Note: If anyone's confused as to why Kaede's in this one, this is a different Kaede. The Uchiha Clan has two Kaedes: "good Kaede" (Kagami's daughter) and "bad Kaede" (Naho's daughter).
…
Why couldn't time slow down? The last time Danzō checked in with his fallen teammate's family, Kagami's children were a great deal younger. In the blink of an eye, they graduated from the Academy. The two girls passed the Chūnin Exams on their first go: a fact Kagami's widow couldn't be prouder of. The eldest girl, Azami, even announced her engagement not too long ago.
Akagi, the youngest of the three and Kagami's only boy, was now fifteen years old and proudly standing at attention in his new uniform. Those who joined the Konohagakure Military Police Force at a tokubetsu jōnin rank bypassed the cadet stage entirely and began as officers.
But the boy had a tendency to fidget and found it difficult to contain his excitement. Danzō knew this because he'd stood present along with Torifu for every major event in Akagi's progress as a shinobi, just as they'd done for his sisters. It was the least they could do for their fallen friend's family.
At his entrance to the academy, Danzō had to poke the child with his cane a few times to keep him from scratching his ass. A while later into the program, Akagi excitedly started chattering away with an Inuzuka boy who also wasn't paying attention to a damn thing Hiruzen said. He got the cane again when he started tugging on Koharu's kid's ponytail.
When Akagi graduated, he squirmed like a child covered in ants and wouldn't stop futzing about with his outfit or tugging one of the curls on his inky black head. His mother's face turned scarlet from embarrassment, but she didn't do anything about it. She also told Danzō he overstepped his bounds by calling the boy disrespectful. The kid cried.
Today, however, he behaved and kept all his mischief locked away in his eyes.
"Did you say something to him before the ceremony?" Danzō saw the smirk on Torifu's lips and very clearly noticed the pride swelling within him. "Akagi is being uncharacteristically still."
"I did, actually. I told him that if he acted like a jackass today, I'd personally make sure he regretted it." The Akimichi had no children of his own. He'd overseen some of the training for his clan's heir, but Akagi was his full time pupil and Chouza had at least four other tutors. This was probably as close as he'd ever get to being a father, but it wasn't ideal. He saw too much of Kagami in there for any of this to be comfortable.
Fifteen years passed by far too quickly. As Hiruzen presented the boy with the scroll validating his promotion and firmly shook Akagi's hand, it became clear to Danzō that his old friend felt the same way. Akagi was a tool of measurement for them: a gauge of just how long it had been since Kagami's death. And in another five years, the village would see their dead friend's baby as a grown man.
The ceremony was a quick one, but dragged on long enough for Danzō to notice Akagi visibly sighed when it was over. Hiruzen, at least, was a good sport and laughed it off. He gave the teenager a hearty pat on the back and encouraged him to return to his family.
More than mere immediate family came for this. Even the Uchiha head brought her family along. Her son was somber and quiet, well behaved without even so much as a reminder being necessary.
Danzō never could tell when Kazusa locked eyes with him. The Uchiha clan head always wore an unflattering pair of dark mirror aviators, making it nigh impossible to even tell if she had the sharingan on. That always bothered him about her, among other things.
"You see, Fugaku?" She nudged her son, only a few months Akagi's junior. "It isn't the end of the world to wear this uniform. Akagi's wearing it with pride, as he should!" She grinned and politely bowed before her newest officer. "We're looking forward to having you. Your sisters have done the clan proud and I'd expect nothing less from you."
"Well, I'm honored to have your confidence, Kazusa-taichou. I won't let you down!" Akagi bowed in respect, that smile starting to turn borderline impish. "So, Fugaku…are you joining the KMPF as a tokubetsu jōnin, too?"
'For heaven's sake. If you didn't mean that as a snub, Kazusa's kid is thin-skinned. He'll interpret it as such, anyway.' And it was in these times where Danzō had to cringe because he saw Hiruzen's influence. Akagi had that same obnoxious happy-go-lucky demeanor.
The Uchiha heir said nothing, other than a mumbled congratulations toward Akagi. The new tokubetsu jōnin caught on after that and patted Fugaku on the back. "Don't let it eat at you too much, alright? Lots of people join the force as genin or chūnin."
"He has a point, son," Kazusa insisted, nodding her head. "Yuka came to us as a genin and she's about to be promoted. Rank isn't everything." But it did mean the difference between entering the force as a cadet or as an officer. That sort of thing, the Uchiha Clan paid close attention to.
For a brief moment, Danzō found himself pitying the Uchiha heir because of how obviously uncomfortable he felt with this whole conversation.
"Here we go," Torifu grunted, wrinkling his nose. "Watch him make it worse in three, two–"
"You still have a couple of months left before your transfer, right?" Akagi held out his hand so he could shake with Fugaku. "That's plenty of time to catch up, put in an application, and–"
He wasn't entirely sure what he expected–a fight, maybe–but all Fugaku did was skulk off.
"I know you say you see Kagami in him." Danzō sighed. "I don't. When he acts like that, all I can see is Hiruzen."
…
The baby wasn't due for another two weeks, but hearing the news of her husband's death changed that. She'd gone into labor only two hours after that dreaded conversation. Every once in a while, the people in the waiting room heard an agonized affirmation that Kagami's widow was still alive and struggling through the pangs of childbirth. As doctors came in and out in blood-soaked uniforms, they threw out all kinds of terms.
Breach.
Premature.
Recommendation for a Caesarean.
Shouldn't have another child.
Since neither Kagami nor his wife had any immediate family remaining, the medics kept asking Kazusa, who was also pregnant, what should be done about the mother. "Should we focus on saving her, or saving the baby? Normally, we'd ask the husband, but–"
"If you have to choose, save the child," Kazusa murmured, not even looking up. She touched her own swollen abdomen with a slightly shaky hand and winced. "His parent's hopes and dreams went into making him. He deserves to live."
"And my mama doesn't?!"
Whoever thought it would be a good idea to bring the daughters along needed to be chastised. The younger one, Kaede, screamed and cried out for her father every time she closed her eyes. The elder girl, Azami, felt nothing but anger and wanted to make sure everyone knew it.
Azami's first tongue-lashing was directed at the Hokage for sending her daddy on such a dangerous mission in the first place. Then she pointed an accusatory finger at Torifu and Danzō, wanting to know why they didn't do everything to save him because he was "the only one with a family."
Torifu was still grieving the death of his wife when Azami said that. She may have only been a child, but her acidic words caused the Akimichi far more pain than she realized. Amai had been the light of his life: a light that would forever be snuffed out and never replaced.
He had wanted to start a family with her. There had even been talks about his child and Kagami's third child growing up together, attending the same academy class, becoming best friends, and being put on the same team. It wouldn't take much to convince Hiruzen to do that for them. He had a soft spot for legacies.
And now little Azami's rage turned toward her own clan head for daring to say her mother's life wasn't as valuable as the baby's. "What's wrong with you!? She's my 'kaa-san! What's gonna happen to Kaede and me if she dies?"
Another loud scream came from the other room. Kazusa cringed and didn't make eye contact with Azami. "Just because you love your baby more than you love yourself doesn't mean–"
"Azami," Danzō snapped. "Enough." That child could be angry all she wanted, but she knew better than to cross him. The girl's eyes narrowed, but she obeyed. She sat down and patted the chair so her younger sister could sit with her.
"Sorry we're late!" Hiruzen was out of uniform and panted quickly, all on account of having run nearly two kilometers to make it to the hospital. "We got here as soon as we could." Right beside him, his wife also took deep breaths in an attempt to catch up on lost oxygen.
The Sarutobi family came bearing gifts. Hiruzen had a stuffed bear in the crook of his right arm and a bottle of saké in his left hand: which, honestly, every adult (save Kazusa) could use right about now. Biwako brought a half-shredded bouquet (probably damaged from all the reckless running) and a hand-knitted baby blanket with the Uchiha crest stitched in the center.
"That was the sprint from hell, dear," Biwako groaned. Her face was slightly green. "Don't you dare make me do that again. Not in my dress flats!"
"Do you want me to carry you home after this?" Hiruzen teased. Biwako's face turned rosy. "Your poor little feet!" His wife laughed at that and dared him to do exactly that.
Danzō wasn't sure why this pissed him off as much as it did, but he had to say it. "Don't you have a village to run, Sarutobi?"
Hiruzen may have been sheepish about that, but his wife certainly wasn't. Biwako pointed the bouquet at Danzō's jaw as though it were a weapon and poked him with it. "The hell is your problem, Shimura?! You weren't Kagami's only friend!"
"No." He wouldn't contradict her on that. She had a point. "But I was his best friend."
…
"How much chili oil are you going to put in your ramen?" If this kept up for too long, Teuchi would probably take this to mean that the Ichiraku family recipe wasn't up to Uchiha Akagi's standards and take offense. Too many modifications to a dish could easily insult a chef, especially a young one trying to keep his new restaurant afloat. "Is it your goal to clear out your sinuses or turn your lips numb?"
"I just like spicy things," Akagi insisted, twisting his chopsticks into the noodles so he could get a large amount to satisfyingly slurp. "It was nice of you and Torifu-sensei to take me out to dinner."
It wasn't the first time Torifu did such a thing. In his clan, most congratulations and landmarks were celebrated with food. "I saw Kazusa-taichou pulled you aside earlier. Did you find out which department you've been assigned to yet?"
"Homicide," Akagi confessed. "I'll be working in a squad with Yashiro. I guess that's alright."
'Uchiha Setsuna's son? Kazusa…what are you trying to do?' Danzō bit back his comments and poked at his boiled egg instead. "You seem like too nice of a kid to do well around dead bodies. I'm surprised she didn't stick you in Vice."
"That was my top choice, too; but she says Yuka has everything under control." Akagi rolled his chopsticks again and groaned. His eyes went toward the ceiling for a moment. Out came a long, annoyed huff. "Not that I'd want to work with her. Yuka's way too bossy for her own good."
'Homicide, though. Homicide…' That could certainly cause problems, especially if Akagi found himself surrounded by the biggest gossips in his clan. And judging by how much the boy kept eyeing his bandages, Danzō couldn't shake it. This was cause for concern. "You'll do your father proud."
…
A bomb detonated, courtesy of Iwagakure's Explosive Corps.
That's all Danzō could figure when he saw how many trees were covered in shrapnel. His nose caught the burnt scent of detonated gunpowder mixed with the unsettling meaty smell of scorched flesh and spilled blood. His ears rang: the high pitched squealing of tinnitus making it that much harder to concentrate.
When he moved to stand, he noted the pain in his left leg. Glancing down, coated in blood, was a large piece of metal lodged in his inner thigh. 'It's probably close to my femoral artery, hence the excessive bleeding…'
And despite how tempted he was to take a deep breath, brace himself, and rip the thing out; that would be a stupid (not to mention fatal) mistake. A severed femoral could exsanguinate him in less than five minutes. And what good was a freed leg if all he managed to do was bleed to death from complications?
If he wanted the shrapnel out, he needed to find Kagami first. One of the Uchiha's fancy fire moves would be enough to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding. Danzō could then bandage the injury back at camp and seek medical attention later.
With each step, he felt dizzy. His balance was off and the ringing in his ears certainly didn't help. He stuck his ring fingers in both ears and made a few noises, just to see if he could hear himself. 'Please…tell me this isn't permanent…'
They were nonsensical syllables, but anything to subside the ringing sound was welcome. His own voice sounded slightly off. He flexed his jaw, hoping he'd hear something pop and everything would work again, but it could take days for this to wear off on its own.
In the distance, Torifu shouted something, but Danzō couldn't make it out. The Akimichi sounded as though every word he roared came from underwater. In the smoky haze, all he could really make out were Torifu's wide, worried eyes and that goofy-looking hat he'd always worn.
Had they still been inexperienced genin, Danzō probably would have shouted I can't hear you at his teammate and stupidly given away their location. None of them were greenhorns anymore. By this age, by twenty-five, they'd already witnessed a Hokage's death, not to mention survived the power vacuum Hashirama left behind when he died.
The first thing his ears picked up once the ringing lessened was a wet, ugly gasping noise. Cautiously, he limped closer. It was hazy and dark everywhere, but the silhouette was undeniably familiar. No one else had a head as curly as Kagami's.
The Uchiha's protective outer armor had been ripped apart as though it were tissue paper. His shirt and undershirt tore, too: showing bloodied bare skin and far more…and far worse. In the gory mess, Danzō could identify fractured ribs jutting out like mangled teeth and the pale, slippery presence of his friend's naked lungs.
With every ungodly wheeze, he watched the bare organs heave in and out. Sometimes, among the gasps, he heard a rattling noise and caught the edge of a picture poking out just by the ribs. He covered his mouth, doing his best to keep himself from retching. Every time he swallowed, the bile came back. He moved closer in slow, precise motions and gently pulled the picture away so Kagami would at least stop rattling.
His wife's smiling, pretty face was covered in blood and gunpowder and one of the two girls had her head ripped clean off because it absorbed some of the shrapnel. Chances were Kagami would die with Azami's toothy grin lodged in his–
"Give it back." It came out as a gurgle. Already on edge, the Shimura nearly jumped a foot. Very weakly, Kagami lifted his arm, trying to get the picture back.
"Don't move, Kagami," Danzō ordered. "For the love of the gods. Don't move. I need to find something to stop the bleeding," and once he did that, Kagami could help him, too. "At least until we find a medic."
"You're…"
"Yes. I'm hurt, too, but it's not as bad. It's just my leg. I need you to hang in there and…and…"
In the distance, he could still hear Torifu shouting, but he had yet to be audible enough to reach Danzō's brain as words. Even if he could hear the Akimichi loud and clear, he was in too much shock to comprehend.
Danzō ripped off a sleeve and balled it up, planning to stick it inside Kagami's chest cavity so it would soak up some of the blood and make it easier to keep it all inside. But it wasn't going to work. The Uchiha's skin had already taken on a pale, grayish appearance.
"Danzō…" Kagami closed his eyes, the wheezing becoming softer and softer until all Danzō heard was an uncomfortable light whistling mixed with a wet gurgle. The Uchiha leaned to the left, his dark head drooping until it flopped onto his teammate's shoulder.
Had they still been children, Danzō would have shoved him off and told him to stand upright like a man. This time, he did nothing but sit in place and take his friend's hand into his own. He squeezed as tightly as he could, wanting to feel every last pulse until the very end.
'I want you to know that I'll tell your wife. I'll tell her you died a hero and with her picture in your hand.' He squeezed, cringing when Kagami weakly squeezed back.
'And I'm not sure about Torifu. I know I'll try to be there for your children. I'll promote their ambitions and make sure they never forget their father.'
Kagami was more than a great shinobi, a loving husband and father, and a good man. He'd been a loyal friend, a proud comrade in arms, and someone who even managed to convince the Senju Clan that not all Uchiha were untrustworthy and unstable.
This time, when Danzō squeezed Kagami's hand, he received no response, nor could he find a pulse. His friend grew quiet and slouched further until his curly head fell into Danzō's lap. His body was motionless and silent: breathless. Dead.
Just to make sure, Danzō put his hand to Kagami's mouth, but there was nothing: no heat, no moisture, no little puff of air to reaffirm his liveliness. He was gone. No amount of medical jutsu could return a man from death itself.
And yet they were still several hundred kilometers from the village: nearer to Iwa than Konoha. If any of those bomb-loving bastards found the corpse and saw the crest on Kagami's shirt…
…
"Danzō-sama?" Akagi winced. "I really wish you'd let a medic look at your face."
No. Never. "I took an explosion to my face, boy. Nobody needs to see what's under here. Even I feel sick when I look at myself."
That was a lie, but he'd told it so many times that it may as well have been the truth. It kept curious people from wondering why the bandages never came off in public. If he assured them it was for their own benefit, so they wouldn't have to see his formerly handsome face permanently marred, that was good enough.
"I know. You told me, but…"
'And here we are. His sisters are old enough to know the rumors, too.' And he was so glad Torifu didn't give the unadulterated truth to the family. They wouldn't have understood.
'I acted in an economical sense,' he privately reassured himself. 'I ran the risk of dying, too, were I to carry his full body. Akagi, your clan is one of those where your most valued attributes are transferable. Sharingan can be transplanted.'
And just as Iwagakure knew that, so too did Shimura Danzō. There were two things he could have done in that moment: destroy Kagami's eyes so no one could take them, or take them for himself. There was some sentimentality behind his frightened logic, too. It was the only way he could ensure some part of Kagami would always be watching over his family and the village.
There was just one problem. Kagami wasn't fully dead when Danzō began cutting.
Despite having shown every possible sign of having succumbed from the extent of his wounds, a shot of adrenaline rushed through the Uchiha in his final moments. All of it went into grabbing Danzō's kunai-wielding hand and trying his best to push it away from his terrified, betrayed face. The sharingan was on, staring back at him, and–
And that was what Torifu walked in on: out of context and horrified. "But what, Akagi?"
"Your bandages are wet."
