A Despicable Thunderbolt

"What happened, Jiraiya?"

Seeing Jiraiya standing outside the tent with that look on his face, Sakuya frowned and went over to ask, "Why does the camp look like this?"

"Oh, Sakuya... You're back?"

When Jiraiya saw Uchiha Sakuya, it was as if he'd found someone to rely on. His spirits visibly lifted. "I heard about what you did behind Iwagakure's lines. That was incredible, Red Flash."

"It was nothing. I was just doing what I had to do."

Sakuya looked around, then asked quietly, "What exactly happened here at the camp? Did we lose a battle? Why does everything look like a disaster?"

"We didn't lose, at least. With Senior Sakumo commanding us, we've been fighting Iwagakure fiercely. You could say we've had mixed results."

Jiraiya shook his head.

"Then what—"

"Yesterday morning, Blue B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki from Kumogakure, attacked our camp by surprise."

Jiraiya told Sakuya what had happened the day before. "We weren't prepared. Three jōnin were killed, and more than twenty were seriously injured..."

"Huh?"

Sakuya, who had just fought Blue B, looked startled. "That guy attacked our camp too?"

"...What do you mean, 'too'?"

Jiraiya looked confused.

"I just fought him over in Iwagakure's territory."

Sakuya patted the scroll on his back, speaking as casually as ever. "I was carrying out a mission to cut off the Rock Ninja supply lines. Afterward, Blue B ambushed me. But he wasn't all that strong. I beat him so badly he had to flee with his tail between his legs. See? I sealed the tail he left behind and brought it back."

"He... wasn't all that strong?"

Jiraiya's face stiffened.

The wounds wrapped in bandages all over his body were courtesy of that supposedly "not all that strong" Blue B.

Hearing Sakuya speak so casually about the man who had nearly killed him, Jiraiya's throat bobbed. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Fortunately, Orochimaru came out of the tent and rescued him.

"Has Sakuya returned?"

"Orochimaru, you're injured too?"

Sakuya frowned slightly at Orochimaru, who was covered in wounds as well.

"So you already know what happened here."

Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya, then at Sakuya, and immediately understood the situation.

"In that case, let's go inside the tent. You can say your final goodbye to Dan."

"What!?"

Sakuya's expression changed. "What happened to Dan Katō?"

"...Blue B attacked the camp yesterday. Dan was trying to save me when his Lariat pierced his chest."

Jiraiya lowered his head as he explained Dan's condition.

"We did everything we could to save him all day, but..."

Orochimaru sighed. "Sakuya, you were Dan's friend too. Come with us and see him one last time."

"Dan Katō..."

Sakuya felt a pang of sorrow.

The original story said Dan would die during the Second Shinobi World War, but Sakuya hadn't expected him to fall to Blue B's ambush.

He followed the two men into the tent. Dan lay on the bed, his face deathly pale. Two medical ninja beside him were doing everything they could to keep him alive, but his face was growing more lifeless by the minute. It was clear that he was at death's door.

"Dan..."

Orochimaru looked at him. "Look who's here."

At his words, the weakened Dan stirred his eyelids and barely managed to open one eye. When he saw Uchiha Sakuya standing beside Orochimaru, his expression suddenly grew animated.

"Sakuya... Sakuya, you... I..."

"Dan."

Sakuya crouched down and held his hand. "I'm here."

"I... I don't have any family left, Sakuya!"

Dan looked at Uchiha Sakuya. "I only... only have one... young niece from a distant branch of the family."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her."

Sakuya nodded. "You can count on me."

"Mm... Sakuya... avenge me! Avenge me!"

Dan was gravely injured and could no longer form complete sentences. He looked at Sakuya, struggling to voice his last wish.

"That Blue B... Blue B, he... cough, cough! He attacked our camp... Sakuya, avenge me! Avenge... avenge us!"

He repeated Blue B's name, his words filled with hatred for the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.

"Yeah, I know. I fought him today. I wounded him badly, and he had to flee with his tail between his legs. He won't be able to ambush us again for a while."

Sakuya held Dan's hand and tried to reassure him. "Don't worry. We'll have a chance to get back at him."

"Good... good!"

Dan nodded. "Sakuya... Sakuya..."

"Hmm?"

Hearing how weak Dan's voice had become, Sakuya hurriedly leaned closer to his lips.

"Nicely... done..."

With those final words, the curtain fell on Konoha's Spirit Transformation Technique user in that simply erected tent.

"Dan!"

Jiraiya fell to his knees and wept, clutching Dan's leg.

Sakuya sighed, patted Jiraiya's shoulder, and left the tent with Orochimaru.

"Damn Kumogakure!"

Orochimaru was furious. "They just came out of nowhere..."

"By the way, Orochimaru, do you know Baishi?"

Sakuya thought for a moment before asking. "A ninja from Iwagakure, probably a jōnin."

"Baishi?"

Orochimaru considered this for a moment, then replied, "Do you mean Ryōtenbin Baishi?"

"He has the same surname as the Third Tsuchikage?"

Sakuya was taken aback.

"Yes. He's a distant nephew of Ōnoki's. Why?"

Sakuya stroked his chin, thinking. "I'm just suspicious."

He handed the scroll at his waist to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, don't you think it's strange that Kumogakure suddenly got involved in the fighting on the Western Continent? What are they after?"

"They..."

"My mission this time was to target Ōnoki's grandson. If I hadn't shown up, Blue B would have ambushed him too. And here in Konoha, Dan and Jiraiya were also ambushed... Does Kumogakure have rocks in their heads? Are they trying to fight Iwagakure and Konoha at the same time?"

"You mean..."

Orochimaru looked at Sakuya.

"Doesn't it seem like there's a coincidence?"

Sakuya continued, "A coincidence involving Baishi, Dan Katō, and these other injured ninja."

"A coincidence... Could it be...?"

Like a thunderclap, Orochimaru's eyes suddenly widened.

"That's what you're thinking."

Sakuya nodded.

"Baishi is a distant nephew of Ōnoki's, so it stands to reason that he might possess the Dust Release Kekkei Genkai. Dan Katō had his family's secret Spirit Transformation Technique, and Jiraiya practiced Senjutsu from Mount Myoboku. All of these could be considered Kekkei Genkai."

"Kumogakure... wants to take advantage of the war to steal other villages' Kekkei Genkai?"

Orochimaru laughed in fury. "How dare they!?"