Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any other canon characters

Chapter 4: Escape

Eight months had passed since then, the war kept raging and the town atmosphere's felt tense as they go about their everyday lives. More and more people barely go about their lives as the tax kept increasing for war funds. There were no indication if we were winning or losing, it was a stalemate.

In the past eight month, not only was I capable to unlock the Byakugan but I started to practice the katas of the Gentle Fist, turns out my mother had copied almost all the techniques including the Heavenly Rotation which should have been a Main Branch Technique. Oh mama you naughty woman, you must had dad to copy the scroll with his Sharingan and then copy it so you could pass it down to me even if you weren't with me.

Best. Mother. Ever.

Of course my dad gave me a little something off course, and off course you might guess it's a taijutsu scroll for the Uchiha Clan Techniques and several other jutsu's scroll, but do you know my favorite scroll of all?

If you guess it's Katon: Goukyako no Jutsu, the jutsu used as the Uchiha Clan pass of rite then you are a true Naruterd.

As an Uchiha I felt it was right for me to be able to use this jutsu, I guess I wanted to feel connected with my family in some way. Plus I'm hungry for jutsu, you could say I have Naruto hyperactive tendency when learning it.

Of course my training doesn't end there.

After three months of gruelling training, Kagami-sensei finally gave each of us staff to practice with sword wield katas. We were even asked to spar each other, sometimes I won from my speed and sometimes Rikuo would won with his strength. It was out strongest point against each other, I was winning a lot at first since Rikuo was quite hesitant fighting with me, but after a lot of taunting and the use of his old nickname 'Frogboy', he caught up to me really quick.

I even think he might be a prodigy.

I'm guessing his dream isn't as far off as I thought it would be.

It later became a habit of mine to call him Frogboy even off sparring to rile him up, I would be lying if I said his irritate look wasn't cute and he was getting used to it too.

And on my chakra controlling exercise I finally finished tree and water walking, I then started learning Yin and Yang Release, I thought by this time I get to learn Mystical Palm Jutsu for first aid in my arsenal and asked Kagami-sensei to catch a lot of fish for that. We had a good barbeque that night from my failure, but hey…one fish was saved though.

I took around two months for me to master Yin and Yan release. Next it was making a water dome, I thought it was easy catching the water with chakra but maintaining it was suuuuuuper hard, and only managed a size of my palm before it burst while Kagami-sensei could managed a water dome which was 5 times the size of Water Prison Jutsu. Off course unlike the jutsu it can easily be broken through since it's only for chakra control exercise. He said that he only need to spread the range of his chakra to do that, we weren't expected to have the same size as his but he does want us for it to be larger than the size of our palm.

I got it in three week for it not to burst at all and had about twice the size of regular Water Prison and held it for an hour. Kagami-sensei said holding it for 15 minutes would be enough for me to go the next step but since it didn't burst, I wanted to know how long I could go.

Next was the chakra string and man was this mentally taxing, we weren't supposed to be as good as a puppet master but we were-espected-to move a puppet well enough and it was kami damn hard! I even wonder how the heck can puppet master even do it? They had to focus their chakra string so it'll move the arms, legs, and head at the right moment and at the right time and maintain my chakra so as thin as a string outstretched or make it close to me.

I think most people had gotten stuck in this part.

It had been two months and I barely perfect it to pass acceptable. Very. Barely.

And I don't do barely. In the battlefield, barely isn't enough.

It was also at this point of time that I had this nagging feeling again, something bad was coming and it had to do with my training but what is it. It's just on the tip of my tongue but it kept fading away at the corner of my mind.

I kept practicing my chakra for it to be enough, all though I made a deadline for a year, I didn't want it to limit my progress. It was also by this time one of my long awaited day had come.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIKUO!"

We were at his house celebrating with Kagami and Ragami sensei along with Mino-ojii's friend, Kai-obaa and her daughter Mari-san. Each of them gave their own present and when Rikuo eyed me and stretched his hand for my gift, I smiled and told him the gift will be here soon. He frown but nodded.

Frankly while I tried to smile calmly, I was inwardly freaking out if the gift will came in time.

There was a knock on the door, one knock and I ran as fast as I could and found the mail man while carrying something on his back. When I eyes the paper, confirming it was from Mino-ojii, I was grinning ear to ear and snatched the package and slam the door to his face after saying "Have a nice day"

"Oy, Hiyori, what was that?"

"Your gift!" I said after throwing it to his arm which he caught in panic. He wanted to yelled at me I'm guessing but he was too excited to know his gift that came for him. Under that wrapper was…

*drum roll*

A SWORD!

Okay, that lack definition. If I must describe it has the same length as Kusanagi made out of Chakra Blade, its hilt has the same fashion of a fencing sword and it had a cylinder looking shape at the side that I personally requested made for the surprise. While Rikuo was dumb founded by the sword I took from him and motion him to get out of the house the same way Mino-ojii had did. Oh this is going to be fun.

First I explain to him about the chakra blade and how it could absorb you affinity to elemental or yin/yang and produce the effect corresponding to that and made it easier for him to shape it. However, the small barrel at the side aren't made the same so no chakra is running unless he wield it too, once you do.

*BAM*

The boulder that almost a year ago was half destroyed now had a hole on it as well. "Chakra bullet, Mino-ojii had a good knack on seals to made this baby" and if you're good enough with seals, you could modify it to fire whatever chakra element you want Rikuo looked like he wanted to try it himself but I put out my finger, "Na ah ah, there's more!"

"There is!" he was practically half screaming.

I hold the sword sideways and giving chakra to the other side of the hilt, the sword retracts and the other side managed to come out like a staff but then a curved blade pop out, turning it into a scythe. "By the way, you could still use chakra bullets"

Rikuo was quite speechless as it, that I couldn't help but tease him, "Well if you don't want it I guess I could use it for myself considering I was up three days just to make the design and—"I could finish what I said, not when Rikuo made a bear hug on men that almost trip—scratch almost, we did trip and while I had my back on the ground and him on me, it was suffocating.

"Let go of me Frogboy!"

"Thank you…."

"I know"

"No….really thank you….this swords….it's special….just from touching it….I know it's made especially for me, thank you so much Hiyori"

I managed to let out a sigh as I pat his back, for Jiraiya-look-alike to cry like a child really unnerve me though. "How do you know, did it call for you?"

He took a step back and held my hand and help me fun, all though still wet from tears he made his usual grin on his face, "It sure did, heck if it didn't I'll make sure it'll call out only to me!"

I let out a chuckle and with a new sword in hand for him, that's how the day ended.

-4 months later-

"Begin!"

Rikuo and I dash forward staff in hand and chakra flowing through it to make it no less deadly than a regular sword. Rikuo would go straight ahead while I used his back to jumped above sensei. I heard sword clashed right below me and with heighten chakra sense struck down toward him.

Oh that was only the beginning though.

He kicked Rikuo aside, just in time for him to block my staff aside and redirecting it. WTF he did that like he just swat a fly!

Okay, that riled me up.

I land on the ground and try to get him from below while Rikuo was getting him from behind. He only needed to side step and with one sword block both of our attacks. I wasn't going to make this easy for him though so I changed my stance and had my chakra form into a familiar three bladed scythe a certain Jashinist uses. He might have blocked the staff but the chakra should reach him. Kagami noticed the change and step back a few.

Rikuo ran after him and I decided it was time to use this chance to mold a whole other weapon. A simple weapon use plenty by others, I only needed the inner workings of a gun and be able to shoot chakra bullets in milliseconds do it'll the target before it dissipates. Chakra if not connected will dissipate unless there was a seal to maintain or it was a seal itself. Rikuo's chakra bullets can perform long ranged while mine could perform mid-range.

Kagami-sensei off course doubled over from an invisible force that knock him and barely block Rikuo attack, but that didn't stop him His stryle is quite relentless as he kept recovering his form even after sweeping off his feet and knock him away from sheer force but he found a way to get back up naturally without destroying his stance.

I may have a hand to that….you see, he was very interested at my Gentle Fist style and managed to copy some of the kata he find it comfortable. I always knew he had a flexible style followed by his raw strength he could be agile and forceful if needed to be so I thought him some of the weapon used kata that are common use but in Hyuuga's variation and it seemed perfect for him when mixed with his sword katas.

Back to the battle, I kept on hitting him with my chakra bullet s and I know it started to annoy him when Kagami FINALLY use his Sabre Technique to form a blade that could shoot out toward….ME!

Oh SHIT, Thank God I honed my chakra sense. It's not as comparable as a sensor but enough for a fight.

I duck down only for the blade to keep following me and sensei's sword could still focus on Rikuo.

THIS IS MADNESS!

I tried running away but the blade kept following me and I was remembered the first few months Kagami tried to train our dodging skill. I'm not proud of my strength yet but I am proud at my speed and with chakra boost, I'm confident enough to run away from chakra made blade. Unfortunately I was so focused from behind that I didn't realize he manipulated the chakra chain to TRIP ME! I rolled down to to the side and my blind fold slip in time for me to saw Sensei's blade aiming at Rikuo's throat.

He grinned like a maniac seeing us at our feet but the next word made us grin as well, "You pass"

The two of us cheered and we high fived each other, then tackle hug Kagami-sensei. "All right, I understand you managed to pass the Sabre Chakra Control Training in a year like you promised, bloody prodigy, but this is where things get harder when I'll show you true kenjutsu of a samurai."

WE got up straight, side by side and in unison we said ''Hai''

Kagami smiled at us and told us to rest and go home to rest. We always go back to Rikuo's place since his place was closer so we moved at the same direction. Then suddenly he ask me, "When do you think Jiji is coming back"

"I don't know, we kept sending him letters and he kept replying while changing the subject. I'm not sure even he knows how long the war might go on."

"Will the chain of hatred truly be broken I wonder…." he mumbled but then I stop and look at him with wide eyed. "What?" he asked me.

"You just reference the book!"

Rikuo shifted his eyes, "What book?"

Now I was grinning, "You like the book!"

"I never say I didn't"

"You only said it was so-so, how could it be so-so if you reference it. Oh if I knew you liked it that much then I wouldn't have hold back bitching about the book to you"

"That's exactly why I don't to tell you I like it" Rikuo realized what he said and slap his mouth while turned my grin into a full blown laughter. Rikuo's face what as red as a cherry and it made me laugh even more. "Oh I'm going back to find Kagami, he needs to know this"

I ran back to find where Kagami would have been and I could hear Rikuo was yelling to get back. Oh my dear Rikuo, have you not realize my speed will always above yours? I snickered and arrived at the gate soon enough, Rikuo still far, far back. Ragami was there next to him and they were talking to a short man….or rather the man was hunched too forward and looked shorter, he was probably a head taller than me but when I tried calling out to them, my head felt it stopped in motion that I didn't hear Rikuo's calling on my name.

Everything felt it was going on slow motion, and my heartbeat began to grew louder and louder in my ear.

There a man, wearing a black robe, a red cloud imprinted on it.

Akatsuki.

Suddenly an all too long memory, so long ago I might not have remembered even if I was alive in my past life.

"Your 10 puppets might have took down a castle, but my 100 puppets have took down a country."

No

No

No

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

"KAGAMI-SENSEI GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

By the time my voice reached, Sasori impailed Ragami with his tail. Kagami instinctive tried backing away but instead swat him away with his tail along with his body. Kagami was quick to regain his footing. He abandon his brother, knowing there was no hope from him and took me and Rikuo as he ran toward the town.

Oh kami…..oh why can't I have remembered it was this country that Sasori had taken down. Suddenly the theory that Rikuo had died might have explained why he wasn't in canon.

I'll be damn if I let him died this time.

We reached toward the mansion of the lord, and in quick step, ignoring the outburst and shock sound of the guard, Kagami marched toward the Lord's office where he was sitting calmly, still unaware of the immediate danger. "We're being attack!" Kagami managed even while he barely breathes.

"What? How many?"

"One"

"One….don't be ridiculous…..what are you trying to say that…."

"Akasuna no Sasori" I managed to say, taking the attention of various adults. I didn't care, even if they were fated to be defeated tonight, they need to be aware of their enemy so they wouldn't waste time. No way I'm letting them died because of they bicker too long. "He's an S-Class Ninja, probably hired by the Land of Ka to Akatsuki, a group filled with people like him. He probably has an compliance but if he managed to take this country down on his own, I say he wouldn't come out much. "

"….Hiyori…how do you know all this…"

"No time to explain, either you surrender or fight! Think of what's important for the people right now!"

The Lord eyed me suspiciously but he sigh as he know I have a good damn point. Ready all the solider available, I'll be damned if I let him trash my land on my watch!" he said sternly and the other compiled while hastily followed his order.

Kagami then started to drop one knee, Rikuo and I called out his name and I remembered he was knocked by Sasori's tail but then…."You're poison" I said with tears began to run down on my face.

"Then hurry, we need to get him to the hospital!"

"There's no antidote Rikuo, Sasori made his poison himself, only a skilled medical-nin could come up a counter for it. He'll be paralyzed and….he'll die in three days."

"We can't just give up, the doctors should come up an antidote themselves! They have to!"

"Stop" Kagami tighten his hand over us and all of a sudden we were calmed again. There something I need to show you. He lift us up, knowing he shouldn't try pushing himself at the moment. He ran as fast as he could before the poison took over his body and paralyze him. We then arrived at a small house we knew it was his. He broke open the door and rushed toward his room where he then flip his wardrobe back and we found a safe embedded on the wall. He turned the right combination and the inside was a bunch of scrolls. He took a bag of his he hang by the wall and scoop out all the scrolls in it.

Oh kami, this is like mother all over again.

He let Rikuo shoulder the bag and held both our shoulder, 'This scroll will help you advanced with your Kenjustu, I honestly wanted to watch both of you grow stronger, heck I'm sure you'll be stronger than me in no time." He started couching and soon was weak to even kneeled, we let him fall on his bed where it'd be comfortable for him and continued talking, "I honestly wanted to watch you protect this country and be those who are etched in history."

Rikuo wanted to say something, probably something that he'll be fine, that we'll somehow fight back to just one person. However, Kagami shook his head, "Don't Rikuo, I know I'm not fine and I won't be long. Hiyori said it'll be three days but I don't think I have enough strength to last that long." He tighten our grip and even that made him look more painful, "Please live, I don't want you to protect this country or to protect the Lord, all I want for you is to live. Live on, carry the will of your lost one, and one day when it's your time to fight, pass it down those precious to you, so the Will of Fire will live."

I gasped at his last few words and managed to say, "You're a Konoha Shinobi!"

"Kagami-sensei smirked knowing I've figured him. "Train at the academy, failed, went away and live here, nothing fancy as a shinobi though hehe"

Even though my face was wet from tears, I still managed to smile, "They must be blind not to see your potential"

"There's the smile I wanted to see, hey Rikuo, do you think I could see that idotic smile of yours one last time?"

Rikuo was just as wet from tears as me but he nodded and made the most forceful smile I've ever seen him with him. "Kagami-sensei, I didn't know, smiling could be so hard"

"Hehehe, it is isn't? Especially when you tried to hide something. But don't let that smile fade, both of you, it could one day save yourself or others, so keep on smiling especially the hardest times. It'll help…..you…..move…..forward….." the strength of his hand began to leave along with the light of his eyes. He was leaving, he was dying, all because I couldn't remember that fucking minor detail.

My smile fell and I could do was cry as hard as I could along with Rikuo, we couldn't kept on smiling but we had each other, and I wouldn't let the world tear us up apart right. Now when we needed each other the most. "Hiyori….your eyes!"

I wasn't sure what he meant, but when I turned to see him, I didn't just see him, I saw a bright bundle of blue fire shining at the pit of his stomach, I then turned toward the hanging mirror and saw myself with familiar red eyes with a tomoe spinning on my iris.

Ah the fucking Cursed of Uchiha was it.

I closed my eyes to calm myself down then looked straight at Rikuo, "We need to get out of the country now!"

"Wha….but Hiyori, are you saying we're abandoning friends, are you saying I should abandon Jiji!"

It hurts me seeing him so angry at me, but there's no time for this, nor for us. "Rikuo listen, I know I'm making a rash request but I need you to trust me, right now we can't stay here, things are going to be harder and the country will fall at least a day and even if we somehow go to the capital faster we can't stop its demise and once the Ka gets to control Ko, as Ko Civilian we couldn't live our lives for the better."

"Why should I trust you? You don't even have a family here so how could you say you could abandon this place!"

That was a nice stab in the heart pal, but I won't stop now, not until I know you'll live, until you get the fucking away here. Hell, Sasori might even recognize him as Jiraiya's bood and I sure don't want him get his hands on my best friend.

Na ah, not as long as I live.

So I did the best thing to get his trust, I took down my bandage and showed him the eye of a Byakugan user. "My name is Hiyori Uchiha, daughter of Kai Uchiha and Kana Hyuuga. A clan famed for their kekkei genkai, Sharingan and Byakugan and I have both in my eyes. When I was small, a group of masked men track them to kill them and was prepared to kidnap me too. They sacrificed themselves so I could live and all I had now of them are my eyes, scrolls, and the faint memory of them."

Rikuo was silent, he had never expected this I'm sure. "Rikuo, I know it's hard leaving your family behind, but right now you're the only family I have and I….I can't lose you too….I know I'm selfish but please….don't leave me alone a second time."

Rikuo stoped me crying immediately, he held me close in his arms and I could feel him trembling. "I know this country will fall, don't ask now how I know, but please trust me, we can't stay"

"Don't say anymore, I trust you, we'll escape this country, we'll live…just as Kagami-sensei would have wanted" I nodded at him, he smiled wryly as he wiped my tears softly. I felt his hands was warm as gentle and I felt safe in it.

"We need to go back to your house, I don't want your clan's work to be used by that damn Ka bastards."

"Yeah you're right."

The moment we set foot outside, there were a hundred puppets outside and I know that technique was the one that had forced the country bow down to Ka and I was helpless to it. We ran down the street ignoring the cries for help and went straight toward Kurogane Blacksmith. Rikuo held out a bunch of storage scrolls and we packed all the weapons without leaving a single dust behind and we also had pack my own scrolls as well from the orphanage. By the time we pack our things we ran toward the gate and we let no one know of us gone nor did we let anyone follow us.