Rating: K+ Mention of dried blood and a mini fight scene
Beta: -
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But I do own a massive debt to my dad which can only be paid off by cleaning my room. :( Wish me luck...
Notes: And this is the most butchered timeline to date. Ages have been messed around with, wars and politics more or less ignored.
EDIT: Civilian POV idea inspired by Crisis, an incredible story by WhyMustIWrite. Five drafts and none of them worked until I tried Tsunami's POV. GO read.
Tremor: Obito lived and Iwa found a reason to declare war on Konoha again or something...
Sunset
The barmaid filled another glass of ale, but her eyes never left the stranger lounging in the corner of the room. He'd been loitering there for nearly an hour without buying anything, and he was tense as a bent bow.
She hesitated. The bar's policy was that you had to accost patrons who did not pay within the hour, but... technically, he hadn't bought anything. He was waiting for someone. His eyes were emotionless and cold, but they flickered to the door every time it squeaked open. As the minutes crawled by, the shadows under his eyes got darker.
He was about forty, she guessed, with an... unusual... shock of white-ish silver hair framing a pair of keen grey eyes. His skin was nearly as pale as his hair, and his face was.. forgettable. Nothing noticeableabout it, neither exceedingly handsome nor extremely ugly. Just average. A face that would have faded from her mind over time save for what happened next.
The door burst open and group of men- led by a patriarch with a rough bandage around his head- stumbled in. "Did you hear? Konoha's forces were defeated!"
"Crushed!"
"They say that the only ones left alive are the prisoners of Iwa!"
The reaction was immediate. Men leapt up from their chairs, asking questions and howling curses, some dashing out of the bar to look for loved ones.
Tsunami's heart lurched. Even though this was a civilian town, shinobi battles were known to encompasss miles and even the innocent were oft fated to be casualties of their conflicts. Thank the heavens, Inari was in his crib in the back room. She had planned to join Tazuna in Nami no Kuni before the month was out, but this would be impossible now...
The stranger in the corner hunched deeper into the shadows during all the hullabaloo. Tsunami saw his shoulders heave- once, twice, then no more.
"Yeah, it's true!"
"Saw it with my own two eyes! Dead shinobi for miles around!"
"Iwa forces will be here within the hour!"
Tsunami covered her ears to block the noise and watched as all the customers inevitably swarmed out to search for loved ones or friends, some even to see the carnage with their own eyes. She lowered her arms and sighed at the huge mess. Some had left without paying, but if what the men had said was true, that was the least of her worries right now.
"Hey," the man at the corner called, flicking a silver coin in her direction, "care to bring me some sake?"
Momentarily shocked that anyone would remain in the tavern, she recovered and somehow managed to catch the shiny missile. "Oh- um, hai- I mean, yes." Not all customers spoke the High Language, she scolded herself as she poured the gentleman's drink.
He was younger than she'd thought- closer to her age than she had thought. But his eyes were strange... they reminded her of an old man who lost his entire livelihood and not a reckless teenager.
"Hard times?" she asked gently, moved by a sudden burst of pity.
He tossed his head back and drained the glass with a single gulp. He lowered his head and sighed. "In a way." It wasn't a self-pitying statement, but a frank one.
She moved to refill his glass but he waved her away. "No thanks."
Tsunami hesitated, watching his careworn face. It reminded her of a scarecrow- a limp, faded scarecrow left too long in the sun with no relief from its scorching rays, no respite from pecking crows.
This man... he was alone.
Her heart clenched in pity, and some unknown compulsion led her to cover his pale fingers with her tanned hand. He looked up, startled by her touch, and there was a glint in his eyes that told her that she had made a big mistake.
Before she could stammer an apology, the door burst open again and both parties looked up in mild shock as a fat lady squeezed inside the door frame and slammed it closed, bolting it tightly. Without a further word she dashed around the room and began to shut all the blinds.
"Hey- what are you-"
A puff of smoke rose from the fat lady, and Tsunami gasped as the obese old lady changed to a tall, thin young man with a messy tangle of black hair and eyes like two burning coals. A small bundle lay in his arms, seemingly produced it from nowhere, and a thick black crust of dried blood adhered to his head from where his face had been slashed open from temple to chin. Physically, he was older than her customer by what looked to be five years or so, placing him at... Twenty-five? Twenty?
A shinobi transformation technique, she realized with a quiver of fear, her eyes flickering between the two men. This must mean that...
The customer had already stood up. For a moment, she thought she saw a tear in the corner of his eye before his face turned completely away from her. "Obito, you're late. Again. I swear, one more time and I'll court martial you." The attempt at fierceness was drowned in relief, the anger's impurity was revealed by the emotional crack in his voice.
Obito... the name rang a bell in her head.
The other shinobi nodded solemnly and chose not to reply, simply handing his bundle to her customer.
His eyes widened. "This... Obito, how did you-"
"I didn't. Gai gave him to me. I don't know how Gai got him out of that death trap, but we can ask him about it later."
"So some of the Red Force made it anyway? Who?"
"Gai, Kotetsu- but he's banged up pretty badly, I told the Old Man that he wasn't ready for the field, heck, he just made chuunin-"
"Obito!"
"Sorry! Yuugao, Hayate, and Shikaku. Ah.. and.. Shibi. Not many, is it?"
"More than I thought I had five minutes ago."
"Oh gosh, I hope nobody's reported Kotetsu dead in Konoha. I don't think Mizuki could handle another death in the family."
"Actually, that's our best hope. There's no way we can organize a defense with so many of our shinobi dead. No matter what we do, Konoha will fall. If they don't know we have soldiers left, they won't expect any kind of resistance."
Obito scowled. "So... what about Naruto? If we're going to form a resistance, we can't be balancing a baby on the side."
"...We could always put him up for adoption?" Kakashi's suggestion was only half serious, but Obito responded with gusto.
"Kakashi, no way! Minato-sensei would want a good home for him, not to be straddled with a bunch of strangers!"
"What do you suggest? We sure as heck can't take him to Konoha! We can't even get in the gates!"
"Oh yes we can!" Obito cackled gleefully, "Get me within a mile of the gates and I guarantee that we can get inside."
"...How? And what are we going to do with Naruto once we get in? Leave him with the academy students?"
Obito looked down at his shoes like a naughty child. "...I was thinking my genin."
"Is the best idea you can come up with, Mr. 'I'm going to invent as many traps as I possibly can so I can teach them to my little hellion tag along and make Kakashi's life miserable?'"
"No, it's perfect! Iwa ninja have extremely low opinions of genin, they'd never expect us to entrust Minato-sensei's kid to them! Besides, Iruka, Anko, and Mizuki almost passed the chuunin exams!"
"'Almost' isn't good enough. You said yourself- Kotetsu wasn't ready for the field and he made chuunin!"
"Yeah? Well, all the weaknesses that kept them from passing are covered if they work together!"
"..."
"Look, Anko's too impatient, and Mizuki overthinks things, Iruka might have a tiny issue with killing-"
"Throwing up after every kill is tiny?"
"That's beside the point! They cover each other. It takes two of them working together to beat the other. They're perfect for the job."
"...You know that if they're caught, they're dead. Or worse. If that happens, can you live with that?"
Obito's eyes dimmed. Iwa was easily one of the more ruthless shinobi nations. The fate of most Iwa POWs were blood chilling even by shinobi standards. Both shinobi knew that if the genin were caught, they wouldn't survive the war.
He'd thought his teammate was crazy when Obito got it into his head to volunteer for mentorship to a genin team. When he actually got one, he was convinced that Minto-sensei was crazy. All he could get out of Obito on the matter was "Uchiha-Konoha relations are very very bad and here's a way I can improve them!" and something about the Clan rebelling against Konoha so he'd rebel against the Clan. Whatever. Icha Icha was much more interesting than Obito's ramblings and the chuunin's angry reaction once he realized that Kakashi was no longer listening was priceless every single time.
Either way, it didn't change the fact that for perhaps the first time in his life, Obito had people who looked up to him. While Kakashi had been convinced that he would get a big head, it did the opposite. It humbled Obito once he realized how much they relied on him, trusted him. Loved him.
This was a big step for Obito. If he rejected the idea of entrusting Naruto's care to them, well, they'd think of something else. But despite his criticism of the idea, Kakashi knew deep down that there was nothing else they could do. It was either dump the baby on the genin or they'd have to cart the baby along with them. That could only last so long before luck ran out.
Obito looked up and the crimson fire was back stronger than ever. "They won't get caught."
"And you know this.. how?"
"They won't. Get caught."
And for some strange reason, Kakashi believed him.
Tsunami hesitated, looking between the two ninja. She stepped back, deciding to escape through the back door. Both pairs of eyes snapped onto her.
She felt liquid drip off her temple under their intense stares.
Kakashi swore. The look on Obito's face showed her what he was thinking- she heard every word. She could betray them...
"We'll have to kill her." There was no emotion in Kakashi's voice- just cold, hard, frost. "It's either her or the genin."
This couldn't be happening. This couldn't... no... she couldn't leave Inari... Why? Why now?
A thin wail rose from the back room. Both shinobi looked at each other. "Is that your baby?" Obito asked, eyes narrowing as information whirled in his head.
All the horrible stories she had heard about angry shinobi played in her mind. Splattered blood, snatched babies raised as child warriors...
She snatched a knife from its holder and extended it, angling the blade at Kakashi's neck. "Touch him and I'll- I'll kill you!"
The words had only just left her mouth when a sharp rap on her elbow forced her hand open. Strong arms grabbed her around the waist and forced her neck back, a bare blade touching her skin.
She hadn't even seen him move.
"Kakashi, no! I have a better idea?"
"And that would be?"
"Take her with us to Konoha. Saddle her with the genin."
"... Obito, I think you've overused Sharingan again."
"Yes, she's a civilian, but did you see the way she held that knife? Not at all like a weapon. I've seen Iruka's dad hold it like that and he was a cook. At least, she's probably a better cook than Iruka, Mizuki, Anko, and you put together."
"Watch it, Obito," the jounin growled.
Yes, please do, she thought, after all, it's my neck. And Inari's.
"She knows more about baby care than they do, and she's an adult. She'll provide cover."
Kakashi looked her over again. There was merit to Obito's suggestion, but there were enough risks...
"I'll do it," she whispered, "Just don't touch my child."
Kakashi released her, only for Obito to approach her and force her back against the wall. His Sharingan were out, spinning and whirling like one of the firey planets. "If you betray them, turn them in, or otherwise cause them hurt in any way, I will find you. And you will be very, very dead."
She swallowed and nodded. "I understand."
"He's really quite charming once you get to know him," Kakashi chortled, amused by the fact that Obito actually looked dangerous. Just wait until tonight. One coo from that baby and he'll melt like butter. Lame-o.
Tsunami nodded, but it was plain she didn't believe him. Obito turned and walked away, his sudden burst of energy fading as he collapsed in a chair by the fire. "We should leave soon," he murmured, "Now. Get your things together."
She went and collected Inari and tied her few possessions into a bundle, coming out again. Obito was asleep, clutching Naruto in his arms, but the worry lines on his face hadn't faded. Kakashi was cleaning his face wound, muttering curses under his breath.
For Tsunami, it was a scary moment to see a shinobi show any kind of emotion other than anger. Affection, obvious affection for a brother-in-arms, was strange to her. She knew that some shinobi didn't care about their comrades so long as the mission was fulfilled.
But Konoha ninja were different.
She timidly approached him, watching in silence for a minute. Unexpectedly, he turned and grinned at her. "Boo."
She gasped and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping, but she managed to correct herself in time. "D-don't do that!" she scolded.
He smirked and turned back to dabbing the last of the blood away. Once it was gone and the wound was bandaged, he whacked Obito none too gently on the cranium. "Wake up, baka marimo. Time to go."
"I know that," the chuunin muttered as his eyes flew open, "give me some credit."
"Never."
The trio left the doors to the tavern open behind them.
They didn't look back.
Ha, Kakashi/Tsunami FTW. The only Kakashi pairing that doesn't make me barf up my guts. And even then I much prefer him single, and it really only works AU- which is one of the reasons why it is only hinted at. But then, you're talking to an Obito/Mikoto fan here... Can anyone guess what baka marimo is from?
Next Chapter: Possibly some Haku action? I have learned that posting summaries before you have actually written the chapter is a very very bad idea. So, I'm asking for requests. No promises, I have ideas I can draw upon if I don't get any, but if you have an AU idea, I'd like to hear it. If I have already thought of it, It'll be a joint credit.
Now, GO HERE: http:/ www. fanfiction. net/ s/ 5530819/ 1/ Crisis (Preferably after you review?)
