Kikyo walked down the main street of the compound trying to decide what to do that day. She had just started the Academy and already finished her homework for that day so she had a lot of time to kill before the evening's kenjutsu session with Kitsune. Kikyo smirked she was getting close to mastering the clan's Nisshoku kenjutsu style which meant she wasn't far from her Ken no Keisho. About time too, she was glad she'd be able to go through the ceremony before she turned nine, at least then she would have done it the same age as her sister.
Hm… maybe she should stop by Tomoe's and start early. Each visit to Tomoe's was a painful experience, but always enlightening and it made Kikyo stronger.
She was near the edge of the compound when she was greeted by one of the elders, Tatsuo.
"Kikyo." He nodded curtly.
"Tatsuo-ossan." She nodded back with a smirk.
"Tch, disrespectful child."
"Thank you, Tomoe taught me how."
"Figures," he scoffed. Tatsuo was never very fond of Kikyo and was always snapping at her to act right and to take care of herself. When Kikyo complained about it Otousan made a small smile and told her it was because Kikyo was a lot like Tomoe… She personally didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted.
But today Kikyo decided to take it easy on the old man because he didn't look so good. His eyes seemed tired, his face was pale, and he seemed to be having a bit of trouble breathing. Kikyo took a few steps and passed him when she heard him cough up a storm from behind her followed by a horrible gurgling noise and the sound of a liquid hitting the ground in a splat.
Kikyo turned to see the man hunched over, leaning on a wall and on the ground before him was a puddle of blood.
"Tatsuo-ossan!" She ran to him. "What happened? Are you okay?"
The man went into another coughing fit, sending more blood onto the ground. He looked down at the blood as though it had just murdered someone. "No, I'm not," he said in a calm voice. "Kikyo, go get an adult. I need to get my affairs in order." He said all of this calmly but there was a numbing tone to his voice.
"Your… affairs?"
"Just hurry Kikyo, before it's too late! Gah!" He cringed in pain and covered his eyes with his hand only to have blood begin to leak from between his fingers.
"Otousan!" Kikyo took off to find her father. "Otousan!"
"Kikyo?" Instead of her father, Bakuryuu rushed to the girl. "What's wrong?"
"Tatsuo-ossan!" She pointed, unsure of how to describe what she just saw.
"… Kikyo, that's not a very nice way to describe an elder." Bakuryuu shook his head.
"Oji! Something's wrong with him!"
"What? What's wrong?"
"There's blood, and it's—" before she could even finish Bakuryuu had taken off in the direction Kikyo had come from.
"Stay there Kikyo!" He pointed accusingly.
Kikyo didn't see Oji or Otousan for the rest of the evening. She wondered what happened to Tatsuo-ossan and hoped whatever it was, it wasn't contagious.
"Are you okay sweety?" Izumi asked as she placed some juice out for her daughter.
"I'm fine Okasan." Kikyo crossed her arms. Why did she have to treat her like some little kid?! She was eight years old now dammit!
"I'm just making sure. What you saw today must have been hard." She played with Kikyo's ponytail.
"What was wrong with him Okasan?" Kikyo looked up to her mother.
The pretty woman downed her eyes. "It's best if your father or your Oji tells you."
"Or your sister," a silky voice said from the hallway. Both turned to see Kitsune standing there looking like she came straight there from a mission because she was still in her ANBU attire.
"Nee-san, did you hear?"
"Yes Kikyo." She nodded. "Come on. Otousan wanted me to tell you why it happened and Ojisan asked if I could tell Hotaru too."
"What about the twins?" Kikyo asked as she hopped down from her seat.
"They just might still be a little young to know," Kitsune let out a humorless chuckle.
"Okay." Kikyo approached her sister when their mother wrapped her arms around both girls suddenly. Kikyo was ready to yell at her mother for doing something so stupid but stopped when she saw how sad she looked.
"It's times like these that make me wish I could stop you girls from growing up." Her lip trembled as she gripped both her daughters tighter and gave them both a kiss on the head.
"What did Okasan mean by that?" Kikyo asked her sister as the two set out to the house that Inoue and Bakuryuu bought after the fire at the Senju compound.
"Kikyo, do you know the average lifespan of a Tadashi clan member?" her sister asked seriously.
Kikyo looked up at her with a confused expression. "No, i just know that it's not very good."
"The majority of the Tadashi have the average lifespan of about thirty to thirty-five years. Every now and again we get some members that reach their forties but that's about it." She patted her sister's head. "Take it easy on Okasan, okay? Becasue she is very much aware that she will most likely outlive her children and possibly her grandchildren as well."
"Is that why she's always trying to baby us?"
"She's just trying to make the best of a bad situation. To her, we're growing up too fast and she's afraid that means she'll lose us faster that way. Please keep that in mind next time she wants to brush your hair or fix your food or help you with homework."
Kikyo lowered her head, she had never thought about it like that. "I will Nee-san."
"Kitsune! Kikyo!" Hotaru waved from down the street, interupting their conversation, Hanji trailing after her.
"Hotaru, we were just on our way to get you," Kitsune told her as the girl screeched to a halt and her enormous dog nearly ran her over.
"Mama got a call from Daddy and told me to head to the clan compound," she told her cousin.
"That's good. You just saved us a trip across the village Hotaru, thanks." Kitsune smiled and took the nine year old's hand. The three made their way back to the Tadashi compound with the giant fluff ball trailing them and Kitsune led them to one of the many kenjutsu dojos where they took their seats in the middle of the floor.
Hanji noticed. Hotaru patted the floor next to her for Hanji to sit. Instead though the eighty pound dog thought it would be a fantastic idea to mimic a cat and sit in his owner's lap… Hotaru was gasping for air and the other two were too busy laughing to help the struggling eight year old.
"Okay, okay, let's all settle down," Kitsune instructed the others. "We have a lot to discuss today."
"Nee-san, I don't understand. I thought you were just going to tell me about what happened to Tatsuo-ossan. Why is Hotaru here too?" She scratched the back of her cat's ears, making it turn on its motor.
"What happened to Tatsuo-san?" Hotaru cocked her head as Hanji adjusted and settled for just putting his big head in her lap.
"He got really sick all of a sudden! He was walking one minute and then the next he's coughing up blood and bleeding from the eyes!" Kikyo proclaimed as she told her cousin what she saw.
"Ewww, that's terrible! Is he going to be okay?"
"I don't know."
"No, he's not," Kitsune said and both girls turned to her. "Tatsuo-san is going to die within the next few days if he's not already." Their jaws hit the ground.
"Kitsune-san, that's horrible!"
"That's Tadashi," she responded. "Girls, there's something you should know about the clan. We're very powerful, unbelievably so. Some may believe it's because of our swords and kenjutsu skills, others may say it's because of our doujutsu, but Tadashi know the real secret behind our power. It's our blood. Because of our blood, anything a Tadashi takes in will either kill them or make them stronger. For example, if you poison a Tadashi, they will experience the symptoms but they will likely live through it due to their advanced healing rate and after that first exposure they are completely immune to that poison and its close neighbors."
"It helps us to adapt?" Hotaru asked.
"That's right Hotaru." She nodded. "Our blood is very special and it takes in whatever makes us stronger. With every generation I think Tadashi have gotten at least a little stronger than the one before. That's why Kikyo and I both have the Tadashi Kekkei Genkai and the Abata Kekkei Genkai from Okasan." She smiled and held her hand out, allowing little bolts of lightning dance around her fingers.
"Cool~" Hotaru's eyes twinkled a little, but paused. "But if that's true, then why do I have the Byakugan?"
Kitsune furrowed her brow. "I've been trying to figure that out since you were born, and so has everyone else."
"Maybe Oji's genes were so lame that it figured Inoue-oba's were better."
Kitsune bit her lip. "Not going to lie, I had a similar hypothesis when Hotaru was born."
"Stop making fun of Daddy!" Hotaru shook her fist at her cousins.
"But it is peculiar none the less. But then again we don't really have many examples of Tadashi crossing with Hyuga so we don't really have anything to compare it too. But considering Suzume has Ojisan's eyes I suppose the other doujutsu could be just as beneficial as the Ryugan that's why it could go either way. Or at least that's my theory." Kitsune smiled.
Kikyo lifted an eyebrow. "Can we just move on already?"
"Be patient Kikyo," Kitsune told her sister.
"No, it's okay, I wanna finish this too," Hotaru said.
"Very well then." Kitsune chuckled and went back to her lecture. "There was a down side to this though. With all of this power comes a great responsibility. This is very important, girls. Tadashi can never ever receive blood because of this. Receiving a blood transfusion could awaken the blood lust that lies dormant within us."
"Blood lust? As in… a need to kill?"
"In a sense, but those who have experienced it have recalled it to being similar to being possessed by a demon. A demon whose killing intent can't be satisfied."
"That sounds scary." Hotaru hugged Hanji's head.
"But that's so stupid." Kikyo rolled her eyes. "Why would anyone want to do that?"
"Their will to live Kikyo. On the battlefield terrible things can happen and sometimes people can't accept dying there so they go to drastic measures. Our bodies adapt to medicine too quickly and we can't receive transfusions. Dying on the battlefield is one of two options for dying in our clan considering we don't get sick. Awakening blood lust, it may cut your remaining lifespan in half, but it almost always guaranties one's survival at that moment."
"Well considering the average lifespan is in the mid-thirties you might as well just die then and there. There'd be no point in going on like that, might not even make it back to safety." The girl reclined back to lean on the wall.
"Kikyo! That's so mean!" Hotaru scolded.
"You really think so?" Kitsune raised an eyebrow.
"Duh."
"Alright, keep that in mind when you become a genin." Her sister smirked a little.
"Come on Nee-san, I'm getting restless." Kikyo whirled her finger around like the arm of a clock.
Kitsune rolled her eyes, but kept her smile. "It very soon became a law of the Tadashi clan to never unlock your blood lust, because if it were to happen, even though it could save your life at the time, you could very well lose yourself if it is not managed properly. Another law was to not give your blood to anyone, the transfusion would save a life even if they were an inch from death, but they would forever be connected with the donor and it could be extremely dangerous for both parties. Remember girls, never give blood to anyone. It could cause many problems if they were able to weaponize it. Among other things."
"Among other things?" Hotaru cocked her head.
"The Tadashi clan Hotaru, our blood is both a gift and a curse at the same time. If you give your blood to someone else, even if it's to save their life, you wouldn't be doing them much of a favor. First the transfusion would have to even take, if it doesn't the person could die then and there. But if they live, there's a blood bond between the donor and recipient. Meaning the recipient will gain the abilities our clan possesses, especially that of the owner, but, by doing so you've not only sucked them into your death, but an entirely new and terrible one of their own, the Curse."
"I don't get it?" Hotaru cocked her head.
"For example Hotaru." Kitsune held up her hand. "Say you were dying on the battlefield and I performed a blood transfusion in order to save you and it took. Your wound would heal quickly and your condition stabilized within minutes and you would also inherit my Abata clan Kekkei Genkai because it's already in my blood, but later on down the road when I died you would feel my death as it came down on me and, if you weren't a Tadashi, your own death may likely be caused by the Curse as well."
"I've heard a lot about the Curse, but what does it do?"
"The Curse of the Tadashi clan. In exchange for taking in only what makes us stronger, immunity to poison and illness, and our quickened healing rate the Tadashi are doomed to suffer painful and bloody death." Kitsune looked down. "The only time a Tadashi will ever get sick is when they are about to die. It begins with feeling weak and possibly a fever, then the coughing begins. It feels like there's no oxygen in your lungs and they are collapsing inside your body. Finally the blood begins, you begin to cough it up and not long after the fluid will leak from your eyes, nose, and ears trying to escape your body eventually you'll bleed out and die from it. It could take less than a day to happen, but there are some cases that have drug out for nearly a week. Out of the entire history of the clan no one has ever survived the Curse."
"So, is that what happened to Tatsuo-san?" Hotaru asked, looking pale.
"Yes. Now you both understand."
"Nee-san!" Kikyo said. "Can I just point out one thing? You couldn't give blood to Hotaru though even if you wanted to! That could awaken her blood lust and, if she had the Ryugan to start with, the Ketsurui Ryugan." Kikyo crossed her arms.
"You're still caught up in that? Were you even listening about the Curse?" Kitsune had a sweat drop.
"Kesti—what?" Hotaru blinked.
"Ojisan has been skimping out on your lessons again hasn't he?" Kitsune had another sweat drop.
"…No~"
"Yes."
"…Maybe, but that's only because I might have built a treehouse in my room and he got distracted." She whistled innocently.
A tr-never mind. Kikyo didn't want to know.
"The Ketsurui Ryugan happens when a Tadashi injects or ingests—" Kikyo began, ignoring her cousin.
"Eww!"
"Shut up!" Kikyo wanted to explain this one. "Anyway, or ingests the blood of a clan member. It takes their Ryugan to a whole new level that's off the charts! Put that along with the blood lust from the transfusion and you got a real monster on your hands. Granted the monster is short lived, but still a monster none the less. You'll go blind and your body will begin to shut down within five to ten years, depending on how often you use it. It's sketchy, but the time is about a month off your remaining life span for every second it's used. But, there's a way around it." Kikyo held her finger up. "If the one with the Ketsurui Ryugan can transplant the fully developed Ryugan of someone with the same genes as them then they will be able to avoid a few of the side effects."
"Same genes? So just anyone in the clan?"
"No Hotaru. Same genes as in the same DNA. They would have to be the same as the person with the Ketsurui Ryugan, like both of the parents or a sibling." Kitsune gazed at Kikyo with a sad expression.
"…oh." Kikyo believed all this depressing talk was getting to Hotaru.
"Our clan's doujutsu is a very curious thing," Kitsune pondered aloud. "The Ryugan can't even be used to its fullest without the assistance of a Sharingan, although in my own personal opinion that's a defense mechanism that evolved over the years to help combat the Ketsurui Ryugan."
"I wonder when mine will awaken." Kikyo could just see herself getting stronger just by having the doujutsu.
"I don't know, Kikyo." Kitsune shook her head. "Our eyes are a very peculiar thing." Kitsune activated her eyes to show the girls. Kikyo watched as her sister's blue eyes changed to a purply-violet color, the pupil shifted to the shape of a black four point star, and around the corners of the iris four small black diamonds were rotating, ready for action. Looking at the doujutsu it almost seemed too easy to figure out where the clan got there symbol. It was modeled after the Ryugan after all. "Can either of you even tell me which diamond does what?" She quirked an eyebrow, challenging the girls.
"Oh! Oh! That's easy!" Hotaru raised her hand, glad the lesson had gone on to a lighter topic. "The left one is for ultraviolet light and the right one is for infrared! That's why we're go good a forensic-y stuff because we can see biological matter left behind at a crime scene even when people clean it up!"
"That and the top diamond." Kikyo pointed. "It's analytical meaning when it's activated everything is in high definition and details are inflated almost, making it incredibly easy to remember detail, and if used correctly it could be used in a similar fashion as the Sharingan."
"And disposing of bodies. Right Kitsune-san?" Hotaru looked up to the ANBU tracker.
"Mmhmm." She nodded.
"And the bottom is for genjutsu. Having that makes any Ryugan possessor immune to normal genjutsu and also lays out an arsenal of genjutsu for themselves thanks to the Sharingan… as long as you don't completely suck at it." Kikyo pointed to the fourth and final diamond on the bottom.
"Isn't it guaranteed?" Hotaru asked.
"There have been a few that just didn't have any talent for genjutsu whatsoever." Kitsune shook her head, possibly thinking of a clan member or two that couldn't perform a genjutsu to save their lives. "I think that's enough for today, don't you girls?" She smiled.
"Should I have taken notes?" Hotaru asked.
"I didn't." Kikyo shrugged.
"Of course you didn't, you never take notes."
"Because I remember whatever the hell Iruka-sensei say just fine without it."
"Oh yeah?" Hotaru stood and put her hands on her hips. "How many basic hand signs are there?"
"Twelve, each one representing an animal from the Zodiac." Kikyo rolled her eyes and Hotaru deflated a little. "I'm not Naruto, Hotaru. Just because I'm not a boring wet blanket that takes down everything he says doesn't mean I'm stupid or not listening."
"Haha, why don't you girls go have some fun with the remainder of the day?" Kitsune ushered them out of the dojo.
"But Nee-san!" Kikyo pouted. "I thought you were going to train with me!" She crossed her arms and scowled at her big sister.
"I'm sorry Kikyo," Kitsune wrapped her little sister in a hug. "There are some very important things I have to take care of today. I wouldn't have even come home if I hadn't been asked to inform you about the Curse."
"Well, that's nice to know." Kikyo pouted once more.
"Now," She gently slapped Kikyo upside the skull. "You two go play or something, have some fun. Enjoy the day." Was Kikyo imagining it or did she sound a little sad when she said that.
"Nee-san, we are shinobi in training now, we don't play, we train." Kikyo detached herself.
Hotaru on the other hand didn't argue with the older Tadashi and jumped in for a hug of her own when Kitsune extended her arm to her. "Okay Kitsune-san! I'll be sure to do my best to keep Kikyo out of trouble, but no promises." She grinned.
"That's all I can ask for." Kitsune gave both girls one of her award winning smiles and went in to embrace both one more time.
It was almost a full day and a half until Kikyo saw her father again, she was in one of the clearings out behind the main estate when Ryunashi found her practicing kenjutsu.
"Kikyo," her father said in his normally stern tone.
"Yes Otousan?" She lowered her sword and gazed up at her father.
"Come with me," he ordered and the eight year old obediently chased after.
"What is it?" she asked as she caught up and grasped his big, tough hand with both of hers.
"It's a surprise." He glanced down with a slight smirk.
"A surprise?" Kikyo quirked an eyebrow. Oji was normally the one who did surprises, they normally consisted of treats and candy, but Otousan, he was always much more straight forward. "Can't you just tell me?" She pouted, mean tomboy or not she had ways of making her father give in to what she wanted.
"It's better to show you." He slid open the door to the shrine on the main estate and led the girl over to a wall where many katana hung, each and every one of them were a masterpiece of the past. Ryunashi's hand skimmed through as one would when browsing a bookshelf for a particular novel before finally halting on a katana whose scabbard was black with turqiose speckles on it, a golden guard with an eastern dragon carved into it, and a handle with teal cloth wrapped around it. "This is Kumorigachi, the first blade I wielded before I inherited Hogoken." He removed it from the shelf and handed it to Kikyo. "You asked me a year ago if you could carry a real sword. At the time I was extremely hesitant, but now I feel more comfortable with the notion."
"Otousan, does this mean…?" Kikyo's face broke out into a wide grin.
"Kikyo, I was very angry then and I was possibly too hard on you, but understand." He knelt down to his child's height. "You scared me then, I nearly lost you." He clasped his hand on his shoulder. "A parent shouldn't outlive their child, it destroys them. Believe me, I've seen it. I just want you to be ready for whatever may come in the future." He handed the blade to her.
"My own katana! I'll take great care of it, I promise!" She excitedly tied the sword to her hip and beamed at him. "The sword is an honored weapon that is painstakingly made with seat, blood, and tears. It is not a toy and should only be drawn in dire circumstances." She raised her hand and recited what was drilled into her head since her first day of kenjutsu training.
"Swords are made to kill, when one is drawn that should be the intent," he finished for her.
"Hey Otousan?" Kikyo cocked her head. "When am I going to get to have my Ken no Keisho?"
Ryunashi furrowed his brow, thinking this over. "A Ken no Keisho is a big responsibility Kikyo."
"I know that! It's a big step and it means that I'm a grown up!"
"I'll have to test you first, just to make sure…but, you have been making extraordinary progress, especially in this last year…" he said hesitantly.
"Great!" She beamed and wrapped her arms around his neck, there was a slight hesitation but the man returned the embrace. "You won't regret this Otousan! I'll pass and then I'll have my Ken no Keisho and you'll be proud!"
"I already am, Kikyo."
"I'm going to go show the others!" She detached herself and wore a mischievous grin.
"Just… don't cut the Hokage's son in half." He smirked and had a sweat drop on his head.
"No promises!" She waved as she hopped out the door to go find the other three.