Hi y'all! I don't own Magi or Naruto, I do own my OCs and plot twists! Now, as promised, this chapter is skipping to the present, right before the second bell test. But we're starting in the Magi verse first. There are shenanigans afoot! Also, since I forgot to add this in last time- swearing/violence/gore and eventually romantic scenes will be common. You have been warned, but I will insert warnings when I think they're needed.
Now, on with the show!
The Present…
Ilona sighs as she watches her people break down their camp and ready to leave. The sun is barely peeking over the horizon, signaling a new day on the Dark Continent. Idly, her violet eyes scan the various forms until she spots one in particular.
"Izuna! Hurry up and load up that tent!" Ilona barks, glaring at the Uchiha.
Groaning, he complies, hoisting it up and slinging it onto a camel before fastening it. The camel gives him a stink eye, which he returns before stretching and making his way back to Ilona.
The Uchiha had given up his typical dark colors after suffering a heat stroke years ago, compromising with dark reds and greys. Loose grey trousers paired with a cream tunic embroidered in crimson and a thick leather belt holding his katana make up his wardrobe, along with his trusty sandals.
"Do we have to do this every morning?" He complains with a pout.
Ilona snorts, observing everyone else's progress before glancing at him.
"You know the answer to that, so why ask?"
He rolls his eyes as together they watch the people they had grown to protect form a column of camels and horses.
"It'll be nice to get back to Taihōgakure," Izuna murmurs.
Ilona huffs silently in agreement before suddenly grunting. A teenager with long spiky brown hair braided down her back and black eyes looks up at her with a teasing grin. Like most of the others in the caravan, her clothes are light-weight and in pale colors, in this case a deep green paired with a cream tunic with copper designs. Across her back is a sword similar to Ilona's with a red tassel on the end of the hilt.
"Morning Mom! Morning Izuna-oji!"
"Good morning Xia- where are your siblings and cousins?" Ilona demands, eyeing her daughter.
Xia grins and places both her hands behind her head.
"Keiichi and Samar are helping Mei and Sango with the little monsters. Aunt Ayo'yo is leading the caravan, where you're supposed to be." She reminds her with a frown.
Ilona smirks and pokes her right where the frown is creasing her forehead. Xia yelps, covering the stinging spot.
"Mom!" She complains as Ilona strides to her place at the head of the caravan, grinning.
Izuna chuckles and his eyes soften when they land on Xia.
"You're worried about her, aren't you?" He asks, watching her.
Xia blinks before her face turns pink.
"N-no! Why would you say that?!" She yelps, glaring at him.
Izuna snorts as he starts to walk in the direction Xia indicated. As he passes by, members of the caravan nod to him or wave as they begin their march deeper into the Dark Continent. Eventually, he reaches the lone tent still standing- it is large enough to hold perhaps twenty people. Izuna pushes the tent open and is assaulted by screams and accusations and wails. He winces as he takes in the scene: Xia's siblings, Samar and Keiichi, are struggling to help their younger cousins get dressed and ready to leave.
Their oldest cousin, Mei, along with her sister Sango, are dragging two of their younger siblings to be dressed when Mei spots him.
"Father- help." Mei implores.
Izuna can't help but laugh as he looks around at his children, all ten of them suddenly pause and stare at him. Each of them have their mother's deep red hair but his dark eyes- Izuna likes to think they inherited their fierceness from both parents. Izuna claps his hands and sternly glares at all of his misbehaving children.
"Yue, Kamau, Hotaru, Yunru, Kobe, Isi, Atsu and Renshu. Stop giving Mei, Sango and your cousins so much trouble- we have a long way to go today, so stop misbehaving or I'll have your mother increase your training."
All the siblings gulp and abruptly hurry to drag on their clothes. Mei sighs with relief while Sango continues to assist Yue and Atsu. Izuna feels a familiar presence next to him and glances at his nephew.
"Was it that troublesome, Keiichi?" He asks, laughter in his voice.
Keiichi glares at him and huffs in annoyance.
"Hn, you damn well know it was." He retorts, rubbing his forehead to ease a headache.
Ilona's sole son is tall, nearly Izuna's height with messy dark brown hair tied back into a low ponytail and dark purple eyes. His clothing are muted browns and greys, nothing fancy, paired with shinobi sandals. Tucked into his belt is a length of twisted wood wrapped around a copper core- something he had found as a child.
Izuna chuckles as he goes to help pack away the spare clothing. Keiichi sneaks out while he can, clearly done with helping his cousins. Samar sighs when she realizes her brother had snuck out but doesn't say anything, folding and packing away sleeping mats.
Of her siblings, Samar in the only one with pure black hair, usually worn partially bound in a bun and the rest hanging free down to her hips. Samar wears a light purple and cream dress along with a jeweled bracelets.
Her violet eyes flicker over to Izuna and her mouth quirks into a smile as she greets him.
"Good morning, Izuna-oji-san. We will be ready to leave soon- all the bags are packed we just need to deconstruct the tent."
Izuna nods and then his eyes twinkle. He makes a hand sign and three Shadow clones pop into existence.
"Take down the tent." He orders them, to which all three nod and race out.
"Alright everyone!" Samar calls, clapping her hands to get her cousins' attention.
"Izuna-oji-san is going to take down the tent so make your way outside with your packs! No pushing, Isi, Atsu and Kobe!"
After a chorus of 'Fine' and 'Hai' everyone exits the tent and races to catch up to the caravan while Izuna takes down the tent with Samar's help.
"Mother said you used to be awful at setting up tents." Samar remarks, watching him tie it into a tight bundle.
Izuna groans, pouting, as he dispels the shadow clones.
"Eighteen years and she's still not letting that go! It's not like it was common knowledge in my homeland!"
Samar giggles, covering her mouth politely with her hand, eyes twinkling brightly. Izuna's mouth twitches into a tiny grin of his own before hoisting the tent up onto his back. Samar falls in step with him, content to enjoy the silence before returning to the controlled chaos of the caravan.
Soon enough, they find their place at the head of the caravan with the rest of their family. Xia waves at them from atop a camel, Kamau reading behind her. Keiichi sits atop a mule, Yue and Atsu sitting in front of him as they follow Ilona's horse. Running or walking apace with the Xia and Keiichi's mounts are the rest of Izuna's children, corralled by Mei, Sango and Sango's twin brother Renshu. Izuna has to smile at the cheerful smiles and bantering amongst the cousins.
I'm glad they never had to fight in a war like Madara and I did… He thinks before he spots a fast approaching figure.
A female Fanalis with a partially shaved head darts over to them, her long hair flying behind her as she skids to a stop next to Izuna and Samar. As she halts her hair flops back down over her right eye, the sun gleaming off her golden armor and labret. Samar waves in greeting.
"Good morning Ayo'yo-oba-san! Did you see anything important?"
Ayo'yo shakes her head, a small smile on her face.
"No."
Samar nods and discretely gives Izuna and Ayo'yo space, moving to help Mei with Isi. Ayo'yo tilts her head at Izuna, watching him with her crimson eyes. Izuna moves closer and takes hold of her hand, tugging her forward into a kiss. They part after a moment and Izuna grins at Ayo'yo.
"Good morning, Ayo'yo."
Ayo'yo rolls her eyes before grabbing the back of his head and yanking him into another kiss.
"Morning, Izuna." She tells him when they pull back again.
Ayo'yo takes possession of his hand and tugs him gently along, reaching their children. Mei and Sango grin as Ayo'yo swiftly disciplines Yunru, Kobe, Hotaru and Isi for troubling their older siblings. Izuna rubs the heads of their misbehaving children as he quietly scolds them.
…
At midday, Ilona calls a halt and everyone pulls out provisions and water flasks, settling down for the meal. Ilona, her children, Ayo'yo, Izuna and their children sit in one large communal group, exchanging food and teasing one another.
"Mom, how much farther are we going?" Xia demands, her eyes sparkling in anticipation.
All the children's attention snap to Ilona, who smiles dryly at Xia.
"I'm surprised it took you so long to ask," She teases her daughter, taking a bite out of a plump fruit.
Xia frowns as Keiichi and most of her cousins snicker. Samar pats her arm, calming her. Xia nods in thanks before glaring at her mother.
"Mom, we've been on the road for almost a month! Where are we going?!" She exclaims, throwing her arms in the air.
Ilona, Izuna and Ayo'yo exchange glances before Ilona grins.
"I would have thought you older kids would remember this route- we are heading back to our home village."
Keiichi, Samar, Xia, Mei, Sango and Renshu's eyes bulge in shock.
"Taihōgakure?!" They all shout in amazement.
Ilona nods.
"Yes. We're about a day's travel from it- the other half of our clan is already there, making sure no bandits came to stay while we were traveling."
Mei's face brightens as the pieces connect together.
"So that's why Uncle Awola and Aunt Tae are not here; they're protecting the others." She concludes.
Izuna and Ayo'yo bestow Mei with nods of approval.
"Correct." Ilona confirms, smiling warmly.
"You all know the reason we rarely visit other countries- nearly everyone in our clan is a prized target for slavers. Kouga, Fanalis or Torran- all fetch a high price on the slavers' market. That's why, when we do need supplies we cannot provide ourselves, we go to other Torran villages and we go together. Admittedly, we could send smaller groups- but what's the fun in that?" She says lightly, causing the younger cousins to cheer.
Keiichi and Samar exchange glances, guessing the real reason.
Mom is not taking chances- even with three Dungeon Capturers, Uncle Izuna, Aunt Ayo'yo and her siblings, Mom knows that there is still a risk of losing someone. Bigger groups are harder to attack and if slavers do come in large enough numbers, we can wipe them out and earn some peace for ourselves in the interim. Not mention it lets her check in on the Torrans who are living in our territory and simultaneously reminds them we are still here…
Sango laughs, stretching.
"I can't wait to be back in my own bedroom! No more Isi and Yue kicking me in my sleep!" She declares, while Isi and Yue glare at her.
"We do not!" They yell, pouting.
"Yes you do," Kamau and Atsu chime in.
"Huh?! You wanna go?!" Isi bellows, leaping to her feet.
Kamau snorts and shakes his head while Atsu grins at her challengingly. Xia slams a hand down, abruptly silencing the group.
"Knock it off! We're all getting antsy, so focus on getting home first then beat the crap out of each other! Got it?!" Xia demands.
"Hai!" Isi, Yunru, Hotaru, Yue and Atsu reply, grinning bashfully.
Heiichi, Samar, Sango, Renshu, Kamau and Mei all shake their heads at their respective siblings' antics. Ilona smiles ruefully while Izuna contains a snicker and Ayo'yo silently keeps eating all the food. Soon enough the meal is over and they are on their way once more.
…
"No matter how many times I see it, it's still stunning." Keiichi murmurs.
Xia and Samar nod in agreement as they stare upon the Great Rift. Ilona, many years ago, had decided to build her home into the side of the massive ravine as well as the top of the cliff. Peppering the cliff-face are well-hidden but sturdy walkways and stairs leading to dwelling places. On the top of the cliff, surrounding the entrances into Taihōgakure's lower levels, is a wall. Made of native stone, it provides a place to contain their pack animals and the dwellings of those that don't want to sleep underground.
As they reach the gates, two Fanalis atop the wall wave and bellow orders, leading to the massive doors being pushed open. The caravan swiftly passes through the opening in an orderly fashion: Izuna and Ayo'yo leading with Xia while Ilona, Samar and Keiichi protect the rear. Once everyone is in Ilona sighs and practically everyone can see the stress fall off her shoulders as she stands the home she built.
Samar smiles, knowing that this is as close as Ilona would allow them to see her worry. Happily, the caravan disperses back to their homes, ready to enjoy the comforts of home. Keiichi, Xia and Samar all descend the stairs that lead to their rooms- Keiichi's has a balcony facing the Great Rift while Samar and Xia's are deeper within. By mutual agreement, they all congregate in Keiichi's room- along with an object that Xia had swiped moments before.
"You realize that this is a bad idea, right?" Samar points out.
Xia rolls her eyes.
"Not my fault if Mom doesn't keep it locked away properly!"
"Will you two pipe down? The last thing we need is Mom finding us with her mirror." Keiichi cuts them off, glowering.
Both sisters glare at him but listen, watching avidly as he examines it: all of them had heard the story of how Sinbad had destroyed the mirror and sent their mother flying into another world. But to see the mirror that had caused Ilona's strange adventures gave the fantastical story a certain weight.
A simplistic design, the round mirror is the size of a coconut with a beaten gold frame. The reflective glass is dark, not showing reflections of anything in the room and spider webbed with cracks. In the very center of the frame is an empty space for three shards to fit neatly, completing it.
All of them can feel the Rukh buzzing around it and the faintest pulse of… something. Keiichi frowns, stretching his senses then his eyes widen in surprise. From the empty space, he can sense chakra- something he had only sensed in his sisters, Izuna and his cousins aside from himself. He glances up at his sisters.
"There's chakra coming from the empty space in the mirror."
Samar gasps while Xia tilts her head, frowning in confusion.
"Wow, that's weird! Wait! Do you think it's chakra from there?!" Xia asks excitedly.
Keiichi purses his lips, considering it.
"It's possible- but why wouldn't Izuna-oji notice it? He should have picked up on it years ago." He points out.
"… Izuna-oji-san isn't a sensor type- he said that himself." Samar interjects slowly, thinking it through.
"You, Keiichi, are a sensor type in addition to being a magician- you can sense chakra and Rukh to a degree even Xia and I cannot match."
Xia nods, folding her arms.
"That makes sense- so, what do we do about it?" She questions, pointing at the mirror.
"…" All three frown, considering it.
"… What if we put chakra into it?" Samar eventually offers.
Xia and Keiichi raise their eyebrows at her. She blushes before making herself go on.
"It might resonate and maybe- maybe it can take us to Otuo-san."
Keiichi and Xia exchange glances then look at Samar. Xia speaks first.
"… It's worth a shot. I know we never knew him, but Mom and Izuna-oji both miss him. So I say aye."
Samar brightens and mouths 'thank you' to her sister, to which Xia smirks then they both look at Keiichi, waiting for his vote. He frowns, glaring at the mirror as if it will give up all its' secrets if he tries hard enough. Finally he meets their eager eyes and groans, rubbing his head in exasperation.
"Fine- but if I say bail, we bail, understood?"
His sisters nod in unison and Keiichi tries to ignore the little voice at the back of his mind that says not to try this unsupervised.
"Touch the mirror and when I say so, channel a small part of your chakra into the empty space." He instructs them.
Samar and Xia reach out, touching the mirror's surface with their index fingers- Keiichi follows suit and holds his free hand in the sign of confrontation. The other two mimic him and he breathes out, steadying himself before nodding.
"Begin."
…
In the Hokage's office…
Tsunade glares at the scroll laying in front of her, silently cursing her great-uncle Tobirama for his secrecy.
"Uuuuugh. I hate fuinjutsu!" She groans, rubbing her forehead in aggravation.
Tsunade glances at the notes of what she had managed to decipher so far; Sealed within… King's… mirror... Sensō no megami… Djinn…
Deciding that perhaps some alcohol would help ease her pounding headache, she sips some of her secret sake, eyeing the scroll.
I should have Jiraiya take a look at this- maybe he will understand it better than I can! She decides, summoning one of her ANBU.
"Tell Jiraiya to get in here, asap!" She orders.
The ANBU nods and vanishes in a whirlwind of leaves. Tsunade continues to frown, feeling as if there is something familiar about the term 'Goddess of War'.
In Orochimaru's base…
"Oho? This is certainly an interesting sealing array," The Sannin murmurs, his eyes narrowing as he reads.
"To think that the Nidaime would hide this away- I wonder what secrets it holds…"
Nearby, Sasuke scowls as Orochimaru is sidetracked by his latest discovery.
What could be so important about a scroll with a stupid seal if it doesn't make you stronger? He thinks before leaning against the wall.
Training would be postponed until Orochimaru has burned out his research fever and is able to focus on Sasuke's training schedule again.
"What a pain…" He grumbles softly.
With Itachi and Kisame…
"So that's a scroll written by the Nidaime of Konoha? Must be something special if Leader has sent us after it." Kisame chatters.
Itachi suppresses a sigh as he removes the scroll from its' protective casing, opening it to check its veracity.
"It's not our place to ask, Kisame." Itachi reminds his partner as his eyes scan the document.
Warning; … within… King's Candidate… traveler… Sensō no megami… dangerous!
There are few symbols he can puzzle out with his decreasing eyesight but all of it together tugs at his memory.
Goddess of War… where have I..? He wonders, squinting.
"So? Is it real?" Kisame questions, reading over his shoulder.
Itachi merely nods and begins to roll it back up when he has a sudden coughing fit- and a stray drop of blood hits the seals.
Back with Tsunade…
Jiraiya examines the scroll with a frown before eventually looking at Tsunade.
"It seems to be a combination of a sealing and a summoning scroll- the most complete part of the warning I could decipher was 'Sealed within is the King's something mirror'. Aside from that, I could only read what you had along with a small snippet near the end: 'Sealed by Senju and Uchiha blood'. From what I can infer, only a Senju or an Uchiha can do the summoning."
Tsunade grimaces and swigs some of her sake.
"Damn that old geezer!" She growls, slamming the cup down.
Jiraiya stays quiet, knowing that Tsunade can't be pushed on something like this. After a long moment, Tsunade stands, picking up the scroll and dropping it on the floor. Her hands move through the motions for a summoning jutsu and she bites her thumb to slam it down, bloodied, on the scroll.
"Summoning jutsu!"
In Orochimaru's base…
"Hmm, interesting. Sasuke-kun, come here." Orochimaru orders, laying the scroll on the ground.
Sasuke frowns but complies, standing next to Orochimaru who watches him with eerie golden eyes.
"Perform the summoning jutsu on the scroll- make certain your blood is on it, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru commands, stepping back.
Sasuke suppresses a flash of mutiny before doing as he is told.
"Summoning jutsu!"
Smoke and golden light blasts from the scroll, blinding both shinobi momentarily.
{What the-?! Where am I? A cave?} A female voice suddenly shouts in a foreign tongue, startling both Orochimaru and Sasuke.
The smoke clears and they can clearly see a young woman around Sasuke's age with spiky brown hair bound in a braid, dark eyes, and green and tan desert clothing standing on the scroll. She is frowning, scanning the room.
{This isn't home, is it? Fuck.} She turns her attention to the pair of them and narrows her eyes, grabbing her sword hilt.
{Identify yourselves!} She barks, shifting her feet.
Orochimaru smiles sickeningly, forming a series of hand seals to cast a powerful genjutsu- he doesn't want to hurt his new specimen after all! The woman's eyes widen and she quickly flashes through her own hand seals.
{Kai! Dotun- Stone Bullets!}
From the walls and ground sharpened stone spears explode forward, forcing Sasuke and Orochimaru to dodge. She takes advantage and sprints forward in an explosion of speed, surprising both shinobi. Orochimaru licks his lips before glancing at Sasuke.
"Capture her- preferably with as little damage as possible." He orders before sinking into the ground.
Sasuke huffs before chasing after the stranger.
Meanwhile with Itachi and Kisame…
The moment Itachi's blood hit the seal it glows and an explosion of smoke bursts from it, surprising both missing-nin. Kisame grabs Samehada's hilt, wary of what is happening. Itachi scowls, activating his Sharingan to see through the smoke.
A humanoid figure quickly comes into view, much to their surprise. A young man, about 17 or 18, with messy dark brown hair, purple eyes and dusty desert clothing stands on the scroll with an exasperated expression.
{Shit. It actually worked. Wonderful, just great, how am I supposed to reverse this?} He grumbles, looking around before noticing the scroll he is standing on.
Carefully he steps off and picks it up, reading it with a frown.
{… huh. Mom would be pissed if she knew about this.} He remarks before finally spotting Kisame and Itachi.
His eyes widen when he sees Itachi's eyes.
"Sharingan." He whispers in surprise.
Kisame and Itachi stiffen in shock at the first understandable word out of the stranger's mouth. Kisame takes a menacing step forward, drawing Samehada.
"Who are you and what do you know?" He growls, baring his shark teeth in a terrifying grin.
Violet eyes narrow and the stranger sighs.
"My name is Keiichi- and right now I know a lot less than I thought I did." He grumbles in Fire, muttering to himself.
Itachi glares, the tomoe in his eyes whirling as he tries to catch Keiichi in a genjutsu.
"You have not explained how you recognized my eyes as Sharingan. Talk." Itachi orders.
Keiichi's head snaps up and his eyes start to change from deep purple to crimson with three tomoe, effectively breaking the genjutsu.
"Because you're not the only one to possess them, cousin." Keiichi states coldly, eyeing him.
In Tsunade's office…
"Summoning jutsu!"
Golden light and smoke explodes from the scroll; both Sannin refrain from coughing, narrowing their eyes when they spot a humanoid figure standing on the scroll.
{Eh? Where am I? Xia? Keiichi? Where are you?} A soft feminine voice calls.
As the smoke clears, Jiraiya has to check his impulse to drool: a dark-haired beauty with her hair half bound in a bun, violet eyes and a dress in cream and purple to compliment her coloring. Jeweled bracelets are fastened to her wrists and she is clearly distressed. Both shinobi note that the young woman has two daggers sheathed at the small of her back.
Her eyes widen when she sees Jiraiya and Tsunade. She immediately drops into a defensive stance, watching both of them warily.
{Who are you and where are my siblings?!} She hisses.
Tsunade raises her hands in a placating gesture, watching the young woman carefully.
"We do not understand you- but if you understand us, we mean you no harm." She states calmly.
The young woman's face becomes surprised then thoughtful. She deliberately relaxes her stance, standing up straight- both Sannin can tell she is still wary, but not nearly as hostile.
"… I do understand you. Where am I? What did you do to summon me here? Who are you?" She asks in perfect Fire, much to their surprise.
Tsunade leans back against her desk, deceptively relaxed.
"I am Tsunade Senju, Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure. A scroll left by one of my predecessors was recently discovered and when we realized it was a summoning jutsu I determined it worth the risk to attempt it. Now, who are you? Where did you come from and why were you summoned?"
Violet eyes flash in recognition of 'Konohagakure' then she carefully picks her words.
"I am Samar of the Kouga clan, daughter of Ilona. I cannot disclose my origin, as it is not my secret to tell, but I can infer from the scroll it is connected to an artifact in my mother's possession."
Jiraiya tilts his head.
"Are you referring to a mirror, perchance?"
Samar snaps her head towards him, surprised before realizing he had tricked her for information. Sighing, she nods.
"Yes. But it has not worked in my lifetime- until today." She amends, wary again.
Tsunade crosses behind her desk, seats herself, folding her hands and examining Samar intently.
"Admittedly, your language is foreign to me, but I did hear a name- Keiichi, correct? Who is he?"
Samar stiffens, her face turning stony as she stares at Tsunade.
"… My older brother. He and my older sister, Xia, were also present when the mirror reacted." She finally reveals, hands forming tight fists.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchange glances before Jiraiya gives a tiny nod. Tsunade clears her throat and meets Samar's eyes.
"If you would like, we can assist you in finding your siblings." She offers.
Samar doesn't relax, keeping her face politely interested.
"And what do you want in return for your services?" Samar questions coolly.
Tsunade quirks her eyebrow in surprise.
She's a cynic- not a bad thing in this world of ours…
"I would like your assistance in understanding the purpose of the scroll that summoned you and for your help defending Konohagakure. In return we will provide housing and information so long as you work with us." Tsunade lays it out, guessing Samar would appreciate bluntness.
Samar considers it, clearly debating pros and cons before nodding slowly.
"I accept your offer, Tsunade Senju, with an amendment- I may leave Konohagakure if I wish to find my siblings. Before you reject my proposal, I am willing to go with an escort, but they must have my approval as well as yours. Is that acceptable?"
Tsunade smirks, nodding.
"It is- very well, welcome to Konoha, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Samar Kouga."
Inside Orochimaru's base…
{Fuck off!} Xia roars, dodging another lightning jutsu from the guy she christened 'Duckbutt'.
He glares at her and speeds up, trying to get close enough to utilize taijutsu. Xia smirks and kicks her speed up a notch- training with Fanalis all her life gave Xia an insane amount of physical endurance and speed. Behind her Sasuke growls, pushing himself harder than he ever expected to simply keep her in sight. To his surprise Sasuke notices they are growing close to the exit of the base.
How had she found the exit so quickly? He wonders before throwing shuriken at her back.
Without even glancing at him, Xia quick draws her sword and deflects the projectiles easily, continuing to run. Sasuke's scowl deepens as the strange girl continues to evade him when with a sudden shout she races outside into the fresh air.
Sasuke speeds up, really pushing himself as she vanishes from view. Following the tracks she left behind, Sasuke pursues until he reaches a clearing. He pauses in surprise when he sees she is waiting for him barely one click away from the base, sword in hand. Her dark eyes meet his and she tilts her head, examining him.
{Finally caught up, Duckbutt? Good- let's get this shitshow over with.} She smirks, easing into a stance.
Sasuke narrows his eyes and activates his Sharingan, aiming to ensnare her in a genjutsu. Xia's own eyes widen when she realizes what he must be and with an abrupt laugh activates her own. Sasuke freezes, unable to believe what he is seeing. Matching crimson eyes with three tomoe spinning idly staring back at him. Xia sighs and relaxes her stance with a wry smirk.
"Well, who knew? Nice to see you, cousin." She tells him in Fire, startling him.
"W-what? Who-?" Sasuke stammers, shaken more than he can admit.
"Xia. You?" She interrupts, tilting her head.
With effort, Sasuke masters himself.
"Sasuke Uchiha. How do you have the Sharingan?" He demands, his heart pumping in excitement and disbelief.
I'm not alone. I'm not the only survivor- that man didn't kill everyone after all!
Xia shrugs.
"Dad's an Uchiha- so is oji-san. Now, as much as I would like to stay and chat, I've got to scat before your creepy sensei catches up. Maybe we'll see each other again one day!" She waves before shunshinning out of the clearing.
Sasuke breaks out of his stupor too late to stop her: but he doesn't check his impulse to chase after her- Xia. Internally Sasuke is repressing his excitement, unable to fully process the sensation of joy after so long.
I'm not alone.
And for the first time in years Sasuke forgets his hatred as he chases after Xia.
Meanwhile, at awkward family reunion number two…
"That's impossible." Itachi states, glaring at Keiichi.
Keiichi shrugs, unbothered by Itachi's claim.
"Believe it or not, that's your choice, but it doesn't change the truth." Keiichi states, gathering the scroll and stuffing it into his belt.
Kisame listens intently, piecing together information.
This Keiichi clearly has the Sharingan naturally, unlike the Copy Cat. Which implies that he is an Uchiha by blood instead of having it transplanted. But the Uchiha in Konoha were slaughtered by Itachi… which means there would have to be a separate branch of the clan somewhere that no one, not even the rest of the Uchiha, knows about. What a terrifying idea… He muses.
Itachi steps forward, his eyes locked on Keiichi.
"I'm afraid you will have to come along with us, Keiichi." Itachi informs him, his hands gliding silently towards his tools.
Keiichi rolls his eyes, the bloody crimson irises flashing before he settles on Itachi again.
"Yeah… no thanks." He drawls, drawing a strange stick out of his belt.
Kisame tenses and readies himself for a fight- it had been a while since Samehada had a chance to sink her teeth into something. Only, instead of fighting like a normal person, the strange Uchiha levitates and flies into the sky, quirking an eyebrow at them.
"I'll probably see you around- don't die till then. Bye~!" He mockingly waves at them and shoots off into the distance.
Kisame huffs in annoyance, sliding Samehada back across his back.
"What do we do now, Itachi? That Keiichi guy made off with the scroll- I doubt Leader will be happy about that."
Itachi keeps his eyes on the retreating figure of his kinsman.
"We follow him, take him down and deliver him and the scroll to Leader." He states.
Kisame sighs and nods, following Itachi as they shunshin after the bizarre Uchiha.
Well, at least this Keiichi isn't boring. He quips to himself.
Itachi focuses his gaze on Keiichi's flying form, trying to process the evidence before him. There are many questions Itachi has for his so called 'cousin'- the first the most important.
Where did you come from?
…
Back in Magi verse, Taihōgakure.
"Xia! Samar, Keiichi! Dinner is ready!" Ilona yells, waiting at the end of her children's corridor.
Silence.
Ilona frowns, putting her hands on her hips.
"That's odd." She murmurs, moving to check their rooms.
Samar's, the closest to the stairs, is empty save for her traveling pack. The same goes for Xia's room, the next one along. Ilona tries to ignore the foreboding sensation growing in her stomach as she pushes open Keiichi's door.
None of her children are there- but an object she had long since given up on is laying in the center of the room, Rukh still buzzing around it. A roaring in her ears, Ilona staggers into the room, picking up the mirror with shaking hands.
"No, no, nonononono, please no," She whispers, looking into its depths.
Instead of darkness, as before, it is split into three scenes: one of an aerial view of a forest flashing by, the next racing on foot through trees and the last in a bustling town she barely recognizes. Ilona's mouth opens and she screams.
"IZUNA, AYO'YO!"
Footsteps from above crash down the stairwell: Izuna and Ayo'yo burst into the room, wide-eyed as they see Ilona crying, clutching the mirror.
"Ilona, what-?" Izuna starts to ask when she turns the mirror to show him and Ayo'yo.
"It took them. Izuna, Ayo'yo, it took them. My babies!" She cries, knuckles white as she tightens her grip on the mirror's frame.
Ayo'yo kneels next to her and pulls the mirror free, gently. After a brief struggle, Ilona allows her to take it, tears streaming down her cheeks. Izuna pulls her into a hug, soothing her as best he can while looking at his wife meaningfully. Ayo'yo nods, retreating with the mirror. Ilona half-heartedly protests, reaching a hand towards Ayo'yo, but Izuna keeps his grip tight as he rubs her back.
"She's putting it in a safe place. We can't afford to let it break, so Ayo'yo is putting it away. We'll get them back, onēsan, we'll get them back." He whispers, rocking her back and forth.
For a moment his mind flashes back to the last time she had cried, when they had both been stranded in her home world with no way to return his. Both of them had broken down, but Izuna was worse off in some ways, knowing that the sole method to return to his home was broken beyond repair. Last time it was Ilona that had supported him, reminding him he wasn't alone and they needed to stick together to survive.
"I am here with you, don't give up." He repeats her words, hoping it helps her.
While he knows his nieces and nephew are uniquely qualified for dealing with shinobi (he had trained them himself after all) they didn't have the battle experience to get out of true shinobi battles unscathed. And sometimes a scratch is all that is needed to end a fight- or a life. Ilona burrows her head into the space between his shoulder and his neck, tears soaking his shirt. And he remembers that Ilona also knows the truth about his homeland.
The world of Shinobi is cruel and heartless, full of hate that can span generations and leaving empty shells of those who once held promise. He had seen it, as had Ilona, before Madara and Hashirama created Konohagakure together. But it had started to change for the better- until Fate decided to be a bitch and rip both of them away.
Izuna rubs her back comfortingly and perks up when Ayo'yo returns. The Fanalis joins the hug, surrounding Ilona protectively as if to ward off the truth. As Ayo'yo starts murmuring to Ilona, Izuna's eyes flare crimson as his Sharingan activates. He can pick up a massive, but subtle burst of chakra in the room, focused in three spots where he has to presume Keiichi, Samar and Xia were when the mirror took them.
Silently he deactivates his doujutsu and leans back to meet Ilona's eyes.
"Ilona- please use Metis. It might be the only way we figure out exactly what happened to them." He gently urges her.
Ilona clenches her jaw but nods. Ayo'yo and Izuna give her space as she calls upon her first Djinn.
"Spirit of Memory and Defiance, Metis!" Ilona roars, summoning her full Djinn Equip.
Spreading her arms, Ilona activates one of Metis' abilities- by resonating with the Rukh in a place she can reconstruct the events that occurred in the past. A very useful ability for numerous reasons, but it can be cruel as well.
"Alekshef an al-zakriat!" Ilona commands, a large eight-pointed star manifesting in her hands only to expand and fill the room.
At once they can see Samar and Keiichi sitting down while Xia walks into the bedroom with the mirror.
"You realize that this is a bad idea, right?" Samar points out.
Xia rolls her eyes.
"Not my fault if Mom doesn't keep it locked away properly!"
Ilona growls in irritation and Izuna can't help but agree with her- the fuinjutsu Ilona had locked the mirror up with was as strong as she could make it.
"Will you two pipe down? The last thing we need is Mom finding us with her mirror." Keiichi cuts them off, glowering.
Both sisters glare at him but listen, watching avidly as he examines it. Keiichi frowns, then his eyes widen in surprise. He glances up at his sisters.
"There's chakra coming from the empty space in the mirror."
Izuna gapes while Ayo'yo and Ilona freeze in surprise- none of them had sensed that!
Samar gasps while Xia tilts her head, frowning in confusion.
"Wow, that's weird! Wait! Do you think it's chakra from there?!" Xia asks excitedly.
Keiichi purses his lips, considering it.
"It's possible- but why wouldn't Izuna-oji notice it? He should have picked up on it years ago." He points out.
"How indeed," Izuna growls, watching avidly.
"… Izuna-oji-san isn't a sensor type- he said that himself." Samar interjects slowly, thinking aloud.
"You, Keiichi, are a sensor type in addition to being a magician- you can sense chakra and Rukh to a degree even Xia and I cannot match."
"Makes sense." Ayo'yo mutters.
Xia nods, unknowingly agreeing with her aunt, folding her arms.
"That makes sense- so, what do we do about it?" She questions, pointing at the mirror.
"…" All three siblings frown, considering it.
"… What if we put chakra into it?" Samar eventually offers.
Xia and Keiichi raise their eyebrows at her. She blushes before making herself go on.
"It might resonate and maybe- maybe it can take us to Otuo-san."
All three adults can't help but still with shock then understanding. Ayo'yo looks to Izuna and wordlessly takes his hand, squeezing it to remind him she's there. Ilona hugs herself, tears beginning to fall again.
Keiichi and Xia exchange glances then look at Samar. Xia speaks first.
"… It's worth a shot. I know we never knew him, but Mom and Izuna-oji both miss him. So I say aye."
"Girls, why..?" Ilona breathes, barely keeping herself from sobbing.
Izuna hangs on tightly to Ayo'yo's hand as he listens to the siblings discuss whether to go through with the experiment or not.
Samar brightens and mouths 'thank you' to her sister, to which Xia smirks then they both look at Keiichi, waiting for his vote. He frowns, glaring at the mirror as if it will give up all its' secrets if he stares hard enough. Finally he meets their eager eyes and groans, rubbing his head in exasperation.
"Fine- but if I say bail, we bail, understood?"
His sisters nod in unison.
"Idiots." Ayo'yo groans.
"Touch the mirror and when I say so, channel a small part of your chakra into the empty space." He instructs them.
Samar and Xia reach out, touching the mirror's surface with their index fingers- Keiichi follows suit and holds his free hand in the sign of confrontation. The other two mimic him and he breathes out, as if to steady himself before nodding.
"Begin." Keiichi tells them.
They all glow blue with chakra and funnel it into the empty space- and something reaches through and seizes them with golden energy. The mirror blazes with light before it fades, leaving it revealing a trio of different images to dance upon its surface. Ilona cuts off the spell, biting her lip until bloody from her efforts not to scream for her children.
"… So they're alive." Ayo'yo finally breaks the silence.
Ilona whirls on her, furious.
"Alive? Yes, they're alive in a hellhole of a world! It's so much worse there then it has ever been here! The only saving grace that world can claim is a lack of systematic slavery!" She roars, smashing her fist into a wall.
Thankfully Ilona, in her Metis Djinn Equip, is not able to bring down the village through brute force- though not for a lack of trying. Ayo'yo stares impassively at her, unimpressed.
"Did you train them?"
Ayo'yo's unexpected question halts Ilona's next strike. Ilona glares at her before nodding.
"Of course I did!"
"Are they stupid?" Ayo'yo presses.
"After this stunt I have to say yes!" Ilona snarls.
"Are they helpless?" Ayo'yo demands, narrowing her crimson eyes.
Ilona opens her mouth, pauses then shakes her head, dispelling her Djinn Equip.
"No. No, they aren't." She whispers.
Ayo'yo nods firmly.
"Then they will be fine until we figure out a solution."
Both Ilona and Izuna give Ayo'yo admiring looks.
"Sometimes I wonder where we would be without you." Izuna murmurs, giving his wife a side hug.
"Worse off." Ayo'yo deadpans.
Ilona finally laughs, wiping her face.
"That we would," She agrees.
Ayo'yo loops her arms through Izuna and Ilona's elbows, dragging them to dinner.
And that's a wrap! Remember, next time will be in the Past!
For those curious, the full list of Izuna/Ayo'yo's children from oldest to youngest is Mei, Renshu, Sango, Kamau, Isi, Hotaru, Yunru, Kobe, Yue and Atsu.
Please comment and review! Until next time!