Naruto, Madara is my girl.

Branches cracked underfoot as they walked. Though they were deep in enemy territory and death loomed ahead, the silence between Tobirama and Akira wasn't as bitter as it used to be.

"This is unlike you." Tobirama kept walking, glancing sideways. "I thought you'd tell them I killed you. Just to spite me."

"It doesn't matter," Akira replied without hesitation. "What I want to know is-why'd you want to kill me back then?"

"I thought you'd betray the Senju clan." Tobirama kept his answer clipped. "Izuna called you brother-in-law. I figured your relationship with Madara..."

He left the rest hanging.

"That's it?" Akira gave him a flat look. "Here I was thinking Mito ordered you to do it."

"No. That had nothing to do with Mito. Must've been some nightmare clinging to the back of your skull."

Tobirama fell silent after that. Akira's habit of twisting conversations off, track hadn't changed.

Six left, eight right, six front.

"Got it," Akira answered with the same calm tone he always used before violence broke out.

While Tobirama slipped off to plant traps, Akira crouched and pressed his palm into the ground.

"Found him! It's Tobirama Senju! Notify-!"

"Earth Release-Stone Needle Forest!"

Crunching spikes burst from below the ground transformed into jagged earth spears in less than two seconds. The forest floor was gone, replaced by thick stone spires rammed through bodies mid-step. Twelve enemies died before they could even scream.

Tobirama whipped his head toward the destruction rage cutting through his restraint.

"You bastard! You did that on purpose!"

His traps were demolished. Akira's new terrain had wiped everything clean-including friendly lines.

"Ahh-my bad." Akira didn't look sorry at fucking anything up. "Too much chakra. Went a tiny bit overboard."

Tobirama clenched his jaw and reached for his pouch, but stopped halfway through drawing the sealing tag. He stared down at Akira and slowly lowered his hand.

Cold breath fogged in the air between them as the silence stretched again.

"This Impure World reincarnation of yours," Akira finally said, tone dipping low, "it's not very refined. Don't count on me too much."

Tobirama narrowed his eyes but didn't interrupt.

"My strength's less than one-tenth of what it was." Akira flexed his fingers once before resting them on his thigh. "I recover chakra in about two breaths... but not endlessly."

Tobirama was already watching him too closely to miss that detail. "You've retained awareness in that state?"

Akira nodded once. "And discomfort too, probably from whatever you stuffed inside me to make this work."

"...Right."

They spoke flatly, neither comfortable nor hostile, just long enough to share what mattered before another set of branches cracked in the distance.

Enemy movement again. Eight remaining. Eager to finish what their comrades failed to do.

"They've seen your technique," Tobirama said under his breath. "They'll think you're drained."

"Good. Let them come close," Akira replied lightly.

Six broke toward Tobirama in careful formation while two split off, one circling wide toward Akira directly, hoping numbers would wear them down and hold them until reinforcements arrived.

Akira stood in place until the enemy was within arm's reach.

"Earth Release-Hardening Technique."

Steel flesh met swinging blades.

CLANG-

His hardened fist slammed forward into the ninja's chest as the steel cut clean through his neck in return.

"Got hi-"

BANG!

Blood fountained from the enemy's mouth as ribs shattered under the blow-and right before he collapsed, he watched in wide-eyed horror as Akira's severed head knit itself back together slowly across his neck. Pieces of skin and bone rolled backward into place like broken stone resetting into their grooves.

Akira didn't explain anything. He just yanked his arm free from the dying body with one wet sound and turned toward the others mid-fight with Tobirama.

His words were flat, thrown into the air without effort.

"You need a hand?"

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