Disclaimer: Own Naruto, I do not.
Chapter 36
Meesha perused over the spectators, or rather - the Hokage's chosen 'escorts' that were there to make certain their Nuwan guests would remain compliant during this display.
She realized that they were the ones that had been there at their arrival. She still did not know their names, but she supposed for now, it didn't really matter.
The shrine warrior quickly noticed that Lady Sakura was looking a bit pale and nervous. Considering all that the girl had gone through, it was certainly understandable. However she knew that once Sakura moved into the natural flow of things, she would relax.
Moving over to the couple with purpose, she stopped in front of them. She explained to Itachi, "What we are about to do, is something that you will have to learn to do as well."
The slight raise of his brow was the only indicator that what she had said surprised him, however Meesha caught it. She smiled at him, her wine colored eyes sparkling with amusement, "Yes. We already know. I sensed the change in you. You reek of Guardian. I assume that you have been given a gift."
He hesitated a moment before giving a minute nod, "Aa."
"Good. Now," Meesha sucked in a deep breath before turning to Sakura, "Do you understand why your physical appearance changes when you summon the staff? Or what the vines represent? For shamans, the signs of the bond varies depending on the clan you come from. What is your crest?"
"An empty white circle. My father told me that it was the representation of the unending cycles of all life. Balance," Sakura responded immediately.
"A very majestic and fitting form indeed," Meesha dipped her chin respectfully before turning to Tyoril, "Are you ready to show them how this is done?"
Navy eyes flit towards the shaman, and he started to tread towards Sakura with Haldir still watching from a polite distance. Lifting his arms, he held out both hands. His fingers slowly curled around the hilts of double-bladed swords forming in his palm as blue and green, smoky tendrils snaked down over his elbows and wrists.
He ignored the stares of those watching him with open curiosity and kept his gaze trained on the lone, small woman.
"Our way is simple. Direct and redirect. That is all," navy orbs flit to the shinobi standing next to her, "this is something you must learn if you wish to protect her."
Itachi met his gaze, but said nothing even as Tyoril returned his attention to Sakura.
He commanded her, "Summon the spirits. That is all you must do for now."
Blinking at him thrice, Sakura swallowed hard and caught her lower lip between her teeth. It wasn't that it was hard for her to do, it just felt a little odd with so many shinobi watching her. When she met Tyoril's unwavering gaze, she squared her shoulders and shut her eyes.
Holding her breath, she allowed the familiar sensations to flow through her. Her lids slid open, and she asked him even as her eyes bled green, "Do you have a preference?"
"None."
Nodding, Sakura called forth the nearby water spirits that lingered in the earth below her feet. Moments passed, and the feet of her audience shuffled a tad nervously when blue wisps curved out of the grass beneath her sandals.
"To me," Tyoril explained gently, crooking a finger in his direction tellingly. This was as much of a training session for the young, unseasoned shaman as it was a spectacle for the clueless shinobi.
Wordlessly, seamlessly Sakura shifted slightly. The back of her hand curved as she spun instinctually, and in doing so made an elegant sweeping motion as she whispered softly, "Go on now."
The chakra spirits spiraled and raced towards Tyoril at her polite askance. Raising the weapon resting in his left palm, sharp eyes narrowing, the gatekeeper readied himself and with one arcing cut through the empty air in front of him; blue morphed into long crescent blades of water that stopped next to the shrine warrior's sword and hovered floating. As if waiting.
Sakura couldn't help it. Her jaw practically unhinged and dropped.
"Direct and redirect," Haldir emphasized again for Sakura's benefit.
With that, Tyoril flung his weapon down. The water blades whistled through the air and right before everyone's eyes, splashed through an oak in the distance, in three direct places.
Sakura's breath caught in her throat with the tree seemed to groan with a loud crack; right before everyone's eyes the trunk shattered in three sections. The old tree protested with one last groaning creak before the canopy crashed to the ground and the chunks of the tree slid off to the side. The sight caused the shinobi at the edge of the practice field behind her to tense up.
The blades in Tyoril's grip disappeared in a puff of blue smoke as Minato approached them with long, ground eating strides.
Never had she seen Naruto's father's face scrunched up like that. The lines around the eyes were wrinkled, but neither was he frowning nor smiling.
Sakura wanted to shrink inside herself when his foreboding expression fell on her. He murmured to himself more than to those standing around him, "So, that's how she did it."
Somehow she had the distinct feeling that he was talking about her great escape from the hospital.
Minato finally inquired curtly, "As I'm beginning to understand it, Sakura, you can control elemental spirits, and…" his voice trailed away, but then his sharp eyes fell on Tyoril, "you just directed them. As you described it anyway."
Tyoril nodded, his mouth falling into a thin line, "Yes. That's the gist of it."
"How did you…?" Minato turned to Sakura once again, "escape the hospital without the help of a - shrine warrior?"
"Well actually," she rubbed the back of her neck, somewhat embarrassed to admit it out loud, "I used chakra to open the door. To keep everyone distracted, I summoned the water spirits and told them to err… dance."
She left out the fact that it was one of the Great Ones, who had told her to do it in the first place. Truth be told, Sakura was just tired of explaining things that she barely understood herself. The shinobi looking at her, just didn't understand, that a lot of these things were nearly as new to her as it was to them.
Meesha jumped in, "Shamans do have the ability to direct, however with their lack of intention, is what in most situations require a shrine warrior."
"Intention?" Kakashi inquired, his tone reflecting his bemusement.
Sakura sighed. Before anyone else spoke up to explain, she threw up her arms and hissed, "The intention of harming someone." She pointed to the hilt of the wakizashi stationed above his left shoulder, "When you are attacked by an enemy, you draw your sword to fight back. I, lack the intention, of driving the sword through someone's heart."
As she spoke, she remembered what Harken had told her. She had the ability to cause massive amounts of destruction should she ever decide that she wanted to. Perhaps, it was the way her race maintained the balance. If shamans went around destroying things, the world would have been a much scarier place.
Bijuus or no Bijuus.
Several seconds ticked by, as one by one, the realization of her clarification hit the shinobi watching her with varying expressions.
Sakura turned away, not knowing what else she could say. Maybe if she forced herself to drive the sword through her enemies, then there wouldn't be an issue of the Bijuu causing Konoha such danger in the first place.
A hand fell on her shoulder, and she found herself looking up into Haldir's green eyes. His warm gaze held a wealth of understanding that caused her to realize, that there were others just like her and that there were those who understood.
Haldir voiced for her, "I know it may be a difficult concept to perceive for those outside our culture, but shamans by nature, have gentle souls. It is integral to a shaman, because without their compassion, we have come to believe that the elemental spirits would not respond. For the elements, there is no good nor evil. Yet, for reasons even we Nuwan do not comprehend, they react to the spirit song of the shamans. For a shrine warrior, the spirits are silent. We can only redirect."
Meesha cut in, in a hard unapologetic voice, "It is balance. Come, we waste time." She faced the Hokage, her wine eyes searing into him, "All we wish to do is to train Sakura to work in tandem with Itachi. The Bijuu will not likely afford us much time, when they find out that we are here."
A half smile curved the line of Minato's mouth at the redhead's impatience, "Straight and to the point. I understand," he turned to point at Kakashi's and Neji's squads, "Stay and keep watch. Take them to grounds, seven - so that they will be given a bit more privacy. I will return later."
The strength of two distinct agreements echoed in the drums of his ears. He told Meesha then, "Do not cause me to regret this trust I have given you."
She smirked at him, her eyes lit with an undisguised gleam of humor, "I can only return your words, Hokage. It is good that we are of an understanding."
Minato shook his head, before pivoting on his heal, his robes flaring out behind him when he walked away.
Sakura glanced at Itachi, feeling the weight of his eyes on her. He was open about his feelings on the subject, "I do not like the idea of your involvement, even if I understand the reason behind it."
His words warmed her from the inside out.
"I know."
Itachi's gaze searched hers, and then wordlessly he turned towards the practice field that the Hokage had mentioned. Everyone followed him, quietly.
When they arrived, everyone fanned out, but Itachi stayed firmly rooted by her side. She squared her shoulders, and hoped that it would all work out. She was a bit afraid of summoning the spirits, and sending them to Itachi only for him to be hit by them.
"Everything will be alright. You just have to trust him implicitly. The spirits will sense that, and then the rest depends on him," Haldir told her, the calm timbre of his voice quieting the insecurity that had taken residence in the deepest part of her.
Kakashi asked, "Would it help to have moving targets? We could in a sense, spar with them, if that would help things along."
Meesha nodded, "That's a good idea. If three of you could assemble at the other end of this field, and then maybe the others stand off over there," she pointed to the west side.
He quickly agreed, "That works. Naruto, Sai… let's go. Sasuke you stay here. Neji, you want to take Tenten, and Lee with you over there?"
Neji's silver eyes were guarded when he allowed his gaze to survey the group. Finally he concurred, with simply a quick incline of the head. Sakura smiled, "Thanks everyone."
A few, you're welcomes were tossed her way, before everyone went to assemble in their designated spots.
Meesha, Tyoril, and Haldir stood in a semi-circle around them, and even though Sasuke stood and watched, he tensed at the spectacle.
"Sakura you understand what to do?" Meesha asked her.
She nodded.
"Itachi, you won't be able to do what Tyoril did, and use your weapons as a redirect. Perhaps, you may already know what you will use?" Haldir inquired, his usually jovial expression devoid of the usual signs of mirth.
"Aa."
"Good. Then we'll start with the basics," Haldir dipped his head at the shinobi.
"Sasuke, I want you to spar with me," Itachi turned to look at his brother, his piercing gaze boring a hole straight into his younger brother.
"Feh, like this is going to be a fair fight," Sasuke smirked at Itachi, his amusement at the command apparent for all to see.
"Use your sharingan and keep up with me. You are the only one who has a chance," as Itachi spoke, he unequipped all of his weapons, including his kunai.
"You want me to stay armed?" Sasuke arced a brow at his sibling.
"Aa."
"Don't get upset, if I kick your ass then," Sasuke's amused expression fell into a mask of seriousness, when he fell into his trademark fighting stance while popping his knuckles and shaking the appendages out.
Itachi glanced at the Nuwan, "I would suggest you move next to Kakashi's squad."
When they looked at Sakura in askance, she agreed with a small smile, "It's probably for the best you see how a shinobi fights at a distance."
Even she moved behind Itachi, centering herself in a position that she could still see what was going on, but not in the direct line of fire.
"Understood," Tyoril inclined his head, and the other Nuwans moved to station themselves next to Kakashi.
Meesha folded her arms, and met her eyes directly.
Sakura nodded. She understood the other woman's concern.
Itachi told her, "I want you to summon whatever you believe is best. I want to get used to your patterns."
"Um, okay," she agreed, and then thought to herself, here goes nothing.
Sakura had to trust in the fact that Itachi had at least some inkling that he knew what he was doing.
Gathering her thoughts, she took a deep breath. She knew they were all waiting for her first move, but she didn't care. Sakura stretched out her hand, and as her eyes were encompassed by green, her staff appeared in her grasp.
Knowing that the Uchiha clan favored fire, she started there. Summoning the fire spirits to her, she shut her eyes as directed it straight at Itachi, who had angled himself sideways, so he could easily gauge her movements.
Not wanting to watch, as with that, Sasuke charged Itachi as soon as the spiraling orange shot straight towards them. She winced at the sound of the earth cracking, and small explosion that followed. She shook her head when she was flecked with bits of dirt. Opening her eyes when there was nothing but silence, her eyes went as wide as Sasuke's when she saw the crater next to him.
Itachi sneered at his brother, "So… are you going to kick my ass or not little brother?"
Sasuke's eyes fell into half slits at his brother's open taunts. He smirked, but said nothing. Instead, he made a gesture for Itachi to come at him.
As Itachi fell into a ground eating run, Sakura once again called to the fire spirits and sent them, his way. This time she kept her gaze pinned to Itachi, as he allowed the spirits to encase his limbs and instead of using a weapon to redirect, he used it to directly enhance his physical attacks.
At first it was all Sasuke could do to dodge his sibling, while Sakura continued to summon and direct. She watched as air enhanced his speed greatly. He used water arced into a blade that cut with his fists, fire increased the strength of his already chakra enhanced kicks, and he caused the earth below his opponent to crumble and give way beneath their feet.
In all of this, he was fast. She had always known, that Itachi was fast, but here - he was moving faster than the naked eye could see. She had to trust that everything she sent his way, he would in a sense, catch and use.
Sasuke it seemed, was holding up his own on his side of things. He was able to dodge his brother, and he managed to fling several shuriken to defend himself against Itachi's onslaught. When Sasuke realized that he wasn't going to be able to go toe to toe with Itachi in his current state, he switched up and started to integrate more jutsus into his attacks.
Sakura felt sweat bead on her brow, when Sasuke used a clone technique. Unlike Naruto, there weren't hordes of copies, but still - there were several. They all charged Itachi at once. One by one as he struck them, they would poof and disappear. So caught up in what she was watching, she was caught by surprise when two masculine arms grappled her from behind.
She bit back the feral growl that wanted to burst from her.
Sasuke whispered in her ear as he placed the kunai to her throat, "Enemies will realize very quickly what's going on. He needs to be able to protect you as well as fight his attackers."
When Itachi turned and caught her eyes, she silently mouthed, "I'm sorry."
Sasuke had a point. It wasn't like she could rely on static shock to get him to release her. He already knew about it. Likewise, even if her attacker didn't know about her odd ability, shocking the crap out of them, would only cause them to slit her throat faster.
Itachi's eyes narrowed on Sasuke. Immediately he started to stalk towards them like a panther, silent and deadly. When the last clone jumped at him, he merely grabbed the clone by the face and threw him violently against the ground, causing it to pop into a smoky poof.
Sasuke goaded his sibling with a sneer, "What are you going to do brother? You know better than to rely on someone else's power. You will be putting her in danger and you know it."
Sakura's eyes slid shut at Sasuke's words, knowing the truth of them. Heck, it was her first time trying out this direct and redirect thing. Harken told her she was naïve and Sakura knew to an extent, that was simply the truth.
It was one thing to assist someone, but most of all she needed to be able to help herself.
Wordlessly, she commanded the earth beneath her feet, and in the blink of an eye, she was shot into the air as the ground below shot up into the air. The force pulled her out of Sasuke's grasp, and she sighed a breath of relief. She knew he wouldn't have harmed her. He was just testing them both, and deep down she was grateful to him for it.
If any of the Bijuu came after her and Itachi, she needed to be able quick decisions. She had faced the Kyuubi before, even if that hadn't gone well, she had relied on her own abilities, and no one else's.
She squeezed her hand and the staff disappeared in a yellow haze. Sakura lined her heels with chakra, the best way she knew how, and jumped down. She pulled herself up to her full height, and she looked at the brothers with a sneaky grin. Just because she didn't want to harm someone else didn't mean that she couldn't use her own ability to communicate with the elemental spirits in her favor.
Itachi came to a stop, his startled gaze coming to rest on her.
She smirked at Itachi and Sasuke all at once, "How about you boys come at me?" When Itachi was about to protest, she shook her finger, "I don't mean with the intent to err… how did you put it Sasuke? To kick my ass. How about…" She put her finger to her lips and tapped it as if she were in thought, "you guys just try to catch me? I think Itachi has the whole direct and redirect down pat, genius that he seems to be."
Sakura turned and placed her hands in the crook of her hips and faced the nin and Nuwan alike, while cupping a hand around her mouth, "Actually, let's play hide and seek neh?"
Naruto practically bounced over, vibrating with his usual youthful vigor, "Oiy Sakura. Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am. I know everyone here is really strong in their own way. I think that it's one thing to assist Itachi, but I need to be able to handle things on my own," she looked at the Nuwan watching her actions curiously, "You guys too."
Neji smirked at her, "With or without jutsus."
"Hmph, if you think you'll need it to catch me," and with a wink directed at her still somewhat baffled onlookers, with a quick and playful whisper to the wind and earth, she was whisked out of sight, first by the air beneath her feet to silence her footfalls, and a thick veil of dust.