A/N: I think i may be getting back into posting... Writing not so much so yeah but now we are getting into 'familiar' waters ;D

I hope you enjoy R&R my lovelies!


Chapter nine: Striking Coincidences

"Are you serious?" A boy with shoulder length black hair said out in disbelief and sitting with his three other brothers.

"I am. It was the most unbelievable thing I ever watched in my entire life." The boy said, his armour plates still on his body as he sat outside in a tree within the Senju compound.

"Who is stupid enough to walk into a full blown battle like that, especially a female?" The older white haired boy said.

"I don't think it really matters what sex she is Tobirama." Hashirama said before he scowled in confusion.

"You don't really get a lot of clans that allow women to fight or who want to fight do you?" Itama asked, brushing back his two toned hair while blinking his dark eyes in the disappearing light of the sun.

"She said her name was Sonea Storm Shadow... I think she must be an outlander with a name like that but her skills, speed and power were a step above Otou-sama's and the Uchiha's power." Kawarama explained.

"Otou-sama must be royally pissed off." Tobirama stated with his arms crossed. "You said she wielded the sharingan though, it could have been a ploy."

"That's what she said... She said she would have killed Otou-sama by then if she was a part of them. It was almost as if she was a Shi no Tenshi (Angel of Death)." Kawarama said.

"Yeah, an Uchiha angel of death." Hashirama muttered.

"Do you think she'll come back?" Itama asked curiously.

"She said she was going to Uzushio, I wouldn't be surprised if we do see her again some time... If she lives that long, wings and a tail can get caught quite easily in battle." Kawarama surmised as the others hummed in agreement.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What does that symbol on your back mean?" Sonea was caught by surprised as she turned around to face a young boy, about twelve, thirteen with red hair and bright, wise black eyes watching her curiously... Of course she wasn't very presentable, she found the wonderful shop called a bakery and was currently standing in the line to pay, arms... and mouth... full of pastries, breads and some energy drink stuff that someone said was to die for if you were running a bit low on energy. Sonea quickly ate the rest of the roll sticking out of her mouth like a worm before clearing her throat (and presentation) before speaking.

"It a symbol of my clan." She answered and the boy nodded, not really believing her.

"I was talking about the hidden seal symbols." He said and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she took a cautious step back from the boy.

"They're a seal." She said defensively as the black eyes rolled.

"No duh. What are they sealing? Because it wasn't very well done to tell you the truth, I'm surprised you don't have any serious repercussions saying it's wrong." He said and Sonea's eyes widened as the food fell to the floor.

"You can see its wrong?" She asked and he nodded.

"I'm only studying seals at the moment, I dream to become a seal's master like my tou-san said, he said I'm a natural." The boy grinned and Sonea almost felt complete and utter relief and closed her eyes with a sigh.

"Do you believe in yourself so much that you could find a permanent solution to stabilising my seal?" Sonea asked and she saw his face light up.

"That would be amazing! Come on, I want you to meet my tou-san." He said, grabbing Sonea's wrist and pulling her along until she was following after him freely and he jumped into the trees as Sonea followed and frowned slightly.

'He's a ninja.' She thought wearily.

"I don't think your tou-san would be happy about you waltzing in with an unknown kunoichi..." Sonea stopped and he stopped as well and turned around to face her.

"You're quite right." He said, completely serious and had a cold look in his eye as Sonea sensed the people approaching in the shadows.

"And your reason for ambushing me?" Sonea asked, red eyes darting around.

"You're on Uzumaki clan territory. There are no boat records of you of any boat coming into the country, your attire screams ninja and that seal with that presence is unmistakable, it's what made us notice you in the first place." The kid said, his own kunai coming out of his sash he was wearing and Sonea scowled with annoyance more at herself than the situation.

'Aw shit, I forgot about that. IDIOT!' Sonea's conscience screamed at her. Her hand twitched towards her sash and a kunai sailed past her temple, centimetres from touching her as she looked at the boy with deadly aim.

"Make a move and I will not hesitate to kill you." He warned with an eyebrow raise for effect and Sonea rolled her eyes.

"You want to attack someone with an unstable seal when you don't even know what it contains?" Sonea asked with annoyance and the boy shrugged.

"Those red eyes are much like an Uchiha's, we've heard they've been experimenting with the bijuu to create the ultimate weapons, perhaps you're one of them."

"Oh... Them." Sonea deadpanned. "Look, let me speak to the clan leader and I will explain everything if I get the chance, I just really need help, that's all." Sonea said as a shadow appeared behind the boy. Red hair like the boy but his eyes were a light brown colour as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"She has an unstable seal tou-san." The boy said and the man scowled.

"What does it contain Uchiha?" He demanded Sonea who scowled at him with an almost bored look but there was frustration in it.

"I am not an Uchiha... I would never be a part of that dark clan after what I've heard they have been doing, first of all." Sonea said firmly with frustration, her defensive position gone as her fists curled at her sides. "Second of all, I walked here, that is why there are no records of me landing here, and last but most certainly not least, I am not at liberty to tell you right now what I contain unless I know for sure you might be able to help me stabilise my seal or would you like to come face to face with the beast huh?"

"Turn around." The man ordered harshly and Sonea stood calmly. "I said, turn around so I may have a look at your seal." He growled through gritted teeth and Sonea sighed, crossing her arms quickly and avoiding a premature kunai launched at her head by leaning back slightly.

"You try and kill me while my back is turned, you'll have another thing coming Uzumaki-san." Sonea warned before stepping in a one eighty turn and uncrossed her arms to move her hair over her right shoulder.

"Do you not clearly see it?" The boy asked his father quietly while Sonea was turned around.

"You've been granted a great gift of manipulating seals Taka, I cannot see what you can unless I study it further when it is exposed..."

"If you want to see it exposed, you could have just asked." Sonea said with annoyance back at them and slowly, the maroon and black chains appeared with seals running along the links now after Chief's and Sora's temporary fix. She heard a few harshly sucked in breaths before the tense atmosphere changed into something else, no more danger but it was a delicate type of tension.

"A shadow binding seal. I've never seen one so strong and with massive power, whatever you contain... It's more feared than any of us have probably ever experienced, I can see why you search for help." The man said and Sonea turned back around to face them.

"Finally, someone understands." Sonea smiled triumphantly as the hidden shinobi came out cautiously.

"What is your name?" The man asked.

"Sonea Storm Shadow."

"Uzumaki Kenjin, Leader of the Uzumaki clan and this is my son, Taka. You say you're not Uchiha yet you bear a lot of traits to them." Kenjin said and Sonea sighed.

"Yeah... I've been told that... It's a long story sir." Sonea said and the man grinned.

The Uzumaki clan compound was beautiful. Almost like a city of gold within a bowl, surrounded by waterfalls in the middle of a massive lake and hills surrounding the area. It had many high rise buildings decorated in classic delicate swirls and looked extremely sturdy with a river running through the middle and to Sonea, it almost resembled the Yin-Yang symbol as she watched the ninja riding the waves down and she formed her wings and tail before gliding down as the people watched with amazement as she landed and the extra appendages disappeared as simply as they came.

"Follow me." Kenjin said as they began to walk through the compound and to a house where Kenjin allowed her in and pointed to a chair. "Sit and explain." He said, sitting down across a table from her where his son sat as well and watched intently.

"Okay..." Sonea said, a little unsure but she gathered her thoughts quickly. "I understand if you don't believe me but here goes nothing. I believe your people call him the Rikudo Sennin, he defeated a dangerous creature, the Jyuubi, a long time ago and sealed it inside of himself. He realised that one day he was going to die so he needed someone to continue watching the Jyuubi for him."

"And so he created the nine bijuu." Kenjin shrugged but Sonea pointed at him.

"Ah, but there is a lot of things you don't know. He originally did want to seal it into someone."

"So why were our ancestors never chosen?" Kenjin asked and Sonea tilted her head.

"Ancestors?"

"His two sons. It's said that the Uchiha clan and the Senju and Uzumaki clans are descendants from them." Kenjin corrected firmly and Sonea sighed.

"That explains a lot then." She sighed.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Taka asked and Sonea shook her head.

"Never mind that. Anyway, I don't know why he never chose them but this next piece of information was left out of history for safety reasons, Sensei believed too much information would make the world even more unstable. The Rikudo took on three students who he trained and was going to separate and seal the Jyuubi into but things went wrong and he was left with one student to take that responsibility." Sonea explained.

"What happened to them?" Taka asked, his arms folding on the table as he rested his chin on them.

"He separated the Jyuubi into its Yin and Yang counterparts, making the nine bijuu out of the Yang and sealed the Yin into his student." Sonea finished.

"And I'm guessing you're the descendant who has taken this job of being its next jinchuuriki?" Kenjin asked but Sonea grinned darkly.

"Would you believe me if I said I am his original student?"

"That is impossible." Taka spoke up, clear in his decision.

"I am of the long ago extinct clan rivals to the Rikudo Sennin. Night walkers I believe the history books called us." Sonea said as Kenjin perked up slightly.

"Red eyes and black hair. Teeth of animals and drinkers of blood... They said the sun burns them and the moon is there to keep them at bay at night." Kenjin said and Sonea spluttered into full out giggles, tears coming to her eyes as she clutched at her stomach.

"Tou-san, I think she may just be insane." Taka whispered to his father, covering his mouth as he watched Sonea cautiously.

"Time does that to you gaki." Sonea laughed, trying to calm herself down as she wiped at her still tearing eyes and a silent laugh still wracked her body slightly now and again.

"You're not much older than I am!" Taka yelled accusingly at her, standing up and pointing his finger at her as she raised an amused eyebrow at him.

"Physically, maybe but not mentally, you're just a kid, a gaki. I'd like to see you meditate for three months flat." Sonea pouted and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "Where did you hear that legend anyway about my clan?"

"It's an incredibly old saying that goes back hundreds of years, very few know it, believing it to be untrue... Are there any more of your kind out there?" Kenjin asked and Sonea shrugged.

"Very unlikely. The clan was massacred just at the beginning of the Rikudo's days and I was a lone survivor, I doubt my father ever remarried and had more children but even if there were some survivors, the genes would have been so repressed and pushed back that as time has gone on, they would no longer contain those genes, maybe just something small, maybe red eyes or interest in blood or longer teeth." Sonea explained and Kenjin hummed.

"So... Are you really like an immortal vampire?" Taka asked and Sonea raised an eyebrow at him with an amused smirk.

"Vampire... No. Immortal, maybe. I won't force you to believe something you don't want to." Sonea said and Taka nodded almost cautiously.

"I'd like to examine your seal. May we?" Kenjin asked, standing up with Taka and Sonea shrugged turning on her chair as she leaned her right shoulder against the back of the chair and removed her sash as they came around behind her. Chakra hummed over her back as she flinched and hissed slightly a few times where they prodded in weaker spot of the seal and they mumbled behind her. The chakra got tenser and tenser as they explored before the room began to get heavy and tense.

"Believe me now?" Sonea asked over her shoulder slightly.

"It's hard to..." Kenjin breathed out as the chakra stopped. "But at the same time, it's hard not to. The chakra in the seal is hundreds of years old and so powerfully potent and just... Wow. The second seal is done excellently too but it's beginning to fade. The evidence is solid yet the concept is difficult."

"Then don't listen to the concept or even consciously think it because you'll create a war in yourself... I've done that over these years, it's a hard concept to accept as it was in the beginning for me. I just try not to think it and go with the flow because if I stop to think..." Sonea breathed shakily, she was beginning to think about it.

"Tou-san... I want to help her." Taka spoke up as Sonea and Kenjin looked at him with surprise. "You say I'm gifted with seals and I'll do great things with my gift, I want to start with her... You know what a shinobi's life expectancy is."

"Life expectancy?" Sonea turned in her chair with worry in her eyes as well as slight sadness.

"Because children are placed upon the battlefield, they've worked out our life expectancy is to the age of thirty and very few of us survive out there, but that is including shinobi and civilian alike which is why it's higher than expected." Kenjin explained.

"That's absolutely horrifying to think about... Are all clans at war with each other?" Sonea asked hesitantly.

"Every clan is at war with another out there. Sometimes two to three others..." Taka began sadly, eyes on the floor as Kenjin put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed affectionately.

"But some have formed alliances, most of them quite close like our clan, the Uzumaki clan and the Senju clan, we are supposedly descendants of one of the sons of the Rikudo Sennin, if you've lived this long you'll know who I'm sure?" Kenjin smiled and Sonea smiled too, it made him seem so normal and younger.

"So the Senju and Uchiha are forever fighting? Why?" Sonea asked as Kenjin herded his suddenly depressed son around the table again and they sat down.

"They just always have, history says it started back during their days even when the Rikudo was around. It has carried on and there is always some revenge over a friend, a lover, a child, a parent to be had from the other clan... Other clans who have come up against the Uchiha and Senju have fallen spectacularly, they are that strong and only challenges for each other now. I try to keep the Uzumaki clan peaceful as our land is peaceful but we do help out the Senju clan now and again." Kenjin explained. He watched Sonea's face fall and she had become pale rather quickly and hid her shaking hands under the table and clenched her jaw, steeling her red eyes harshly.

"I can't begin to tell you how true that statement is." Sonea sighed sadly, closing her eyes and tilting her head down. She opened her eyes slowly before Kenjin and Taka sat up straight at the fire beginning to burn in the deep depths of red as her head rose up and she looked firmly at them... Her chakra was a warring storm of emotions as well, almost overwhelming. "I can't let the Uchiha clan keep using the bijuu like this but when I interfered, they both attacked me..."

"You walked in on their battle?" Taka asked with utmost amazement as he stood with his hands on his table, leaning over it slightly at Sonea who just grinned.

"Called them overgrown apes, took the Niibi from them and dared to put a sword to either leader's neck... And still got away with it." Sonea smirked, a new fire lighting in her eyes with amusement before Kenjin spluttered and began to howl out laughing, resting his forehead against his one arm while his other hand banged against the table. Both Sonea and Taka thought he was going to die from laughing.

"So... So you'll help us then? The Uzumaki and Senju clan?" Kenjin finally asked when he got his breath back and was wiping away the tears from his blood red face.

"I'll say it straight. I won't get involved with their little war but if a bijuu comes into play... So help them Kami out on that battlefield." Sonea said seriously and Kenjin held his hand out over to Sonea over the table.

"In exchange for our help with your seal. Anything to buckle the Uchiha clan enough to get some sort of hold in this fight." Kenjin said and Sonea nodded, grabbing his hand as they shook and then she shook Taka's.

"I look forwards to this challenge Sonea-san." Taka grinned and Sonea smiled.

"Oh Kami, I can't wait to see Butsuma's face when he sees you with me at our next convergence." Kenjin laughed evilly.


"Apparently a new ally." Hashirama said to his younger brothers after they had been seeing Uzumaki clan members coming and going all day from the Senju compound and Hashirama and Tobirama went to go and scope it out.

"The Uzumaki clan have found an ally? But what does it mean for us? We know they've been pulling out recently with the Uchiha clan losing their bijuu so rapidly." Kawarama said and Hashirama shrugged.

"Otou-sama is very cautious when it comes to newcomers, there's usually too many variables in numbers." Tobirama said. "But it's just as dangerous to allow single spies in." The brothers exchanged glances before Tobirama perked up and the rest followed, looking towards the gates.

"Let's get a closer look." Itama said as they nodded and began a brisk walk towards the gates and weaved through the few people who had gathered there. Their father was standing at the gates with his arms crossed as they approached him, still hidden behind the walls next to the entrance as they towered over each other to look out

"You know..." A voice called from above them as they looked up at the red haired girl sitting on the wall. "Your Otou-san probably wouldn't mind if you stand with him, the new ally can apparently be quite intimidating, scarier than the Uchiha clan, believe me."

"And who might you be?" Kawarama said up to her as the girl grinned mischievously.

"Uzumaki Mito. Nice to make your acquaintance." She said as the boys stared up at her before Tobirama turned their attention back to the road where two red headed figures were walking down and the rest of the Uzumaki clan had joined them at the gates to welcome their clan leader.

"Butsuma! Nice to see you again old friend." Kenjin said with a bright grin as he shook hands with the stoic Senju.

"You too Kenjin. Your son is growing into a strong shinobi it seems." Butsuma said as Taka bowed gracefully.

"Thank you Butsuma-sama."

"Right down to business Kenjin." Butsuma said and Kenjin grinned.

"Always straight to the point. A shinobi not belonging to a clan with massive power, they say they've inadvertently met you before and wanted to join your cause, a specific part of your cause, one that has caused you great concern for a while now." Kenjin spoke and Butsuma listened with his arms crossed over his armoured chest.

"I'll be the judge of that. Where is he? You said they were coming with you." Butsuma asked and the Senju boys saw Taka smirk and hide it with his kimono sleeve as his armour was silent from the slight movement. There was a sudden movement between the two clan leaders as Butsuma jumped back, hand already resting on his katana on his back as the wings slowly uncurled from the body and stood firmly as Kawarama gasped.

"That's her, the one I was talking about!"

"You!" Butsuma said angrily as he unsheathed his weapon and went in for a straight stab before there was a flash of metal and Butsuma's attack was knocked up and away to the woman's right where her head was tilted away slightly. Upon her arm was a dull looking katana like blade sticking up from two metal cylindrical-like pillars from just above her wrist and before the bend of her elbow, holding the dull end of the thin blade, like a katana's but it was slightly thicker, more like a broad sword in places as it came to a curved tip over her fist.

"Nice to see you again." The woman smirked, her red eyes full of mirth as her black hair waved almost like a veil from the sudden movements.

"You're quick for a little kunoichi." Butsuma sneered and all mirth was gone from her eyes as the air rushed around her and Butsuma was clever enough to jump back as she radiated a dark purple aura, hair, wings, tail and deadly red eyes adding to the effect as another blade formed on her other arm, the tightness of her clothing was enough to show she was no push over either.

"With all due respect which you clearly do not have for a 'kunoichi'..." She began as there was a hiss and mumbling of humour from the gathered crowd. "... I have trained for years and I do not appreciate being judged like the cover of a book. Would appreciate some respect as I'm sure you show some of your men and shinobi within your clan." She said firmly, voice full of command and it was the first time the Senju brothers had seen their father back down slightly as Kenjin and Taka were trying really hard not to laugh.

"Do you guys think growing extra limbs or something is like a kekkei genkai for her?" Itama asked his brothers quietly.

"I didn't even see those blades form or whatever they did before they were just there..." Kawarama said with disbelief.

"You were the one who pointed out she drew her swords quicker than both Otou-sama and Uchiha Tajima." Tobirama pointed out before they froze, the red eyes were upon them as quick as lightning and unreadable as they darted to each of them in exchange.

"Come here." Butsuma called them as Itama swallowed and Kawarama paled slightly as Tobirama was calm and calculating and Hashirama watching her cautiously.

"Kids as Shinobi?" The woman questioned their father and they physically saw him hold his tongue.

"Sonea, don't piss the man off when you've just met him properly." Kenjin joked as he slung his arm over her shoulders, avoiding her wings skilfully.

"I'm sorry... I just thought it was something I wouldn't have to see for a long time. It is not my place to speak about your children Butsuma-san." Sonea said, changing her attitude very quickly as her gaze dropped down again to the kids.

"Long time no see." Taka said to the boys with a grin.

"You too Taka." Hashirama said with a small smile.

"You're not as cocky as I thought." Butsuma said to Sonea who smiled slightly.

"And you're not as hard assed as I thought you were sir. I apologise for the way I burst in upon your fight, I shall explain it when we speak about my contract with your clan as well as the Uzumaki clan." Sonea said and Butsuma nodded as he watched the wings mysteriously disappear, her tail had formed into a long open front apron that almost seemed like fire at the bottom and the blades along her arms seeming to evaporate into her skin.

"And as you four were wondering earlier..." Sonea spoke down to the brothers and she smiled. "My skills are quite unique, a sort of kekkei genkai as you could say, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around a lot." She added before she followed off after Butsuma and Kenjin who had already begun to move off as did most of the crowd that had gathered.

"Come on, I'll give you the low down on who she is." Taka said, moving off towards the more forest like area within the compound as they got comfortable on and around a tree.

"So why the sudden interest in our clans?" Tobirama started off as he was leaning against an adjacent tree with his arms crossed.

"That was a coincidence. She's after the bijuu, to stop people controlling them. She's like an ultimate protector of them and she has a massive power I haven't seen for a while, it was only coincidence since a bijuu was there at the time when she ran into your clans' warring." Taka explained, sitting up in the tree across from Tobirama.

"How did she end up with you guys then?" Itama asked, sitting on the same branch as Taka.

"She was looking for directions." Kawarama said, sitting in Tobirama's tree. "I couldn't quite catch what they were saying though."

"She was looking for seal masters, dealing with bijuu are tricky and the only way to stop them is with seals, your Otou-san must have directed her in our direction. She explained her goal and predicament and decided she'd be better use over here in the middle of the battle than out in Uzushio that if a bijuu does appear, it would be too late." Taka explained.

"And her abilities?" Hashirama asked, sitting on the ground beneath Taka as he grinned.

"Astonishing. She's like those legends we hear about night walkers, those children stories. Her eyes are amazing, when they're red like that they can see in the dark and see far distances and her senses are better than any animals... She even has the sharingan which is how she can break bijuu out of the genjutsu placed on them by the Uchihas. She can form wings and a tail at will and even those blades... Bet you were wondering where those come from?" Taka asked excitedly

"She said it was a kekkei genkai." Itama spoke up.

"Something like that. Amazing healing powers, strength to rival some of the strongest men, she said it was something called senjutsu or something but her blood... It's amazing, she can separate her blood into proteins and substances, down to cellular level, those blades were formed from the iron in her blood! And I haven't even seen everything she can do over the month we've been studying seals." Taka said, his voice almost over bubbling with excitement.

"Wow... She must be really strong." Itama said.

"Yeah, do you know if she'll get involved any other time with the war?" Hashirama said and Taka's excitement dropped quickly.

"I shouldn't even be saying anything about her but I needed to tell someone. Sonea-san refuses to get involved in clan things and warring between them, she's staying just as a side branch now, only interested in keeping the bijuu safe and out of the wrong hands." Taka said straight to the point but the boys nodded.

"She looked disappointed earlier when she looked at us... No, more angry." Tobirama pointed out.

"Sonea-san... Ah, how can I put it...? She's old fashioned. Children shouldn't be put on the battlefield. Period. Until they can handle the three shinobi prohibitions maturely." Taka added for humour at the end.

"She says that but she must only be about sixteen." Kawarama said with annoyance as he crossed his arms.

"But she doesn't seem like someone who would say something just because..." Tobirama said and his younger brother wilted slightly from his annoyance.

"She's probably been through what we're going through." Hashirama sighed, looking back towards the houses and at their house as his thoughts ran away with him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I never thought it'd be quite so easy, I think he was impressed." Sonea said, slightly unsure as she walked away from the house with a sigh of relief as Kenjin laughed.

"Butsuma is war hardened but he's not a complete 'hard ass' as you called him earlier. You don't come across strong women like you and I'm surprised the Rikudo had chosen two females as his students and to be the next jinchuuriki." Kenjin expressed and Sonea hummed.

"He seemed pretty specific in who he chose, I think he chose me more for my abilities that were short coming after the massacre of my clan. He also knew a lot about my clan so it helped him a lot. So what happens now?" Sonea asked Kenjin as they stopped walking.

"We'll be staying in a guest house for times like these. You'll stay there permanently while Taka and I may be back a few times a year and update you on his progress." Kenjin explained, pushing his long red hair back with a tired sigh. "You need to keep your prowess down to a low, if Butsuma finds out how truly strong you are and what you contain he will try and manipulate you into joining their war and you won't even realise it until you have Uchiha blood on your hands."

"The way we were talking in there, I'm going to be staying back here a lot and training the kids... How can he send five year olds out into battle?" Sonea asked with slight panicked exasperation and Kenjin put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.

"The way they see it, an infant wielding a kunai is considered an enemy. Many clans believe that raising your children to be the best shinobi they can be is the greatest love a parent can show, even in my clan Sonea... Surely it was the same back then?" He asked and Sonea looked away sadly.

"It's just... It's just wrong, this shouldn't happen at all. Kids are dying even before they see what life has to truly offer." Sonea said out in desperation and frustration at not being able to do anything about it.

"You were trained the same way." Kenjin pointed out calmly as he saw anger flash in her eyes before it softened and she closed them with a sigh.

"I want to say that's different when it's clearly not. I guess I just feel guilty about seeing these kids go through what I have gone through... Sensei always strived for peace and that was what he hoped to achieve with Ninshu." Sonea sighed.

"It's called Ninjutsu now, for example: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." Kenjin said with a weird face like he had just tasted a lemon and Sonea smiled realising how odd it must be for the both of them to be completely different yet the same.

"Tell me about it you're not the only one dealing with weirdness here." She laughed and Kenjin joined in and patted her back.

"You're definitely one of a kind Sonea Storm Shadow but at the same time it is refreshing. Taka grew up too quickly and too smart, there wasn't much I could teach him that he hadn't already studied over." Kenjin chuckled as Sonea punched him on the shoulder playfully with a pout. "But training with the kids, you'll learn the ways of this time quickly and bestow some of your own wizened wisdom upon them and it could just save their lives."

"I hope so... I wouldn't want to send a kid out there unprepared when I could have done something else to prevent their death or something... AH! Why is war so depressing?" Sonea mused her hair angrily and Kenjin laughed.

"I'll be around I'm sure you'll be able to find my chakra. Dinner is at seven so don't be late." Kenjin said as he strolled off gracefully and Sonea saluted lazily.

"Yes sir." She sighed but did it with a smile as she watched him walk off before she sighed and looked to the corner of her eyes. "You know... Eavesdropping is a bad habit." Sonea said as her stalker stepped out of the bushes, one of Butsuma's kids. He had dark brown shoulder length hair in a bowl cut style and black eyes set within tanned skin. He had on grey pin stripped hakama pants tied with a white and green sash with a black shirt tucked in, a green jacket over the top with a white scarf around his neck. She opened her mouth to speak again but the kid just dropped into an almost foetal position and hugged his knees as he suddenly had a depressing aura around him.

"Sorry." He said and Sonea's right eye twitched with confusion.

"What's your name young Senju?" Sonea asked, getting onto her haunches, curiosity getting the better of her as he looked up, the depressing aura disappearing slightly.

"Hashirama... Sonea-san correct?" He asked, standing up as Sonea followed and nodded with a smile.

"I'm Sonea Storm Shadow, nice to make your acquaintance." She said with a smile. "You're quite curious over me yet you can't decide whether I'm a threat or a friend can you?" She asked and Hashirama kind of closed in on himself defensively. He found her fascinatingly strong and gentle for someone to deal with bijuu and be as strong as Taka had explained earlier.

"You asked earlier not to be judged like the cover of a book so I choose not to answer that question." Hashirama said and he watched a strangely amused smile pass over her face and eyes.

"Well then... We'll just have to spar sometime. Take care and I'm sure we'll see each other around sometime." Sonea said as she turned and walked away and Hashirama let her.

"I'm guessing you're laughing at my failure?" Hashirama deadpanned as Taka landed next to him, his kimono flying back as his red armour clanked slightly.

"No, I'm pretty sure she sensed me following too, you were just dumb enough to step out but then again... The last time I did that, I nearly had a kunai to my shoulder so you made a smart move. Her senses are like an animal's, she can smell fear with your scent, hear your heartbeat and sense your chakra... She warned me that the last time and I believe her, she can normally tell when you lie to so don't do that either."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hashirama asked and Taka just grinned.

"To figure her out, she's a treasure box of advice and wisdom, not to mention a good friend to have on your side if you get into trouble. See you around Hashirama." Taka said as he jogged after Sonea. Hashirama didn't like the feeling that crawled up his neck when he turned and headed home for the evening.

"Sonea-san." Taka called out as he caught up to her and she slowed down.

"How are your studies going?" Sonea asked and he shrugged.

"It is rather fascinating, you're an amazing being but it's not helping me on how to fix your seal just yet... I feel like I'm missing something." He sighed in frustration before Sonea pulled out three different coloured journals from her sash with a grin and Taka was extremely interested.

"I've never found someone who can decipher these... Want to give it a go?" Sonea asked, handing the books over as Taka took them with great pride and a beaming grin. "From what I could figure out, they talk a lot about rituals my clans did and why we do things the way we did back then, it might just be that 'something' you're missing."

"Sounds like a challenge and intriguing. I'll give it my best shot Sonea-san." Taka said, tucking them away safely and she ruffled his hair.

"That is all I ask."