Chapter 55 | The Raging Storm II
The raging sea swallowed her whole, throwing her body under its vicious currents intent on dragging her into its coldest depths. She heard the hollow sound of another crash above her head and imagined it was the ship falling into the sea with her. The railing she had grasped onto had broken under the power of her grip, allowing the impact of the wave to send her overboard. She fell from quite a height that when her body hit the water it was like she had fallen atop a rock hard surface, the blow made her gasp for the breath it had stolen from her.
Water surged down her throat, flooding her lungs, and darkness obscured her vision. Pain encased her—searing, excruciating pain that clawed down her esophagus and throbbed in her chest.
She hated the sea.
The beautiful, deceptive sea.
The enormous wave had taken the ship. He was certain. He felt the water crash over the deck, splintering the wood with the sheer force, and he knew the wooden vessel would not survive it.
But something shot out towards the ship, wrapped around it as the water turned it on its side and everything came to an abrupt stop. Madara's body was hurled to the railing with the others, whose bodies hit against the hard wooden surface keeping them out of the water. He looked up to see several limbs branching out of the thick wooden trunks holding them upright. He recognized Hashirama's Mokuton immediately and knew the shinobi was not far when he heard a loud splash behind him.
Madara jerked around, searching for the others, Mio in particular knowing of her fear. He had seen Saori grab hold of her arm, but when he found her lying unconscious across the wooden railing far from him, Mio was not with her. Taiga was climbing over the thick limbs wrapped around the ship, lugging the fisherman with him, eyes scanning the surface of the water.
Madara stood up, reaching for the bag slung across his body, when a dark head broke out of the surface below with another. Hashirama idled in the water, taking a breath before his dark eyes found Madara's and he reacted quickly when he realized the woman in his arms was Mio, he exclaimed.
Hashirama swam towards the ship. Madara went to meet him, reaching for Mio when he offered her to him and dragged her onto one of the tree limbs encasing the ship, though it was Hashirama who determined she had swallowed water. The Senju placed his hands over her chest, pumping as he counted lowly, until she finally coughed up the water. She did not wake. She slumped back into the tree and remained unconscious.
The Senju climbed onto the broken ship on his own, his eyes going to Madara before catching sight of Taiga above him, who smiled at him with a glint of malice, and finally the fisherman who was on his knees prepared to worship him for saving his life.
"This is no coincidence," Hashirama said gravely. "That you two would gather here with Ohime-sama."
"It isn't," Madara responded. "Nishiki captured three guardians, Takuto, Yayoi, and your brother."
Hashirama's face changed. "What? Tobirama too?"
"What? You never noticed he was missing?" Taiga asked, rather sarcastically.
"I was told he had gone on a mission."
"This isn't the time for such discussions," Madara pressed, irritated. "Nishiki plans to publically execute the three of them."
"Mio there decided we should gather the rest of the guardians and go off to rescue them," Taiga added. "Coincidence over. Do us a favor and make sure none of your Senju try to kill us while we're here. We still have to get out hands on Nako."
"She made you guardian?" Hashirama asked flabbergasted.
"No," Taiga said, then pointed at Madara. "He did."
"But you can't do that! It's against the rules!" Hashirama stated.
"What do you know about rules, you fool?" Madara snapped. "I'm Shugosha now! I can make whoever I want a guardian!"
Hashirama stared at him with a deep frown and it was obvious where this was going when he took a sluggish step aside to sulk at Mio's side.
Madara sighed. "There's no time for your moping," he said, watching his tone.
The Senju stood suddenly, clapping his hands together. "That's correct. We still need to rescue Mito-san!"
Madara and Taiga narrowed their eyes at the man, both uttering in confusion, "Eh?"
"Mito! She is in danger!" Hashirama started passionately. "Surrounded by this stormy wall, trapped alone in her fortress, she needs to be saved!"
"We're not here for that Uzumaki!" Madara snapped. "We're looking for Nako!"
Hashirama faced him. "Lucky for us, Nako is there with her." He reached down to pick Mio off the floor. "Let's go!"
The Senju was about to climb up, but Madara forced him to stop. "This is only temporary," he stated. "For Mio. Once this is over, we go back to enemies."
"I understand that," Hashirama answered, alas serious. "But we are guardians to the Kuronuma's Artifacts, we can't remain enemies forever. Do you think Mio will allow for any infighting among her guardians?"
"That matters not," Madara told him, determined to see an end to their bitter war. "Once this war is over, the Uchiha clan will no longer have guardians among Mio's collective."
"And you expect her to let us kill each other off because of that?"
"She has no choice. This started long before she chose us as guardians."
Hashirama climbed, agreeing with his silence that the truce would be temporary, though it was obvious to Madara that he did not agree with it. Madara followed him, carrying Saori on his back.
The Senju went on ahead, leading the way across a bridge of brown bark and into a cluster of trees twisted into one another that created a barrier against the violent waters. Hashirama ordered his shinobi to stand down as the sight of both Madara and Taiga had them alert and drawing weapons, prepared to launch an attack upon the slightest bit of provocation.
Voices—soft-spoken but argumentative—drifted to her, reviving her from a death-like sleep.
She opened her eyes to dark figures along the walls.
Mio did not expect to wake, but she did, and she was wrapped up in the warmth of a crackling fire. Hard ground sat underneath her body and rain pelted against the rooftop above her head accompanied by continuous booming thunder. She rose shakily to a seat and found her bag beside her. Though her throat was dry and aching, she reached for her pack in search of the Time Sphere and found it bundled in the cloth she left it. She set it on her lap, holding it near, looking around her once more when she realized the mass of tangled trees molded to create a roof above her head. She followed the trail of them, searching beyond the fire, she snuffed out, to see them create an arching entrance, but she did not see the rain until further ahead where she could also see a part of the wall encasing the Whirlpool Country. Lightning scrawled across it like a current.
She quickly jumped to her feet and sprinted past the entrance. She needed to have a closer look, but someone grabbed her by the arm, dragging her back several steps before she jerked away, turning swiftly.
"Where are you running off to?" asked Taiga.
Saori appeared beside him. "You shouldn't be running, Mio," she said worriedly. "You nearly drowned. If it hadn't been for Hashirama, you would have."
Hashirama? That explained the trees. His name compelled her to look for him and she found him. She had not seen him since the Waterfall Country and expelled a breath in relief before approaching him. She thanked him and walked closer only to have someone pull her back by the shirt. She whirled enough to find Madara, his face in perpetual grimace.
"You should be resting, Ohime-sama," Hashirama told her.
She shook her head. "No, now that you're here, I have to—"
"I've already told him all he needs to know," Madara interrupted crisply, directing his glare at the Senju, "though he does not seem to understand that we are not here to rescue anyone. We are here to retrieve Nako. Only Nako."
"Are your shinobi in danger?" Mio asked, concerned.
"Not so much his shinobi, but his wife, who hates him," Taiga answered, beating Hashirama to the punch. The wording alone depressed the longhaired shinobi. "Well, hate is a strong word, seems like she does not even think he exists."
Mio stared at Taiga dumbfounded. "What?"
"This should not be made light of," Saori interrupted, patting Hashirama on the shoulder. "It is a serious concern. We do not know what forms of dangers are within the Climate Sphere only that it is causing trouble for us on the outside and considering we are heading in, we might as well make sure Uzumaki Mito is well too."
"Ah." Mio clapped her hands, recalling the beautiful Uzumaki that had been captured alongside Tobirama in the Earth Country. "When did you get married?"
"About two months ago," Hashirama answered with a grin.
"Congratulations."
"There is a time and place, Mio," Madara bit out, radiating impatience. "We do not have much time left if Nishiki wants to rob you of the spheres."
"He is baiting us," Mio corrected, sounding lax despite the gravity of the news. "He would have taken them if he wanted in that instant. He knows I severed the chakra flowing through the other artifacts and made them useless, and he made it clear to me that he knows it."
"He could be bluffing," Taiga said. "He barely activated the Universe Sphere to create this world."
"Yes, but we don't know what kind of power he gave himself apart from naming himself Emperor," she answered. "He made subtle changes in the foundation of our original universe to create this world. He could have given himself more control of the artifacts to start and has simply been building up to the point that he could threaten me this way."
"So he has no use for you?" asked Taiga. "I mean, since he is trying to take the artifacts."
"No, he does," she said. "My son is very much successor whether he likes it or not. He cannot take the Time Sphere from me, not if he wants to inherit the power I awakened within it." She paused. "But I also find it strange that he made the decision to show me what he is capable of doing. It bothers me." And as if on cue, her hand went straight for her arm to scratch at the hives she had not noticed appear. "I have a bad feeling about this, but we need to move forward. For Takuto, Yayoi, and Tobirama's sake."
She heard the grumbling at the mention of Tobirama from both Madara and Taiga. If she left them alone to see things through, they would likely let him die. It did surprise her to see the three of them peaceful, granted, Hashirama only acted defensively when the need arose and figured Madara and Taiga were tame because Saori was present. Mio appreciated that she could rely on Saori to create adequate environments for different situations and that she had taken care to see her two Uchiha guardians got on with the Senju while she was out. She doubted a temporary cease-fire would be enough for Madara.
"So, where is this Uzumaki Nako?" Mio asked, changing the subject.
Everyone looked in the direction of the storm encircling the Whirlpool Country and she sighed, a part of her having hoped the Uzumaki had activated the sphere outside the island—unlikely as that sounded.
"Have you tried attacking it?" she asked, looking to Hashirama.
"It rejects all attacks," Hashirama said. "They are all thrown back at us."
There seemed to be no way around it after giving several tactics a thought. "We're going to need the Time Sphere," she said, then turned to Madara. "I am going to need you."
He nodded.
Mio considered reclaiming the sphere for herself, but knew it would not be necessary. Not yet, at least. She didn't know how to go about Nishiki's baiting.
Madara took Taiga with him to retrieve the Time Sphere, leaving her alone with Hashirama.
"You made him Shugosha?" the Senju asked curiously.
She smiled, looking at him. "You have to admit that since he has been Shugosha the artifacts have been more powerful," she said. "The spheres would be safer in his hands."
"Except he made The Nameless One a guardian," Hashirama commented.
"Temporary guardian," Mio corrected.
Blinking, Hashirama asked, "You can do that?"
She nodded. "So, who is this Uzumaki Nako?"
"She was assigned to support Mito," he said, folding his arms over his chest as he stared off in the direction of the wall of water. "She lacks balance, but is otherwise a well-versed shinobi. Very reliable."
Mio set both hands on her hips, staring at the results of the activated sphere with him. "As a guardian?"
"You should reconsider Madara as Shugosha," Hashirama whispered, leaning over her. "It will only feed his ego."
She snorted.
"Here they come," Saori said, drawing their attention to the two Uchiha making their way back to them.
Madara handed her the bundled Time Sphere and she unraveled it, taking the heated sphere into her hand. She beckoned the others to follow her closer to the protective wall where the spray of rainfall and raging sea dampened their clothes.
"You should leave your shinobi here," Mio told Hashirama, who ordered his sizeable group to stand down. Though, they were highly suspicious about allowing their leader around the Uchiha leader, the Nameless One, the Kuronuma Shugosha, and an assassin from the Ito clan, Hashirama had a way of chasing away their worries. So, when he asked them to remain in the nest of trees he created until they returned, they stood by, giving them room to do as they wanted.
Mio reached for the dagger Taiga had sitting behind his belt. "Have you had anyone sent to see the extent of the wall?"
The wall of water was high, hiding far beyond the clouds and even further still to prevent aerial infiltration, and it manipulated the waters surrounding the island nation at an extended radius. That left her to contemplate whether it ran under the surface in some form.
"There's an electric current underneath the island that forms a net," Hashirama said. "I tried to destroy it, but it's stronger than it seems."
"With or without the Power Sphere?"
"Without," he answered. "Would it have made a difference if I had used it?"
"If you know how to use it." Mio went to stand beside Madara. "I'm going to break through the wall. I need someone to make sure the opening stays open long enough for us to make it through."
"I can take care of that," Hashirama said, preparing himself.
"Can someone find a weakness in the chakra flow?" Mio asked, looking to Taiga or Madara.
Taiga stepped ahead, activating his Sharingan and scanned the wall. He pointed to a specific area. "It's tiny, but the flow is weakest there."
She thanked him as he fell back in with them.
"This has to be done quickly," she told them, looking to each of her guardians, those she had chosen herself and those she had not. "We cannot allow Nishiki the opportunity to use the Reflective Sphere to locate us. He will send every hunter clan after us and ruin our chances of infiltrating the Earth Country on our terms. We cannot allow that, so we cannot fall short here."
Everyone exchanged glances before settling on her face and nodded. And though she knew everyone was working together temporarily, she could not help but like that they were willing to work together for her cause.
Mio used Taiga's blade to stab through the black water molded to the sphere as hard as she could muster. The glow of the sphere shone through the cracks and she returned the weapon to Taiga, breaking off the shell with her hands, feeling the surge of backed-up chakra rushing back into her earrings. She thrust the Time Sphere back into Madara's hands, took Taiga's dagger again as she walked towards the edge of the clutter of trees under her feet, and reached for her ear, activating her Black Sphere. She cut a deep line across both her palms, feeling the blood sear against her flesh as it spilled, and she drew them together.
She sped through the hand gestures required for the technique, molding both her chakra and black water together to duplicate it before slamming her hands to bark under her feet, hearing it burn. She left the rest to the Black Sphere.
Dark spiral towers burst through the surface of water, crashing simultaneously into the area Taiga pointed out for her where she infused more chakra to further double the amount of black water in the technique and tripled its force with the help of her sphere. The more force she added to the technique, the more lightheaded she became, but when she added another burst of chakra that sent a new dark spiral into the location she saw the zigzagging lightning crackle in response and flitter away like tiny insects skittering away from danger.
She gnashed her teeth to keep her steady her body because she was starting to lose feeling in her body as it grew numb.
A powerful wind came howling at her. The Climate Sphere was fighting back, but she did not budge. The gale shoved against her, trying to knock her down, but she anchored her body by sinking her feet into the tangle of trees meshed together. The next gust came charged with electricity and while jagged, blue lines managed to cut through her skin, she did not let up. If she did, it would give the wall time to recover the damage she had caused it.
A little more, she told herself and willed the Black Sphere to strengthen her attack a second time. And when the artifact obliged, she saw the explosion of water and lightning as her spirals successfully drilled through the wall.
"Hashirama!" she called, and he was beside her bringing to life more trees as she let her technique run its course, watching it disappear through the gaping opening. A line of trees formed a bridge across and curled along the edges, creating a circle to allow them entry, but the Climate Sphere was attempting to recover, lightning bouncing across the wood stifling its attempts. The combination of water and wind battered at Hashirama's technique at once and signs of wear were visible the second it had settled, but they used that short amount of time to sprint across the bridge, throwing themselves through the opening before the Climate Sphere broke apart the trees, zapping the chakra from them to heal itself.
Mio landed clumsily on the other side, falling into the residue of her technique, while the others managed to hit the ground still on their feet, infusing chakra into them to avoid the burn of the black water. She stood quickly, reaching Madara to take the sphere and once more encased it in a shell of black water, cutting if off once more, hoping that she had accomplished this all before Nishiki had the opportunity to pinpoint their location and send more hunter clans in their direction.
She breathed heavily, sitting back down, not taking the opportunity to look around her, though the Whirlpool Country was sparsely covered in trees where they had landed, it had several pillars bearing the Uzumaki's crest.
"Hashirama?" she called, breathing haggardly.
"We're close," Hashirama told her.
Saori went to her side and offered her a bundle with three squished rice balls. "You lost a lot of blood. You should eat something." She also procured a jug of water for her once she took a rice ball and stuffed it in her mouth, hungry after using so much energy. "Ah, Mio, at least let me bandage your hands!"
"…It's the cluster of buildings over there," Hashirama said to Madara and Taiga, who were both standing near the Senju.
Saori took the bundle from her. "You'll get it dirty. Wait a minute."
"I want another one."
"It's not too far," Hashirama continued.
"The Uzumaki clan is one of the three hunter clans in this village," Taiga commented. "The Miyake clan and Kumaya clan are the other two if I remember correctly. Know anything about the two?"
"The Kumaya clan have bears," Hashirama answered.
"Bears?" asked Taiga.
"Incredibly large ones." And the Senju gesticulated to emphasize the size of these bears. "Twice the size of a Kuronuma. And they are rumored to be just as strong."
"If we encounter them, we leave the Bear clan to you, Mio," Madara said, looking at her off his shoulder.
Saori was putting a rice ball in her mouth to keep her from getting her hands dirty. She nodded, though she was more curious to see these bears than she was about facing them in battle. Saori saw to that her hands were washed clean with fresh water before bandaging them up.
"Anything on the Miyake clan?"
"The two inner houses specialize in something different," Hashirama answered. "The third, lesser house protects the other two and they're the dangerous ones. Weapons specialists."
Madara looked to Taiga. "I leave them to you and Saori," he said. "Hashirama and I will handle the Uzumaki clan."
Hashirama snapped to face him. "What?"
"Did you forget the Uzumaki clan is one of the many clans that want to capture us?" Madara asked. "We cannot approach them thinking they would welcome us upon sight. There is a lot riding on our captures and Nishiki did not forget to increase ones greed in this world."
"But Nako is a guardian too."
"I doubt they'd make the distinction," Taiga said, then looked back to the barrier. "She saw a reason to activate the Climate Sphere."
"The artifacts are tied to their guardian's emotions," Mio explained. "That wall there was powerful, fueled by what could only be a powerful emotion. She could be in danger."
"You aren't insinuating that the Uzumaki clan would do something against one of their own, are you?" asked Hashirama.
"This is not our world, Hashirama," she said, standing once Saori gave her the okay. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Everyone you know is here, but they are not the same. Mentalities have been changed. All guardian clans have been made into enemies. That is why you and your men were here, to attack the Uzumaki clan. And why the Kuronuma clan and Uchiha were pitted against one another as well. We only have to be careful not to kill anyone."
"Someone is approaching," Taiga announced quietly.
Immediately they scattered to hide from the small group of redheads to appear atop a concrete dais in the center of four pillars.
Mio had to pull Hashirama back when he recognized Mito was among the shinobi that had appeared and slapped a hand over his mouth when she saw he was about to call out to her. She had been right in following after him.
"It seems they have escaped," Mito announced to her companions as she surveyed the area. Her voice barely reached her ears. "They could not have gone far."
"How do you suppose these outsiders made it through that?" one of her comrades had asked, facing the Climate Sphere's defensive wall. "Nobody's been able to come or leave since this went up."
A female shinobi with short hair bounded towards the puddles of black water emitting steam. Mio thought she recognized her from some time ago, though she could not be certain until she saw her face. She remembered the face of the shinobi that had been released on the day Mio gave herself up to receive the antidote for Madara.
Had that been Nako?
As she thought this, Hashirama attempted to speak.
She removed her hand from his mouth and he whispered, "That's Nako."
The Uzumaki below all turned in their direction and she covered his mouth again. They eased up since there was no movement or sound, returning to their conversation as Mio observed Nako. There were rings of bruises on her arms, barely covered by her sleeves, and around her neck. She did not believe she had the Climate Sphere in her possession and wondered if it had been integrated with the island.
She is hurt.
A male shinobi asked Nako something that Mio did not catch and the girl answered, "The only clan I know that uses this sort of technique is the Kuronuma."
The emotion that flashed across her face lit her eyes and it made Mio's chest tighten.
"We have to take her," Mio whispered, then stood upright to jump in. Hashirama followed her move.
"What? We can't attack them," Hashirama replied, reluctant.
And a kunai came whizzing past her head, stabbing into a branch above her. She and Hashirama stared at one another wide-eyed. Neither one of them saw that one coming, but as they had been discovered, they had no choice to reveal themselves.
"Hashirama!" Nako sounded surprised to see him, then looked at Mio. "And you're the one married to Mikazuki Gouki."
"Was married," Mio corrected.
"A Senju and an Uchiha," Mito observed, "how strange."
"I believe this is the princess the Emperor is searching for," one male shinobi relayed.
"Was she not a Kuronuma?" another questioned.
"I am a Kuronuma," she clarified.
"We might need to be captured," she heard Hashirama whisper to her.
"The Shugosha," Mito confirmed, nodding slightly. "You should be able to dispel this storm."
She said nothing.
Mito gave her order to the man beside her, and then she beckoned Nako to follow, taking her away with her. Nako looked over her shoulder as she went, staring at the both of them, wishing to speak words she did not dare.
The four shinobi that remained, made a move to draw weapons, but Mio raised her hands in resignation. She did not carry any weapons else she would have discarded them. Hashirama followed her lead and rid himself of his weapons before holding his hands up.
The Uzumaki approached them cautiously and unwilling to set aside their weapons in case they were tempted to attack. Mio was taken by the wrists, her hands dragged behind her back.
And they were taken to the clutter of sturdy buildings up ahead. They were ushered into an empty shed within their territory, the small building surrounded by shinobi, and were told that they would meet with their leader.
Once they were entirely alone, she noticed Hashirama was sulking.
"What is it?" she asked quietly.
"She didn't even look at me," he answered darkly. "Not once. It's like I don't exist."
It was exactly as Taiga had said. The atmosphere turned a little cloudy with his sitting there quietly holding his knees.
"You should not take it personally," she told him. "You should think of this as her being controlled."
"Then she needs to be saved!" he said suddenly, standing. "We need to save her too."
"The only way she will be saved is by taking Nako with us to the Earth Country and putting an end to Kuronuma Nishiki's plans." Mio remained standing, waiting impatiently to meet the Uzumaki clan's leader. She took care to analyze every bit of the Uzumaki's territory to find a way to leave when the opportunity presented itself. "You know the layout of this place, yes?"
"Yes, the Senju and Uzumaki are good allies."
She nodded. "Good," she said. "I'm going to steal the Climate Sphere and Nako. I'm going to need you to make sure we have a clean exit."
"We should not let those to be near each other," Taiga said with a heavy sight.
The Uzumaki were gone, but they had taken Mio and Hashirama prisoners, which did not surprise him considering the Senju had been quite noisy, despite Mio's efforts to silence him. Madara stood by. He did not disapprove completely of their actions as it would take them closer to the Climate Sphere and Nako. However, it would have been better for the lot of them to have been captured to better increase their chances of leaving.
"Mio should be safe with Hashirama," Saori said reassuringly.
"Yes, she best be," Madara answered.
"What do you suppose we should do now?" Taiga asked. "Are we expected to go after them?"
"No," Madara said. "We should secure ourselves a ship to return to the continent."
"I can do that on my own," Taiga said. "You two should follow after them in case they manage to make things worse…like kidnapping Mito in the process."
Madara would not put it past them to do something stupid.
"With all that sulking he's capable of doing, he will likely manipulate Mio into agreeing to doing something that stupid," Taiga continued, further voicing Madara's thoughts. "He needs to be stopped." He put a hand on Madara's shoulder and another on Saori's. "Take care of the children, you two."
With that, Taiga went off to find a ship.
"I am worried for Mio," Saori started. "She did not finish eating."
Madara looked at Saori, who was staring rather upset at the remaining rice balls in her hands. He worried too. That Mio might have used too much of her recovering strength that it would bring back her fevers and deep sleeps. But he reminded himself that she was not alone. Hashirama was with her and that she trusted him. A part of him trusted him too, but he would never admit it. They were enemies. Working together because of a temporary truce, but things would go back to normal when this ended.
And it would end soon.
Finding Hashirama and seeing Nako brought them closer to accomplishing what he and Mio set out to do after leaving the Fire Country. They were two guardians away from gathering them all.
"Let's go," he said, deciding that Taiga had a point after all. "We should advance with caution. There is no need to attract the attention of either of the other hunter clans."
Mito accompanied the older male, who introduced himself Uzumaki Tougo, the leader of the Uzumaki clan, and Hashirama stood beside Mio expectantly. Mio understood his desire for Mito to recognize him, as there had been a moment when she had been running to Madara hoping that he had retained his memories as she had. Mio did not know what she would have done if she had been the only one, so in a sense, she did not fully comprehend, but it did bother her that he would meet with disillusion. Especially because Mito did not seem to be interested in him as much as she was intent on her, which made her feel a terrible glare directed at the back of her head.
"You are Shugosha," Tougo hummed, staring at her curiously. "There are stories of you destroying clans left and right. They say your last target had been the Uchiha clan until you were captured by its leader, but here you are. Without the famous Uchiha Madara in sight, accompanied by my greatest enemy."
Hashirama's jaw clenched. And she felt the hostility that had perpetrated that subtle action, radiating off the man like heat from a fire.
Tougo tilted his head. "Why is that?"
"I escaped Uchiha Madara and his allies," she lied seamlessly. "I have been running from him for quite some time. Had it not been for Senju Hashirama, I might have never made it this far. He has helped me escape Madara numerous times and he plans to see me home, but I heard that one of the Emperor's artifacts was causing trouble in the Whirlpool Country. One can assume that it is not only the people on the outside that are suffering because of this seeing as you are trapped within its protection."
The older man shook his head. "There is no proof that the Senju has come all this way without an ulterior motive."
"We can set aside this war," Hashirama spoke, going along with her story. "I came here at her request. Not to launch an attack. I am here alone. Many of my men drowned when the change of weather hit and those that remain are beyond the storm imprisoning you."
Tougo did not seem to like that Hashirama took the liberty to speak and in turn, Hashirama was not quite pleased with himself as Mito barely spared him a look. Her eyes were still on her and she knew she was contemplating a question.
"You came all this way to dispel the storm?" asked Mito, her tone serious but full of intrigue. "How did you manage to get through it? We have tried everything, but it heals itself whenever it sustains any form of damage."
"It is my job to know these things," Mio answered. "I can bring it down, but I will need the object and the person that erected it."
"Have Nako and the treasure brought here," Tougo ordered.
Mito excused herself, leaving to do as was asked of her.
"I will test your credibility, Shugosha," the man told her, fixing her a cold stare.
It did not help that he was this suspicious. However, she knew that when he brought Nako and the sphere to her that it would not hurt as much to know that his intuition was accurate when it came to her actions. She would give the signal as soon as she had confirmation for both. If she was being swindled, the lies would continue.
The shorthaired Uzumaki entered holding a marble-sized object in her hand and presented it to her as the Climate Sphere.
"Here you are," Tougo said, gesturing to the girl who kept her eyes downcast.
Mio reached for the marble when Nako offered it and crushed it in her hand, letting the tiny black flecks fall to the ground. She earned a satisfied look from Tougo.
"I asked for the real artifact, not a fake," she told him. She expected as much from the man.
"You will follow me," he said, exiting the tool shed.
Hashirama made an attempt to follow, but the invitation to leave had only been extended to her and he was held back. Nako walked behind her silently and they exchanged glances in which Mio offered her some reassuring words. I am here to help you, she mouthed. We are here to help you.
Mouthing, Nako answered, I cannot leave Mito alone in this place. It is not safe.
You have no choice, Mio finished, turning back to the man leading her as they entered a room that chilled her to the bone.
The artifact was there, inside this room, making its presence known to her. She could not help the shudder that ran through her body, coiling strangely up the length of her back, making her straighten and twist. It was the chakra it was exerting that made its pull so strong. Frost glossed over the wooden walls, freezing over the beams holding the structure upright and creating icicles. Both Uzumaki stayed behind at the entrance, but she stepped up to the sphere to see it sitting in a frozen basin in the center of a table.
"Tread carefully," Tougo said. "The sphere has killed all who have gone too close."
"Has it also bruised the woman that activated it?" she asked, looking to Nako, who flinched. There was something about her submission that bothered Mio. The hurt look in her eyes was severe, like she had been disillusioned. She avoided eye contact, tensed in the presence of her own people, even when she walked from them; she did so cautiously like the slightest bit could set them off.
"That is none of your concern." Tougo glared viciously at her. "You are here because you can dispel the wall surrounding the country and because we are contracted to deliver you safely to the Earth Country."
Mio took the dragon's eye into her hand, the cold stabbing into her skin spread up her arm. The heat of her body collided with it, dulling its effects immediately. It was not active, it did not possess its otherworldly glow, but it radiated power. The Universe Sphere was the same.
The most she could do with the sphere alone was weaken its barrier enough to shatter it, but the storm would zap the chakra from her technique and use it to heal itself as it had before. However, Madara was still carrying the Time Sphere. She could power it again and seal it quickly. Doing so would make for a cleaner escape.
"Do you know how to swim, Uzumaki Nako?" Mio asked.
"How is that rele—?"
Mio lunged forward, jumping and kicking him straight in the chest, and sent him flying through the doors.
Nako gasped. "What are you doing?"
She swept Nako off her feet, throwing her over her shoulder and rushing out after pocketing the sphere. She stepped outside and there were Uzumaki gathering, many carrying scrolls, others rushing to help their leader back onto his feet, though he rejected all offered hands. As soon as they attacked, she leaped onto the roof and ran across it, jumping off the other side faster than any Uzumaki could intercept her path. She could out run them.
"What are you doing?" Nako screeched, struggling against her hold.
Mio sprinted to the wooden shed, not bothering to drop Nako when she went after the shinobi standing guard. She came to an abrupt halt when she saw two needles stab into the back of their necks and they all dropped to the floor unconscious. Saori appeared, falling gracefully from the roof, and when she did, she heard the sound of destruction behind her, which could only mean Madara had gone to take care of the shinobi chasing her.
"What did you do?" cried Nako, staring horrified at her fallen clansmen. "Are they dead? Why did you kill them?"
Hashirama burst out of the shed. "Nako, are you ok—?" His eyes went wide, perhaps at the sight of flames consuming the buildings at their backs and then he looked around himself. "What's happening?"
"Time for you to show us a way out," Mio stated, making him turn into the opposite direction. "Let's go!"
"I can't leave Mito here," Nako shouted. "Hashirama! We can't leave Mito here!"
Hashirama made a move to turn, but Mio interjected. "We take her with us and we make things worse for us and for her. She needs to stay where she belongs! If we tamper with these things, we risk her life and if she dies in this world, she will die in ours! There is nothing we can do but leave! And we have to go now!"
That was enough for Hashirama. He understood, though Nako did not. This was incomprehensible for her and it was understandable, for someone to be so loyal to another that they were unwilling to leave them behind. It was admirable.
Hashirama took the lead and took them far from the Uzumaki's territory where they would be safe for a short interval of time. Once out, Saori mentioned Taiga had gone to find a boat.
"A boat is good," Mio said, over the sound of Nako's protests. "Does anyone know how to work a boat?"
"I suppose Taiga would," Saori replied, doing the same. "Why would he suggest to find a boat if he did not know how to use it?"
"Good point."
"We have to go back!" Nako cried, seizing Mio by the shoulders. "You are supposed to be the reasonable one. You should—"
The redhead suddenly slackened and fell unconscious into her arms. Mio saw the needle sticking out of the back of her neck and Saori standing there with an innocent smile.
"Saori-san!" Hashirama started.
"I felt she could do with some sleep," she said with a slight shrug. "Would you like to rest as well? I have more." She showed him a small flask containing other needles. She told Mio earlier that she had learned the trick from Takuto, and praised him for being a wonderfully patient teacher, and that it was an interesting way to avoid killing. It put a person right to sleep when combined with a group of plants and chakra. "They're strangely therapeutic, too."
Takuto would have made a great asset on this journey.
Vertigo struck Mio and she slumped against the tree, quickly setting Nako against the trunk.
He would be incredible help.
Saori helped her upright, then lifted her eyes to the raven above them flying around in circles. When it swooped down to meet them, Mio ducked. Saori went on ahead, raising her arm to allow the bird to perch atop it, and received the tiny scroll it held in its beak. Once it delivered its message, the bird disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"It's from Taiga," Saori said, reading. "He has a boat. Oh. He had a run in with the Miyake clan." She held the unfurled scroll back another inch. "Ah. He took the boat from them." She showed the scroll to both Mio and Hashirama. "He's told us where to go, but Madara…"
"Madara will find us," Mio told her. "We need to keep going."
And they went. The four of them crossed the Whirlpool Country to reach a shore opposite from where they had first landed. Throughout their journey, a bad feeling pursued her and lingered heavily like smog after they had gathered by the calm seaside before a small boat.
Taiga had one look at the unconscious Nako and lifted his eyes to Mio. "Your doing?"
"It was Saori's."
"You don't say," he said, turning to Saori who only smiled. "And here I was thinking you were all fairness."
"She was looking a little exhausted," Saori replied. "I only looked to make her more comfortable in our travels. They are exhausting."
Taiga laughed.
Madara was the last to appear and Mio rushed forward to take his arm around her shoulder, keeping him standing. He was wounded and he was slumping against her. She should not have left him fighting on his own.
"We don't have time," he urged, reaching into his bag for the Time Sphere. "Remove the storm."
"Taiga!" she called.
The older Uchiha took Madara from her and she clawed the black water from the Time Sphere until she tore the shell from it, hearing Madara grunt when the artifact took chakra from him. Mio left the sphere in Madara's hands and went to Nako's side, crouching down as she reached for the Climate Sphere in her own pocket. She set the dragon's eye inside Nako's hand and curled her fingers over it.
Recognizing her as one of nine guardians, Mio felt Nako's hand grow ice-cold in her own. She fed it her chakra and it latched on. She had given the Climate Sphere her chakra before, but she never tried to change anything about the winter storm that ruled over Mt. Hyōga.
She activated the sphere and the skies thundered as if in protest, but the clouds were clearing quickly, sunlight breaking through them. The walls of water zigzagging with thunder came crashing down as she willed them to fall and melted into waves that swept across the surface of the sea, the electric current it carried snuffed out upon contact.
Taiga rushed them onto the small boat and he alone pushed them off the shore and into the water. He handed Hashirama an oar and kept one for himself. Together, they rowed farther and farther away from the shore until they were but specks in the eyes of those that gathered atop the pale sand, too late to stop them.
And now they were seven with six fully functional artifacts and a broken one.
Saori tended to Madara's wounds while Mio sat, unable to shake the tremble in her bones. She was anxious because it was time.
"What are we going to do once we make it back to the Fire Country?" Hashirama asked, looking over his shoulder to all of them.
Mio did not give it any thought. "I am going to become Shugosha again and I'm going to make these artifacts mine."
Nishiki would not dream to take the artifacts from her. Not now. Not ever.
xl: You can blame the two day delay on my shitty internet. For that I apologize.
I ended up doing a lot of rewrites on this...so it came out a little different than originally planned, but I'm cool with it. I don't have much to say really. I'm still wigging out about the next chapters, so wish me luck on them. I really want to do them justice. My biggest fear at this point is not doing them justice and the end falling flat. And that simply will not do because the ending is everything!
Here's a quick question, would you prefer the weekly updates or do you want me to give you the last 2-3 chapters all at once? (Basically, can you handle the suspense?) I'd appreciate any responses if you'd like to contribute. :)
A million thank yous to Loteva, LittleMissSugarLess, StealthyFiction, and HushedFable for reviewing. Again, I apologize I couldn't give you part 2 when I promised! I will be prompt with my other promises.
I might take next week off though depending on the responses received from my question.
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
I'll post a preview for the next chapter when my internet stops being so slow. (I seriously don't want to attempt LJ right now. I already tried.)
