Chapter 36 - Exile

''Itachi...Uchiha! Why the hell are you here?!'' The Raikage said with a worried frown on his face as he looked Itachi who was clearly straining himself controlling the Eight Tails. 

Itachi didn't say anything but merely instructed the Eight Tails to attack the Raikage. Seeing the incoming tails of the Tailed Beast, A wanted to retaliate but gritted his teeth as he suddenly ran the opposite site. 

His odds were close to zero with two Tailed Beast, Itachi, Tsunade and Akai against him. 

Itachi didn't chase him while Tsunade and Akai dashed towards Sukuna's position where Kurenai was also running towards. 

As they came close, a streak of light flew past them. 

The Raikage, feeling the impending danger, hastily crossed his arms in front of him. However, as the streak of light came close, it swerved and lodged itself into his shoulder, making him grit his teeth in pain and quickly pulled it out as he looked at its origin. 

Sukuna stood on the edge of the crater with a strained crazed smile on his face while raising a middle finger. 

A felt a vein pop on top of his head as he wanted to rip the child apart. 

''Sukuna!'' Kurenai hastily caught Sukuna who nearly fell over, his stomach and shoulder bleeding enough to kill a normal human. 

If he wasn't a Senju, he knew he would surely be dead by now. 

''Take me to the Eight Tails'' Sukuna said as sweat covered his face as he tried to suppress the pain. 

''You need to rest! You will bleed out at this rate!'' Kurenai said with a worried expression as Sukuna shot a glance at Itachi who nodded in return. 

The Eight Tails moved at a breakneck speed and appeared right next to them as Tsunade and Akai appeared as well. 

[You are planning to host us both?] Isobu appeared next to the Eight Tails and asked curiously. 

''Yes, only me and Itachi can control the Eight Tails and to be honest.... I could really use it's regenerative abilit right now'' Sukuna smiled bitterly with a pale face as Tsunade summoned Katsuyu. 

''Katsuyu, can you do it?'' Tsunade asked with a worried expression as the others gave her a curious look, the slug looked at her and said, 

''I can't heal him myself, but I can keep him alive for the duration it takes him to absorb the Eight Tales and its powers to spread through his body. But that would mean I would have to recover for a few months at least'' 

''I'm sorry Katsuyu'' Tsunade apologized with a bitter smile as Katsuyu nodded and got smaller before landing on Sukuna's shoulder. 

Sukuna lightly raised his hand and scratched the little slug's face, ''I'm sorry little one'' 

''Don't worry about me, worry about yourself instead'' Katsuyu's voice sounded out as Sukuna felt the pain in his body subside by a large margin. 

He took a deep breath and put his hands on the injured Eight Tales. The moment he touched it, Itachi felt the control on the Eight Tales wavering and gritted his teeth before reinforcing his control. 

Sukuna gritted his teeth as the Eight Tales was slowly sucked into his body while Itachi's breathing became ragged. 

As Sukuna felt Itachi's consciousness wavering, he gritted his teeth and forcefully pulled the Eight Tales inside. 

Itachi fell down the Eight Tales as Sukuna took Isobu back in and activated part of his Chakra cloak to make a cushion for Itachi to fall on. 

Itachi didn't last long before his consciousness faded which wasn't weird considering the feat he pulled off while his eyes seemed to be Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan not more than 24 hours ago, which basically told Sukuna he had only taken his father's eyes the moment Sukuna told him about his plan... 

'Loyal to a fault huh' Sukuna smiled bitterly as he sighed. 

It didn't take long before his body started regenerating at a faster pace than before with Katsuyu's and the Eight Tails regenerating abilities. 

Sukuna could easily take the now unconscious Eight Tales Chakra without having to fight for it or having to control it luckily, otherwise he would've really been in a pinch here. 

Sukuna's Chakra cloak disappeared as he put Itachi onto the ground as he sat down on the ground, panting heavily as his body itched from the regenerating skin. 

It would take a few days before his body would heal properly while Itachi seemed to have strained his new eyes too much so he needed just as much rest. 

Kurenai sat behind Sukuna, holding him up to let him breathe easier as she asked with a worried expression, ''Are you okay now? Do you need something?'' 

Sukuna smiled lightly and shook his head, ''Just a bit of rest'' 

The women gave a sigh of relief before Tsunade said in a serious tone, ''You should really stop pushing yourself like this, this will be the death of you'' 

''Don't worry, I will fight until I have to crawl, and even than they will not defeat me'' 

Akai sighed upon hearing his words as she looked at his wounds, his regenerating abilities caused her many questions as no normal human being would survive wounds like that. 

''What should we do now?'' Akai asked as she looked at the unconscious Itachi. 

''Get someone from the clan to move him to the biggest room on the first floor. After that, come to the arena to pick me and Kurenai up before we make a move on the One Tails Jinchuuriki'' Sukuna said seriously. 

''You're planning to attack another Tailed Beast in that condition?!'' Tsunade yelled as she wanted to punch the kid. 

''I refuse, you should rest and I will force you to do so if you dare go out again'' Kurenai said sternly as she looked at his broken and bruised body. 

''I refuse as well'' Akai interjected as Sukuna just sat there with a stunned expression as he mumbled, 

''W..wait, hold on... We can't let a chance like this slip by!'' 

Seeing Sukuna's stunned expression, the women couldn't help but laugh lightly as even Isobu joined in on the laughter. 

''Let us do it instead'' Tsunade said after she stopped laughing as Akai agreed while Kurenai also sounded positive, 

''Although I'm weaker than Akai-san and Tsunade-sama, I can be of some help to them. The One Tails is the weakest of the bunch, I'm sure we can manage'' 

Sukuna looked at the woman before smiling helplessly, ''Fine, in that case, new plans... Tsunade, please help me back to the Arena, Kurenai and Akai will go and bring Itachi home before coming to the Arena as well....'' 

''….Where we will go take the One Tails Jinchuuriki and you will go home with the others, right?....." Akai said as the three women looked at him with squinted eyes, making him roar in laughter. 

''Yes, yes, I will go home afterwards'' Sukuna shrugged helplessly as Tsunade helped him up before putting one of his arms around his shoulder. 

''Hold on tight'' Tsunade said with a light smile. 

''You don't have to ask me that twice'' Sukuna said with a light smile as he felt her tits touch his side. 

''I will forgive you due to the circumstances, next time I will crush your head like a watermelon'' Tsunade said through squinted eyes to which Sukuna grinned lightly and said, 

''As long as you do it with your thighs, I doubt any men would complain'' 

Before Sukuna could say anything else, he felt two fingers poke his side as Akai and Kurenai disappeared. 

Tsunade sighed as she and Sukuna also disappeared towards the Arena, this brat was too shameless for his age... 

… 

''Sumure, Hiashi, Satori, why are you blocking our way from helping the village as it is being invaded?'' Hiruzen said with a cold look on his old face as many people were frantic. 

Not just because the village was invaded, but the undeniable evidence the Senju's had provided about Danzo's schemes, the Uchiha massacre and more. 

It wasn't like the Uchiha's didn't have any friends outside their clan, many of them had been in Genin teams and had created bonds that way so many of the older Shinobi finally knew why their friends in the Uchiha Clan were slaughtered. 

They had always blamed Itachi Uchiha for everything, not knowing that the truth was way different. 

Danzo had already retreated from the group of Shinobi and stood in the back with Root ANBU covering around him as many eyed him like a predator. 

''Sensei, do you truly think that the village is being invaded?'' Maru said with a grin on her face as Hiruzen trembled as she continued, 

''They have probably already retreated by now Sensei'' Maru said with enchanting smile as Hiruzen looked confused before an ANBU was let through the blockade of the Hyúga's and Senju's before reinforcing what Maru just said. 

Hiruzen looked confused as everybody heard the ANBU's words. However, at that moment, everyone saw Tsunade arrive, half-carrying the pale-looking Sukuna. 

''Sukuna, are you okay?'' Sumure hastily came over and looked at his body, almost every Senju came over with a worried expression as Sukuna stood there with a bitter smile and loudly said, 

''Yes, yes, I'm okay so get back in position!'' 

All of the Senju's looked at Danzo with even more killing intent than before as many people's thoughts also ran wild. 

Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of Sukuna with empty eyes as Tsunade instantly blocked him, but Kakashi didn't attack and merely spoke up, ''Is she.... alive?'' 

''Yes, but she fears you. Give it time'' Sukuna said with a bitter smile. Kakashi nodded and looked down the arena one last time before disappearing into the distance. 

Many were left stunned at Kakashi's departure while Sukuna looked at Hiruzen and asked, ''Hiruzen, if someone asks you if you were a great Hokage, what would you answer?'' 

Hiruzen hesitated for a moment as a needle could be heard if one dropped as he answered, ''I have sat on the seat of the Hokage for 42 years, I have not reigned perfectly and I made many mistakes. I couldn't answer yes, neither could I answer no since the Leaf is still standing'' 

Hiruzen felt Sukuna's peering gaze and swallowed nervously, he looked at Tsunade who merely sighed and looked away, making her stance clear. 

When she came back, she was supposed to inherit the Hokage seat, she would help the Leaf as repayment for her mistakes. 

...But it was clear what the Leaf had done to the Senju's, because of her, a child had become a weapon without caring about his body, his health, his mental state.... All for his clan to survive. 

If she didn't choose for her clan now, she might as well change her last name. 

''Grandmother, why are you here?'' Sukuna asked coldly as he looked at her, causing Marani to shiver as her old body never saw this look on the child before. 

''To stop you all from dying, at this rate nobody will win....'' Marani said as she looked worried. 

''Nobody will win?'' Sukuna replied, his anger building up as he continued, ''Nobody is winning, even now! Children are being slaughtered, Shinobi are killing each other without a cause and as you saw, many are used as test subjects by their own village! OUR VILLAGE!'' 

Many eyes glanced at Danzo who trembled as Sukuna's gaze grew cold, ''Hiruzen, I have thought for a long time of what to do with you. This is the most mercy I can give you, hand over the Hokage seat and leave the village with your clan'' 

Hiruzen trembled as many spoke up in protest, however, also many people kept silent considering the proof showed that Hiruzen knew of Danzo's schemes. 

''Sukuna-chan, is there no way to resolve this differently?'' Guy spoke up the loudest with a bitter tone as Sukuna's gaze grew bitter, 

"I wish there way Guy, but I have lost too many members of my clan to them. Even if they came back to life, their suffering, their tortured souls, their experiences.... I can't take them away'' 

Guy opened his mouth but could only sigh. He trusted Hiruzen a lot previously, but even his faith wavered after seeing the pictures attached to the documents. 

Those children's cut up bodies, they sent a shiver down his spine. 

''Father! You can't!'' Asuma yelled as he got on his knees in front of his father. 

Hiruzen looked at the sky with an empty gaze for a long time before he turned to Sukuna, ''I wish to stay in the village....'' 

Asuma and some people looked happy for a short moment before he followed up with a resolute expression, ''But I wish to make up for my mistakes.... I will step down as the Hokage'' 

Sukuna looked at the old man for a long time before turning towards the other Senju's, many of the Senju's had lost their precious family to Danzo, it was their choice and he would abide their wishes. 

The Senju's didn't take long before disagreeing, their only mercy would be to let him leave the village with his clan. The Hyúga's wanted to kill him but were quickly turned down by a single glance from Sukuna. 

This was his Clan's decision which Hiashi could only smile bitterly about, but he could understand. Exile would mean that his reputation, his honor, his Clan's pride, all of it would shatter. He would go down in History as the worst Kage. 

Sukuna couldn't just kill Hiruzen since it would draw bad blood with many in the village. Ofcourse, if his Clan thought that it was needed, then so be it. 

''U...understood'' Hiruzen said with an empty look as Danzo seemed frantic while Asuma cried out, ''Father you can't!'' 

''Asuma, enough!'' Hiruzen yelled as his eyes turned blurry, ''It is the truth, I knew of many things but didn't stop them. I failed as a Hokage'' 

Many bit their lips to that statement, frustrated by the whole situation and directed their fury directly at Danzo who was slowly backing away before looking at him with rage, 

''You.... you are no different from me! You would do the same things! You act innocent yet you slaughtered every researcher of my labs!'' Danzo frantically yelled as Sukuna's grin widened as he said, 

''They acted like animals... So I slaughtered them like animals!''