Zeko and Kizura stood with their hands still clasped into the snake seal while Kotetsu walked up to their right with Jenki on the left. “This doesn’t last long as a boost, I’d say you have about eight minutes like this.” Kizura said as she moved her hand from Zeko’s.

“On the upside I have a Sharingan but on the downside I don’t think fake you cares.”

Once Kotetsu’s assessment was fully processed by Zeko his yellow aura dimmed for a second. “Wait... Why did you have to mention your eyes?”

“It’s obvious, my eyes can see exactly what’s going on with his... chakra? I don’t know what to call it anymore. And Kotetsu can protect us with his susano’o. Looks like your Rinnegan isn’t so cool right now.”

A tick mark appeared on Zeko’s head at that statement. “And he can’t even use his Rinnegan when he uses any tailed beast chakra, guess Sharingan is the best after all.”

The tick mark only grew more as even Zukako started smiling at the bickering and decided to speak up. “To be clear-“ They all shifted their attention to the figure floating lightly over the water ahead of them. “We had the Sharingan since we killed our mother... But when our Rinnegan manifested only one eye transformed while the other became normal.”

The entire group looked, mostly confused at the statement while Zeko himself was unnaturally disturbed. “I know snakes are lying little bitches and all but white rabbit was born with that eye. And his mom died in her fight, not from him. Could’ve fooled any one of the other idiots but I wasn’t born this morning.” Kotetsu flickered and clashed his chidori blade with Morsus while Zukako strained against him.

“How am I lying when he and I are the same? I’ve been getting his memories, his past, the many things he’s done. It’s only a matter of time before we see everything through each other’s eyes.”

The Susano’o ribs formed to protect Kotetsu from the explosion of black lightning that came from the black blade. Zukako took that moment to jump backwards, somehow not touching the water with his leap, a gleam crossed his serpentine eyes right as he put a hand over his mouth. Almost immediately he moved his hand and from his maw a bright red beam was sent towards Kotetsu, who leapt out of the way with his armor still surrounding him. Had he not moved he would’ve ended up like the mountains behind them, a massive hole being blown straight through the mass of rocks. “Well shit... that would have hurt.”

Kizura flashed through several hand signs before landing on tiger. ‘Fire style: Blue bird barrage.’ A gout of blue flame came from the girl’s mouth and true to the name of the technique, turned into a flock of nondescript birds. At the same time Jenki rushed in from behind and prepared a barrage of his own, all the while Zukako’s arm was barely functioning from its tenketsu being closed off. He decided to tank the flames and used a wall of sand to push Jenki backwards as the birds collided with his body, burning his scaled flesh temporarily before he started to regenerate. Unfortunately for him a palm ended up on his back and once he saw that iron sand lined a hole in his wall he saw a smirk cross Jenki’s face.

“Eight Trigrams: Hazan strike!” A vacuum of air pushed through Zukako and sent him directly into a literal coffin of iron sand. Zeko held his closed left hand out while raising his right above himself, and to the surprise of everyone who could see, red sand gathered into a tree sized spike.

“Iron sand: Bloody nailed coffin.” The spike broke the black formation in one strike, both ends protruding through.

At that exact moment Jenki voiced a concern. “Wait if he’s you can’t he use iron sand too?” The coffin shook until black clouds dispersed the entire attack and revealed Zukako with a massive hole in his abdomen that was slowly closing as he turned to the Hyūga.

“Unfortunately I can’t. I’m just a copy that was made able to do everything he showed off, if Discord didn’t see it then I can’t do it. But that only relates to his bloodline abilities.” Morsus wrapped itself around its master’s wound as he weaved two hand signs. A massive shark composed of the water underfoot formed and rushed at Jenki who got into his family stance but he flew through the air to Zeko right as the shark passed where he’d been.

“I was fine where I was geez.”

Kizura took that moment to dash at Zukako and strike with her claws but her attack was blocked without him turning. He turned and touched his bare feet to the water and began a clash with Kizura, his own strikes being barely deflected by her claws. “Super shark Bomb eats chakra to get stronger, it would’ve drained your defense until it got to you.” Kizura’s wrist was grabbed and Zukako’s hand coated with deep blue lightning, the kunoichi’s last second movement saved her chest from being impaled but did not spare her from injury.

“Damn it!” She spat a mouse shaped ball of flame into her captor’s eyes, breaking his grip and allowing her to grab her arm, shoulder barely holding it to her body, and place it back against her while a green aura came from her hand. As soon as her limb didn’t risk falling away from her body Jenki and Zeko decided to spring into action. The Hyūga appeared next to Zukako and thrust a palm out, it was nearly caught but a spike of iron sand went through Zukako’s forearm and stopped his arm.

“Eight trigrams-“ A spire of sand pushed him into the air while Zukako ripped the spike from his arm but he didn’t look back up until he heard Jenki again. “Revolving Heaven!” The rapidly spinning Hyūga formed a sphere of rotating air that dropped directly onto a surprised Zukako. Before he could sink into the ground from the assault he thrust his arm in the direction the orb was spinning and grabbed Jenki’s leg through it. Zukako held the green haired teen upside down and opened his maw of sharpened teeth.

“Tailed beast-“ In a split second Jenki was gone and Zeko was in his place with his knee ramming into his copy’s chin. The explosion from the interrupted attack sent the two flying with Zukako having recovered first. “I’m annoyed, no more games.” In that moment Zukako began to radiate killing intent, the very aura of his malice was so heavy that the each shinobi tensed. “There’s no move you have that I’ll fall for again. I’m prepared for anything.” Morsus returned to his hand and revealed his rejuvenated abdomen and his arm now moved freely

Zeko brought his friends and cousin closer and whispered a plan to them. They all nodded when he said he’d provide a distraction for everyone but didn’t elaborate on what it would be. “I don’t wanna risk him seeing what I saw or something.” Zeko looked back ahead with his chakra cloak blowing gently on him, he crossed his fingers and made seven shadow clones then leapt straight at his enemy.

‘This better be a good distraction!” Jenki got into his fighting stance while Kizura and Kotetsu held the tiger signs after weaving jutsu.

Zukako looked at the oncoming shinobi and prepared himself for any possible outcome but no amount of mental preparation could have prevented him from falling victim to what happened next.

“Take this!” With a puff of smoke the shadow clones all transformed-

‘Let’s see what I’m taking!’

“Sexy jutsu: Bikini harem jutsu!” A group of busty bikini clad women all appeared directly in front of the serpent host ranging from blonde haired beauties to dark skinned delights, all of which were perfectly statuesque and reaching their arms out tantalizingly towards Zukako with the closest one being a short platinum blonde with dark brown skin. ‘I wouldn’t have even seen this one coming, there’s no fortitude you can have for a sexy jutsu to not work.’

Kotetsu was frozen in place with a blank expression on his face but he didn’t lose focus on his prepared ninjutsu, Jenki on the other hand suffered from a nosebleed but did not falter from his position. That only left Kizura- ‘DAMN IT!’ She dropped her hands from the tiger seal and grit her teeth at what she witnessed. ‘This was your brilliant idea?!’ Her chakra cloak started glowing brighter as her fists clenched at her sides. ‘That might work on a copy of any other moron but for the sexless idiot you-‘ The women puffed away and the platinum blonde turned into Zeko who was right on top of his doppelgänger

*BAM* A knee to the solar plexus

*BAM* An elbow drop to the head

*BAM* And a resounding right hook to the jaw sent Zukako flying backwards with some of his teeth missing, face a bloody mess. ‘NO WAY!’ Kizura’s face was contorted in shock as she fell backwards in total disbelief that the half baked plan managed to work, and Kotetsu only eyed her as she hit the ground.

Zeko shook his right hand as his bones snapped back into place from his self harming strike and as soon as his hand was healed his eyes changed to their ringed state. ‘I act like I’m not a horny teen but that’s just a seal doing it’s job.’ Zeko used a universal pull to bring his copy right back towards him. “Since you’re just me the chakra flowing through your body is as plentiful meaning your reproductive system is as hyper as mine... it was the perfect distraction!” Zeko tried to grab his copy but he recovered and managed to impale the original on Morsus.

“I’m ashamed that I fell for that but bringing me right to you was stupid even for us.” Zeko grabbed the blade right before he smashed his head into Zukako’s. At the same time Jenki appeared behind the dazed Zukako and between the ridges of his exposed back saw the seal that was holding the massive serpent inside of him.

Jenki could have cracked a smirk at how simple the seal was but decided to let his words and actions display his feelings. “Let’s see what happens when you molt.” Zukako reflexively tried to swing his weapon but it didn’t budge as Zeko had a firm grip on Morsus, but Jenki was forced to jump back when more ridges burst from the serpent host’s back and nearly took his hand off.

“Hey me.” Zeko brought attention back to himself as a hand matching his cloak came from his back. “I can use my back as a weapon too.” The hand chopped the ridges away and allowed Jenki to place his hand on the unstable seal and twist it.

Faster than either of the two expected, Zukako burst with energy and sent them flying and once they recovered they saw that he was touching the water surface while holding his face, but the entire group noted that inhuman growls and warped noises were coming from him. That same shape burst from his back and reached out, growing more and more as time went by until it reformed, much faster than the first time, and looked at the group of shinobi. Zeko himself noticed that the longer he looked it in the eyes the more and more he felt like the world was slipping into...

I felt so tired, so lost in the abyss of... nothingness. It felt like years went by in such a short period but once I started to come out of it and open my eyes I saw that everything was dark, darker than the sky at night. I bit my lip out of nervousness but once I saw my arms I knew I was still powered up and I shouldn’t have felt that way, as I looked around I noticed that the only thing on the near blank terrain was a giant spire of earth that tried its best to pierce the sky. The next thing I noticed was the sound of something scraping the ground, something huge- No... something colossal was moving behind that spire, the noise only got louder with each second that passed and eventually I could only wait for the impact of something to break through the mountain entirely. But that didn’t happen, instead a massive claw grabbed hold of the mountain halfway up the body of the being was mostly hidden but it didn’t stay that way once the massive serpentine figure cooled around the landmass faster than its size should’ve allowed.

It’s ruby eyes stared at me intensely, awaiting any action but there wasn’t any that came to mind. I didn’t feel threatened so I didn’t raise a hand to fight, and once it managed to see that it rumbled and then spoke. “I have witnessed the birth of many stars. And I have travelled the edges of this world.” As it spoke it came down the mountain and crept closer until it was only mere meters in front of me. “I’ve tasted the blood of many godly beings, and I can give you their power. You could destroy civilizations, create worlds all with the flick of your wrist... and all I ask-“ It coiled ahead of me. “Is for you to be my vessel, you to hold me within you as the fake did.”

I steeled myself before responding. “Why? Why should I do that? Better yet why would I do that?” I watched every minor movement the serpent made, awaiting any form of a response from it. It took a few moments for the monster to decide to speak to me again but its words were clear.

“Very few can survive being my host, and I require one to prevent being locked away. You would not deny this if you were smart, I’ve seen into you and I know your goals.” It extended one of its massive claws and a dark red flame formed in it. “My weapon is already in your hands, accept the offer and you will rule as a lion among sheep.” I felt myself reaching out to the flame, whispers of power and everything I could imagine being told directly into my mind.

But over that I heard something else, something reminding me that accepting this would be the opposite of what I stand for something that allowed me to swat its claw away with an enlarged hand of my own chakra. “No. I don’t need some fake god trying to give me the same power up as a fake Zeko. I’ll keep using my own skills to get that title on my own.” I formed a long chakra rod from my right hand. “As the real Zeko!” I stabbed myself through the abdomen and the entire world around me fell apart, the last thing I heard was the roaring of the massive snake as it’s mountain crumbled.

Zeko snapped out of his daze in time to dodge the same blast of energy that Zukako wildly sent at his cousin. “Now you decide to come back!?” Speak of the devil, Kotetsu was being held up by Kizura with blood coming from his closed right eye. “This thing’s been kicking our asses for the last two minutes!” Zeko looked at the dragon and saw that the damage done to it for the moment was regenerating even as Jenki ran up to it.

“Water style: Typhoon Cone!” In his right hand was a cone of water that he used to drill a hole through one of the limbs of the serpent but as soon as he landed his attack he had to dodge the swipe from an impossibly flexible tail but ended up being struck dead on and sent into the water covering the ground.

“Kotetsu drained his bone thing and Jenki’s been distracting that so you didn’t die.” Kizura said as Jenki appeared on the back of the dragon, holding onto a kunai that was embedded deeply between scales.

‘Coarse fist technique: Chakra burst.’ Jenki slammed a palm onto a large scale and leapt away with his kunai in hand, as soon as his hand made contact the serpent let loose an ear splitting roar and once he left the area of its back it began to swell. A moment later and part of the serpent’s back was blown off and it was screeching in pain. The kunai appeared at Zeko’s feet and instantly Jenki was there with it. “So now you’re back with us? I had to use coarse fist on this thing, it won’t stay hurt.”

“Did you try hitting the soft spot on its chest?” The obvious to Zeko was sometimes not so for others.

The Hyūga shook his head. “Can’t get close, it goes ballistic and blasts right in front of it every time. Kotetsu burned through his Susano’o trying.”

“Yeah I need to get to a hospital if I wanna keep seeing. Her healing isn’t helping me.” Kizura decided to let go of Kotetsu entirely and let him drop to the water underfoot. “Speaking of which-“ He got up and shook like a dog to get the water off his head. “Don’t you want that sword out of you?”

Zeko looked down and saw that he was still impaled but brushed it off. “I’ll keep it in case I need some spare chakra, for now let’s bust his chest Kizura.” The kunoichi shook out of her daze and jumped ahead while shifting back into the two tails. Once she was transformed she was still dwarfed by the snake by a wide margin but that didn’t stop her from launching a blast of blue flames into its face, the serpent was sent reeling but only for a moment as its back was nearly healed and the scorch its face took was only surface level.

Zeko walked forward and popped his neck as sand gathered around him but he pushed it back with a hand motion and instead clapped his hands together causing a mass of chakra to appear and take form. “That’s not what Shukaku looks like!” Kotetsu yelled once the mass took shape.

The mass looked back at him and smiled, mainly in the eyes as it’s mouth was stuck with a massive underbite and yet it’s “teeth” perfectly interlocked to form a stoic expression. “It’s what I see him as though.” Zeko’s voice came from the amalgam of the first and nine tailed beasts, head and tail matching the tanuki while the body and limbs resembled the nine tailed fox. If anything Zeko saw this as a compliment to the pair and his homage to respecting them both but he always could tell that neither of them would appreciate the sentiment. ‘We only have another minute like this so I’m just gonna put it all in.’ Zeko rushed in while Kizura was drawing the enmity of the serpent and leapt at the soft spot on their enemy and got exact response he planned for.

The dragon stopped dealing with Kizura and snapped to grab the cloaked Zeko with its forelimbs and succeeded. “So when is this plan supposed to get good?!” Jenki cried out as the dragon opened its maw and revealed an orb that was about to turn into a landscape changing blast but this was all apart of another hastily formed plan by Zeko and he quickly jumped out of the opened mouth of his tailed beast form.

Four chakra arms formed from his back as he fell towards the chest that looked like cracked glass. “Tailed beast bomb!” A heavy purple orb formed between all four arms and was the first thing to make contact with the chest of the dragon, the scales of the beast were blown off entirely and raw red skin was exposed as the dragon wailed in pain once more too. The massive damage seemed perfect but Zeko was the closest and noticed the problem of what was going to happen once his eyes saw that the flow of energy throughout the dragon- “I broke open a gate!” His tailed beast form used its tail to lash at one of the arms holding it and broke free, grabbing its creator as it leapt to him while the dragon looked towards the group of shinobi and prepared an even stronger blast than before.

The tailed beast form Zeko took dissipated as his chakra cloak left him in his normal state, his clothing still having scraps of the chakra he had and managing to hold their form. Kizura flickered next to him as Jenki and Kotetsu sat behind the two, Kotetsu holding his right eye while Jenki tried to stand up but was exhausted and only wobbled before going back to kneeling. “Any more plans that shouldn’t work? Because I don’t have any protective jutsu!”

“Shut up Hyūga! You don’t have shit cause your eyes suck!” Kotetsu spat as he tried to remove his hand but searing pain struck him when he tried.

Jenki smirked at the act. “At least I don’t go blind using my eyes.”

“No but you’re already blind.”

Zeko looked back at the two. “Shut the hell up! Neither of you are helping the situation!” Zeko looked forward and raised his hands, forming both a spear of normal iron sand and creating a wall of it ahead of the group. He made a shadow clone and used both of his hands to hold the wall up while his clone sent the spire forward. The dragon fired its beam directly at the wall of iron sand, Zeko grit his teeth and held up the defense knowing that at the moment he had to protect his worn out friends, he took his right hand and grabbed the blade still lodged in his abdomen and drained it of whatever energy he could find and felt himself rejuvenated while his clone charged forward with the iron spire over his head.

The clone saw an opening as soon as it was away from the wall but got closer since he only had one shot, and once he reached the perfect distance he reeled his arm back. With a grunt he sent the spire straight for the soft spot and by the time Apoxis saw it it was too late. With a disgusting squelching he was gored right through the chest and lost control over his blast as his body spiraled and wildly flailed in pain, the massive amount of muscle that he had failing to stabilize him as his attack cut right through the mountains that were just formed and weakened until it stopped and allowed him to drop to the ground. The shaking of the earth was the sign that it was safe for Zeko to drop his shield and pant heavily.

Before anyone could confirm whether or not their quarry was dead, Kizura quickly weaved hand seals and placed her hand on Zeko’s back which let him fully gain his cloak again to match her however before the two could finish the dragon off a mass of trees formed ahead of them and from it walked Ano who raised her wooden arm and immediately her wolves ran up to the dragon. None of the shinobi could speak as the wolves broke apart and began to form a massive door behind the fallen dragon who weakly tried to resist as the construction was nearly finished and the door opened revealing a soft green aura.

“If you have anything to say to him now would be the time.” Ano said with a warm smile. Kizura and Zeko quickly went back into their tailed beast forms, Zeko forming hand seals while Kizura only opened her mouth.

“Fire style: Sapphire scorch!” A gout of blue and black flames came from the two tails’ mouth.

“Wind style: Great Desert Howl!” Once Zeko’s construct opened its mouth it began to inhale through it, air spiraled around and formed what looked like an orb until it exhaled and a powerful spiral of air came barreling from its mouth, meeting and enhancing the flames that Kizura spat at the dragon, blasting it towards the door which practically swallowed it and slammed shut noiselessly. The two went back to their normal forms, only their clothes showing they were cloaked in tailed beast chakra. Zeko took his chance to fully absorb the energy from Morsus and remove the blade from himself. The water on the battlefield was evaporated with the massive energy output and revealed the ground to be decently soaked as Morsus hit the dirt with a sound like a sponge being tapped.

“I have to thank you all for doing the heavy work in ridding this world of Apoxis. I can now remain awake until he awakens again and have a much easier time when he resurfaces.”

Zeko rubbed the back of his head, where his hair was once again red. “I couldn’t have done it as well without my friends being here, especially Kizura since I can’t use that special mode without her.” The mentioned kunoichi pulled Zeko against her and smiled

“And I can’t do it without him, as annoying as he is.”

Kotetsu gagged before deciding to speak. “Why don’t you just fucking kiss each other while you’re at it?”

The pair only smiled as Kizura softly took Zeko’s cheek in her left hand and held around him in her right, Zeko embracing her with both arms as the two leaned into a passionate kiss. The entire world falling away around them, being replaced by light and cherry blossoms where even the sounds of Kotetsu’s dry heaving and Jenki’s encouragement didn’t meet them. Eventually their passion came to an end and they separated, their cloaks completely dropping as their clothes returned to normal showing that the two may not have been as damaged visibly but their outfits showed they only recovered and still were at some points injured like their friends. “Don’t ask and be upset when you receive cousin.” Zeko didn’t look at his relative but still heard him having a fit.

“I’m okay with sharing but I need to know... have you and Touka...” Zeko immediately knew what she meant and blushed. “Wha-“

“It’s only to help when she’s... you know how girls get better than me, chakra enhanced bodies aren’t perfect y’know.” Kizura puffed her cheeks adorably at the statement.

“You never act like it bothers you.”

They let each other go as Zeko smirked. “I can’t tell all my secrets, Jenki knows that best.” Said Hyūga tried to get up again and found himself much more stable but his happy expression changed to horror quickly as his mouth opened.

“MOVE!” Zeko turned and moved away in time to see his one of his true loves only a foot away with a hand coated in lightning through her lower chest and only inches from his own. But before he could act it quickly reached his face and pulled out his left eye.

“Well it’s good to have this back, I was trying to make sure I hit your heart but things can’t go perfectly all the time can they... me?” Zeko could see his copy behind Kizura’s form, she fell forward and he caught her as his left eye clenched shut. “It’s good that you made the silent chidori, I mean what type of assassination jutsu should be as loud as a thousand birds?” Zukako was still shirtless but most of his snake like features were gone and only the occasional cluster of scales were on his body.

“How dare you-“ Zeko was cut off once a chakra rod entered his arm, he took the hit to save Kizura from any more harm and immediately sent her towards Jenki who caught her effortlessly. Zeko ripped the rod out and stood up.

Zukako had a wicked smile on his face and he chuckled at Zeko’s action. “Come on then, I’m still itching for a fight. I kept enough of that stupid snake’s life force for this so don’t disappoint me. But as a reminder I’m you and I know all your tech-“

“Eight trigrams-“ Zukako opened his eyes and looked to Jenki but saw that It wasn’t him who was preparing a Gentle fist technique but the crouched form in front of him was the original Uchiha he was formed from. “You know how I fight but do you know how Hitari fights?”

‘He’s copying my sister? But that was five years ago and one time! Wait he can’t even see the tenketsu, this has to be a bluff... unless he- he memorized the sketch I made back then?!’ Jenki remembered the time Zeko spent in the Hyūga estate so many years ago and all the events occurring from their first spar to seeing his elder sibling fight, and even Zeko teaching Jenki the necessity of death... Jenki Hyūga realized realized that even he still underestimated the Uchiha sometimes.

The eight trigrams symbol formed beneath Zeko but instead of a yin and yang symbol it was instead a series of ripples matching his remaining eye. With all kanji being replaced by three tomoe marks in their stead. “Uchiha copy fighting styles and I’ll admit the Hyūga have a good one, but I can make it better with my tweak. One hundred twenty eight draining palms!” Zeko burst forward and struck faster than most of the group could even notice, the only one keeping up was Kotetsu and even then he was barely managing as Zukako was struck from every angle almost at once until Zeko appeared in front of him and delivered a final palm strike to his copy’s chest.

Zukako was launched into the wooden door, his chakra dangerously low until a maniacal grin spread across his face. “What’ll happen if I drain this damn door?!” He started to siphon power from said construct, whether his goal was to free Apoxis or simply have more energy was unknown but Zeko spared him no time as his remaining eye gained three tomoe.

“Like hell you will!” Zeko extended his right hand and clenched his fist at the door. Zukako was confused until the ground started to break apart and head for the wooden construct. “Chibaku tensei!” The door floated into the air as more and more earth gathered around it. Zukako moved quickly once he figured out the attack, otherwise he’d have been stuck right away. Once the door was no longer visible under the earth that flew at it Zukako snarled and looked at Zeko before forming an onyx chidori in his right hand, his left eye gaining three tomoe as well. He charged directly at Zeko and right before he managed to strike him the duo vanished entirely.

Kizura stirred at that moment, the damage done to her having closed enough render her conscious and as she looked around at the shocked faces of Kotetsu and Jenki she could only ask one questions hat she asked with a faint voice. “Where’s Zeko?”

A silent and tranquil place, the ground was somehow blue and cracked. The air acrid and still while there were no signs of life around... that is until two young men came from the air and landed directly onto the ground, one of which was hit in the right pectoral by a hand coated in black lightning. Immediately Zeko kicked his clone off him and flipped onto his feet, green aura coming from his hand to close his wound. “You know I’ve seen so much of your life through these memories, and I can’t for the life of me see why you deserve to LIVE IT!” Zukako exclaimed.

Zeko was silent as he mended himself, leaving Zukako to grasp his head in pain. “Probably because it’s mine.” Zukako looked up once Zeko spoke and that comment only added to his rage

“No! NO! Every single time something happens you play blame off to someone else! You didn’t even avenge your mother... YOU KILLED HER!” Zeko froze as the memory of what happened that day flooded back to him. “You know that the Mist wasn’t responsible. You KNOW that it’s your fault and yet you act like it’s not. You know that Touka wasn’t kidnapped by them but you never did anything to make up for the massacre you had in your anger, ‘I’ll tear Kirigakure down!’ Sound familiar?!”

“It does, but guess what? It’s still my life and I’ve never wasted any sacrifice made for me.” Zeko stood up to match his copy.

“But guess what else?! You couldn’t even bother coping with things yourself! We both know that everytime you wanted to cry you had Ichika there singing... even when nothing was wrong you made her waste her time, your own cousin- No, your own sister there patching up your injuries even when they weren’t there. Just because you wanted a replacement mom.”

Zeko closed his remaining eye, his fists balled at his sides but as he did this he felt no anger and instead looked forward. “And guess what? After you’re dead she’ll be there to sing it all over again, I can almost hear it now.”

A young Zeko stood across from a girl his height, blue haired with vibrant green eyes. Both holding the seal of confrontation, the sandstone they stood on was cracked from drought.

Zeko and Zukako opened their eyes and rushed at each other and threw punches that connected but overshot, both turning back with an elbow aimed at the other. Neither made contact as the other caught the attack but they didn’t give in as they kept up the flurry of strikes, both trying to breach the other’s defense. Zukako throwing hard strikes while Zeko caught them and tried to pay back with swift jabs, a fierce one forcing him to jump back with his clone in pursuit.

Touka and Zeko tried their hardest to crack through the other’s fighting style, Zeko doing his best to employ his brutish nin-taijutsu techniques while Touka only brushed them off with her carefully executed strikes. She managed to land a hit to his chest and followed it with-

A kick off the ground that let Zeko pull off two more kicks to Zukako’s chest but they were tanked through and only led to Zeko being grabbed by the heel and slammed to the ground, in his daze Zeko saw the oncoming heel and rolled to see the newly formed crater where he’d been. He pulled a kunai out and charged back at his copy and-

Slashed at his torso. Touka missed but pressed on with her assault while Zeko dodged and used his hard hitting fighting style to keep the blade at bay, managing to almost trip his partner as she attacked. She tossed the kunai into the air and resumed her quick jabs while-

Zukako slugged hard against Zeko’s arms, each hit landing but they were turned to where the damage was superficial. Zeko managed to pull off a knee strike to the side and side flipped to grab his kunai and throw it through Zukako’s cheek. This earned him a hard left hook that sent him rolling across the ground, while Zukako pulled out the offending object and cracked his neck while forming a short chakra rod and running to Zeko.

Touka clashed her crystal kunai with Zeko’s iron ones with the clanging resounding throughout the area, they clashed until Zeko managed to slip an arm against Touka’s and somehow snaked his body along hers until his leg was at her throat and-

Zukako forced Zeko to the ground and stabbed but his wrist was hit by Zeko’s foot, and he had to block the rod coming for his throat. Zukako threw his own strike but Zeko caught it and deadlocked the two, both trying to overpower the other until they both grinned. “I need this.” They said in unison as they used each other’s hands to form seals and kicked each other in the chest.

‘Katon: Gōrūka no jutsu!’ A dragon shaped flame coursed ahead and it was-

Smirked at by a prepared Zeko.

Touka crouched and inhaled for her-

“Suiton: Mizurappa!” A powerful stream of water left Zeko’s mouth and collided with the flame dragon, bringing heavy steam to the area. Zukako ran into the cover, Zeko hearing his footsteps all the way. A sound to his left made Zeko turn and fling his chakra rod but once the steam cleared the only thing there was his kunai wrapped in cloth. He turned and was greeted by Zukako’s shin slamming him into the ground.

Zukako looked down at Zeko and drove the rod down but the earth under him split and another Zeko burst out and grabbed him from behind. ‘This... is a fake, you’re in front of me!’ Zukako elbowed behind himself and drove his chakra rod down only to see Zeko turn to sand.

They always fall for the sand, Zeko felt something grab around his waist and pull him up and over into a perfect suplex-

Zukako laid on the ground in pain until he started to get up and felt a kunai at his neck.

Touka stood over Zeko, and as he saw the kunai in her hand he saw that the match was hers.

Zeko quickly pulled out the other Rinnegan and placed it back into his eye, Zukako didn’t even register the pain as he felt something new in his chest. “Well I lost, but I’m not even upset. Bleached fang is hard to counter after all... but we know that.” Zeko’s face was unchanged, still stoic as he held the kunai in place. “No monologue about how I was doomed to lose? No ‘The difference is that I lived it all and you just got the memories’ or anything?”

“Do I even have to say it if you know?” Zukako tried to form a sentence but couldn’t find any words and laid back once more. His face slowly formed into a frown as his sole eye began to tear.

“I didn’t choose to be made just to fight you, Discord had no actual plan for me. I don’t even know what I’d have done if I won, I had no path I had nothing!” Zeko listened intently to himself. “I started getting your memories and I just wanted a chance at being happy, I wanted to experience it!” He cried to himself, hypocrisy not being lost on Zeko as he remembered the prior conversation.

“In the end you’re still me, and the fact that I have those memories means you did live them. Even if not directly you still felt the emotions I felt, I’m willing to bet by now you felt how glad I was to kiss Kizura and think this was over.” Zukako only wept more at the words.

“Sh-Shut up!” He exclaimed as he tried to wipe his tears but he couldn’t stop them. He kept trying even as he felt his arms getting weaker and his body giving up, he tried his best to give Zeko one last message but couldn’t speak at all due to his cut throat but deep down he knew his message was clear.

Enjoy her song

Ano rooted into the ground to feel for the presence of the real or even the fake Zeko but nothing could be found by her. Jenki used his Byakugan but also saw nothing that was out of the ordinary until a spiral formed in the air. “Something’s coming!” The group looked in his direction and saw that under the floating mass was a spiral that let out Zeko, who unceremoniously dropped to the ground.

“Well I think that’s nine months well spent, let’s go home.” Zeko stood up with a bloody kunai in his hand and walked to a shocked Kizura who quickly embraced him, he returned the action immediately as the other two came over.

“I suppose this is our last time speaking, I wish you luck in your life Zeko. I’ll be sure to tell your pony friends of your departure.” Zeko looked at Ano and offered a smile which she returned and once she did she sprouted roots to bring the planetoid down and began to form a hill around to blend it in with the area.

Kotetsu wordlessly took the group into his dimension where Zeko quickly split to go to the rift he’d left near Canterlot and closed it with a wave of his hands, with that he let his eyes return to normal. And went back to the group where Jenki just picked up Nouka. Kotetsu let Jenki, and Zeko out as they held the unconscious artist. As the rift closed they saw Kizura waving goodbye while Kotetsu put up two fingers to signal the same. Jenki pulled a scroll from... somewhere and pulled his phone out. “Well it’s only nine so I can get Nouka to the hospital, I hope Rya doesn’t get too worried about what happened.”

“Just being clear, this is all a secret between us.” Zeko stated and earned a nod from Jenki.

“You coming with me? It takes three days for you to get home and all so you can stay-“

Zeko waved it off as he pulled out his own scroll and brought out his phone. “Yeah it’s early, I’ll grab a bottle of water and just run. I’ll be back this time tonight.”

Jenki gaped, his eyebrow raised high. “You’re gonna make a three day trip in twelve hours?” They started to walk towards the hospital, with Zeko stopping at a vending machine and grabbing a bottle of purified mineral water.

“It’s about twenty eight hundred kilometers, so I’d have to go at two hundred forty eight to make it in roughly twelve hours. That’s not that hard of a task and it’s why I’m bringing the water, I’m not gonna take a break. I’ll get some ramen before I go.” Jenki decided to chalk it up to the “don’t worry about it” list and carried his friend to the hospital while Zeko walked around and managed to find a ramen restaurant . “Ichiraku‘s, been a while.” Zeko walked to the door and opened it. He went to the bar and was greeted by the woman and man working there.

He ignored the stares at his hitai-ate and any side comments about him being from the sand and sat down. “What’ll you have young man?” The woman asked without even caring about his village affiliation which made Zeko lighten up some.

“I’ll just have miso ramen with chashu pork.”

She smiled and began to prepare the order as the man came up. “That’ll be three hundred ryo.” Zeko produced the money and handed it off to the man as he took a sip of his water. Of course his peace wouldn’t last as someone hit the bar next to him and looked at him.

“So a Suna-nin is in Konoha? Pretty suspicious to me...” A pale faced chunin said from beside Zeko but he was ignored as his ramen was brought to him.

“Enjoy your ramen sir.”

Zeko quickly began to eat his food as the man next to him only squinted. “Ignoring me doesn’t put you in a better light kid, who are you and why are you in Konoha?”

Zeko only continued to eat his ramen, being halfway done already. He looked to his phone and saw that he’d just received a number of calls and text messages over the last few months. “Shit I should’ve known.”

“Known that you have no reason to be in this-“

“Shut up.” Zeko was finished with his meal and had stood up, he barely came up to the man’s chest but his aura wasn’t anything less than threatening. “You’re here having your prejudice all because my village doesn’t have all the important history, you won every war and you have everything. How about you humble yourself before I do?” Other people eating looked at the two shinobi having their dispute, some taking out phones of their own to document the issue.

“Y-You’re talking to a chunin you know, it doesn’t matter how strong you think you are I know a genin when I see one.”

Zeko laughed loud enough to be heard by all other patrons and by the time he stopped the chunin was more nervous. “You don’t know who you’re talking to do you? Don’t worry about it, I’m not gonna brag about what I can do or how you’re outmatched in every way. No what I’ll do is ask for your name.”

“My name?”

“Are you deaf? What is your name? I just want to know who I can report to Granny Sarada for being so hostile to a shinobi of an allied village, much less one of her grandkids.” All of the patrons gasped and the chunin looked just shy of wetting himself out of fear. “But I don’t need to even get your name, people record things like this to report on their own. See ya.” With that Zeko left the restaurant and an even paler chunin who sat down to assess how royally screwed he was if what he just heard was true.

Zeko reached the village gate and got checked out by ANBU there, being allowed to leave without anyone having to tail him. At this time Zeko got to the outskirts of the village and decided to get into a sprinting stance as he saw a relative straightaway through the dense forest. His blood pumped as he crouched and took off without a second thought. ‘It’s good to be back.’

The wind blew through his hair as he started moving at inhumane speeds to make up for distance and within the hour managed to break through the dense foliage and reach more clear sections of land, passing small towns and roads in his wake. He drank more of his water as he continued to run, taking no time in stopping. By his fourth hour he managed to clear a great deal of plains and entered forests once again and eventually realized he was in the land of rivers, managing to run over a number of them in his sprint.

Hour eight brought him into the ever familiar land of wind and the harsh desert terrain he knew and loved. By the eleventh hour he could see the wall to Suna so he slowed down dramatically to the point where he started to suffer from whiplash but pressed on as the gate got closer and closer and even when ANBU stopped him he kept his momentum going as he handed off his identification. “I’m on a roll don’t stop me till I meet the gate!” The gate began to open once they realized Zeko really had no intention of pausing his advance and he made it through right as his phone decided to go off. “Twelve hours exactly, suck it Jenki!” The gate closed behind him as he looked around and saw that the access walkway was larger than he remembered.

Zeko walked through and saw that the village was mostly unchanged save for a few new buildings here and there but being relatively poor would cause very few changes in less than a year. He walked around the main road and saw a few familiar faces some of which were shop owners and others were fellow shinobi. As he walked around he felt a presence behind him but decided to ignore it for the time being until he felt it get much closer. He wasted no time in using his sand to grab the hand of the offender but once he saw a Crystal kunai drop to the ground he knew exactly who was following him. “Where have you been... this last year?” She said quietly as to not wake anyone sleeping but her anger dripped into every word.

“I found the perfect place to train so I lied to my ‘parents’ about it and I’ve improved greatly along the way and made a number of friends.” Zeko bluntly stated before he was immediately grabbed into a hug by his other love, however this one was just shorter than him so it didn’t put a crick in his neck. He stroked her hair as she wept into his beaten up top.

“You can’t just leave for that long and say nothing, at least before you’d tell me and we’d be able to talk sometimes. You just up and left!” She tried to prevent herself from yelling but the gentle stream of tears coming down her face was testament to her emotions.

“I’m sorry but it came up from nowhere and I didn’t want to endanger the people I was with, let’s just say I definitely wasn’t in the elemental nations.” He finished with a peck to her forehead. “We can talk tomorrow, I need to get home since my last day there wasn’t very forgiving.” He gestured to himself and showed the holes, rips, and burns on his outfit. Touka nodded and gave a final hug before Zeko walked off.

“At lease text me before you sleep!” She said before taking her own leave from the street. Zeko walked until he reached a door that was by a sand fall that fell into a darkness he couldn’t make out in the night.

“Well shit here we go.” He pulled out a key and unlocked the door and walked down the stairs that led to his subterranean home. He unlocked a second door and walked inside. “I’m ho-“

“Where have you been?!” A masculine voice rang. “I don’t even care to know, where are they?”

“Where are what old man?”

The man’s face grew red as the woman seated at the table only came to the commotion. “Where are your children? Wives or whatever you have now? You were gone for nine months Zeko, you can’t have come back empty handed.” She said in a sing song voice.

“So where are they?” Zeko only shrugged his shoulders and started to walk towards a hallway with a downwards spiral staircase but the man stopped him. “In case you forgot brat, we own you and any kids you make. This village is poor enough as it is and as a noble family we have to help that pain by-“

“Whoring me out? Don’t worry about it, because at the end of the day I’m not a Kusanabe and I’ll be damned if I’ll keep up the charade of being one.” Zeko continued his walk as the two adults were left in their anger. “I’m moving out within the week, I don’t want anything to do with you two anymore. I plan on taking Ichika with me unless you two want to be real parents to my cousin?” He turned and looked at them but the only thing that happened was that a wok was thrown at him but the sand came to his defense.

“You can take that useless bitch with you, I expect rent for every month that you were eighteen. I know you don’t have it so don’t be upset when you really have to learn what it means to whore someone out, but nobody will want that little-“ In a flash Zeko stood in front of the man with the same kunai that had, by all accounts, his blood on it and it was pointed upwards to the man’s throat.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Don’t forget who the Jonin is Kusuo.”

Kusuo didn’t falter but instead chuckled. “And now I know you’re acting tough, you aren’t a jonin. I may not have ever signed up to die like that idiot of a sister but I still can see through a liar.”

“Well if I’m being honest I’ll be a jonin before Kotetsu’s wedding if all goes well. I texted Rei and asked him to get me registered so now I just need recommendations. I’ll pass the test no problem.” He concealed the kunai and turned back around. “I’m going to sleep, unless one of you is dying don’t bother me.”

“Rikia I don’t know what to do about that... that monster anymore. You saw the look in his eyes, he wanted to kill me then and there.” Kusuo looked at his wife who picked up the thrown cooking pan.

“I’m more surprised that he didn’t bring home any women or kids. You don’t think he’s gay do you? If we’ve been wasting the last five years then I don’t know what I’d do.”

In the stead of his arguing family Zeko descended the staircase by ten feet and opened the door to his room but once he opened it he was hit by light and the smell of citrus and immediately knew who’d been occupying his living space. “Ichika.” The noise of a shocked girl invaded Zeko’s ears and a blushing one looked at him as she laid in his queen size bed. “Well I’m back.”

His younger sister figure spared no time in running up to him and hugging him around the chest, she was even more physically stunted than he was since they were only two years apart in age but she barely reached his neck. “I missed you Nii-Nii! I’ve been sleeping in your room ever since you left so you’d tell me all about where you were and-“

“Ichika.” She looked up at him, eyes full of childlike wonder despite her being a teenager. “I love you.” He pat her head and made her blush again but she earnestly hugged him more. “I’m tired Ichika, do you mind singing to me?”

Ichika was surprised that Zeko had to ask since he knew she liked singing him to sleep when he was upset so hearing him ask instead of tell was nothing short of surprising but she nodded, her red hair waving about as she did. She ran and jumped excitedly into his bed, her lilac pajamas ruffling as she did. Zeko himself only took the time to discard his battered top and his chain mesh undershirt. He went to his dresser and looked at himself in the mirror. “Nii-Nii you can leave them on, I don’t mind seeing.”

Zeko smiled at her but continued to grab for his sternum and he pulled a flap away, revealing a sealing tag. As soon as it was removed the area around his eyes turned dark to match the dark lines around them, giving his face a natural mask. The next thing to happen revealed dark markings that formed very similar symbols along his arms and torso. “Thanks Shukaku, I take the birthmarks in stride.” Zeko went to his bed and jumped in beside his cousin quickly rolling to be face up directly between her legs. “You can start whenever you want.”

Again Ichika was shocked by the formality but closed her eyes and scratched his head. Zeko started to think of the last nine months he spent away.

“Hush little baby don’t say a word, mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won’t sing, mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.”

He remembered every fight he was in and every path he got to train that he wasn’t allowed before hand, every new friend or ally that he made along the way also popped into his head.

“And if that diamond ring turns brass, mamas gonna buy you a looking glass.”

He smiled at being back.

“And if that looking glass gets broke, mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat.”

He let out a tear for the friends he lost.

“And if that billy goat don’t pull, mama’s gonna buy you a cart and mule. And if that cart and mule turns over, mama’s gonna buy you a dog named rover.”

“Thank you Ichika, you’re the best sister I could have.” Zeko whispered before he fell into the most restful sleep he’d had in months while his imouto followed him shortly after, smile on her face as she laid back on the many pillows of his bed.

‘Sleep well Nii-Nii.’

Author's Notes:

I stayed up all night, midnight to 7am for this. My thumbs hurt, my eyes are sore, and my neck is screaming. Worth it... this branch of RES is done and I decided against an epilogue in the end, I figure I had things end well enough for our protagonist.

For all the readers thank you for sticking along these last two years and I’ll be on Fanfiction soon enough to get the main story done proper for all of these dysfunctional shinobi.

See ya next time.

(Also shoutout to my primary artist sirsams552 on insta, he does great work and he’s a better friend)