章 73: Boom.

Watching as Tazuna looked over his family, Naruko would grimace for a brief moment as her shadow clone dispelled. "Something wrong Sensei?" Looking at Sakura she'd shake her head with a smile.

"Just my Shadow Clone dispelling and giving me some information. But that can wait till Tazuna-san is done." With that said Naruko would shove her hands into her pockets. 'Fucking Void Jutsu. You're oh so quiet when I was there, but when I leave you want me back? Tch. That ain't happening, y'know!?!'

A few seconds later Tazuna stood back up. "What happened to them?" 'Aah, right. Probably shouldn't have just knocked them out, but void-me isn't the most emotional of people.'

Letting out what felt like the millionth sigh of this mission Naruko would say, "They were surrounded by Explosive Tags, and I didn't really have time to explain to them who I was, what was happening, and why it would be bad for them to scream or cry out in fear if they saw me. If they screamed or shouted there was a high chance the Explosive Tags went off."

Tazuna went pale. "Explosive Tags? You mean bombs?!?" Naruko nodded. 'Infinitely easier, cheaper, and cleaner to make. Also far more dangerous for Shinobi, but yeah, basically bombs.' "I- thank you!"

Naruko nodded. "But I'm afraid you're not going to thank me for this. I'm afraid if you want your family safe those Explosive Tags will have to go off." Tazuna froze for a second, indecision flashing by before he slowly nodded.

"I understand. It's -" He paused blinking heavily while swallowing, "It's okay. It's just a house." 'A house you raised your family in you old fool.' Turning around and letting out a sigh Naruko would walk to the edge of the forest. "Team, watch carefully. This is what Shinobi are willing to do to civilians." As her team gathered near her facing toward the house she flashed through a few hand seals, before the ground rumbled ever-so-slightly. A moment later.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Hundreds of explosive tags went off at the same time, the house was instantly turned to ash, the dock behind the house disappeared, and part of the ocean itself was simply erased. A titanic plume of smoke covered the area as a shockwave shattered the trees. Branches cracked, the grass was uprooted, and her team would have been blown away if it wasn't for the Adamantium Chain Barrier that Naruko had sprouted out of her back that she had formed to protect them and the three civilians.

A dozen seconds passed with more and more explosions happening before finally it ended. Where the house was, and a dozen meters (40ft) surrounding it was a smoking crater. The trees surrounding where her team stood were cracked and shattered. It was pure destruction.

Narukos head turned back to look at her team, clocking the horror and shock that were in Sakura and Sasuke's eyes. For different, but strangely similar reasons. Whereas Sai was somber. "This. This is what we fight for. You've seen what Shinobi are willing to do at the mere chance of catching another shinobi. We fight, we kill. We do this so that the civilians don't have to deal with this. We fight, we kill so that we don't have to deal with this. We fight in the hopes there will one day be peace. That this will one day not happen anymore. We fight, knowing that this is the depravity other Shinobi, even our allies may fall into."

She placed a hand on Sasuke and Sakura's shoulders. "This is the chaos and cruelty of our world. Remember it. Recognize it. Internalize it. This is what you have to face. Shinobi are willing to do anything just for a slight advantage. Now come on, we have to move fast so we aren't caught."

Walking deeper into the forest where her clone had placed down Tazuna's family, she'd lean down and pick up Tsunami. "Tazuna-san, we'll have to be moving now. My clone will be covering our tracks, but would you prefer to carry the child, or would you like my team to?"

Tazuna's face was bleach white as he looked at where his house was before he got himself together. There was a grim determination she hadn't seen in the man before this as he nodded before bending back down to pick up Inari. "I've got him. Thank you for saving my family."

Staring at him for a moment, a small smile would threaten to grow on her face as she nodded. "It's no problem Tazuna-san. Now follow me. Team! You're going to be going first."

-A small alcove near the ocean, Sasuke POV-

His fists clenched inside of his pant pockets, Sasuke's eyes were closed, teeth slightly gritted. 'They're just like him!' Kiri is just like him! First, they attack us out of nowhere, they then take Tazuna's family hostages, they try to ambush us, and then they try to do - do that!' The memory of that titanic explosion rocked his mind, and a moment later it was swapped with blood-soaked streets. Bodies littered the ground, eyes plucked out. Faces of horror, terror, rage, and shock. 'No! No more. You won't haunt me anymore Itachi! I see now, you're just like them! You, Kiri. You're all monsters!'

A hand landed on his shoulder gripping it. Strong, but soft. "Look at me." The voice was firm, yet gentle. His eyes opened, three tomoe spinning wildly. Blonde hair, and sharp, yet calm blue eyes entrapped him with their gaze. "Calm down. Deep breaths." He followed along. "In. Hold. Out. In. Hold. There we go, Out." His breath evened out, and his mind slowly calmed down. "This is the curse of the Uchiha Sasuke. You care. You care so much that your bloodline uses that care, it twists it for power so you can fix the issues you see in the world. But it corrupts." His breath began to pick up again. 'Can that be true? No! Surely not. That's not possible. But what about Itach-' "Deep breaths. In. Hold. Out."

As his breaths evened out, his Sensei continued. "It's why I've been teaching you control. You know all too well what happens when a Uchiha loses control. There are countless things to point out throughout history. Madara Uchiha. An entire contingent of Uchiha slaughtering each other. Shisui Uchiha." She paused, yet his thoughts didn't race as he slowly nodded, calming down. "The Uchiha are cursed with loving too much, and the line between love and hatred is a thin line. As a Uchiha, you have to control yourself more than others. But at the same time, you also have to express that love, or it will turn twisted as well. You know another like this." Sasuke froze, face spasming before he slowly nodded. "Every person, no matter how cruel or evil is still unique. They are still different. Lumping people into groups as 'evil' or 'monsters'... Is when you start to become one yourself."

The hand on his shoulder loosened, and a hand patted his head. "Thank you, Sensei." A bright smile flashed on her face.

"No problem, y'know! You're my student." He was stunned for a moment, his heart pounding, before he nodded.

"Hn."

A peal of laughter escaped her lips as she turned around. "Don't lose that love inside of you Sasuke, don't let it be twisted into hatred. Love the world. Love yourself. Love your allies, your friends. Everyone feels hatred, but feel hatred for the right reasons." She began to walk away, and for a long while Sasuke stared where she was just standing. 'Naruko-sensei...'