War-torn
A/N: AU brought about by sheer imagination and force of will. For those of you who've read Martyrdom is an Art, you may already be familiar with the sword Murai and the so-called ordeals that one who seeks it shall go through. If you haven't, Shikai went off to a distant island in search of a mythical blade.
This, however, explores the idea of time-travel. Well, I've always wanted to do this kind of fic with this kind of character in this kind of situation.
In summary, Shikai's search for Murai brings her to a hermit in a mountain who claims they can travel back in time.
(I know I should go back to writing The Killer and the Artist and Love-in-idleness, but I can't bring myself to at the moment. Perhaps after this.)
AU more than anything. With very loose connections to any of my work. Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading.
The hermit told her he could bring her back fifteen years into the past. The hermit actually brings her back fifty-five.
All she wanted was to find a sword.
She wakes in a forest clearing. Sunlight is filtering through the trees, and the clouds are moving swiftly across the sky.
It is the midday in summer.
She is no longer in the hermit's cave.
Internally, she curses for not asking for more information. He could have just fooled her, drugged her with the drink he made, and took her to this clearing. Yes, he could have just fooled her, and she had just simply gone along with it, gullible brat that she is. But no, the weightiness of her pockets and the existence of her two swords tell her that he did not, that perhaps this is the past.
Fifteen years into the past, to be precise.
Perhaps.
So, she gathers herself and searches for a route to civilization.
She asks the first person she finds, a man with a wicker basket filled to the brim with lettuce and tomatoes.
"What year is this?"
"The tenth year of Hashirama Senju's reign as Hokage."
It dawns on her slowly as she pieces the information together. She was in Konohagakure, or at least near it, about fifty years into the past.
The damn hermit fooled her.
"Should you want to come back before finding it, find the second leaf that's fallen from the tree."
How the hell was she supposed to know?
"Murai lives in a place where there is no time. The past and present converge, and the future lies among them."
The hermit's words now come to her as mocking and sarcastic. She grits her teeth and stands properly, watches as the man takes his leave.
Finding Murai is the priority.
But she feels a certain sense of relief at the fact that if this is Hashirama Senju's tenth year of being the village's Kage, then no wars would be raging and she could go on this journey in peace.
How convenient. She wouldn't have to worry.
But first, she had better get acquainted with such a world.
Konohagakure, as she expected, is still as loud as ever, though not as densely populated.
"I am a samurai." She tells the guards by the gate. "I am here to replenish my supplies."
She wonders if that would suffice for a reason. She wonders if the samurai at the era were as her father and her grandfather had told her, respected and held in high regard. She shows them Yuukou no Sato's crest at her sword's pommel just to be sure. Yuukou no Sato had already been established by this time, right? So, they would–
"Of course." One of them spoke. "We welcome all people hailing from the samurai countries."
"You have my thanks." She bows.
"We shall inform Hashirama-sama about your arrival..." He trails off, perhaps asking for her name.
"Amakuni." She says her father's name, or in this time, her great-grandfather's. "Amakuni Shikai."
"Yes, we shall inform him of your arrival, Amakuni-dono. Please."
One of them steps forward, perhaps to escort her.
She frowns internally, knowing there isn't another way out of this.
"As per protocol." He adds.
She wonders what this protocol is and why it matters for a passing samurai.
"Of course, the protocol." She mutters to herself. "Let's go." She tells the man.
Only later does she become fully aware of what said protocol entailed when she comes face-to-face with the legend himself.
"You are looking for Murai, correct?"
She's shocked beyond reason.
A/N: Well, following Hey, hero! and but it gets worse (oh, you just gotta love the aesthetic feel of the all-lowercase haha), I like putting characters into situations they aren't ready for.
I will get back to my other works for Naruto, just not now.
Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading.