Disclaimer: I do not own the anime series Naruto, its characters, or any plot or storylines within the Naruto-verse. Hanako (OC) and any non-canon characters within this fiction are owned by me.
Summary: The cost of war was unavoidable. The fisherman village could barely sustain itself, and so she was sold to a mercenary clan. Watch how Hanako struggled to not only find her place, but also survive the power struggle within the Senju clan. Pre-Konoha, slight AU, TobiramaxOC. Rated M just to be safe.
oooooo
Uchiha
It had rained the previous night.
Hanako didn't get much sleep, and this was mostly because it was her first night on a long journey. She didn't think that she was going to get a lot of sleep at all until they reached the safety of the Uzumaki village in three days' time. She found herself waking up every hour or so to the sound of someone shifting in their bed or the light snoring of one of the guards. Since they were in a secure in, the guards didn't feel the need to take shifts in keeping watch for most of the night. They did however ensure the perimeter was secure and traps were apparently laid to ensure their safety. Hanako was told each trap held a seal which would spike the guard's chakra lines, and they would be instantly alerted if someone had crossed a line or set a trap off.
She felt safe enough just having them around, and as long as Mito remained calm and controlled, then she would as well. She remembered Mito remarking that she ran into no issues when she travelled such a distance to marry Hashirama, so she believed that there wouldn't be much trouble while travelling back. However, there was the added issue of the Uchiha mobilizing close to their borders, and not to mention Mito would become a prime target should anyone outside the Senju discover her pregnancy.
Hanako stood on the front porch with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders as she admired the morning sun. It had only just kissed the horizon, so it was still dark enough for it to be considered night, but that faint glow in the distance made it easy for her to see. She was the first to rise as usual, and she had quietly stepped over the snoring guards and mumbling Mito to get some fresh air. Due to the rain they had to shut the windows, and it quickly became stuffy in that room with four others in there.
She would never admit it to anyone, but her dream last night was predominately occupied by him. She had cursed herself the moment she woke up from such a vivid sleep for even thinking about him. Hanako swore to herself after her conversation with Mito that he would no longer occupy her thoughts. The more he came to mind, the harder she fell and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to bring herself to overcome the silly romance and she would be in a world of hurt.
It was a sensual dream, one that was enough for her to wake up in a hot fluster. She had never experienced that sort of dream before and she had felt quite embarrassed after she realized how warm her body felt. She had ultimately scared herself and that was another reason why she was perched on the front porch that crisp morning. She had to cool herself down!
Then, her ever working mind eventually brought her back to the moment they shared a second kiss. It was nothing like their first kiss. It was slow and gentle. His hand felt warm against her cheeks as he cupped her face before he brought his own down to her level and his lips touched hers ever so lightly. She had reached her own left hand up to place it gently over his as she pursed her lips a little. She had to inwardly admit that she was slightly not sure what she should be doing. He was sincere though, and coached her along by craning his own head to deepen their kiss. He had opened his mouth slightly, and she felt a gentle sucking motion on her lower lip. She liked it, and pulled away briefly to then be suddenly drawn back in to mimic his actions.
They had both pulled away to breathe. Hanako remembered feeling a hot flush rise in her cheeks, and all she could see was that tiny hint of a smirk in the corner of his lip. However, she would be lying if she said that was the very last kiss they had shared. He held her hand tightly as he escorted her back to the front door of the main household (after ensuring she had Mito's herbs on her person) and there he swept in and stole one last brief kiss before uttering a simple farewell to her.
"I will count the days until your return."
He was kind, they were sweet, and the kisses took her breath away. However, it all boiled down to the solid question of what she was to make of his advances on her. It didn't seem to bother him that any form of relationship between them would be frowned on. Rather, it was as if he would face the repercussions when he would get to them. Hanako didn't want to though. Instead, Hanako wanted to forbid any further contact because she knew in the long run that nothing would work out in their favor.
As much as she knew Hashirama wouldn't hesitate to consent their relationship, she had to remember that he was the clan leader and the Senju's interests came first. It meant that he would have to give up the advantages of having a younger brother who was not only skilled and diplomatic, but also a bachelor. Would Hashirama sacrifice the opportunities of alliances and advancements for the clan that came with his younger brother's marriage to a noble daughter?
Hanako didn't know him well enough to make any form of educated guess on that one.
Her mind still reeled with the question of what was going to come next. What will happen when she does return? She didn't want a secret relationship. She wasn't even sure if she wanted one at all. Sure, she did want to marry and have children one day, but she wasn't ready, and she could barely even think of any plausible living arrangements or how she should act as a wife. The only model she really had to work from was Mito, but she was a high born woman who didn't need to perform any house work. Unfortunately, Hanako couldn't remember much of her mother either.
Hanako felt a sudden drop in her eyelids, and she quickly realized that her body craved more sleep. It was her dream that had woken her up and forced her to get out of bed so early. Perhaps she should climb back into bed for at least a few more hours. She turned on her heel and quickly went upstairs to the room the company of five shared. After placing her shawl on a chair, she weaved her way through the men's bodies to her own futon next to Mito's. The air was slightly dense, but Hanako didn't mind the stuffiness. It almost felt like home and it was comfortable. She slid under the covers again and closed her eyes, eventually lulling herself back into a deep sleep.
However, that sleep was short lived as she was suddenly awoken some time later to the sound of a woman retching. Hanako winced at the noise, because she knew all too well who could possibly make such a ruckus. She slowly opened her eyes to find Mito bent over the basin of water one would use to refresh themselves. She sat up and quickly noticed that the guards had left the room, and it was just her and a rather disheveled looking Mito. Her long black hair was strewn across her shoulders and back with no attempt made at keeping it away from the mess that came from the lady's stomach.
Hanako sighed lightly and quickly went over to her lady as she made another retching noise that sounded like a dying horse.
"Come my lady, it's alright," Hanako said gently as she gathered as much of the woman's hair as she could. Hanako then rubbed her hand gently over the small of her back in an attempt to ease any nausea. It seemed to work, because the noises had stopped and all that was heard in the room was Mito's sobbing.
"It hurts so much," Mito mumbled as she slumped against the wall.
"I know," Hanako said gently, "stay in bed a little while longer while I bring you some tea and dried biscuits."
Hanako was quickly starting to believe that travelling so far while she suffered the side effects of pregnancy wasn't a good idea. She knew how much the woman wanted to see her father, and Hanako felt a string of sympathy for her. She wanted to support Mito wholeheartedly mainly because she was denied the chance to see her own father before he passed away, and she didn't wish that fate on someone else especially since Mito spoke so highly of the Uzumaki Lord.
She returned a few minutes later with a hot pot of lemon balm tea and a plate of dried crackers. It wasn't exactly the heartiest of breakfasts for someone travelling, but it was better than having nothing in Mito's stomach. As Hanako was preparing the tea, a guard asked about the wellbeing of their Lady and suggested they take an extra day to travel. Hanako declined such an offer, because she knew how upset Mito would become if they didn't adhere to schedule. Despite being a handmaiden, the guards took heed of Hanako's words, mainly because it was she who was responsible for the health of their ward.
Hanako watched as Mito ate the crackers and sipped the tea.
"Is it helping?" she asked.
"Yes," Mito replied with a small smile, "I feel better already."
"The guards are loading up the cart; we should be getting back on the road soon."
Mito sighed, "I hope it's not like this the whole way."
"It's only the first morning my lady," Hanako reassured, "It'll get better. Just drink your tea and make sure you're eating the herbal supplements."
The ebony haired woman rolled her eyes, "Yes mother."
Hanako pulled Mito's hair back into a tight braid and the women dressed themselves in the same travelling clothes they wore the previous day. They decided to try and get at least two days wear out of their clothing before they had to wash it or wear a fresh set. If Hanako got a chance in the next few towns, she may spend some time laundering their attires. The guards on the other hand had put on fresh tunics. Since they walked most of the way, their clothes would no doubt be sweaty.
Hanako was re-checking the room before they left when she dug her hand into her own bag and pulled out the familiar object she had secretly packed earlier.
The Uchiha necklace.
She gazed at its crystalline beauty as the red and white gleamed against the sunlight. It was a curious thing, and she wondered to herself why she was so captivated by it. It was a precious item that she wore a lot when she was a child, but as she got older she thought it'd be better to keep it safe from thieves. She held it close to her chest and she let out an exasperated breath. She should leave it under a rug or bury it in the garden. The longer she kept it on her person, the more risk there was that someone in her travelling group would find it.
Why couldn't she bring herself to do it though? Perhaps it was because the item was indeed a precious jewel from her childhood, and it was pretty much the only thing she had left of her old life. her brow creased, and she found herself staring at the wall as her mind conflicted with itself. It was so easy for her to decide to get rid of the necklace before she left, but she just couldn't do it.
"Hana? We're leaving now!"
Mito's voice rang through the air, and Hanako visibly jumped as she heard the pattering of her Lady's feet approaching the room. Thank goodness the floors were old and creaky. In a panicked hurry, Hanako quickly pulled the chain over her head and tucked the small pendant underneath her tunic and slip. The silver felt cold against her skin, and it sent a small shiver down her spine.
"Hana are you up here?"
"Yes!" Hanako called out quickly tucked the chain under her hair, "I was just making sure we didn't leave anything behind!"
"Let's go then silly!" Mito said as she entered the room, she seemed much better than that morning.
Hanako quickly sighed in relief as she placed her hand over her chest where the pendant touched her skin.
"Yes, I'm coming."
XXXXXXXXXX
"We're stopping to water the horses, my ladies."
One of the three guards poked their head into the cart to find Hanako and Mito both deep in concentration with a game of poker. The cards were clumsily strewn over the back of the cart mainly due to the bumpy road, but nonetheless the women were determined to beat each other. Mito had become rather good after being taught how to play.
Mito's thin brow twitched as she snapped her head up to look at the guard.
"Formalities, Akio!" Mito snapped and the guard grinned sheepishly at the reminder.
Hanako looked up and chuckled at her Lady's outburst. They couldn't risk giving away any identity if they used formalities with one another. It was a habit Hanako was finding difficult to throw as well. It felt strange just calling her 'Mito' and the guards by their first name. In order to make their disguise believable, they had to pretend they were a band of siblings and cousins. This meant that no formalities could be used between them, especially in public.
The guard who had addressed the women, Akio, rolled his eyes.
"Just come and get some fresh air."
They had been travelling almost all morning, and from looking at the sun in the sky, it seemed to be almost lunch time. Hanako slid herself off the edge of the cart and walked over to a small clearing of grass where she took her sandals off to let her feet bask in the cool grass.
"I think we should at least cut up some fruit," Mito suggested as she brought over a box of apples and grapes.
Hanako nodded and quickly went to Mito's side. They upturned the wooden box and used it as a table to begin slicing the assortment of fruit. A snack would do everyone some good, particularly the horses that still had a long ways to trek. Hanako glanced up and watched the guards tend to the two beasts diligently. One was inspecting their feet and using a small stick to dig out any stones in their shoes, while another was hand feeding them some oats. Lastly, Akio was untying them from the cart so they could be led to the river bank to drink.
When they had finished, Akio walked over to the two ladies.
"I'll perform a scout," he said quickly, "I'm not sure if we can linger here for long."
Hanako simply nodded, slightly on edge at his statement. Akio was considered a proficient sensor type, and he was often placed on a team with Tobirama to perform recon missions and acted as a scout. He was one of the uninjured shinobi who returned from Hashirama's diplomatic route around the fire country. Akio carried in one of his comrades over his shoulders, and was grateful that the man survived.
"We will prepare to leave as soon as the horses are tended to," Mito confirmed and watched as Akio bowed slightly and leapt off into the trees.
Hanako was still amazed with the concept of chakra, and how humans can manipulate it within themselves to perform almost inhuman actions. She remembered asking Mito a while ago if she could be taught any chakra control techniques, but Mito responded that as an adult, it would take much longer for her to manipulate her chakra because she wasn't able to do it as a child. It's something that was easy to do as a child because the chakra was still fresh and wild. Hanako had hardly any chakra because she didn't train when she was younger.
It felt like hours had passed, and the fruit had been consumed by human and horse alike. To anyone else, it would have looked like a peaceful scene between some travelling gypsies. However, there was an eerie silence between the four as they slowly began to re-pack the cart in preparation for departure. They had to get going or else they wouldn't make the next town before sundown.
Mito glanced around, her brow was creased and her gentle features were upturned into a worried look. Akio never returned from his scout. Perhaps he had wandered too far off course? Or maybe he had fallen and injured himself.
"He's been gone for so long," Hanako whispered to Mito as the two guards went off to search the perimeter for their missing comrade.
"I don't like this," the black haired woman said firmly as her green eyes looked over to the horses. They seemed restless. They were still tied to a wooden post with their halters attached but there was a twinge of fear in their eyes as they whinnied and pawed at the ground.
Orange smeared itself across the sky in a warning that nightfall would soon come. Mito was at a loss. They couldn't leave Akio behind, and the two other guards were too cautious to leave the matriarch of the Senju clan alone with her handmaiden. The ultimate decision depended on her, but Mito wasn't coping with her morals being challenged in this situation.
"Perhaps we should leave a note or a carving?" Hanako suggested, "He knows the way to the next town, we could meet him there."
Mito looked at her handmaiden, "That will be my last option."
In any case, Hanako would at least be ready to leave a note in a tree with a chakra seal etched into it. The seal would mean that no one other than a Senju could read it. The seal picked up surrounding chakra, and if Senju related chakra was detected, then the note could be read. It was a simple seal Mito could perform with little effort.
Hanako pulled the curtain back from the cart, and the sight made her scream.
In the back of the cart was a severed head.
Akio's head.
No doubt a flurry of questions came to Hanako's mind, but she couldn't convert them into words as she stared in horror at the pale face of Akio staring up at her through lifeless eyes. He looked like he had seen hell itself before he was killed and dismembered. His mouth hung open and a purplish blue tongue had poked out and lolled to the side.
She had never seen such a sight, and it made her instantly sick. She felt like throwing up. Stepping back, Hanako had caught her heel on a rock and she instantly found herself on the ground. She attempted to crawl away from the cart, trying to place as much distance between herself and the horror, but she felt a hand on her shoulders.
"Hana! What happened?" Mito asked.
Still, Hanako couldn't find the words to describe it. Instead, she stood up and pushed herself away from Mito. The two women stared at each other, stunned, because a silver object blurred its way across their vision. The women looked at the cart, and lodged into the side was a glinting silver kunai.
An attack.
Mito grabbed Hanako and dragged her back towards the other two guards who had their katanas at the ready. Then, leaping down from the trees were six figures. They all appeared to be the same height and build, and despite their different colored hair of blacks and browns, their eyes glinted with mirth as Hanako realized that they were all a dark onyx color.
"Don't look into their eyes!" the guard to Hanako's left exclaimed.
"Ladies," the second guard said grimly, "I suggest you run."
Mito's black hair wouldn't protect her disguise anymore. Hanako felt herself being pulled over to one of the horses, but as the woman reached for the great beast, it let out another whinny and reared itself up on its mighty hind legs. It was too frightened to even be safe to ride or be around. The second seemed frazzled, but not as nearly as much as its companion.
"Not so fast, Lady Mito." A deep voice sounded, "We've been expecting you."
That last statement made Mito pause. Did the Uchiha know that she would be travelling? How?
"Save it," Mito bristled as she turned and stood tall in front of them.
Hanako stood behind her, and she couldn't help but quiver slightly in fear. She hated the unknown; she hated feeling so useless and vulnerable. It was obvious that it was these men who killed Akio, and it was probably them who planted his head in the cart to shock the group. A surprise shock would make their minds cloudy, and rationality would be sparse amongst the group, thus making them easy to pick off and kill.
"You're far from the Senju village," another had said slowly.
They all seemed to speak with the same tone and pacing, as if all six figures were trying to be identical so that their anonymity was kept. However, it was very obvious to Mito that they were definitely Uchiha. No other clan had black eyes as the dominant color, and they all wore matching high collared shirts with orange sashes.
"Go, Lady Mito!"
With that, the two guards leapt into action. All that occupied Hanako's vision was the sight of sword meeting flesh and the sound of tearing bones and skin. She shuddered at the sight, but couldn't even have time to comprehend her thoughts because she glanced up to see Mito had grabbed the frazzled horse by his halter and she hauled herself on its back.
The guards were sacrificing themselves to be used as a distraction while Mito and Hanako could get away. The Senju matriarch would never forget this.
"Stop the women!"
As Hanako was about to take Mito's hand and haul herself onto the horse behind Mito, a hand grabbed the blonde woman's arm. Hanako yelped at the sudden pull and she felt her hand slip away from Mito's. She fell backwards, but instead of meeting a horrible fate, she could hear Mito cry out with a frustrated rage and before Hanako could blink, the man who had grabbed her had a tanto lodged into his neck.
"Come on, Hana!"
Mito reached her hand out again and Hanako took it quickly. With a leap she was able to pull herself onto the horse and she wrapped her arms around Mito's waist.
"Just hold on!" Mito cried as she kicked the horse into full throttle. The fact the horse was indeed unsettled and panicked added to their favor, as the adrenaline pumping through the beast's veins would make it run faster and it would tire much slower.
"After them!" An Uchiha soldier hissed to his four remaining comrades.
Shuriken flew, branches whipped them, and there were a few times Hanako was sure they were going to be thrown from the horse. Mito was directing the horse away from the road and through the thick trees so that it would be more difficult to throw weapons at them and not to mention see them through the foliage.
Hanako daren't speak, nor even open her eyes. She felt the sting of tears on her face as she was sure a branch had cut her cheek.
A shuriken lodged itself into the horse's thigh, only just missing Hanako's own leg. It made a horrified shriek at the sudden pain and reared itself up on its hind legs.
Her arms were weakening.
Her grip was slipping.
Her body met the ground with a solid thump.
The last thing Hanako could see through her hazy vision was Mito galloping away into the thick trees. She felt warm blood trickle down her face, and eventually her head rested on the ground and she slipped into unconsciousness.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ta-daaa! We have Uchiha!
Thank you for all my recent reviews/follows/favs!
What will happen next?
This chapter is unedited; I wanted to post it before I went to sleep. I apologize for any bad grammar/spelling!