“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
~ William Shakespeare ~
I felt my face collide with the ground as Kushina was able to once again, quite literally, beat me into submission. The sound of punches and curses had been echoing around the empty training field for the better part of the morning. But as I looked up, the sun reaching its peak had signified that to be a few hours ago. I let out a long groan, already feeling a purple bruise joining my other souvenirs that my jounin-sensei seemed to enjoy dishing out in spadefuls.
“Alright, that’s enough tai-jutsu for today!” Kushina chirped as if she didn’t just beat up her student in the name of ‘training’.
“I think that’s enough tai-jutsu for the rest of my life,” sighing, I turned so that I was flat on my back, “what’s next in this day of torture sensei?”
“Well, looks like they’ve just arrived.”
Turning, I saw two figures approaching. The shorter one whom I presumed was Obito, from the bright orange goggles around his forehead, waved energetically whilst a woman who appeared to be the same age as Kushina walked calmly beside the hyperactive ninja.
“You must be Tsubaki, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The woman smiled and nodded. “My name is Mikoto, I’m an old friend of your sensei’s, who’s asked me here to help check-out your Iron Sand technique.”
My mouth opened in an ‘o’ as I hastily got up to bow before the newcomer. “Nice to meet you Mikoto-san, and thank you for lending your expertise.”
“You’re so lucky~ You get to train with Mikoto-san,” Obito sighed, “She’s the best kunoichi in the Uchiha clan!”
‘No pressure I guess’. I thought which was obviously a lie, there was a lot of pressure.
Kushina waved, as a way to signal for me to start and everyone else took a step back. Nodding, I took a deep breath and felt my eyes flutter shut. The white noise faded away until the only sound I could hear was the steady beat of my heart. Constant, powerful and sure. Inhale. Exhale. Thump. Thump. On the next inhale I relaxed my fingers, letting them stretch so that my palms were facing flat down, parallel to the ground.
A comforting warmth built in the centre of my chest. As I focused, I could feel the warmth spread down my arms, to culminate in pools at my fingertips. I waited until I could feel a sufficient stream of chakra flowing throughout my body before I started searching. Turning further inwards, I imagined what I was after. When I opened my eyes, I was in the middle of a deep desert valley. Golden particles floated in the air, tangible, yet I might as well have been trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. Turning my head to one side, I saw a small crack in the deep valleys, and I knew that I needed to get the particles through that crack if I wanted to use iron-sand.
‘Easy. It’s just like controlling the wind with your mind… piece of cake.’
Taking a deep breath, I turned back to face the particles. “Alright you specks of dust, just do as I say this time and we won’t have a problem, sound good?”
The dust, expectedly, did nothing. But I forced my mind to connect with every single particle as I willed my presence, and chakra, into every speck. With that same intensity, I pushed the particles in the direction of the crack, forcing them out of the safety of this valley. By some miracle, some particles flitted through the cracks but it was not enough.
I frowned when I realised I didn’t have a lot of time left. ‘My control is’t going to last much longer.’ And as I thought that, the ground beneath my feet started to rumble as the barren desert came to life.
***
On the battlefield the three ninja looked as a small storm of iron particles started swirling at the feet of the kunoichi.
“She’s doing it.” Obito grinned excitedly.
But Kushina shook her head. “No. She’s never been able to control anything past this point. Mikoto, you better get ready ya know.”
Mikoto nodded, eyes still showing the sharingan as she kept note of how the chakra was flowing through the little girl’s body. She kept her posture poised and ready, in anticipation of the breaking point that Kushina spoke of.
Tsubaki let out a groan, and the particle of sand swirled faster. More sand poured out, with some encasing her in a vice-like grip, but the rest flitted about like bees.
“Kushina, her chakra control is slipping.” Mikoto warned as her red-headed companion prepared a seal.
“Not yet.” But the jounin-instructor pulled out several sealing scrolls and passed one to Mikoto.
Not another moment passed before a sudden outpour of iron sand exploded in a tidal wave. The three ninja locked themselves to the ground by coating their feet with chakra, but that was barely enough to not drown in the iron sand that had flooded the training grounds.
“Now Mikoto!” Kushina shouted.
With a level of synchronicity attained through years of working in tandem, Mikoto threw the scroll at Tsubaki, just as Kushina disappeared and reappeared in a poof of smoke where the scroll was.
“Desert Flower Sealing!” Kushina shouted as she concentrated the seal on a point in Tsubaki’s neck.
The particles halted in mid-air before disappearing in a swirl of grey smoke. Kushina swooped to catch the now unconscious body of her student, intercepting her descent to the ground.
“Wow.” Mikoto said. “She’s got absolutely no control.”
***
Turning the pebble in my hand, I sat atop the head of the First Hokage. The evening sunset painted Konoha in a warm orange glow, with families and villagers going about their final tasks for the day. It was the picture of serenity and tranquility, and despite the ongoing war, the tensions and discord with the other nations, it felt safe.
I turned the stone over in my hands and watched as my fingers danced through the motions. Steady, assuredly, without hesitation.
“What’s wrong with me?” I groaned out loud, falling back to stare up at the clear sky that was a vision of orange and pink.
The Iron Sand, a technique that was essentially a kekkei genkai, should not be this hard. I was stuck in a cycle of defeated, and comparison. It didn’t help that I was using dad as an evaluation, especially because he was a kage.
Holding the rock up against the sky, I concentrated on channeling my chakra into it. I watched as the chakra broke the rock down into specks, particles that were suspended in the air.
‘My chakra works, so that’s not the issue. But what’s wrong?’
In a fit of frustration I slammed my hands on the ground beside me, which brought the particles down on top of me, and into my nose and eyes.
After clearing myself from the resulting debris I took a few moments to calm myself down and entered a light meditation. I’d get it eventually, I was certain. Failure was not an option.
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I smiled as I re-read the letter in my hands. Years, more like a decade, had passed since Izuna left to embark on his training. But somehow, he was still able to send me updates of his progress. I guess you could say I was a pretty lonely figure. Granny had passed not long ago, a long life she lived to the fullest. I mourned, but she always told me to treat the Uchiha like family so I never felt alone. It also helped that she told me Tajima’s promise; that I would always have a place within the clan, even though I wasn’t blood.
“Umm, Kana-chan I’m a bit lost.” Shizuka approached with the silk in her hands, “No matter what I try, my phoenix looks like a rotisserie chicken.”
Shizuka was the one Uchiha member I properly befriended after Izuna and Madara left. She was a shy girl born with weak health that did not suit the life of shinobi. As a child she was often bedridden, and so I started to sew and embroider by her bedside. As her health stabilised, she too started to embroider, and she became my helper very quickly demonstrating a talent for the art, even if she was too modest to admit it.
I laughed, “You’re being too harsh on yourself. All you need to do is add some colour here and-“
“So this is where you two had run off to.”
Shizuka and I sheepishly turned as we saw Madame Tsu, the Uchiha elder and our unofficial matron, frowning down at us both.
“Umm, Madame, we weren’t running away, we just wanted to focus on finishing some designs for the summer festival.” I smiled which did not appease her in any way shape or form.
She sighed, toddling back out the aura of disappointment floating with her. Shizuka and I let out a quiet breath of relief as Shizuka gave me a thumbs up in praise for my quick thinking.
“Now we just need to make sure we actually have designs for the Summer Festival.” She smiled, laughing lightly.
-Summer Festival-
The Summer Festival was also an event of great celebration. A night of delicious foods and wondrous festivities, it was also perhaps the one night where we were able to forget that we were always in a constant state of war, and that everyday could be our last. However, we were told that there would be a surprise for this year’s festival.
“Did you find out what tonight’s ‘special event’ is all about?” Shizuka asked as we packed up, realising that we needed to get a move on if we were to be ‘presentable’, at least according to Madame Tsu’s standards, for tonight.
I shook my head, “Let’s hope she’s not playing matchmaker again. I don’t have enough make-up to cover up that much embarrassment.” I laughed.
Waving goodbye, I headed home and quickly cleaned up. As a personal preference, I preferred to keep my make-up as simple as possible, letting the intricate embroidery on my clothing speak on my behalf. I smiled as I laid out my latest design, a little project I had been working on for close to a year now. It was a beautiful thin black silk, perfect for the summer heat, with golden accents and embroidered designs more intricate than anything I had ever attempted. I slid a pin, a gift from Granny, through my hair to create a half-bun and quickly left. Madame Tsu had high standards, and being late would definitely disappoint all of those standards.
I hummed a soft tune as I stepped out of my home to slide my sandals on. But I stopped when, from the corner of my eyes, I saw a suspicious figure dart behind a bush.
My breathing halted as I slowly got closer, slightly scared since most of the neighbours were busy finalising preparations for the festival, so this was the perfect spot for a kidnapping… or an assassination.
“Who’s there?” I called out.
Several more figures suddenly came into sight as one of them brandished a sword. From the way they were dressed, they appeared to be a band of thugs.
“Looks like she’s it fellas.” The one I presumed to be the leader smirked, “We’ve been keeping a close eye on you for a while now, little miss.”
My brows frowned, “Pardon me, but do I know you?”
“Nope,” the leader said, “But we know Izuna. And we do have a bone to pick with the younger Uchiha brother and I think you could help us out with that.”
Five of the thugs had circled me, and I didn’t think I’d be fast, nor loud enough, to alert the other clansmen. My breathing hitched as I genuinely started to fear for my life. A bag went over my head, blocking my vision.
I was in trouble.
“Let me go!” I screamed as I kicked and thrashed about, before I felt the tightening of ropes around my arms and feet. “I haven’t seen Izuna in years so I don’t understand what you possibly hope to-”
“Not another word, or your beautiful neck will get an ugly scar across it.” The leader breathed next to my ear as I felt a cold metal pressed on my throat.
Shaking, I nodded as I was unceremoniously lifted and slung across a shoulder.
“Alright fellas, let’s-“
“That’s Kana!”
“Captain!”
Because of the bag I had no clue what the hell was going on, but I felt the thug carrying me start to sway and I mentally prepared for my brain to be flooded with the pain of getting dropped onto the dirt.
But the feeling never came.
I felt my body land in, arms? Before I was lifted off, and whoever was carrying me ran a short distance, and then settled me down into different arms
“Look after her.” The figure mumbled before I heard the sound of footsteps leaving.
“Oh my God Kana-chan, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
‘Shizuka.’ I thought, letting out a breath of relief at the familiar voice. “I’m not injured. But they did tie the ropes really tight.” I told her and I could feel her fingers immediately start working on loosening my bonds.
“I’ll loosen your restraints, then untie you and get that bag off.” Shizuka told me
Not long after I could feel my hands slide free and the bag was lifted off my head to display the scene before me. There, in the middle of the street lay the bodies of the group of bandits. The leader was quivering as a man pointed his sword straight down, just above his throat.
“Oh my God Shizuka.” I whispered, my hand reaching for hers.
“I see it…” she breathed with horror.
As a result of living within the compound my whole life, I was sheltered from the violence that was the life of shinobi, and the brutality of our time. Seeing it right here, at the front of my house was incredibly unsettling to say the least.
Before the figure could deliver the final blow, another one appeared and stopped him. “Not here.” The second fighter mumbled, alerting the first to our transfixed gazes.
Soon more clansmen had arrived, helping to clear away the carnage and secure the prisoner as Shizuka and I both sat there in muted horror.
I felt my chest start constricting painfully, whilst my muscles constricted and I started to hyperventilate.
My mind was in such a state of shock and frenzy that I didn’t notice Shizuka was no longer holding me. A firm grip came to wrap around my hands as I was forced to look up into a strangely familiar face.
“Kana. Calm down.” The voice said as I felt the signature eyes of the Uchiha clan, the sharingan, whirl to life in front of me.
Those crimson eyes that sparked fear into others had the opposite effect on me. They were a symbol of familiarity, protection, and of family. The eyes worked their magic, and I felt the warmth of what must have been a genjutsu starting to envelop me. I didn’t fight it, but instead let it help steady my breathing as I simply focused on those eyes. I ignored the other figures scurrying around, gaze transfixed on the familiar stranger in front of me.
“See? Much better right.” The figure smiled, dissolving his sharingan.
In my delirium I mumbled a drunken, “You look familiar mister.” To which the figure laughed.
Then it clicked, I knew why this person was so familiar. I jumped and tackled him to the ground as my arms wrapped themselves around his neck and I started crying tears of joy, “Welcome home Izuna.”
He pulled me further into the hug, one arm going to cradle my head closer to him, “I’m back Kana.”
“You better not have wrecked my farewell gift to you.” I smiled, and I felt him laugh as I heard more footsteps around us.
A familiar shriek, honestly it was probably the anthem of doom, scared the soul out of me as the all too familiar voice of Madame Tsu pierced through all the commotion.
“KANA! WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED?” The Madame yelled, picking me up and surveying the damage.
Spinning in circles, I was able to slur out an “It’s okay, Madame. I’m fine.” To which she dismissed me with a wave of her handkerchief.
“No no, your KIMONO Kana! It’s absolutely ruined!” She wailed, pointing at the frayed ends, dust sticking in between the threads that were once beautiful golden dragons.
They no longer looked like dragons… pigs rolling in mud would be more accurate.
I felt my heart drop as I realised she was right. The once bright colours were now permanently smeared with dirt, and it was littered with so many tears and rips that the only use left for the fabric would be as a dust cloth.
“Shizuka! Come, we need to sort this mess out.” Madame Tsu called my friend.
Without missing a beat, I was dragged away from the scene. Kidnapping attempt forgotten, as Madame Tsu was able to successfully divert my attention to the current crisis.
-Third POV-
A laugh could be heard as Madara looked at his stunned younger brother who still had his arms around where Kana was several moments prior.
“Ten years… ten years we’ve been gone and she doesn’t seem to care.” Izuna gaped, to which Madara laughed even louder.
Composing himself, Madara went up to clap his brother on his back. “We’ll reunite with her later, we have more pressing matters to deal with.”
“What in God’s name happened here?” A stern voice demanded, the Uchiha leader finally returning back to the compound.
“I appear to have a target on my back,” Izuna sighed, untying the sword from his waist as he knelt down beside the sole survivor from the group of bandits.
Removing the gag, Izuna’s sharingan whirled to life as they locked on the bandit. He pulled his gloves off, yanking back the man’s hair and forcing him to look up at the enraged Uchiha.
“Alright, I’m going to ask you some questions now. It would be in your best interest to cooperate.” Izuna mumbled, barely able to contain the rage in his voice.
But the man simply smirked, and Izuna saw the bandit’s chakra start to bubble uncontrollably.
“Get back!” He shouted at everyone as iron tendrils erupted from the ground and grabbed onto the bandit, ripping him to shreds.
Stunned, the members of the Uchiha clan jumped up to avoid being ensnared by the mysterious jutsu. Observing from the rooftops, they looked around as more tendrils erupted around the other bandits and repeated the process. The ground beneath them hummed with a golden chakra that pulsed in what appeared to be ancient runes before disappearing and leaving behind the mummified corpses of the bandits.
“What kind of jutsu was that…” Izuna mumbled, following his father who jumped down to observe the mummies
“Everyone,” Tajima said, “Keep the events of today a secret. No one will speak of this until we identify the perpetrators behind this.”
“That won’t be necessary Lord Tajima,” a clansman said, picking up a short tanto engraved with a familiar seal, “it’s the Senju.”
“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.”
~ Patrick Rothfuss ~
Voices faded in and out as I felt my consciousness rejoin my body. Inhaling, the sharp sting in my chest forced my eyes open as the unexpected pain sent a shock through me, rebooting my system.
My eyes jumped around the unfamiliar room, slightly panicked. I calmed down when I saw the Uchiha fan painted on every wall, but I was still on edge in this foreign environment.
“Kana!”
Izuna dashed in. Flinging aside the katana he had strapped to his waist. My hand instinctively reached out to him as he grabbed it, “You inhaled a fair amount of smoke so don’t try to talk-and before you ask your Granny’s fine. She’s talking to my father now.”
Nodding, his lips cracked into a grin as he knelt on the hardwood floor causing me to frown. Giving me a quizzical look, I shifted on the bed and patted the now empty space, urging him to sit lest he wreck his knees by wearing them out on the floor.
His eyes widened as he gave me an odd look, before cautiously putting his weight on the bed, cautious and uncertain. I smiled, giving him a thumbs up of ‘ok’.
“Kana, you’re awake.”
Tajima had entered, followed by my grandma. Honestly, she looked none the worse for wear… she was resilient that one.
“You really are a reckless one aren’t you.” Granny huffed, flicking the tip of my ear as I smiled sheepishly. “Now say thank you to Tajima-san. He’s been kind enough to move us into the Uchiha compound so that nothing like that happens again.”
I got up and kneeled, bowing respectful before the stern but kind man as I heard Izuna clap cheerfully behind me
“Oh my God, we’re going to be neighbours!” He cheered, and I couldn’t help but smile at the new predicament bringing me closer to my new friends.
***
More time passed. Now that I had recovered and moved into the clan compound, Madara and Izuna had become constant fixtures in my everyday life. I had befriended other clan kids as well, but between juggling my work and weaving more robes and uniforms, my hours didn’t line up with the other children my age. This meant that I was often left with the two brothers as my main friends aside from the village elders who had taken a liking to my designs and embroidery.
Sliding the door open, I saw a downcast Izuna digging his foot into the earth at the front of our house. Heading to our usual waiting spot, I bent down so that I made eye contact with the pouty Uchiha.
“What’s wrong Izuna?” I asked, straightening back up with him, “If you did badly in training I’ll treat you to your favourite daifuku today.”
But not even the mention of his favourite dessert could brighten up my companion. ‘This must be serious’ I thought. After spending so much time with Izuna, I had learnt quite quickly that not much was able to bring his spirits down.
“Nii-san and I will be leaving.” He mumbled, “Father’s taking us out to train - I don’t know for how long, but I know this is going to be the last time we can see each other for a while.”
“When do you go?”
“Tonight.”
That definitely killed my cheery mood.
I let out a sigh, “I see.” I pulled him through the streets, running past all the stalls until we arrived at the very edge of the compound. This was a good starting point.
“Kana, what are you doing?” He quizzed.
“You leaving means we won’t be able to do all this stuff again for a while.” I smiled, “So we’re doing it all today.”
His mouth popped open silently before it turned into a smile, “Alright then, First stop, daifuku!”
The rest of the day went by with us darting through all the stalls and engaging in our favourite pastime of inhaling as much food as possible. But despite the numerous activities we partook in, time just slipped through our fingers and the crescent moon forced us to call it a day.
Izuna walked me back but he was silent and deep in thought the whole way. Not that I could blame him, he was not the clan’s heir, but one could only imagine the amount of pressure he would still be under.
As we neared our destination, he seemed reluctant to take the final few steps that would signify the end of our days together. It was sweet that he seemed to struggle with saying ‘goodbye’; or more appropriately, ‘see you later’.
“Wait here.” I mumbled, darting ahead and diving into my embroidery room looking for what I had been working on the past few months. I found it after digging through one of my many drawers, almost finished but not quite complete.
Rushing back out, I successfully ran back to where Izuna stood and was proud to say that I did so without tripping or face planting over the hazards that littered my workspace.
“Oh dear…” I panted, “My cardio could definitely use work.” To which he gave me a knowing nod with a small smile.
“I’m not giving this to you, I’m letting you borrow it.” I told him pointedly as I pulled out a small silk pouch that had the Uchiha fan embroidered on one side but remained blank on the other, “I’m not done with this yet so you can return it to me when you come back.”
Placing the soft fabric in his hands, I saw Izuna get slightly teary as his thumb traced over the delicate embroidery.
“This is really good Kana.” He smiled.
I rolled my eyes, and reached out to give him a hug. “It’ll be even better once finished, so promise me you’ll bring it back okay Izuna?”
A lump formed in my throat, but I willed it back. “Just bring it back, and if you get it dirty I’ll make you embroider all the ceremonial robes from now on.”
His arms came to wrap around mine, and we both pretended not to hear the crack in his voice as he said, “I promise.”
And I intended to hold him to his word.
Comments
This is a bit of a shorter one. I hope I haven't lost you all yet, but what do you think of shorter chapters? Please let me know if you all prefer a 'hit me with the dictionary' kind of approach or a bite-sized chapt! I do have a longer chapter coming up, but it's definitely big one so I might split it up. But do let me know :)
I promise we will be getting back to our favourite Hatake, but I have to admit that I enjoy writing for Izuna and playing around with his dynamic for Kana.
“Oh, to have someone look at me the way you once did.”
~ R. H. Jekyll ~
Several months had passed since I befriended the brothers. My routine quickly evolved to incorporate them into my otherwise tranquil life, and despite Izuna’s relentless begging, I refused to be trained in the shinobi arts.
“Oh come on Kanaaaaa,” Izuna whined as he accompanied me to make my delivery of new clothes to the Uchiha Clan’s storage, “Just let me train you in the basics. A substitution jutsu and several offensive and defensive techniques.”
“Izuna, thank you for the offer but like I’ve said, I’m not the battle type. My chakra reserve is pathetic. I’m much better with a brush and cotton threads than I am with a kunai and flaming fireballs.” I smiled, as the boy slumped in defeat.
“Stubborn.” He huffed to which I laughed slightly as we finally reached the storage room.
Having finished my job for the week, Izuna persuaded me to stay for a little bit, baiting me with the promise of delicious food. Grabbing my wrist he half-led, half-dragged me to his favourite stall where the sweet aroma of a familiar dessert wafted into the streets.
Izuna handed me a wrapped daifuku, as he bit into his own to show me the red bean filling inside. I took a bite, and my eyes lit up.
“Oh my God,” I mumbled, “This is amazing.”
He smiled, as we both ate our delicious buns in several moments of companionable silence, until I saw black smoke rising in the distance.
“Is that a fire?” I asked, and several Uchiha clansmen at the festival started to mobilise towards the central compound, most likely in search of orders and permission to leave.
“Hey Kana-”
“Go.” I nodded, and Izuna broke off, handing me the bag filled with the untouched daifuku, and followed his clansmen where they converged in the centre.
Looking up at the setting sun, with its orange rays blocked by the thick black smoke coming from the far edge of the compound. But it wasn’t until I properly realised the direction it was in that I felt my face pale, it was in the direction of my cabin, and Granny and I were the only ones residing in that area. My stomach churned, throwing the dessert away as I covered the distance back to our small cabin, a cottage really, in the woods.
I sprinted, miraculously arriving at the site before other members of the Uchiha clan. Despite the scorching heat emanating from the flames, chills crawled up my arms as I confirmed that the source of the flames was none other than my cabin - the same cabin I last saw Granny in.
“GRANNY!” I shouted, desperately searching outside and hoping beyond hope that she wasn’t stuck inside the flaming building.
The flames roared like an untamed beast, and I brought a hand up to protect against the heat that stung my face.
An arm grabbed my shoulder and I looked into a pair of blood red eyes, framed by black tomoe… The Sharingan - it was Madara.
“Kana, what happened?” He shouted, pulling me back to a safer distance from the flames.
“Granny is still in there.” I cried, voice frantic.
Weaving through a set of seals, Madara turned to the building and summoned a wave of water that was able to temporarily douse a portion of the flames. Without waiting, I dashed in, kicking away rubble as I searched for my grandmother.
“Granny!” I shouted and stilled hoping I could hear her reply over the sound of the crackle and roar of the fire.
“… Kana.”
My head whipped, eyes zeroing in on her voice. I ran into what was once my workspace, ignoring the scorched marks on the walls and found her lying in a heap by the wardrobe. Madara followed closely behind, keeping a trained eye on the flame that was slowly starting to recover.
“Granny,” I sighed, relieved that her injuries were superficial with very few burn marks. She seemed slightly dazed but I assumed that was to be expected with the smoke that was slowly suffocating us all.
“I’ve slowed the fire but I haven’t stopped it.” Madara said, appearing behind me, “Let’s go. The building’s structure has probably been severely damaged too.”
“Can you carry her? I’ll follow behind.” I said. He nodded, and the young teen lifted up Granny’s tiny frame.
“Be quick, but remember to be careful.” Madara spoke, carefully stepping over a fallen pillar. “This building’s on its last two legs.”
As he ducked under the remnants of what was once a doorway, I saw a beam come falling down, blocking off my path to the exit.
“Go! I’ll find another way out!” I shouted, remembering a fairly large window to the back of the cabin and hoped that it was unobstructed, and that I could get there in time.
“Kana! Don’t-“ but tongues of fire started to crawl up once more, definitely cutting me off from the way I came in.
I grabbed my sleeve and used it as a makeshift mask, and ignoring the sting of smoke in my eyes, I backtracked in search of that window to safety.
‘Come on, come on.’ I searched, but the black smoke had thickened. I was now essentially stumbling through a haze of darkness, preventing me from seeing anything. My ears picked up a loud groan and I looked up in time to see one of the last roof beams sag dangerously low.
‘It won’t hold.’ I thought, as the beam snapped, the wooden object entering free fall down at me.
I jumped back and put my hands up defensively, when I heard the sound of glass breaking, then the roar of more flames flying past me from my back.
My eyes were still blinded, but through the chaos I could feel arms wrapped around me, pushing my head down as the person jumped, and the world disappeared under my feet.
Our landing was less than graceful. Tumbling across the grass at the front of the cabin, its blades leaving small cuts at my neck, wrists and other exposed areas of skin. When we came to a stop, the figure’s arms let go of my head and I looked up into a pair of single tomoe eyes.
“Izuna?” I was slightly terrified as I had never seen Izuna as anything other than the clumsy kid who couldn’t aim. Yet the boy in front of me didn’t look like the same brat, but had the ferocity attributed to warriors of the Uchiha clan. “You have the-“
“That was beyond crazy Kana!” He snapped, arms going to wrap me in a suffocating hold, “You scared me goddamn it!”
I coughed, wiping away some soot from my face as I hugged him back, “Sorry. Thanks for saving me.”
He simply nodded, before several other footsteps came closer forcing him to let me go so he could see who was there.
“Granny!” I yelled in relief. I rose to go to her, but felt my mind losing control over my body as the world swayed around me.
The last thing I heard was Madara say something about a ‘medic’ before the smoke inhalation caught up with me and I blacked out.
Comments
The internet needs more Warring States Era content, so I thought I would throw in my two cents! I hope you all like a little bit of the history, I promise that this is all relevant and setting up Sands of Time for its future.
I might be getting ahead of myself, but I know how I want this whole story to pan out ;)
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
~ Lewis Carroll ~
-Warring States Era: The Uchiha Clan Compound-
“Dodge!”
I let out a shrill squeak as I dropped the neatly folded robes into mud when a rogue shuriken sliced the air in front of me, coming to land with a soft thud on the wooden pillar inches where my head was.
“Izuna!” A voice shouted and my head turned numbly to where two boys were training; the posture of the younger making me realise he was responsible for the lousy throw.
“Oh my god… OH MY GOD!” The younger one, Izuna, shrieked, “WHY DIDN’T YOU DODGE?”
“Are you alright?” The older boy asked as he came up and helped me pick up the now ruined, mud-soaked garments.
“I won’t be when I have to re-do all of these robes by tomorrow.” I pouted, eyes watering at the beautiful robes I had spent so long on.
“Hey kid, why didn’t ya dodge?” Izuna asked, and it took every fibre of self-control in my body not to pummel the boy for ruining weeks of hard work.
“First off,” I started, dropping the clothes back down, “Don’t call me ‘kid’. You’re the same age as me Uchiha-san, and secondly, not EVERYONE is a ninja alright?”
But the boy was uncertain, “How old are you?”
“I’m turning 10.”
“I’m 11. You’re younger than me, therefore, you’re a kid.” He replied, sticking a tongue out like a… well, a kid.
“Why you-“ I lunged forward only for the older one to pull me back.
“Please forgive my brother’s behaviour.” He smiled, returning the clothes to me, “I’m Madara, and this is Izuna. Are you the seamstress’ new helper?”
I nodded, “Granny said I spent too much time inside, so she wants me to ‘go on an adventure’… who knew that my first adventure could have also been my last.” I glared at Izuna who rolled his eyes at me.
But the older brother smiled, “I see. Well, we are very sorry for this uhh-“
“Kana. My name is Kana.” I said, side-eyeing Izuna.
Madara huffed before turning around to hold back his younger brother from brandishing a dull sword and charging at me, “Excuse me Kana, we must resume our training. But again, I’m so sorry for that.”
After that ‘incident’, I didn’t bother with continuing my journey to deliver ruined robes. Instead, I walked back to the little shop granny and I set up at the edge of the Uchiha clan’s compound and prepared myself to say goodbye to the garments I had spent so much time on.
“Oh-what happened?” Granny asked, seeing the beautiful robes looking all matted from being dropped on the wet ground and caked in mud.
“An Uchiha boy with a poor mastery of the shuriken happened.” I huffed, “Sorry Granny, but I’ll be busy for the next few days.”
But she smiled, patting my shoulder, “Don’t stress. Let me see if I can ask Tajima for an extension.”
I smiled hopefully, stretching as I prepared for a period of intense, back-breaking work. My poor fingers would definitely be feeling this…
-Weeks later-
‘Thank God Tajima-san was fine with the extension.’ I sighed, lying spread-eagle on the floor of the wooden cabin, looking up at different threads suspended around the small room I called my workshop, ‘Redoing the ceremonial robes in two days would have been impossible.’
“And we only have one more!” I cheered, ricocheting back up and quickly giving my ‘workspace’ a clean up.
Bending down, I reached for a rogue piece of fabric when a loud crash scared the living daylights out of me, and I all but headbutt another presence in my workspace.
The figure flailed momentarily, “Whoa whoa-“, stumbling backwards and falling through some spare sheets of fabric I had hung up.
“Oh my God,” I winced, but quickly cleared the wreckage to see who the unfortunate victim of my mess was, “Are you okay?”
“Sheeeesh, do you have a helmet for a skull or something?” Izuna winced, trying to rub his chin despite being tangled and strung up like household decor.
I stared at him dumbly. Then let out a laugh so big that I fell down, adding to the mess on the floor.
“Oh what a ninja you are.” I screamed, his fuming face doing little to calm me down.
“You could keep this space a little cleaner! You must be violating every work health and safety regulation there is in this death trap.” He yelled back, carefully trying to untangle one of his legs that had been bent at a very comical angle.
Finally composing myself, I grabbed a pair of scissors and started to cut him free of the threads, “You’ve really got them all messed up, so I’ll just keep cutting until I hit the one with the most tension. That should free you-but DON’T fall on me!” I warned, narrowing my eyes.
He huffed, gesturing to his predicament and his lack of control over his limbs and gravity.
“Fair enough.” I accepted, “Okay this one doesn’t look like it’s holding anything up.” I cut a strand by his arm-
-and he crashed down ontop of me.
Izuna’s knee kicked my cheek, so I promptly pushed him off and sent him rolling out the doors of my cabin.
“You’re not a ninja but that’s a battle zone right there.” He said, groaning as he slowly sat up.
“What do you want Izuna?” I sighed, “I hope you didn’t come to throw another shuriken in my face or ruin another batch of robes.”
He cast his eyes down at that, going to scratch his head sheepishly, “Yeah… about that….”
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
“Forgiven. Was that all?” I asked to which he looked up at with confusion.
“You’re not still mad?” He asked cautiously.
“Oh I was, but being given the opportunity to remake them all showed me that my first batch was, honestly, uglyyyyyyy.” I cringed, thinking back to how I wanted to slap myself for the horrid designs.
He shot up like a puppy, looking offended, “No they weren’t! They looked really pretty!”
I raised an eyebrow and grabbed one of the spoiled fabrics from a basket and thrust it into his hands.
“Look, the colours are off. The stitching was horrible, and you’d have to be drunk on chakra exhaustion before ANYONE would think that’s a bird.” I rattled off, picking apart all of its flaws and horrified that I would be giving these to the clan’s elders.
“Uhh… Kana-chan.” He spoke and I realised I had unintentionally intruded in his personal space.
“Oh, I’m so sorry… I got a bit carried away.” I smiled, moving to take the fabric back.
“I like it.” He huffed stubbornly, pink lightly dusting his cheeks. “If you don’t want it, I’ll keep it.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, one brow raised dubiously, “If you need a robe I’ll be happy to make you a better one-“
I was cut off as the boy stubbornly pulled it on, giving me a grin as he twirled before me.
“Suit yourself I guess.” I smiled.
Comments
A little bit of a teaser as to what I'm planning ;)
I do have an idea as to how I'm going to build on the Naruto world. It's still in the works but I promise you (hopefully!) won't be disappointed.
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“Being alone has nothing to do with how many people are around.”
~ Richard Yates ~
It has been close to a week since my little… ‘outburst’ at the training field. During that time, I was updated on my newfound status as a bargaining chip and secret weapon to be used against Suna.
“From a member of the village to a political trump card,” I sighed as I lay perched on the top of a tree and admired the night sky.
Konoha was a beautiful village, there was no doubt about that. However, it could never compare to the sheer wonder of Suna, of the desert, set against the backdrop of a clear starry night.
There was a soft rustle behind me and I sensed a familiar chakra signature flare up, the owner kind enough to let me know that they were approaching.
“How are you doing Tsubaki?” Minato asked.
I tried to hide my embarrassment. I still had yet to apologise to Minato and Kakashi for my outburst, even though Kushina reassured me that it wasn’t my fault. “Just peachy,” I mumbled, pulling my knees up to my chest and curling in on myself.
The jounin still came to sit himself next to me, taking in the sight of Konoha with its brightly lit lanterns and the sound of the village’s nightlife.
“Kushina has told me that you really enjoy the night,” He spoke, “And I can see why.”
I turned to peek at the shinobi from the corner of my eyes, and pulled myself together to sit back on my ankles and stare him straight on.
“I’m sorry Minato-san.” I bowed, forehead touching the ground. “I cannot justify my actions, and there is no excuse for the way I behaved. The only thing I have left to offer is my most sincere apologies.”
There was silence. Then, the feeling of a weight on my head as Minato ruffled my hair. “You have nothing to apologise for Tsubaki. You’re a shinobi, but you’re also human with feelings and emotions. Never lose sight of that.”
I let out a small smile. They were simple words, yet they were the words I needed to hear. To be given confirmation that it was okay to be human. I could not deny that losing my dad would forever leave a hole that might never be filled, a pain that could never disappear. But as I sat with Minato on that tree and looked on at Konoha in the tranquil night, I started to think that one day, I would be okay…
… or so I thought.
-Hokage’s Office-
“Can you repeat that Hokage-sama?” I gulped, feeling my stomach sink and chills run up my spine.
The old man looked at me sadly, “Your mother hasn’t been heard from since she left to look for your father. We have also found the wreckage of a battle which was your sister’s envoy. As of this moment, both your mother and sister are presumed dead.”
His eyes flicked around, presumably to ensure that the silencing seals around his office were still in place. But I could hardly bring myself to care. In the span of a week I had been orphaned, my entire family decimated in one fell swoop.
This must be a joke.
“Will there be a funeral? A burial?” I whispered, eyes locked on the window behind the Hokage.
“Tsubaki.” I turned, Kushina was there. I wonder how long she had been beside me, “There will be a memorial, but no funeral.”
Confused, I asked “Why?”
My sensei pursed her lips, “They don’t have a body to bury Tsubaki.”
“Oh… oh yeah.” I nodded.
I didn’t need to look up to see that Kushina and the Hokage had exchanged concerned glances. I just stood in silence, eyes dropped down to study the small cracks on the floor. Distantly, I heard them keep talking and I let them. I couldn’t hear a word they were saying, I was just there.
Eventually Kushina had dragged me out of the Hokage’s office and I ended up sitting beside a small stream, toes dipping into the water as the stream continued on its course.
“Tsubaki, oy Tsubaki.”
Looking up, I saw Kakashi’s masked face looking down at mine.
“You good?” He asked, to which I just stared dumbly at him.
He just sighed, and left, leaving me to go back to stare at the river stream. In all honesty, I couldn’t fault him. I appreciated that he was trying to help, but what I really needed was a distraction.
“Tsubaki!”
Obito’s voice broke through the fog that was starting to settle in my mind. Blinking, I looked up at the energetic Uchiha who grabbed me by my hands and started bolting in a direction.
“What are you doing Obito?” I asked, nearly losing my footing. “Kushina-sensei asked me to stay by the river and wait for her.”
“It’ll be fine,” he waved, “I’ve got something that’ll cheer you up.”
I just followed, numb, until I found myself at the entrance of the Uchiha compound, and my mouth dropped. The entire compound was decorated in fiery reds and yellows. Several stalls were set up along the main area within the compound and members of the clan were drifting between them, coming out with different trinkets and snacks.
“This is our annual festival within the clan, it’s a tradition we’ve carried on with since before the founding of Konoha.”
“It smells good.” I smiled, taking in the beautifully delicious scents wafting from the stalls. Sweet and savoury delights just waiting to be enjoyed. “But I’m not Uchiha, are you sure I’m invited?”
“You’ll be fine,” he waved, “Mikoto told me to invite you so you’re all good. Just stick with me.” I nodded, and couldn’t help the smile as Obito dragged me to the first stall we could find where I started to salivate at all the treats on display.
“Oh my gosh it all smells so good!” I squealed excitedly, holding my hands out as the vendor passed some very generous servings of sugar to two kids.
“You should try the daifuku,” Obito said, as he finished his first kebab, “It’s the best.”
I nodded, and pulled out the smooth ball of squish and squeezed it between my fingers, watching as it simply expanded back into its original shape. “What’s the festival for?”
Damn the daifuku was good, my hand dived back into the bag in search of another and I mentally made notes to get more before I left.
“So,” he started to speak between mouthfuls, “Historically, it was held during the Warring States era to help boost the morale of the clansmen. But nowadays, we use it as a way to celebrate and commemorate Kana, to keep her memory and spirit alive within the Uchiha.”
I munched, hand going back for another daifuku, “Who is Kana?”
“We don’t know for sure,” he shrugged, “She wasn’t born an Uchiha, but she lived within the clan compounds for all of her life that she was basically a clan member. According to legend, she was our guardian angel and protected the heart and the innocence of the Uchiha clan.”
“She sounds very well loved by the Uchiha.” I smiled.
He nodded, “She was, they weren’t ever really the same after her…”
Comments
All good things must come to an end. This was another heart-wrenching chapter, but you can't write a Naruto story without going through the emotional rollercoaster.
"Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars."
~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~
"She's what!?"
Hiruzen sighed, as he could foresee the long and difficult discussion that he was about to have with the other members of the Konoha Council.
"The student currently under Kushina's care and tutelage is Tsubaki Senju. The daughter of Suna's late Third Kazekage and Hinami Senju, Lord Second's daughter." He repeated.
"Yes, we heard you the first time Hiruzen," Homura snapped, "What we're having trouble grasping is why you would keep this hidden from us!"
Danzo frowned, "You understand that our relationship with Suna has always been precarious, and yet you knowingly housed a member of their Kazekage Clan within our borders."
"It is because of these tensions that I welcomed Tsubaki into the village," Hiruzen replied, "Hinami could sense that the villagers in Suna did not trust her. Kazekage's wife or not, she was a member of Konoha, and the last official member of the Senju Clan. She did not want her daughter to live being scrutinised and doubted, and I'll be damned before I let that happen here."
"We might have been quick to judge," Koharu thought aloud, "but housing the daughter of the Third Kazekage will be a risk. If the villagers, or even other shinobi discover her true identity, then the dangers will not be restricted to public outcry."
'Tsubaki could be kidnapped and held for ransom.' Hiruzen thought.
"There is no doubt that she would be targeted. From the latest… incident, we know that she has inherited the late Akashi's Magnet Release, should she somehow also possess Wood Release then-"
"She does not have Wood Release." Hiruzen spoke up, cutting off Koharu. "But Hinami suspects her sister does."
"And this is the second daughter that Hinami wants Konoha to care for?" Danzo asked, as his finger started tapping his knee absent-mindedly. "And what of Hinami herself?"
"The death of the Third Kazekage is the official announcement. However, Hinami doesn't believe the Third Kazekage has passed." The Hokage sighed. "She'll set out herself to look for him."
"That will be another challenge in itself!" Homura yelled. "There is great tension between the other nations and it only grows stronger by the day. The Kazekage was the only one able to keep that political powder keg in-check; now that he has passed-"
"It is likely that we will be dragged into another war," Danzo concluded.
The Council sat in silence as they contemplated the gravity of the situation. The Third Kazekage, contrary to his stoic and aggressive appearance, was the only one amongst the Five Kage able to prevent the shinobi world from falling into another all out war. In his absence, there was now a vacuum; where there once was a voice of reason, there was now a political bomb waiting to go off.
The silence was broken by Danzo. "She should remain in Konoha."
"And risk incurring the outrage of Konoha and Suna?" Homura scoffed, turning to Danzo, "I understand your history with Hinami, but I caution you to keep that in check when considering the best course of action for the village Danzo."
"We can keep her identity hidden," Danzo pressed, "Without Wood Release, no one would even suspect that she has any connection to the Senju Clan, to be perfectly frank if we based it off her looks she would be more likely to be mistaken as an Uchiha. And if the jinchuuriki can seal her Iron Sand technique, she's no different from any other shinobi."
Homura looked at Danzo with disbelief. "So let me get this straight, you're proposing that we conceal the identity of the Third Kazekage's daughter, and our own Second Hokage's grandchild, to keep her within our borders? That has got to be the weakest plan I've heard."
"I agree with Homura," Koharu said, "from a military perspective, Tsubaki could definitely be an asset to Konoha. However, this is all based on the presumption that her identity remains hidden. Assuming that Suna is aware and agreed to allow Hinami to send their princess to Konoha, this would have been a highly classified secret. When her identity is discovered, they would immediately demand her back, irrespective of what was agreed to in the past."
The Third Hokage sighed, 'This is why I hate politics,' he thought. But even so, he owed it to his predecessors to at least try and keep Tsubaki here, politics be damned, the child would not thrive in a village that did not welcome her into their arms.
"We owe Hinami to try," Hiruzen spoke, drawing the attention of the Council onto him once more, "Yes the dangers are great, the consequences even more so. But we owe it to Hinami, to the Senju Clan, and the founders of this village we now call our home to raise their family to the best of our ability."
Pensive looks we exchanged, as Hiruzen could see that he was slowly making the others understand his side.
"And when her identity is revealed? What happens if Suna accuses us of kidnapping their beloved Kazekage's daughter?" Homura asked.
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it."
***
-Dream-
Blinking, my eyes opened up to drink in the image of the clear desert night. Standing at the top of the Kazekage's tower, I could drink in the image of the gentle light radiating from the moon and painting the scene in an ethereal glow, the grains of sand turning into droplets of silver. As my eyes darted around, they quickly landed on a man standing with his back towards me, overlooking the balcony of the Kazekage tower to view the beauty of Suna and the desert protecting it.
"Papa?" I asked, tears in my eyes.
Turning, I saw my dad give me a small smile as he gestured me towards him. Not needing to be told twice, I ran and jumped into his arms, immediately locking myself to him as he picked me up.
"Why are you sad little one?" He asked, noticing the small tears that were pooling in my eyes. "Did you have a bad dream? Or is it because you slept without your night light."
I nodded yes, "Both."
"Open your eyes Tsubaki."
Slowly, I opened them, and stared straight up at his gentle smile, the stern expression he usually reserved for the day disappeared. That's how I knew I wasn't looking at the Kazekage, I was looking at my father.
"Look out Tsubaki," he turned so that I was now overlooking the same view that captured his attention, "Look to the stars. What do you see?"
"Umm," my lips quivered, "it's really dark papa."
"Calm down," he breathed, pointing out a group of stars, "Concentrate on those stars. Do you see anything?"
Biting my lip, I tried. Squinting I tried to think about what the answer he wanted from me, but I came up blank.
"Stars papa, what's so interesting about them?" I asked.
"Really?" He hummed, "I see Tepi."
"Te-pi." I tried the name.
"That's right, Tepi. A fierce guardian that has protected our family since before we were ninjas." He smiled, at my amazed look, "One day you'll see Tepi, and when you do, you will never be afraid of the dark again."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Comments
Something that has always interested me in the Naruto world is the complex political relationships between the villages, but also between different parties of a village. This was definitely not something I focused on too much when I was watching Naruto, but I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the Kage who have to balance being a political figure, but also the head of the military/armed forces of their nation.
To all who have stuck around until here, thank you for reading; please let me know how I'm doing!
“Sooooo, why am I here?” I asked, blinking owlishly as I found myself face to face with a silver-haired Hatake who was nonchalantly polishing his blade.
“Training.” He replied, and finally set his blade down once he was satisfied that it was sharp enough to cut through… me?
I was puzzled. I had heard from Kushina about her husband’s grump of a student and was surprised that he was willing to spend his time with me.
“Are you going to offer me as a sacrifice?” I asked with narrowed eyes.
“Only if you let yourself get sacrificed.”
I gulped. With that mask on and his back towards me, I couldn’t tell if he was joking.
As I braced for Kakashi to deal what I assumed to be the first of many strikes that would shred me into confetti, I heard Obito’s voice cut across the training field.
“Tsubaki! Tsubaki!” He yelled.
Sighing, Kakashi lowered his tanto, stabbing the blade into the ground and with one hand coming to rest on his hip, glaring at the Uchiha’s knucklehead ninja.
“What’s wrong Obito?” I asked, taking a few steps forward to meet the boy who was huffing and puffing like he had just ran a marathon.
“Kushina… Kushina-san… News… from Suna.” He gasped in between choking down oxygen. “Emergency... Go now.”
And just like that my instinct kicked in. Barely turning to look at the two I dashed towards the Hokage tower, where I presumed Kushina-sensei and the Third were waiting for me.
‘It’s fine.’ I thought, but the coil in my stomach betrayed my thoughts.
I got to the Hokage’s office in what must have been a record time. Yet as I stood outside, a paralysing fear stopped me from walking through that door. A chill travelled down my spine and I felt my feet glued to the floor.
‘Pull yourself together. You’re overreacting.’ I repeated it like a mantra. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and knocked. Three times. Confidently. Like a shinobi reporting for duty.
“Come in Tsubaki.”
And I stepped through the door.
***
Kakashi let out a sigh as Obito missed another punch and fell straight into his web of explosive tags. Honestly, he was starting to wonder how the Uchiha had survived for this long.
“Are you really taking those skills out into the battlefield?” Kakashi sighed as Obito untangled himself from the mess.
The Uchiha stuck his tongue out, “Yeah yeah Kakashi, I’ll beat you in the next round!”
“Sorry, I’m back!”
The two shinobi turned as Tsubaki quickly rejoined. Kakashi gave her an odd look. Physically, she seemed fine. But there was a change in her... something was up but who was he to pry.
“Hey, are you ok Tsubaki? You look like you’re about to cry.” Obito asked.
She laughed, waving off his concern. “I’m fine… Just a bit sad.”
“Hmm, ok. I need to go back and finish some chores for the old man, but next round I’m gonna crush you Kakashi!” Obito swore, then running off in a swirl of blue and orange.
“So, where were we?” Tsubaki asked, a smile as she took a stance preparing to meet Kakashi’s first blow.
Wordlessly, he picked up his blade and resumed their training, but it didn’t last long. They barely started when Kakashi made a comment about her heart not being in it.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you but you missed several strikes that you normally dodge. I thought Kushina-san fixed your tunnel vision issue a long while ago.”
And just like that, Tsubaki broke.
Letting out a wail, the kunoichi fell to the floor. Gasping for air, one hand dug into the ground beneath her, as the other tightened itself around the shirt she was wearing.
Kakashi panicked. Slowly, he put aside his tanto, and spent some time thinking about what to do next. Tsubaki was strong, and highly capable. He had never seen her break down like this, and he wondered if it was due to his earlier criticism.
Slowly approaching his distressed teammate, he spoke, “Tsubaki, what’s-”
He felt a surge in chakra coming from Tsubaki, and the ground below responded in kind. Any metallic minerals that were naturally occurring within the earth started to rise in specks of dust and swirl as an angry storm around her.
“They killed him… he’s dead!” She shouted, and Kakashi could see that she was starting to hyperventilate.
“Tsubaki, calm down!” He shouted as the sand storm had grown so that it was not reaching the borders of the empty training field.
But it was clear that she wasn’t listening. He cursed as he felt tremors in the earth building in intensity and frequency. Kakashi’s tanto blade had flown off somewhere, taken by the sand storm, but that didn’t change the fact he needed to stop her, now.
His fingers started forming the seals for an earth jutsu, but before he could do anything, a spike of sand rose from the ground reaching to impale him.
If it wasn’t for the fact that he had practice against Minato’s Flying Thunder God, he had no doubt that he would have been seriously injured by the spike.
“They KILLED HIM!” Tsubaki screeched, and the sand storm responded, swirling around her with greater intensity. A dangerous combination of a shield to protect her, and to attack anything around her.
“Get back!”
Recognising the voice of his sensei, Kakashi didn’t hesitate to jump back and stay out of Minato’s way. There was simply nothing he could do.
With a flash, Minato vanished and reappeared immediately behind Tsubaki. The sand roared in anger, but it was too late. He had reached out and slammed a seal directly into the back of her neck.
Tsubaki gasped, the sand storm stopped, and instead gently fell onto the ground like snowflakes. Now that the storm was gone, Kakashi and Minato could see the array of cuts that littered across her face and arms.
Approaching the two, Kakashi knelt down to face Tsubaki and saw that the wind had mixed tears with blood from the cuts across her forehead, painting her with a crimson crown.
“Kaka-kun.” She cried, swaying weakly “I’m sorry.”
As she fell, Kakashi instinctively reached out to catch her which exposed the dark red marking of a seal now at the base of her neck.
“Come now, we should get her to the medics.” Minato said.
“Obito said that there was an emergency from Suna. What happened?” Kakashi asked.
“It’s her father Kakashi,” Minato looked down at the sleeping girl that cried red tears, “He’s dead.”
Comments
This was my first go at writing something more serious/emotional. It was definitely the hardest chapter so far, trying to explore the impact of grief on the people around you. But for better or worse, Naruto is a story filled with ups and downs, and this will not be the last time I'll be touching such a topic.
