Growing up in the Era of Warring States, one became used to heartbreak and hardship. There was no one untouched by the conflict. Death of a loved one was a common experience. Strife and suffering were everywhere, as evident by all the blood-red stares around the stronghold.
Her own included.
"Akiko!" Pausing in her movements, she turned to see who called her name, smiling when she saw her friend.
"Hey, Emi!" she greeted cheerfully, relaxing her stance.
She was met with a disapproving stare. "You should really stop that, you know," Emi said with all the air of wisdom a nine year old could possess. "Training and fighting are for boys."
Rolling her eyes at that bit of knowledge that was continuously dispensed upon her, even by her own sensei, she tactfully changed the subject. "What did you come out here for?"
"Oh!" A pleased, teasing grin stretched across Emi's face. "Guess who's looking for you?" she sang.
"I don't know." A shrug. "One of my brothers? Probably Madara," she guessed absently.
Emi scoffed, "No, silly. Masaru!"
Not exactly happy with this information, Akiko's mouth formed a soundless, "Oh." Masaru was always trying to find her. His mother had been friends with hers. They had spent a good majority of their childhood together, but then Akiko's mother had passed away, and Masaru had begun the training that all boys were required to do. However, that didn't stop him from seeking her out whenever he could.
Grabbing her hand, Emi was prepared to drag her to him. Laughing at her friend's enthusiasm, Akiko shook off her hold. "I still need to finish my exercises. Maybe when I'm done," she reluctantly added that last part to appease the other girl.
Flipping her straight, ebony hair, Emi sighed dramatically. "I'll never understand you. Don't you want to be a proper Uchiha woman?"
If it meant having to be bossed around by men her whole life? "No way," she answered definitively, crinkling her nose.
The thought of being a proper Uchiha wife was somewhat frightening to her. She knew she was strange. Most girls her age were dreaming about their future husbands and their lives as caretakers and mothers.
But Akiko just couldn't imagine any of that. She wanted to be strong; she wanted to be there for her brothers and protect them.
She had already horribly failed both her younger borther and their mother.
Thoughts of their loss constantly plagued her, if only she had been stronger, faster, better. They might still be alive. Kaito had only been five when he died. Despite the fact that she was the older sibling, he had placed himself in the role of her protector, and had gotten himself killed.
Right in front of her.
And now, Izuna and Madara were the only ones she had left. Akiko could feel them pulling away.
Boys were trained from very early on to prepare for battle. It was rigorous and harsh, and even though they were only children, they were still forced to go on missions and fight on the front lines. Girls were taught how to fight as well, just the basics for self-defense, however. Mostly they learned how to use their chakra to mend superficial wounds.
There were some, like her, who craved more. Her mother hadn't been happy with that. Maybe if Akiko was less of a selfish person, she would have granted her mother's wish after her death and strive to do all the things the older woman had wanted her to learn.
But she wanted to become someone powerful who could protect herself and others. She knew she had a lot of obstacles, her remaining family included.
It didn't help that she was the only one of her siblings to possess the Sharingan, something both her brothers were sore about. She had thought that possessing their bloodline limit might make them see her in a more serious light, but it seemed to make them resent her slightly instead.
Shortly after Emi left, Akiko decided to move somewhere else to finish up just in case her friend told Masaru where she was. Knowing him, he'd rush right over.
Having expected to be completely alone, she was rather close to the forest though the compound wasn't too far away, Akiko was a little shocked to see her older brother stealthily jump out of the trees.
Considering the dangerous times they were in, traveling alone was frowned upon. It was basically a death wish.
"Madara!" she called out, waving to him.
He blanched noticeably as he turned around. "Akiko, what are you doing here?"
"Training," she responded casually, redoing her high pony-tail, several of the midnight strands had come loose and were tickling her face. "Where were you?"
"Training," he snapped defensively. Observing him closer, she noted some cuts and bruises on his face and arms.
Obviously he had been sparring. "With who?"
"Nobody! Just myself!"
She stared at him dubiously, "Right."
"It doesn't matter. Just…don't tell anyone."
Frowning with concern, she asked, "Are you in trouble?"
He shook his head. "No. It's nothing like that. I just…never mind. Do you promise to keep it a secret?"
"From everyone?" Including Izuna? She loved both her brothers dearly, but they had a bond that she had no part of. It might be a little petty of her, but she was happy she was the one Madara was entrusting.
"Everyone."
Elated that this would be a shared secret between the two of them, Akiko nodded her consent. "Okay!"
Happy with his sister's cooperation, the twelve year old smiled. "Do you still need some help with your taijustu?" Masa-sensei must have told him about her struggles in that area, but she couldn't get the appropriate amount of anger worked up.
Grinning from ear to ear, Akiko paid rapt attention to her brother, more than happy to be receiving lessons from him.
oOo
Over the next few weeks, Madara had begun to disappear more frequently, never telling anyone where he was going. Sometimes, he would let her know when he was leaving so she would cover for him, but things had been abnormally calm as of late and he hadn't been asked about often.
All that had changed one day, when their father, Uchiha Tajima, had been scouring the compound high and low for him. Apparently, there had been an ambush on a scouting squad near one of the other clan bases. As their settlement was closest to it, they had to respond to their distress call quickly. Everyone was in a panic.
Not knowing what else to do, Akiko had run to the forest to search for him before Tajima could think to look there. Concentrating hard on his chakra, she managed to find a faint trace of it. Dashing through the trees, she leapt into a large clearing that was split by a river.
"Madara!" she shouted breathlessly, coming to a sudden stop when she realized he wasn't alone.
There was another boy around his age with him. Upon seeing her, the stranger elbowed Madara's side. "And just who is this?" the odd boy questioned. "Huh, huh? Your girlfriend?"
"No!" Madara exclaimed indignantly. "She's my sister, you idiot!"
"Your sister! How can somebody with a mug like yours be related to someone so pretty?"
Madara raised his fist in the air. "That's my sister, don't go calling her pretty!"
The other boy fell to the ground in despair. "You're right. I'm s-sorry."
Not even batting a lash at the weird behavior, Madara addressed his sister for the first time since she got there. "What are you doing here, Akiko?"
"Um," she stuttered, a little thrown off by how Madara had been acting. She couldn't remember the last time he had been so…carefree. "We need to go back. Now." She stared at him somberly, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation without words.
He seemed to understand. "Yo! Hashirama, I'll see you later, okay?"
Hashirama stood up, his depression mysteriously vanishing just as fast as it had appeared. "Okay!" He turned to Akiko. "It was really great meeting you."
Her polite response was automatic. "It was nice to meet you, too."
As they made their way back home, she filled Madara in on the details, all the while her mind was on the eccentric boy her brother had befriended.
Unfortunately, after that Tajima had become suspicious of Madara's disappearances. Whenever asked, Akiko had tried to cover, saying he was off training, hunting, or just out for a walk.
She and her father were not close; their relationship was strained at best with neither willing to mend fences. It didn't surprise her that he had approached Izuna to spy on Madara.
It must have bothered Izuna that there was something Madara was keeping from him. Akiko surmised that was reason for his sour moods lately. While she was happy she knew Madara's secret, watching Izuna, she felt a little guilty as well.
The look in Madara's bloody gaze as they all returned from the river was one she'd never forget. After that, the closeness they had created due to their shared secret had evaporated. Madara had become more withdrawn, wholly concentrating on becoming stronger.
Over the years, being alone was something she had gradually grown used to. Her brothers and father were away for long periods of time, and even when they were home it wasn't like they were really there.
It was difficult to not feel left out or hurt. Attempting to distract herself from such thoughts, she spent most of her time and attention on becoming a better kunoichi.
Shortly after turning ten, Akiko was finally allowed to go on missions. None of them had been too difficult. More often than not, she was a part of an escort team, protecting some notable Lord as they traveled through the Land of Fire. But the only threats she had faced had been common thugs and not rival shinobi.
When she wasn't away on a mission, she was honing her skills, preparing herself for when an actual challenge might occur.
Her only breaks were when she allowed Emi to guilt her into taking them.
"Look at you! You are covered in dirt and sweat and yuck," the other girl would complain. "Go take a bath and make yourself presentable. We're eleven now, Akiko, I shouldn't have to remind you to take care of yourself. Don't you have any pride?"
Scowling, Akiko thought her friend was exaggerating a little too much. She always made sure to wash up after training and took good care of her hair. It was pulled back during her exercises and she brushed it every night. The long midnight tresses fell in loose, healthy curls down her back.
Being attractive almost seemed to be an inherent trait among the Uchiha. There was a certain elegance in their dramatic coloring. Unlike most of her clan, Akiko didn't have the standard onyx iris. Instead, hers were a deep, dark blue that appeared black a first. It was rare for one of their clan to fall out of the normal color scheme, and despite the fact that her facial features were maturing, she knew that she would always seem more sweet than regal, what with her large eyes and button nose.
It didn't matter, though. Even among the Uchiha she was considered uncommonly pretty. And she knew it. In spite of her young age, there was no mistaking the look the Lords and their sons gave when inquiring about her age and if she was already arranged to be married.
It wasn't exactly uncommon for a girl her age to have suitors lining up to become a potential fiancé. After all, a good portion of girls were married off by the time they were fourteen or fifteen.
"Where are we headed?" Akiko asked as she grabbed one of her nicer yukatas after her bath. It had been a while since she'd worn one, usually staying in her training outfits.
"We need to figure out what we're going to get Mayumi for her birthday."
She had forgotten that was coming up. "Kazue probably has something she would like. There are tons of necklaces and other stuff at her place."
Even though it wasn't considered a useful skill, and being a craftswoman was sort of looked down upon, Kazue had a knack for creating pretty pieces of jewelry. They weren't anything extravagant, but rather simple and elegant.
Akiko wondered if it would be too much for her to request a jewel encrusted katana…
Appropriately ooh-ing and aw-ing at everything Emi picked up, both girls ended up agreeing on buying the delicate silver-chained bracelet decorated with green gems.
"Thank you, Kazue-san!" They both bowed lightly before running off.
"I have the perfect little bag to put this in!" Emi gushed with excitement. "I just have to find it…"
Emi's room wasn't exactly the most organized. "Good luck with that," Akiko snorted.
They waved goodbye and Akiko decided that she didn't want to head home just yet. She walked along the edge of the forest, enjoying the peace and quiet. The tranquility was ruined when she came upon Masaru viciously attacking a tree.
"Now what did that poor plant ever do to you?" she teased, but immediately became somber when she saw the look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
He ignored the question. "Spar with me."
It was more like a command than a request. Still wearing her yukata from earlier, Akiko sighed, but nodded her head.
The speed at which he came at her was somewhat shocking. Whenever they trained together he had the tendency to go easy on her, in his anger he must have forgotten that. She didn't mind. Anticipation and adrenaline pumped through her veins as she parried, reflexively dropping down and attempting to sweep his feet with a kick.
He jumped, flipping backwards before pushing towards her again. Her Sharingan flashed, reading his movements. It might be somewhat unfair for her to use it, considering his had yet to unlock it, but he had more fighting experience than her, so she supposed it made them even. She quickly leapt into a tree, avoiding his attacks, but he was quick.
Sensing his chakra behind her, Akiko dove from the branch she was perched on seconds before it was shattered. Twisting in the air, she landed facing Masaru. Being able to read his movements, she was able to block his knee and the uppercut that followed shortly after.
She managed to hit him with a right hook, but wasn't fast enough to evade the kick to her stomach.
They continued to spar until the sun was gone from the sky. Both of them were breathing heavily, laying down on the cool grass, staring at the starry night in companionable silence.
Had someone told her a few years ago she would be willingly spending time with Masaru, she would have scoffed and called them fools. But he had changed.
Surreptitiously glancing at him, she noticed his lanky form was beginning to bulk up with muscle. His face was becoming less round, jawline a little more severe. He was handsome.
Flipping onto her stomach, wincing a little from the bruises she was sure to have, she watched him curiously. "Any particular reason for your bad mood?"
"Father says Kenji needs to head to the front lines in the east." Kenji was only eight years old, but there were a lot of boys younger than him fighting on the front lines.
"I'm sorry," she said, staring at him sadly.
"I just don't understand why they send kids in the first place," Masaru growled, frustrated. "It's not like most of us are a match for the adults anyways."
Akiko nodded. "If I ever have children, I'll make sure they don't have to go."
Masaru turned over to lie on his stomach. "Yeah? Me, too."
She smiled his way, it was nice to have someone else acknowledge that there was something wrong with the way things were.
oOo
By the time she was fourteen, Akiko had begun undertaking harder tasks and missions. Currently, she was a part of a battalion fighting off a rogue group of shinobi made up of defectors from several different clans of no remarkable talent.
They weren't too difficult to handle, per se, but some were exceptionally skilled. It was a pity that defeating them wouldn't amount to much reputation wise. The only kills that mattered were if the victims had been from a clan on par with the Uchiha.
It would have been a miserable experience, but luckily she had Masaru with her as well. When they weren't battling, the two often stole away to isolated, quiet spots in the forest. Over the last few years, they had gotten closer, but now it seemed that their relationship was changing from that of mere friendship and into something more. Surprisingly, it was Akiko steering the way; a comical turn of events considering her attitude regarding him when they were younger.
Lying on the chilled ground, the breeze played with her long, raven curls, she asked nonchalantly, "How long do you think we'll be here?" Her fingers absentmindedly running through the grass.
Masaru was sitting next to her, head tilted back and staring at the twinkling sky. "I think we've pretty much destroyed this little faction, so it won't be too much longer," he predicted.
Suddenly, Akiko detected a slight chakra manifestation, like that of someone who was trying to suppress it. Before the intruder realized their cover had been blown, she shot up and rapidly threw a kunai at where she sensed the presence.
Masaru was on instant guard, eyeing the direction of where her kunai landed.
The sound of soft applause greeted them from the shadows. "Well done," a deep voice praised mockingly. It wasn't one she recognized; a swift glance at Masaru told her he didn't know who it was either.
The stranger stepped out from the cluster of trees. He was tall and tanned with dark brown hair and acidic green eyes.
Not wasting anytime both of them attacked. Akiko launched a set of shuriken at him while Masaru used Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu, a large ball of fire shot from his mouth toward their opponent. Before Akiko could even realize that their attacks had been unsuccessful, a fist had slammed into her stomach, and she was sent careening into a tree. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she quickly regained her footing only to see Masaru barely keeping up with the rain of blows the enemy shinobi was delivering onto him.
Failing to block a right hook to his face, Masaru was sent crashing to the ground. The stranger raised his katana and was prepared to pierce him, but Akiko jumped into action, kicking him from the air and knocking him back several yards. The tomoe of her Sharingan began to spin wildly as she stared at him. Frustratingly, he was avoiding looking into her eyes. If she could just get him glance into them, she could trap him in a genjutsu.
The odds of her and Masaru winning this battle weren't in their favor. They were already exhausted from having spent a great deal of chakra and effort against the rogue shinobi group they were supposed to be suppressing. There was no way they could defeat him in their current states.
Before the strange shinobi could collect himself, Akiko hurriedly did the Katon, Karyuu Endan, and a giant flame dragon blasted from her mouth. When her flames dissipated, he was nowhere in sight. Sensing movement behind her, Akiko quickly spun around to witness him launching himself from under the ground. He was using a jutsu that allowed him to travel in the earth.
Now that he no longer had the advantage of surprise, she was able to block his hit, and attempted to slash him with her blade. Her movements were sluggish from being in combat all day, allowing him to slice her thigh with a kunai, and land punch to her jaw.
She fell harshly to the side, her already battered body roughly hitting the ground. Panting, she looked up and saw a strange colored chakra emitting from the man's hand— the same color as his eyes, she noted distractedly—before he reached out and grabbed the top of her head.
It burned. It was almost as if the searing heat from his fingertips allowed them to impale her skull.
She couldn't even begin to try to quell the shriek that erupted from her. Mercifully, after the initial contact, the hand was harshly ripped away.
Disoriented from the ordeal, it became hard to concentrate on what was happening. She could hear the scuffle, and it was slowly getting further and further away from her, but she couldn't focus on which direction. Her vision was hazy, and she wondered if the purpose of that technique had been to blind her.
Masaru's shouts of pain had her stumbling to her feet. Red eyes flashed with determination as she tightened her hold on her katana and followed his screams. Her vision returning somewhat, she caught sight of them. The man was holding Masaru by his head, he was using that same awful chakra and it looked as though steam was rising from the places where his hand met Masaru's flesh.
The shinobi must not have been expecting her to shake off whatever he did to her so quickly. With the element of shock on her side for a change, she dashed over there and managed to pierce the green eyed man's side. He had moved slightly, causing the blade to slide into a less fatal area.
All that mattered was that he dropped his hand and moved away from Masaru who fell to the ground, clutching his skull. Akiko moved to stand in front of him, prepared to protect him with her life.
Pulling the katana from his side casually and dropping it, their attacker sent them a cold, dismissive look. "I've done what I came here to do," he told them ominously before disappearing into the night.
They were silent for several long moments, listening to see if he would return. When it became apparent he would not, it was Akiko who spoke first. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, breathless. "Seriously, who was that?"
Masaru was well aware that she wasn't expecting an answer from him—he was just as clueless as well. He was too busy trying to blink his sight back into place to respond anyways. His head was feeling funny. It almost felt full.
"We should get back and alert the others," he said, shakily standing up.
"Where were the others anyways?" she scowled. "How did they not sense any of that at all?"
"There might have been another attack," Masaru guessed.
The small kunoichi released a heavy sigh as she took a step forward, only to drop to the ground grabbing her injured thigh. "Ow! I forgot about this!" she hissed, using her hands to cover the seeping wound.
She didn't have enough chakra to fix it, and neither did Masaru. It didn't appear to be fatal, so she would just have to deal.
Leaning on him, they slowly made their way back to camp. From the looks of dead bodies and injured soldiers littering the grounds, it would seem that Masaru had been correct.
"My head hurts," she complained, expecting him to join her.
To her astonishment, his face lit with realization when he told her, "Mine doesn't. Not really."
How was that even possible? She'd only had that strange chakra touch her for not even a full second. Who knows how long Masaru had been exposed to it.
The sounds of a battle weren't too far from them, leaving Akiko confused. The rogue shinobi had never made it this close to camp before.
Gradually, they managed to get to a vantage point out of harm's way to see what was happening. Dark blue eyes widened when she saw several bodies of her clansmen littering the ground before they narrowed slightly.
"Of course," Akiko said, glaring accusingly at the battleground. "Of course, the band of misfit shinobi would chose now of all times to attack."
"It looks their numbers are dwindling swiftly," Masaru observed. He grabbed a kunai from his thigh holster and twirled it. "Let's try to hurry this along."
The small kunoichi followed suit. "Duh," she said insouciantly, already searching for a target to take out.
Despite their exhaustion, both managed to hit a fair amount of the enemy. Akiko had been focused wholeheartedly on the task. So much so, that she hadn't realized just how lightheaded she had been feeling.
Glancing down at her wound, she noticed that it hadn't slowed as much as it should have. Granted, it wasn't gushing like it had been, but there was still a good amount of blood pouring out. Due to the blood loss and exhaustion, Akiko could feel her body start to shut down. It was strange, she'd always thought that fainting or passing out just happened in an instant. One second you're awake and the next you're not, but she was slowly losing consciousness.
She sunk to the ground leaning against Masaru as she lost the strength to keep her eyes open.
So I hope everyone liked it. Let me know!