John placed Mebuki down. Not on the floor, but on Kizashi. Her body slumped and pressed against his still form. It almost looked like a final, desperate attempt to be near him.
Nonetheless, the two were dead.
John stepped back to consider the scene. Should he clothe Mebuki?
He stood there for a moment, weighing the idea. If she wasn't clothed, it might help make this crime look authentic. Or better, it might imply that Kizashi had been killed, and Mebuki had been brutally raped by murderers before being killed.
That kind of narrative, he knew, would be devastating to hear. It would plunge many into the deepest despair, a grief that would be unbearable for those who knew them.
Yes, that would do.
Better to leave her as she was. Naked and vulnerable. It would paint a morbid picture for them, but a good one for Arthur.
All John had to do was mend their stab wounds and make it look like they had been fighting before their death.
His decision made, he turned his attention to the remaining task: hiding his tracks.
It didn't take long to clean the last traces of blood on the plastic sheeting. When the room was finally cleared, he gathered the bodies under each of his arms. Then he carried them out of the window without being spotted.
Finding the winding trail they took, he continued deeper into the woods before finding a suitable spot hidden from immediate view but still accessible.
Hiding them here would allow a traveler to either see or smell their dead corpses, prompting an immediate call for help.
John therefore deposited them side by side and left them for that unfortunate passerby to find. To make sure they would be identified, he left some of their luggage behind.
Arthur, from his vantage point, bore witness to the whole thing. All he had to do was wait.
Two days had passed since the hotel's guests, Kizashi and Mebuki, vanished without a trace.
The reports of their bodies being discovered in a remote part of the Land of Fire had finally come in—an official report that left little doubt. The authorities had found them on a trail, their bodies mangled, and the circumstances suspicious enough to warrant a formal investigation.
The village they were close to had no eyewitnesses. Even the hotel's staff, having been under the influence of the genjutsu, remembered nothing.
All records of the couple had been erased, leaving the authorities slumped. The entire scene was as if the two visitors had simply died without a trace, only to be found days later.
Had John slain them any other way, the authorities might not have been able to identify them.
In the Leaf Village, the news spread quietly to the elders first. The death of the Haruno couple was a shock, and the village's intelligence was already analyzing the information, trying to piece together how someone could have pulled off such an elaborate act.
Why they were taking such high measures was because the couple were the parents of the Hokage's very own pupil.
Meanwhile, Sakura woke early the next morning. She stretched with glee until she understood that today her parents would likely be back.
"I hope they stay another three days," she groggily said to herself.
Having not heard from them by letter like her mother said, Sakura brushed off their lack of communication as them simply enjoying themselves.
As she finished her morning routine, she stepped into the living room. The house was silent, just the way she always wanted.
Then, just as she was about to leave, she saw him standing outside her door.
"Kakashi-sensei!" she greeted.
Kakashi stood there, leaning slightly against the doorframe. His visible eye was serious and unreadable. Even though his mask hid most of his face, she could tell from his posture that something was wrong.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly, "I think you should come with me to the Hokage's office."
Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Something had to have happened.
"Okay," she replied, following him.
They moved through the village, and she sensed the absence of the usual morning buzz. When they arrived, the door to Tsunade's office was already open. Inside, Tsunade herself sat behind her desk with a worried face.
Beside her was Alice, standing stiffly with her arms crossed. Her face looked pale. Jada stood nearby, tears streaking down her cheeks. The sight of her crying was enough to make Sakura's stomach tighten.
Something terrible had happened.
"Guys," Sakura began in a trembling voice, "what's going on?"
There was silence. For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Tsunade finally broke the quiet, saying, "Sakura… Your parents… their bodies were found yesterday. On a trail. They didn't make it."
The words hit Sakura hard as her heart slowly pounded. With a tone of denial, she asked, "What do you mean 'they didn't make it'?" No one answered, making her fully understand the reason behind the sorrow in the air. She gasped, and her heart pounded so much that it might burst. "No… That's… that's not true."
Tears welled up instantly. Without thinking, Jada stepped forward and threw herself into Sakura's arms. Her own tears fell freely as she clung to her friend, feeling the shock and grief in waves.
This had to be a mistake, a cruel joke, or some terrible misunderstanding.
But the evidence was right there. Her parents were dead.
In that moment, Arthur, sitting on his throne far away, knew exactly what was about to happen. The village would hold a funeral. And because it was involving Sakura, there was bound to be a large attendance.
John's mission was successful since the funeral would draw everyone's attention. The mourners, the officials, the leaders—everyone would be gathered in one place.
Such a moment of mourning was also the moment of opportunity.
On the first day, news of Sakura's loss spread through the village. On the second day, the girl wouldn't leave her house. The only person she allowed entry was Jada. Even Naruto was rejected on account of his parents returning from the dead.
It almost felt like a twisted turn of events.
Arthur had watched from a distance as Sakura clung to Jada in tears. She felt betrayed, lost, and overwhelmed. Her world had turned upside down in a heartbeat. Her father's voice, her mother's smile—all gone.
On the third day, the village prepared for the funeral. Many would surely attend, meaning John's mission was a success.
Now, it was Ryugetsu's turn. His mission was to locate the portal entry that could lead to the moon.
Arthur himself wasn't quite sure whether this portal existed before or after the movie's events unfolded. But it was worth a look. If Ryugetsu failed in locating it, there were other means.
That clone had already arrived in the Fire Country, deep within the wilderness. From above, his eyes scanned the dense trees and rocky terrain, searching for something that should have been obvious—yet wasn't.
Ryugetsu's Tamashii was active and filtered through the environment to try to pick out any sign of the portal. But the Fire Country was vast, and the landscape hid things well.
Hours passed as he traced the terrain, covering everything in his path. Still, no sign of the portal.
The Tamashii's vision was good, but even that had its limits here. The terrain was too rugged, the environment too cluttered. He knew he needed help. Perhaps another clone would suffice.
The same day, both John and Ryugetsu moved together through the wilderness. Their efforts seemed fruitless until, suddenly, their vision was interrupted by something strange beneath the ground.
Both of them paused. Ryugetsu's eyes narrowed as he looked downward.
Below the surface, something shimmered—an entrance to a cavern. It was deep underground, and their Tamashii was struggling to penetrate the darkness. They stared at it, knowing this had to be the portal.
As such, they descended toward it.
The cave was narrow at first, twisting and turning deep into the earth. As they ventured further, they entered a large chamber. In the center was a pond of strange, glowing water. Its surface shimmered with a light that made it impossible to see through, even with the Tamashii active.
This was the portal.
Ryugetsu marked the location with a seal, then turned to John and said, "I'll create the barrier to keep this place hidden."
"Understood…"
Immediately, a barrier was cast around the entire area. It came into existence, closing the entrance and blocking any passersby from noticing it. Sealing tags were also placed on the walls and floor, preventing anyone from sensing or spotting it from above or below.
The entire site itself was concealed and cloaked in layers of invisibility and illusion. For as long as Arthur knew of this place's location, no one would be able to interfere with his plans.
From the throne room of the Light Village, he had watched everything unfold through his senses. So he teleported directly to his clones' location.
There, he activated his Tamashii and verified that the pond water that acted as a portal to the moon was indeed special. From what he remembered, this same water could also cloud the Byakugan's vision. Not many things could do that.
"Ryugetsu," Arthur began, "siphon whatever's causing the distortion."
"On it," the clone responded, already prepared.
"John," Arthur continued, "keep watch until I return."
"How long will you need?" the clone asked.
"About an hour…"
Keeping his Tamashii activated, he dove into the pond. Instantly, he felt the resistance. A powerful genjutsu was trying to invade his mind to trap or confuse him.
But he was prepared.
Calm and focused, he pushed through it, breaking the illusion with steady resolve. He then swam past large, green orbs reflecting memories from his past life—visions of earth, of his childhood, of his faith.
One orb caught his attention: a childhood memory of him singing in his church, praising Jesus. The innocence, the purity—so far removed from this current world, yet still deeply rooted in him.
He lingered on that memory for a little longer. And when he had, the singing ended and the pastor began preaching on the end times from Matthew 24:24.
'For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.'
That memory fueled his resolve. He would return to earth one day.
Arthur moved deeper into the pond until he finally came out on the other side. The place resembled a cavern with many strange structures. He already knew what was coming next: the gatekeeper.
Straightway, a giant crab with a thick, armored shell clawed its way to the area. When it saw Arthur, its eyes glowed with hostility.
Then it immediately attacked. Arthur stood calm, waiting for its giant claws to get closer. When it did, he dodged effortlessly by flipping over the creature.
'Raigo: One Thousand Hands Strike…'
Upon landing, he formed the signature pose, and an angelic figure appeared behind him. It then sent swarms of fists crashing into the crab from all directions.
The beast roared, struggling against the onslaught.
Boom-boom-boom-boom.
It wasn't long until its shell cracked, and it was battered into submission. Its mangled form lay sprawled on the ground, lifeless.
Arthur moved forward without regarding the creature; it was mere child's play as opposed to when Sakura, Sai, and Shikamaru fought it.
Eventually, Arthur reached the exit and arrived at the core of the moon, where an artificial sun burned with unnatural light.
While indeed interesting to see, it did not at all impress Arthur.
This was the heart of the moon, which many on earth would have regarded as a conspiracy. Known as the hollow moon conspiracy, it states that devils and evil spirits reside both on and in the moon, watching over mankind that dwells on the surface of the earth.
Interestingly enough, these same devils can be related to the Naruto lore, in which alien creatures (which themselves are devils) influence events on earth.
Over time, whether one believed the earth to be flat or that extraterrestrial devils walk among us, there was no denying that the moon was involved.
To think that the world of Naruto would wish to engage in conspiracy theories as well.