Chapter 86.6- One Thousand Hands

My desire to explore had died a quick death, so I left the vault. There was nothing to keep my interest there. Not when so little of it was labeled. So I began to walk the village that was once Iwa. A shocking amount of it was still standing, funny enough. Toshiro and co would have their work cut out for them in leveling this place. In the middle, I could see my trench, a scar carved into the land itself. if I were a more shallow man, I would go have statues of the Raikage and I doing the seal of confrontation and give it a suitably dramatic name a la the Valley of the end.

I laughed at imagining it, and ignored the way Uzume’s eyes turned to me in concern.

“You know you don’t need to follow me around, right? I’m fine”

“I’m not following you around” She said instantly, still walking in lockstep with me. I stopped and she did the same.

“Why did you stop just now, then?”

“Because I wanted to”

“You’re a terrible liar” I said, continuing my walk and watching her do the same.

“I don’t need help” I said. “I’m not going to break down just because—“ I stopped.

“I know.” She said, and then she said nothing else.

“I’ll kill her, you know? I don’t enjoy killing people all that much. It’s just a thing. Like drinking water, or eating rice. I do it because it is the nature of the world. It’s never personal. But her? I’ll remove her skin. I’ll break open her ribs and expose her innards. I’ll have rats eat every part of her, and then heal her over and over again. I’ll torture her until she begs for death, and then and only then will I kill her. A mercy” I said.

“And that is your right” Uzume just said.

“What? You’re not going to tell me I’m being too dramatic? Not going to tell me that focusing on this woman is the worst way to live? That this kind of hatred is drinking poison and hoping to die?”

“I am an Uchiha. I understand the need to avenge family. I will kill Hanzo of Ame when the time comes. Just as you will kill this Chiyo woman. It is the nature of the world.” She said.

“Thank you Uzume” I said, turning to her with a smile. She returned it, and I felt just a bit lighter.

A/N: Another chapter and then we move on to farther and further.