CCNote: this was going to 1 extra long chapter but I wanted to get it out tonight so it's a bit on the short side. However, it is dense so there's that. I've also never written extensive fight scenes before but here's to trying new things! The next chapter is the last one before the epilogue. Anyway, enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!
War
stood at the end of the hall
in the long shadows
(Watanabe Hakusen)
Bittersweet
The Twenty-seventh Winter of the Karasu
Imperial City Square
...
It had been a while since he'd experienced true battle. The last time adrenaline had coursed through his veins this fiercely, he'd set an entire squadron of generals on fire. The smoke that coated his throat. The screams of men being cooked alive. That felt like a lifetime ago. Now was not dissimilar. He wouldn't say that he missed fighting. In fact, it was something he detested but it was a means to an end. No matter how many people he had to cut down...it would always be worth it.
"Itachi?"
The sound of his name from his brother's lips was one of disbelief. Here he stood in the flesh, whole and very much not dead like he and Hinata had been led to believe. The elder Uchiha did not have time for his astonishment although he greatly appreciated it. They had been apart for far too long.
Silently, he pressed the hilt of a katana he'd swiped off of a fallen warrior into Sasuke's now freed hands. In a life filled with following in his father's footsteps, choosing his brother at this moment was the best decision he could have made. Even if his decision caused the world to burn…
… Itachi knew many things about his father.
Things he was grateful to be privy to and secrets he wished he'd never known.
He knew which foot his father favored before lunging into an attack, the blind spot on his right flank that he left exposed. There was very little that the man could do the surprise him and yet here he was in the crowded square, trying his best to not be noticed. That was an impossible task because seeing your son with a noose around his neck was enough to stop any parent in their tracks.
Instead of panicking about arrows falling from the sky like the rest of Konoha, his father stood silent. Although he'd only spotted him from behind, it was easy to see that the frozen cloaked figure did not belong. Inwardly Itachi cursed. His father was supposed to be at the Manor. He was in no condition to fight and would prove to be more of a hindrance than a help.
Pushing past the bodies in the square, Itachi tried to get closer to Fugaku but the man had already started moving again. He knew immediately where he was headed and that knowledge sank into the pit of the Uchiha's stomach. He had a decision to make. Either stop his father from essentially killing himself and declaring war in the name of the clan or-
He glanced over to where Hinata stood in shock as bodies fell dead around her. A few feet away Sasuke strained against his rope and his captors in a foolhardy attempt to get to her.
His decision was made without a second of hesitation. He would always protect his little brother…
….Itachi rolled his eyes as his brother's first instinct upon being liberated was to immediately go to Hinata. It was strange to see them together. In years past Hinata would have done anything to get as far away from Sasuke as possible. Yet…she'd risked everything to stay by his side. Was their affection inevitable? If he had stayed within the Uchiha District…no, he would have always left. Itachi smirked and moved on to free Naruto and Kakashi from their ropes.
'Besides.' He thought with a glance at the house where Hanabi remained hidden. 'I would have always had to find you.'
Clearing his mind of all extraneous thoughts, Itachi focused on slashing through his enemies. Today was not the day he died.
….
The Seventeenth Winter of the Suzume
Imperial City Square
...
"Dammit." Hanabi hissed under her breath when her right hand passed through air. "I'm out."
Down below there was nothing but chaos in the crowd. People scrambled desperately to leave the square which caused a stampede effect. If Itachi had wanted a distraction he'd certainly gotten one. Though she did feel guilty for being the catalyst.
On the wooden platform, she could see her sister, shaken but unharmed. Her last arrow had shot straight through the skull of an Anbu attempting to restrain her. Inwardly she hoped there was enough pandemonium for Hinata to slip away on her own despite being restrained at the wrist. Part of her was tempted to go down and grab her but Hanabi knew she'd never make it through the crowd without being trampled. She had to trust that Itachi knew what he was doing.
As she held her breath and watched, a dark figured rushed past her sister with their katana brandished to attack the self-proclaimed Emperor. The assailant was bold in their aim as if they'd fought for years. Cutting down men and killing them without remorse. Although impressive the action was foolhardy at best.
Things were going to go sideways.
Tearing herself away from the window, Hanabi took to the steep stairs two at a time. Hinata would have to pass this house to return to the Manor and she needed to be there to intercept her. Once she reached the first floor, the older couple she and Itachi had barged in on were nowhere to be found. Although she suspected they'd snuck out just before the square had descended into chaos.
When she opened the door to the home, the sound of screams and metal clashing were no longer muffled. She ignored the people running in front of her, her eyes trained only for her sister. Pushing past desperate residents trying to avoid the fray was difficult. She was smaller- even smaller than she should be due to the stress of the last few months. Still, she held her ground when men and women aggressively clipped her sides while fleeing. The crushing stampede of bodies heading in her opposite direction kept Hanabi from moving as quickly as she would like but she had to get through. She had to-
"Hanabi!"
"Omphh!"
Within two seconds someone hurtled into her head on and she nearly tumbled to the ground. Somehow she was able to remain standing but only just barely. Shivering and clutching her for dear life was the one person she'd been trying so desperately to find.
'Hinata.'
The Hyuuga barely had time to register her sister's safety before her training kicked in and survival was her new goal. Hanabi gently removed herself from Hinata's embrace, favoring instead to hold her hand and an unspoken agreement passed through them.
They were getting out of this together.
"Hinata!" a desperate voice shouted from the crowd.
Hanabi turned to see an unfamiliar, pink-haired woman rushing up to them. Unconsciously, she placed a hand on the dagger on her hip but refrained from doing much more. The woman didn't appear to mean them any harm. In fact, the minute she reached them, she grabbed Hinata's free hand and the three of them took off running.
Overhead the sound of the town's bells alarmed once more. People poured out of their houses and into the streets carrying what little they could on their backs. Hanabi vaguely remembered the way out of the city since she and Itachi had arrived less than twenty-four hours ago. With the way things were headed, they needed to get back to the Manor and escape fast.
Squeezing her sister's hand, she spearheaded their trek through the crowd, utilizing her heavy bow to knock into anyone who crossed too close into their path. She had come too far, fought too hard to be bowled over by the panic. In the back of her mind, Hanabi knew that her sister felt the same as well. There was so much left unsaid between them but one thing was for certain.
They had no choice but to make it out together.
…..
The Twenty-first Winter of the Hato
Imperial City- Uchiha Manor
...
The Manor appeared abandoned at first glance. Those who would capitalize on looting the home of the renowned Uchiha clan had yet to sink their claws into the property. This respite would not last for long. It was only a matter of time before the Sand and the Cloud found their way here. A chill ran down the Uchiha Matriarch's spine at the prospect.
"I'll stay out here." Hanabi said as they entered through the front gate.
"What? Why?" Hinata protested but Hanabi was already removing her bow and an empty quiver from her back.
"Someone has to keep a lookout while you two go in there." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'll shout if I'm outnumbered. It will at least give you a head start."
A protest sat sharply on the tip of her tongue but she held it back. Hanabi had proven that she was more than capable of defending herself. Reluctantly she turned her attention to Sakura who appeared was worse for wear but held a determined look in her green eyes.
"Let's go." She said and the two went into the abandoned Manor.
Inside, the din of the crowds fleeing and the bells tolling were muffled. The hustle and bustle of life that had once filled the Manor had all but vanished. Biting her lower lip, Hinata ascended the stairs to the Matriarch wing where she'd last seen her niece and Kurenai. It was so silent though that with each step she took the less likely she felt that she would find her niece and the woman entrusted with her care. Fortunately, it was just as she was rounding the corner to her wing when Kurenai poked her head out of her rooms. A look of relief passed over the older woman's face, a weary smile playing at her lips.
"You made it back." She said, opening the crack in the door a bit wider revealing the two babies in her possession.
Mirai was a bit older and therefore was safely strapped to her back while the newborn Hyuuga was cradled carefully at her chest. In her hand was a slender dagger that wouldn't do much damage but was sharp enough to defend herself if necessary. Outside of that, she possessed nothing else. All that mattered was keeping their girls safe. Hinata felt her heart swell at the woman's dedication momentarily before closing the distance between them to inspect her niece. The tiny newborn was content and sleeping and utterly unaware of the chaos that surrounded them. Hinata felt her lips upturn in an unconscious smile. Neji would be just as calm as his daughter at a time like this.
"We should get going Uchiha-sama." Kurenai said, an edge of anxiety in her voice.
Hinata pulled away from her niece and nodded. The streets were in a state of chaos now. It would only get worse when invading soldiers marched through them. Quickly, she and Sakura flitted through the Shiro, taking what they thought was light enough to carry and helpful on their journey. Every so often Hinata would look out in the direction of where Hanabi stood guard but no sound of a warning reached her.
When she and Sakura completed their task, they'd collected Kurenai and made their way downstairs. Hanabi was already waiting for them at the Manor gate but she wasn't alone. No, there were four cloaked figures that surrounded her but she didn't look afraid. Nor did she see fit to alarm them that someone had approached the Manor. Swallowing thickly, Hinata moved forward with Sakura and Kurenai. The group tensed at their presence but the tension dissipated the moment on of the figures threw off their hood.
"Sakura!" was all they heard before a bullet of blonde hair launched herself forward.
"Ino!" Sakura sobbed and the two girls held onto each other for dear life. They would've scared the neighbors if everyone wasn't already fleeing for their lives.
With those two having a noisy reunion, the other members of Ino's party saw no need to conceal their identities. Slowly Temari removed her hood and at her side were two unfamiliar men. One whose pale skin was almost translucent and had hair like blood. The other was a brunette who wore intimidating war paint and eyes that refused to move from Hanabi. The way he looked at her was unsettling. Although she couldn't do much, her protective instinct raised and she moved a bit closer to her sister's side.
"Uchiha-sama." Temari said cooly with a small nod of her head. To hear the woman speak to her so distantly made a shiver run down her spine. Still, she would not back down. Temari was an ally, not someone she should be afraid of.
"Temari." She replied. "I see that you got out."
"I did and Ino was kind enough to let me back in…well me and our army."
Upon hearing her name, Ino broke away from Sakura long enough to nod in agreement.
"Sai sent me away when we couldn't find where you guys were being held. He said someone needed to be there to open the gate. Where is he? Is he okay?"
Hinata and Sakura shared a nervous look between them. They had no idea what had become of Sai. Their main priority had been to escape.
"I'm sure he's fine Ino." Sakura said softly but her voice lacked confidence. There had been too much going on. Too much blood.
"In any case, I'm glad to see you're alive." Temari sniffed and gestured to her two male companions. "These are my brothers, Gaara and Kankuro. We are here to collect Fugaku."
At this Hinata remembered that they hadn't seen any sign of the former Commander since they'd arrived at the Manor. In any case, he was in no condition to go anywhere.
"Why?" Hanabi asked bluntly.
"My, you do enjoy speaking out of turn don't you?" the brunette growled. "I wished I'd known you were a girl earlier. I would have gone easier on you. No hard feelings hm?"
"I'm just trying to figure out why you're hell-bent on chasing a feeble old man from one end of the nation to the other."
"He's the one who brought me here." Temari replied simply. "I have to return his kindness."
Kindness. The word dripped from Temari's tongue like poison. She was out for blood.
"Temari-" Hinata started but was cut off by the man named Gaara. His voice was low and tired, almost haunting.
"He isn't here." He said. "They look as though they're leaving and there aren't enough supplies between them to sustain three people for long."
Temari blinked for a moment, disappointment clear in her eyes before she squared her shoulders.
"Fine. Let's go." She huffed. "This is where we part Uchiha-sama. The next time we meet it is unlikely to be under the best of circumstances. It would be wise to get as far away from this city as possible"
"You're taking the capital?" Hanabi scoffed, her fingers curling around the dagger at her hip.
"The raid has already begun and we plan on taking so much more than just this shitty city." Kankuro chuckled. "I'd take you as well but my sister holds affection for yours. Just get out now while we are feeling generous."
"Kankuro." Temari hissed but the man only rolled his eyes and walked away. She sighed and threw a short glance at each of the women she'd spent months with. "He's right though. By midnight this city will fall to us and the Cloud, you don't want to be here when it does. Anyone with ties to the Shogunate will have their head on a pike right next to his."
"But-" Hinata started, however, Temari simply shook her head.
"Thank you for everything, Uchiha-sama." She whispered and left with her brothers in tow.
Hinata watched as they descended to the road that led to the Manor, a small battalion waiting for them with three horses whose saddles were empty. The siblings mounted their horses without a parting glance and took off down the street, a small contingency of their men marching dutifully behind them. The Temari that she knew was gone and in her place was a woman who sought vengeance. Unfazed by the woman's departure Hanabi turned to her and rolled her shoulders.
"Let's get out while it's still light. It will be hard to navigate in the dark with two infants." She said.
Although nervous, Sakura and Kurenai readily agreed with her. The eery silence that had fallen over the street was even worse than the screaming. However, Ino took a step away from Sakura and shook her head.
"I won't be joining you." She said with a watery smile.
"Ino-" Sakura whimpered.
"I have to find Sai. If anyone with ties to the Shogunate is going to be hunted down, he has a huge target on his back."
"That includes you."
Ino shrugged and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I know."
"Ino, please. Sai can take care of himself."
"I know."
"Then why?! You're going to get yourself killed."
"Sakura, stop." Hinata whispered.
If the girl went on anymore, Ino's resolve might break. She more than anyone understood why Ino wanted to stay. If she didn't have an entire clan to worry about she might follow her back into the fray. Hell, even with the responsibility of the clan on her back she was tempted to go find her husband. He wouldn't want that though. Putting herself in harm's way more than she already had would worry him and that was the last thing she wanted. He should be focused on fighting-on surviving. Not her.
And that…
That was the only thing keeping her back. Ino flashed her a grateful smile as she finished wiping away the last of her tears.
"Come on. I know the fastest way out of the city from here but it's underground." She sniffed and Sakura crossed her arms over her chest.
"Underground?"
"Yea. How else do you think Danzo knew about everything going on in the capital?" she said. "He has spies right under our feet."
….
The Twenty-second Winter of the Taka
Imperial City Square
...
As a boy, he'd always been envious of his brother for his skill with a blade. He watched Itachi practice with other clan members from afar whenever he got the chance and challenged him when he got older. He was never able to catch up though. Seeing him now, slicing through their masked enemies, Sasuke realized that any slight victory he'd had against Itachi was because he allowed it. Still, he found himself more skilled than those who tried to attack him. With his wrists now free and a blade in his hand, he was a force to be reckoned with in his own right.
Sidestepping an Anbu that charged for him, Sasuke took the opportunity to aim for the sliver of pale skin that was exposed at his neck. White skin turned red and the man fell to a heap at his feet. Overhead the bells continued to toll and more and more soldiers flooded the square, looking for the invaders. Sasuke noted their hesitance to engage with the fray already occurring. The palace soldiers fighting against the Shogunate's special forces was not something one saw every day.
Dodging another attack, Sasuke looked out for Naruto who had likely been freed by Itachi on his way to stop their father from a suicide mission. The blonde was holding his own well with his palace guards at his side, preventing his recapture by the Anbu. Not too far away, Kakashi was a sight to behold. The usually lazy man was surprisingly nimble. The men that crossed his path didn't realize that they'd met the end of his blade until it was too late. Shaking his head, Sasuke reminded himself to never underestimate him.
The youngest Uchiha moved through the melee towards where his brother had taken off to stop their father. It was a futile attempt at best since he couldn't get too close to the shogunate or his would-be assassin. The Anbu had surrounded Itachi, sensing that if Fugaku couldn't kill Danzo his son surely would. Although they seemed to be solely focused on Itachi and Fugaku. None of the Anbu cared that Fugaku's second son waited in the wings, slipping past men faster than they could blink.
"You have always been a thorn in my side Fugaku." Danzo hissed as he dodged yet another attack from the man in question. "Why couldn't you have stayed dead?"
"I'll be more than happy to die but you go first." The Uchiha spat.
The two men parried blows before backing off once again. Although his father was still standing it was only just so. The Anbu that surrounding him and Danzo were allowing the Shogunate to toy with him and his pride. There was no greater wound to an Uchiha than their pride. His father looked pathetic going after the Shogunate the way he was. Once a great warrior brought down by his own greed.
This entire thing was his fault but now was not the time for blame. If he wanted his father to understand even a fraction of the pain his ambitions had wrought the man had to live to see another day. Stealthily, Sasuke moved just behind the wall of Anbu protecting the Shogunate. The pair just at the man's back were too busy facing the fight with Fugaku to pay him any mind. The opening was small and he was likely to be unsuccessful, but he had the element of surprise on his side. Launching himself forward, Sasuke ran his katana into the lower back of an unsuspect Anbu, dodged his alarmed partner, and removed his blade in one fell swoop.
"Sasuke?" Fugaku wheezed, surprised that the boy had inserted himself into the fight. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Quickly the Anbu around them started to mobilize in retaliation but Danzo held up a hand to stop them.
"He's come to defend your honor Fugaku… isn't that sweet?"
"Sasuke stay out of this!"
Of course, he ignored the man and instead slipped deeper into his stance. He was ready to strike the minute Danzo let his guard down. This caused Danzo to do the same, a glint of amusement in his eyes. The Uchiha swallowed thickly. Violent, burning hatred coursed through his veins for this man. Every breath he took made him angrier. His very existence was a reminder of the upheaval he'd wrought on the Uchiha clan...the pain he'd caused his mother.
"Sasuke! Stand down!"
"I see he doesn't listen to you as a filial son should Fugaku. He never has." Danzo said, his smirk broadening into a smile. "It's probably because he was never yours to begin with."
To be continued...
The abandoned willow shines
between bright rains
(Yosa Buson)
