ACADEMICS AND THROWING PUNCHES ARC:
CHAPTER 7: TO EDUCATION
It came very clear that Sachi absolutely, irrevocably and thoroughly sucked at fighting.
Sachi went down on the ring, gasping for air as Ashi punched her in the solar plexus. It hadn't been a hard hit, but it was enough to disbalance her and make her topple to the ground from exhaustion.
They had been sparring for days, Ashi weaseling out a few hours to teach Sachi some moves to at least defend herself if she ever came down to another incident like the Hyūga. Ashi had harboured a hope that Sachi, smart as she was, would pick up combat just as quick as she did with books.
No such luck.
"You okay?"
Sachi rolled to her side, holding her chest while she moaned in pain. Haiiro went to see if she needed a break, Sachi heating up terribly when she fought. She tried batting away his nose, giving up and letting the old hound chastise her for not knowing her limits.
She was not happy.
The Inuzuka matriarch looked at her ward with something akin to disappointment. Sachi was a good girl, yet her physical endurance was complete shit. She could run for miles if let be, the problems appearing when she had to face an opponent, not even grasping the basics. They had begun slowly, Ashi racking her brain for the advice of her parents, or the lessons of the Academy on hand-to-hand combat. Sachi got the theory, like she usually did, but when it came to use it…
"Let's end for today."
"...I… I c-can… go again." she said, carefully picking herself up.
She did try, at first being curious, then disheartened, and then furiously stubborn. She pushed herself to be better, trying to match Ashi hits, slaps and punches, but she was either too slow, too distracted or too hurt.
"It won't do you any good, darlin'. Rest is as important as practice."
Sachi didn't listen, standing upright if a little to the side. She was but a dedicated student, if only to prove herself that she was not weak and pathetic and useless.
(Those words were the first she had learned.)
"I can do it." she tells her, and Ashi feels a little bit guilty for having proposed to teach her.
But Sachi won't ever back down from a challenge. Even if it hurts her, even if it destroys her.
(She won't ever back down.)
"Don't say I didn't warn you, pup."
Ashi raises her forearms close to her face, Sachi imitating her as they circle each other. She lunges first, because Sachi seldom ever starts. The girl tries to doge, Ashi slithers a leg between her feet and she kicks her ankle.
Sachi falters, her arms falling from formation to stabilize herself. Ashi takes one of those arms, turns her around and throws her onto the ground. She falls down, rolling away. The Inuzuka matriarch doesn't give her a breath of relief before she uses her leg to kick her in the side and touch her neck.
"Dead."
There's fury in her eyes, directed towards herself rather than her teacher. She doesn't fight the outcome, because Ashi wouldn't stand for a disregard of orders. If you're dead, then it's done. You couldn't stand up and try to lunge for the back, even if it was tempting.
"This is so stupid." she hisses, her anger sparkling where Ashi had drawn blood on her. "Why do I have to do this?"
"So you don't die next time you mess up with a ninja, darlin'."
"I won't." she gritted, brushing the sweaty hair out of her face.
"That's not for you to decide."
Haiiro let her use him to get up, Sachi wobbling before saying "I don't understand, why do I have to do this?"
"It's important, darlin'." Ashi repeated for the nth time the last week. "You need to learn how to defend yourself."
"I know how to defend myself." she argued. "I got you once! Both of you."
"You used seals, pup." Haiiro reminded her, that feeling sour in his mouth. "That's cheating."
"Cheating? And You being two versus one wasn't cheating?"
"Enough." she threw a towel at Sachi, the scent of sweat dampening her nose. "You can't use seals in fighting, Sachi. They're dangerous."
"I know how to use them—"
"And I told you you can't." she held her eyes for good measure; Sachi yielded. "You need to learn how to fight without seals."
"Why?"
"Because no one does, except you and your… clan." she settled with, catching Sachi's withering look. "Humour me, darlin', but what happens if you show your pretty seals to someone and you don't manage to kill 'em?"
"I'll kill them—"
"Stop right there." she warned. "Taking a life is not easy, be it with your bare hands or, in your case, seals. You don't know how will you react if you're put in that position. The stakes are too high." she avoided her eyes, Ashi's tone reprimanding. Killing someone, even an enemy, was not easy. It could break you, regardless if you killed them or not. "Have you killed a person before, Sachi?"
"... no."
"Then you don't know what you're talking about." she might be harsh, Sachi's thick skull needed much more than a beating to get reason through. "This isn't about killing, but protecting yourself. Leaf is a ninja village, Sachi, and if you decide to live as a civilian forever you will still be involved in fights."
That was the ugly truth. Ashi didn't see a problem with fights or spars, her clan using it as a way to cope with their lives, but civilians would be involved, willing or not. It wasn't exactly fair, since they didn't have their training or conditioning, life rarely was in such matters. Violence was a given in a ninja village.
The Inuzuka alpha would be damned if she let one of her clanmates be hurt.
"I don't understand why you have it to solve your problems with fighting," she accused, stretching her muscles. "can't you talk?"
"We talk, Sachi, with our fists."
"Ha-ha, very funny. "
"It's true. Why do you think we have eighty two training fields, darlin'?" She didn't come up with a witty remark, insisting that it was stupid and useless. "We are taught to fight since birth, it's the only way we know how to deal with life."
Shinobi didn't know anything else. Fighting was easier than talking, than actually opening up to someone about troubles, trauma or complicated emotions. A spar kept you focused, forcing you to pay attention or else be hurt. Pain they could deal with, and so, that's what they did. They hurt their bodies because they knew they could survive it, and they let their minds blank as they fought off whatever ghosts they had.
A good coping mechanism, only because the alternative was to kept it a secret and risk getting lost. Ninja lives were complex as they were short, often too much, and Ashi had lost count how many comrades she had lost when they couldn't bear it.
Yeah, fighting was good.
"It doesn't make any sense."
If you knew how to fight, that is.
"Not for you. Your clan didn't fight?"
They were alone, in the training field deep in the forest and no one around them that could catch their conversation. Sachi was silent for a moment before saying "We did fight, but we don't spar. It's seen as improper."
"Improper?"
"Yes. Physical violence is considered a crime, and inflicting pain on others with the sole purpose of hurting them… then you're seen as insane."
Sachi had been reluctant to hit Ashi, taking a good hour of effort to coax the lightest of punches out of her. She had followed her lead, and after Ashi had sent her down with a few teasing punches, she had changed her mind.
"Why insane?" Haiiro asked.
"Because you're letting yourself be overcome by your emotions, therefore, foregoing any sensibility and failing to override your basal instincts." she repeated what must have been countless reprimands.
"Then… every ninja is insane, by that definition."
"Pretty much, yes."
Ashi didn't know if she should be offended, ninjas did kill people for a living.
"What did your clan do, if not fight?"
Sachi stared at her. "The Archive solved our problems. Most fights were only misunderstandings, and the Archive helped them sort them out."
"That's it?"
It sounded too simple to be true. The Kanbayashi had been a large clan, and Ashi couldn't picture herself, as Clan Head, having to talk her people out of whatever pissed them off. She didn't have time to act as their mother, not when their problems could be resolved with a thorough spar.
"Yes. It's not like we can fight without killing ourselves."
"What?"
Sachi took off her gloves, the black diamonds in her palms appearing on the skin. "The Kanbayashi don't spar, Ashi, they kill. I only need to touch you, and you're dead." the tattoos faded, Sachi cleaning her sweaty hands on her clothes. "Punching, kicking with your legs… it's just weird."
It did make sense why Sachi was so careful about who she touched. Ashi had noticed how she kept her hands to herself, brushing it off as shyness. Apparently, she was trying not to kill her.
Cute.
"Yeah, well, you can't use your bloodline limit to fight." and that was that. The Hokage had been very clear about Sachi showing any signs of her identity, not even within the Inuzuka. Ashi understood, very much like Sachi's seals, that it posed more of a problem than a solution. "You understand, right?"
Sachi's main issue was how she used her body. She had good reflexes, and she knew how to fall without hurting herself. Yet, when it came for her to attack, she kept making mistakes. Similar to the Hyūga, Sachi favoured her hands, but lacked their accuracy or straightforwardness. She was reaching with her hands, leaving gaps in her stance that were too big and too easy not to hit. The girl didn't have any notion of fighting except grabbing her opponent and savaging them with punches. Or absorbing the life out of them.
But it wasn't enough.
"... yeah." she sighed, tired. "No seals, no bloodline limit, no white hair."
"Sachi… I know it's difficult, but…" she took a breath. "You know what, it's okay if you can't. Not everyone can fight."
Sachi turned sharply to her. "I can fight."
Her bruises said otherwise.
"We've tried for quite a while, and it's clear you're uncomfortable. It's a shift, from what you're used to, and I don't know if…"
"I can fight." She hissed, her tone lowering dangerously. "I only need a little bit of time, I'm not weak."
"It's not about if you're weak—"
"I'm not weak!" she yelled. Ashi was confused as to why she was so upset, her chakra fizzing up again. "I'll…. I'll do something. Just give me time."
Ashi went to her, putting a hand over her forehead. It was burning. "Darlin', you don't need to be angry, and not at me. I'm here to help you, 'kay?"
She pins her with her eyes, and that's another thing that rises tension. Ashi has explained her, again and again, the importance of eye contact, and how holding one's eyes was a challenge. Sachi had nodded, but she always dropped them down as an afterthought.
(It unnerved her.)
"You don't believe I can fight.." she states "Just because I didn't get it fast enough?"
There's something else in her voice. Ashi can't put her finger why Sachi is fuming, not when she had been trying to be understanding with her. "Sachi, careful."
"Why?" she spat.
"You know why." she took a step forward, Sachi didn't back down. "Sachi, yield."
"No."
Ashi was on her instantly, and Sachi rose her hands before she finished the word. The older woman avoided Sachi's glowing palm, an ominous chakra flicker around it, grabbing her wrist and twisting it with enough force for her to whimper. Sachi went face down onto the ring, Ashi putting her knee on her back.
"Don't forget who I am, Sachi." she continued to struggle underneath her, tiring herself out and hissing in pain as Ashi twisted her arm awkwardly. "Are you done?"
It took a minute more until she gave up, muttering a 'yes' that was too cocky, and then an honest 'yes, Ashi' when she tightened her grip.
"Good. Get up, don't think 'cause you're my ward I will treat you any different. Unless you want me to kick your ass, hard, then you have to play nice. No bullshit, not between us. Understood?"
"Yes, Ashi."
"Good. Let's get back, you must be hungry."
Sachi doesn't speak until they get into their house. Ashi doesn't like Sachi when she's in one of her moods, that barely bound energy that she emanates growing agitated. Like an exploding tag to go off, Sachi is walking on a fine thread.
.
Sachi is very fucking angry.
She stares at herself in the mirror, the blossoming bruises and the scratches besides that ugly damning scar across her torso. Her body is ruined, and there's nothing she can do about it.
That's the price for surviving.
The tension builds up in her body, the chakra in her veins fluttering with her anger and rasping every inch of her insides. It burns, and it hurts, and it's going to be forever. Was there even a point for her to be alive? The Archive was useless without her people, and Sachi couldn't play both roles. There was no one that understood her, no one that could even fathom what she was going through.
A scream crawls up her throat and stays there, Sachi too stubborn to let it out.
She doesn't recognize herself in the mirror. How could she? Last time she employed a mirror it had been to record the message for the Archive that they were to begin the preparations for the summer hunt. She had been dressed in the finest robes of the Asir Rera, her face painted with black marks mimicking the seals of the Archive. Michiko had been alive, besides her, beautiful and sunny.
She had been someone, then. Half a year ago, she had been apprentice to the Archive, and she had been on her way to achieve her dreams with her friends.
Now, everything that she was had been stripped away to allow her another chance at living. The Kanbayashi were no more, and her surname had died on the snow along the others.
Only Sachi remained.
"Come on, come on, come on." she prays to herself, her head throbbing with pain. Her temporal seals always hurt when she got too sad or too angry, a warning that her mindspace could collapse if she wasn't careful. "Come on, come on, come on—"
The pain passes, if barely. Her cheeks have red markings, her hair is the shadow of coal, and she's an Inuzuka.
But that's a lie.
"I will find a solution, I always do." it's a promise to herself.
She needs to learn how to fight, not only because Ashi suggested it, but because she needs to know that she can.
The truth is out there, and it's that she's useless at combat. She doesn't get the concept, well, she understands that it's a manner of defending yourself and a way to keep your place in the hierarchy, but it hurts. The Inuzuka aren't the only ones that engage in such fights, virtually everyone in that village ready to beat someone to death for staring too long.
Ninjas are insane.
No wonder the Kanbayashi stayed away from them, and now Sachi has to play by their rules.
Inside her mind, something starts to unravel.
"I'm better than this." she tells herself, catching just the faintest glow of her seals beneath her scalp. "I'll find a solution, I will win."
She always does. There's nothing she can't solve, no riddle, puzzle or dilemma she cannot work out. Her mother was wrong, so, so, wrong. She has to be, because she's alive, and she's not.
("You're not enough!" Mother screamed at her. "This is not enough, try harder, be smarter! You are my daughter, you cannot fail."
She trembled under her gaze. She didn't understand, she couldn't speak, there were so many things—
"Pathetic." she spats at her, and every syllabe thunders in her ears. "You're a failure, Sachi, you disappoint me. If you aren't useful, why are you alive? Answer me, child.")
Sachi will find a way.
It's a promise.
.
Sachi gets even worse.
"Sachi, darlin', I already told you. You bend your knees and keep them evenly apart, your arms…" she puts them closer to her body, closing her fists again. "Again."
The girl doesn't argue, their little scuffle enough to deter any insubordination. It has become a habit, for her to wake her up every morning for their mandatory spars. They aren't fun, as Sachi keeps making the same mistakes over and over that drive Ashi insane. She has little patience for incompetence, and cruel as it is, Sachi is hopeless.
Haiiro watches their exchanges, not bothering to tell Ashi to watch her back. His partner can be just as stubborn, her idea of a person often permanent that brought her more than one unfortunate surprise. He doesn't react, enjoying the expectation, as his pup gets beaten again and again and again.
"Again."
Ashi is trying too, just as hard. Children isn't her field of expertise, and whatever kindness she had for innocence, it was long forgotten. The hardened soldier that she is, the ruthless Wolf, cannot stand the soft edges that Sachi has. Haiiro mourns the fact that life has beaten any kind of motherly instinct out of her, and he watches with a lingering feeling of hope as she too, struggles to learn.
"Again."
It's not easy, for neither of them. Sachi too stubborn, too foreign; Ashi too strict, too unforgiving. They clash, and it can be seen on how Sachi tests her boundaries, and how Ashi retaliates by kicking more, pushing harder. She wants her to be better, for her to have a chance, but the limitations are in plain sight. Haiiro can smell the fever in the pup's body from his perch on the rock, while Ashi hasn't broken a sweat.
Truly tragic, someone with so much to teach to someone who cannot learn.
And so they train, until they grow too frustrated to continue or one of them breaks. It's Sachi, because of course she is, and Ashi stares at her from above and there's a regret in them that no words of advice or jokes can hide. Not from Sachi, who perhaps understands what she ought not.
"Let's end for today." Sachi doesn't fight Ashi's decision, the woman too tired of insisting when no progress was made. "We have a meeting today, Haiiro."
He flips his tail, pretending to bask in the sunlight that slithers from the canopies. "Takin' a nap, join ya later."
His partner is so annoyed that she doesn't question it, leaving for the house. When Ashi is far enough away, Sachi sighs and gets up. "I think I'm done."
"Hmm. You sure?"
"I'm sure."
Sachi is not giving up, but barely starting.
"No more people watching?"
She shakes her head. A month has passed since Ashi started training her in earnest, and he can see the signs right there. Sachi was young, and starting to develop. She wouldn't grow into the square shoulders of Ashi, or the thick tighs of Tsume, but she had lean muscle beneath her scarred skin just waiting to reach their full potential. She ran faster, their runs every evening straining his old joints, and even if Ashi hadn't realized, she was getting sharper.
"I got it now." she tells him. She has made him her confidant, that mischievous spark in her all but pulling him in.
Haiiro sees in her what nobody dares to use. His pup is not one for sharp teeth or heavy tackles, but oh, her mind is the most vicious creature he has ever encountered. He smirks, because Ashi has gotten complacent in her duties and responsibilities, and has forgotten that she too, had been a pup someday.
"We'll see 'bout that." he teases her, fueling that lurking bitterness that propels her forward.
"You'll see, everyone will."
And oh, they will.
.
The Inuzuka are fully aware that they are in possession of the strangest puppy in their midst. Sachi has come into their lives with a whispered greeting, too afraid to stand out, always to the sides and watching them with her big golden eyes.
They ignore the strange circumstances, like how she bleeds chakra, or how she doesn't approach the dogs until she makes sure they're sentient. She blends in the background, soldiers and civilians letting her pace as she pleases.
She is not one of them, not by blood, not by kin, not by any kind of bond except that their alphas had taken her in. And that's enough, if only to tolerate her.
However, they don't fully pay attention to her until she starts showing her teeth.
It happened like this:
The clan has been gathered for their annual rites to the Inugami. It's a ceremony in which they honor their ninken, marking their fur with red powder, worshipping them as the partners that they have sworn to protect, cherish, and fight alongside for the entirety of their lives.
It's more of an excuse to get together, play and drink. Sachi, as the alpha's ward, is there too.
She keeps to herself in one of the stone benches, covered in red paint too, since Tsume found it fitting to throw her into the barrel. Her scent is clean, cold and icy, with the faintest sweet irony aftertaste. Snow and blood.
They watch as Ashi plummets through her opponents, her strength unrivaled for decades. She's a good alpha, strong and level headed, she has ruled them as an equal of blood but superior in skill. They respect her, enough to seek out spars to remind the clan that she was still at the top, and for years to come.
Children were also included in the fights, indulging them with their puppies until they tired themselves out and their parents had to carry them back.
"Anyone else?!" Ashi howls, Tsume dragging Obu's corpse out of the ring. "Who's next?!"
They smell the joy, and the adrenaline in her. It's what keeps them together, and the crowd is encouraging anyone to step in.
They don't expect Sachi to get up.
"Sachi?" neither does Ashi, and she freezes in the middle of the ring. "What are you doing?"
"I want to spar." she says with a small smile.
Sachi is the feral pup of the Inuzuka.
"Darlin', do you think you can take me on?" it's a joke, but they can tell there's real worry. Ashi does not hold back, not even with overconfident teenagers.
"Let's find out."
They howl and whistle, watching her enter the ring ignoring that she is in for a thorough beating. She has been stalking them as of late, present in every ring at any hour of the day. Some told her, kindly, to fuck off and not bother them, while others gave her some advice. Seeking to become stronger was a good trait, and they recognized it as a way to be a part of them.
But challenging the alpha?
The girl had a death wish.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Ashi wasn't convinced. Getting into formation, with her arms close to her face and her legs flexed and apart, the alpha gave Sachi a last choice to get out. The girl answered by positioning herself.
They circled each other, the difference in height making Ashi tower over her little form. People watched with morbid curiosity, because Ashi's biceps were larger than Sachi's head, and a punch could kill someone. It was going to hurt.
To everyone's surprise, including Ashi's, Sachi began first. She threw a right hook aimed at Ashi's elbow, wanting to throw off her stance. The alpha strikes too, using her leg to get into her space and push her to stand back. It doesn't work. Sachi slides her feet to the right, her left fist reaching for Ashi's flank as their bodies pass each other.
Ashi puts distance between them by turning around sharply, clearly thrown off by that move, and trying again with her leg. This time Sachi falls back, watching her reaction. She squints her eyes at her ward, a puzzled expression that no one can glimpse more than a second before she is attacking Sachi.
Ashi throws a right hook, followed by a left punch to overpower Sachi, taking advantage in the differences of height and weight. Sachi dodges them with nimble feet, their audience falling silent as they watch the exchange.
There's something wrong with their spar, but they can't pin point what. Sachi is good, actually meeting Ashi's kicks with cutting blows to divert the momentum and give her a chance to slide into Ashi's guard and try her luck by aiming for the belly, too small to go for the head. Yet, when Ashi tries to get her, she is already moving away.
Ashi is alpha, as well as an ANBU captain, supposedly retired; she can't possibly be losing to an eight year old, no matter how talented they might be.
And yet, none of Ashi's hits manage to land on her.
"What the fuck?" Tsume remarks, and then Sachi turns around sharply and she hits Ashi's knee with her foot. It's not enough to make her go down, but the intent is clear. "That… that's nee-chan's move."
Ashi feels that uneasiness too, a pressing feeling of awkwardness that distracts her. She has beaten Sachi to the ground everyday, and in none of their spars she had managed to hit her once.
In front of her, Sachi smiles at her.
Ashi tests Sachi's newfound strength by crouching down and doing a leg swipe. Sachi is jumping over her legs with the exact force to avoid being thrown off but not high enough to allow Ashi to roll onto the ground and bring her other leg up to kick her.
Sachi takes her low position to throw her leg up and—
Ashi drops down immediately, avoiding Sachi's kick to her head with honed reflexes, letting her body hit her with her elbow in her ribs. Sachi gasps, and she's putting distance, alarmed.
The Inuzuka alpha gets up slowly, pinning Sachi with a glare that made stronger men cower in fear. "Oh, darlin', what did you do?" but she's smiling, and despite that weird feeling, it means so much more.
Sachi doesn't say anything, her confidence chipped away by that blow, and Ashi doesn't waste any time to lunge at her. Sachi is not meeting her fast blows, but avoiding them. It's always by a half a second margin, which prickles Ashi's nerves at the wasted energy. She has much more stamina than Sachi, but she might be tiring her out.
Her attacks are layered, her fists coming up to the belly or the ribs, her legs aiming for the joints in Ashi's lower limbs. Sachi understands her weaknesses and she's targeting the sensitive points in the alpha's body. Each blow is followed by another in quick succession, and Ashi has to keep an eye open, which excites her.
Sachi is actually fighting.
And then, the fight changes.
The Inuzuka notice when Sachi's stance shifts, dropping her shoulders and opening the gap on her chest. She widens her legs and puts her weight on the balls of her feet. Ashi is already mid-punch, and too late to dodge as Sachi drops down and then—
Ashi spits out blood. Sachi had managed to punch Ashi's mandible as she was coming up from her crouch, the alpha biting her tongue as her mandibles clamped shut.
"I… did it! I punched you!" Sachi laughs, nervous. "I did it! Fuck yeah! I told you I could do it—"
The girl is too caught up in her success to notice Ashi's killer intent behind her back, and when she does, Ashi punches her square in the face.
.
"My, Sachi, how do you do?" Tsume sings, watching the girl on the living room floor with an ice pack on her eyes and nose. "Feelin' good?"
Sachi gives her the middle finger, not sparing the strength to even tell her to shut her mouth. She had two black eyes and a bruised nose, maybe even a concussion, since she dropped dead when Ashi punched her.
"Leave the pup alone, Tsume." Haiiro chides her, amusement in his voice.
"Should have thought twice before challenging nee-chan to a sparring match." she shrugs, stealing the leftover cookies from the table. "You were doing good for like, five minutes, and when you land a good hit, then you go and celebrate. I've gotta tell you, Sachi, that was the worst ending I've seen in a really long time." she laughs.
Sachi dwells in her self pity as she waits for the room to stop spinning. "I… might have made a mistake."
"You think?" Kuromaru snickers.
They had all seen the moment that Ashi turned around, catching Sachi's face with a mighty punch that sent her flying out of the ring. There had been a lot of blood involved, which made Ashi panic because she had just knocked out her ward. The clan had been worried all for a minute until Sachi woke up, said "Fuck." and passed out again. She also lost a tooth at some point.
"What were you thinking? Like, seriously."
Sachi would have liked nothing more than glare at Tsume, but the light was too bright, and she didn't want to see her smug face. "I'm not talking to you."
Thankfully Tsume didn't hit her, deciding that she got her fair share of pain for that day. "Whatever, pup, but you gotta remember that next time, a spar doesn't end because you land one hit on your opponent."
Sachi might have… gotten too excited and, maybe, just maybe, forgot for a moment that she was supposed to keep going.
Damn it.
"I brought more ice." Ashi said as she stepped in the living room. "Let me see your face, darlin'." Sachi slipped the cloth with ice with a hiss. Ashi did her best to hide her grimace, but Tsume and Kuromaru started cackling when they saw the perfect depiction of a raccoon "Um, here."
Sachi laid down again on Haiiro's body, ice soothing the bruises somewhat. She wasn't looking forward to waking up tomorrow.
"You sure got her good, nee-chan!" Tsume teased, "It's seems almost unfair that you got only a cut on your tongue."
Ashi was looking almost regretful. She had gotten too excited at the prospect of Sachi fighting that she had put more force than necessary. Sachi didn't seem to be blaming nothing but herself, grumbling about mistakes and miscalculations.
"You got worse your first time, Tsume." Ashi reminded her, her sister unapologetic in her grin.
"I did last more than five minutes, though. The broken arm was just a bonus." she poked Sachi gently in her arm, saying "Might wanna start getting a workout routine, if you don't wanna lose more teeth."
"I'll take yours in your sleep." Sachi threatened. "I messed up, I almost got you!"
"You did get her, pup, just not to the end." Haiiro praised, shifting a little bit to accommodate Sachi's head on his belly.
"I wanted to win."
Ashi chuckled. "You'll need more than a hit to do that, darlin'." Sachi continued to curse under her breath, the ice melting as her fever went down. "I do have to ask… how did you learn how to fight like that?"
Just a day before Sachi hadn't been capable of doing a high hit with her leg, and an hour ago she had almost dug her heel into her temple. Great progress, but exponentially rushed.
"Yeah, what did you do, pup?" Tsume chimed in, interested. "I saw you going for nee-chan's roundhouse kick."
Sachi sighed, saying. "Left punch, right leg swipe, right punch, right punch, knee hit, roundhouse kick."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That's your pattern, Ashi. You always begin with your left arm, and try to finish with the roundhouse. Startle, destabilize, hurt, finish."
"What—?"
"Your left shoulder is compromised, old injury, probably stabbing. You put your weight in your right foot, in the exterior, and that's why you spread your legs so far and put your left in front despite being right handed. I guess your big toe got broken, and so you had to adapt by shifting your stance. You put two knuckles up to cause more damage when you punch, unless you have to put down your wrist, in which case you don't because you can snap your EPB tendon."
Ashi and Tsume remained silent as Sachi took another breath and continued. "You leave your left flank exposed because you're used to fighting with your right, and the reflexes there aren't as fast in the right side. You know this, and when someone tries to get near your ribs, you turn around and try to kick them away with your leg, since you're blocking your right side with your body. You usually aim to get behind them and try to get them from there. You're used to have Haiiro at your back, so you don't really cover it, and if you do, you're always spinning. That throws off your balance, which forces you to throw off your opponents so you are matched, and if it isn't possible, you drop on the ground where you can impulse yourself up. It usually ends there, because you're stronger than most, and because your punches are fucking nasty."
"So, knowing this, I thought I could get you. I interrupted your pattern, starting with your legs instead with your arms, so you didn't get me with those sharp knuckles of yours, you know? Then I went for your left flank, moved before you could kick me with your leg, and followed the pattern until you decided to do that leg swipe. Damn, I didn't think you would go for it, since your knee isn't good, but whatever." she sighed. "I got down when you aimed for my chest, and punched you, I was aiming to twist your brainstem to knock you out, by the way, but I didn't pivot right and I got you straight instead of more to the right." pointing to her face, she added "Didn't work."
Haiiro was basking in the shocked expressions of his family, especially Ashi's. Sachi couldn't see them, since her eyes were covered by a cloth with ice or else she would have realized how baffled they were. Happily rambling away what must have been the most through explanation to a planned attack that they had ever listened to since they graduated. Ashi's jaw was on the floor, blinking slowly as she tried processing what her pup had just told her.
"Wait, stop, I mean— what? Brainstem?"
"A knockout happens when you apply a rotational torque to the brainstem. If you hit, or twist, the basilar artery then you can provoke spams of their muscular layer, which will interrupt the blood flow. Like, you get them good, then the neurotransmitters will flare up and, paired with no oxygen, you can make your opponent to lose consciousness. A knockout. You can also kill them, but I figured I didn't have the strength to do so." she smiled ruefully, showing the gap in her teeth. "Didn't get there anyway. Why're you laughing, Haiiro?"
The dog was having a great time watching Tsume progressively pale. His pup sure knew her theory, something that those two had learned by instinct a long time ago.
"Nothing pup, you did good, that's all."
"Ashi did me good, gods, this hurts."
Ashi, once her stupor cleared out, asked. "Sachi, let me get this straight… did you, study me?"
"Of course I did, I don't know if you have noticed Ashi, but I'm not good at fighting." she made a flourish with her hand. "But I am good at studying, and I used that to get the upper hand, get it?"
But Sachi did hit Ashi, and knowing that she had a certain outcome she was aiming for, made it all more… interesting.
"How much time have you been watching me?"
"Two weeks, I think. You don't go out much, so I had to bait you to fight me to get info."
"Bait me?"
"More like pissing you off to hit me, but yeah. When you get people angry they tend to be more honest."
Tsume sputtered a surprised laugh. Ashi was growing worried, because Sachi might have not faked her incompetent fighting style, but she had been playing her. The Inuzuka matriarch hadn't noticed anything, and had let herself be frustrated at Sachi's stagnant progress. She had been acting with a clear plan, and Ashi had fallen right into it.
"... you made out my pattern just by watching me?"
"You and everyone else. I don't know if the Inuzuka have a certain style, but you do fight similarly. I watched how the others dodged your hits, and then how they hit you in return. Oh, right. Thanks Tsume, you were the most useful."
"I need a drink." Tsume said.
Ashi was wrapping her mind around what Sachi had just told her, and reviewing their fight, she found why Sachi seemed to dodge at the exact moment.
Sachi had predicted her every move.
"Where… where did you get that knockout information from?" Ashi hadn't taught her anything about that in their spars, focusing in forms and stances rather than anatomy.
"The library, obviously. Noburu's Anatomy, volume I: Head and Neck. Page two hundred fifteen to two hundred ninety six. And then an unnamed book that had illustrations, I think it's the work of Takuya Yuuta. I considered hitting your stomach, maybe make you throw up, but you have abs of steel. A knockout was the best option, since I'm not tall enough to give you a concussion."
Haiiro laughed quietly. Hearing Sachi explain her plans in detail, on how she had considered giving Ashi a concussion in cold blood just so she could show them she could fight was a joy to his ears. Tsume was holding her head in her hands, not used to Sachi's mind, whereas Ashi was sobering quite quickly.
"Best option, hmm?" Sachi didn't hear the tense tone of Ashi, shrugging her shoulders. "Did you help her with this, Haiiro?"
"Nu-uh, don't blame me Ashi. The pup's got you all by herself." he remarked, shining his fangs. "You're a ninja, didn't you notice her ogling you? Maybe you should go to the Academy, might remember something."
Ashi wasn't amused. At all. Sachi was intelligent, that much was true, but she hadn't expected her to use her brain to overcome a physical challenge. The results were right there, because knowing the muscles didn't magically train them, or give you the experience of a seasoned shinobi. However, Sachi had gathered information about her opponent, used previous knowledge, and then came up with a plan that, in theory, should have worked.
Sachi was still useless at fighting, not without preparation, but that could be easily resolved. A fighter needed time to hone their skills, and Sachi was young enough to reach the potential she would otherwise have had she been born in a ninja clan. Nonetheless, her intelligence proved a much more dangerous weapon than she had previously thought.
Maybe Sachi wasn't so hopeless.
"Why did you do this, Sachi? Just to prove yourself?"
The girl chose to stay silent for a few seconds before confessing "My plan was to woo you with my kicks, maybe knock you out, and then beg you not to kill me while bargaining to go to the Academy, because I sure know how to fight, oh yeah, very easy. Good job, Sachi." she mocked herself, taking out the melted ice pack from her face and frowning at the light of the room. "I shouldn't have rushed it, dammit."
"You shouldn't have." Ashi amended, helping Sachi to incorporate herself. "I told you why you can't go to the Academy, darlin'."
"Yeah, I know." she sighed, gingerly touching her purple skin. "It doesn't matter, I flunked my plan, so that's that."
Haiiro could practically feel Ashi thinking. Sachi's approach had been unorthodox, and yet what a ninja would have done. Ninjas seldom went into a fight without knowing who their enemy was, discouraging to engage into combat if not sure they could win. That mentality was part of their mental conditioning, using logic and rational thinking to evaluate your options and buffer your emotions to avoid getting you killed in the heat of battle.
Sachi already thought like this. Ashi was left wondering just for a moment what would have happened, had Sachi been just a little bit older, a tiny bit sturdier and well trained.
The result made her smile. Haiiro was already grinning.
"Sachi, you're fucking insane, have I told you this?"
"Thanks, Tsume, I appreciate your input." the girl tried getting up, still drenched in red powder and splatters of blood. "I'm going to take a shower, I reek."
Ashi let her go, exhausted and sore as she was. Tsume was shaking her head in disbelief, Kuromaru deciding it wasn't his business and falling asleep in her lap. "Insane, bat shit crazy. Nee-chan, did you listen what she told you?"
She did.
"Patterns, weaknesses… she fucking knew you had busted your toe in the war! And the whole brainstem thing— damn this, nee-chan. We were freaking out because we thought the pup was gonna take you, like, for real. And then it turns out she just read a few books, stalked you, and then…" she laughed, a little nervous. "I won't ask you where did you get her, but please tell me you didn't kidnap a Nara."
Ashi laughed, realizing how absurd the situation was. An eight year old had outsmarted her, a Clan Head, just because she wanted to go to school. Almost worked too, which is why it made it all the more funnier.
Oh Sage, Ashi hadn't had a clue what she got into when she adopted Sachi.
"I didn't kidnap a Nara, Tsume."
"Fuckin' hell." she hissed. "What she did there… I think you need to send her to Intel, seriously. Inoichi would have a blast with her under his wing and she might have that thing with her blood, but she doesn't need to fight with that brain of hers."
"I'm not going to do that."
"Why not? She basically went into a recon mission! I fucking wish I was as smart as that brat, I would be Hokage by now!" As much as Ashi loved her sister, the prospect of Tsume as Hokage made her shiver. "For real, nee-chan. You can't keep smothering Sachi, the girl's got potential. We could use a smart Inuzuka, y'know?"
Ashi remained silent, her decision already made. She had seen Sachi's eyes when she fought, blazing and merciless. A ninja she might not be, maybe never will, but she had something more important than a good right hook.
Haiiro closed his eyes, satisfied.
.
"Hokage-sama? I think we missed an Academy application." Dan told him one morning. Presenting him with the folder, the leader didn't need to open it to know who it was about. "What shall we do? The school year is almost over."
Hiruzen took the papers, finding Sachi's grin missing a tooth and two faded black eyes in the first form. He didn't ponder what made Ashi change her opinion, but he was hardly one to deny a child their rightful education.
"Send a notice to the Academy," he said, hiding his smile behind his hat. "I believe this will prove interesting."
.
The main three buildings of the upper level of Leaf, aside from all the Administration branches, were the Hokage Tower, Hospital and Academy. The very first three institutions erected when the Shodaime acted upon his dream, the village expanding around them.
As such, the Academy was found in the left quadrant of the upper level, separated from the business side of the Hokage Tower or the solemnity of the right quadrant, were the Hospital was set. The building itself was divided into three wings, surrounding a training ground posing as a courtyard. It had three floors, with high curving ceilings, and there were stone columns keeping the wood in place. The land in which the Academy was built was considerably large, a private forest acting as a barrier from the rest of the village, a vantage point for the guards as well as keeping ninjas in the making, with not yet developed brains, inside. For good measure they added a wooden fence, Sachi noted as they passed through.
Parents and children crowded the entrance, Ashi keeping a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.
"This is it." she told her. "We'll go into the director's office to talk about your classes and then you'll stay here, 'kay?"
The girl had earned her admission, if only to make her reconsider going into the lifepath of a shinobi. Sachi, so far, had been brimming with eagerness, excitement that Ashi found difficult to match. The Inuzuka alpha was beginning to understand that nothing stopped her ward until she got her way, and if the girl wanted to learn, then so be it.
Didn't make it any easier though.
The bell rung, letting the crowd thin and the overwhelming smells and noises to pass. People stared at them, mostly clan children, interested to know why a Clan Head was parading a child. No doubt that news would spread, Inuzuka Ashi finally deciding to let her coveted new addition into society.
Sachi was turning her head around, taking every detail into her mind, quiet as they made their way to the last floor, the director's office in the middle of the three ediffices.
Nara Shun waved them in, his glasses slipping up his hooked nose as he inclined his head. "Good morning, Ashi-sama, Haiiro-sama. Do take a seat, don't be shy..." focusing on the little girl, he said. "You must be Sachi-kun."
Ashi was already familiar with Shun, having taken over from poor old Ayano when Tsume and the Hyūga Twins decided to make the Academy a political bomb. He wasn't living in the Nara compound anymore, moving in with his civilian wife in the upper level. It was a smart choice, since a Nara closely tied to the clan might rise questions to whether the Academy was as neutral as the Hokage advertized it as.
He had a good way with children, having five himself no less, yet keeping a no bullshit attitude needed to deal with numerous clans on a daily basis. Ashi didn't envy his position, respecting him for understanding her sister's troubles when she needed it most. She hoped he would be willing to accept Sachi just as easily.
"I wouldn't have believed to ever see you here again, Ashi-sama." the old Nara remarks, no heat behind it. "I'm glad."
She mirrors his smile. Shun had known Isamu, a terror when it came to card games, or so he would justify having lost half his mission's pay. "Likewise. I do apologize for the late call."
"Nonsense. Although it is unusual for students to come so late in the year, preferring to wait for the next term, we don't drive them away if they do so." he explained, putting her worries aside. "Extenuating circumstances, I presume?"
He had no idea. "In a nutshell, yes."
Shun regarded Sachi with his dark droopy eyes. Ashi wondered what he saw in her, the fading bruising on her face, the shiny red fangs on her cheeks or the dark clothing she cladded herself in. The leather gloves hiding her Dark Release marks, or the grey and red haori making sure no inch of skin above the neck was shown. Maybe he took notice of her eyes, or the happy smile. Perhaps nothing at all, or everything at once.
Ashi couldn't tell, the Nara trademark disinterested expression hiding his thoughts. What Ashi knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, was that Sachi's grin promised a great deal of migraines. Call it gut feeling.
"Whatever the case, it's good to have you here, Sachi-kun. I understand you have been adopted recently, how are you finding Leaf?"
If she was surprised to be involved in the conversation, she didn't show it. "Different."
Shun hummed, squinting his eyes ever so slightly. "A politician's response. Are you familiar with a ninja Academy?" she shook her head. "Would you like me to explain it? Good. A ninja Academy is based on the principle of specializing the education for those that want to pursue a career as a ninja. Do you want to become a ninja, Sachi-kun?"
It was a test.
"I want to learn, Shun-san."
The director leaned over his desk, saying. "Then you're in the right place. It involves both academics and physical training, both intensifying as you go up the grades. I want to be honest with you, Sachi-kun, not everyone who enters successfully graduates."
She cocked her head to the side, feigning innocence. "It won't be a problem"
"Confident, hmm?" he pushes his glasses up his nose. "How old are you?"
"Eight years old, nine in spring."
"Here says you wish to start from first grade. Is it true?"
After showing, finally, some good results in her training Ashi had allowed for Sachi to enrol. The only condition that she had to start from first grade rather than the fourth per the age requirements. The young Archive didn't care, as long as she got her name included in the Academy's records and have access to the ninja library. As well as… other benefits.
"Yes, I want the full experience."
Shun quirked his lips into a smile. "Very well." he turned back to Ashi, saying "I want to address Sachi-kun's health reports. They say that if… a medical emergency were to occur she is to go directly to Tsunade-sama or you."
"Correct."
"You are aware that we have medical personnel here."
"I am, but Sachi has a condition that only I and Tsunade-hime can treat."
"An unnamed condition." he comments, waiting for Ashi to elaborate further. When she doesn't, he hums low in his throat, saying "Will it be a problem for your studies?"
Sachi shrugs, "Nothing I can't work around."
"Careful there, Sachi-kun, overconfidence won't get you far." his warning is good natured, Sachi not reacting besides staring right at him. "You understand that shinobi require to be in good health to attend, and insisting when there is a clear handicap will be a waste of resources and time."
He was baiting her. Ashi let it happen, she couldn't save Sachi all the time and if she was to attend she would need to watch her words. Sachi's condition was too suspicious to share, chakra in blood unheard off in living beings.
"My time is too precious to waste, but I can attest that my health won't become a problem."
Haiiro nibbled Sachi's hand. It wouldn't be a good impression to pick up a fight with the director, her health an obvious sore spot that the Nara hawk could see from a mile away. She smiled sweetly, although her eyes were anything but.
Whatever Shun saw in them, it made him end the impromptu interrogation and continue with the usual introductions.
Under normal circumstances the director didn't test the students, too busy with the upcoming year, but Ashi knew that Shun was a recruiter too.
A recruiter was someone who spotted potential, to start them early into a more specialized program and make sure they grow into the best soldiers they could be. They were tasked to effectively groom children from the start, bypassing the usual six years it took to graduate. With so many clans in the Academy, their work served to select the very best and quickly direct them to the branches where they would serve more efficiently.
Ashi knew this because she herself had been one such child, sent to serve in Reconnaissance's branch of ANBU. It pained her to admit it, but it had done her well. She had been able to nurture her skills early, finding her place in Leaf's military before she was sent to war. Sometimes she did wonder what would have she become, had Shun not seen that potential in her.
Which is why Ashi was nervous about him.
Sachi was not.
The girl was unfazed by the scrutinizing eyes of Shun, veiled with the well exercised slump of a Nara. Ashi had asked her why was she so adamant about going into the Academy, when she didn't want to serve as a ninja, and with her chakra pathways…
"I want to learn." Sachi answered her. That simple, that direct.
"Very well. Is there something we must know before I stamp this?"
Ashi could back down. Who knew what kind of fate Sachi was getting herself into? What if she was spotted? What if Shun decided that Intel was her best option, the Yamanaka doing a mental swipe and finding everything? She could very well be signing Sachi to a certain death, if not embarrassment and disappointment.
Sachi touched her hand gently. "Nope."
"No." Ashi said. It was Sachi's choice, and she would respect it.
Shun put the stamp on Sachi's files. "It's done. Welcome to the Academy, Sachi-kun. Do you have any questions?"
"When can I get my tags?"
Shun blinks slowly. "Eager, hmm? You can pick your tags from either the Academy's administration office on the first floor, here is the flyer. The first tags are subsidized by the government, if you lose them you will have to pay a fee."
Sachi took the paper with excited fingers, missing the director's interest. Then, turning to Ashi, he gave her a meaningful look.
Oh fuck.
"Do I start now?" Sachi asks, getting up. "I don't want to be late for class."
"You can. You homeroom teacher is Nanako Miku-sensei. First building, first floor, class one. Will you be able to find it?"
Sachi was already out the door, Haiiro at her heel warning her not to fall down the stairs. The Inuzuka matriarch thanked the director dor his time and his patience, following after them.
Before she closed the door, Shun said:
"See you soon, Ashi-sama."
.
The peace lasted a week.
The teacher in charge of class one had sighed at the prospect of a new student in her class. Not strange, bastard children appearing like weeds after the clans tracked down their MIA soldiers after the Second War. A loud secret, the novelty of it wearing down after the annual records showed an increase of twenty percent in their enrolled students.
Inuzuka Sachi was supposed to be one more bastard child, nothing more. Miku had dealt with enough students with questionable heritage in her career, and she knew for a fact that they often dropped out before they reached the mandatory four years and going into the Guilds. Not their fault they parents had tried getting away from Leaf, only to fail miserably and be dragged back with the promise of freeing them of their duties toward the village via slit throat.
At least she wasn't a Hyūga or an Uchiha. Sage only knows what kind of life awaited those poor bastards.
"Okay class, anyone remember who the founding father is?"
Sachi had started inconspicuous enough. Miku had yet to see an illegitimate Inuzuka, that clan usually open to anyone because of their lack of bloodline limits, so having a not pure bred child was not frowned upon. What was strange was that the Clan Head had adopted her, and if Miku hadn't known that the woman had been a widow until that point, she would have believed that her husband had had a misstep.
However, Miku's expectations soon fell short.
"Ah, Sachi-kun, do you know the answer?"
The girl was awfully quiet, and Miku feared she was slightly retarded. Inuzuka's were difficult on a good day, with their dogs leaving fur everywhere and biting the desks; if this one had lower mental capacities then the teacher was willing to bet that she would get cut down before the finals came.
"The Hidden Village in the Leaves was founded by the joint efforts of the Senju and Uchiha clans after they put an end to the Warring States Era in Fire Country. Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara set an example of peaceful coexistence, which made possible the settlement of Leaf, with the collaboration of other clans and the island of Uzushio after they joined the cause." the girl said, not missing a beat.
That was not what she expected.
"W-what? What did you say?"
"I answered your question." she told her, frowning a little.
"Yes… but I asked about the founding father, just the one."
Sachi's frown turned into a scowl. "Hashirama-sama wasn't the only founding father, what about Uchiha Madara? Or Uzumaki Mito?"
"Who is Uchiha Madara, sensei?"
Miku forced a smile onto her lips. "No one, Ai-kun."
"But Sachi-kun says…"
"It doesn't matter, Sachi-kun is wrong."
The girl in question widened her eyes, taken aback by her tone. Miku, as a teacher, needed to be careful about what she taught in history. Leaf's history was extensive, and six year olds couldn't grasp politics, which was why they only focused on the basics for the first two grades. Normally, this worked like a charm, kids that young barely paying attention anyway, and not interested in topics beyond who was the strongest and what would be reviewed for the finals.
Sachi disagreed.
"Wrong?" she said, raising her voice so that it echoed throughout the theatre-like classroom. "Miku-sensei, what I said is the truth."
The teacher missed the heat in that statement, mitigating the rising murmur of her fifty students by telling them to change the page. Fruitless, as Ai turned around and told Sachi that Uchiha Madara didn't exist.
"Sensei said he was no one, and sensei doesn't lie!" the sweet girl said in her defense. "Mama says it's bad to raise your voice, doesn't your mama told you so?"
If eyes could kill, Ai would have combusted right then and there.
Sachi leaned over her desk slowly, making sure the little girl got a full image of her sharp smile. "My mother is fucking dead, Ai-kun." and then, when the girl started stammering about curses and how she was naughty, she added "And teachers lie, why do you think you won't ever graduate?"
Miku was so surprised by the lashout of chakra that it froze her movements to shut Sachi up. She had dealt with difficult students for two decades, her early onset of grey hairs testament that she had went through as many hopeless cases as she could endure. That was the duty of a teacher, to select the most promising students and move them up the ranks until they graduated, stalling the progress of those that would likely die if they ever made it out into the field, and filling the quota of average soldiers they had per year.
Ai, an innocent girl not a day above seven years old, came from a civilian background that would most probably make her drop out of school till she reached the age of ten and went into the Guilds. Miku knew it was for the best, making sure that the truly deserving students went forward while the others supported the village via the inner workings that the Guilds took care of.
What Miku didn't understand was how Sachi had figured that out.
"More importantly," she raised her head, her yellow eyes squinting at her with disdain. "Uchiha Madara did exist, and he was just as important as Hashirama to creating Leaf. He was the one that accepted Hashirama-sama's peace treaty, officially ending the conflict between the Senju and Uchiha that spanned the two centuries prior. That treaty helped the ninja conflicts die down, if only because the main two power houses had allied themselves and decided to settle themselves not as one clan, but as an association between both."
The children were gaping, the words flying over their heads, missing completely the importance of that historical fact. Sachi, however, was unfazed by the rising eyebrows and how upset Ai was.
"Leaf was the first ever Hidden Village, which supposed not only the first centralized military power, but one at the service of only one family, as opposed to various noble lords that employed the ninja services to sabotage and annihilate their neighbours. Fire Country went from an agglomeration of privately owned land to an actual Country, governed by the Kokasai family in the form of the daimyou." Sachi ignored the teachers warning to stop, and took another breath. "The Warring States Era ended when other ninja clans, such as the Hyūga or Aburame, saw the benefit of joining forces and serving one master in exchange for a place to live and train their soldiers. It only became more fundamental to the shaping of the current governing system of the Continent when Uzushio escaped the monopoly of the Archipielago Empire, which reigned over the eastern saltwaters, by joining Leaf's newfound military sanctuary under the condition to protect their shores." and then, just because she could, she added. "Fire Country came to be as we know it thanks to the efforts of Hashirama and Madara. They revolutionized the feudal system, which proved to be essential for Fire Country to defend their new borders during the First Great War. So, yeah, both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were the founding fathers, for Leaf and for the other Hidden Villages by proxy."
The classroom fell silent at Sachi's retelling. Miku was dumbfounded, because the Academy didn't teach that part of history until sixth grade, when children had a chance to comprehend what it entailed. What Sachi explained was true, the alliance between the Senju and Uchiha revolutionized the Continent after proving the usefulness of having a specialized military instead of several independent groups that worked for the highest bidder. It allowed for progress, after the skirmishes between rivalling ninja clans — or the opposing noble clans that used their services— ended and people could settle and evolve without the fear of a raid or spionage.
In summary, the Senju and Uchiha effectively created the Hidden Villages and the Elemental Countries by shaking hands.
"Is… is that true, sensei?"
"Well… what Sachi-kun has said is somewhat right, but this is not what we go over this year, so you don't have to worry about it."
"But what about Uchiha Madara? He sounds important."
"Yeah, an Uchiha!"
"Who was he?"
"Class, calm down… this will not be evaluated in the exam, so you don't need to know." Miku said, hoping to appease them. She really didn't need the Uchihas hearing about this and questioning why she was teaching impressionable children about a man who they were trying to erase from history.
Sachi, who was starting to become the bane of Miku's existence, grinned. "They want to know, sensei, isn't your job to teach them?"
It was right then and there when Nanako Miku understood that Sachi was not your regular Inuzuka. If a rowdy Inuzuka was bad enough, what about an intelligent one?
(Miku wasn't ready for it. The world was not ready for it.)
At her stalling, Sachi took it upon herself to answer her fellow classmate. "Uchiha Madara was both a founding father of Leaf and its first traitor." the children gasped. "He betrayed Leaf by crossing the alliance of Leaf and Uzushio, who were trying to seal the Tailed Beasts into human vessels. Uchiha Madara wanted to possess the Kyuubi whereas Uzumaki Mito advocated for creating the jinchūriki. That disagreement ended in the Battle of the Valley of the End, its aftermath with the supposed death of Uchiha Madara."
"He betrayed Leaf?!"
"What? But… Leaf is good! That's not true…!"
" —Uchiha are the police, are they gonna betray us again?"
"Yeah, they have such creepy eyes…"
"I'm scared!"
"J-jinchuu… jinchūriki? What's that?"
"Tailed Beasts?! Sounds so cool!"
Sachi sits smug in her seat, enjoying the chaos she had caused with her history lessons. Miku did her best to calm the children down, a few of them crying inconsolably as their image of a perfect Leaf was destroyed by cold hard facts. They were too young to understand what hat truly transpired during those years, and that Uchiha Madara had turned out to be a power hungry madman, willing to destroy what he had created just so he could control the outcome of his desires.
The Uchiha had risked their position in the village after their leader descended into insanity. It was a part of history written in red, one which they tried to smudge by not bringing it up again. The name of Madara meant traitor in Leaf, and anyone who uttered it was an enemy to the Uchiha. No teacher wished to bring that topic, shame and disgust the main motives letting aside the retribution of the Uchiha for the reminder of how one of their own could be so disgraceful.
The Inuzuka bastard peered down at her between her dark lashes, shadowing her yellow irises. Miku saw right through her ruse, the tell tale feeling of being played souring her thoughts.
Sachi knew what she was doing.
"And that wasn't the end of it." she continued, dragging her words with mock enthusiasm. "Uchiha Madara's attempt of controlling a Tailed Beast for his own means created a global interest in the demons. Hashirama-sama tried mending that by distributing the jinchūriki between the Elemental Countries in good faith, only to be betrayed once again when the Second War began after his death."
After Mito proved that a Tailed Beast could be sealed into a human, Hashirama focused his efforts into ridding the world of the catastrophic presence of the demons. Mito had originally planned for the jinchūriki to be kept into neutral ground, the Uzumaki priests with the best traits for containing the demons without corrupting their minds. It proved to be a naive goal, as the Elemental Countries firmly opposed the idea of such devastating power to be kept into one place, forcing Hashirama's hand at keeping the peace by giving up the jinchūriki.
That too proved to be wishful thinking, as after Hashirama, the God of Shinobi and possibly the most powerful man after the Sage himself, died. When the threat of his retribution was gone, the Second War began two decades later, in spite of the attempts of Senju Tobirama at resolving the political tensions.
And with the jinchūriki, fully grown and groomed for war by the same countries that took them in claims of maintaining peace, they started the perfect disaster.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had changed the world, hoping for the best but obtaining the worst.
Sachi sat innocently in her spot, her eyes blazing with vengeance. The room was full of too pale children, some crying and others quietly taking that in as their image of a peaceful world went down in flames.
"Sachi-kun. Get. Out."
The girl got up without arguing, her smile all but unrepentant as she did so.
Miku took a seat, her strength leaving her at the implication of being that brat's teacher for four years.
Maybe it wasn't too early for retirement.
...
My, hello there! Welcome to this new arc, ACADEMICS AND THROWING PUNCHES. As you can see, I'm not dead, so have other six chapters of this clusterfuck. Enjoy~
Sachi is such a little shit, I love her. I know I say this every time, but I have so much fun writing her. And the consequences of her actions, of course. Showing her teeth a tiny bit in this chapter, with that cunning mind of hers. We'll she how that goes.
I'm trying to show how the Academy works and what not, and how someone like Sachi, who is probably the worst kind of person to attend (smartmouthed and, y'know, crippled), manages to graduate or not. Also, introducing more OC's and backstory.
Let's not forget history lessons. I'm making this shit up as I go, so if you see something that doesn't add up, you can tell me. I'm trying to keep it consistent, but the timeline is hell and I must change things. Because this is an AU, I don't need to worry, but I'm just saying that I won't keep everything like canon.