED. Deidara is within sight.

        Was he here for something? She opened the door.

        “Oi, [First Name]! You must have felt very stressed and pressured when you knew all of those information this whole time, haven’t you?” Deidara asked. He then brought his hands out that held a collection of white clay art creations. “I made you some more clay sculptures, hmm!”

        He was here to make her feel better? She gave him a smile as she let him inside.

        He sat down on the floor beside her. “By the way, you said that you came from another world, right? What's it like?”

        Of course he would be curious. “It’s actually very different from here. Everything is modern," she looked at his clay sculptures, "including art." That was the only thing Deidara was interested in, wasn't it?

        “So art over there is modern? Tell me more, hmm!” His blue eyes sparkled like the glistening ocean.

        She knew that by purely describing, this highly curious young man would not be able to visualize it. She then brought out a paper an a pencil that she found inside a drawer.

        “Well, in my world there's a thing called ‘modern art’, which was created during the period when normal traditions were discarded in order to experiment new ideas, for example, this.”

        She started drawing out assembled squares and ovals although her lines were horridly wriggly. Her art skills were not as the best as she hand wanted them to be, but she had to use it for now.

        “This is called ‘cubism’; it's a style that breaks and reassembles simple geometric shapes to show multiple view points of the object being drawn,” she explained.

        He became silent.

        Was my drawing that ugly?!

        “That… THAT’S SO AWESOME!” he exclaimed. “Hey, can I keep this?” 

        She raised her brow. “Y-you want to keep it?” But why?! My drawing sucks!

        “Of course! It's the weirdest thing I've seen so far! I like anything that is artistic, hmm! From your crystal swan to this, you really are an artist, [First Name]!”

        W-weird? She then started to feel guilty; the only reason why she could produce those artistic crystals was because of the Great Sage’s powers. If it was her alone, she would not do any of it.

        “But really, your world must be so damn cool to live in! I want to visit it someday!” He beamed.

        “I hope we could. I don’t even know whether I could go back there or not." She lowered her eyes. She had no idea whether she would be able to complete the mission with Obito’s interference.

        “That's a given!” he suddenly held her shoulders, bringing her face close to his. “If you were summoned here, then there should definitely be a way for you to go back, hmm!” His eyes were filled with determination.

        He then moved his eyes to his hands that were holding her shoulders. Pink hues instantly dusted his cheeks.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: orange.

        “[F-F-First Name], my bad!” As amber orange aura radiated from him, he immediately retracted his hands away from her as comical steam gushed out from his ears. He lowered his head.

        “A-ah, it’s okay!” Her hands flailed helplessly. Her face was also a blush of rose pink.

        When it came to romance, Deidara was totally clumsy with his own actions compared to his usual confident personality towards his art. How adorable. She really wanted to cherish this moment with him, but her relationship with him had to go deeper than this, wasn’t it?

        Hey, Great Sage, so after the love interests show the orange emotional color, what comes next?

        ANSWER. After achieving orange for crush, your next goal is to change the color to pink for sweet love. When your love interest shows you the pink emotional color, there are chances of the appearance of the green color for jealousy and the purple color for lust.

        Jealousy and lust, huh? They both sound scary to me. To be honest, those three are not the type to show lust—I hope I’m not wrong.

        And lastly, your final goal, which is the main point of the mission, is to change their colors from pink to red for passionate love.

        Fine. But that was still too far for her to think about. Itachi was still on the friend zone path with her after all. 

        She then started to recall her fight with Obito since he had shown the black emotional color three times. She could not imagine how painful and distressing he had been after Rin’s incident and Madara's influence. If there was anything she could do, she would also want to change his perspective before his Eye of the Moon Plan became successful. 

        I hope that I could also change your color, Obito.

Chapter Text

        As [First Name] roused from her slumber, her nose was greeted by a smell of stale fat from outside her room. Was someone cooking? She lifted herself from her futon and slightly winced at her pierced knees.

        SELF RECOVERY 80% COMPLETED.

        The Great Sage suddenly spoke. Despite her Chakra reserves being almost filled, she still needed more time to heal after all, but at least her forehead left no more trace of the scraped scar she had got from the fight. Rubbing her eyes, she walked out towards the kitchen seeing that raven-haired man, who was wearing a yukata, pouring a yellow orange egg mixture into the sizzling pan.

        She blinked. Itachi’s cooking?!

        “Oh, [First Name], you’re awake?” Itachi asked as he began stirring the egg in a circular motion with his chopsticks, creating lumps in it.  

        “Morning, Itachi-san… but I thought that we had nothing to cook?” She could remember opening the refrigerator the day before, only to see that it was completely empty.

        “That’s been dealt with. When you guys were still asleep, I brought food supplies and all necessities that we were lacking.” He skillfully folded the golden cooked edges towards the center of the pan and then flipped it, creating an oval shape of the fluffy omelette. The smell of fried egg wafted into the air as if purring for her to come eat it soon.

        Oh my god, he’s boyfriend material for sure! Why wouldn’t he be ranked first place for the ‘ideal older brother type’ in the popularity poll after all?  She recalled watching one of Sasuke’s childhood episodes when Itachi had to cook for the two of them since their parents were visiting their grandparents, although he went a bit overboard.

        But she could just not do anything.

        “I’ll help you!” she said as she went back to her room to get changed.

***

        “… Itachi-san, how's Sasuke-san doing?” [First Name] asked as she minced the onions into little square pieces on the chopping board.

        After Itachi said that he wanted to have a long talk with Sasuke, no one knew what happened after that. Did he manage to convince Sasuke that he was not that evil person whom Sasuke had always seen since the beginning of the story? Was Sasuke going to take revenge on Konoha? Was he even going to kill Itachi once again? There were many things to consider!

        “I did clear up all misunderstandings that he had towards me, but he still needs time to take them all in,” he said with lowered eyes. “I’m quite concerned about whether he still sees me as an enemy or not.”

        Well, considering Sasuke’s personality, it would be long before he could accept this revelation since the Uchiha massacre had probably traumatized him. However, seeing Itachi feeling this saddened was making her feel bad. She had to bring his mood up! 

        “I’m sure that he wouldn’t see you like that anymore! I mean he’d probably understand that you loved and wanted to protect him even if that was the only option you could do!”

        “How did you know that?” His onyx eyes were fixed onto hers.

        She gulped inside. Oh right, she had not revealed to any of them about the existence of the Naruto world, which one of the reasons why she knew about Itachi's intentions. “That’s what I heard from Kisame-san.”

        He gave her a brief pause. “I see, and yep, I hope so.” With a smile, he then reverted his attention back to his beaten eggs in his bowl.

        That was a close call! She had to change the topic now! “And thank you for saving me Itachi-san. If you didn’t use Amaterasu, I would have choked to death.”

        “That’s something I have to do. Obito was trying to kill you. I couldn’t just see that in front of my eyes.” Hie eyes darkened. 

        Seeing his comrades and family die might have caused him to have PTSD after the Uchiha incident.

        “… Anyway, I appreciate you helping me,” he brought his hand forward and patted her head gently.

        Her cheeks were suddenly kissed by pink spring rose, but it reminded of the person whom she saw in her dream. To be honest, she had not seen him appear in her dream after that—

        “Hmm? [First Name], your face is red again.” Itachi placed his hand on her burning forehead.

        Her face became beet red.

        “It’s kind of hot. Maybe it’s because you were out in the rain for such a long time. Wait over here. I’ll bring some cooling pads.”

        That’s not it! “I-It’s not like that. I’m fine, really.”

        “Are you sure?” He turned his head towards the shelves where the first aid kit was. “If you become sick, it’s going to be a problem—”

        She held his sleeve, causing him to stop walking. Her scarlet face was lowered, and her eyes were shut. Her chest pulsated. Wait, did I just stop him on impulse? How she wished that she could sink in the ground and forget everything she done this morning.

        A heavy silence settled over them, thicker than the uneasy tension that she had felt when she was with Deidara during the three-tails capture. She could hear the sound of the teapot that was harshly whistling on the stove.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: orange.

        She flashed her eyes open, seeing amber orange aura flowing out of him, but then the Great Sage suddenly spoke again.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: yellow.

        It… changed?

        “… Sorry. Although I do enjoy your company, I can’t return your feelings.” The man gently removed her hand from his sleeve.

        She slowly lifted her head up as confusion was spread in her face. “Itachi-san, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

        “I’m saying that although I’m grateful that you feel that way, I can’t return your feelings. I’m trying to be as delicate as possible since I don’t want anyone to wait for their answers.” He had a solemn expression.

        He was probably thinking of Izumi Uchiha—that one female character who had always been deeply infatuated by him for such a long time until her final moments. Although it was not clear in the series, anyone who was a Naruto fan could tell that Itachi realized her feelings towards him; however, he had never answered back. With all of the Uchiha conflict and his ANBU responsibilities, he'd probably rather not to develop any romantic relationships with anyone.

        But why were you radiating that orange color just now?

        “Well then, let’s wake them up.” He removed his apron and started to walk away.

        She stood still. “… Okay.”

        Was he trying to not regret his actions?

        The following breakfast ended up becoming a period of uncomfortable uneasiness. Despite the steaming plates of golden omurice, bowls of soybean brown miso soup, and brewed green tea in front of her, she felt unsettled within her chest. Maybe the reason why Itachi said that was because she had always been blushing whenever she saw him, and he had realized it, but she did not expect to get rejected that quickly since for Deidara and Sasori’s cases, they did not confront her directly. Itachi, in contrast, remained his composure as if none of that ever happened the entire time.

***

        “So does anyone of you have information about the Akatsuki’s next movements?” Itachi asked.

        After partaking breakfast, the former Akatsuki members, all in their yukatas, were seated around the table with cups of tea once again. Sasuke was still in his own room, avoiding contact with anyone. A rustic map that printed the entire Shinobi world was rolled out on the table.

        “No, hmm,” Deidara replied.

        “Unfortunately no,” Kisame replied.

        “Me neither,” Sasori replied.

        Disregarding that awkward event from the morning, [First Name] paid her attention to the problem in front of her. She could remember that before the eight tails was captured, all six paths of Pein attacked Konoha in order to capture Naruto. Obviously, it was a fail with the cost of Nagato using the reanimation Jutsu and his demise.

        “No, but if they are planning to capture the nine-tails, they would attack Konoha sooner or later, right?” [First Name] asked.

        “That's true. When thinking about Leader, he would probably destroy anything that gets in his way, hmm,” Deidara added. 

        “But that fact remains that we’re out of clues.” Sasori propped his chin into his palm.

        Clues… her mind lit up. “I don’t know if this would help but,” she brought out the origami butterfly that Konan had given to her from the day before. To be honest, she had no idea what to do with it. “Konan-san gave me this because she said that it would be helpful for me—”

        A sudden burst of white square papers exploded from the origami piece with flipping sounds and twirled themselves in the air, forming the body of that violet-haired member with her amber eyes locked onto her [eye color] ones.

        Deidara, Sasori, and Itachi immediately stood in front of [First Name] in attacking stances.

        “It was you, wasn’t it, [First Name]?” Konan asked. Her voice was indifferent.

        She knew her real name?!

        “What the hell do you want?!” Deidara asked.

        “Right now the Akatsuki sees you five as traitors,” she replied. “Pein has sent us an order to kill you all—”

        Darn! That Obito must have told Pein about her actions and framed her!

        “—was what I wanted to say,” she ended.

        [First Name] raised her brows. Everyone else did the same.

        “I’ve heard everything about Obito and the Eye of the Moon Plan,” she said. “I’m here to help you.”

        Was that origami butterfly supposed to be a messenger or some sort?

        “Oi, oi, that’s quite a suspicious offer from someone who’s so loyal to Leader,” Sasori said. His piercing hazel eyes were glowering at her. “And just why wouldn’t you stop the leader yourself? Aren’t you two close?”

        “That is correct, but Pein is still adamant to his plans of capturing all of the tailed beasts and would not listen to anything else. He trusts Obito more than me.”

        That was true in a way because Nagato deeply believed that Obito was Madara Uchiha and that he was the Sage of the Six Paths who would have to save the world.

        “And just how are you going to help us?” Itachi asked. He activated his Sharingan. “Depending on your answer, I might have to put you under my genjutsu.”

        “I’ll tell you about Pein’s next goal. He’s planning to attack Konoha soon,” Konan replied.

        [First Name] would agree because the Pain’s Assault Arc was coming soon. However, she was unsure whether she could trust that Akatsuki member in front of her. Even if she knew that Konan ended up being supportive towards Naruto, it was undeniable that she was willing to kill anyone under Nagato’s orders.

        “That’s highly true since Naruto-kun should still be in Konoha,” Kisame said.

        “Then tell us about Leader’s abilities,” Sasori said.

        “There are six Peins in total: the Deva Path, the Asura Path, the Human Path, the Animal Path, the Preta Path, and the Narak Path. They all possess black receiver rods in which Chakra can be transferred. Furthermore, when stabbed, they can hinder movements or completely paralyze the entire body. I will tell you more if you allow me to help you.”

        Konan seemed to be truthful to her words. The rest exchanged glances.

        “Fine. We’ll trust you,” Itachi concluded.

        Sasori only utter a soft ‘hmph’.

        “But if we’re facing all six paths of Pein along with Hidan and Kakuzu, we’re in a way outnumbered, hmm,” Deidara said. “And Sasuke probably doesn’t give shit.”

        “Who said that I don’t give shit?” a male voice asked.

        They all turned to the direction of the voice, seeing Sasuke leaning against the wall with crossed arms. “You need more people, don’t you? I have my comrades whom I can use.”

        That would be very helpful if Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu were there to support! Their sensory, immense strength, and water release abilities were pretty powerful as she had seen in the series.

        “Sasuke, you’ll do that for us?” Itachi asked.

        “Yeah. Although I don’t trust Konoha, I can’t afford it to be destroyed since you love it so much, Nii-san,” he said. “And I heard everything.”

        Nii-san? Maybe Itachi's feelings were sent through Sasuke! 

        A smile appeared on Itachi’s lips.

        She could not be more than happy to see it. However, what about Obito? Was he going to fight them too? And Zetsu?

        “By the way, what happened to Obito and… Zetsu?” she asked.

        “Obito is currently away to do his private business. I’m sorry, but he couldn’t tell me about it. As for Zetsu, I haven’t seen him for such a long time.”

        Obito probably either eliminated White Zetsu or prevented him from going outside since he did betray him after all.

        “… I see.” She would have also wanted White Zetsu to become part of her group, but that seemed to be impossible.

        With that said, they all continued discussing about their next plans and Pein’s weaknesses, forming a conclusion that they would stop him from attacking Konoha before he even reached there, but she would be lying if she said that she was not scared. ln the original series Naruto was able to defeat those paths of Pein by using his Sage Mode, which none of them could use. Although it was true that Deidara’s explosives could be serve as a surprise attack, Sasori’s puppets was the most appropriate for long distance attacks, Kisame’s water release techniques were not to be underestimated, and Itachi and Sasuke’s Sharingan coordinated attacks would be out of the world, she could not be completely calm.

***

        “Oi, [First Name], what’s wrong?” Deidara asked. He furrowed his brow.

        Deidara was back in her room sitting cross-legged on the floor with her. His clay ceramics that were maple leaf-themed were also placed on the floor as he had been explaining their unique charms one by one, but the young woman had not been paying much attention; she had been contemplating about their upcoming battle with Pein and the remaining Akatsuki members. This was the first time she felt so much stressed about the tasks that she had to accomplish compared to the university assignments that she usually ignored.

        “I just feel more stressed than before. You don’t have to worry.” She could not make others worry about her.

        He became silent for a second. He then slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, gently leaning her shoulders onto his.

        “… You can rely on me sometimes too, hmm,” he mumbled with his rosy face turning to another direction. “I’ll protect you.”

        Not only Sasori was a tsundere but also Deidara? But that phrase sounded like it came from the male protagonist in the shoujo anime. Even if her face was going to explode with embarrassment from his contact, she started laughing with relaxed joy and unrestrained glee.

        “W-what’s so funny?!” He retracted his hand away. He flustered.

        “I didn’t think you, that art-obsessed and careless arsonist Deidara, would say something cliche like that.” She could not restrain twitching her mouth upwards.

        “Laugh all you want, hmm!” he huffed and crossed his arms. His face was a blush of champagne pink once again.

        “But thanks. You’ve brighten me up.” Her lips stretched into a smile.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Deidara: orange.

        That was the fourth time now. Out of all of her love interests, Deidara was the one that showed the orange emotional color the most, but his darkened blush was just so adorable to see. She then moved her attention back to his gold and scarlet leaf ceramics where their five points and little spines were striking to her eyes as if they had been waiting for her to focus on them.

        She leaned forward to look more closely. “Anyway, continue. I want to hear more--

        He turned his head toward her at the exact same moment.

        And then—

        Their faces collided.

        Not just a brush, not a graze—her lips smacked into his with enough force that it jolted her back slightly. His nose bumped hers, painfully. Her breath caught.

        The clay leaf toppled with a dull clink against the floor.

        Time froze.

        His lips had been soft. Warm. Dry from the autumn air. The faint scent of clay and smoke lingered on him. Her heart hammered.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. Deidara: pink.

        As rosy pink aura radiated from Deidara, his eyes went wide, staring at her up close, so close their eyelashes almost tangled. She could see the flecks of steel-blue in his irises, the way his pupils slightly dilated in panic.

        “Wha—?! You—Why were you that close, hmm?!” he sputtered, jerking away like he’d been electrocuted. His face lit up like a firework—bright, burning, and immediate.

        “I was looking at the leaf, idiot!” she snapped, her own face flushed. “You turned too fast!”

        “Tch—DON’T BLAME ME! You leaned in! What the hell was that?!” He stood up too fast and nearly stepped on one of his clay pieces. “That wasn’t—I wasn’t trying to kiss you or anything, yeah?! That was—it was just—” He ran a hand through his hair aggressively, looking like his brain had short-circuited. Then he spun on his heel.

        “I need to—uh—check my explosive molds. Something felt off. Gotta go!”

        He bolted out of the room.

        She sat there, stunned, heart still thudding like an ignited fuse.

Chapter Text

        [First Name] was not able to focus on anything throughout that whole day until the next morning. Although she recalled Robert J. Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, she had no idea how to apply it to her situation. If orange was for infatuation and pink was for sweet love, then did that mean that Deidara was serious about his feelings towards her? This was too sudden for her to think of anything! Her lips still remained tingling, and her mind still remembered the kiss in full detail. Was this the ‘flashbulb memory’ that her professors had told he during cognitive psychology? Experiencing it first hand would definitely make her remember its definition clearly.

        Even so, his lips were sure soft… She snapped herself out of those thoughts. No, no, no! After her mission was over, she would have to return back to her world. He was a fictional character after all! But did she really want to leave? She was becoming attached to these characters even more before coming to this world.

        She then heard boisterous noises coming from the dining table. It did not sound like it came from someone she knew in this hideout. She slowly headed towards the source of the noise seeing the former Akatsuki members and Sasuke having their eyes locked forward towards the three figures.

        “Oi, Sasuke, you act high and almighty about wanting to kill Itachi, but now you’re residing in the hideout with him?!” the redhead bespectacled kunoichi, Karin, asked with her eyebrows raised. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

        “Well, we’ve been traveling nonstop for quite sometime, so now’s a good chance to get some rest,” Suigetsu replied. His white hair with blue tints was neatly straight similar to his calm personality. He was scooping up yogurt that seemed to have been taken from the fridge.

        “You’ve done nothing but rest since we started, you lazy ass dipshit!” she roared.

        “You didn’t do jackshit back at the Northern Hideout, so don’t even start bossing me around now!” he insisted with a sigh.

        “Come on, guys, this is not the time to argue,” Juugo said. His spiky orange hair was striking in contrast to his current personality.

        “If you guys don’t shut the hell up, I’ll slit your throat,” Sasori glared at them. “This isn’t the place for petty arguments.”

        Sasuke gave a bored facial expression; Itachi seemed to be confused about his comrades; Kisame seemed annoyed. Deidara gave [First Name] a brief glance with slight pink tinted cheeks. He was probably thinking about what happened yesterday like her. 

        “Oi, you!” Karin pointed at [First Name]. 

        “Y-yes?” She flinched.

        “I sense weird Chakra coming from you,” Karin crossed her arms. “It’s like there are two kinds of Chakra within you.”

        Two?! She had never heard about it. Was it from the Great Sage? But he had never told anything about it to her either.

        “But more importantly, how dare you sleep under the same roof as Sasuke, you ugly old hag?!”

        Ugly old hag? Wow, not only Sasori commented on it, but now it’s Karin?

        “Maybe she’s Sasuke’s secret girlfriend!” Suigetsu teased with his tooth fang glistening in his grin.

        Karin dropped her jaws.

        In an instant, she felt murderous intent from her sides. She could see Deidara holding his clay explosives, while Sasori took out a sharp poisoned needle.

        This is bad. They’re getting pissed off! She had to do something!

        “Rest assured, Karin-san. Sasuke-san’s not my type,” [First Name] smiled. ‘Cause I prefer Itachi although he rejected me!

        Sasuke gave an indifferent expression. Suigetsu blinked. Juugo was slightly startled. The rest of the Akatsuki members were also startled by her response. 

        “HUH—wait, what? Are you… serious?” Karin adjusted her glasses.

        “Yep.”

        “Then, that’s fine!” She beamed and started to cling on Sasuke like a fangirl with pink hearts popping out from her in a comical manner.

        Suigetsu moved his purple eyes towards Deidara and Sasori. He then grinned. “Hmm… I see what’s going on.”

        “What?” Karin asked.

        “You’d probably don’t understand since you’re retarded.” He propped his chin into his palm.

        She raised her fist. “YOU WANNA FIGHT, YOU PIECE OF—”

        “Anyway, Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo, as mentioned before, you three, including me, will be cooperating with them in order to stop the remaining Akatsuki members from capturing the nine-tails,” Sasuke demanded. Anyone could tell he was done by those two.

        The three all complied with Karin acting like a tsundere towards Sasuke. Thank god.

        "But what are you going to give us in return? Fighting the remaining members of the Akatsuki is a big deal, you know?" Suigetsu then moved his head towards the shark member. "Oh, Kisame-senpai, can you give me your Samehada then?"

        "That's something I can't do. Unlike your older brother, you're pretty cocky with that condition like that," Kisame smirked.

        Asking them to help would not be such as easy task after all, huh? With her eyes focused onto the yogurt in Suigetsu's hands, she had an idea. 

        "Suigetsu-san, we can give you a bunch of packs of yogurt in return," [First Name] said. Was he going to take her reward seriously?

        Everyone raised their brows. She knew that what she just said sounded stupid.

        Suigetsu burst out a laugh. He then wiped off his tears with his index finger. "Wow, you really are interesting! Although that reward does sound pretty unexpected, I'll help you out since I do like yogurt."

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the character is as follows. Suigetsu: yellow. 

        With honey yellow aura emitting from him, he stepped forward towards her, only to be blocked by Deidara and Sasori.

        "Geez, chill out guys, I'm not gonna do anything. Too protective, aren't ya?" The white-haired young man raised his arms upwards. "I just want to tell [First Name] that I want to be friends with her. That's it."

        "Fuck off! We don't trust you that much yet, hmm!" Deidara scowled.

         The young blond's close contact with her made her face become a blush of rose. 

        "My, my! Is she blushing? I think I know who she likes!" Suigetsu teased.

        Why did he have to say that in front of Sasori?! She was trying so hard to keep it as a secret, but she was at fault for blushing!

        Before she could say anything, Sasuke gave Suigetsu a death glare as he was going off tangent, and the discussion about their plans against Pein finally continued smoothly.

***

        [First Name] was back for her puppetry lesson at Sasori’s new studio. At first, she had thought that her lessons were cancelled because of Obito’s incident, but the redhead told her that ‘practice makes perfect’ and that this skill might be useful in her upcoming battle. She did not think that he would be that foresighted. More importantly, she did not know how to look at him in the eye since he had probably seen her blush because of Deidara accompanied by Suigetsu's implied sayings. Sasori did look composed though.

        I guess looking normal would be the way to go.

        “Sasori-san, look! I finally did it!” she exclaimed, excitement bursting from her chest as her puppet sprinted, leapt, and even pulled off a basic martial arts combo across the wooden table. All those thick books and grueling lessons—finally, she saw the payoff!

        “Well done,” he said, voice calm but clear. “But if you were more advanced, you wouldn’t need all ten fingers to control it. It’s a waste of chakra.”

        “I’ll work on it!” she replied, her voice brimming with confidence. Compared to Deidara’s clay art, her progress in puppetry was leagues ahead.

        But then, he went quiet. A stillness came over him, one she’d noticed before—like when Deidara’s aura first flared orange.

        “…Oi. What’s going on between you and Deidara?” he asked flatly.

        Her heart skipped a beat. He had noticed. “Nothing. Why?”

        Sasori placed one hand firmly on the table and leaned closer, hazel eyes sharp and unreadable.

        “Don’t play dumb. You’ve been acting off since morning—like something happened between you two. Something serious.”

        “I-I don’t know what you mean…” Her throat dried up instantly.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Sasori: green.

        Green? But he’s never even shown pink!

        “You’re hopeless,” he scoffed, a mossy green aura flickering around him as if exposing every suppressed feeling. “Do you really think I can’t see right through you?”

        Her palms began to sweat. His voice, his gaze—everything about him right now made her spine tingle.

        “You kissed him, didn’t you?”

        Her cheeks flared red. Her silence gave it away.

        “Tch… I knew it,” he muttered, then let out a humorless chuckle. “You like him.”

        Her heart pounded wildly. She couldn’t deny it—not to herself, at least. But it wasn’t just Deidara… She lowered her eyes, speechless.

        Sasori stared for a moment longer before turning away. Without a word, he walked back to his chair, back straight, arms stiff at his sides.

        She froze. Did she just… hurt him? Did this remind him of his parents? Of being abandoned all over again?

        Knock! Knock!

        “[First Name], do you have a moment—” Deidara’s voice called from behind the sliding door.

        She turned her head slightly—but didn’t move. She couldn’t just leave Sasori like this.

        “Go,” he said curtly without turning around. “He’s calling for you.”

        But why wouldn’t he just admit how he felt? He was always like this. Even with Chiyo. He hid his grief, buried it so deep that she mistook it for strength, and distanced herself because of it.

        “Sasori-san, you’re such an idiot,” she muttered under her breath, voice solemn and firm.

        His head whipped around, face darkened. “…What did you just say?”

        She clenched her fists. Her blood was boiling.

        “Why can’t you just say what you really feel?! Are you still some emotionless puppet or what?!”

        “The hell are you talking about?!” he snapped, eyes narrowing.

        God, even if he was 35, he acted like a child when it came to feelings!

        “Look—based on your attitude, it’s obvious you don’t want me to go! So just say it already!”

        His glare sharpened. “Stop imagining things. You know what happens when I get angry, don’t you? And for the record, I don’t give a damn what you do. Go, stay—whatever. Just stop bothering me.”

        He turned away sharply, but before he could take another step, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a tight, sudden hug.

        He froze.

        His eyes went wide, utterly stunned by the contact.

        “If you really don’t want me to go, then say it,” she whispered. “Drop the pride and stop lying. I know it’s hard, but try… just a little. I’m not leaving you.”

        He didn’t respond.

        “And about that kiss—it was an accident. It wasn’t… like that.”

        That seemed to catch him off guard. He blinked, visibly processing.

        “And as for whether I like him or not…” She swallowed hard. “I… I like you too.”

        Suddenly, a warm amber-orange glow radiated from him, replacing that bleak moss green. Her face burned. Did I just confess?! The words echoed in her head on a loop.

        The silence stretched painfully long.

        Was he mad? Embarrassed? Processing?

        She could only hear his heartbeat—steady, but loud.

        Then—

        “…Just when are you going to stop hugging me?” he muttered, his tone dry but flustered. “I can’t breathe.”

        She immediately let go, arms snapping back. “I-I’m sorry!” she blurted out, face blazing.

        She retracted her hands away. She flustered. Million of apology phrases burst in her mind. “I-I’m so sorry!”

        Instead of that expected angered look, he gave a deadpanned expression. “You... don’t you ever feel embarrassed when saying those cheesy things to me? And you seem to like hugging me so much. What's wrong with you?”

        “Yeah, I am, but I had to say it! And you've always looked like you wanted to be embraced for such a long time. That's why,” She spoke genuinely. 

        After a brief pause, he sighed. “Looks like you’re still a brat after all. I’m gonna teach you something new.”

        The next thing she realized, his hand had already been placed at the back of her neck and her wrist was held gently, pulling her face close to his. She barely had a moment to react before his lips were pressed against hers. As soon as she jolted, he forced his tongue to delve into her mouth, plunging in like some writhing scorpion tail that was attempting to sting her entire maw with its faded bitter green tea taste. His contortive yet slippery tongue overpowered her senses, only giving her the option to loll helplessly and squeeze her eyes shut in a trance.

        In an instant that felt like ages, he slowly pulled out, causing a thin string of saliva to connect the tip of their tongues. Her hot breath was coming in short gasps. Her face became scarlet and roasting hot in contrast to the redhead who was still unfazed as if he was experienced in this field.

        “This is what a kiss should be like,” he smirked.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Sasori: pink.

        As rose pink aura illuminated from him, his warm hazel eyes fixed onto [eye color] ones. “You said that I had to express my feelings clearer, didn’t you? That’s how I see you.”

        She clasped her scorched lips. She could not deny, but she was aroused by his kiss. Compared to Deidara’s one, it was not a pure soft kiss but a passionate kiss as if she had to belong to him only. But did it mean that he no longer saw her as a kid?

        And maybe the reason why his emotion turned green before was because his color had already been pink?

        “But I’m quite irritated by the word ‘also’. It seems that I can’t lose to that brat. You’d better be cautious from now on. You won’t know what I’m gonna do to you to change your mind.”

        For a moment a phrase attempted to form its shape in her mouth, and her lips could only parted as though she was struggling to answer a lecture question. But no sounds left her and what she had wanted to say became sucked into the endless world of blankness.

Chapter Text

        Leaning against the door of the redhead’s room from outside, [First Name] tried to regain her composure, but her lips were still burning hot; her face still had that same scarlet color; her entire body was trembling as the movement in her mouth was replayed with a warning alarm going off in her head.

        “You won’t know what I’m gonna do to you to change your mind.”

        She could remember his words clearly. Was Sasori this type of person? She had thought that he was a tsundere character like Deidara who would not dare approach her this romantically. And just why did he have to put his tongue in the kiss?! 

        To come think of it, lust, although he did not show it, was the feeling for.... intense sexual desire, wasn’t it? She gulped.

        … Great Sage, if the love interests show lust, then does it mean that I have to… d-d-do that?!

        Obviously she was not mentally and physically prepared for it!

        ANSWER. Not necessarily. According Sasori's actions, it appears that lovemaking is not what he is looking for at this moment.

        R-really? She could feel her nerves being dispersed in her chest.

        Yes. Although he does not see you as a kid anymore, he probably thinks that you are too young for that. Aren’t you having too many perverted thoughts?

        I don’t want to hear that from you! Anyone would totally think this way! And I don’t think I can look at him in the eye for quite a while!

        “Hey, [First Name], I finally found you!” A male voice penetrated her thoughts.

        She looked forward, seeing that white-haired young man waving at her with a toothy grin. She then recalled the fact that he exposed her feelings in front of the redhead.

        “What are you doing here? Isn’t this Sasori’s room?” he asked. He then moved his eyes towards her face with raised brows. “… Your face is so red right now, you know?”

        She knew that fully well. She instantly placed her hand on her face. Her hand burnt. “… It’s nothing to worry about, Suigetsu-san.” More importantly, she had to find Deidara. She could not keep him waiting.

        He tilted his head. “Hmm… anyway, let’s hang out together! And no need to add '-san'! I want to be friends with you!”

        “Sorry, but I’m kind of busy right now." Although she did appreciate Suigetsu’s friendship feelings towards her, she did not have the time for it.

        “… If you’re finding that blond guy with the weird tongues in his palms, he’s currently arguing with Sasuke.” He crossed his arms above his head.

        “What?!” She clearly thought that Deidara was over with his pride of art against the Sharingan! She had to stop them! “Where are they?”

        “The dining table, but I don’t recommend you going there. It’s dangerous, you know—hey, wait for me!”

        She dashed towards their location with Suigetsu running behind her. As soon as they arrived, she could see Deidara, infuriated, standing in front of Sasuke who was sitting at the table. He wore that same indifferent expression. Karin, clearly annoyed, stood behind that raven haired male while Juugo was sipping tea with a worried look.

        “Oi, Sasuke, aren’t you supposed to be thankful that [First Name] healed you, hmm?!” Deidara slammed his hands on the table.

        “I never asked for it,” Sasuke curtly replied. “Even if I agreed to help you guys out, it doesn’t mean that I’ll become chummy with all of you, and that includes her.”

        Phew. It wasn’t about his pride and his hatred towards the Sharingan! But why was Deidara going so far to do this? Well, he did show the pink emotional color, didn't he?

        “Sasuke is right!” Karin added. 

        “HUH?! Are all Uchiha this selfish?!”

        “And just when are you going to stop bothering me? If you don’t back off, I’ll use force.” Sasuke drew his chokutō from its sheath, his onyx eyes narrowing in a sharp glare at the former Akatsuki member.

        “Go ahead! I was just thinking of testing out my newest creations on you, hmm!” Deidara grinned, pulling out white clay lumps from his pouch.

        If she didn’t stop them now, they were going to hurt each other—maybe even seriously. All she wanted was a truce! Just then, she caught sight of Juugo trembling at the side, his eyes wide and wild.

        “Kill… I wanna kill…” Juugo suddenly muttered. Orange-red, flame-like markings began spreading across his neck and face, crawling out from the curse mark. His right sclera turned pitch black.

        “This is bad! Juugo’s impulses are going berserk!” Suigetsu shouted, clearly panicked.

        Not just Sasuke and Deidara—now Juugo too? Could she get a single day of peace? She knew Juugo’s bloodlust could usually be quelled by either Kimimaro or Sasuke, but Sasuke was too focused on Deidara to notice.

        She had to intervene—fast.

        ICE RELEASE ACTIVATED. Ice imprisonment has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        She swiftly formed the seals. White ice crystals branched out across Juugo’s skin, encasing his shoulders and neck in a cold, glossy frost. He froze mid-motion.

        “Ice?” Suigetsu’s purple eyes widened at the sight of the crystallized sheen on Juugo’s body.

        Sasuke turned toward her, his attention finally breaking from Deidara. Karin followed suit, stunned.

        The flame-like markings began to recede, pulling back into the curse mark as Juugo sank to his knees, panting. “I-I’m sorry…”

        She released the jutsu and exhaled deeply, a wave of relief washing over her. Ice Release really was effective for cooling things down—literally and figuratively.

        “And you managed to stop Juugo?!” Suigetsu asked. “Wow, you’re truly interesting, [First Name]!”

        That was not important anymore. Without listening to him, she trudged towards the young blond.

        Deidara immediately flinched with sweats forming on his forehead. He flailed his arms. “[F-First Name], this isn’t what you think it is, hmm—”

        She held his wrist gently and brought her face close to his. “Yeah, I know, but don’t resort to violence for everything. If Sasuke-san doesn’t want to thank me, then let him be.” 

        Deidara became silent with slightly flushed cheeks.

        He was still blushing at this moment, huh? She then reverted her attention back to Sasuke. “Sasuke-san, sorry about that.”

        The young Uchiha gave a little startled response.

        With that said, she pulled Deidara outside of the dining room and headed towards his studio. She needed him to explain everything!

***

        “… [First Name], sorry,” Deidara apologized. He was sitting cross legged on the floor besides her. “Sasuke was being arrogant and ungrateful towards you, so I couldn’t help it, hmm.”

        So that was why he acted that way. He had always been arguing for her even for Sasori’s case when she reconstructed his human body. It was as if he had cared for her so much. Of course she, by no means, would be angry at him.

        “Deidara, you’re so kind,” she smiled.

        “K-kind?” His cheeks became rosy pink. He then crossed his arms. “Flattery will get you nowhere, hmm!”

        Was Deidara this cute? She knew that she had been thinking about him this way, but this time it was the most adorable face she had seen. It was making her blush too.

        Deidara froze for a second. Then his shoulders dropped a little as if releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. The boyish red on his cheeks faded into something more serious. His usual dramatic flair gave way to something quieter.

        He glanced at her, then looked away.

        “…Yeah. About that,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to apologize… for the, uh… accidental kiss.”

        Her eyes widened slightly.

        “I wasn’t trying to pull anything. It really was an accident, hmm!" He rushed out the words, but then slowed down. His voice dropped, more honest than she’d heard in a while. “But still… even if it wasn’t on purpose, I… I guess I didn’t hate it.”

        That last part came out soft. Almost embarrassed.

        He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the silence hanging between them.

        “… I’ve noticed it since we saved Itachi. You and Sasori no Danna… you’ve been close. Closer than before.” He folded his arms, but it wasn’t a confident pose—it was like he was trying to hold something in. “And yeah, it pissed me off. I didn’t know why at first, but… I get it now.”

        Moss green aura radiated from him.  

        She blinked, totally unexpected this kind of reaction. “... You were jealous?”

        “Tch. Of course I was!” he snapped without thinking, before wincing. He scratched his head, visibly frustrated with himself. “I mean… yeah. Okay? I was jealous. He’s always so calm, so composed, so… perfect. And I’m—well, I’m not like that. I’m not that mature and not that especially good in medical treatments that could be helpful for you, but I don’t want to lose to him.” 

        She could tell that he was sincere in his words.

        “I confronted Danna about how he feels about you, but all he said was that it was none of my business.” Deidara’s tone tightened with frustration. “Like hell I’d take that as an answer—anyone can see he cares about you more than anyone else in the Akatsuki! But I knew if I pushed it any further… you wouldn’t like that. So I just kept it to myself, hmm.””

        Words left her. She had no idea that was happening behind her back.

        He lowered his head. “[First Name], you’re one of the few people who’ve ever genuinely praised my art. That… really made me happy. Even though I’ve probably annoyed you with my creations more times than I can count, you never seemed bored of them. You even let me teach you clay art… and that meant even more to me.”

        Bright rose pink aura flowed out from him.

       Despite his feelings that are this pure and honest, she could not help but feel sorry towards him. He was going to feel rejected when knowing that she had to evoke this pink emotional color further from Sasori and Itachi. She did not deserve this confession from him.

        “Are you possibly two-timing?” Obito’s words suddenly echoed in her mind. Although she had not personally accepted the feelings of her love interests, if she were to continue her mission, wouldn’t everyone be in conflict? 

        “When looking back during my fight with Sasuke, you’re the first one who made me realize that my own life is more important than just my petty pride for art. Thanks for telling me that, and this is why I have to say this.”

        He lifted his beet redden face up. With slanted blue eyes focused on her, he inhaled deeply. “[First Name]… I… I l-like you—”

        “—Oi, Karin, stop pushing me—“ She could hear Suigetsu’s voice from outside.

        “—You are pushing me! This is for reference for my confession towards Sasuke—” Karin replied.

        “—But aren’t we supposed to give them personal space—” Juugo asked.

        “—AREN’T YOU CONTRADICTING YOURSELF BY ALSO LISTENING—” Suigetsu and Karin yelled simultaneously.

        Deidara instantly stood up. His face darkened. He slid the door opened, seeing the three landing on their knees with flustered looks.

        Suigetsu forced a smile. “Y-yo! Sorry for interrupting—”

        “KATSU!”

        The three screeched as a burst of blinding flashes of light emerged in the air accompanied by blasting booms with ashen smoke. The three began running away with Deidara chasing after them.

        “How ridiculous.” Sasuke walked forward amidst the smoke. He moved his onyx eyes towards hers. “Sorry for the trouble my comrades have caused.” 

        Sasuke’s apologizing? That was possible because his cold personality might have already been thawed due to Itachi’s explanation of the whole Uchiha massacre incident.

        “It’s fine, Sasuke-san."

        “Just Sasuke is fine. You healed me, didn’t you? I appreciate your help.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the character is as follows. Sasuke: blue.

        She did not expect to gain respect from him. She cracked a smile. “You’re welcome.”

        But after a few moments, her lips then reverted back to a thin line as she recaleld Deidara's last sentence. Should she really continue achieving her mission? She did not know.

***

        [First Name] sat down on the dining table with a cup of tea alone. She sighed. She had not expected to hear that confession from Deidara. It was the first time anyone had said that to her. Moreover, it was too pure to begin with!

        But if I were to continue the mission, wouldn’t it mean that I’m playing with his feelings? That was not what she had wanted to do at all.

        “Hey, [First Name], what are you doing here by yourself? You don’t look so well.” Suigetsu, unscathed, sat on a chair beside her. A cup of yogurt was in his hands.

        She had expected him to have some burnt scar marks from Deidara's explosions, but he could transform his body into liquid form to prevent those injuries, couldn’t he?

        She remained silent.

        “Although you haven’t accepted me to be your friend, you can tell me about it…?”

        Argh! Why is everything so complicated! She instantly slammed her face on the table, causing the tea cup to slightly shake.

        “H-hey, what’s the matter with you?!” He flustered. He stood up. “Is it because of me interfering this morning? I’m sorry!”

        “No… It’s just that I feel… so bad…” Her voice was muffled from the table surface.

        “What do you mean…?” 

        Why was she trying to expose herself to an unrelated character? However, Suigetsu did not look like the type who would reveal her secrets. Maybe venting to him about her love life would be okay?

        “… So basically, he confessed to you, but you don’t think that you deserved it?” he asked as he scooped the yogurt from its cup.

        Without directly telling him about he mission, this was what she could only say. She slowly nodded.

        He sighed. “And why do you think so?”

        Why?

        “If he confessed to you, then it means that he really likes you. You deserved it, in my opinion. What matters is whether you can return his feelings or not.” He pointed his spoon at her.

        That was the problem. “… I don’t think I can.”

        “Hmm?”

        Her lips were shut.

        “If you can’t tell me about it, it’s fine, but you should answer his feelings soon. It’s not good to keep him waiting, you know?” 

        That was true. Waiting for her answer for a long time would be like a torture to him, but to be honest, she did not think that Suigetsu would give her this kind of suggestion. Finally treating him as an actual friend would be okay.

        “… Suigetsu, thanks for listening to me.” She smiled.

        He gave her a brief pause. He then grinned. “No problem! Your case needs more attention than Karin’s obsession towards Sasuke! It really is annoying me!” he laughed.

        “She really is obsessed,” she agreed.

        “Right?! And I still wonder why she hasn’t confessed to him yet!” He shrugged his shoulders.

        Was he trying to make her feel better? Despite Suigetsu’s tendencies to tease others, he actually had a nice personality.

        “Hey, [First Name], if you have any worries, you can talk to me too,” a male voice said.

        The two looked forward seeing Juugo with a worried look on his face.

        “I’m sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation, but ever since you managed to stop my impulse, I've wanted to help you like how you did to me.”

        Juugo was also a kindhearted person deep inside.

        “Thanks, Juugo.” She made sure not to add the honorifics this time.

        Honey yellow aura radiated from him. He gave her a small smile.

        Even if becoming friends with them was not part of her mission, she could not deny that she was grateful to meet them.     

Chapter Text

        A few days later, the plan to fight Pein and the rest of the Akatsuki members was slowing coming together. Konan had been telling them about Pein’s weaknesses and supporting towards any problems that occurred during the discussion; Sasuke’s team had also been cooperative with Juugo and Suigetsu being friendly towards [First Name], which had caused Deidara to become quite confused, but he had never asked her about it. As for her own mission, she had not been able to answer Deidara's confession and had not been able to engage in long talks with Sasori ever since that incident.

        “… and that’s it for today,” Itachi concluded from the table where everyone had been sitting for the discussion.

        “Finally!” Suigetsu stretched his arms out. “I need some yogurt!”

        “You shouldn’t be whining, hmm!” Deidara pointed at him. “We’re about the fight them soon!”

        “Geez, I know, but aren’t you too motivated? You should let it go sometimes. It’s not good to be that stressed, right [First Name]?” Suigetsu asked.

        “Ah… yeah.” It was true that as they continued to plan, everyone had become more stressed.

        "And why are you becoming so familiar with [First Name] anyway?" Deidara asked.

        "Hey, hey, we're friends. That's it. I know how you feel about her," Suigetsu sighed. "I'm not that awful, okay?"

        Deidara's face became red. 

        Sasori gave him a brief glance.

        The rest stood up from their chairs and started heading back towards their rooms. She was about to do the same but stopped once she spotted Itachi walking towards the exit door that led to the outside. Where was he going? There would be no harm if she were to ask him about it, wouldn’t it? She had not talked to him directly after that incident at the kitchen after all.

        “… Itachi-san, you’re going outside?” [First Name] asked.

        “Yep. I need to restock our supplies,” Itachi said as he inserted his feet into his shinobi sandals. His voice showed no sense of awkwardness. “We have a lot of people staying here now after all.”

        He was so considerate. She wanted to help him since it seemed that he would have to purchase a lot of goods, but wouldn’t he feel awkward with her?

        “Do you want to come with me?” he asked. He held his usual closed eye smile.

        She beamed.

        With straw hats in their heads and cloaks around their bodies, the two began strolling down the mountains with the sound of bird chirps echoing throughout the whole landscape. The verdurous trees were slowing swaying along the cool breeze. [First Name] walked beside him with his same walking pace.

        To come think of it, this was the first time she had gone anywhere with him alone. Isn’t this similar to having a date with him? She shook her head. Of course not. Itachi rejected her. But more importantly, ever since they had gone outside, they had not been speaking at all. She had to say something—

        “[First Name], thank you for everything,” he suddenly spoke first.

        She became a bit startled. “For what?”

        “Not only you saved me, but you also restored my bond with Sasuke. I’ve never thought that I would have the chance to talk to him like real siblings at all. That’s why I have to thank you.”

        Although it was not part of her mission, she could not let Sasuke be in the hands of Obito. “It’s okay! I just like to help people!”

        In truth, when staying in the Naruto World, she had become more active and more attentive to help others compared to her own dull world. It was as if she had changed into a different person.

        “I’m glad that I met you.” Honey yellow aura radiated from him.

        She stood still. That was the first time someone had said those words to her since she had only received ignored looks. 

        Her face became a blush of pink rose.

***

        Amidst the bustling street surrounded by various stores and stalls and air filled with produce ranging from sweet batter to citrus aroma, the former Akatsuki members weaved themselves through the dense crowds. As [First Name]'s eyes trailed over the stores, one after another, they were glued onto a mannequin that was donned in [favorite color] kimono with plum blossom patterns on it in front of a kimono store. She would say that it was cute compared to the shinobi attire and the kimono that she had been wearing.

        “Do you want me to buy it for you?” Itachi’s voice penetrated her thoughts. 

        She flinched. There was no way she would allow that! “It’s okay! I’d feel bad since you’re spending so much money for us already.”

        “It’s fine, actually. Just treat this as a thank you gift from me,” he said with a smile. “And to be honest, that kimono you’re wearing is pretty old. You’ll eventually need new clothes.”

        That was true. The kimono that she had been wearing was from the Third Shinobi War era, but Itachi was really boyfriend material! And it would make sense that he was loaded due to the huge number of S-ranked missions he had completed when he was still a Leaf shinobi.

        She gave him a thankful nod.

        .        

        .

        .        

“...What do you think?” [First Name] asked, smoothing out the soft folds of her [favorite color] kimono. The fabric wrapped neatly around her figure, its [another favorite color] obi tied snugly at her waist. Do I look weird?

“Looks cute on you,” Itachi said with a small smile, seated calmly on the couch beside the changing room.

C-cute? Her heart skipped. But the way he said it… it almost sounded like he was talking to a younger sister.

“Sir, here’s the hair clip you asked for,” a store clerk approached, holding out a chocolate brown accessory adorned with a delicate pink cherry blossom.

“Thank you,” he replied, taking it before turning his gaze toward her. “Come here, [First Name].”

She stepped closer. With a gentle hand, he brushed a few strands of her [hair color] hair aside and clipped the ornament into place. Her breath hitched, cheeks warming at his touch.

“I knew it,” he murmured. “It suits you.”

She turned to look at the nearby mirror. The cherry blossom clip complemented her hair and her blush so perfectly, it was as if it had been chosen just for her.

“Th-thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.” Then he turned back to the employee. “Could I also get four more kimonos in the same style?”

“Yes, sir.” The clerk bowed politely.

Four more?! She blinked. Isn’t that a bit much?
“But—”

“It’s okay. Let me do this for you,” he said, gently patting her head.

Her blush deepened. He’s not flirting, right? ...Right?

Holding the bags full of clothes, while Itachi held bags filled with grocery, the two continued to stroll down the streets. [First Name]'s face still had its rose color. Not only he had bought her knew clothes but also a hair ornament? Wasn't this something he was supposed to do with his girlfriend? He did say that he could not return his feelings towards her, by why was he doing this much? Or maybe he was just that ideal older brother type with max level? 

      He suddenly stopped in front of a quaint traditional dessert café, its signboard painted with bold black kanji: “Anmitsu.”

        “Hey, [First Name], do you want to take a break here?”

        Itachi loved sweets, didn’t he? “Sure…”

       The café was warm and cozy. Wooden walls bore cherry blossom murals, and the tatami mats sparkled with cleanliness. They sat cross-legged on cushions at a low wooden table as a server placed their tray: shimmering honey-yellow peaches, soft red azuki beans, translucent agar cubes, and two steaming cups of green tea.

         “You really like sweets, don’t you?” she asked, scooping up some agar with her wooden spoon.

         “Is it strange?”

         “Not at all. Everyone has something they love, right? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

        He cracked a small smile, causing her to blush again. Was she that weak towards his smile--

        “We received intel that Itachi Uchiha of the Akatsuki had visited the Uchiha hideout, but he had left without any trace,” a man spoke from three tables away from her. He was wearing the green Leaf Shinobi vest.

        [First Name] froze. She had to calm down, or else, Itachi would be found out.

        “Damn it! I wish he’d die a painful death after the atrocious thing he did! Not only that, he joined the Akatsuki and also came after Konoha!” another Leaf shinobi hissed from the same table.

        “He’s the most notorious shinobi in Konoha’s history!” another agreed.

        She clenched her hands as her blood boiled. They knew nothing about him!

        “[First Name], it's fine. I prefer them to think of me that way.” Itachi’s voice was solemn. 

        “But… they’re badmouthing you! They don’t know anything!” she half-whispered.

        His onyx eyes bored into her [eye color] ones as if they were telling her to sit still. "To live life being hated... that's one path for a shinobi."

        She only lowered her eyes in response. She knew that in the Naruto world everyone, except Sasuke, Obito and the Konoha council, had no idea about Itachi's true intentions, but seeing him being condemned in front of her eyes was something she could not stand. 

***

        Throughout the whole return, Itachi wore a solemn look. [First Name] tried to engage in conversations with him, but he only gave her that usual smile that seemed to be forced. Those sayings from the Leaf shinobi might have really hurt him. How long had he even endured it after being labeled as a rogue shinobi all this time? She wanted to do something. She then remembered cognitive behavioral therapy that she had learned during her psychology lessons. Although she only remembered the gist of it, this was the time to use it.

        First, identify their faulty cognitions.

        “Itachi-san, do you want to talk to me about that?” she asked as she placed the groceries on the countertop. “I’m willing to listen.”

        He paused for a moment. His face darkened. “… I guess I’d tell you.”

        Sitting down at the table beside her, Itachi explained everything from the Uchiha’s plan for the coup d’état, how he became a double agent for both the Uchiha and the Third Hokage, and how the Konoha council left him no choice but to eliminate his whole clan with the exception of Sasuke.

        “I’ve killed my parents, my neighbors, and everyone I was close with. I don’t know how much blood is on my hands,” Itachi’s voice trembled. “I feel so guilty. I don’t deserve to live.”

        She could tell how much pain Itachi had been enduring for so long. That Konoha Council, no, Danzo, was the one who forced him to do this, wasn't he?

        “Why did I have to do this? All I wanted was peace, but I had no one I could rely on since no one would listen.” He placed his hand over his eyes. He gritted his teeth as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Even my close companion died, leaving me alone with all of this mess.”

        Even if she knew that Itachi had been grieving over the Uchiha massacre, seeing him this vulnerable and sorrowful made her heart break into little pieces.

        Second, change their unhealthy thinking patterns.

        She gently held his quivering hand. “I know that you're hurt, Itachi-san. It's very understandable that you would have those negative thoughts and feel deeply responsible about it.”

        He stifled his whimpers.

        “I can that you only wanted to protect your loved ones. That's why you didn’t kill Sasuke, right? If anyone was in your position, they wouldn't know what to do either.”

        Lastly, help them develop strategies to cope with their stress. 

        “Although I know that it’s going to be hard to reduce your guilt, please don’t forget that you actually saved a life. You're not a bad person, so if you have any more concerns, please talk to me about it.”

        He slowly lifted his head up and faced towards her. Tears were still trickling from the corner of his eyes. It was a painful sight to see.

        "Even if the whole world turns against you, I’ll always be on your side.” She spoke genuinely.

        He grasped her hand tightly with a small nod.

        This was one of the Itachi's moments that had never been revealed in the series. She could not believe that he had never opened up to anyone about this. With bottled up emotions, it would cause the person to become more stressful like how he was. 

        After a long period of silence, Itachi regained his composure with [First Name] still holding his hand beside him.

        “… [First Name], how are you able to soothe me this calmly?” His voice was not trembling anymore.

        Of course he would be curious since what she said to him was pretty structured. “Ah, in my world I study a subject called ‘psychology’; it revolves around human mind and behavior and the reasons behind them. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the psychological treatments I've learned that can change negative thought patterns.”

        “I see… can you tell me more about it some time later? I’m quite interested." He smiled a bit.

        “Sure.” Although she had to recall the information that she had learned in her lectures since she did not really pay attention to it.

        “But to see you this skilled, are you planning to become a psychologist?”

        In actuality, she had never thought about her future yet. Even if she was interested in that field, she had not considered what to do after she had graduated. But this man in front of her did praise her too much.

        “You flatter me too much, Itachi-san! And I'm not a studious person…” She forced a laugh. She could still remember the missing assignments she had.

        “Oh really? You were able to study Sasori’s books though.”

        “You helped me read them, don’t you remember?” she pouted.

        “Right,” he let out a small laugh.

        It had been a while for her to see that gleeful expression from him. It made her face warm.

        “By the way… you also remind me of another person, actually. He’s always helping me whenever I feel troubled,” he said.

        “Who is it?” Was it Kakashi?

        “His name’s Shisui Uchiha, he's my close companion that I had told you about. If he had been alive, I would have wanted to introduce you to him.”

        Shisui? Somehow, she felt that name resonated within her chest. She had never met him in this Naruto world since he had died already. She did feel sorry that he had committed suicide in order to prevent Danzo from taking his eyes. But why was she feeling this way?

        She then realized that Itachi had brought his hand forward towards her face. He poked her forehead with his two fingers gently. 

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: orange.       

        “Thank you,” he smiled as amber orange aura radiated from him.

        Her face reverted back to a blush of rose pink. 

        "Y-you're welcome."

Chapter Text

        White. Blank. Emptiness. That was what [First Name] could see for the third time. Why was she back here again? Was there another person who wanted to talk to her?

        “So Itachi finally opened up to you, huh?” that familiar man with his black disheveled hair and black attire appeared in front of her eyes. “I’m so happy!”

        “You again?!” she stepped back. “And how the hell did you even know that?!”

        She knew that he had known so much about her even since that advice he had given about Obito, but just why was he so interested in her love life?

        “Hmm...” he crossed his arms and lowered his head as if he was deep in thought, “I can’t say it, but I’ve been watching you from the start. I’m not a stalker though!” He raised his hands up.

        “F-from the start?” She blinked as memories of the incidents she had with her love interests replayed in her mind. “Don’t you tell me that you also...?!”

        “Yeah, I did see those moments you did with Deidara and Sasori, but really, I didn't expect Sasori to do that to you. I’m blushing over here too.”

        Her face instantly became scarlet. Just who was this person really?!

        He let out a muffled laugh. “Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to see it, okay?”

        Despite thinking that this man in front of her as ominous and suspicious, she remembered that he had given her support, allowing her to survive until now.

        She attempted to regain her composure. “Anyway... thanks for helping me save Itachi-san, and... did you also save me from Obito?”

        She had to make sure that it was him.

        “Who knows, but you’re welcome,” he grinned.

        She raised her brow. “What do you mean? I heard your voice when I was fighting him!”

        “Well, I can’t say ‘cause that’s a secret! Besides, you’re about to fight Pein and the remaining Akatsuki members soon, right?”

        It seemed that she could not get that answer from him at this moment, but he really did not look like he had bad intentions. “Yeah, but I don’t know whether we’re gonna be able to stop them.”

        She then felt a warm hand being gently placed on her shoulder.

        “Cheer up. It’s undeniable that they’re strong. If anything happens, I’m gonna protect you.”

        She stood still. “... How?”


        He only cracked a small smile. “You’ll see.”

        He then faded away.

***


        Throughout the whole discussion about the upcoming fight on the following day, [First Name] had been contemplating about that man in her dreams. She had no idea why he was so fixated on watching over and protecting her. If she knew his actual identity, it would have made everything much more easier. The clues she had were only that he had black disheveled hair, wore a black shirt and black pants, and that he was a Naruto character.

        “[First Name], are you okay?” Suigetsu’s whispering voice was heard.

        She broke from her trance, returning back to the discussion table. She looked at her side, seeing that white-haired friend with furrowed brows.

        “You’ve been spacing out,” he said.

        Juugo, on her other side, gave her a concerned look.

        “I’ve been thinking about a lot of stuff,” she said. She then smiled. “But it's nothing to worry about.”

        “Hmm..." Suigetsu gave her a short stare, "by the way, nice hair clip,” he pointed at her cherry blossom ornament that was clipped above her ear.

        “Ah, thanks. Itachi-san brought it for me.”
 Ever since he had brought it for her, she had been wearing the clip everyday.

        “ITACHI?!” he half whispered. “I didn’t know he was like that!”


        Me neither!


        "You two, stop chatting nonsense,” Sasori chided from the opposite side at the table.

        Suigetsu clicked his tongue.

        “Y-yes...”

        She had to be more focused. When considering the contents of the discussion, it all revolved around fighting the Akatsuki members until they would accept defeat. However, she knew for sure that it was not going to happen easily. Was there another way to do this with confirmed success?

        Her mind lit up. 
“Um, everyone, I have a request,” [First Name] said.

        Everyone moved their eyes towards her.

        “As much as I want to stop Nagato-san from capturing the nine-tails, I don't want to use violence."

        “Oi, are you underestimating the Leader?” Sasori asked. “He’ll do anything to get what he wants. We’ll have no choice but to fight.”

        “Leader doesn't show mercy. Even if you tried to talk to him out, he probably won’t listen, hmm,” Deidara added.

        That was true.


        “But if you don’t want to use violence, then what are your suggestions?" Itachi asked.

        “I believe that we should let a certain person that is suitable to talk to him. We can’t change Nagato-san’s opinions even by fighting and talking since we can’t connect to him,” she said with inner confidence.

        “Who is it?” Itachi asked.

        “Naruto Uzumaki. We should let Naruto Uzumaki convince him,” she said. She remembered that Nagato only accepted to stop his plans because of his faith in Naruto in the series. It also had to work for this time.

        Everyone became a bit startled. Sasuke seemed to be highly attentive than before.

        "How's that Jinchuuriki gonna do anything?!” Deidara asked.

        “According to my foresight abilities, he has the power to convince him because he also suffered pain the same way Nagato-san did, and they’re both trained by Jiraiya. That's why they can connect to each other.”

        They all exchanged glances.

        “I agree with [First Name],” Juugo spoke for the first time in this discussion. “Violence leads to more violence. It’ll just repeat the cycle of revenge.”

        “Me too,” Suigetsu crossed his arms above his head.


        She felt warmth in her chest because of the two responses. 

        “Then how are we possibly letting Naruto-kun convince him?” Kisame asked.

        “We'd have to go visit the Hokage and ask for Naruto’s assistance.” Although she did feel that what she said was a bit far-fetched, that was the only way she knew how to approach Naruto peacefully.

        “But they see us as their enemies, hmm!”

        “I know, but this is the only way."

        The others seemed to begin thinking and doubting her plans. She knew that it was not something to be accepted easily.

        “Fine. Let’s go with [First Name]’s plan,” Itachi spoke up.

        “Are you really sure about that?” Sasori immediately asked. “Considering how reckless she’s been from the previous fight with that Obito bastard, she’d probably gonna get herself into more trouble. That Jinchuuriki might even kill her.”

        Um, you’re being a bit too blunt, ya know? But she knew where he was coming from.


        “There’s no other option that doesn’t involve violence,” Itachi stated firmly. “But if this plan fails, we’d still continue with our initial plan to fight them.”

        She could not be more than happy for Itachi to agree with her. She then stood up. “Well then, who’s coming with me to visit Konoha?”

        “Me, hmm!” Deidara raised his hand up. His palm opened its mouth widely as if it wanted full attention.

        Sasori sighed. “I can't let you go there alone. I have to stop you from doing anything stupid like last time.”

        “I’m also coming since I’m a former Konoha shinobi. I know how things work there,” Itachi said. He then moved his eyes towards his younger brother. “Sasuke, you don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to.”

        “I’m not planning to do that to begin with,” he curtly replied. “I’m going with the original plan with my group.”

        His Taka members nodded. [First Name] knew that Sasuke did not even want to see or hear about Naruto.

        “What about you, Kisame?” Itachi asked.

        
“I’ll look after Sasuke-kun for you, Itachi-san,” he sharkly grinned.


        She did not expect Kisame to be that considerate.


        Itachi cracked a small smile. “Very well, then today’s discussion is over.”

        The next day, [First Name] donned in her new [favorite color] kimono and [favorite color] haori that Itachi had bought for her and a straw hat on her head walked towards the dining table where everyone had been waiting for the departure. Once she spotted her love interests, she immediately gawked at them. Sasori donned a salmon pink kimono and crimson red haori that matched his hair color; Deidara donned a teal blue kimono and a light blue haori that contrasted his blond hair; Itachi’s one was a lavender purple kimono and an ash black haori that suited his onyx eyes; all three also wore straw hats. If anyone told her that she was inside a Japanese history themed otome game, she would totally believe them. Without their Akatsuki cloaks, they were boyfriend material with upgrade features for sure!

        She then snapped out from those thoughts. She had to focus on today’s task.

        SAGE GATE ACTIVATED. Location: Konohagakure

        Smoke burst in front of her, revealing that same Japanese style door. It slid open.

        “Are you guys ready?” she asked.


        They all nodded.

        
“... By the way, [First Name], could you keep the door open?” Itachi asked.

        “Yes, but why?”

        
“Just for precautions.”


        She only tilted her head. What kind of precautions was he talking about?

        The four then stepped inside the void into the world of whiteness.

        .

        .
        

        .


        “So this is Konoha?” Deidara asked as he trailed his eyes towards that iconic enormous entrance gate of Konohagakure that was slightly far away from him. The red Japanese hiragana for あ and ん were written in the middle of each of their doors. “Looks pretty artistic to me, hmm.”

        The four had walked out of the Sage Gate and their designated village was now within sight. Rows of evergreen trees stood by their sides.

        “We’re not here for a tour, Deidara,” Sasori scoffed.

        
“Of course I know that, Danna!” 

        “Konoha has placed a spherical barrier that covers the land and air around the village, so if anyone without permission enters the village, they’ll be noticed immediately,” Itachi said.

        “Then it means we should enter like how a normal person would, right?” she asked.

        He nodded.

        Once the four reached the entrance, they were met with two jounins who were sitting at the Village Gate Guard shelter: Izumo Kamizuki with his brown hair combed down to his right eye and Kotetsu Hagane with his spiky black hair and a strip of bandage around the bridge of his nose. She remembered seeing them fight Hidan and Kakuzu in the series; however, she did not really pay attention to them.

        “Excuse me, do you have any entry permission?” Izumo asked.

        “If you do, please show us the credentials,” Kotetsu said.

        It was totally expected that she would not be allowed to enter easily. She was about to speak but was halted by two figures that body flickered in front of them. That infamous spiky silver hair and a mask that covered the lower part of his face, and that familiar cherry blossomed hair kunoichi with teal eyes—they were Kakashi and Sakura who seemed to have just returned from their mission. Although she had seen Sakura before, seeing Kakashi for the first time made her eyes sparkled. Out of all the senseis in Naruto, Kakashi was her favorite.

        “So, you four don’t look like you have good intentions,” Kakashi said. “What do you come here for?”

        Of course he would be suspicious.

        “It's been a while, Kakashi-san.” Itachi took off his straw hat, revealing his trademark tear troughs.

        Sasori and Deidara did the same.

        “Sasori of the Red Sand?!" Sakura’s eyes were wide open. She immediately clenched her hands in an attacking position. “I thought you died already!”

        “Hmph. It's also unfortunate that you're still alive,” Sasori smirked.

        “Sasori-san!" [First Name] half-whispered. They were not here to pick a fight with them!

        He clicked his tongue and became silent.

        “And you’re Deidara of the Akatsuki, aren’t you?” Kakashi asked.

        “You really did injured me pretty badly from our last fight, Kakashi Hatake. I’m dying to pay it back to you, hmm.” Deidara moved his hands towards his pouch.

        “Deidara...” [First Name] trailed off.

        
He flinched and brought his hands back to his side. “M-my bad...”

        “And what does the Akatsuki want from us? We're not giving you Naruto,” Kakashi’s eye narrowed. He then moved his eyes towards Izumo and Kotesu who bored hostile expressions. “You two, report this to the Hokage.”

        They nodded and body flickered away in a swift.

        “We're not part of the Akatsuki anymore,” Itachi said.

        “... What do you mean?” Sakura asked.

        “Under a lot of circumstances, we’ve left the Akatsuki because of one goal,” [First Name] said. She took off her straw hat. Her [hair color] hair locks gently swayed with the cool breeze.

        “... You're the one who healed Kankuro-san!” Sakura gasped.

        Kankuro really did say something, didn’t he?

        “Her?” Kakashi raised his brow.

        “Kakashi-sensei, like you know, after we brought him back to the Sand Village Hospital, he told us that an Akatsuki member detoxified his poison from his fight with Sasori.”

        She had no idea whether being exposed in this way was a good thing or not.

        “I see... well? What’s this goal you speak of?” he asked. “Just because you healed him, it doesn’t mean that we’re going to act friendly towards you guys.”

        “We’re here to see the Hokage and request for Naruto Uzumaki’s assistance,” [First Name] said. “If you don’t listen to our plea, Konoha is gonna be destroyed.”

        The two Konoha shinobis eyes widened.


        “Stop saying nonsense!” Sakura yelled.
 "How can our village be destroyed that easily?!"

        “I’m not lying,” she said. “I’m telling you this because I don’t want anyone to die.”

        Sakura paused.


        “... Then, let’s hear more of it inside the interrogation room,” Kakashi said.


      In the dim interrogation room, the former Akatsuki members sat bound to a rectangular table. [First Name] was positioned between Deidara and Sasori, while Itachi—his eyes wrapped in bandages to shield others from the lingering effects of his Sharingan—sat beside the redhead. Heavy chains secured each of them to their chairs, preventing even the slightest movement that could lead to weaving hand signs.

        Across from them sat Ibiki Morino, head of Konoha’s Torture and Interrogation Force. Standing silently behind him were Kakashi and Sakura. Ibiki’s deep facial scars and piercing black eyes, cold and commanding, made [First Name]'s palms sweat. She vividly remembered the way he had terrified everyone during the Chūnin Exams.

        But facing him now—up close, in person—was an entirely different nightmare. Her fingers trembled beneath the table.

        “Time for you to talk,” Ibiki said, his voice as sharp as the air. “Since you seem to be the leader of this little group, I’ll start with you—”

        [First Name] barely opened her mouth to speak when his iron grip seized her by the hair, wrenching her head back.

        “—with torture, of course,” he added with a smirk, pulling out a small, gleaming pocketknife. “You have any idea how much pain your filthy organization has caused? A little torture is far too kind.”

        She didn’t disagree. The Akatsuki had done terrible, unforgivable things. But this wasn’t the time for guilt. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as her chest tightened and the blade neared her skin.

        “Don’t you touch her, you piece of shit.” Sasori’s voice was low but venomous, his glare sharp enough to cut steel.

        Kakashi and Sakura turned their attention to the redhead in surprise. [First Name] froze.

        Ibiki let out a dark laugh. “What? A criminal like you suddenly playing hero? Isn’t that rich?”

        “Don't make me repeat myself. Let. Her. Go.” Sasori’s eyes were filled with lethal intent, every inch of his expression promising death.

        “Oh, yeah? Then do something about it.” Ibiki raised the knife, aiming for her face—only to suddenly stiffen. His entire body locked up. The blade clattered to the table as his grip on her hair fell limp. Her head jerked slightly as strands of hair slipped over her eyes.

        In an instant, Sasori and Deidara were on their feet, standing protectively in front of her. The chains that had restrained them now lay on the floor, scorched and broken.

        “The chains—?!” Sakura’s eyes widened.

        Kakashi pushed his headband up, revealing his Sharingan.

        “We’re willing to cooperate, Ibiki-san,” Itachi’s voice cut through the tension. The bandages around his eyes had been removed, exposing the fiery glow of his activated Sharingan. His own restraints had also fallen. “There’s no need for torture. It’s pointless.”

        Ibiki’s face hardened. “But... how did you...?”

        “I did it. Don't underestimate my art, hmm!” Deidara smirked, raising a handful of tiny white clay spiders. He casually tossed them onto [First Name]’s chains, where they popped softly—just enough force to snap the bindings.

        She met Deidara’s eyes and gave him a small nod of thanks, surprised by his quick thinking.

        “You—!”

        “That’s enough, Ibiki,” a commanding female voice echoed through the room, accompanied by the sharp click of heels on concrete.

        Tsunade walked in, her golden hair tied into two low ponytails, the violet diamond seal on her forehead radiating quiet authority. She was flanked by Shizune and three masked ANBU operatives.

        As Itachi calmly deactivated his Sharingan, Ibiki’s body muscles finally relaxed from his genjutsu.

        “So you called for me?” Tsunade asked. Her brown eyes narrowed. “How dare you four even think of showing your faces to us.”

        “They’re probably here to take Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama,” Shizune said.

        She had seen these reactions coming.

        “We’re here to tell you something important,” [First Name] said. “Soon, the leader of the Akatsuki will be assaulting Konoha in order to capture the nine-tails. There will be a lot of casualties.”

        Everyone froze.

        “... Then? Why do you need Naruto’s assistance?” Tsunade asked.

        “We’d like Naruto Uzumaki to convince the Leader to stop his plans.”

        The Fifth Hokage gave her a long widened stare.

        “... Don’t give us that! How can we even trust you?!” Sakura yelled. “Because of you guys, Gaara-san almost died and Chiyo-baa-sama had to sacrifice her life in order to revive him!”

        [First Name] lowered her eyes. “I understand—”

        “—Oi, Naruto, don’t come in here—” She suddenly heard the officers from outside the room yelling at him.

        “LET ME IN-DATTEBAYO!” That familiar main character of the entire series yelled. His raspy voice was bursting throughout the vicinity.

        After a few hard bangs, the door then slammed to the floor. His yellow-blond spiky hair, glistening blue eyes, trademark whisker markings on his cheeks, and orange jacket protruded the whole tension in the room.

        Wow, it’s Naruto in real form! She had always wanted to see him in person since she did adore Naruto’s progress from being an unskilled ninja to a Hokage that everyone acknowledged.

        He narrowed his eyes and clenched his hands. “You! Why the hell are you guys here?!”


        If only she was not seen as an enemy.

        
“It seems that you’re still the type who yells and screams at other people,” Deidara smirked.

        Sasori hmphed.


        Itachi gave him a stare.

        “You’re here to take me this time?!” Naruto asked further. “Why do you guys keep on doing this?! Do you like seeing people die so much?!”

        [First Name] raised her hands upwards. “Please wait, Naruto-san! That’s not what we’re here for —”

        “Why you?!” He charged towards her and raised his fist, but his wrist was grabbed by Itachi’s hand.

        “Stop it, Naruto,” Itachi said. His onyx eyes bored into his blue ones. “If you were to hit her, it wouldn’t end without cost.”

        The other two former Akatsuki members held murderous glares towards him with hands ready to fight at any time.

        The three were really protective, weren’t they?

        “Naruto, stop losing your cool,” Kakashi added.

        “But Kakashi-sensei, they almost took Gaara’s life—"

        "I know, but remember, she's the one who healed Kankuro, and she didn’t have any intentions on extracting the nine-tails from you.”

        Naruto blinked. “Hmm?! What do you... mean-dattebayo?”

        “You finally listen, huh?” Deidara sighed.

        “We truly regret our actions,” [First Name] said sternly. “But we must not let nine-tails be in the hands of the leader. That’s why we’d like Naruto’s assistance to convince the leader to stop his plans and attacking Konoha in the process.”

        “Attack Konoha? Assistance?” Naruto tilted his head. “Me?”

        “Yes. Even if you’re not aware of it, you have the power to change Leader’s opinions to stop all of this from happening.”

        “... HUH?!” His jaws dropped.

        Naruto was still indeed the type who was slow to understand situations.


        “Fine. We’ll accept it,” Tsunade said.

        Shizune raised her brows. “But Tsunade-sama—”


        “However, what is your guarantee that you won’t betray us?” the Hokage continued.

        She also saw this coming. “I’ll protect Naruto-san with all of my life.” She made sure her voice was loud and clear.

        The three former members looked at her with confusion mixed with shock.

        “Very well, but three Jounins will also have to accompany Naruto during this whole task.” Tsunade crossed her arms,

        "Thank you so much." She gave her another bow, while the other former members became silent.

Chapter Text

        The four former Akatsuki members stood at the entrance gates of Konoha, waiting as Naruto and his team of jounin prepared to head out. [First Name] exhaled a long breath of relief. That had been one of the most nerve-wracking, terrifying moments of her life. She had no idea what might have happened if Tsunade had rejected her proposal.

        “Oi, [First Name],” Sasori called, striding toward her.

        She turned in his direction. “Yes—?”

        Without warning, both her cheeks were yanked outward.

        “OWWWW! Sasori-san, what now?!” she cried, tears springing to the corners of her eyes as the burning sting shot through her face—somehow even worse than the last time he did it.

        Sasori’s glare could slice stone. “You never learn. There’s a limit to how reckless one person can be. You almost got your throat slit and punched by that Jinchūriki because of your ridiculous optimism. Are you a masochist or just plain stupid?”

        “I-I’m not! I didn’t think it’d turn out like that!” she stammered.

        “[First Name], Danna’s right,” Deidara chimed in, his voice tight with frustration. “Just because you managed to protect us doesn’t mean you should go and declare you’ll protect the Jinchūriki with your life! That’s not bold, it’s suicidal, hmm!”

        “Our success against Pein is far from certain,” Itachi added, his tone cool and calm as always. “You were quite rash to say all that in front of the Fifth Hokage.”

        Why does this feel like I’m being scolded by three moms? “I’m sorry…” she mumbled, wilting under their collective stares.

        “Anyway, don’t drag me into any more of your nonsense,” Sasori said, narrowing his eyes. “Or I’ll punish you next time.”

        She flinched. “Y-Yes, Mom!” Wait—did I just call him Mom out loud?!

        There was a beat of stunned silence. Itachi and Deidara blinked.

        Sasori’s expression darkened ominously as he yanked her cheeks again. “... Say that again?”

        “YES, SASORI-SAN!”

        “Sorry to interrupt, but we’re here,” Kakashi said from behind.

        The redhead pulled his hands away from her, causing the young woman to clasp her stinging cheeks. She then reverted her attention to the Konoha shinobis that were standing behind her. Kakashi was there with two more familiar Jounins.

        “My name is Yamato,” a short brown haired man with almond shaped eyes introduced. 

        She did think that Yamato was a funny character in the series, especially how he always scared the crap out of Naruto.

        "I’m Konoha’s noble, blue fierce animal, Might Guy!” Guy grinned with his pure white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. His shiny bowl-style hair cut and thick eyebrows exhibited their confidence.

        That was nothing strange from normal. Guy was one of the characters that could raise the spirits and youth power of his own comrades after all.

        “What the heck is wrong with him?” Deidara cringed.


        Naruto, in contrast, held a sour expression. She could understand why.


        “Well then, we’re going to meet the Leader of the Akatsuki,” [First Name] said.

        She then took out the same origami butterfly that Konan had given her. From the previous discussion Konan had told her that the butterfly will serve to her as a messenger and lead her to where Nagato had been hiding for Naruto to convince him there.

        They all nodded.

        As the former Akatsuki members and the Konoha shinobi, behind them, hopped from trees to trees in the forest with Konan’s butterfly leading the way, [First Name] could not help but feel pretty uncomfortable. Sasori and Deidara were hopping at her sides, while Itachi was in front of them, his back still relative close to her as if they were creating an ultimate defense barrier.

        “Uh, you three, don’t you think that you’re a bit too close?” [First Name] asked as she jumped towards another branch. “I need some personal space too...”

        “Hell no, hmm!” Deidara yelled.

        “Absolutely no,” Sasori said.

        “[First Name], I understand, but that can’t be done,” Itachi replied.

        She sweatdropped. They were surely highly concerned since she had almost been injured back there. It was as if she had three knights around her.

        The three Konoha shinobis exchanged glances because of the conversation, while Naruto was still mute. He had to still feel infuriated by this whole thing.

        “Naruto-san, I understand that you’re still mad about our actions, but please trust us,” she said. “We’re not interested about the tailed-beasts anymore.”

        He was still silent.

        She sighed. “And as a friendly remark, I believe that you can become the Hokage.”

        He seemed to be more attentive. “... How did you know that?”

        “I just have a feeling,” she smiled at him as Naruto’s epic fighting battles emerged in her mind. “You look like a person who works hard to achieve his goal.”

        “Heh. Him? His personality totally doesn’t suit the Hokage, hmm,” Deidara scoffed.

        Sasori chuckled a bit.


        “WHAT WAS THAT?” Naruto’s angry vein popped up.


        Yamato and Guy seemed to smile.

        Itachi suddenly stopped on a tree branch before them. “Everyone, stop. Something’s coming.”

        They all did the same.

        WARNING. Six Paths of Pain with Hidan and Kakuzu are coming here at full speed.

        The Great Sage suddenly spoke.

        [First Name] stood still as shock spread in her face. Why the hell were there coming here so soon? Konan did not say anything about that! Did she betray her? More importantly, she had to move them to a safe place—

        “Hey, it’s really that princess! And I see more knights around her!” A voice yelled.

        All heads snapped forward.

        Hidan grinned, his massive red triple-bladed scythe resting on his shoulder. Kakuzu stood beside him on a tree branch, arms crossed, clearly irritated by his partner’s enthusiasm.

        She swallowed hard. Her limbs trembled. But it wasn’t just the two of them that made her blood run cold.

        Towering over them were six identical orange-haired figures. Their cold, ripple-patterned eyes—Rinnegan—locked onto her soul like she was already dead.

        “How coincidental. The nine-tails and [Fake First Name] are both in front of us,” Pein said. He then moved his eyes towards Kakashi. “Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja. I’m also honored to meet you.”

        Kakashi, Yamato, and Guy stood in front of Naruto.

        His Rinnegan eyes then moved back towards her [eye color] ones. “[Fake First Name], do you realize what you’ve done? I can’t believe that you managed to convince Sasori, Deidara, Itachi, and Kisame, to join your petty group. You’re now a traitor.”

        The three mentioned members stood in front of her in protective stances.

        “See? I told you! They fell head over heels for her, Kakuzu!” Hidan pointed at her. “Even Jashin-sama said so!”

        “Hidan, I told you I don’t give a damn,” Kakuzu replied. His voice was filled with irritation. “It’s not worth to be thinking of.”

        [First Name] only felt her palms and forehead sweat. They were totally outnumbered! There was no way they could win!

        “I can’t let any of you guys live,” the Leader declared. “Attack—”

        “I knew that the plan’s gonna be a fail,” another voice called out.

        Everyone looked at the side, seeing the Taka members with Kisame standing on the tree branches. Sasuke stood in the middle with a bored expression.

        “Oi, [First Name]! We’re here to help!” Suigetsu grinned, hefting the massive Kubikiribōchō over his shoulder. “Leave these psychos to us!”

        Juugo gave her a nod.

        She felt a surge of relief throughout her body. But how did they even reach here? She then remembered Itachi’s request for the Sage Gate to be kept opened. Was that the reason why? If so, Itachi was surely insightful.

        “Sasuke?!” Naruto gaped at him.


        The Konoha jounins turned their faces towards the rogue shinobi.

        “Hmph. I have nothing to say to you,” Sasuke curtly said.


        “What?! Is that all you wanted to say after I’ve been trying to find you for so long?!”

        “I don’t care. Just get going already.” His voice was laced with indifference.

        That was true, but she would definitely have to fight the Akatsuki members in front of her in order to do so. She was about to weave her hand seals, only to be stopped by a pat on her shoulder.

        “Hey, [First Name], when I think about it, don’t get involved in this fight, hmm,” Deidara said. His voice was solemn. “Go escort that Jinchuuriki.”

        She paused. “Wait... why?”

        “Deidara’s right,” Sasori said. “After that incident with Obito, you’d probably get killed instantly with them being your opponents. You’re the one with the least experience in battlefield after all.”

        She had not expected to hear those words from them. “But… I want to help! I can’t just do nothing!”

        “Your good intentions will only be a burden to us,” Sasori said. “Don't forget why we’re here.”

        She lowered her head. Even if she would have to agree to his reasons, that was just unfair.

        “I believe that [First Name] should help us fight,” Itachi spoke up.

        Itachi’s defending me?

        “HUH?! Don’t give me that crap, Itachi!” Deidara pulled his collar. “She’s gonna get killed, hmm!”

        “[First Name] is strong,” he stated firmly. “And when speaking realistically, there’s no way we can properly escort Naruto without fighting since the Leader wouldn’t let us pass him.”

        After a brief moment, Sasori sighed. “Fine, but if anything happens to her,” his eyes darkened, “I’ll kill you, Itachi.”

        “Rest assured.”

        Deidara clicked his tongue.

        “Are you guys done with the talking?” Pein asked. He then brought his hand forward as a signal. “Disperse!”

        The Akatsuki members dashed towards [First Name] and Sasuke’s groups, separating the shinobis into different fighting teams. [First Name] ended up being with Itachi with the Leader being their opponent. The three stood in the grass field in the forest.

        “[Fake First Name], it’s time for you to die,” Pein said.

        “That’s not happening under my watch,” Itachi said as he activated the Mangekyou Sharingan. “AMATERASU!”

        Fiery jet-black flames surrounded Pein’s body and began scorching his cloak into ripped pieces as planned during the discussion.

        “You think you can defeat me with only that?” he scoffed. “Almighty Push!”

        “We saw that coming!” she yelled.

        MAGNET RELEASE ACTIVATED. Gravitational Push has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        She quickly formed the seals and thrust her hand forward. The black flames, instead of being repelled, clung tighter to Pein’s body. A surge of gravitational force hurled him to the ground, kicking up clouds of debris.

        “You’re not the only one who can manipulate attractive and repulsive forces!” she grinned.

        “Good job, [First Name],” Itachi said, nodding. “It’s good to have you fighting with us.”

        She blushed, shaking her head. Not the time. She recalled the rest of their strategy from the hideout.

        “Damn you!” Pein growled, dragging himself upright. His limbs, still wreathed in black flame, were burned raw. “Planetary Devastation...? Why can’t I move?”

        PUPPET TECHNIQUE ACTIVATED.

        Blue chakra threads extended from her fingers, latching onto his limbs. Pein froze—helpless like a puppet. Sasori’s brutal training had finally paid off.

        “Itachi-san, now!”

        He gave a nod. “Susanoo.”

        A blaze of orange-red chakra surged around him, forming a towering, tengu-shaped avatar clad in striped armor.

        “Totsuka Blade!” The fire morphed into a long, glowing sword. The ethereal blade launched toward Pein like a missile.

        “So naive,” Pein muttered.

        In an instant, another orange-haired figure body flickered in front of him. The blade impaled the Human Path, blood spilling from his lips. Behind him, Pein remained untouched, his expression as blank as ever.

        Before she could react, her arms were seized from behind. A sudden, draining sensation overtook her—her vision blurred.

        Preta Path... it has to be chakra absorption.

        She struggled, but her energy was rapidly vanishing. Itachi tried to reach her, but groaned and clutched his bleeding eyes—Amaterasu had pushed him too far.

        The black flames finally died, leaving Pein’s body covered in charred scars.

       Still, even in that state, he lifted a hand.

        “Fire Release... Phoenix Flame—”

        A volley of fireballs burst toward her captor. The Preta Path flinched, releasing her arms just long enough for her to collapse forward onto her hands.

        Itachi exhaled, breath shuddering. His eyes dimmed. He fell to one knee.

        No time to lose now!

        EARTH RELEASE ACTIVATED. Quicksand has been selected.


        She poured her remaining chakra into her feet. The ground beneath her captor turned to soft soil, instantly sucking the Preta Path down until he was completely buried.

        Gasping, she collapsed to her knees, palms pressed into the dirt. That jutsu had drained nearly everything from her. She could barely lift her arms.

        “Why are you stopping us?” Pein asked. “My goal is peace—true justice. With the Tailed Beasts, I’ll forge a weapon that will instill fear in the world. That fear will prevent war. Pain will create peace. That is my dream.”

        “That’s not peace!” she yelled, voice hoarse. “Fear just breeds more violence!”

        “Humans are incapable of understanding one another.” His Rinnegan eyes locked onto hers, cold and unwavering. “There’s no use reasoning with you.” He raised his hand. “Universal Pull.”

        From the edge of the forest, a blonde figure was yanked into the air.

        “H-hey! Let me go—dattebayo!” Naruto shouted as he was pulled toward Pein, arms flailing.

        Pein seized his throat mid-air. Naruto struggled, clawing at his grip.

        Without Sage Mode, he didn’t stand a chance.

        “You’re still untamed, I see—”

       Smoke exploded around Naruto—he vanished.

        Pein’s eyes widened. “Shadow Clone—?”

        “Rasengan!”

        The real Naruto lunged in from behind, a spinning ball of chakra in his hand.

        “Too slow,” Pein muttered, conjuring a barrage of black chakra rods and launching them in a deadly volley.

        [First Name] knew Naruto couldn’t dodge them all. She had no chakra left. Itachi was too drained to intervene.

        There was no other choice.

        Time slowed as she threw herself between Naruto and Pein, arms outstretched.

        Pain exploded through her body as the rods struck her shoulders, chest, arms, and legs. Her knees buckled. Blood splattered across her kimono.

        “Why?” Naruto gasped, catching her as she fell.

        “I told you…” she whispered, forcing a smile, “…I’ll protect you… with all my life.” Blood welled in her mouth. Her vision clouded, and she could barely make out Pein’s silhouette. Her limbs went numb as the chakra receivers disabled her body. Her back hit the ground, hair clinging to her blood-slicked face.

        “Hmph. It’s over,” Pein said flatly. “I’ve pierced her vital points.”

        Naruto dropped to his knees beside her, panic in his voice. “Oi... don’t you dare die on me!”

        Itachi rushed over. He cradled her head gently in his lap. “Hang in there, [First Name]!” He tried to pull out the rods, but they wouldn’t budge.

        “[F-FIRST NAME]!” Deidara shouted, landing beside her. His knees hit the ground. His face went pale, blue eyes wide in horror.

        Sasori stood frozen, unmoving.

        “Things always happen without warning, and the reason becomes apparent afterwards,” Pein continued. “It was just like this. My parents were killed before my very eyes. Hatred is born and we are able to know pain.”

        She could hear her heart beating against her rib cage and was slowing every second. Was this what death was supposed to be like? She remembered seeing this kind of stabbing scene in many of the shounen animes she had watched, but she did not expect to experience it first hand. Moreover, compared to Obito’s fight, she would definitely say that she was going to die soon. But she was no longer scared of death since she did manage to protect the main protagonist of the entire series. If she died, where would she go? Would she become a ghost in the Naruto World or ended up being in the void since she had failed her mission?

        After a few moments, the blended vision of the former Akatsuki members in front of her became the last thing she saw as a cloud of puffy smoke emerged from her body.

***


        The once azure sky was replaced with a vast expanse of black tranquility. A canopy of luminous stars flickered its existence every now and then. The soft sound of water flowing down the river, the occasional hoot of owls and chirping sounds of crickets echoed in her ears. Her body was lying down on the ground with a grassy texture in her fingers, similar to when she first arrived in the Naruto World. Itachi, Deidara, Sasori, Pein—everyone had now vanished.

        She slowly lifted herself up and looked down at her body, seeing that the black rods had disappeared as if they had never stabbed her. There were no scars or wounds present. What just happened? Where the hell was she? Was she taken by the death reaper? No, she did not feel that she had died in any way. It was as if she was taken to another place.

        “Phew. That was a close call!” a voice called out. “I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if I’d been a minute late!”

        She turned toward the source of the voice and saw a dark silhouette—a man about Itachi’s height—standing before her. He slowly bent down.

        Her face instantly became pale, and her limbs trembled. Was he an enemy?! If so, she could not weave her hand seals on time!

        Great Sage, analyze!

        There was no response. Why wasn’t it working?! 

        “I’m glad that you’re okay,” he said.

       As panic overcame her emotions, she was about to shift away from him, only to be stopped by his arms that were suddenly wrapped around her back, pulling her close to his chest. His warmth filled her body.

        Startled, she froze. The soft, warm glow of fireflies lit up around them, slowly revealing his face. Her eyes moved up in disbelief.

        Disheveled black hair.

        A high-collared black shirt.

        Onyx eyes—distinctly Uchiha.

        And a Konoha forehead protector tied across his brow.

        Her eyes widened as realization hit her like a bolt. “Shi... sui?!”

Chapter Text

        The young woman’s brain stuttered. Her entire body froze as that familiar faded basil-like scent of anise from his body filled her nostrils. Her mind was muddled up with questions about this man in front of her, but her mouth could not open.

        “Geez, you’re pretty reckless as those three have said, [First Name]-chan!” Shisui let out a heavy sigh as he faced towards her. His hands were now placed on her shoulders.

        Her limbs were still unmoving.

        “I can’t believe that you actually protected Naruto with your body! You should have thought it through, you know…? Hey, are you listening?” He tilted his head. 

        She snapped out of her shock.

        “… Wait, Shisui? What, why, how, huh?” she fumbled for words.

        He only cracked a small smile with one of his eyes closed. He then stood up. “Well, before that, let’s go sit over there, shall we?” He pointed at a crackling campfire that was projecting long shadows near the river.

        Following the man, she sat down on a flattened rock in the opposite of him. The heat from the campfire radiated as the orange-red flames twisted and curled into abstract shapes with its glowing ember moving in rhythm with it. She could only focus her attention on the man’s figure. She had expected him to appear quite older than Itachi; however, he looked like he was around the same age as him, except that his wrinkles were less pronounced. Did he even age at all?

        “I know that you’re probably be so confused right now, but I really mean no harm,” he said as he added more wood into the fire and poked it with a long stick. 

        She only fixed her attention at him.

        “Fuwa Shiratoni, or the Great Sage whom you’ve been communicating with is actually me.”

        Her eyes were wide open. “… How’s that possible? Didn’t you die already?!” She could remember the scene when Shisui voluntarily jumped off the cliff after giving Itachi his remaining eye.

        He smiled. “You’re half right, if you only relied on the information in the original ‘Naruto’ series.”

        “You know about ‘Naruto’?!” If that was true, it would make sense that he knew about the Akatsuki, her love interests death scenes, and Obito’s Eye of the Moon Plan.

        He nodded. “Yep. As a viewer, you probably know that I committed suicide after Danzou took one of my eyes, right? But in truth I managed to stay in this world because of a certain Forbidden Jutsu,” he clasped his hands together, “Summoning: The Other World.”

        She had never heard of it. Her senses heightened.

        “This jutsu allows the user to summon anyone from the other dimension with the cost of their life becoming a spirit. It’s derived from the Spirit Transformation Technique since it involves the passage between dimensions, you see. And I was able to talk to you during your dreams because I've possessed you to a certain extent. That’s why you could hear me speaking to you as the ‘Great Sage’.”

        So the fact remained that he was still dead and possess?! Wasn’t he basically a ghost then? “But when did I even make a contract with you?”

        “When I shook hands with you when you first met me. Before I became a spirit, I was transported to the dimension you were living in where 'Naruto' was what you called a 'manga series', and selected you to become my summon with a touch as Fuwa Shiratoni,” he then pointed at her hands, “Have a look. The marking should appear by now since I’ve used the reverse summoning jutsu to bring you to the spirit realm; it should've triggered its presence.”

        She flipped her hands, seeing that both of palms had a small black inked Japanese character respectively, and when read together it said ‘召喚’. It meant for summon.

        The latter of his sentence also made her face washed with confusion. “And what do you mean by spirit realm?”

        “The spirit realm you’re currently inside is where every spirit dwells in after they die in the human word; it’s the home of souls, you could say, and the reason why your injuries have been healed is due to the concentrated spiritual energy that encompasses this whole area.”

        She looked at her arms once again. Faded white aura could be seen enveloping around them, rejuvenating her cells with fresh energy. She would definitely say that it was more effective than her enhanced healing skills. But what about her abilities? He had not answered why she had them—

        “Ah, it’s [First Name]-chan!” a familiar male voice called out.

        She whisked her head to the direction of the voice, seeing Sasori’s parents waving at her with smiles. A pale purple-haired elderly and a brown chin-length haired young man who were standing beside them. 

        Are they…?

        “It’s been a while!” His mother came running towards her. She then wrapped her arms around her back for a tight embrace. “I heard that you almost died! Are you okay now?!”

        “A-ah, yes, I’m fine. Thank you so much,” she said hesitantly. Her warmth filled her body.

        It would make sense that their spirits would be living here, including Chiyo and Komushi.

        “Oi, [First Name]!” Komushi called out. “Thanks for taking care of Sasori! I was so worried about him after I died since he’s always been the silent type! It seems that he now has a friend that he could talk to! I really appreciate it!”

        “[First Name]…” Chiyo called out. “Thanks for being there for Sasori and changing him.”

        She paused for a moment. She then gave them a clumsy smile. “… I mean he’s lonely after all. I couldn’t just leave him alone.”

        “[First Name]-chan is indeed so kind!” the father said. “No wonder why my son likes her!”

        She only blushed.

        “Dear, stop teasing her!”

        She smiled a bit, but then her lips reverted back to as straight thin line. Pein. Her group would probably still be struggling to fight him, and might have been traumatised by seeing her ‘die’ in front of them! She could not stay here any longer.

        “Anyway, I have to go back! I’m not done with Pein!” [First Name] stood up.

        “I knew you would say that, but have a rest for the time being.” Shisui’s held a serious tone.

        “Huh?! Everyone could be killed by now!”

        “Don’t worry. Time progresses very slowly in this realm. That’s why I don’t really age. By the time you go back, they’ll probably be standing at their same own spots before you were sent here.”

        “Shisui-san is right,” Sasori’s mother said. “And besides, there are many people in here who want to talk to you.”

        She stood still. Did anyone else know about her beside Sasori’s family?

        “Well then,” Shisui stood up, “since it’s nighttime, let’s get you ready.”

        She raised her brow. “What do you mean—” Her arms were suddenly held. She looked behind seeing two women donned in identical plain yukata clothes with aprons tied around their waists, holding onto her. She could smell sea salt from their fabrics.

        “Give her the best service.” Shisui gave them a closed eye smile.

        “Yes sir,” the staffs replied.

        “[First Name]-chan, you’ll absolutely enjoy this!” Sasori’s mother beamed.

        “That’s right,” Chiyo added.

        She blinked. Service?

        .

        .

        .

        Her back and arms were being massaged by the ryokan staffs with aromatic jojoba oil rubbed onto her skin. Her entire naked body was dipped into the milky mineralised white hot spring which its tub was made out of oak wood, making her tense muscles become relaxed. A white towel was wrapped around her head. The hot steam from the spring spread throughout the whole area.

        “It feels so good!” Sasori’s mother breathed out in joy as she soaked her body beside her.

        Chiyo, who was soaking on her other side, nodded.

        What was this situation? The young woman had seen many hot springs scenarios where high school characters would be splashing water onto each other in many anime series, but she did not expect to be relaxing here with Sasori’s mother and grandmother. It was as if they were evaluating for her competence as a daughter-in-law or something!

        “So did you follow my advice?” the mother asked.

        She was probably referring to the hug. “Ah… yes…”

        “How was it?”

        “He did open up to me more…” Her voice became soft. To the point that he did that….

        “[First Name]-chan, I know that you’re hiding something from us,” she smirked.

        She was as sharp as Sasori! How could she have underestimated her?!

        “Did you two kiss?” Her dark brown eyes were fixed onto her, glinting with curiosity. After a few seconds, she let out a small laugh. “I’m just joking. My son would be too shy to do that…?”

        The young woman’s face instantly became scarlet as memories of her mouth replayed in her mind.

        “EH?! He did?!”

        Chiyo burst out a laugh. “Based on her expression, it’s probably erotic!”

        The red hues on her face darkened. 

        “Oh my…” the mother clasped her mouth. “I mean my son’s an adult. I guess he has someone who he really cares about now. I’m already happy.”

        [First Name] could only lower her eyes. What would happen if Sasori, Itachi, and Deidara knew about the emotional colors? And that she was technically three-timing them? She knew she had to tell them someday, but would she be able to accept the consequences?

        Or rather would they even want to talk to me anymore?

        The next thing she realized, her body, donned in a white bath robe, had already been lying down on a bed with her face being applied with sakura-scented moisturising cream by gentle hands that rubbed her skin in a circular motion, removing all of her worries away. She then saw herself being wrapped by a light blue yukata, tied by an obi by the staff from behind, and was brought inside a Japanese-style room where the floor was covered in grassy green tatami mats and a Lino print of a verdurous forest hung on wall. She kneeled at a short heighted table with a cup of tea in front of her. Was she too relaxed to the point that every of the service went by too quickly? She did feel that she became younger with the revitalising spa.

        The door of the room then slid opened, revealing Shisui who also donned the same light blue yukata and was wearing white slippers. His Konoha headband had been removed from his forehead. He sat at the opposite side of the table.  

        “How’s the ryokan here?” he asked.

        She would admit that it was pretty impressive. “… It’s very good?”

        “Glad to hear that. This ryokan is the best in the spirit realm, you know?” he grinned.

        To come think of it, this was the first time she had seen him without the headband. His short unkempt bangs were slightly damp from the hot springs, and his gentle expressions from his mesmerising deep onyx eyes and playful smile altogether could definitely allow him to be considered as a bishounen.

        She suddenly felt her chest pulsated.

        What’s this feeling?

        She then heard a knock from the door, snapping her thoughts from it. It slid open, revealing another staff that was kneeling down with trays of food at her side on the floor. 

        “Thank you for waiting. Here’s your dinner.”

        Numerous dishes of the kaiseki were placed onto the table, filling it with the fresh, shimmering colours of the native food. Ranging from the honey yellow sea urchin dressed in vinaigrette, a clear soup with matsutake mushrooms, the translucent sashimi slices of raw red snapper, the charcoal roasted sea brass garnished with salt to brown sugar sorbet with seasonal fruits, [First Name] could tell that all of them were cooked with high quality ingredients.

        “Shisui-san… is it really fine for me to eat this?” she asked. Even in her own world, she had never eaten anything this luxurious before.

        “Yep! It’s a treat from me! You've been very stressed with Pein after all! Well then, Itadakimasu!” Shisui held his chopsticks.

        She slowly nodded. Once she picked up the urchin with her chopsticks and propped inside her mouth, its acidic tangy taste accompanied by the chewy texture of the seafood meat exploded in her mouth.

        “It’s so yummy! I don’t think I have ever eaten anything like this before!” she gasped. Was the spirit realm some sort of a five star restaurant or something?!

        “Right?! I’ve always wanted to bring you here to eat this!”

        He was so considerate as if he really saw her as a younger sister. But for what reason?

        After partaking the gorgeous feast with her stomach pleased, she sipped her tea. She had not eaten this much ever since she was transported to the Naruto world.

        “Back to where we left off,” Shisui placed his cup onto the table, “I knew that you definitely won’t be able to survive in this world without any ninja skills, so that’s why I used another forbidden jutsu on you. Sage Art: All of Creation. It allows the user to become one with nature, enabling you to use any Chakra Releases, enhanced strength, enhanced genjutsu nullification, analyze and mimic anyone’s abilities, and emotional colors in the form of computations.” 

        She could only sit frozen, but she would say that the jutsu was incredibly overpowering. 

        “Karin did mention that you have two Chakra sources within you, didn’t she? Your Chakra is mixed with mine because extreme chakra levels are needed to use Sage Art, and with the abilities of the spiritual energy from me, you’ve been able to use what you called ‘Sage Gate’ to go anywhere you want since as spirits, we’re able to go to any location we want. The auto-healing and auto-battle modes were also controlled by me.”

        She did not know that this kind of jutsu existed. “But why did you have to summon me?”

        His clasped his hands together. “… Before I 'died', I’d actually been tracking on Itachi. He’d been talking with that orange masked man, Obito Uchiha, in private for quite a while, but he had never told me about it. That was when I felt that there was something suspicious going on.”

        She did not remember seeing this scene in the series.

        “Fortunately enough, I was able to spy on Obito and found out that he was trying to achieve the Eye of the Moon Plan. At first I was pretty baffled and was confused why Itachi had no idea about that man’s true goals. But before I was able to tell Itachi himself, I had a meeting with the Konoha Alliance about using the Mangekyo Sharingan on my clan to stop the coup d’état. I noticed that Danzo was acting pretty odd based on my idea, which ended up with me fighting him and having my eyes taken as you saw in the series.

That's when I used my shadow clone to act as a decoy, so I escaped, but I unfortunately inhaled some of the ANBU’s poisonous gas. I knew that I didn’t have long to live, but I had to do something about Obito’s plans since something horridly disastrous would occur in the future. It was an all-or-nothing situation. I sneaked into the Hokage Residence and unwrapped the Scroll of Seals. That’s when I spotted the two jutsus that I casted on you. When having read about the abilities of the summoning, I figured out that someone who knew so well about the plot of Naruto would be able to stop the Eye of the Moon Plan before anyone gets killed through the process.”

        The young woman slightly opened her mouth as all of this revelation became more present in her mind. “… Why did you have to choose me? You could’ve chosen someone else!” Anyone who was a Naruto fan would surely wanted to be transported into the Naruto world!

        “That’s true, but judging from your personality and the college major you took, you were the ideal person whom I wanted to choose since you'd probably be able to fit in the Akatsuki the fastest. I’ve been watching you for quite a while before summoning you to the Naruto world. I know all about the emotional troubles you had with your family and your school life, and I couldn’t help to feel attached to you.”

        So that was why he saw her as a younger sister. She had no idea whether she was supposed to feel happy about it as everything was too sudden. “What about the emotional colors? What’s the point of that if you only wanted me to stop the Eye of the Moon Plan?”

        He smiled a bit. “At first I was planning for you to become comrades with Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara since they could be powerful allies, but seeing your past regarding to your trust issues and loneliness, I’ve thought that seeing the emotional colours could serve as a confirmation for you about their feelings. Making the three of them falling in love with you was just an extra aspect of this whole stay in this world.”

        She clenched her hands. Boiling heat surged in her throat.        

        “And about being stuck in the void if the mission is not cleared, that was just a threat, so you could help me stop Obito—”

        “Don’t screw with me.” Her voice lowered.  

        The man in front of her became silent.

        “Do you know that I can’t possibly be three-timing them?! That’s just too sad! I’m not that kind of person!” she yelled. 

        “… I’d expected you to say that.” He sighed.

        “Huh?”

        “That’s why I’m gonna let you decide which character you want to change their emotional colours to red if you want to. You’ll be returning back to your own world once Obito’s plan’s stopped anyways.”

        She froze. If she really did have an option, she would prefer choosing one of them instead of making the three feel that she liked all of them.

        But the problem was who would she choose?

        He stood up and headed towards the door. “Just have a good sleep for the night. We’ll be going outside tomorrow. See you.”        

        Throughout the whole night, [First Name] could not really sleep in her futon. Deidara and Sasori both showed the pink emotional colors, while Itachi was still orange. She had the option to stop the love mission, so the emotional colours would not matter anymore. Would it be a better choice just to end everything and make everyone show the friendship color? However, she knew Sasori and Deidara would not agree with it. Moreover, wasn’t Shisui forcing her to play with those three’s feelings the first place, and now he just threw his so called ‘mission’ out of the window as if it was nothing? Was he that sort of person? She could just not accept it easily.

        The next day, [First Name], donned in a [favorite color] kimono and wearing zori sandals that were prepared by the staffs stood in front of the ryokan entrance where Shisui had already been waiting. He donned an ash black kimono that matched his hair color.

        “We’ll be meeting with people who want to see you,” he said. “Just follow me.”

        [First Name] gave him no response with some of her anger still lingering in her throat.

        The spirit shopping street was drowned in a sea of souls. Not a single empty space could be found between the stalls. The shopkeepers screamed out offers to attract customers to purchase their products. A wide variety of shops lined the streets from art stalls, jewelries, traditional snacks to flower bouquets, where spirits would flock here and there like fireflies. She would not say that it was that different from the shopping streets in the human world.

        “There are so many people here as always.” Shisui brought his hand out towards hers. “Wanna hold hands? You won’t get lost this way.”

        She gave him a stare.

        He lowered his shoulders. “You’re still mad at me, I see.”

        Of course—her shoulder suddenly collided with a man’s shoulder from behind, causing her body to flinch as she leaned towards the ground. In an instant, a warm hand grabbed hers and pulled her to her feet. She looked up seeing Shisui having that usual grin that stretched to his ears.

        “Guess there’s no choice, huh? Shall we go?” he asked as he held her hand tighter.

        She felt her chest pulsated once again. She could feel that his hand was bigger than hers. 

        With her footsteps behind the tall man and her hand being gently pulled from the front, [First Name] could only fixed her attention to his raven hair. Compared to Itachi’s low ponytail, it was disheveled and short, allowing his smooth nape to be exposed.

        Her chest then beat in a series of repeated throbs. No, no, no! Why is it racing?! He’s not even part of the love interest to begin with!

        She was unable to see his emotion colours either. Maybe it was because he was the one who casted the jutsu on her, and would that also apply to the reason why she could not analyze him when she was sent to his spirit realm? Just what was he thinking right now?

        She then realised that he had taken her to a snack stall. The smell of sweet batter from the pancake iron waft in the air as the employee poured in the creamy yellow mixture into the respective circular molds.

        “Two imagawayaki, please,” Shisui said.

        “Yes, sir.” The employee nodded.

        Was he hungry or something?

        After a few minutes, the man brought the honey-brown pancake snack in a small paper bag towards her. “Here. You must be hungry.”

        She did not expect him to give it to her, but she had no intentions of receiving anything especially because of what he told her yesterday. “I don’t need it—” her stomach grumbled. Her cheeks started burning. It had been a while ever since she had eaten breakfast.

        He let out a small laugh. “Your stomach says the otherwise, you know? If you want to refuse that much, I’ll feed you—”

        She immediately snatched the bag from his hand and bit into the warm fluffy cake with its sweet Azuki taste melting in her mouth. She averted her eyes away from him. There was no way she would accept his offer! Over her dead body!

        He gave her a small smile, and then bit into his own pancake. “[First Name]-chan, you look cute when you’re not honest too.”

        “Don’t call me ‘cute’.” 

        “But you really are!”

        She pouted. 

        After passing by a few stalls straight ahead, the two stopped in front of a large store with poster-board written 'Uchiha Senbei' hanging above the roof. Many glass jars of various types of circular senbeis from brown to white ones were displayed on the wooden shelves. She furrowed her brows. Why was she at the Uchiha’s anyways?

        Shisui then removed his grasp from her hand leaving her with a somewhat cold feeling in her palm. 

        “Oh? Is that [First Name], Shisui?” a short brown haired man asked as he stopped sweeping the tiled floor with his broom. He was wearing a simple teal kimono with grey pants.

        “Yes, I’ve brought her here, Fugaku-san,” Shisui said.

        Fugaku? 

        “So you’re here, [First Name]-chan!” Another long raven haired woman, who was standing at the cashier, called out. That was probably the mother. She smiled at her. She then whisked her head to the back. “Izumi-chan, bring them inside!”

          Hearing a soft ‘yes’ from the interior, a young woman with long brown hair walked forward. A small black mole was below her right eye. She was wearing a lavender kimono and had an apron tied around her waist. She looked around Itachi’s age. She had to have grown a bit after she was sent to this realm.

        “You must be Itachi-kun’s friend. My name is Izumi,” she beamed. “Please have a seat.”

        Somehow [First Name] felt a pang in her chest.

        Sitting next to Shisui, two plates of brown soy sauce-coated crackers were placed in front of them with steaming green tea. Itachi’s parents and Izumi sat at the opposite of them. 

        “After we’ve died, we’ve been working at this store in peace,” Fugaku said. “But we couldn’t help but worry about our sons.”

        “When we heard from Shisui-kun that you saved the two from Obito, we’re very grateful for it,” Mikoto said. “The relationship between our sons was also restored because of you. I had never imagined of seeing that at all, especially with Sasuke having felt the need to kill Itachi for almost his entire life.”

        "That's why we've wanted to see you," Izumi added. "We'd like to thank you with all of our heart."

        [First Name] had her lips shut as warmth filled her chest. There were more people thanking her because of her actions now in contrast to her own world.

        Shisui ruffled her head. “[First Name]-chan is a very kindhearted girl, right? I'm so proud of her!"

        She could feel heat rising to her cheeks. Come on, not again?!

        The three Uchihas all chuckled.

        “By the way, Shisui, about Danzo and Obito,” Fugaku’s voice became solemn.

        Shisui nodded. 

        The two told her that they were going to speak in private, leaving the young woman with Izumi. Mikoto returned back to the cashier as more customers started to enter the store. [First Name] would have wanted to know what those two would be talking about as Danzo was still alive in the Naruto world and Obito might have been targeting him too, but she did not think that she could leave this person at the table.

        “[First Name]-chan, how’s Itachi-kun?” Izumi asked as she sipped her tea.

        It was obvious that she was going to ask about him. “He’s enjoying his life more, I guess.”

        “I see… that’s a relief.” 

        [First Name] knew fully well about the feelings this woman had towards Itachi. “Izumi-san, you like Itachi-san, right?”

        Pink tints spread her cheeks. “Yeah… but I’ve given up.” 

        [First Name] stopped in her tracks. “… Why?”

        “Before I died, he cast a genjutsu on me where I could see my self spending time and having children with him until we became elderlies. I’m already satisfied.” She forced a smile. “And to be honest, I know that he’d never see me in that way since he already has someone in his heart.” She moved brown eyes to the sakura hair clip above the young woman’s ear and then placed her hand on hers. “Please take care of Itachi-kun for me, [First Name]-chan. You’re the one who can relieve his pain.”

        [First Name] could only stare at her in silence.

        What’s with that?

***

        After that conversation with Izumi, [First Name] waited for Shisui at the entrance. She felt heavy pressure rocks being placed on her shoulders. Why was everyone leaving Sasori and Itachi on her hands? It was not as if she was going to stay by those two sides since she was not from their world. She did not even know if she had the right to be by their sides.

        "Sorry, did you wait too long?" The Uchiha man walked out of the store with a plastic bag of senbei in his hand.

        "Not really," she then held Shisui’s hand nonchalantly. “Let’s go to your next location.”

        Shisui became silent for a moment. He moved his eyes to his hand. “Ehh... [First Name]-chan, why are you holding my hand so suddenly?” He then gave an exaggerated gasp. "Are you possibly in love with me?!”

        Her face became a blush of champagne pink. She retracted her hand away. “N-no! Isn’t it your idea to do this, so that I wouldn’t get lost?!”

        He laughed once again. “That’s true, but I just love teasing you.”

        She curled her lips. “You know you have a bad personality, right?”

        “I guess so, and you really fall into my tricks so easily.” With that said, he gently pulled her hand as he continued to walk forward. “Come on, let’s go.”

        She twitched her eyebrows from his previous remark. YOU JERK!

Chapter Text

        The two continued to walk further after passing a few vendors and some tall stone staircases that led to a lush hill. The tree trunks there had small tints of maroon mixed with its natural brown color. The canopies were crowned with a cacophony of color on the fading moss green from golden marigold, cerise pink, and red violet. The sky was now a blend of light indigo and blue with clouds gleaming their iridescent shades. She felt as if she had been brought to another dimension with a special sacredness oozing out of it.

        “Lastly, we’re going to visit Yahiko,” Shisui said. “He’s the one who really wants to meet us the most.”

        “Nagato-san’s friend?”

        He nodded. “And he’s actually the ruler of this spirit realm; he’s the one who has been keeping this place peaceful and calm.”

        Confusion washed her face. “… WHAT?”

        .

        .

        .

        The five-story tall castle tower was too impressive with its enormous size built out of sheer white stone wall. The whole tower was surrounded by citadels, gates, turrets, and moats, all of which were silent with their bold structures exhibiting their loyalty to block any entrance. Their oversized gently curved roofs were tiled with green pillars that matched with the peaceful nature around it. Surrounding the whole area stood more than hundreds of soft pink cherry blossom trees swaying gently against the cool breeze.

        She had no idea whether she was in the Naruto world anymore.

        The Uchiha man pulled her hand towards the black shrine-like gate where two guards in black kimonos and armed in katanas stood protectively. Once their eyes met with Shisui’s, the two bowed.

        “We’ve been waiting for you. Please, right this way.”

        Inside, [First Name] gazed in awe at the whole architecture. The whole corridor was made out of old wood, the rooms at the sides were closed by high quality bamboo covered with translucent paper sliding doors; along the walls hanged various Lino print images that seemed to portray different backgrounds from waterfalls to bonsai trees, all with elaborate details. The ceiling was also tiled with squared circle emblems painted with glistening gold. Every now and then, she would see glamorous golden statues of tigers and large mineral vases that would cost her life. The smell of shiso leaf spread throughout the whole area.

        “You’re too shocked to say anything?” Shisui smirked.

        “O-of course!” she whispered. “Isn’t this too excessive?!”

        He only cracked another smile. “Well, Yahiko has always wanted to bring peace towards the world even when he became a spirit. That’s why he’s worked up all the way here to reach to this point.”

        Obviously she remembered that Yahiko desired to become the god of the world in order to stop war, but seriously?

        The guards then stopped in front of a sliding door. He then kneeled down.

        “Yahiko-sama, Shisui-dono and [First Name]-dono have arrived.”

        After hearing a soft “come in”, the guard slid the door open and gestured the two to enter inside.

        “Welcome, [First Name]!” a boisterous voice called out.        

        The two looked forward seeing an orange-haired man donned in a greyish blue kimono, bending his knees to the sides and brought his hand forward like a kabuki pose in front of his wooden desk that was filled with scrolls and stacks of paper sheets. On the wall stood wooden shelves filled with piles of thick books, similar to Pein’s office. 

        “The leader of the spirit realm, known as Yahiko, remember that and let my presence known!” he roared with a huge grin.

        She knew that Yahiko had imitated Jiraiya’s mannerisms in the series, but she had no idea how to react to this. She deadpanned in silence.

        “HEY! SAY SOMETHING! You’re embarrassing me!” Yahiko’s face flushed.

        He reminded her of Deidara a bit.

        “W-wow, that’s so awesome…” Her voice was flat.

        Shisui stifled his laugh.

        “I know it’s not cool, okay?! I just wanted to do this!” Yahiko then cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Anyway, thanks for coming here.”

        The three sat down at a small tea table with cups of steaming tea in front of them. The Senbei that Shisui had brought in were given to Yahiko as a gift. She could sense the two were quite familiar with each other. 

        “I heard about everything from Shisui,” Yahiko clasped his hands together. “Nagato’s really taking my definition of true peace in the most unforgivable way he could do. I can’t believe that he is now aiming to destroy Konoha for the sake of the nine-tails, and he even tried to kill you!”

        [First Name] lowered her eyes. Without Shisui's help, she did not want to think about what would have happened to her.

        Shisui held a stern face. ”I’m not letting it happen again.”

        She gave him a brief glance. She knew that he was protective over her probably because he wanted her to help him stop Obito, but why did she feel that there was something more than that underneath his words?

        How weird.

        “As much as I want to help you guys, I unfortunately can’t leave this place,” Yahiko said. “I have to watch after this realm, you see.”

        “Then do you know how we can defeat Pein?” Shisui asked.

        Yahiko stood up and walked towards a wooden drawer. After drawing it, he took out a black medium-sized scroll and handed it over to the young woman.

        “I don’t have a definite answer since he is strong, but take this scroll. It contains a sealing jutsu which when used, Pein would be immobilised and detached from Nagato’s control. You must in anyway seal him.”

        She gulped. Although the scroll would provide her a sense of relief, she had no idea whether she would be able to seal him properly.

        “And also as a last request, once you’ve defeated Pein, make sure that Nagato doesn't commit suicide with guilt. Although he has committed so many wrongdoings after I was gone, he's always had good intentions in his heart. I want to give him a second chance.”

        “Alright...”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the character is as follow. Yahiko: yellow.

        Yahiko gave her a small smile as honey yellow aura radiated from him. “Thank you." He then moved his brown eyes towards the Uchiha. “By the way, Shisui, aren’t you overly protective towards [First Name]? I saw you were holding her hand on the way here. Too much of being escort, don’t you think?”

        Her cheeks instantly warmed up. Oh god, why did he have to see it?!

        Shisui became silent for a moment and then reverted back to his usual grin. “Is that so? More importantly, Yahiko, don’t you want [First Name]-chan to tell you how Konan’s been doing?”

        Why did he suddenly dodge the question?

        His face became red as a tomato. “Are you stupid?! Why are you bringing her up all of a sudden?!”

        “Well, you like her, don’t you?” he grinned.

        Yahiko lips were shut, and then instantly slammed his hands down onto the table. “ANYWAY! I’ve reserved that place for you, Shisui. Feel free to you use it.”

        “My pleasure.”

        What’s going on?

***

        Following Shisui, [First Name] found herself standing at a glorious expanse of grass field that flattened from the far hedgerow and the woodland trees. The sky was deep blue and the afternoon sun grinned at the two while a soft breeze brushed past them. But that was not important to her. Her eyes were fixed at the man in front of her where his facial features were being highlighted by the sunlight, exuding his bishonen looks once again. She then snapped out of those thoughts. Why was she like this again?! His conversation with Yahiko clearly did trigger her to develop these weird feelings towards him! She had to get herself together.

        “Um, Shisui-san, what are we doing here?” she asked.

        “We’re gonna train!” He put his hands on his waist. “Yahiko has granted us permission to use this area here.”

        So that was what they had been talking about.

        “At this point, you’re still too weak to fight Pein, aren’t you?” He cracked a small smile. “So let’s have a match.”

        “N-now?!” 

        He nodded. “Sasori did mention that you had the least experience in battlefield, didn’t he? This is the time to show yourself what you’re capable of.”

        That was true. “… Got it.”

        He then held up the Seal of Confrontation and closed his eyes.

        She could remember seeing this scene when Shisui fought Itachi for their trainings. [First Name] did the same. In a few seconds, the two flashed their eyes open, with the Uchiha having activated his crimson Sharingan.

        He charged at her with his fist brought out. “Here I come!”

        Taijutsu? She would have to counter it with the same style!

        ENHANCED STRENGTH ACTIVA—

        “Too naive!” He had disappeared before her eyes. 

        The next thing she realized, he had already body flickered behind her and swung his leg towards her back.

        WIND RELEASE ACTIVATED. Air Current Dance has been selected. Please weave your hand signs.

        She held the bird sign. A powerful surge of gale blustered against the man with a large howl, flinging his body backwards with his face blocked by his arms. The tree barks behind him were all torn and battered into chunks.

        Darn! He’s way too fast! If she had not used that jutsu, she would have been instantly hit!

        “By only relying on your Chakra Natures without any strategies, you’re just wasting Chakra!” He somersaulted and landed on the ground smoothly.

        I know! Her hands precipitated out diamond shurikens that were secured in her interdigital folds. With Shisui’s high speed body flickering technique, she knew for sure that she would not be able to weave any handseals on time. She needed to heavily rely on Taijutsu and her reflexes against him! It would also be beneficial to mimic some of his jutsus.

        “Good thinking,” he complimented. “And for this match, you’re unable to mimic any of my techniques, okay?”

        Did he just read her mind? “THAT’S NOT FAIR!”

        “Come on, it’s good practice,” he grinned. 

        She would have to agree that she had not only relied on other people’s techniques. With her eyes locked on the man, she dashed towards him.

        .

        .

        .

        Orange gold had already stretched its tangerine hues on the magenta sky. The clouds were now cotton candy and silhouettes of birds flew across the setting sepia sun of the dusky background. The young woman panted and landed on her knees as bullets of sweats dribbled over her face. It had been almost two hours in the training, and her limbs were screaming for her tor rest. Moreover, Shisui had always been successfully evading her attacks as if all of that Sage Art was futile against him!

        WARNING. CHAKRA RESERVES ARE LOW.

        Shisui, on the other hand, stood in front of her, only panting a little. “We’ve got to work on your maintenance of Chakra reserves, I suppose, but good work today!”

        At this moment, she knew that she would definitely be no match to Pein. She had to improve herself more than this! She had to train even harder—

        “[First Name]-chan…?”

        His figure appeared blurry as the sky started to turn yellow. With energy sapped from her limbs and her breath becoming shallow, she staggered backwards. Before she fell in a heap to the ground, her body was immediately caught by the man’s arms.

        “Hey, are you okay?!” he asked.

        “… I’m just a bit lightheaded,” she mumbled. Her mind swirled. “It’s nothing to worry about…”

        “That’s understandable because your body is not used to fighting, and your stamina is pretty lower than others.”

        “… Of course…”

        He cracked a small smile. “Maybe I went a little bit overboard too. I’m sorry about that.” He then suddenly rearranged her arms and legs, allowing her to wrap her legs around his torso and her hands held on his shoulders from behind in a piggyback form.

        "W-what are you doing?!” Her lips fumbled her words. She could smell rosemary-scented shampoo from his raven hair that was blushed by the warmth of the setting sun.

        “Well, you can’t walk this way, can you? I don’t want you to be fainting midway before we reach back to the ryokan. So go ahead and sleep if you want to.”

        Before she could argue, her eyes slowly closed, engulfing herself into a world of blackness. 

***

        Under the white silver of moonlight that spilled throughout the room, [First Name] lifted herself up from her usual futon. She looked around seeing that she was back in her own room of the ryokan. She could not believe that not only Shisui held her hand throughout the whole escort, but also a  piggyback ride on the same day?! What the hell was his intentions anyways? Or was she thinking too much? With a sigh, she looked beside her pillow, seeing that there was a small square note saying:

        If you’re hungry, there’s food in the microwave. I’ve made sure that the staffs prepared you something to eat.

        -Shisui

        How considerate. She would definitely say that her stomach was a void without having eaten dinner. She then realised that there was more writing underneath.

        P.S. How could you drool on me, [First Name]-chan???

        HUH? She immediately rubbed her back hand against her lips, realising that it was dry.

        Just joking. XD

        She felt an angry vein popped out from her temples. Such a playful character, wasn't he? But how long had she been out for? Was the training she just had that intense?  But this was what to be expected to fight Pein after all. 

        Once she was about to pick up her hair ornament to keep her hair in place, she realised that it was gone.

        With a surge of panic, she trailed her eyes all over her room but to no avail. Damn… Itachi bought it for her just recently and now she had lost it?! Did she drop it during the training? No… did Shisui take it? He did not seem to be that sort of person. She finally moved her eyes to the window that was oddly slightly opened. There stood a young looking girl donned in a light pink kimono with that recognisable straight brown hair, cut in a chin length bob, who seemed to be watching the moonlight. Her hand was holding the hair ornament.

        Wait, is that… Rin?!

        It would make sense that she would meet her in this realm since she had already died, but why did she have to take her hairclip?

        As if she had noticed her awareness, Rin gave her a small smile, leaped outwards, and safely landing on the grass field below the window.

        Was she intending for her to follow her?

        With suspicion and nerves mixed together, [First Name] slipped into her zori sandals leaped after her.

        “Hey, you! Please wait for me!” [First Name] yelled.

        Beneath the deep velvety sky accompanied by the harsh sounds of the rustling grass under their feets, Rin still ran forward towards the shadowy forest without a response.

        “Rin-san!”

        She still gave no answer.

        Goddamn it! If she had copied Shisui’s body flicker technique, she would have reached her by now!

        She then realised that Rin had disappeared in front a wooden bridge that crossed the middle of a large koi pond that reflected the moonlight. Some white and pink petals of the water lilies were bleached by the moon, catching the breeze. The air was pungent of the sweet fragrant wisteria where its huge cluster of long tendrils of violet blooms were streaming down from their wooden vines that were wrapped around the old gnarly bark trunks from above. She would definitely say that the scenery was picturesque. 

        More importantly, where did Rin go now?! What did she want from her? And what about the hairclip? As she started walking forward onto the bridge, she found that the hair ornament was placed on a wood tile in the middle of the path as if it was done on purpose.

        As soon as she was about to pick up the ornament, she could hear soft footsteps behind her.

        “… Oh, it’s you,” a low voice said.

        Her body instantly froze as the dominating presence at her back towered over her figure. Her mouth became dried. She slowly turned.

        Behind stood a middle aged man with waist-length raven spiky hair. Those bangs that covered his right eye, that blue high collar long sleeve mantle, and those intimidating onyx eyes that bored into her [eye colour] ones...

        Madara Uchiha.

Chapter Text

         Her heart ached. Her stomach lurched. Her adrenaline flooded throughout her body to the point that she almost vomited. Her body begged for her to run fast for the hills, but her limbs were just too paralysed.

        “Now what are you doing here around my home?” Madara asked further. He took a lantern he had been holding and brought it forward, illuminating the young woman’s figure in its orange light.

        His words replayed in her mind. Home? Just what was he talking about? And how on earth did he become aware of her identity?!

        He moved his eyes to the hair clip on the wooden tile. He picked it up. “Is this yours?”

        Bullets of sweat started trickling from her forehead.

        “Hmm…” He gave her a brief glance. He then started to walk down the wooden bridge towards an old looking stone staircase with dark green moss patches and ivy growing around the steps. “Follow me. I want to have a small talk with you. You can have your hair clip back after it.”

       She blinked. ... Huh?

        The two-story house stood on its own and looked over a broad tendrils of purple wisteria below. Its roof was covered in tiles that slanted down on both sides of the house in a pyramidical shape. The wooden framed windows were closed, merely showing its dark interior as if anyone inside had already been asleep. Although Yahiko’s castle was much more impressive, she would definitely say that the place was remarkable.

        “Come inside,” Madara said as he slid the entrance door open.

        With her footsteps creaking on the wooden tiles, [First Name] fixed all of her utmost attention to his back. She had expected him to hold at least a scythe or a gunbai, but the only item he was holding was a lantern light. Was he trying to make himself appear defenceless and non-hostile? Impossible. It’s that Madara Uchiha for god’s sake. He definitely had to have hidden intentions. Madara’s house could be armed with weapons that could potentially harm her or kill her at any moment. She had to find a way to retrieve the hair clip back and activate the Sage Gate on time—

        “[Fake First Naaaaaaameeeeee]!!” a familiar high-pitched voice called out.

        She immediately looked to the side, seeing that identifiable white humanoid creature with moss green hair waving at her. 

        “Zetsu?!”

        He ran towards her and enveloped his arms around her shoulder. “I missed you!”

        “You two are closer than I’d thought you’d be.” Madara sat down on a cushion at a wooden table on a raised floor where a built-in hearth was built inside. A kettle was suspended from the ceiling.

        She stumbled a little as the smell of fresh moss entered her nostrils. “Wait… this is the spirit realm for gods sake! Why are you here?!”

        She was fully aware that Zetsu was created from Hashirama’s cells controlled by Madara, but she did not expect to see him here!

        Zetsu cracked an ear-to ear grin and tilted his head. “Ehh… didn’t you already know that answer though?”

        She stopped in her tracks. There was no way he would know about her coming from the other world right? “W-what are you talking about—”

        He stepped in closer as menace poured out from his figure. “You still don’t understand? I’m asking which dimension did you come from?”

        With all her senses heightened, she instantly stepped away and brought her hands up to weave her handseals.

        LIGHTNING RELEASE ACTIVATED—

        Madara chuckled a bit. “Don’t worry, young girl. I can’t use ninjutsu without Yahiko’s permission in this realm, so I won’t attack you, but I know that you were summoned here by Summoning: The Other World, weren’t you?”

        It was obvious that he had that assumption because it was the only way to summon her in this realm. She remained silent.

        “And it seems like the world you came from have some sort of foresight abilities that would allow you to perceive the future of this world. Well, that’s what I’ve heard from White Zetsu. Chakra is linked between realms, you see.”

        “Yep, that’s true! I’ve been spying on you for such a long time!” White Zetsu nodded. “You always knew when all the Akatsuki members were in the verge of death, and saved them without any hesitation! At first I was totally baffled by your expertise as a shinobi, but it seemed that you knew beforehand! And even your various Chakra Natures! That’s impossible for anyone to be able to use this many unless you used Sage Art: All of Creation.”

        Panic and anxiety overcame her senses. Her mind was bombarded with questions on what to do next. How could she escape from them? Would that even be possible? No, she was definitely going to get killed. She had to keep her composure. She had not let Madara know that she was feeling intimidated or else the game would be over.

        Madara gave a short pause. “… It looks like I won’t be getting any sort of response from you, but that’s not important.” He clasped his hands together. “You’re trying to stop the Eye of the Moon Plan, aren’t you?” 

        She could feel her saliva thickening in her mouth. With her utmost strength, her lips parted. “… Yeah. What about it?” 

        “Let me hear your reason.”

        Madara was willing to listen? If that was the case, she had to be honest. “It’s plain as day. You can’t just force people to be under your idealistic world through coercion. That’s not called peace; that’s fear.”

        “That’s certainly correct, but do you know any other way to bring peace to the shinobi world? Do you know any other way that would prevent the upcoming wars that would lead to an end of suffering?”

        Truth to be told, she had never thought about it before, most of it coming from her being just a Naruto fan that only indulged into the series for the characters without trying to think of the plot in a personal level. And Madara would definitely not take ‘I don’t know’ as an answer. “... I neither have an answer yet nor do I feel confident about my abilities, but I’ll try to stop any war from occurring with my outmost abilities even if it might take years to achieve this. I won’t give up.”

        Wow, I just sounded like Naruto. And did I just bring myself to the huge responsibility to take care of the Naruto world?! 

        “How so?”

        Holy crap. This is clearly me writing a history essay with Madara being the teacher or something. She started recalling her history exam assignments she had done in high school. “I believe that the main reason why war occurs in the first place is because people are greedy of the economic and territorial benefits that they would potentially gain if they conquered another village’s possessions. That’s why if we focus on this aspect by coming to an agreement or even forming a contract with the villages that provides a win-win situation, it would reduce the need for war, and eventually lead to peace.” 

        She felt her stomach churn despite having a confident tone in her voice.

        After a short period of silence, he gave her a smirk. “… I see. Then, I shall help you with that goal of yours.”

        She stared at him with widened eyes. “Don’t be joking around.”

        “I’ve always been hearing stories about you from Zetsu about your supposed ‘courage’ and ‘kindness’ to help the Akatsuki members no matter what, although there could be some sort of bias in his explanation due to his stupid personality. But when talking to you in person and hearing your thoughts, I’d say that you’re pretty capable of conceiving rational ideas.”

        So you’re saying that you thought I was dumb, huh?

        “I really do agree about your thoughts. If there was a way where neither side had to die, it would be where both sides have revealed their insides, hid nothing between each other, poured each other drinks and drank together like brothers.” 

        She remembered Madara having this conversation with Hashirama. But with all of this information unfolded, this definitely meant the Naruto story was not going according to the plotline. Although there were times were they were events that were skipped or omitted, sh had never thought that there would be a complete change in the plot line itself. She had better tell Shisui about it once she returned back.

        “Obito must be stopped,” Madara continued. “I do regret on manipulating his deep feelings towards Rin and using him as my pawn to achieve the Eye of the Moon Plan. For that reason, we've been atoning our sins by providing shelter to child spirits who have no place to return to.”

        Was that why he was out in the middle of night with his lantern just to find those poor children? That did not confirm anything—

        Small whispers suddenly emerged from behind a wall.

        With a sigh, Zetsu walked towards the source of the voices, seeing five small children in their yukatas having flinched expressions on their faces. Some gasped. The scene reminded her of the time the Taka members were busted for eavesdropping Deidara’s confession.

        “Kids, you know that this is past bed time, right?” Zetsu chided.

        They sulked and whined about wanting to know who the young woman was, only to be sent back to bed.

        That meant that Madara was a good person after all? She knew that he was a good person when he was young though. What’s going on?

        “Sorry about that,” Madara said. “Kids these days are just too curious about everything. But anyway, what do you say about this? It’s a pretty good deal if you ask me. We both aim for the same goal and benefit from it; a win-win situation like you've just said.”

        “There’s no guarantee that you’re not gonna betray me.”

        “That’s right. That’s why you can discuss this whole conversation we just had with your comrades and decide whether you’d want my help or not. If it’s a no, I’ll leave you alone.”

        She was not expecting this answer from him. “How are you going to help me anyway?”

        Zetsu raised his hand up. “Me!”

        His hand detached from his wrist into a white blob onto the floor. The blob then stretched out its form, twisted and bent, creating a miniature humanoid version of Zetsu. It then jumped towards her shoulder and sat down.

        “He’s a clone of Zetsu. He’s going to be helping you stop Obito by being your intel to report you about Obito’s movements,” Madara said. “If you find him suspicious, you can just kill him there.”

        “Madara-sama, isn’t that a bit too harsh?” White Zetsu whined. “But I’m finally able to join [Fake First Name]-chan’s party!” He grinned. “I’ve been waiting so long for this moment to come!”   

        She would not deny that having Zetsu being her intel would be very vital in stopping Obito since no one knew about his whereabouts or what he was currently doing. Should she accept the offer? What would Shisui say? Zetsu did not seem the type who would betray her even--

        “Fine. We’ll accept it.” A familiar voice called out as a hand was placed onto her shoulder protectively. 

        For some reason, all of her long-lasting anxiety had dispersed. She looked behind seeing Shisui having a stern expression. 

        “When did he—?!” White Zetsu gasped.

        “Hmph. As expected from Shisui of the body flicker, being as fast as always,” Madera scoffed. “And you’re probably the one who had summoned her here, aren’t you?”

        “That’s none of your business.” Shisui stepped in front of the young woman. “The discussion’s over, right? I’m taking her back, and of course with her hairclip too.” Shisui brought out the sakura hairclip that he seemed to have taken when the two were having a conversation unbeknown to them and handed it over to her. 

        Despite feeling safe with Shisui beside her, she only focused her attention to Madara. If he was willing to offer her help, she would have to explain to him about Kaguya Otsutsuki's intentions as a sign of truce since there was still a possibility that he would betray her, even if it would expose that she did come from another world.

        "... Madara, there's actually another reason why the Eye of the Moon Plan must be stopped," she said.

        Shisui gave her a brief glance.

        "If the Eye of the Moon Plan were to succeed, Kaguya Otsutsuki, the first wielder of Chakra on Earth, would be brought back to life and reclaim all of the Chakra that had existed in humanity. Black Zetsu whom you've thought to be your will that would guide Obito Uchiha is actually a manifestation of Kaguya's will in order to manipulate you for her revival."

        Madara froze. "... That's can't be."

        "I know that this sounds pretty far-fetched, but this is all true," she said. "White Zetsu here is one of the first victims of Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi, who was transformed after being bound to the God of Tree that you've called as the Ten-Tails."

        "WHAT?!" White Zetsu gasped. "Madara-sama, if [Fake First Name] even knows about the God of Tree, what she just said is highly true!"

        Madara had his lips shut as if all of his world had been crashing down before his eyes.

        "It's a matter of choice if you want to believe us, but we've just warned you." With that said, Shisui pulled her hand as he walked out of the house.

***
        “Seriously, [First Name]-chan, you’d better stop worrying me,” Shisui said. “If the ryokan staffs hadn't told me that you had gone missing, I wouldn't have known what would’ve happened to you. And now Madara completely knows that you're from the other world.”

        With the sound of chirping crickets and the cool breeze brushing past them, the two shinobis with White Zetsu sitting on the young woman’s shoulder had been walking back towards the ryokan under the silver moonlight. Shisui was leading the way in the front with his hand still holding on hers, but this time it was tighter than before.

        “I’m so sorry.”

        “You’ve said that a lot of times now. Do you actually mean it?” He stopped his pace and faced towards her. He crossed his arms.

        This was the first time she had seen Shisui this angry. “… Yes.”

        “I‘d agree that you’re pretty reckless, [First Name],” White Zetsu said. 

        She lowered her head as guilt landed on her chest. “I didn’t mean to make you worry. I just thought that he might have had something to say, and I’d immediately leave.”

        He sighed. “You know, even if it’s true that spirits here can’t use ninjutsu without Yahiko’s permission, it doesn’t guarantee that you’d be safe, okay?”

        “Okay…”

        “Then, promise me that you won’t go into danger anymore.” He brought out his pinky. His onyx eyes that locked onto hers reflected the twinkling stars of the sky as if they were the beauty of the night.

        “… Promise.” She intertwined hers with his.

        “Apology accepted.” His lips reverted to his usual grin. “But more importantly, just how did you reach Madara’s place anyway? In this realm people who have committed crimes in the human world live in a secluded area that is very difficult to find. When I tracked down your footsteps, it seemed that you took a shortcut or some sort.”

        Rin’s light pink kimono emerged in her mind. “… I saw Rin and she led me there.”

        Shisui paused for a second. “Rin… you mean by Rin Nohara?”

        She nodded. 

        “She should be under Minato and Kushina’s care, right now. Why would she want to bring you there?” He moved his attention to Zetsu.

        The white figure flinched. “Hey, don’t ask me! I don’t know either!”

        “Something’s pretty off. I’m gonna investigate further about this, but after we’ve defeated Pein. He’s a priority.”

        She knew that at this point the events that were about to unfold were not going to follow the original plot line anymore, even with Rin’s encounter. If Rin aimed for her to meet Madara, why didn’t she just let Shisui come with her? Or maybe she knew that Shisui would not be willing to hear Madara out after all the wrongdoings he had committed? She did not know.

***

        The next few days, [First Name] continued to train under Shisui’s guidance at the fields near Yahiko’s castle. White Zetsu, on the other hand, seemed to be obedient without any hostile or suspicious attitude towards her at all. However, that was not how Shisui perceived him because he would always be monitoring the white 'fellow' from time to time.

        As for her skills, she would definitely say that she had improved. Not only her stamina had increased but also her strategies in thinking of combinations of taijutsu and her Chakra natures. If she were choose which trainer she liked most out of the three, she would have to choose Shisui since he had always been supportive even if she made mistakes, unlike Sasori who would reprimand her with a cold attitude (but more of a tsundere kind for her to do well) and Deidara who mostly focused on blabbering about how his art was the best instead of actually training her.

        “Since you’ve made such improvements, I think it’s time for us to go back!” Shisui placed his hands on his hips. “But before that, let’s get you changed.” He then moved his eyes forward. “I’ll leave her to you.”

        “Yes sir.” The two ryokan staffs suddenly appeared behind her again with their hands holding on to her arms.

        She flinched. “AGAIN?!”

        Shisui nodded. “Yep, again!”

        .
        .
        .

        Standing in front of a mirror, [First Name] marvelled at her own reflection. Her kimono was now replaced with a short sleeve [another favorite color] kimono decorated with small primrose patterns. A [favorite color] obi was tied around her waist. Her lower body was covered in black opaque tights. Her shinobi sandals were now replaced with short heeled [brown/black] boots that reached below her knees. A pouch was tied below her obi from behind, and a shuriken holster was tied at her right thigh.  

        “I knew that it looks cute on you!” Shisui grinned from behind. “And it’s easier to move with this kind of clothes anyways.”

        Heat rose to her cheeks. From Itachi to Shisui—did the Uchiha clan like to dress her up so much?

        “Aww, [First Name] is blushing!” White Zetsu teased from her shoulder.

        “Shut up!”

        Shisui let out a small laugh. “Well then, we have no time to waste. Let’s go.” He inserted his tanto into his harness that was strapped across his chest.

        “‘Let’s go?’” 

        “I’m also coming.”

        “How? Aren’t you a spirit?!”

        He bit his thumb. Crimson blood oozed out. “That’s true, but I’m still a summon of yours that is allowed to transfer to the human realm. And to be honest, you’ll need my help to defeat Pein.”

        She could not deny that statement. With how things were going in the previous battle, she would still say that victory was not guaranteed. 

        After forming his handseals, he slammed his hand on the ground, causing black inked characters to spread around his palm in a circle. “Reverse Summoning Jutsu!”

***

        As the huge cloud of white smoke dispersed with her [hair color] hair locks brushed against the wind, the young woman slowly opened her eyes, seeing that she was standing on a tree branch with Shisui beside her. The tree was tall enough for her to see the former Akatsuki members who fixed their attentions to the orange-haired leader.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interests are as follows. Deidara: black. Sasori: black. Itachi: black.

        A huge gush of licorice black aura flowed out of the three mentioned members who held eyes that reflected an unblended concoction of raw contempt, disgust, and hostility.

        [First Name] felt a lump in her throat. She felt an intense urge to tell that she was safe and sound, but she had to stay calm since Pein was what she had to focus on. 

        “Wait, isn’t that the Leader?!” White Zetsu asked as he entered inside her pouch. “I’d better hide.”

        As if he had sensed her presence, Pein immediately whisked his head back towards her direction. His Rinnegan eyes widened. “… What?!”

        The former Akatsuki members and Naruto did the same and froze as if her mere existence had stole their breaths and heat from their skin. The licorice black aura that used to surround them dispersed as their facial expressions softened into relief and utmost joy.

        “… Shisui?!” Itachi gasped.

        “Yo, Itachi! It’s been a while!” Shisui waved. “But explanation is for later! We’d have to focus on him now.” Shisui leaped down towards the four of them with the young woman behind him.

        Pein seemed to regain his composure. He then brought out another black Chakra Rod receiver. “Although I have no idea how you came back to life, I believe it’s time to end this,” he said. “It’s time to understand what true pain is like!”

        She knew this was coming. “Deidara, Sasori-san, please protect Naruto-san.” 

        The two seemed to about to refuse but stopped once she spoke up.

        “It’s fine. I got this.”

        The two became silent. They shifted towards the mentioned spiky yellow haired young man in protective stances.

        Shisui gave the young woman a small smile. He then reverted his attention to his Uchiha friend. “Itachi, let’s go with that combination attack.”

        Itachi paused for a bit. He then nodded.

        They both activated their Sharingans and weaved their hand seals simultaneously. “Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!”

        They blew out menacing dragon-head shaped fireballs together, combining their jutsus into a gigantic dragon that blazed bright as an ever flickering flame. 

        Pein smirked as he brought out his hand towards the two. “Didn’t I tell you that it’s futile? Almighty Push—”

        Shisui charged at him and flung multiple sharp kunais towards the fire that started to dissipate. He body flickered to Pein’s back in a swift, took the kunais that were still hovering in mid air and firmly slashed the member’s back from behind.

        Pein stumbled a bit from the impact and raised his Chakra rod, only to miss the Uchiha who had already body flickered away.

        “Itachi, now!” Shisui drew his tanto out from its harness.

        “Right.” Itachi took out a kunai from his pouch.

        The two rushed towards Pein, Itachi from the front, Shisui from the back, and slashed the Leader with their metal tools in a highly synchronised manner. A straight line of shining glint of the blades could be seen through Pein’s body.

        Pein’s body toppled over to the ground. Metallic mechanic gears started falling out from his deep cut.

        “This is the power of the Uchiha clan,” Shisui stated with his Sharingans eyes gleaming in the sunlight as if they were the ruler of the world that would burn all evil under his radiance.

        [First Name] could only open her mouth in awe. Even if she had seen this combination attack in Ultimate Ninja Storm, when seeing in real life, she would obviously say that it was the coolest thing in the world.

        “You think that’s gonna stop me?” Pein asked as he slowly pushed himself up.

        “Of course not. That’s just the beginning,” The Uchiha smirked. “Here’s the finale.” He suddenly appeared in front of the young woman in a swift. “[First Name]-chan, your turn.”

        She blinked. “Me?!”

        “Don’t worry. I’m doing this with you. Just follow my lead.”

        With nerves slightly disperse from her chest, she nodded. “… O-okay.”

        “Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!” Shisui coated his tanto with bright vermillion orange flame that danced warmly within the steel and body flickered towards Pein. He slashed at Pein’s blind spots three times, leaving the body rampaged by fiery flames.

        “[First Name]-chan!” Shisui turned his attention back to her as if to call for her cue.

        “[First Name], I’ll help you!” Zetsu suddenly whispered from her pouch. “Considering that you are under the All of Creation jutsu, just follow these handseals, okay? It’s Boar, Ram, Monkey, and Bird!”

        ANALYSIS COMPLETED. WOOD RELEASE: FLOWERING BINDING NEST MIMICKED.

        So that’s what the jutsu’s called, huh. After weaving the mentioned handseals, countless sprawling tree branches protruded upwards from the ground and twisted around Pein’s figure like a convoluted bird’s nest. Large apricot orange brugmansia bloomed their pendulous trumpet-shaped forms from the branches and spread their poisonous yellow pollens towards the figure. His eyes began to wander in absolute confusion, and his limbs started to shiver.

        “Brugmansia is so poisonous that it can cause vision irregularities, confusion, and abnormal heart rate!” Zetsu whispered.

        She had no idea whether she had to feel happy or scared by the information.

        “Pay back time,” Shisui said as he stepped forwards towards Pein. The black tomoes of his Sharingan fused together into a pinwheel of four spiralling curves. “Kotoamatsukami!”

        In an instant Pein’s Rinnegan’s eyes widened. His limbs froze as if someone had stopped time.

        “There is no way to fight this genjutsu. I rule everything in there. You won’t be moving until I command so.” He then moved his eyes to the young woman. “[First Name]-chan, please hand me the sealing scroll.”

        Without any hesitation, she brought out the black scroll from the pouch and gave it to Shisui. He unwrapped and placed it on the ground, revealing a large black inked character of ‘lock’.  He held the Seal of Confrontation. 

        “Sealing Art: Chakra Draining Seal!” He slammed his hand onto the character, causing ink markings to spread around the tree nest. Waves of blue Chakra were slowly absorbed from Pein’s body until he fully became a motionless corpse of Yahiko.

        Shisui sighed in relief as he wrapped the scroll in place. “Finally, he's out of Nagato's control. But anyway, great job, [First Name]-chan!” He gave her a high five.

        “I barely did anything though…” she forced out a laugh. Even if she felt a surge of intense relief that another huge obstacle had been cleared, she sweat dropped based on the Uchiha’s words. Didn’t he realise that he just K.O. Pein? It even looked like it was possible for him to defeat Pein without anyone’s help.

        “Oi, just who the hell are you, hmm?!” Deidara ran towards the two and pointed at him. “How dare you make that combination attack with [First Name] and act damn ‘cool’ about it!”

        “Hmm… [First Name]-chan’s older brother figure?” Shisui tilted his head.

        “HUH?!” The young blond’s jaws dropped. “Don’t give that shit!”

        “Hey, I’m serious, right [First Name]-chan—” He was about to ruffle her head, only to have his hand blocked by the redhead who pulled her wrist to stand behind him.

        “Don’t touch her so casually,” Sasori said. His hazel eyes narrowed.

        [First Name] felt heat rose to her cheeks.

        “Really, you guys are too protective!” Shisui raised his hands up. “And your death glare is scaring me, you know…?”

        Sasori’s glare darkened.

        “O-okay, okay…” Shisui sweatdropped.

        “Shisui… how come you're still alive?” Itachi asked. Every word that he pronounced were laced with utter shock.

        “Well, it’ll take a long time to explain everything, but more importantly,” he reverted his attention towards the main character of the series, “Naruto-kun, you must convince Nagato to stop his plans. We should get going.”

        "R-right." His face showed confusion as if he had no idea what just happened.

        “Sorry for being late, guys!” Suigetsu said as he hopped towards her group with the remaining Taka members along with the three Konoha Jounins. 

        They all had wounds and scathes that would take quite a few days to heal. The Akatsuki members and the Six Paths of Pein were no kidding for real. It was truly a good idea to ask for their help.

        After letting out soft gasps, Suigetsu gave a toothy grin. “Defeating those piece of shits took quite a long time…? Hey, who the hell are you?!” He pointed at Shisui.

        Shisui gave him a grin. “Thanks for being a caring friend for [First Name]-chan. I really appreciate it.”

        “What the—how did you know that?! [First Name], what’s going on?!”

        She forced a smile. “There’s a lot of explanation to do, and we don't have time for it right now, but he's on our side! You don't have to worry!"

        Suigetsu gave her a dubious look.

        “Then, we’ll take care of things from here,” Juugo said. “So you guys go ahead.”

        The rest nodded as they began to hop further into the forest.

Chapter Text

        Following Konan’s paper butterfly, the former Akatsuki members and the Konoha shinobis stopped on an enormous evergreen tree that had camouflaged its paper components. This was the tree where Konan had created in order to protect Nagato as seen in the series. She would definitely say that if there was a papier mâché competition, Konan would definitely win due to how realistic it was crafted.

        [First Name] shoved her fingers into one of the paper slits, forcing it to open.

        The hollow of the tree was dark and spacious as if it was the interior of a museum void of paintings. In the far front, a straight red haired man, bare chested, was seated inside a mechanical walker with his arms inserted inside long rods that were connected with wires. Multiple black rods were stabbed at his back. His skin was pallid, his ribs could be seen from his emaciated skin, his face had deeps creases of wrinkles. He was breathing heavily.

        “So peace has nonchalantly arrived, huh?” Nagato asked. His voice was hoarse.

        Konan, who was standing beside him, had an apologetic expression.

        The former Akatsuki members stood in front of the young woman, while the Konoha shinobi did the same to Naruto. Shisui, on the other hand, stood behind them.

        “Oi, Konan! How dare you betray us by not informing about Pein’s sudden ambush! Because of that, [First Name] was almost killed, hmm!” Deidara yelled.

        “Konan merely did it under my orders.” Nagato silenced him. “More importantly, do you hate me?”

        “Yeah, we do, after all the crap you’ve done to her!” Deidara said.

        “I don’t know which world you’re currently living in, but you’re probably nuts if you think that your actions don’t have any consequences.” Sasori glared at him.

        Naruto gritted his teeth. His azure blue eyes darkened.

        “Naruto, calm down,” Kakashi said.

        "I'll let you hear my story, so you'll finally understand about my pain," Nagato said.

        He began to explain about his origins and his meeting with Yahiko and Konan in Amegakure, his three year stay with JIraiya as his teacher, and the origins of the Akatsuki that led to Yahiko's sorrowful death. [First Name] could feel the intense grief that Nagato had been suffering in all of his sentences. If she were to have the same experience as him, she would not know if she would become like him or not. 

        “... I created the Akatsuki for the very purpose of stopping this chain of hatred. If you were to kill me here and now, nothing would change. Love and forgiveness can’t be bought just with petty words. How are you possible going to stop the cycle of hatred, Naruto?” Nagato asked.

        Naruto clenched his hands. “… Pervy Sage said he believed that the day would come when people can truly understand one another.” 

        “What Jiraiya-sensei was talking about was nothing more than old-fashioned idealism. Can you really believe in Jiraiya’s sensei’s nonsense after seeing what reality is like? You still can’t forgive me, can you?”

        “Yeah, I can’t after what you’ve done to Gaara and [First Name]. I’m still shaking myself, but I believe in Pervy Sage’s belief. That’s my answer.” Naruto’s azure eyes were locked onto Nagato’s Rinnegan ones.

        The Konoha shinobis seemed to be at awe by the protagonist’s statement.

        The leader bit his lips. “Is that supposed to mean that we should just wait for you to somehow make the world a peaceful place?! Don’t screw with me! There is no such thing as true peace!”

        “Then I’ll end this curse!” Naruto said firmly. “If there’s such thing as true peace, I’ll grasp it! I will become the Hokage! And when I do, I’ll bring peace to Amegakure too!”

        “How can you be so sure?!”

        “No matter what pain may come, I’ll go on. I’ll never give up; it’s my ninja way!”

        Nagato froze. “Those words…”

        Naruto nodded as he brought out a citron yellow book that read The Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. “Yep, what I just said came straight from this book. At the end of this book, Pervy Sage wrote about his student who helped him provide inspiration. It was you, Nagato.”

        He paused for a moment. 

        “No matter how great the pain is, I’ll continue walking. That’s who Naruto is.” His words were filled with determination and confidence as if adversity did not exist in his dictionary.

        Even if the young woman had seen this scene multiple times, she would still say that she was impressed with Naruto’s change in character development and the soulful impact his words had made throughout the series.

        After a period of silence, Nagato seemed to have calmed himself down. “… You remind me of who I once was. I think I shall try believing in you, Naruto Uzumaki. War brings death, wounds, and pain to both sides. There’s nothing harder than accepting the death of a loved one. Naruto, this is what you must go against.”

        Naruto brought his fist forward. “Right."

        “That’s a very good answer, Naruto-kun!” Shisui suddenly spoke, “And we’ll also be helping in achieving true peace!”

        Everyone moved their attentions at him with absolute shock.

        “Um, Shisui-san, just what are you saying?” [First Name] asked. 

        “I’m saying that we’re going to become a mercenary group that only do good deeds under all of the village’s orders.” Shisui gave a closed eye smile.

        “HUH?!” Everyone gasped.

        “Oi, don’t you be suddenly in charge of the Akatsuki!” Deidara pointed at him. “Just who do you think you are, hmm?!”

        “Shisui, that’s a bit reckless,” Itachi said.

        “Hey, hey, I’m being dead serious right now. That’s the only possible way to achieve true peace, you know? Just look at our powerful members here, including Sasuke-kun’s Taka team, and our potential truce with Konoha. Sounds pretty fantastic, don’t you think so?”

        “Talk about ambition, hmm…” Deidara muttered.

        “That does sound interesting for a new start of the Akatsuki, and it’s probably what Yahiko would have wanted us to do too.” Nagato gave him a small nod but started hacking.

        “Nagato?!” Konan gasped.

        He bent over as sharply as if he had been punched in the stomach. His breath become more erratic like he was struggling to get enough air. Colours drained from his already ashen face.

        Konan rushed towards him and held his arm, slowly pulling him out of the machine that was absorbing his Chakra all of this time. It was a miracle that he had still be alive.

        [First Name] knew that she had to heal him immediately. She ran towards him. “Please lie him down, Konan-san.”

        The woman gently lied Nagato on the floor, exposing his malnourished and thin limbs as if he was a patient that waiting for his last moments. 

        [First Name] placed her hands on his frail chest, causing aquamarine green Chakra to envelop his body.

        “… You’re still healing me, huh [First Name]?” Nagato managed to ask. “I heard from Konan about your real name earlier.”

        “Yes.”

        “You’re so kind. No wonder why you managed to convince those four to join group, and even Naruto. Forgive me for doing that to you.”

        “It’s alright. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s already enough that you reflect upon it."

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the Akatsuki member is as follow. Nagato: yellow.

        With honey yellow aura flowing out from him, he gave her an apologetic smile and slowly closed his eyes peacefully as the colours of his face returned back.
***

        Returning back to the Taka members, Konan wrapped paper sheets around Yahiko’s corpse in order to mummify him for his burial. The former Akatsuki members and Taka stood by [First Name] on one side, while Naruto and his Konoha jounins stood on the other side facing each other. Hidan and Kakuzu were still wincing from their wounds. 

        “We do appreciate you helping Konoha from encountering danger,” Kakashi said. “And I really do hope that you’d change your way of action for the better good.”

        “Yes, we will,” [First Name] said.

        “[First Name], was it?” Naruto asked. “Thanks for protecting me-dattebayo.”

        “You’re welcome.” Finally, he understood that she meant no harm! “I mean I did promise the Fifth Hokage for a reason.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of the character is as follow. Naruto: yellow.

        “Yeah, that’s right.” He gave his iconic closed eye grin and shook hands with her, gaining some looks from Deidara who hmph in response.

        Naruto then reverted to his solemn expression and fixed his attention to his rival. “Oi, Sasuke, isn’t it about time for you to come back home? Revenge doesn’t do anyone good."

        “What are you talking about?” Sasuke asked. “I’m already over it. It is true that the reason why I became rogue was to seek for revenge for the Uchiha clan, but after having a long conversation with Nii-san whom supposed to be my source of hatred, I finally understood the truth.”

        “… What is that?”

        “That Danzou Shimura must be killed.” His voice lowered.

        Itachi raised his brows. “Sasuke, what are you saying—”

        “Isn’t it true, Nii-san? He’s the one who ordered you to massacre the Uchiha clan in the first place in order to stop the coup d’état cowardly, which led to Shisui-san’s supposed suicide. It’s utterly a joke that this information hasn’t be exposed to the public.”

        “… You’re lying! That’s nonsense!” Naruto roared.

        “No, it can’t be,” Yamato mumbled.

        “Yeah, it’s all true. That’s why I don’t trust Konoha—oww!” A hand pushed his head as if forcing him to bow for forgiveness.

        “Yeah, yeah, stop it right there!” Shisui sighed as he wrapped his arm around Sasuke who gave a stunned response. “No wonder why Itachi always say that you’re sometimes too pent-up.”

        Sasuke became silent.

        “Anyway, what Sasuke-kun has said here is all true, and to make things worse, Danzou’s the one who’s caused the Akatsuki to become the way they are due to his role in being the mastermind of killing Yahiko, the original leader of the group, which made them lose their sense of goal.”

        Everyone held shocked expressions, especially Nagato and Konan.

        “You’re Yamato, right?” Shisui moved his attention to the ANBU. “As the same Konoha shinobi like you, I have a request to make. Please investigate Danzou’s movements for us. We can’t afford to waste anymore time. You should understand this better than the rest of us.”

        “… Got it,” Yamato replied.

        “But if this information is exposed to the public, there is a possible chance that a civil war would occur in the village,” Guy said. 

        “That’s right, so I’d like you to keep this as a secret between us for now, but you can inform this to the Fifth Hokage, of course,” Shisui said. “This is proof of our transparency.”

        “Right, we got it. But more importantly, you’re Shisui Uchiha, aren’t you?” Kakashi asked. “Along with [First Name] right here, how come you’re still alive?”

        “Well, that’s because—”

        “Oi, [First Name], Shisui! Obito’s becoming suspicious of Pein’s progress, so he’s coming here now!” White Zetsu yelled from her pouch.

        Her mind was on alarm. No one was in the position in the fight anymore!

        Kakashi’s face tensed up. “… What did you just say?"

        “Time really does progress so quickly in here,” Shisui said. “I’ll explain later. We have to retreat now. [First Name]-chan, please.”

        She nodded.

        SAGE GATE ACTIVATED. Location: Sasori’s basement.

        Smoke burst in front of her. The same Japanese wooden door slid open.

        “Wow, what sorcery is this?!” Hidan asked. “Even Jashin-sama can’t even do that!”

        “Everyone, just get inside, quick,” she said. “And also, Kakashi-san, just to make things clear. Obito is alive.”

        Kakashi seemed to have been stunned by the most unbearable truth in his whole life.

        But that was the only thing she could do for now.  “See you later.”

***

        “Basically, you’re saying that we’re comic characters in your world, hmm?!” Deidara asked. "
I don’t know how to feel about this.”

        The Akatsuki and Taka all sat at the dining table where Shisui had been explaining about what had happened after his suicide and his connections with [First Name] from the start to the end, including her meeting with Madara. Although he did omit about the emotion analysis skill due to her wishes.

        “And you met with the real Madara Uchiha who had made a deal with you about helping us reach our goal,” Nagato said. “Are you really sure that he’s not deceiving us?”

        “We can’t say it for sure, so I’m letting Yahiko watch over him for now,” Shisui said.

        "But just to imagine that we've been deceived by Obito Uchiha who we've thought to be Madara Uchiha up until now... and Black Zetsu is the manifestation of Kaguya Otsutsuki's will... I just don't know what to say," Konan said. Her face turned glum.

        "It's not your fault, Konan-san," [First Name] said.

        “That's true; it's no one's fault, but we should start preparing for the next arc that is about to come: The Fourth Shinobi World War." Shisui clasped his hands together.

        Everyone became silent. 

        “In this arc all of the villages will be cooperating in order to defeat Obito who is armed with reincarnated shinobis ranging from the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist to all deceased Kages. There are many casualties during the process. That’s why we have to stop them before it happens,” [First Name] said.

        “I wouldn’t want to meet those swordsmen again,” Kisame said.

        “We also have Danzou Shimura to deal with. I did speak with Fugaku-san about him, but we still don’t know what he’s planning to do next before he becomes the sixth hokage. That’s the reason why I had Yamato act as a spy for us,” Shisui added.

        So that was what Shisui talked with Fugaku back in the spirit realm.

        “Then we’d better kill him,” Kakuzu said. “There’s no merit in letting him live.”

        “He would be a good offering to Jashin-sama!” Hidan added.

        “Killing doesn’t mean that peace is assured,” Nagato interrupted. “That’s what we’ve agreed with, Kakuzu, Hidan.”

        “Right, and with White Zetsu on our side, we are now also able to track down Obito’s movements,” Shisui said.

        “Leave that to me!” White Zetsu grinned.

        Shisui nodded. “Black Zetsu is also another problem. Because he would be manipulating Obito even further, we have to seal him as fast as possible."

        "How are we going to do that?" Nagato asked. "It's not even a human being."

        "I'm gonna go ask Yahiko about it. He must have some ideas since at this moment our ninjutsu alone are futile to seal him," Shisui said. He then slumped against his chair. "Anyway, let’s conclude this discussion for today. Just go have a rest for now. We’ll be discussing more about this tomorrow, but [First Name]-chan, stay here for a moment.”

        “Oi, you’ve quite got a mouth considering how you’ve been acting as if you were the leader or something,” Sasori immediately said. “You just came here out of the blue, and now you want to stay with her alone? That’s beyond ridiculous.”

        “I’ve known Shisui for a long time. I can guarantee you that he doesn’t mean any harm,” Itachi said.

        Sasori's eyes darkened. “Don’t you be trying to forget that you almost made [First Name] die, Itachi.”

        “Don’t blame Nii-san for this.” Sasuke glared at him. “It should be her, not him.”

        "That's right! [First Name] just stupidly volunteered herself to get stabbed by Pein!" Karin added.

        She could feel heavy tension between the three of them. She had to do something. “Sasori-san, those two are right. I was the one who didn’t think carefully before jumping in to protect Naruto. So please don’t blame him—”

        “You stay quiet,” Sasori demanded. 

        “Y-yes…” She sweatdropped. This wasn't the first time she had been reprimanded anyway, but an angry Sasori was still frightening.

        “Hey, Danna, you’re taking this a bit too far, hmm!” Deidara interjected. “Even if I find this Shisui bastard damn suspicious, you don’t have to speak to her that way!”

        “Deidara, this woman just doesn’t learn, and that’s how she's going to endanger herself again. I can’t believe a brat like you don’t care about it at all.”

        “What did you just say?!” His angry vein popped up.

        The other Akatsuki members stayed silent with raised eyebrows as if seeing a family feud. Konan placed her hand behind the young woman’s back in an attempt to console her.

        Shisui burst out a laugh. “Wow, I didn’t know that I’m hated this much. But [First Name]-chan, you’re surely protected by a lot of people here. It seems that I didn’t have to worry about you that much after all.” He softened his gaze.

        “Who gives a damn about you worrying about her. You’re—”

        “That’s enough, Sasori,” Nagato said. “Shisui’s the one who protected us all, including you and her. You can’t deny that fact.”

        “He’s right. Just leave those two alone,” Suigetsu added. “This romantic feud is just getting over hand, I swear to god.”

        “I agree,” Juugo added. He then picked Zetsu up from the table. “You’re also coming with us, Zetsu.”

        “Tch. Fine,” he whined.

        After the shinobi had left with her and the Uchiha remained seated, [First Name] felt a pulse in her chest as she stared down at her hands on the wooden table. If Shisui had asked to speak with her in private, it had to be something personal.

        “…Shisui-san, what do you want to talk to me about?” she asked, gathering her courage.

        “It’s about Rin Nohara,” he said. “As I mentioned before, something feels off about her. That’s why I’m heading back to the spirit realm—to investigate and speak with Yahiko. While I’m gone, I want you to be on guard around Kisame. He’s been acting suspicious lately.”

        Oh—right. That.

        “In the original series,” she said thoughtfully, “Kisame-san was totally loyal to Obito’s plans. He even committed suicide just to protect his identity. There’s a real chance he might betray us.”

        “Exactly. That’s why I had to talk to you privately. The others—especially Sasori—don’t trust me at all.” He scratched the back of his head. “I’m sad, [First Name]-chan!”

        “I can tell…” she muttered. Who knew Sasori could be that protective?

        “Well then, no time to waste. See you later!” He stood up to leave.

        But [First Name] hesitated. Her mind flashed with memories of his ambiguous behavior in the spirit realm. If he really didn’t see her that way, then surely all those strange feelings she kept having would disappear, right?

        She stood up. “Uh… Shisui-san, before you go, can I ask you something personal?”

        He paused. “Sure. I’m all ears.”

        She took a deep breath. “How do you feel about me?”

        A heavy silence fell between them—like the tense moment before a glass hits the floor and shatters. It gnawed at her insides, like she had asked something she shouldn’t have.

        “Ehh… it’s a given that you’re cute like a bunny!” he said cheerfully. Comical flowers and soap bubbles floated around him. “Though, to be fair, Itachi was super cute when he was little, too!”

        Right… so he doesn’t see me that way—

        “And how do you feel about me?” Shisui asked, his onyx eyes locking onto hers.

        Even though she’d seen those eyes countless times, they didn’t seem dark to her—more like an endless stretch of midnight, quiet and enigmatic.

        But how did she feel? She might’ve developed some… small (huge) feelings for him, but she definitely wasn’t about to say that out loud.

        She gulped. “Uh… I think you’re not a bad person.”

        Shisui blinked—then burst out laughing, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “What do you mean, ‘I think?!’ If you said that to any of those three, they’d be devastated, you know?”

        Her face heated up. “I-I was just being honest!”

        “Right, right. But to seriously answer your question…” He took a step closer, his figure almost towering over hers. He smirked. “Take a guess.”

        Heat surged to her cheeks. Her limbs went numb, trembling as his face drew closer, his warm breath brushing against her skin, carrying the fresh scent of basil. His parted lips whispered wordless tension—like there was no escape.

        She squeezed her eyes shut—then blinked them open when she felt a soft pat on her head.

        From somewhere nearby, Hidan and Kakuzu were already shouting at each other again. Not her business.

        Shisui smiled and retracted his hand. “I’m just kidding! Obviously, I see you like a little sister. Sorry for scaring you. Anyway, take care—”

        BANG!

        Hidan burst into the room, cackling like a maniac.

        “You lousy son of a bitch…!” Kakuzu bellowed behind him.

        THUD!

        Something hard slammed into the back of [First Name]’s head—like a bowling ball. She toppled forward and crashed straight into Shisui, knocking them both to the floor. Her [hair color] locks spilled across his face. Her frame lay flush against his chest. Their heartbeats thudded in sync—loud, fast, intense.

        But that wasn’t what made her freeze.

        Her lips were pressed against his.

        His wide eyes mirrored her own shock and confusion, like two minds spiraling in the same storm.

        “Ahhh! Sorry ‘bout that, [First Name]!” Hidan called. “Oi, Kakuzu, you fucking missed like shit!”

        Kakuzu withdrew his hand, tendrils snapping back into place. He clicked his tongue. “Next time, I won’t.”

        The two resumed their chaotic chase out of the room.

        Mortified, [First Name] scrambled upright. Her face burned.

        “I—I’m so sorry! Are you okay, Shisui-san?”

        He covered his mouth with a hand. “Y-yeah, I’m fine… What about you?”

        “I’m okay…” she mumbled, turning her head—and locking eyes with a silent observer.

        Itachi.

        His onyx gaze held no words.

        Just stunned, quiet disbelief.

Chapter Text

        The young woman who had been kneeling down beside the Uchiha could feel her mouth being dried. Even if she would say that Uchiha’s lips were another kind of softness compared to Deidara’s ones, that was not important anymore. This position completely looked like she initiated the kiss! She had to clear up the misunderstanding—

        “FUCK! I KNEW IT, HMM! GET AWAY FROM [FIRST NAME], YOU UCHIHA PERVERT!” Deidara’s voice penetrated the whole suspense of the room as he barged inside. He brought out a medium sized clay owl from his pouch. His face tightened. “How dare you use the Sharingan and force her to do that to you, hmm!”

        “H-huh?! W-wait, Deidara—” Shisui’s body was suddenly pulled towards the side of the room by blue Chakra threads controlled by the no other than the redhead puppet master himself.

        “Depending on your answer, I can twist your limbs however I want,” Sasori muttered from behind his back. His darkened hazel eyes stared at the Uchiha soul. “Or rather, killing you here would be more optimal.”

        Shisui sweatdropped. “Hey, hey! Listen to me! I didn’t use the Sharingan for god’s sake! It was an accident—”

        "KATSU--"

        “Everyone, stop,” Itachi said with a normal tone. “It’s what Shisui has said. It was all an accident. Kakuzu aimed to hit Hidan with his hand, but it ended up hitting the back of her head, which pushed her body down onto Shisui’s, and that’s the result. Just calm down.”

        Wait, so, Itachi saw everything?

        “W-what?! [First Name] is that true, hmm?!” Deidara asked as he stopped his hand from throwing the clay explosives at Shisui.

        She frantically nodded. “Yeah… Shisui-san didn’t force it on me, rather it should be me who should take the blame. I couldn’t hold my balance, so th-th-that happened." Her face returned back to its scorching red color.

        “That’s right. [First Name] couldn’t avoid it,” Itachi added. His face showed no signs of panic at all.

        “… O-oh, but Shisui, you bastard!” Deidara pointed at him. “Don’t you dare enjoy the thing you just did with her, okay, hmm?!”

        “Sure! I’ll erase it from my memory!” Shisui replied with a clumsy smile. “Leave it to me!”

        Sasori hmphed as he retracted his Chakra strings, causing the Uchiha to let out a deep sigh. 

        “Itachi, you should’ve said that earlier. I was almost killed, you know?!” Shisui whined.

        “My bad," he held a blank expression on his face.

        Was he being a bit too indifferent?

         “Oi, [First Name],” Sasori called out.

        “… Yes?”

        “Go wash your mouth three times with soap.” With that said, he walked away.

        “O-okay…” She would say that water was enough!

        Shisui let out a small laugh. “Boy, not only am I hated, but I’m also seen as a germ now.”

        “Yeah, you are! And don’t ever get close to [First name] again,” Deidara huffed and also trudged out of the room. “I’ve got to deal with that stupid Jashinist and the old geezer, hmm!”

        So it meant that everything turned out well, right? She felt immense weight being lifted off her shoulders. She had totally thought that everyone’s emotion analysis would turn black for a second! 

        But why does it seem that Itachi felt nothing at all? The emotion analysis was not even activated.        

        “Anyway, Itachi, just why were you here for?” Shisui asked.

        “I was just planning to have a talk with [First Name],” he said. “But it seemed that I came in at the wrong time.”

        “You didn't have to word it like that, right?! You knew it was an accident! Anyway, I’m going back to the spirit realm for a while.” He then moved his eyes to the young woman. “[First Name], see you!”

        A puff of smoke erupted from the Uchiha, and he had gone.

        [First Name], on the other hand, gulped. Even if she knew that things would probably be so awkward during her further interactions with Shisui, she would not deny that having a conversation with Itachi would be as awkward! Moreover, what would Itachi want to talk about anyway?

        “I-Itachi-san, do you need something from me?” she asked.

        “... I just wanted to apologize for not being able to protect you,” Itachi lowered his eyes.

        He was still thinking about that all this time? Itachi was not the one to be blamed to begin with, and besides she had long forgotten about that event. “It’s not your fault, Itachi-san! I should’ve thought properly before plunging myself in front of Naruto, but at least I was able to protect him.”

        He remained silent.

        This is not working. She had to lift his mood up. “I-Itachi-san, do you want to eat some sweets? I think that I saw some mochi in the refrigerator—”

        “Are you close with Shisui?” 

        She immediately stopped in her tracks. Were our interactions that suspicious?! I mean we did accidentally d-d-do that earlier. “I guess, but he likes to treat me as as his younger sister when he took care of me in the spirit realm.”

        Was this answer even a good decision? But she wasn’t lying!

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: orange.

        He seemed to smile a bit as amber orange aura radiated from him. “… Right… I mean that’s his personality. He’s always liked to take care of others, even me when I was young.”

        “He’s a nice person, isn’t he?” she agreed.

        The room then went silent again.

        This conversation is getting more awkward than before! She lowered her head with eyes meeting with her slippers on the floor. She had to bring up another topic of discussion!

        “[First Name]…”

        “Yes—” As soon as she lifted her head up, she could see his face being so close to hers. A surge of warmth instantly spread in her cheeks.

        "[First Name]… I think I have feelings for…”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of your love interest is as follows. Itachi: pink.

        Her heart pulsated like a loud motor in her chest.

        “… buying more groceries… see you later,” Itachi ended as rose pink aura flowed out from him.

        … Huh? “O-okay, see you later.”

        After he had left the room, [First Name] could feel her face being scorching hot. What was that all about?! Was he trying to confess his feelings towards her? His emotional color was pink for god’s sake! Even if Deidara had done the confession to her directly, almost hearing it from Itachi himself made her heart beat faster than ever!

        What was going on today?!

***
        “WHAT?!” Suigetsu gasped. He dropped his spoon that had scooped his strawberry yogurt. “You did what?!”

        “Ehh?! Really?!” White Zetsu exclaimed. “You did that to Shisui?!” 

        Juugo raised his eyebrows.

        After the incident, [First Name] had been sitting down cross-legged on the floor with Suigetsu, Juugo, and White Zetsu in her room for a reunion chat. The floor was filled with snacks ranging from rice crackers, chips, and candy. At first it was planned to be a chat between her and those two Taka members, but White Zetsu insisted that he joined since he was interested in the ‘drama’.

        “Don’t say it too loudly, Suigetsu, Zetsu!” she whispered.

        “But you know, why are you so scared about Itachi being concerned about it? You’re not even dating, unless he also likes you,” Suigetsu then let out a laugh, “Of course not. I mean that guy with the wrinkles just wouldn’t be romantically involved with any—”

        She gave him a stern expression as memories of Itachi’s almost confession emerged in her mind.

        “HUH?! HIM TOO?!” His jaws dropped.

        “… I’m quite speechless,” Juugo said.

        “Wow, this love drama is getting intense!” White Zetsu added.

        “… Seriously, is the Akatsuki some kind of reverse harem? Almost everyone’s in love with you,” Suigetsu sweatdropped. “Sounds like a dream come true for someone who’s a manga fan, if you ask me. Well, we’re comic characters though.”

        “Right…” She forced out a laugh as guilt landed in her chest. She nibbled at her rice cracker. D-darn, did I just get exposed by Suigetsu?

        “But isn’t this kind of a warning sign that you have to choose who you want to be with now? You can’t keep this us forever, you know?” White Zetsu said.

        That was true. She could not keep it forever. Shisui did mention that she could choose the character she wanted to change their emotion color to red, but she had not even decided about it.

        “… You’re right, but I still need more time to understand my feelings,” she said.

        “I agree. Romance shouldn’t be something to be rushed about,” Juugo added.

        “... Hmm, but if I were you, I would start by thinking about who I can potentially have a long relationship with,” White Zetsu suggested. “Like, taking Sasori for an instance. He’s so dedicated to his puppetry to the point that he would forget that he had a girlfriend!”

        “Or rather, his puppets are his girlfriend,” Suigetsu shrugged his shoulders. “He’s made female puppets before, right? Who knows what he does with them.”

        “Oooh, how perverted!” White Zetsu teased.

        “I’m pretty sure that he’s not like that…” [First Name] sweatdropped. If that were true, she would totally change her perspective on the redhead!

        “And as for Deidara, well, he tends to explode things on a whim, so I guess safety is not secured?” Suigetsu asked. “I mean who would want to wake up in the middle of night with loud explosive booms? Definitely, not me.”

        “The tongues on his hands would just be pretty distracting too! From dating and you know those things,” White Zetsu added with a grin.

        Man, this is getting explicit real quick.

        “What are those things?” Juugo asked as he bit on his dorayaki.

        The three immediately stared at him. How innocent he was!

        “U-uh, you don’t have to know about it, Juugo,” Suigetsu gave him a clumsy smile. 

        The innocent young man titled his head.

        “M-moving on, to the last candidate, Itachi Uchiha,” Suigetsu cleared his throat. “I guess he’s the older brother that anyone would want. He’s pretty caring, attentive and would guarantee that he would protect you no matter what.”

        “He can also cook!” White Zetsu added. “He’s the ideal boyfriend!”

        “Yeah, so maybe Itachi would be better for you?” Suigetsu asked. 

        Although she knew that he was the ideal older brother type and the love interest with the highest potential, she could not just forget about Deidara and Sasori. They also took care and helped her in their own ways.

        “… What about Shisui?” Juugo asked.

        The three stared at him again.


        “Wait, wait, Juugo,” Suigetsu sighed. “Didn’t Shisui say that he’s [First Name]’s older brother figure? Even if he acts playful, he doesn’t see her that way.”

        “Really? He doesn’t act like that though,” Juugo insisted. “Whenever he looks at [First Name], it looks more like out of subtle fondness than endearment as a younger sister.”

        White Zetsu let out a gasp. “How did you know that?!”

        “I just sensed it.”

        [First Name] paused. When she was about to be kissed but him, she had thought that he was going to do it for real, but he did not.

        He did not…

        Why?

        Suigetsu ruffled his hair. “Geez, this is getting so complicated! So, basically, there is a love pentagon going on around [First Name]?”

        “Love pentagon!” White Zetsu repeated.

        If Shisui did really have feelings for her, why did he not say so? Or was it because he could not? She did not know.

        “But in a way, does it really matter?” White Zetsu asked. “Shisui did say that after we’ve defeated Obito, you’re gonna go back to your own world, right [First Name]? So it might be better if you don’t develop any romantic relationships with anyone since it’s gonna hurt them in a long term.”

        That was the truth. She did not want to hurt their feelings either.

        Suigetsu gave a small pause and placed his spoon into the yogurt cup . “… You have a point there. [First Name], you’re gonna leave, right?”

        “Yeah…” She nodded.

        “… That sucks." He lowered his head.

        “True…” White Zetsu wrapped his arms around himself.

        Juugo lowered his eyes.

        She had not expected to see these reactions from the three. Was this what they called as a true friend? When was the last time she had experience this? Although Deidara was also her friend, those three were definitely another definition of true friends that she had yearned for so long.

        “But I’m really grateful to be friends with you three!” she said. “You guys are the best! I won’t forget about you!”

        “D-don’t be saying cheesy stuff like that now! It’s embarrassing!” Suigetsu’s cheeks turned red.

        “I’m also grateful to be your friend, [First Name],” Juugo said with a saddened smile. “But I'll be missing you a lot.”

        “Yeah! [First Name] is one of the friends in my life that I’ll never forget!” White Zetsu added.

        Honey yellow aura flowed out from them as they all grinned at her.

        She felt a harsh pang in her chest.

        I don’t want to go back at all.

        The next few days, the Akatsuki and Taka had begun making plans to counter Obito. With the knowledge that Obito was going to initiate war and reincarnate the deceased Shinobis with Kabuto’s help, some members had dispersed themselves in sealing the corpses of those Shinobis. The other remaining members had also contacted the Hidden Clouds to be aware of Obito’s invasion to capture the Eight-Tails. At first the young woman had thought that it was impossible to do, but with Itachi’s calculating technique of persuasion, it was somehow a success.

        However, she would not deny that with Shisui’s absence, the young woman would say that taking the leader position was tedious and difficult as she was the only one who knew about the plot of Naruto. She could not wait for him to return back since there was so much to plan out.

        As time went by, everything in the hideout returned to normal, except that the Taka members would occasionally argue with Hidan and Kakuzu since they had not been familiarised with them yet. Kisame also had not shown any signs of suspicious behaviors, but it did not mean that she was going to let her guard down.

        As for [First Name], she was back for another puppetry lesson with the redhead. His way of teaching was the same way as usual; however, whenever he asked her a lesson-related question, she would answer him curtly without looking at him in the eye. Obviously, with that happened between them in this very room, she could not see him the way she used to any longer.

        “… Thank you so much for today, Sasori-san. I’ll leave now.” She stood up and packed her notebooks and pencils. She then headed towards the door.

        Finally, the long period of awkwardness was over!

        Before her fingertips touched the door knob, her arm was immediately tucked from behind, causing her body to face the redhead with her back pinned against the door. Her notebooks and pencil case fell from her hands and scattered on the floor.

        “I haven't said that you could leave,” Sasori said. His eyes were locked onto hers.

        She could feel her face burning. “A-ah… right…”

        What is this situation again?!

        “Shisui… what is he to you?” he asked.

        Of course, he would ask about that, even Itachi did do the same. “We’re just comrades, but he acts like an older brother to me. It’s always been like that ever since I met him in the spirit realm.”

        Sasori still had an indifferent expression. His eyes had not moved from her [eye color] ones.

        “And he didn’t do stuff like that to me! I promise!” Her nerves frazzled.

        After a short period of silence, he finally spoke up, “Hmm… although it doesn't matter to me, it does annoy me sometimes.” He placed his hand on the back of her head and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. 

        The red shades of her face darkened as his fingertips tickled over her yukata fabric. “W-what are you—"

        “I told you that I’d punish you if you did anything reckless, didn’t I?” He leaned his face close to hers.

        She remembered this pattern as his faint mint breath came brushing against her lips.

        Isn’t this kind of a warning sign that you have to choose who you want to be with now? Zetsu’s words replayed in her mind.

        As if due to impulse, she immediately pressed her hands against his chest, slightly pushing him away. She lowered her head. “U-uh, I just remembered that I left my clothes in the laundry, so please excuse me!”

        With that said, she gave him a quick bow and dashed out of his room with her face being as red as a tomato.

        Argh, I can’t keep on doing this, can I?

***

        Next she hung out at Deidara’s room with low spirits. This reverse harem was just making her life too difficult! And just what the hell was that excuse she made to Sasori? She had no idea how to talk him after that anymore—

        “Oi, [First Name]! Look at my new masterpiece, hmm!” Deidara suddenly chirped.

        With slow movements, she moved her eyes to the young man who was grinning at his newest eagle shaped clay figure. In contrast to her mood, the eagle lifted its head up high with full spirits and its wings were spread fully as if it could embrace any adversity in the entire world.

        “… That looks fantastic, Deidara!" she forced a smile. She had to regain her composure.

        Deidara frowned. “[First Name], you don’t look so well again-wait, don’t tell me it’s because of that Shisui bastard, hmm?!”

        “No! He’s not like that! Trust me!”

        “O-oh…”

        The room suddenly became silent.

        Man, this is damn awkward. I want to sink in the ground. Her eyes then traced around the young man’s long blonde hair, spotting several clay lumps stuck his hair locks. He had to be so committed to sculpting the figure to the point that his hair became dirtied from it.

        “… Deidara, your hair is all tangled from the clay.” She pointed at his hair.

        “Really?!” His hands fumbled with his hair locks like how a cat played with its strings.

        C-cute! She could feel her heart throbbed a bit. “Here, I’ll help you. Turn around.”

        Standing behind him, she began to pull the white clay lumps gently and combing his thick, silky blonde hair that oozed out the faint lemongrass scent. If the author would be so kind, he and Ino could be siblings, seriously. She remembered that when the young man was first introduced in the series, there were many predictions that he was related to the Yamanaka clan, even though it ended up not being true.

        “Your hair is so soft,” she said as she brushed through the tangled hair locks. If he were to exist in her modern world, he would totally be a popular hair model.

        “Th-thanks, hmm.” Rose pink aura radiated from him.

        For some reason, she felt that Deidara's rose pink aura had a purer feeling compared to Sasori and Itachi's one. Maybe it was because he was the youngest of all three, and new to romance? Even so, she did not want to ruin his feelings--

        “Hey, [First Name],” Deidara started. “I don’t know what is troubling you right now, but cheer up. I don’t like seeing you with that facial expression, hmm.” He turned to face her. His bright azure eyes were fixed onto her [eye color] ones.

        Her heart throbbed again.

        Crap, I’m starting to fall for him too! Oh no.

***
        With a sigh, [First Name] started to head back towards her room. Just what was going on? Why the hell was she suddenly in love with three people at the same time?! How weird was that! Even of Suigetsu, White Zetsu, and Juugo's supposed love advice did help her a bit, she could not make up her mind.

        As soon as she walked past the dining room, she spotted Sasuke and Karin discussing with each other at the table where a rustic map was laid out in front of them. They had to be so dedicated for sure.

        It was then she realized that the two were staring at her as if asking what she was going here.

        "Oi, [First Name]," Sasuke called out.

        "Yeah?" 

        "I don’t know what’s going on between you and Nii-san, but if it’s in terms of romance, he's still new to it, so give him time.”

        “WHAT?! Oh, so that’s how it is!” Karin adjusted her glasses. “No wonder why you said that Sasuke wasn’t you type.”

        The young woman could feel heat rising to her cheeks, so that was the reason why Itachi could not confess to her, but she did not expect Sasuke to be aware of it! "R-right."

        “And also, I’ve been wondering for a while, but are you four-timing?” he asked.

        “W-what?!”

        “To come think of it, Sasori, Deidara, Itachi, and Shisui all treat you differently than the other members here,” Karin placed her thumb under her chin. She then smirked. “Wow, [First Name], I didn’t know you have it in you.”

        I’ve been found out already?!

        “If you are, you’d better stop letting Nii-san being involved in this. Although we do have intentions on restoring the Uchiha clan, a woman like you is not needed.” His eyes narrowed.

        So blunt.

        “What about me, Sasuke?” Karin purred.

        “You’re not needed either.”

        Karin clicked her tongue and huffed.

        “I-I’ll keep that in mind…” she softly said.

        Maybe reverse harem is not all fun as it seems to be!

        Before the young woman could leave the dining room, White Zetsu barged inside with gasps. “Oi, [First Name], Danzou Shimura has died!” he yelled. 

        "... What did you just say?!" Karin asked with her mouth slightly opened.

        [First Name] face turned pale as everything seemed to have stopped in time. How could that be?! Sasuke had not even encountered him yet—

        “Looks like things have gone worse, huh?” a familiar voice called out.

        She moved her head to the direction of the voice seeing Shisui crossing his arms, and three more figures were standing behind him. One was a wrinkled old man with pale skinned like the moon, and a noticeable long goatee and horn-like protrusions on this head. The other two both wore a high collared white kimono, but one had long brown hair tied in a pony tail with blue markings under his eyes, while the other had short spiky brown hair and a blank forehead protector.

        Hagoromo, Indra, and Ashura...?!

Chapter Text

        The remaining Akatsuki and Taka members all barged into the dining room with frantic expressions.

        “Oi, [First Name], what did Zetsu tell about Danzou dying— hey who the hell are you three, hmm?!” Deidara asked as he pointed at them. “You don’t look human!”

        “Forgive us for this unannounced visit,” Hagoromo said. “I’m Hagoromo Otsutsuki, and these are my two sons, Ashura and Indra.”

        “Nice to meet you!” Ashura grinned.

        “Nice to meet you.” Indra held a blank expression on his face. He then moved his onyx eyes to Sasuke. “So you’re my reincarnate, I see.”

        Sasuke raised his brows. His limbs were slightly tensing. 

        Karin immediately moved her eyes back and forth from Indra to Sasuke and started swooning over them.

        “What about my reincarnate?” Ashura asked as his eyes wandered around the dining room.

        “He’s Naruto Uzumaki who’s residing at Konohagakure right now,” Shisui said.

        “Aww. That’s a shame.”

        The Akatsuki and Taka members all stared at the three visitors with widened eyes, with Suigetsu noticeably trembling out of fear.

        “… Shisui-san, what’s the meaning of this?” [First Name] gasped. The three presence alone could make anyone cower in fear. Moreover, she totally thought that those three characters were going to appear during the Fourth Ninja War, but it seemed that every event had now been changed!

        “I’ve brought them here since they’re gonna help us defeat Obito and Black Zetsu!” Shisui grinned.

***

        The three visitors had seated themselves on the remain chairs at the dining table. Suigetsu and Juugo seemed to tense up a bit since they were sitting beside Indra and Ashura. Hagoromo sat beside Shisui. Sasuke sat beside Itachi. [First Name], on the other hand, sat in the middle of Sasori and Deidara. She would definitely say that the discussion table had definitely became more tense and nerve-wracking with Hagoromo, Indra, and Ashura’s presence.

        However, Indra was the most nerve wracking it to her. She knew for sure that the spirit was not in good terms with Hagoromo and Ashura, but why did he become so cooperative? Did every one in the spirit realm have a change in heart? She had to ask Shisui about him later.

        “Well then, let’s continue the discussion,” Shisui said. “How did Danzou even die, Zetsu?”

        “Obito encountered Danzou himself and challenged him to fight after the Five Kage Summit, but Danzou ended up committing suicide by using the Reverse Four Symbol Sealing in attempt to kill him, which failed horribly,” Zetsu replied.

        “The events aren’t going according to the plot line,” [First Name] said with furrowed brows. “‘Cause it should have been Danzou who wanted to fight Sasuke for the Sharingan, which led to the suicide.”

        “Then what should we do now, hmm?” Deidara asked. “We can’t properly plan ahead when not knowing what the next event is gonna be like.”

        “Well, as for Danzou Shimura’s death, it is unfortunate that we aren’t able to communicate with him about the wrong doings he’s done throughout the series,” Shisui said. 

        “I think he deserved it,” Sasuke said. “He took one of your eyes, and ordered Nii-san to massacre out clan, so that’s what that old geezer deserved. Moreover, his death doesn’t affect the plot line since he’s supposed to die anyway.”

        “Sasuke, don’t say that,” Itachi chided.

        Sasuke hmphed.

        “What Sasuke’s said is true, but Danzou’s always had the intentions of protecting Konoha even if his path was the wrong way to go,” Shisui insisted. “But we have to move on," he turned his head towards the elderly. "Hagoromo-sama, you did say that you knew how to seal Black Zetsu, didn’t you?”

        “Yes, there is a way to seal Black Zetsu,” Hagoromo replied. “It’s to use the Six Paths Planetary Devastation. It’s a sealing technique that makes the target the centre of gravity, which causes the surrounding earth to be forcefully pulled onto their body and form into a sealing stone.”

        “But it can only be used by those who have awakened the Six Paths Senjutsu,” Ashura said as he bit onto his senbei from the table.

        Suigetsu seemed to be staring at the celestial spirit’s innocent movements with intense fear. 

        “This means that my reincarnate and Ashura’s reincarnate have to be the ones who’ll seal that abomination,” Indra added as he moved his eyes to Sasuke.

        “… Got it,” Sasuke said. “But I have a problem.”

        “What is it?”

        “How can we trust you? Weren’t you on bad terms with your younger brother and old man?”

        Everyone fixed their attentions to the suspicious spirit.

        “That was true, but after spending time in the spirit realm, I’ve come to realise that power doesn’t necessary mean that it can lead to peace and order since love and bonds between one and another are more effective in the long run. Is that right, Ashura?”

        Ashura’s lips reverted to a smile. “Yes, Nii-san.”

        Hagoromo also cracked a small smile. “My son isn’t like how you see in the original series anymore, so you can trust him,” he then moved his eyes to the Uchiha. “Well then Sasuke Uchiha, please bring me your hand. I’m going to bestow upon you the Six Paths Yin Power.”

        Sasuke stood from his chair and brought his hand out to the elderly. Hagoromo placed his wrinkled hand onto the young man's and slowly removed it, revealing a black crescent moon symbol of the his palm. Sasuke's left eye had been replaced with a Rinnegan where black tomoes scattered on its purple ripples.

        “What happened to his eye?!” Karin asked.

        “He’s received half of my Chakra since it’s necessary to use the sealing jutsu,” Hagoromo replied.  “I will also bestow upon the Six Paths Yang Power to Naruto Uzumaki, Ashura’s reincarnate, and you both must seal Black Zetsu by placing your palms onto its body simultaneously in order to activate the jutsu,” Hagoromo said.

        Sasuke nodded.

        “And just why don’t you god-like beings help us fight Obito and Zetsu?” Sasori asked.

        “As spirits, it’s the law that we act as observers,” Hagoromo said. “Although someone had to break the said law.” He gave Shisui a brief glance.

        “Sorry about that, but I had a reason!” Shisui whined. “I told you about it, Hagoromo-sama!”

        When were the two even this close? It seemed that all of the tension from the spirit elderly had dispersed.

        “And [First Name] [Last Name],” Indra said. “My younger brother and I would also like to bestow upon you a protection charm.”

        “We don’t know what other dangers you’d encounter when your comrades aren’t with you,” Ashura said. “So please bring both your palms out.”

        With a small nod, she spread her palms in front of the two. Indra and Ashura then placed their hands onto hers, one each.

        In an instant, she felt a surge of Chakra transferring onto her skin that radiated its warmth like she was holding a small sun orb in her hands. After the two had removed their hands, the young woman stared at her palms. The ‘summon’ symbol in had been replaced with a black magatama symbol on each of her palms.

        “When you’re in danger, please form the ram sign,” Ashura said. “You’ll be able to summon the one who you think of the most to come help you.”

        “Understood.” Although she had never seen this charm in the Naruto series before, she would say that it made her feel safer. But who would she summon? She would have to think about it for later.

        “As for Obito Uchiha himself, we’ve got to convince him that the path he is going through is wrong,” Shisui said. “Even if he’s been deceiving the whole Akatsuki all this time, he’s just a victim of Black Zetsu.”

        Everyone nodded.

        “And lastly, about Rin Nohara,” Shisui said. “She’s apparently gone missing.”

        [First Name]'s mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend the Uchiha's words. Gone missing? What? Who would even...? 

        “I asked Minato-sama and Kushina-sama about her, but they said that when she’d left the house on the day she met you, [First Name]-chan, she hadn’t come back since then,” he continued with furrowed brows.

        “Did someone capture her?” Itachi asked. "Like Madara for instance."

        “That’s impossible,” Shisui said. "Madara's home was also investigated, and we didn't find her. He's also said that he hadn't seen Rin ever since he'd been transported in to the realm."

        “This is ominous,” Nagato added. "It looked as if someone didn't like Rin's intentions, so they chose to capture her."

        “Right, and that’s why Minato-sama and Kushina-sama have requested to meet you, [First Name]-chan,” Shisui said. "You were the last person who had contacted Rin, so they'd like to ask you about the incident."

        If she could help Rin like how Rin helped her settle things with Madara, she would be more than happy to do it.

        “Okay, I’ll do it.”

        .
        .
        .

        After Hagoromo, Indra, and Ashura had left, [First Name] having changed into the same short-sleeved kimono that Shisui had prepared for her walked towards the dining room where everyone had been waiting for the departure. 

        “[First Name]-chan, are you ready?” Shisui asked.

        This sounds like a dejavu. She remembered saying that sentence to her love interests when they were about to visit Konohagakure. “Yes.”

        “Shisui, we’ll take care of things here,” Nagato said. 

        “Please take care of [First Name],” Konan said.

        “Leave it to me.”

        “[First Name], if there’s yogurt in the spirit realm, bring it back to me since I wanna taste it!” Suigetsu gave her a toothy grin.

        “I wish you for a safe visit,” Juugo smiled.

        Sasuke gave an indifferent expression. 

        Karin huffed.

        “Bye bye!” Zetsu waved.

        “Oi, [First Name], don’t be messing around like a brat there,” Sasori said. 

        “If Shisui does anything to you, I’ll turn him into my exclusive art, hmm!” Deidara grinned.

        “[First Name], take care,” Itachi smiled.

        She sweatdropped. Itachi’s goodbye sounded the most normal out of her love interests.

        Hidan burst out a laugh. “Did you hear that Kakuzu?! The princes just turned on their mommy modes towards [First Name]!”

        Kakuzu sighed. “You’d better stop it, Hidan."

        Kisame cracked a small grin.

        After flashing a bright smile towards everyone, Shisui bit his thumb and slammed his palm onto the floor. “Reverse Summoning Jutsu!”

        
As the smoke clouds started dispersing, her eyes met with a soft brown door on a wooden wall that seem to be the entrance of some sort of home. It was a two-story house similar to Madara’s home, but it was more polished, and welcoming to any guests who would visit its interior.

        Wait, this isn’t the forest that I was brought in like before. Where was this anyway?

        Shisui, who was standing beside her, brought his knuckles towards the door.

        Knock! Knock!

        “Yes, I’m coming!” A faint sound emerged from the inside.

        The door opened, revealing a pleasant-looking man with spiky blonde hair and soft blue eyes, donned in a sea blue yukata.

        The young woman stood frozen as familiarity overcame her senses.

        “Ah, [First Name], Shisui, welcome!” Minato gave them a closed eye smile.

        Shisui gave him a bow.

        [First Name] did the same as warmth started to spread in her cheeks. She knew that Jiraiya had said that Minato was a handsome looking man in the series, but when seeing him in real life, she would understand why he ranked fairly high in the popularity poll.

        Minato gave the young woman a softened gaze. “And thank you so much for protecting our son. I don’t know how to show you enough gratitude.”

        Obviously, she could not watch the main character of the entire series die in front of her eyes. She raised her hands up. “I-It’s no prob—” Her shoulders were suddenly held by a tall redheaded woman, donned in a peach orange yukata, who rubbed her cheeks against her own. She could feel a faint smell of plum blossom from her.

        “Oh my goddd. You’re so cuuuute! You’re such a good girl, [First Name]-chan!” Kushina squinted her eyes as comical flowers bloomed around her. 

        More warmth spread in her chest. This is the warmth of a parent, huh? How nostalgic.

        “Shisui, don’t get jealous, okay?” Minato tilted his head.

        Shisui let out a small laugh. “Ouchie! Just what are you trying to say, Minato-sama?”

        She paused for a bit. What did he mean by that?

        Kushina grinned. “Anyway, let’s first have lunch with us-dattebane! You must be hungry! Please come inside!” she said as she ushered the two visitors inside.

        “That’s right! My wife’s made her Kushina’s Special today!” Minato added.

        But that was not important right now. “… I’ll take your offer,” she gave them a shy nod.

        The wooden table was filled with a variety of home cooked foods ranging from teriyaki salmon dressed in soy sauce, yaki-udon with stirred fried vegetables, crispy golden tonkatsu, and brewing hot miso soup. Even if the food was not luxurious compared to the dinner at the ryokan, the harmonised smells of the colourful food made her stomach grumble and mouth to water.

        “Don’t hold back! Please dig in before it gets cold!” Kushina smiled.

        Shisui bit a piece of the golden tonkatsu with a soft crunch. He then gave a gleeful smile. “This is so good! As expected from Kushina-sama’s cooking!”

        Kushina put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin up. “Praise me more!”

        [First Name] bit on her salmon as the salt and sweet taste of the soy sauce accompanied by the softness of the salmon enveloped her mouth. She dreamily smiled too. “So good…”

        “Why thank you!” Pink hues dusted the woman’s cheeks. 

        It had been a while for the young woman to eat home cooked food. Although she had lived alone in her dorm, she barely cooked anything for herself since she was too lazy to do so. Her parents did not cook for her anymore either since they had completely cut ties with her.

        If only they were willing to come back… as if it would be that easy--

        “By the way, [First Name]-chan, do you have a boyfriend?” Kushina propped her chin into her palm.

        [First Name] broke from her trance and choked on her salmon. “N-no!”

        “Ehh? But you’re so cute! Men really don’t have good taste.” Kushina shrugged her shoulders.

        Minato let out a small laugh and softly slurped his yakiudon.

        Shisui cracked a small smile as he took a sip of his miso soup.

        “Then do you have a preference?” Kushina asked.

        How far is she going to talk about this topic?  “As long as the person’s nice, I’m fine.”

        Kushina grinned. “I guess that’s true.”

        “--Hmm… I see—” 

        She could hear Shisui mumbled something.

        “Did you say something?” she asked.

        “No? But more importantly, [First Name]-chan, you should try this tonkatsu. It’s so good!” He placed a piece of the golden breadcrumb-coated pork onto her rice bowl.

        “O-okay.”

        Was I imagining things?

***
        After partaking the delicious lunch with full stomachs, the four had resumed their conversations regarding to Rin’s disappearance.

        "Have you heard any more news about Rin, Minato-sama?" Shisui asked.

      “I did contact Yahiko about it, but it seems that an outsider has infiltrated the spirit realm. It’s possible that this outsider may be related to her disappearance." Minato clasped his hands.

        Shisui raised her eyebrows. “But it would be impossible for anyone to enter this realm without the forbidden jutsu!" 

        [First Name] also agreed. With her knowledge, she knew that the only person who could use the Sage Art was Shisui--

        Her suspicions on Obito's early appearance returned in her mind.

        “It’s as if you knew his ability fully well.” The Uchiha's words echoed in her head. 

        "... Obito..." she mumbled as her mind lit up.

        Everyone fixed their attentions on her with shocked expressions.

        "I think that the person who might've kidnapped Rin-san is Obito," she slowly said as sweats started to form on her forehead. "His early appearance and his suspicions on me when we first interacted clearly show that he might know something about the Sage Art and the forbidden jutsu that were casted on me."

        She felt as if the missing puzzle has finally been found.

        "When you think about it... it makes sense," Shisui said. "But how would he have known about those forbidden jutsu?"

        "That's still a mystery," she lowered her eyes. The forbidden jutsus were in the Scroll of Seals, after all. How could he have managed to take it?

        “... Are you sure about that? Obito does love Rin more than anything else, and he would, by no, means put her into danger,” Kushina insisted.

        “But you can't deny the fact that Rin was captured after she guided [First Name] to Madara's home. It was as if Obito doesn't want Rin to ruin his plans," Minato said.

        He was repeating Nagato's assumptions. She would have to agree with that, but just what kind of plan was Obito conceiving? White Zetsu did not even tell her about it! Was he the traitor instead of Kisame? No, that was impossible. Through the emotion analysis, she had confirmed that his friendship feelings towards her were genuine, but she had to confront him as soon as she returned.

        “[First Name]-chan, Obito is a good person. He’s the type of person who would always be clumsy, hasty, and a blundering fool, but he would always keep a bright and outgoing attitude no matter what. Therefore, please save him,” Kushina's lip quivered. Her entire body trembled as tears started to trickle from her eyelids.

        She understood how much pain this woman was suffering. It would totally be shocking and traumatizing to see the very person who she had seen as a son walking down the wrong path.

        “That’s a given,” [First Name] said. “I’ll save him no matter what.”

        “To be more specific, ‘We will save him’,” Shisui placed his hand on her shoulder and grinned at her.

        She immediately averted her gaze from him as her face became warm again.

        Kushina gave them a gentle smile. “Thank you.”  

        “Oh, I almost forgot! I'm sorry that this is not the appropriate mood right now, but the spirit realm is having a Yozakura (Cherry blossom viewing at night) tonight!" Minato said. “Yahiko did say that he’d like you two to join before your departure."

        Time went slower in the spirit realm after all. What was the harm in spending more time here? 

        “Sure.”

        Surrounded by bright amber orange lanterns, the cherry pink colors of the sakura trees radiated against the teal blue sky as if they were saying that its was their turn to shine. The sweet scent of the flowers spread throughout the whole pink garden in the cool breeze. Some petals pirouetted down like a waltz dance and landed onto the dewy grass gently. Yahiko’s castle was also illuminated with golden light from below, decorating the whole picturesque scenery into an annual wallpaper.

        “To celebrate [First Name] and Shisui’s victory in defeating Pein, cheers!” Yahiko raised his sake cup. 

        Minato, Kushina, the Uchiha Clan, Sasori’s family, and Komushi all sat down on their cushions on the green tatami mat at Yahiko’s garden. Small red tables filled with bentos of chirashi sushi, pink sakura mochis, and sakura milk pudding were placed in front of them.

        “Cheers!” Everyone bumped their sake cups together.

        “Cheers,” [First Name] said as she took a sip of her alcohol, tasting slight bitterness in her throat. 


        Despite feeling worried about Rin and Obito, she would say that this was the first she had ever celebrated yozakura with this many people. Whenever it was the day of the event, she would stay at home by herself and watch the sakura trees from her window. Maybe if she had actually found friends, this would have happened in her own world. 

        But all of this was happening right now all because of Shisui. If she had not accepted his offer in coming to this Naruto World, she would not have had any of these experiences and learned the concept of friendship and trust.

        “It would be nice if Itachi and our comrades were also here,” Shisui said with a dejected smile. “The hanami in the spirit realm is more beautiful than the human world since the sakura here slowly turns into an iridescent rainbow color as the night becomes darker.”

        “Wow, that’s cool,” she said with a forced smile.

        But wouldn’t all of her bonds she had made here all disappear once she returned? She felt a pang in her chest again. Did she really have to go back? Could Shisui do something about it? If she were to go back, she would not feel as belonged as here in the Naruto World. She had to ask him.

        “Shisui-san… after everything’s over, I have to go back, right?” She clenched her hands.

        “Yep.” Shisui propped his spoon filled with the milk pudding in his mouth.

        “Do I have to?”

        He raised his brow. “Why are you asking that question all of a sudden?”

        “I feel like I’m more needed here. Back in my own world, I’m ignored, rejected, disliked. Even my parents don’t care about me. I don’t know what to do with my life once I go back.” She could feel tears forming in the corner of her eyelids.

        The young man paused.

        “Can’t you really do anything about it?” she asked as memories of her rejection emerged in her mind.

        “… I’m sorry, but it’s not up for me to decide.”

        She felt as if all of her motivation and hopes had been shattered in mere seconds. “… I see.” She stood up.

        He flinched. “[First Name]-chan, where are going—”

        She lowered her head. “I’d like to be alone for a while.”



        Under the shelter of the magenta pink canopies of the sakura trees, the young woman moved with slow, dull footsteps. She sighed. Did she just act irrationally again? It was true that her request was totally out of Shisui’s control. She did not belong here. She had to go back, and used all of her experiences in the Naruto world to start a new life.

        [First Name] lifted her head up and could instantly feel her breath being taken away. The sakura petals had turned into a vibrant startling seven colors of the rainbow that gleamed in her eyes as if introducing themselves as the main star of the whole glorious show. Somehow she felt that all of here worries and anxiety had faded away as she gazed at their kaleidoscopic petals that seemed to console her that everything was going to be alright.

        She placed her hands on her cheeks as she felt her confidence coming back.

        Yeah, I think I should go back now.

        As soon as she turned around, her eyes spotted the back of the same short brown hair girl who had been strolling around the trees. 

        She stopped in her tracks as relief overcame her senses. … Rin?!

        But wasn’t she kidnapped? What was she doing here? It was also uncertain whether this girl in front of her was going to be safe it she were walking around alone. The young woman knew for sure that she had to bring her to Minato and Kushina as soon as possible.

        “Rin-san!” she yelled, but the girl suddenly vanished into thin air.

        “[First Name]-CHAN, WATCH OUT—” She could hear Shisui’s voice from the side--

        “--I found you,” a low menacing voice murmured from behind her back as a hand grabbed her shoulders.

        The whole rainbow scenery instantly became a blur as she felt her body being absorbed into a void of blackness.

***

        The young woman slowly opened her eyes, seeing an endless landscape of greyish blue rectangular prisms that were in different lengths and randomly arranged like a maze. The ceiling was dark as if there was no end to its height. The air was eerily cool and dry like the beginning of a horrid winter season without snow.

        This is… Obito’s Kamui dimension.

        “We finally meet again,” the same voice said.

        She immediately looked behind seeing a man with short, raven black hair donned in a purple high collared long sleeve mantle, holding the Uchiha gunbai. The right half of his face was heavily ghastly wrinkled. His left Rinnegan eye and right Sharingan eye that were filled with suppressed hatred pierced into her entire being.

        Obito Uchiha…!

Chapter Text

        With her eyes locked on his, [First Name] stepped back into a defensive stance, nerves fraying at the edges. Her heartbeat thundered against her ribcage—Calm down. Stay focused. She couldn’t afford to let Obito gain the upper hand.

        That’s when she noticed it—behind Obito’s still form, Rin lay unconscious on a futon, imprisoned inside a towering wooden cage. The sight stunned her. Obito… capturing Rin? That was unthinkable. He would never harm her. Or so she’d believed.

        “You captured Rin after all, didn’t you?” [First Name] asked.

        “Yeah. Rin was acting out of line, so I had to,” Obito said with an indifferent expression. “I didn’t expect that she would bring you to Madara herself. How ridiculous.”

        She clenched her hands as anger rose to her throat. “It’s not ridiculous. Madara told me to stop you since your path is all wrong—”

        “That old man is getting senile,” his eyes narrowed, “Even if I don’t know what you guys talked about, I can’t believe that he’s been so gullible with words from someone like you. But that’s not important now. Have you ever wondered why I came way earlier than the actual plot line?”

        He actually knew about ‘Naruto’ too?!

        He smirked. “I discovered Shisui tracking on me when I was talking to Itachi before the Uchiha massacre occurred.  At first I had no idea what he was planning to do, but when realizing that Shisui knew about my plans, he would do anything to stop me. That was why I came earlier to observe your movements, although Rin’s interference was unexpected.” He turned his head to the unconscious girl behind him.

        “Then how are you able to capture Rin?! She’s from the spirit realm!”

        “I got help from Black Zetsu since he is able to use countless numbers of Forbidden Jutsu and sense both Summoning: The Other World and Sage Art: All of Creation from you, so I knew what was going on with you and Rin."

        The young woman could feel her limbs trembling. Why didn’t White Zetsu tell her that Obito had captured Rin? Did he betray her after all?

        “Anyway, it seems that you can predict the future about the series, including my plans, can’t you?” Obito asked. 

        But she was still not giving up on saving this poor man in front of her. “… Yeah, and I’m here to tell you that your Eye of the Moon Plan is damn rigged!”

        He let out a laugh. “Are you still playing mind games? You really like to deceive others, don’t you? You’re probably deceiving those three—Deidara, Sasori, and Itachi—as well. What kind of woman are you, seriously?!”

        “I’m not lying! And those three know me well! And besides, your goal in achieving peace through the Eye of the Moon Plan is impossible! Black Zetsu is just manipulating you to revive—”

        A  cold, rough hand clamped her mouth tightly from behind.

        “Oh, you’re not saying that.” Black Zetsu whispered into her ear, rising from the ground like a shadow.

        Panic shot through her. Her body tensed. Cold sweat beaded her skin.

        Obito slightly raised his eyebrows.

        “Obito, this woman is lying through her teeth! Why would I do that to you?!” Black Zetsu asked. “The Eye of the Moon Plan is indeed the only way to achieve true peace!”

        No! She had to stop Black Zetsu from spouting anymore nonsense! 

        LAVA RELEASE ACTIVATED. Lava Wave has been selected.

        She spewed molten rock onto the hand covering her mouth. It sizzled, forcing Black Zetsu to recoil, the flesh melting from its limb.

        Black Zetsu clicked its tongue and tore off its liquified hand. “Darn with your Sage Art,” it then chuckled, “but it wouldn’t take too long before we finish you.”

        Despite being released from its grasp, she could not say that she was safe. Facing two powerful opponents at the same time would not guarantee her victory. Damn it—

        “Like I’d let that happen!” a voice suddenly shouted—from her pouch?

        White Zetsu burst out, arms spread. “Surprise!”

        She blinked. “Zetsu?! What—why are you here?!”

        “I felt that something was off when my clone has been sending repetitive and dull intel about Obito, so I had to create another clone of myself and sneaked into your pouch! But I didn’t expect that they were going to ambush you here, [First Name]!” White Zetsu shouted. “And I’ll not betray you, you know?”

        “You’re really Madara’s dud invention, Zetsu,” Obito said. “I should’ve killed all of you.”

        “And you really should try to understand that you’re being deceived, Obito,” White Zetsu insisted.

        She felt a surge of relief that he was here to fight with her. She then stepped forward. “Zetsu, I’ll leave Black Zetsu to you!”

        “RIGHT!” He nodded as he charged towards Black Zetsu. “And don’t die on me, [First Name]!

        “Of course!”

        Obito seemed to have regain his composure. “It looks like we need to have a rematch. I’ll kill you once and for all.”

        “And I’m here to bring the real Obito Uchiha back,” she said as she lifted her hands up to weave her hand seals.

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the character is as follows: Obito: black.

        As liquorice black aura radiated from him, he bit his lips. “SHUT UP! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?!” He body flickered forward, hurling his hand toward her. Tree roots erupted from his skin, snaking toward her face.

        LIGHTNING RELEASE ACTIVATED. Lightning Cutter has been selected.

        Crackling lightning lit her palm. She blasted the roots apart into smoldering fragments.

        Obito clicked his tongue and swung his gunbai, creating a fierce vortex of wind that forced her eyes shut.

        Darn! I can’t see anything—

        “FIRE RELEASE: BOMB BLAST DANCE!” the man yelled from above as he blew out a huge stream of vermillion vortex that ferociously swirled downwards in the air.

        WATER RELEASE ACTIVATED. Water Formation Wall has been selected.

        She slammed her hands into the ground. A torrent erupted, quenching the flames. Steam burst into the air—but not fast enough. Scorching fire kissed her shoulder, branding a red, searing mark into her skin.

        She winced and held her stinging right shoulder. “Weren’t you trying to become the Hokage?! A Hokage would never step over his friend’s corpses even if his own ends up being stepped on—”

        “I’m not the person you think I am now! The path that I’ve chosen for myself is not a mistake!” He dashed towards her with a long black Chakra rod receiver that protruded from his palm.

        ENHANCED STRENGTH ACTIVATED.

        She grabbed his wrist that was holding the rod and lifted her knee while turning and extended her leg to the man’s neck. He ducked and swung his leg downwards to strike her shin. She jumped up, body flickered to his back and stretched out her leg, striking the side of his waist.

        With a loud slam, his body toppled to the floor.

        Shisui’s training was showing fruition too! She would have to thank him after this.

        “Listen for gods sake!” she yelled. “There are other ways that you can achieve peace, and Black Zetsu doesn’t give two shits about your goal! He’s only manipulating you in order to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki, the creator of Chakra who would only reclaim all of the Chakra that had existed in humanity! This means that you won’t be able to control anything! You’ve been deceived!”

        His eyes widened as he slowly lifted himself up. “… Impossible. Just what the hell are you saying?!”

        “Black Zetsu revised Hagoromo’s stone tablet to deceive Madara that the Infinite Tsukuyomi would create a peaceful world! He only had intentions to revive Kaguya from the start!”

        “… Stop lying as if you know everything!”

        “No, and I know a lot about you actually! You were that happy-go-lucky and kindhearted child who would always help others in need. That was one of the reasons why you’re one of my favourite characters in the series. You also wanted to become the Hokage, so that you would be acknowledged by the village, but that dream was shattered once Rin, the love of your life, died.”

        He paused.

        “In actuality, Madara was the one who planned for Rin to die in front of you, but Kakashi’s interference only made it better for him. Kakashi didn’t intentionally kill Rin as you’d thought it to be. Rin thought that because she was the Jinchuuriki of the Three-Tails and wanted to protect Konoha, she intercepted Kakashi’s Chidori, which made you think that he purposely killed her and broke your promise—”

        Sweats started trickling down from the man’s forehead. “No…”

        “Madara has sincerely apologised for exploiting and corrupting your sanity. That’s why he told me to stop you—"

        A black hand enveloped by rough wood barks shot out from her abdomen. Warm viscous blood spurted from her mouth as her intestines ripped and screamed from the inside.

        “You really can’t shut up, can you?” Black Zetsu grinned from behind. “Sorry, but that’s the end for you.”

        “H-how did you…?!” She slowly moved her eyes to the side. Her eyes widened.

        White Zetsu’s head had been chopped off from its torn unmoving body on the floor. 

        She could feel the colors of her face draining away. Adrenaline flew over her veins as the absolute horror completely paralysed her entire body.

        Black Zetsu yanked its hand out of her stomach, causing her face to contort as blood dribbled to the floor. She fell to her knees as she coughed out more blood.

        Obito’s face slightly turned pale as Black Zetsu turned to face him.

        “Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh? But it doesn’t matter anymore,” it said as it stepped forward to Obito.

        No… at this moment Black Zetsu’s gonna merge with him and control his movements! She sucked in a deep breath as she slowly lifted herself up with her tremblings hands. The pain still throbbed due to the broken wooden fragments that pierced her intestines. It was even worse than when Pein stabbed her with his Chakra rods.

        “My dear Obito, you’re here to help me revive mother,” Black Zetsu said with its blank yellow eyes staring at him. “Come. We still need to capture the eight tails and nine tails—”

        I’m not done yet…!

        With all of her strength mustered in her hand, she grabbed its left leg with an iron grip. “You’re not going anywhere.” She forced a smirk.

        ICE RELEASE ACTIVATED. Ice Imprisonment has been selected.

        Ice crystals branched out on the black figure’s legs and glazed upwards towards its abdomen, immobilising its lower part like a rock statue.

        “LET GO, YOU DAMN BITCH…!” Black Zetsu grabbed her head like heavy knives digging into her scalp.

        She gritted her teeth as she clenched her nails into its soft flesh.

        “You wanna die so much, I see! I’ll gladly do it!” Its arm extended towards her neck. Sharp wood barks protruded from its fingers.

        This is bad. He’s gonna slit my throat—

        “FIRE RELEASE: GREAT FIRE BALL TECHNIQUE!” A huge sun orb was blown towards Black Zetsu, sending a fiery vermillion flame to rampage its body as it screeched.

        The young woman then felt gentle hands holding her shoulders and knees that lifted her body from the floor, carrying her away from the figure in a flickering moment.

        She slowly moved her eyes upwards, seeing Obito holding her to his chest tightly.

        “You really remind me of Rin,” he said. “She’s always been there for me even if I walk down the wrong path, but she would probably not want to see my like this. I don’t want to repeat my mistakes. Therefore, I’ll protect you with my life.”

        EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. The color of emotion of the character is as follows: Obito: blue.

        She smiled inside. How long had it been for her to see him finally change into a hero from a villain.

        “Can you move?” he asked.

        “… I need time to heal.” She winced as a soft turquoise glow started emanating from her abdomen.

        “Then take care of Rin. I’ll deal with him,” he said as his faced his back with the Uchiha fan symbol towards her.

        Black Zetsu clicked its tongue. His body was unscathed from the fire. “You dare to defy me now? But that’s all futile,” it bit its thumb and slammed its palm onto the floor, “Come on out, Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!”


        An enormous puff of smoke burst in the air. With a rumbling roar that reverberated through her bones, a giant earthen-coloured mummified statue pulled itself from the ground as debris flung in the air. The floor shook with each huge step and its head swung around as if its closed nine eyes were gazing at the dimension. It stretched its large wooden arms like a monster that had been released from its seal.

        [First Name] limbs were frozen as her eyes were fixed onto its wooden body. Her breathing became more erratic as her thoughts began to accelerate in her head. She knew for sure that Obito was not able to defeat this alone since it took the entire Shinobi Alliance to take it down in the original series.

        “Although it's not the Ten-Tails, it’s enough to kill the two of you!” Black Zetsu burst out a laugh as it leaped upwards and stood on the head of the statue.  

        Obito gripped his gunbai tightly. “[First Name], I’m gonna send you out of my dimension, so take Rin with you.”

        She stared at him. “… Wh-what are you saying?! I can’t just leave you alone! You’d die!”

        “I’ve committed too many sins to be saved. That’s why you must leave.” He lowered his voice. “Hurry!”

        She bit her trembling lips. She knew by heart that Obito did not deserve this kind of ending. She remembered herself watching the scene when Obito died protecting Naruto from Kaguya’s All-Killing Ash Bones. She was never going to let history repeat itself.

        “No…”

        He immediately turned around to face her with lowered eyebrows “What don’t you understand?! With you being this injured, the two of us will die! I don’t want anyone to suffer the same experience as me! How do you think those three would feel if you ended up dying—”

        With anger rising to her face, she rammed her forehead onto the man’s like a hard rock.

        He winced in pain. “OWW! WHAT’S THAT FOR—“

        “DON’T YOU BE TALKING LIKE DYING IS THE ONLY WAY OUT TO THIS!” she screamed. “You deserve to have a hella good life, Obito! I understand you hugely regret all of you actions that you’ve done until now, but you still have a chance to walk over a new path! That’s probably what Rin would've wanted too!”

        His widened eyes were fixed onto hers.

        “And you need more people to help you, right?! Here, I’ll give them to you!”

        “You’ll be able to summon the one who you think of the most to come help you.” Ashura’s words replayed in her mind.

        “Wait, what are you—“

        “SUMMONING JUTSU!” She held the ram sign and slammed her two hands onto the floor.

        A dense cloud of smoke emerged in front of her, permeating the entire dimension with its wisps of grey curls. The smoke then took a form of four tall dark silhouettes.

        “Oi, what the heck is that thing, hmm?!”

        “It seems to be the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.”

        “We really can’t leave you alone after all. How pathetic.”

        “[First Name]-chan, stay behind our backs.”

        Deidara, Itachi, Sasori and Shisui with their heads lifted up high stood in a horizontal row in front of her like guards that were vowed to protect their masters with all of their lives.

        Obito slightly opened his mouth as his eyes stared at her four.

        “Wait, Obito, what are you doing here, you bastard?!” Deidara pointed at him. He then moved his head towards the young woman. “And, [First Name], you’re bleeding, hmm!”

        “Don’t mind me! And Obito here is on our side!” she said. “We must cooperate together and defeat that statue!”

        “It doesn’t make any difference even if there’s more people in your group now!” Black Zetsu scoffed. “DIE!”

        The demonic statue began sprinting towards the six of them rapidly with heavy stomps.

        “Well, it looks like we don’t have time to hear for any explanations,” Shisui said. “Itachi, let’s do it!

        “Right,” Itachi replied.

        “SUSANOO!” The two activated their Sharingans. Two huge gushes of turquoise green and orange-red flames enveloped their bodies, forming two gigantic humanoid tengus that held a long drill-like lance for Shisui and a long sharp blade for Itachi. The two tengus then stretched out their wings and soared in the air towards the statue.

        “Tsukumo!” Shisui’s lance spun rapidly and burst out a barrage of large piercing chakra needles at the statue.

        “Totsuka blade!” Itachi’s sword was swung towards the statue, sending a stream of vermillion flames that rampaged its body like mad fire.

        The statue gave an ear-splitting screeched as it hunched its body. 

        “Hey, don’t take all of the spotlight, hmm! Let’s go with our own combination attack, Sasori no Danna!” Deidara threw out a lump of white clay, causing a puff of smoke to erupt from it. A huge clay dragon heavily landed on the floor with a thud.

        “You don’t have to tell me, Deidara,” Sasori said as he summoned the third Kazekage puppet. The puppet opened its mouth, sending black magnetic sand to coat the entire body of the clay dragon.

        With the pale white color of clay being replaced with powdery dark grey, the dragon spread its large black wings and arced in the air. It somersaulted and swung its tail towards the Ten-Tails.

        Deidara held the Seal of Confrontation. “KATSU!”

        After a blinding flash, a gigantic fiery ball of flame was ignited from the clay body, billowing an enormous ashen smoke from the ten-tails. The floor violently rumbled as if an earthquake had rocked the dimension with a large magnitude.

        “How about that?!” Deidara grinned.

        The statue gritted its teeth and roared as it stumbled. Some of its wooden protrusions had now been broken off.

        “… Amazing…” Obito gasped. “Those four are turning the tables!”

        “Right? I’m proud of them!” [First Name] smiled.

        The statue roared once again. Multiple bolts of white hot lightning shot down from above with a booming rumble as if declaring its final warning of its own upcoming wrath.

        She knew for sure that those four’s attacks were still not enough. It was her turn to do something.

        “I’m gonna help,” she said as she lifted herself up. Her wounds in her abdomen were still throbbing, but they were healed enough for her to move. “Obito-san, please send me up as high as possible!”

        “... Being able to move in that condition--you're also amazing. But anyway got it!” he replied. He weaved his hand seals. “WOOD RELEASE: GREAT SPEAR TREE!”

        Thick massive boughs sprouted out from the floor under the young woman’s feet, pushing her up high as the wind tousled and whipped her [hair color] hair. It was then her eyesight was in line with the statue’s demonic head.

        The statue was about to swing its arms towards her, only to be restricted by clay explosives and iron sand rods from the two former Akatsuki members and fiery orange and green flames from the two Uchiha members.

        “Oh, you’re not going anywhere, hmm!” Deidara grinned.

        “Don’t you dare mess it up,” Sasori said.

        “We’ll hold on to him!” Itachi said.

        “[First Name]-chan, you can do it!” Shisui yelled.

        Thanks. She could feel a surge of warmth in her chest. She then clasped her hands together and slowly pulled her palms away.

        “Wait… that technique…” Black Zetsu’s eyes widened. He then clicked his tongue. “At this point, it can’t be helped!” He leaped off from the statue’s head.

        DUST RELEASE ACTIVATED. Atomic Dismantling Technique has been selected.

        An illuminating sphere surrounded by an opaque cube expanded between her palms and shot itself towards the statue. After bright flash of light radiated from the cube, a huge cloud of smoke erupted inside, and the Ten-Tails had disappeared.

        “Damn it!” Black Zetsu screamed. “I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”

        Large cascading tree roots shot up from the floor and looped like gnarled fingers of a menacing tree monster.

        “Obito, please transport all of us to the forest where we defeated Pein!” Shisui said. “Naruto-kun and the others are waiting there!”

        “Right!” Obito nodded as he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. “Kamui!”

        In an instant, the young woman’s body was pulled towards the void as everything became a blur of greyish-blue. Her body then slammed onto the rough grass field as the sunlight kissed her back with its warmth. 

        She slowly moved her eyes seeing that the remaining Akatsuki and Taka members, Hagoromo, Ashura, and Indra, and Naruto with Kakashi, Yamato, and Guy had been standing in defensive positions around her.

        “Sasuke!” Naruto yelled as he leaped upwards towards Black Zetsu whose arms had sprawled onto the grass.

        “Right.” Sasuke nodded.

        The two body flickered towards the artificial human and slammed their hands onto its body. “SIX PATHS PLANETARY DEVASTATION!”

        Lumps of brown rocks and lush green grass were ripped from the baked hard ground, and pulled themselves towards Black Zetsu, creating a huge sealing stone sphere. 

        “CURSE YOU…!” Black Zetsu screamed as his limbs were being piled up by the broken pieces of rock. “You’re just a piece of shinobi history I created! People like you could never… COULD NEVER—” The sphere was propelled up high towards the sky until its shape had become a small flickering star that no one could ever reach.

        “The seal is completed-dattebayo!” Naruto gave a thumbs up. “We can finally celebrate!”

        Sasuke hmphed.

        Everyone gasped as if all of their worries had been lifted off their shoulders. [First Name] did the same as intense relief overcame her senses.

        It’s over… It’s finally over. Everyone is safe now.

        “[First Name], are you okay?!” Suigetsu asked as he placed his hand on her shoulders to lift herself up with Juugo by his side.

        “Y-you’re bleeding,” Juugo gasped. 

        “We should take you to the hospital!” White Zetsu came running to her. “And I’m very sorry for losing to Black Zetsu."

        “I-It’s fine. I’m healing myself right now,” she smiled. "And I mean it all turned out well in the end, Zetsu.”

        “Right.” White Zetsu grinned.

        “Well done, everyone,” Hagoromo added. “With this, peace is now secured,” he moved his eyes to Shisui. “And Shisui Uchiha, thank you for guiding everyone to seal Black Zetsu away.”

        “No, I barely did anything. It’s all because of everyone,” Shisui replied with a grin.

        “Being humble as always, I see,” Hagoromo chuckled.

        “Obito…” a voice suddenly called out.

        Everyone moved their attentions to the girl in the pink kimono as she slowly stood up from the grass.        

        “Rin…” Obito’s eyes widened.

        She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. Tears started trickling down from her eyes. “You stupid… ”

        “I’m so sorry.” Obito wrapped his arms around her shoulders as his eyes also glimmered with watery tears.

        [First Name] smiled inside. Even if she had seen the scene when Obito met Rin again as children, she would say that it was very sentimental due to all of the pain he had endured.

        Suigetsu let out a heavy sigh. “Finally, everything’s over! Don’t make me get involved in any of this again, okay… [First Name]?”

        Her vision turned dim. She coughed out more gore from her clogged throat as her limbs screamed in pain from the wood fragments that were penetrating sharp needles into her innards. 

        Shit! Black Zetsu’s wood release is still active!

        Her nausea crept from her abdomen to her head. Her consciousness started floating through an empty space. The blaring sounds of people calling out from her faded away slowly.

***
        Soft pink clouds slowly floated around the young woman. Milky speckles twirled and danced along the vast pink horizon. A sweet scent of fresh strawberry spread in her nostrils.

        Was this another Talk-no-Jutsu portal? Where was she taken now? But this setting was oddly familiar.

        “[First Name], “ a feminine voice called out from behind.

        She turned around seeing Rin flashing a closed eye smile. 

        “Thank you so much for saving Obito,” Rin said as she held the young woman’s hand. “I can finally rest in peace.”

        [First Name] could feel warmth spread in her chest as realization hit her. This was the place where Obito met Rin before his last moments. She cracked a small smile. “I mean Obito has always had good intentions in achieving peace although he took the wrong path, so I had to help him, of course. But… why did you bring me to Madara?”

        “Oh, I really wanted you to convince him that he’s been deceived by Kaguya Otsutsuki since you knew about the future of our world. You could say that I could sense that you belonged to the other world based on your Chakra when you were summoned here by Shisui-san. And as for the rest, I heard a lot about you from Minato-sensei and Kushina-san. I’m so sorry if I’ve put you into any danger.” She lowered her eyes.

        “It’s okay, really. Because of your interference, I was able to convince Obito and Madara way easier than I had expected. I'm very thankful for that." She did not want to imagine what would have happened if Madara was still supportive with the Eye of Moon Plan. It would not have turned out well.

        “Then, here. Have this,” Rin brought out a plump, scarlet strawberry to the young woman's hand, “By the time you eat this, you’ll wake up. It’s filled with healing properties from the spirit realm. Well then, see you!”

        The girl then slowly faded away.

        Without any hesitation, [First Name] propped the berry into her mouth and chewed into the soft juicy fruit with its sweet yet sour juice enveloping her tongue as her consciousness began to fade once again.

        The young woman slowly opened her eyelids, seeing an unfamiliar polystyrene greyish ceiling above her. Her body was covered by a comfy white blanket and lying on a bed in a patient-gown looking clothes, and her head supported by a soft pillow. Her pale right hand was injected by an IV drip. 

        Where am I?

        She slowly lifted herself up and was prepared to wince from her abdominal pain, but it did not prick that much as if her internal injuries had almost been healed. But by whom?

        “So you’ve woken up,” a voice called out from the side.

        The grey door had slid open, revealing Tsunade and Shizune who had walked in with clipboards in their hands.

        “You’re currently inside Konoha’s hospital,” Tsunade said. “Because of severe gastrointestinal bleeding, you’ve been in a coma for two weeks, but rest assured. We’ve healed most of your injuries.”

        That was the most critical injury she had ever received. Black Zetsu was never to be underestimated after all. “… I see. Thank you so much for healing me.” She gave her a curt thankful bow.

        Tsunade burst out a laugh. “Seriously, you don’t have to thank me! Because of you, Konoha’s been saved, and you even helped us seal Black Zetsu. I’m more than welcome to help you!”

        Warmth rose to the young woman’s cheeks. Receiving gratitude by that revered Senju descendant and Hokage was like being blessed by the heavens. She then suddenly thought about her comrades' whereabouts. Where were they now? “Um, where are the others?”

        “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Shizune sighed. “Everyone’s been waiting for you outside this patient room. I’ve told them that countless of times that they could come visit you after you’d woken up, but they just wouldn’t listen!”

        [First Name] raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean by that—”

        “[FIRST NAME]!” Deidara called out as he barged into the room with widened eyes. “Are you okay now, hmm?!”

        “Hey! Don’t make loud noises in the hospital!” Shizune chided.

        “[First Name]-chan, how are you feeling?!” Shisui asked as he walked in with Itachi and Sasori.

        “Are you still in pain?” Itachi asked.

        Sasori stood behind the three men in silence, but his eyes were fixed onto the young woman’s injuries. 

        The young woman only stared at the four. They all had dark bags under their eyes as if they had not slept for many days. Did she worry them that much? If so, she knew for sure that her parents would never give her this sort of attention. It was what she had longed for so long, but she would have to leave this precious world as soon as her injuries had been healed. 

        She had prepared for the worst.

        The four later explained to her that the seven jinchuurikis had now been released from the demonic statue with Obito and Hagoromo’s help, and had separated ways in peace. As for Obito himself, he was supposed to be imprisoned for the rest of his life, but because of his participation in sealing Black Zetsu, his sentenced had been lifted to joining the young woman’s team in becoming the mercenary group that would function under Konoha's orders. The group was also given a new hideout by Tsunade that was close to the hidden leaves, which would prevent them from being the target of other shinobis. [First Name] was more than grateful to hear these results since she could now finally leave the world without any worries.

        It had been weeks ever since [First Name] had woken up, but she still had to be hospitalised under Tsunade's orders. The Akatsuki and Taka members would occasionally visit her with gifts although sometimes too excessive, but she was elated to see their presences by her side.

        “[First Name]-chan, say ‘aahh’.” Shisui brought a peeled apple that was skewered with a toothpick to her mouth.

        “Oi, Shisui, you bastard, piss off! I’m gonna feed her!” Deidara snatched the toothpick from the Uchiha’s hand. “[First Name], open your mouth, hmm!”

        “Open wide, [First Name]!” White Zetsu, who was sitting on her patient bed, grinned.

        “You guys don’t have to feed me, you know…” [First Name] sweatdropped. She could obviously eat by herself since her hands were not injured!

        “[First Name], do you not like apples?” Itachi asked with concern. “If so, I’m gonna go buy other fruits.”

        That’s not the problem! Before she could reply, the young man had already left. He was being too cautious for her!

        Sasori, on the other hand, had been keep watching outside her patient room in silence.

        “Really, are you guys her stepmoms or what?” Suigetsu sighed from the stool near her bed. He then turned his head to Obito. “And seriously, Obito, are you her stepdad now?! I swear to god!”

        Obito, who was sitting down on another stool beside her bed, stopped peeling apples with Juugo next to him. He flinched. “H-hey! Don’t blame me! If this is one of the ways I can atone my sins, I’ll do it!”

        “You’re taking things too seriously,” Suigetsu facepalmed. “And more importantly, why the hell are you still here, Six Paths old geezer?!”

        Hagoromo, who was levitating with his legs crossed beside her bed, cracked a small smile. “I’m here to give [First Name] [Last Name] an offer.”

        She raised her brows. “What offer are you talking about, Hagoromo-sama?”

        “Because you’ve played a very significant role in saving the world, I’d like to grant any of your wishes,” Hagoromo said.  

       She paused. If that was true, she immediately knew what to say. “… I’d like to stay here,” she said firmly. “I do understand that this sounds pretty self-serving and rash, but I feel like I can do much more in this world. I can help those in need and even improve the way things are in the Shinobi World. Obviously, I’m not going to do this all alone because I have these friends I’ve made throughout the entire time I’ve been living here, and we're going to work together to achieve our goals.”

        Was this too much to ask? She was prepared to go back either ways.

        “Wish accepted.” Hagoromo grinned. He then placed his palm on her forehead as a bright iridescent glow emanated her body.

        She could feel a flow of gentle coolness surged throughout her veins like it was soothing her that she was going to safe.

       "What are you doing?!" Suigetsu asked.

       "I'm cutting her ties with her own world, so that she can officially stay here as a shinobi." With that said, the glow dimmed down and he removed his palm. “Well then, the wish has been granted. [First Name] [Last Name] is now part of this world. Please take care of her. Farewell, everyone.” He faded away.

        Everyone immediately gave her smiles that radiated like an ever flickering flame. She knew for sure that they were genuine, and she felt ready to start a new life in this world with all of them beside her. It was as if all of her negative emotions built upon herself and society when she first came here had washed her clean, and all of her ambitions for the future had now become clear. 

        She grinned. I'm back home.

Chapter Text

It had been months since [First Name] was discharged from the hospital.

Life had slowly returned to something resembling normal—or at least as normal as things could get after everything that happened. The former Akatsuki members, now under Konoha’s command, were often away on missions. The base felt quieter lately, lonelier. Rarely did all of them cross paths at once. But even in the silence, one thought kept returning to her.

Deidara.

She sat on the edge of her bed, fingers curled gently around the delicate swan sculpture he had given her ever since their reconciliation. It was what he had given after the orange emotional color was triggered.

Deidara had always been there—from the beginning. She remembered the reckless way he threw himself into battle to protect her. The way he argued with the others when they questioned her presence. The way he checked on her, even when he pretended it was just to show off his newest creation. The way he defended her when no one else had. 

And despite all of that, she had never really said thank you—not properly. She had not found the words. Or maybe she had just been scared.

I’m such a coward, she thought, gripping the swan tighter. After everything we’ve been through, what am I waiting for?

Her heart thudded harder in her chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

This was not just admiration anymore. She had known that for a while. The way her stomach twisted when she saw him smile. The way her heartbeat quickened when he leaned too close. The ache in her chest when he left for missions without saying goodbye.

It was love.

Her decision solidified like a spark catching flame.

I’m going to tell him.

She stood, adjusting her clothes, smoothing down her hair. Then she stepped out into the hallway and walked to his door.

She knocked gently.

No answer.

Was he out?

Maybe she should wait for another day—

“If you’re looking for Deidara, he’s probably outside, testing his artwork,” came a familiar voice behind her.

She turned quickly, heart leaping into her throat, only to find Obito standing a few steps away, dressed in a simple black kimono.

“Oh. I see. Thanks, Obito-san,” she said, trying to force a casual smile, even as her heart raced from the near scare.

Obito narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re acting weird. What’s wrong–your cheeks are red! You sick or something?”

Her hand flew to her face, which was definitely warmer than normal. 

“What?! No! I mean—I’m fine! I… I was going to confess to Deidara,” she blurted.

Obito blinked. “HUH?!”

Oh my god! Why did I say that?! She wanted to sink into the ground.

Then, folding his arms with theatrical solemnity, he gave a nod. “So the day has finally arrived.”

She groaned as a sense of annoying familiarity hit her. “Why are you acting like Tobi now?”

“Why not? I’m a romance expert, remember?” He smirked and pointed at himself with exaggerated confidence.

She laughed, the tension briefly loosening in her chest. Her thoughts flashed back to their old mission capturing the Three-Tails when he said the exact same sentence when she wanted to get out of Deidara’s friendzone reaction.

He tilted his head thoughtfully. “If you really want my advice—Deidara likes honesty. And boldness. You gotta make the first move.”

She swallowed hard. So I really have to go first–

 “Oi, [First Name]! Wanna go fly togeth—hey! Why are you with Obito?!”

Deidara appeared, a frown forming the second he saw them talking. He jogged over, a clay pouch slung around his hip.

“Uh, we were just talking about stuff! Right, [First Name]?” Obito offered quickly.

“Yeah!” she said, slightly too loud. 

Deidara narrowed his eyes, then stepped right between her and Obito. “Obito, can you just piss off, hmm?”

“Relax,” Obito muttered, waving him off with a casual ‘you got this’ thumbs-up to [First Name] behind Deidara’s back.

NO! I’m not ready!

Turning back to her, Deidara grinned. “So, as I was saying—wanna go fly? The stars are pretty tonight, hmm!”

Her knees wobbled. “I’m, uh… not great with heights—”

“I’ll keep you safe,” he said, reaching out for her hand with that same confident spark in his eyes.

The terrain blurred below them, a quilt of shadow and moonlight. The night air was cool and sharp, whipping gently through [First Name]’s hair as she sat beside Deidara at the front of his clay bird. The clouds drifted lazily beneath their feet like soft, ghostly waves, and the stars above shone with crystalline brilliance. Everything was still, silent—save for the wind, and the pounding of her heart.

“[First Name], watch this, hmm!”

Deidara tossed a handful of clay into the air with practiced ease. With a flash of his fingers, he formed a swift hand sign—and in an instant, the pieces exploded into dazzling bursts of color, scattering across the sky in streaks of red, violet, and gold. Like falling stars or meteor trails, they lit up the darkness in radiant arcs.

She gasped quietly, her eyes wide with wonder. The lights reflected in them like gemstones, shimmering with childlike awe. “It’s beautiful…”

“I know, right?” Deidara replied, grinning with pride.

She turned to him, and for a moment, her breath caught. The moonlight softened his features, and the cool wind tousled his hair just enough to make him look unfairly perfect. Her heart hammered.

This might be the night. I can’t keep this in anymore.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the bird, trying to will some courage into her chest. Then, with a shaky breath, she turned her gaze toward his.

“Deidara, listen carefully, okay? I’ll only say this once.”

He blinked, startled. “...Okay?”

“I—I like you too, okay? So… will you go out with me?!”

A deafening silence fell between them—until his face flushed a brilliant pink.

EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. Deidara: Pink.

“W-what—I—wah-huh?!” he sputtered, a flurry of emotion washing over him as a soft, rosy aura radiated from his entire body. He looked utterly caught off guard, his usual swagger completely disarmed.

[First Name] clapped both hands to her burning face. Her cheeks were on fire—no, her entire existence felt like it was combusting. Her stomach twisted, her heartbeat thundering so loud it drowned out the wind. Why did she say it like that?! 

“L-Like I said… c-can you please go out with me?!” 

Someone throw me off this bird. Right now.

Deidara let out a strangled sound before shoving his face into the sleeve of his kimono. “Y-yeah… I will!” he mumbled.

Then, without warning, he pulled her into a warm embrace.

“You’re getting so nervous, it’s making me nervous too, hmm!” he muttered against her shoulder, his voice half-laugh, half-sigh.

“I can’t help it, you know?!” she stammered, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to recover the shreds of her dignity.

The two of them stayed like that for a beat—awkward, red-faced, breathless. A tangle of limbs, emotions, and unspoken relief.

We’re both hopeless, she thought, her lips tugging into a shy smile. But maybe… that’s okay.

“Deidara,” she whispered.

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes—and then, slowly, leaned in. His lips brushed against hers with a gentleness she never expected from someone so loud, so explosive. It was careful. Timid. Real.

Their fingers interlocked.

When he finally pulled away, he grinned—wide, goofy, and brighter than the fireworks he had made earlier.

EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. Deidara: Red.

“Best night ever, hmm,” he murmured—and this time, there was no smugness in it. Just sincerity. Just them.

Chapter Text

[First Name] had made up her mind—today was the day she would confess to Sasori.

Still, a knot of guilt twisted in her stomach when she remembered the last puppetry lesson she had with him—when he had leaned in, close enough to kiss her, and she had hesitated. She had not known what to feel back then. She was not ready. She was confused.

But now, clarity burned in her chest like a quiet fire.

It was him. It had always been him.

Even when they bickered. Even when he looked at her with that unimpressed stare or teased her for being a brat. Somewhere along the way, those little moments had softened, grown warmer. He had opened up to her in his own dry, subtle way. Beneath the sharp words and calm indifference was someone who showed up for her—without asking for anything in return.

Heart pounding, she walked to his room.

Knock, knock!

“Sasori-san, may I come in?” Her voice was almost too soft, but it still echoed in the silence.

No answer.

She tried again. Still nothing.

Maybe he’s not here…?

She hesitated, then knocked once more. This time, the door creaked open under her touch.

It’s unlocked...?

Cautiously, she stepped inside.

The room was dim, filled with the scent of polished wood and faint smoke. Sasori was hunched over his desk, his upper body resting on a collection of unfinished puppet limbs. His red hair fell messily over his brow, and his head lay on his folded arms. His chest rose and fell in a quiet, steady rhythm.

Wait... he’s actually sleeping? It was the first time she saw him sleeping, which was what he was now able to do since she did restore his human body. But still she had never seen him this vulnerable before.

She crept closer, almost holding her breath. Her heart thudded against her ribs like a frantic drum. She knelt slightly, eyes fixed on his face. His features were delicate up close—long lashes resting gently on his cheeks, his mouth relaxed in sleep. His skin looked soft. Too soft. Almost doll-like.

How can someone look so perfect while unconscious?

Her cheeks burned at the thought.

Then—cold fingers suddenly curled around her wrist.

She gasped and jumped, her breath catching in her throat.

“Oi,” Sasori murmured, his voice low and teasing, “trying to sneak up on me while I’m sleeping? What a girl.”

He cracked one hazel eye open, smirking lazily. The eye contact hit her like a lightning bolt. Her face turned crimson.

“I—I wasn’t sneaking up on you!” she stammered, pulling her hand halfway back.

“Sure you weren’t.” He yawned, stretching slightly without letting go of her wrist. “What’d you come here for? If it’s candy, I’m out.”

Her eyes widened. He’s not mad? He was not even mentioning the kiss she rejected. Just… brushing it off?

“You always treat me like a child,” she mumbled, embarrassed. Her voice was thin, almost sulky, and her gaze dropped to the floor.

He tilted his head. “What? You act like a brat—what else am I supposed to do?”

Her mouth opened in protest, but he interrupted smoothly.

“—But I don’t hate it.”

That shut her up.

Sasori leaned his chin into his hand, studying her with a knowing look. “It’s actually kind of fun, seeing all the different expressions on your face.”

Her heart clenched.

Her face was burning now. She could feel the heat creeping all the way to her ears. Why did he have to say things like that so casually?

She fidgeted under his gaze, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her stomach flipped over itself.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp but curious. “Anyway, you look like you’ve got something to say. Don’t keep me waiting.”

She swallowed hard. Her mind was a whirlwind of nerves, her cheeks burning with heat, her heart thudding so loudly she wondered if he could hear it too.

“I’m… I’m sorry for pushing you away that day,” she murmured, lowering her head, unable to meet his eyes. Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper. “And I… I wanted to say that…”

Her throat tightened.

“I like you.”

Her voice cracked at the end, her face now scorching as though it had been lit on fire. She could feel the heat radiating to her ears, her fingers twitching in nervous panic.

Sasori’s eyes widened—just slightly, but enough for her to notice.

“Th-that’s all I wanted to say… so, I’ll just—”

She turned to leave, heart hammering in her chest—but before she could take a single step, an arm wrapped around her waist and gently pulled her back. The motion was fluid, careful, but firm. A hand guided the back of her head to his shoulder, holding her there as if afraid she might disappear.

Her breath hitched.

His embrace was warm—too warm—and the scent of his freshly washed kimono filled her lungs: crisp, cool mint mixed with something uniquely him.

EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED: Sasori: Pink.

“S-Sasori-san?!” she squeaked, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Her face deepened to a furious red, as if every blood vessel in her body had erupted at once. Her stomach twisted into fluttering knots as the steady, rhythmic sound of his heartbeat echoed against her chest. This—this was the first time anyone had ever held her like this. The closeness, the warmth, the quiet thump of his heart—it was overwhelming.

She stayed frozen in his embrace, not daring to move, her fingers clutching at the fabric of his sleeve. Her heart was racing, and she was sure he could feel it.

Then, at last, Sasori murmured in a quiet tone, barely above a whisper, “…You’re such a handful.”

Even without seeing his face, she could sense the complex emotion in his voice. And for some reason, she thought of the puppet of his parents he once created—how he must have longed for an embrace like this, the kind he never got to receive.

Carefully, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his back, pulling him in tighter.

His body stiffened slightly.

“…What are you doing?”

“Hugging. You… seemed like you wanted a hug.”

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, brow raised. Then he smirked.

“Don’t get too carried away, brat.”

Why did he have to look so handsome up close?! Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks reignited in flames. No, no—don’t let him win!

“So… does that mean you like me?” she asked, trying to sound bold despite her trembling voice.

He paused, raising an eyebrow as if caught off guard. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he let his arms fall away from her and turned slightly, his expression souring.

“Tch. You’ve ruined the mood. Just leave already.”

“W-wait! If you don’t say it, how am I supposed to know?!” she protested, flustered and desperate.

He stopped mid-step.

The shift in his gaze was immediate—sharp, calculating, like a puppeteer testing which strings to pull.

“…So that’s what you’re after,” he murmured.

“Wha—”

Before the word even finished escaping her lips, his hand had already cradled the back of her head, and he pulled her in—not roughly, but with a firm, deliberate grip. His lips met hers with no hesitation. But it didn’t stop there.

His mouth parted hers slowly, coaxing her lips open, and before she could even think, his tongue swept into her mouth—warm, languid, and unrelentingly intimate. Her breath hitched, a gasp caught between surprise and sensation. Her knees buckled slightly, and she clung to him instinctively, drowning in the heady mix of warmth, mint, and the dizzying, wet heat of the kiss.

It was messy. Vulnerable. Deep.

He tilted his head and deepened it further, as if he’d been waiting far too long for this moment and refused to let it go to waste. His tongue moved with slow confidence, tasting her, teasing her, claiming the answer he hadn’t spoken aloud.

When he finally broke the kiss, he hovered close—his breath mingling with hers, their lips still brushing.

EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. Sasori: Red

“Now you know,” he murmured, voice husky and low, with a flicker of something genuine behind his usual coolness.

Chapter Text

[First Name] stared at the sakura hair clip resting in her palm—the one Itachi had quietly gifted her before heading off to fight against Pein. Her fingers hovered over the delicate petals, tracing the soft contours of the flower as memories surged through her mind. She remembered the calmness of his voice when he had spoken to her, the way his eyes had softened when he saw her admiring kimonos in the shop, and that rare, fleeting smile he wore as he silently handed the clip to her, no words needed. It felt as though the moment had been imbued with something unspoken—something both fragile and intimate. Her chest tightened at the thought. Even now, the memory of his small, subtle gesture stirred a warmth inside her, a quiet tenderness she hadn't expected to feel. Her heart thudded.

Today… today she would tell him.

A surge of determination mixed with a rush of nerves welled up in her. The thought of confessing sent a shiver through her, but she couldn’t ignore how her feelings had grown for him—how the distance between them had slowly faded since that first moment they truly spoke. Even with his aloof nature, Itachi had always shown her kindness in his own way, like the clip, a small but meaningful gesture that made her heart flutter every time she touched it.

With quiet resolve, she clipped it into her hair, adjusting it with delicate fingers, then took a deep breath. Her face flushed slightly, and she could feel the weight of what she was about to do. She would tell him how she felt—how his kindness, his quiet strength, had come to mean everything to her. It was now or never.

Maybe I should make him something… she thought, her mind racing.

He does like sweets, doesn’t he? He’s probably tired of the usual wagashi by now.

She moved toward the kitchen, her hands trembling just a little as she gathered the ingredients. Butter cookies, although Western, seemed like the perfect choice—soft, delicate with just the right amount of sweetness, paired perfectly with green tea. Simple. Warm. Like the way she felt whenever he was near. It was a quiet, comforting emotion she didn’t know how to put into words, but it was there, growing stronger with each passing day.

As the familiar aroma of butter filled the air from her golden baked cookies, a soft sound of sliding doors interrupted her thoughts.

“[First Name],” a familiar voice called gently, “what are you baking?”

She nearly dropped the bowl.

“Y-You’re back early,” she said, turning with wide eyes. “I—I wasn’t expecting you.”

He stepped closer, curious. “[First Name]?”

“They're cookies,” she managed, flustered. "They go well with tea. Would you like to try one, Itachi-san?”

“Coo.. kies? That's such an interesting name, and yes, please,” he took a slow bite. His expression softened, eyes narrowing in quiet approval—and then, surprisingly, he smiled.

“They’re delicious,” he said. “Thank you.”

She inhaled deeply, willing herself not to back down. She then lowered her eyes. Come on, you can do this.

“Itachi-san, I–”

“Nii-san, Shisui-san is calling for you,” Sasuke’s voice interrupted sharply as he appeared at the doorway.

Itachi gave a slight nod. “Coming.”

Before he turned, he reached out and gently poked her forehead with his index and middle finger. “I’ll come listen later.”

Her cheeks flushed pink at the familiar, tender gesture.

Sasuke didn’t miss it. He stared at her, unimpressed. “Were you trying to confess to him?”

Her eyes widened. I’ve been found out?!  “…Yeah,” she admitted, embarrassed.

There was a brief pause before Sasuke muttered, “Well, I don’t see why not. Restoring the Uchiha clan has always been his and my plan anyway.”

Wait… Does that mean Sasuke approves?! Her thoughts were spinning. Oh my god.

Sasuke then added, his voice a little more knowing, “But he doesn’t have any experience in romance. He’s probably oblivious to it.”

Yeah… that makes sense. Itachi did show a hint of pink emotion once. Maybe he doesn’t even realize it means something...?

“I see. Thanks, Sasuke,” she smiled awkwardly, trying to process everything.

Just then, Itachi walked back in, his presence quiet yet commanding as always. Sasuke gave one last look at them before disappearing down the hallway, leaving them alone in the stillness.

Itachi looked at her, his usual stoic expression softening a little. “…So, what did you want to tell me?” he asked, his voice just a bit gentler.

Her heart raced as she stood there, trying to steady her breathing. It felt like her thoughts had turned to static, everything in her head scattered, but she knew she had to say it. You can do this.

“Itachi-san…” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “I… I like you.”

Her face flushed even harder, feeling the weight of her words. “You’ve always been kind to me, looking out for me even when you didn’t have to. And… and you bought me this hair clip…” She reached up, gently touching the clip in her hair. “I remember that, and… I just… I really appreciate you.”

EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. Itachi: Pink

His eyes widened slightly, and she swore she saw his cheeks tint with a faint pink. He did not look away this time, but there was a slight awkwardness in his stance.

“I see…” Itachi replied softly, his voice quiet but genuine. He shifted slightly, his gaze softening as he met her eyes again. “I like you too, [First Name]. You’ve been important to me for a long time.”

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and a wave of warmth rushed over her. She stared at him, her mind scrambling to process his confession.

He took a small step closer, but still remained a little distant, unsure of how to proceed. The silence between them felt suffocating, and she felt her anxiety creeping back. She had no idea how to handle this sudden shift.

Without thinking too much about it, she stepped forward, leaning in toward him. Her movement was quick, awkward, but with a small breath of courage, she pressed a soft peck onto his cheek, her lips barely brushing his skin.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she pulled back quickly, her face burning with embarrassment. She stumbled over her words, panic creeping in. “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Itachi blinked, his cheeks now tinged with a faint pink. For a brief moment, they stood there in silence, both unsure of what to do next. Then, slowly, he reached out, gently cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed against her skin in an almost shy gesture.

“You don’t have to apologize,” he murmured, his voice low, almost tender. “It’s just… a little unexpected.”

He smiled then—a small, almost shy curve of his lips—and her heart skipped a beat. The warmth of his gaze made her pulse race even faster.

“Why didn’t you just go for the lips?” she suddenly heard Karin’s teasing voice from behind.

Itachi and [First Name] both froze, their faces turning a deeper shade of pink as they turned to see Karin smirking from the doorway.

“Karin, stop bothering them,” Sasuke sighed, clearly exasperated.

“But Sasuke~” Karin whined, not backing down.

Itachi and [First Name] exchanged an awkward, shy glance, both feeling the weight of the moment. Itachi let out a quiet chuckle, breaking the tension between them. He reached for her hand, his touch warm and reassuring as he gently entwined their fingers.

EMOTION ANALYSIS ACTIVATED. Itachi: Red

“Let’s ignore them,” Itachi said softly, his smile still lingering on his lips.

Her heart fluttered at the simple act of him holding her hand, and for the first time, the air between them felt less heavy—more comfortable.

Chapter Text

[First Name] clutched the small note she had written earlier, the edges slightly crumpled from how often she’d unfolded and refolded it. Her heart had been an uneasy tide all day—rising, falling, waiting for the right moment. But how could there ever be a right time to confess to someone like Shisui?

He teased her, challenged her, protected her—and never once realized how deeply she had begun to fall for him. He had always kept a comfortable distance, never crossing a line, never asking for more than she could give. Perhaps he thought he was doing her a favor. After all, hadn’t he been the one who told her to pursue Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara? 

But that path kept curving back to him.

No matter how far she tried to run, her heart always returned to Shisui. And she could not keep it buried anymore.

There was just one problem.

He was gone.

He had disappeared without a word. At first, she thought it was just one of his usual spirit realm errands. But weeks passed. Itachi had no clues. Sasuke muttered something about “weird spirit time”. Neither knew anything. And the silence hurt more than she could admit.

Desperation settled in her chest like a stone. She dropped to her knees, fingers trembling as she began forming the seals for the Summoning Jutsu that Indra and Ashura had gifted her. Her mind conjured Shisui’s face—his smile, his eyes, the way he tilted his head when she said something dumb.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

She slammed her palm against the ground.

Nothing.

Just stillness.

She gritted her teeth and tried again.

Still nothing.

Why wasn’t it working?

“Looks like you’re in trouble, [First Name] [Last Name],” came a serene voice.

Her eyes shot up. Floating cross-legged in the air, surrounded by gentle motes of light, was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.

“... Where is Shisui-san?” she asked, breathless, pleading.

“Shisui?” Hagoromo’s voice held a distant kindness. “Ah. His time in the human world has ended. After helping seal Black Zetsu, he and I agreed it was best to sever the connection between the spirit realm and the living one. Spirits and humans were never meant to coexist for long.”

Her lips parted, but no sound came. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

“…You’re saying I can’t see him again?”

“I didn’t say that,” Hagoromo replied with a small smile. “I can offer you one final chance. A farewell, if you wish.”

Before she could respond, the world shimmered and dissolved into light.

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer at the hideout.

The spirit realm unfolded around her like a dream. The air shimmered with hues of lavender and gold, and translucent clouds drifted lazily beneath her feet. She stood on a bridge of starlight suspended over an endless sky, which led into a bustling, otherworldly town. Spirit lanterns floated above glowing stalls, casting soft light over the cobbled street. Vendors—some human, some not quite—called out in sing-song voices, selling ethereal wares: silken fabrics that danced on their own, floating calligraphy scrolls, sweets shaped like miniature constellations.

She wandered through the market in awe, but her heart remained heavy. Her feet led her on instinct alone.

Then she saw it.

A warm, familiar scent drifted toward her—the crisp, toasted aroma of rice crackers.

Uchiha Senbei.

Someone there had to know where he was!

She immediately sprinted to the shop, spotting Mikoto arranging fresh crackers behind the counter.

“Mikoto-san!” she called out, her voice trembling with urgency. “Have you seen Shisui-san?”

Mikoto looked up. Her eyes widened. “Shisui-kun? I’m sorry, [First Name]-chan, I haven’t seen him. Why are you in such a hurry—?”

But [First Name] was already backing out of the shop, heart thundering. If he wasn’t here, then—

The forest where he trained her.

She knew it without a doubt.

Her sandals pounded the soft, mossy ground as she raced through the trees, down winding paths until—

There.

By the river’s edge stood a lone figure, hands in his pockets, watching the water ripple.

“SHISUI-SAN!” she cried.

He turned sharply. “[F-First Name]-chan?! How did you even—”

She ran straight into him, throwing her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest like she had no intention of ever letting go.

“If you were leaving,” her voice trembled, muffled by his shirt, “you could have at least told me.”

He froze, stunned.

Then, slowly, gently, he placed a hand on her head. “…There, there.”

A silence stretched between them. The scent of the river, the green leaves that gently waltzed in the air, the space between realms… it all felt fragile and fleeting.

“…You know,” he murmured, “spirits and humans aren’t meant to be together. The only reason I was able to stay with you as long as I did was because of Hagoromo-sama’s help.”

She pulled back, meeting his eyes.

“But... why not?” she whispered.

Shisui looked down at her, and for the first time in a long while, his smile was faint—tinged with something more fragile than his usual playfulness.

“…Because if we stay too long in the human world, we start to forget what we are,” he said quietly. “We lose parts of ourselves. And you…” His voice softened, eyes flickering with something unreadable. “You shouldn’t have to hold onto someone who’s already halfway gone.”

She shook her head. “But you’re not gone. You’re here. You’re standing right in front of me, Shisui-san. And I still feel everything.”

A breeze passed, stirring the leaves around them. She took a small, trembling breath.

“I kept thinking… maybe it was just admiration. Maybe I was mistaking it for friendship. But no matter how many times I tried to deny it, it always came back to you.”

Her fingers curled slightly into his shirt, like she was afraid the wind would take him away.

“I like you, Shisui-san. I really, really like you. And I needed to say that. Even if it’s too late.”

There was a long pause.

“…You idiot,” he said softly.

She blinked up at him.

He smiled, this time a real one—gentle and warm, eyes crinkling at the edges, as if something in his chest finally gave in.

“Why did you wait until now to say it?” His voice was husky, almost a whisper. “You think I didn’t notice the way you looked at me? You think I didn’t feel it, too?”

He rested his forehead gently against hers, eyes fluttering closed, causing her heart to pound hardly against the chest.

“I wanted to tell you so many times… but I was afraid. Afraid that if I reached out, I’d drag you into a world that doesn’t belong to you. That I’d become the reason you couldn’t move forward.”

His thumb brushed away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen. 

“I don’t care,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I don’t care about that world, or whatever rules say we shouldn't be together. I just want to stay by your side.”

A warm wind stirred the air—and from it, a familiar presence emerged. Hagoromo appeared in a soft glow, floating just above the ground with his arms folded, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Was he here to tell her that her time's over?

“I’ve heard everything,” Hagoromo said calmly. “Love… is a powerful force. One that crosses time, fate, and realms. And your feelings, [First Name], have reached me loud and clear.”

She blinked in surprise, her breath catching.

He continued, eyes gentle. “Shisui was meant to return to the spirit realm after fulfilling his role in guiding you. But… your bond is genuine. Sacred, even. If a spirit chooses to love a human so deeply, and that love is returned with the same strength… I see no reason to sever that connection.”

Shisui stared at him in disbelief. “You’re saying…”

“I will grant Shisui a permanent place in the human world.” Hagoromo lifted his hand, a soft golden light circling Shisui’s form like a blessing. “Cherish it. And protect it.”

The light faded, and with a faint smile, Hagoromo turned to leave, fading into the wind.

There was a long moment of silence. Shisui stared at his hands, then at her, like he was still grounding himself in reality.

“…I guess this means I get to stay with you,” he said, almost breathless.

She let out a shaky laugh, tears still slipping down her cheeks—but now they glistened like joy, not sorrow. Her hands flew up to wipe at her eyes, and her lips trembled into a smile so full it almost hurt.

A warm, bubbling feeling spread through her chest—relief, disbelief, overwhelming gratitude—all tangled together in a flood of emotion she could barely contain. Her heart felt so full, as if it could burst from the sheer joy of it.

It was then he tilted his head and looked at her expectantly, a faint blush on his cheeks.

“…I’m not kissing you first,” she mumbled, averting her gaze.

Shisui grinned wide, a teasing spark in his eyes. “Really now? You’re still as stubborn as ever, [First Name]-chan.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Alright, alright. Close your eyes. And don’t peek, okay?”

She squeezed her eyes shut.

His lips touched hers—gentle, warm, a soft promise wrapped in one moment.

Her heart was still racing when they pulled apart--

Grrrgle.

A very loud, very ill-timed stomach growl echoed from her.

Shisui blinked, then burst out laughing.

“Well, someone’s hungry,” he said between laughs. “That was… honestly adorable.”

Flustered, she covered her face. “Can we pretend that didn’t just happen?”

“Nope,” he smirked. “That’s going in my memory forever.”

He reached out his hand toward her, still smiling with that familiar ease. “Come on. Let’s go grab something from the vendors. A continuation of our date—how does that sound?”

She laced her fingers with his, cheeks warm. “Perfect.”