Disclaimer I do not own Naruto.
Recap:
"What were you doing with Tobirama Senju?" he asked serious.
"What?" Hikari counter asked surprised. "Why do you ask that?"
"You were laughing and he seemed to be having a nice time" Izuna said "That does not seem Tobirama at all"
"You think he had an ulterior motive?" the Takishima joked. The youngest Uchiha crossed his arms.
"You still haven't answered my question…" he said.
"I was training with Megumi and we found him on top of the Mount" she explained "he was meditating"
"And he didn't leave when he felt you?" Izuna kept asking. Toka and Takato exchanged looks confused by his actions.
"He said he felt us but stayed because he was curious" Hikari said "I had felt him too but I assumed the same, that he might leave" the Uchiha stayed silent "I don't see the point of all this questioning"
"It's not like him to be curious" he said "And now he's going to train with you guys?"
"Megumi invited him; she seems to like him" The Takishima started "Could it be that you are jealous?"
"Excuse me?" Izuna's face reddened a little "Why would I be jealous, enlighten me?" he said sarcastically crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. The other two were expecting Hikari's answer too.
"Because you don't want me to befriend him" she said simply "You and me started almost the same way I started with Tobirama-san" Toka snorted and the Uchiha preferred to let that pass "And you don't want to lose me as a friend". Izuna was dumbfounded
"Y-you consider me a friend?" he asked.
"Um yeah" Hikari answered "Sort of". He sighed from relief, but keeping true to his personality he maliciously mocked her.
"So you are that kind of person that after only 3 weeks maybe a month befriends strangers that started being hateful to them?" he sarcastically asked. She was upset by his statement, she was not like that, but they were different, she couldn't explain it even to herself.
"Why you…." She started in anger and then also sighed. It was not that she had not thought the same; it was odd to befriend them so quickly. "You're right. I'm not usually like that, but now it seems I do" she looked a bit down and that made the Uchiha lower his façade. There was a small pause and she added "But tell me which other options I have left? We have nobody here" her voice was shaky, and Izuna suddenly felt utterly bad. That was true, and he had not thought about that.
"Hey, cheer up" he walked over to her and grab her by her shoulders "I am just joking around woman" he smiled kindly and as Hikari blinked some tears fell through her cheeks. Seeing her crying, well not actually crying because they were only some lost tears, made Takato angry. His otouto had reached a limit.
"You're an Idiot" Takato said to his brother "You're only being mean to her, and she's only been nice to you since you made peace" he was so serious that Izuna gulped.
"T-Takato-san, it's not that…" Hikari tried to defend his brother and that angered him more.
"Don't defend him Hikari-san" he said firmly "he needs to understand that is funny being sarcastic, but there are times that he hurts people" he looked at his brother again "You can be really insensitive you know" The Uchiha siblings had had lots of silly fights, but Izuna knew his brother well and the seriousness he emanated remembered of the few times he saw him truly angry. That made him feel like a child that had done something wrong.
"I'm sorry" he said lowering his head "I didn't mean to be hateful, I just acted that way because you said I was jealous of Tobirama and all the friendship stuff, it was a stupid pride thing" he said a bit embarrassed
"It's okay Izuna-san" she wiped the treacherous tears that fell on her cheeks as the Uchiha let go of her shoulders "It's not that I haven't thought the same. This is odd, but I think I may know why it's easier for me to befriend all of you. I can't say much, but we already knew Tobirama-san and Hashirama-san…" the trio gasped at her in surprise "Ah... because of academy text books I mean" she added, it would have been disastrous to explain them the Edo tensei thing and stuff.
"Does Nii san appear on your books too?" Izuna said talking about Madara.
"Yes he does…" Hikari tried to sound better "But actually our history doesn't say much, only that they were the founders of the Village and stuff. I've always admired them" she lied a bit there, she had only admired Nidaime sama, everybody said Hashirama was a Shinobi god but she could see that his brother was behind of every advance in the Village. With Madara… well, during the last part of the war she could see that he had only wanted peace, not power per se, and his people gave their backs to him. Now knowing him like he originally was made him feel almost like a relative, he was intelligent, kind and fun to be with. But she wasn't lying that the history books were very poor though, and in their time, he really became a monster. His sibling's passing had really destroyed him, she thought.
"Wow, that's great" the youngest Uchiha said, he didn't sound like himself yet, but the conversation was better. Even Takato's demeanor had softened a little.
"And you, Izuna-san" she put a hand on one of his shoulders now "You make me remember of a friend I've lost" the mentioned was surprised of that "It's like you are a reincarnation of him" she joked "Because you have the same wicked sense of humor, but in the end you're both pretty soft" Izuna blushed notoriously with that.
"Hn" he coughed to control his voice, he was not going to admit that he felt odd when she spoke about her friend "For your information I am not soft" he said serious and Toka and his brother suppressed a smile "But I guess I can acknowledge the fact that you like me that much because of the resemblance with your friend" he smirked now "What was his name?"
"Shisui, Uchiha Shisui" she smiled. Takato and Izuna were shocked to hear that. The Uchiha hadn't been kind to this girl, and yet she had a friend in the clan.
"It seems that not all Uchiha were bad to you" he smiled
"True, Shisui and Itachi-kun were my best friends" she said smiling tenderly. "Aside from Sakura and my cousin"
"Ohhh" Toka intervened to rise the mood up "Soo now you're also mentioning Itachi-KUN" she said emphasizing the 'kun' treatment "You seem to be pretty fond of him, did you like him?" she elbowed in the ribs. The Takishima's face was red as a tomato; Takato got again that feeling of void in the pitch of his stomach.
"I-I..." Hikari started to say. Izuna could realize that his brother was expectant to that answer, it was subtle though. He was sure his brother liked this girl, and after he heard him talking with Megumi and the face he did when he also saw Tobirama with the Kunoichi –one that of course Izuna was the only one to notice – he began to think he might be developing feelings for her. This was not the moment of heartbreak so he intervened.
"Don't be so nosy Toka!" the youngest Uchiha reprimanded the Senju "If she likes him or not, that is not your business"
"You are as nosy as I am!" she started to fight him. As they engaged in a verbal fighting Takato sweat dropped and got closed to Hikari, he spoke to her in low voice
"I hope my brother does something with the prohibition of having a relationship outside the clan" he said serious, and the Takishima didn't know why her heart seemed to skip a beat when she heard him saying that "If not, this one is going to be a sad bachelor for the rest of his life" he added pointing to his brother.
"You think so?" she answered as if nothing happened 'Kami, why did that comment made me so nervous?' She thought. "How long is this been going on?" she pointed now the spicy duo as she liked to call them.
"I have a theory, but I am not really sure…" he whispered.
"Wow tell me later please, it's been long since we last talked" she answered referring to their letters and the added giggling "It seems we are nosier than them"
The duo stopped fighting when they heard Takato and Hikari laughing. All the middle Uchiha's worries disappeared when he heard her referring their exchanges.
"What are you two laughing about?" Toka said catching her breath.
"We were saying you look like Madara and Hashirama fighting all the time" The middle Uchiha quickly lied. Hikari nodded energetic compelling.
"Please don't compare me with Hashi" the Senju kunoichi sweat dropped "I do love him as a brother, but hell no!" They all laughed at that. The Takishima felt good around them. She had some friends in her time but not a group like this, though she preferred not to think Takato as a friend yet. She wasn't sure what she felt, but she knew she liked him. She hoped she could have more time to hang out with him, but now it was not the time. She shook her head.
"Okay" Hikari said "Shall we start?"
"Hai Sensei" the three of them said in unison.
Hashirama was surprised that Ryuuji was doing some katas to warm up. He had never seen someone doing that despite of Wata San, Ichigo's Grand Mother. She used to do these body movements she said were an ancient technique.
"Did you teach him this?" the Senju asked to the pinkette
"Yes, my sensei taught me that" Sakura said "They were an ancient technique" Hashirama looked at her astonished.
"Was your Sensei a Senju perhaps?" he tried to get more information on her. She didn't show many signs but her eyebrows went a little bit higher, so he assumed it might be true. Madara thought she would feel bad if he started enquiring about her past so he intervened.
"Why do you assume that, baka?" he said feigning pride "You are so full of your Clan, it can be from anybody. The Uchiha also have a sort of kata style, but not everybody practices"
"You have?" Hashirama and Sakura asked in unison. "Pleaaase show me" the Senju begged "You have never told me this" Madara hmped and looked to the side.
"I won't" he said "I was never good at that"
"But you can show us and I can help you improve it" the pinkette said "Katas are also relaxing, and help our mind to focus"
"Hn…" the Uchiha said "Let me think of it, I don't know If I want to risk the shame" he smirked.
"Okay!" Sakura said knowingly she realized her student had finished and talked to the Senju "Hashirama-san Ryuuji has finished his Kata. Maybe some other day you can ask him to teach you" she was really grateful to Madara for helping her avoid the Senju Teacher question, but she was sure they had realized something.
"Ryuuji-san" The Senju called the boy "Can we spar now?" he requested.
"Sure! " He said "Just taijutsu is fine for you?" he politely asked "It's the only thing I can do for now" The teen was starting to be more confident with the elders
"Let's go for Taijutsu then!" Hashirama beamed. Madara and Sakura went back to seat under their tree.
"Don't be too harsh on him!" The pinkette shouted.
"I won't!" The Senju answered.
"I was talking to Ryuuji" she mocked.
"You're a tease too" the Uchiha smirked at her.
"Let me enjoy life!" the kunoichi laughed. Hashirama from the distance was looking the whole scene, 'Oh, for kami's sake! They look so cute together!' he thought and giggling he faced the teenager who was already in battle position.
The Senju started the fight, he run towards the boy and threw his right fist directly to the boys head. Ryuuji dodged with a little difficulty, but he realized with that that Hashirama wasn't going easy on him. A sense of pride filled him and he respected him more.
The Koji boy dodged two more punches and then he received a kick on his left side that threw him some feet away leaving him without air.
"Oh Ryuuji-san, are you okay?" the man asked worried "I didn't mean to hurt you"
The teen was catching his breath as he tried to stand up.
"You think it's good that the Idiot fights your student?" Madara said to Sakura at the distance "He is not going full force, but he's also not going easy. He might hurt him badly"
"If he does, I'll heal Ryuuji" the Pinkette crossed her arms and looked at the boy intently. "Don't underestimate him. I beat him up every day." The Uchiha's eyes went from her to the youngling. 'Kami, she might be an insane teacher' he thought.
"Okay, you know him better than anyone I guess" he answered staring at him too.
When Ryuuji finally stood up, he looked at his sensei and then to Hashirama. He took a deep breath and charged towards him ready to hit him. When the Senju was forming his defense to stop him, the boy changed strategy and connected a reversed lateral kick on his rival's jaw, who fell hard because he wasn't expecting that.
"Whoa!" Madara exclaimed. He had never seen someone beat Hashirama aside of him. Of course he was far from winning, but the impressive thing was that the boy could catch him off guard. And that reversed kick was wicked. Sakura eyed him and smirked.
The Senju rose up, he had a little of blood on the corner of his mouth because he had bitten his lip, but he was smiling broadly.
"That was awesome!" he celebrated, and charged again against him. Ryuuji dodged some more punches, blocked a pretty harsh kick and then something wonderful happened.
Hashirama tried to hit him attacking yokomen uchi to the side of his neck and the boy caught his wrist with his outer hand following his movement, the Senju was obliged to follow his attack trajectory because the energy of his punch kept him moving, Ryuuji had lowered his tan-tien forcing him to lower himself too. Then the teen put his free hand opened over Hashirama's inner elbow. He did a simple step to the front pushing lightly his opponent's arm and the Senju flew over his own body and fell to the ground.
Madara got up as a reflex and Sakura was pleased to see his amazed expression.
"Nee… He really can dodge and do some wild some stuff" she said from her spot "That's the basis of field medic training, to dodge. And if you can harm your opponent in the meantime, the better. He might have no Chakra abilities right now, but he sure is quick learning Taijutsu"
"Sugoi…" the Uchiha whispered.
Hashirama kneeled in the floor, catching his breath. That technique had surprised him even more than the kick, and the hit of his poor fall took all his air out of his lungs. He had grass all over his hair, but was smiling happily.
"I don't want to repeat myself, but that was indeed awesome" The Senju praised Ryuuji. "You need to teach me that!" Ryuuji scratched the back of his head.
"This is all I've learnt since I've started with Sakura-Sensei" he said embarrassed "I know would never be a match to you nor Madara-san, but I will fight for you and for this village. I will get stronger!" he offered his hand to the Senju, not to help him stand, because he didn't need that, but as peace offer. Hashirama took it acknowledging him. Sakura stood from her spot and walked towards her student.
"The will of fire…" she said as she passed next to the Uchiha. He looked at her absorted. 'The will of fire… it doesn't have to be a shinobi yet to feel it.' He thought 'Interesting…"
"Sakura-san" the Senju said to her "Please teach me that!" he begged.
"Umm, I'd prefer not" she said, and seeing the Senju's long face she elaborated "You can't' take all the time of my trainings with Ryuuji you know?" she thought further "Maybe he can show you, since he is learning, it will serve him as a practice. Are you okay with that boy?" she asked her student.
"Sure, I'll be honored" he said proudly.
"Okay, you can start by explaining him the attacks you've just used" the pinkette said as she returned to the tree. "Are you going to train with them?" she asked to Madara as she sat again on the root. He considered it for a bit, but he chose just to watch for today.
"Not today" he said "If you don't mind the company, I prefer to watch". Sakura signalized the root next to her and he took that as an invitation to sit down. Soon Hashirama and Ryuuji were immersed on practice.
"Have you spoken about the Village's leadership" the kunoichi went straight to the point, taking him by surprise.
"Hn" he answered "Actually, not yet. With all this training and stuff, we haven't met to arrange that"
"You have to decide that soon" she said looking at him and then directing her sight to the Senju "People need leadership, and also if you want to open the Village to new clans and commerce, you need representation"
"You're right" The Uchiha said "I think we're a bit dumbfounded with the concretion of our Village that we haven't think of welcoming new clans yet. We still have roughness in relationship between the only two." He sighed "Maybe we need a person like you to point us out stuff we're not seeing or taking on account"
"That is my job!" Sakura said, and he looked at her "I mean…" she said "I have worked on the same stuff, that was my job"
"You served the Hokage, right?" Madara asked. She had mentioned something similar some days ago.
"Yes that's true, Her right hand was Shisune san, my sempai who was a very well trained medic and friend, she was her first apprentice and used to travel with her before she accepted the work" she explained, "I was her second right hand, if something like that exists" she smiled "She took me as an apprentice and taught me most of the things I know, and when she realized I was able to understand some complicated stuff, she used me to help her with all the paperwork. Fortunately, she also taught me political protocol."
"Wow, you're definitely a very prepared woman" Madara said but he didn't say it as compliment.
"I have the feeling that that seems to surprise you…" Sakura continued not amused "don't tell me you are a male chauvinist…"
"A what?" the Uchiha looked at her disoriented.
"A man that thinks women cannot be prepared or be their equals" the pinkette explained "Also that they have less rights than men and sometimes no rights at all" The face the man did was all Sakura needed to realized she had understood his statement wrong.
"How can that be possible?" he said outraged
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" she started
"Don't apologize" he calmed her "I wasn't talking about myself; I was referring to what you were saying. I know men that think women are weaker, I sometimes thought so in terms of brute force but then again women endure so much pain all their lives that that showed me their strength lays on other terms of biology. Oka-san gave birth to five kids, all by herself and with the help of her best friend. My dad would feel he was dying if he had a simple cold" He added proudly "Also I've met you and you proved me wrong on the brute force thing. I know that if you put all that super strength of yours to work you might kill me in the most painful way." She giggled at that "I just can't believe to be possible there are men think women have less or no rights, that's all." He felt a bit aware when he saw the way she was looking at him.
"I'm pleasantly surprised of what you've said" Sakura added "I thought that maybe because of the era…" she stopped when she heard him sighed.
"I won't lie to you" Madara said "Some of the old hags of the council do think that way. But my generation grew up with Uchiha women defending the camps and becoming fine kunoichi. So for us is natural to see women as equals." He saw her nodding taking what he was saying "What surprised me was that you truly are really prepared, more than I have already thought. And that's wonderful. You should be the Hokage" he smiled. Her face became red as a Tomato and pretty nervous.
"Um, no, no, no" she said. "Thank you for your words, you don't know what they mean to me, but I am not capable to be a Hokage. I am no leader"
"Why not?" he asked amused "You have the knowledge, the strength and you know how to teach, that is similar to lead. Didn't you have other medics at your charge?"
"Yes, but…" she started
"Then I don't see the point of saying that you are not capable, nor a leader" he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. She became silent, still red, but silent. She had never thought about that. The way he put it, it didn't seem an impossible thing to do. But it didn't feel right. He didn't disturb her musings and also remained in silence enjoying the spring breeze. Hashirama was deeply concentrated on whatever Ryuuji was explaining to him, and Madara found himself for the first time in years, maybe in his life, completely and truly at ease. His attention returned to her when he realized she was ready to answer.
"You know, I have spent most of my life feeling little and not able to do stuff." Sakura started, he raised both eyebrows in surprise now "I knew I was bright, but they always were ahead of me. Naruto and Sasuke-kun I mean. I always thought they had left me behind. Then Shishou became Hokage and I wanted to be trained by her. She was a very renowned kunoichi worldwide, but still I did it to catch up with them. Even when I became the strongest I could become" she looked at him and signaled the diamond on her forehead "I was able to fight by their side for minutes, because they always were years ahead from me." She made a pause and Madara, despite of having lots of questions remained quiet.
"In some point of the journey I realized that I had been foolish, because the thing was that I really wanted to protect them. They were my team, my family. And they were like Hashirama-san and you, friends and rivals. But their relationship became darker and they almost killed themselves twice. In their last battle they even lost an arm each." She heard the Uchiha gasp, she didn't know why, but she had the need to tell him this story "I arrived at the battlefield and stopped the hemorrhages. Sasuke-kun apologized for all the bad things he had done to me during our adolescence, and I knew it. I wanted to save them. I always wanted that. Not to catch up, not to be a leader, not to shine alone. I wanted to be the strength for them to shine. So I don't want o nor will I ever want to be a Hokage. I want to help from the side, to protect this village and its people." She stopped her long speech smiling sheepishly "Fortunately, I was already on a good path, because I was already the second best doctor in the Village behind the Hokage."
Madara had the urge to hug her but he could control it. He wanted to know more about her. He needed to. But he wanted to take things slow. This was so new to him, that he didn't understand his feelings and himself completely yet. He opted to speak to her like they had been talking all evening.
"You know I have a lot of questions of what you just said, don't you?" he stated. Sakura nodded smiling "Promise me some day you will tell me more about your story. I won't interrogate you right now"
"I promise" she said raising her right hand. She somehow was sure she will anyway.
"Let me ask you only two things, would you?" he enquired
"Hn" she nodded, she was starting to sound Uchiha, Madara laughed in his mind.
"This Sasuke is the same boy that called you annoying when you were little?" the Uchiha asked that gently because he remembered it was a sensitive matter. Fortunately, instead of being upset the kunoichi was startled with that question.
"Yes he was" she answered, not understanding why he wanted to know that. She could see he was piecing things together in his mind. Kami, he was intelligent.
"Okay, that explains some things I guess" he thought out loud.
"Beg your pardon?" Sakura asked still not understanding.
"I mean, this Sasuke was an Uchiha. If I remember correctly, the little brother of Uchiha Itachi, Hikari-san's friend" he explained.
"Wow you're fast" it escaped from her mouth and she suddenly covered it, he looked at her amused "I'm sorry, that was rude. But you sure can put things together quickly. You also have a great memory." He waved a hand with feign humility and she laughed. "Which is the other question?"
"What is that diamond in your forehead?" he didn't want to be impolite so he pointed his instead. Sakura was taken aback with that question. She knew it was her sensei's technique, and she had used her grandmother's technique as a Kickstarter. But Mito Uzumaki was not in the picture yet, so she wasn't sure what to say. 'What will happen when she appears and sees my seal?' she thought.
Given that she had taken a pause, Madara thought that she didn't want to answer.
"Okay, I'll think of another one" he said
"No, please. I'm sorry" she stopped him waving her arms "I needed to think something." He looked at her expectant. "This is a seal, it's called Byakugō no in or the one hundred strength seal. It's a chakra sealing seal. I've been storing chakra since I've started training with Shishou since I was 13. When I was 17 I achieved to fill it and could release that strength"
"That's from where you extract your brute force?" he asked surprised.
"Ha-ha no, actually that is a technique also taught to me by my sensei." She explained "I have perfect chakra control, and I've learnt to pump it and canalize to my extremities to use brute force. But if I release my seal and hit something with that technique… well let me tell you the Hyuuga crater would have been wider." Madara paled a little "Anyway, this has another technique, fully created by Shishou that makes all that gathered chakra to quicken the cellular restoration making you practically unbeatable in a battle."
"Have you ever needed to use that?" he asked thrilled. She gulped, yes of course she remembered. Without noticing she touched where side where the man in front of her had impaled her. She shook her head. It was not the man in front of her; it was another version of him.
"Yes, I have" she said quietly "I won't talk about that though" she heard him sighed "But I need to trust you something. Please promise me you will never talk about it with anybody, except me, Hikari or Hamura" the hurriedness in her voice startled him. He nodded quickly. "The thin is that this seal might have been invented by a person of this era. A person that I don't know when, will become a part of this Village. When that time comes, I might need your help to cover things up"
"I will help you" he said slightly understanding her predicament "and I promise I won't tell" he raised his hand "But that is an awesome technique. You are indeed more than you want to show the world." He complimented her directly.
"Cool" she said a bit embarrassed. "Now, about the Hokage thing, have you ever thought of becoming it yourself?" Madara gasped.
Hikari had spent two hours showing and explaining how to mold healing chakra. Of course she didn't explain it as Sakura did but it still did the charm. She made the three of them to create a small chakra ball on their hands. They compelled and then she did the same. She explained how one needed to change the intention, it was Chakra that will be use to mend, heal and bring life. As she said that the tiny chakra on her right hand became green and covered all her palm.
"Nee?" she said "This is how it's supposed to look, but you already know that. You need to work on changing the chakra you will use and adjust yourselves to it. It will require you perfect chakra control. All medic ninjutsu is based in that, so if you don't have it," she said as she walked in-between them "you need to improve that first."
After all that time, none of them could mold their chakra differently. Izuna had almost achieved it but got deconcentrated at the end. She remembered when Tsunade-sama taught her the basis while she lived with Ero-jiji. It was a more relaxed training because it wasn't formal training per sé.
Flashback
"Come here kid" The blond called Hikari, she knew that brat Kei had had a daughter but she hadn't been interested in learn more, that prophecy thing was troublesome. "How old are you now?"
"I'm 15 Senju-sama" she said shyly.
"No Senju-sama, call me Tsunade… wow you're an adult now" she walked around her looking her from head to toe. "You seem to have plenty amount of chakra, despite of that Ōtsutsuki thingy" the woman was still a bit inebriated even though she was with hangover.
"Show me what you know" and she put herself on battle pose. Hikari gulped but instead of chickening she put on guard. Tsunade charged against her and Hikari did the same. The latter saw the Slug sannin's mighty punch coming towards her face so she closed her eyes and tried to apply a bit of chakra to her fist. She never felt the punch connected though, she opened her eyes while she was approaching and saw with utterly horror how her fist punched the Senju's face.
"Oh Kami" she took some steps back and fell backwards. "I-I'm sorry Tsunade-sama I-I didn't mean to"
"WHOA Kid you've got nerve" the blonde exclaimed. She walked to her and the teenager was shivering inside. Once the woman was in front of her, Hikari expected the worse and again closed her eyes as reflex, but again the worse never came. When she opened her eyes she saw a hand in front of her. Tsunade was offering it to her to get up.
"Don't be afraid girl, that doesn't suit you." She scolded her "You have the potential needed to become a great shinobi, you just need tutoring. This old hag here might teach you stuff, but I will teach you to become a kunoichi. You are a Chuunin, am I right?"
"Yes" the girl said as she took the hand the woman was offering.
"I will show you Healing chakra" she took her hand and guided Hikari to a rock; she released her and motioned to sit down there. "Now, watch this" Tsunade put her hand in front of her, palm facing the sky. Suddenly green charka emanated from it. The Takishima was astonished, that made the Senju smirk. "Touch it" she said.
"What?" the teenager asked confused.
"It will not hurt you, put your palm over the energy and feel it" She smirked. A bit doubtful the brunette did as asked. And became speechless, her mouth was slightly opened and her eyes, bigger than ever, only reflected green. It felt hypnotic.
"So beautiful…" Hikari said not being able to take her eyes from the chakra. She felt with her fingers the energy. It tickled; it was like putting the hands under a water stream. Life entering the pores.
"Try to link your chakra to it. Don't worry, just your regular chakra." Tsunade added because she could see the doubt in her eyes "My Chakra will mold it and you will feel the effect."
The Takishima sent blue chakra to her hands and it melted with the sannin's one, and suddenly the teen's hand began to glow green.
"Do you feel it?" The Senju asked. When the girl nodded she turned off the Chakra, leaving Hikari with hers glowing green on her palm. "Remember that feeling and try to reproduce it, then will continue the lesson" The girl smiled, her eyes not leaving her green hand. She wasn't able to see the single tear that was falling through the blonde's cheek. 'Nawaki… If only I can go back in time and teach you this"
End Flashback
Hikari moved next to Izuna, the one she thought was more adept to medic ninjutsu.
"Izuna-san" she said as she raised her right hand and green started to glow on it "Please, you're your hands over this chakra, over my hand" the mentioned looked at her confused "Don't be scared, you need to feel it, it's healing chakra it won't harm you." Izuna did as said.
"Wow, this feels weird" he said.
"Now try to merge your chakra with it." The Takishima said. He looked at her questionly "Don't worry just regular chakra."
The Uchiha did as he said while his brother and the Senju waited. Blue energy mixed with green.
"Now try to make your chakra to copy mine's" she said "Relax and let it flow"
After several minutes Izuna gave up.
"You're not concentrating yourself" she said "Let go and feel. The only intention you need to have on your mind is to heal."
Izuna nodded, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt eventually stopped feeling ticklish by her chakra and he felt his hands molding another type of energy. He opened his eyes and he saw that during those minutes Hikari had left his hands and now he was emanating healing chakra all by himself.
"Remember this" Hikari smiled "Remember this feeling; I knew you could do it".
"Thank you" he whispered. For him it was the first time someone praised him and not his siblings. It was hard to be on their shadow. Tears were menacing to fall from his eyes, but he could contain them.
Hikari walked to Toka and did the same thing. The Senju Kunoichi could do it quicker but it didn't last. She would have to practice more.
Finally she went to Takato. Her heart beat a bit faster as he merged his chakra with hers. She could feel him anxious and daydreamt it was because of her. She didn't know that she was indeed right. With Takato happened the same as with Toka.
"You both will need to practice a lot" she said "Izuna, you seem to be extremely adept to this type of jutsu" she praised him again; he had achieved to mold chakra by his own after an hour. "Keep practicing and then I will teach you the mystic palm" she smiled.
"Thank you very much Hikari Sempai!" he said joyful, His brother was looking at him proudly.
"Come on otouto," he said to him "Let's go find something to eat to celebrate!" the girls clapped, they were hungry.
The Uchiha siblings did a quick run to the merchant district and could buy some fresh food from Ryuuji's father. As they were walking back to the hospital Izuna started to talk about training and stuff and suddenly he mentioned Tobirama.
"What about him?" Takato asked.
"You did feel bad when you saw him approaching with Hikari-san, am I Right?" he asked. His brother became embarrassed
"Could you please stop with that!" he said "you're so childish"
"No aniki, I'm serious" he said stopping his tracks and looking at him directly. Takato looked at him serious too "I'm not joking about this. You like her, and you felt bad seeing her with him. I'm just worried about you" Takato sighed.
"Don't be" he said. "There's nothing going on, If Tobirama is interested in Hikari-san there's nothing I can do"
"Yes you can" Izuna said "If you really like her, put a fight"
"I'm not going to fight with a recent ally because of the interests of a girl" Takato tried to sound more like an adult.
"Cut the crap aniki!" the youngest exclaimed "You will lose her if you don't do anything" and then he added "I think she really likes you back, but she can also like Tobirama if he is around much more than you" he turned his back to him and started to run towards the Hospital leaving a deep in thought Takato with a slightly headache.
"Damn you kid" he spat "you're really messing up my head" he thought out loud and followed him.
"Nee, Hikari-san" the Senju called "I'm sorry about the whole Itachi-kun thing" she apologized.
"It's okay" she said "It's just I wasn't expecting for you being so straight forward."
"That's how I am" Toka said playfully "Now tell me was he your boyfriend?" It was fun to watch this side of Toka.
"No! Ha-ha" Hikari laughed embarrassed "It never happened anything. But…" The other kunoichi was expectant "He really was my first love" she sighed.
"Oh, poor thing." The Senju said sympathetic "He was the one to kill his entire clan, wasn't him?" the Takishima nodded. "And what happened to him?"
"Eventually he was killed by his brother, because he had made him hate him so the boy would become strong" she said sad
"Killed by the brother he wanted to protect?" Toka said outraged "How is that possible?"
"He didn't know the full story" Hikari explained "Also, Itachi-kun was badly sick and was dying anyway. He fought his brother to help him because Sasuke was being controlled by an enemy. By fighting him he left his brother out of chakra and obliged the demon to release him" she added, that was the easiest way she could explain the whole Orochimaru plot.
"I'm so sorry!" the Senju said. "I didn't know…"
"I had the chance to say goodbye though" Hikari said "Itachi-kun appeared in front of me before he was going to fight his otouto. He showed me the truth through a Tsukuyomi, and confessed he loved me back"
"What?" the other kunoichi exclaimed "that is so cruel! You couldn't be together!"
"Yeah…" she answered "Then as an adult I ended up with a shinobi from other village. So I actually had a boyfriend" Toka was surprised to hear this
"You HAD a boyfriend?" she asked "What happened? Did he die in battle?"
"Ha-ha no…" Hikari said "He left me"
"WHAT?" the Senju couldn't believe it "How could he leave you? Was he an idiot?" Hikari laughed.
"Well, now I can say he was" she answered. Both girls were laughing now as the Uchiha Siblings arrived with the food.
"What are you to up to?" Takato asked amused, he was a bit better after all the fuss his brother made him feel.
"Nothing" Toka said innocently "We were just talking about Hikari's boyfriend" the mentioned became red as a tomato.
"Toka-san!" she chastised, the look of surprise of the Uchiha was unique.
"Oh, right!" the Senju said deviously "former boyfriend" The Takishima was mad at her, she really was a snitch. Takato and Izuna looked at her astonished and the eldest started to feel the same void and headache he felt with the whole Tobirama thing.
"I don't know why I told you about that" Hikari said fuming.
"Hey you didn't tell me it was a secret" the kunoichi defended herself poorly. The other kunoichi stared at her.
"It's my private life and It's also nothing to be proud of telling" the brunette said "being dumped by an idiot doesn't seem according to a shinobi life"
"What do you mean by being dumped?" Izuna said as he sat next to her wanting to hear the gossip. Takato was still standing and his brother motioned him to join them. He didn't want to hear anymore. But yet there he was sitting next Toka facing Izuna.
"It means that he left me" Hikari explained red of fury and embarrassment "Not died honorably in battle or so as you may think. He just left me. He was an idiot, but I'm grateful he did so"
"How long were you two together?" the youngest Uchiha asked.
"A little more than a year." She said.
"And what were you doing with an idiot as a boyfriend?" Takato asked serious, and he seemed upset. 'Is he thinking badly of me?' She thought 'Of course he is, we are in another era. It might seem something wrong'
"Actually, I thought I was in love" Hikari explained defeated. The void deepened inside the Uchiha "But it turns out that I wasn't in love with him. I was in love of love. I felt lonely without everybody, knowing that I would never see Itachi-kun again. The war had ended and I had a mission that moved me to another Village far away for almost two years, I was lonesome." She added. Something melted inside Takato. "When I met my parents again it became hard because the idiot was very demanding and so were them, and even though my parents had abandoned me for a good reason, that didn't mean I was alright with it. And he never helped with that feeling. I was thinking of leaving him first, but he beat me. And I felt bad, until I realized everything I just said and didn't feel bad anymore" she was genuinely smiling now. The void had completely left Takato's stomach. Okay, she had a past. So did him of course.
"Don't worry Hikari-san" Toka said playfully "You will find your real love soon! You'll see". Hikari blushed, she could realize the Senju was implying something, and also that she did everything on purpose. That little minx.
"I don't think I'll have the time" she said being a party pooper "you give me too much work" Hikari added and snatched her meal from Izuna's hands. "Itadakimasu!" she said and started to eat without waiting them.
"Hey!" Izuna exclaimed. But then everybody was eating. Hikari stopped in place in deep thought.
"How are things here? In this time I mean" she asked.
"What are you talking about?" The youngest Uchiha enquire.
"I assume here relationships without being married are outrageous" Hikari asked having another bit of her onigiri.
"Oh, yeah I understand" Izuna said as he finished his bite "Well, here marriage is very important and sacred" he explained serious "but then again they only happen inside of the clan, and even though my aniki is trying to eliminate that custom, the council is hard to raw. Anyway, with all the battles and everything it's actually common to see unwed couples inside our clan, we didn't have time for ceremonies. Some of them even have children." The Takishima was surprised to hear that.
"Really?" she enquired "I would have thought that you value virtue and all of that"
"Family is the main virtue for us" now Takato spoke "there's no need of any other 'purity' at all" he explained and Izuna blushed a little.
"Aniki!" he exclaimed.
"What?" he asked "It's true, how can you ask for purity on an individual when we still have that silly and disgusting tradition to pass boys into manhood?" Now it was the turn of Hikari and Toka to blush and widen her eyes.
"Do you mean…" the Takishima started to say.
"Yes, the 'law' and I believe Senju law might be the same" he said looking at Toka who lowered her head but nodded anyway "is that when a boy reaches a certain age, between 16 and 18, they have to do a transition. To prove themselves, I mean with a woman." Now he blushed a little. It was embarrassing to tell this, but he didn't know why, he wanted her to know that.
"So you guys…" Toka asked this time, Hikari looked at her not believing she was actually asking that. Izuna sighed.
"Yes, and we're not proud of that." He said a bit disgusted. "It doesn't matter if you want to do things any other way, to really feel something about someone" he looked at her "fortunately it's a one-time sort of ceremony thing, of course there are men that continue doing that, going to that women I mean, but most of our generation only accepted as an obligation, so we could get the council off our backs. We can still aim to find love"
"That's terrible" she said sympathetic "but then again you still have hope and that's wonderful" she smiled at him, and he lowered his head.
"I don't have any hope" he whispered. The Senju looked at him intrigued. Hikari looked at Takato sad, if what they had talk was true, and if Izuna was in love with this kunoichi, he wouldn't be able to have a relationship with her. The middle Uchiha stood up and moved to his brother.
"Yo kid!" he hugged him by the neck "You will have a great love story, you'll see! Just think of that incident as a practice!" he joked making his brother more mortified.
"True, it's better to have some experience in things if you want to fully commit with someone" The Takishima said and the three of them looked at her, she became red as a tomato.
"I assume people took relationships very freely in your future" Toka said raising an eyebrow amused.
"W-wait" Hikari tried to defend herself "well, it's been almost 80 years, it's not that we don't take them serious, but maybe they are less ruled. It seems pretty similar as the ones Izuna-san mentioned earlier. We had different kinds of couples in my time, some of them were unwed with children" she thought of Kurenai and Asuma "and other were married. What I mean is that they did not see badly if people lived together and shared a life and a relationship with someone without being married."
"Did you live with the idiot?" Izuna asked smirking.
"Hell no!" the kunoichi laughed hard "I am pretty independent so I lived by myself, that simplified things"
"That's true" Takato said "I know what's like to live with an Idiot" he signaled his brother who he was still grabbing by the neck "It's impossible"
"Hey!" the youngest Uchiha exclaimed angrily.
"I don't know why we ended talking about this" Hikari said shaking her head "It's embarrassing and I don't see the point"
"It doesn't need to have a point" Takato simply said as he left Izuna and sat again next to Toka. "We're all getting to know each other. It's just that we started with an embarrassing and unthought-of topic" He smiled "Don't worry, we won't tell anything to anybody."
"I thought you guys might think badly about me" The kunoichi said looking down.
"Not possible" the Uchiha answered, she raised her head and found him smiling gently at her. His entire headache was gone, and he didn't know why.
"True, we won't ever judge you because of something like that" The senju said. "Nor we won't judge you too" she said to the Uchiha. "Hopefully we will all find ourselves with our life partners in the future" she looked at Hikari now "Even it that someone it's not Itachi-kun" she said gently. The Uchiha looked at her.
"So you were in love with Uchiha Itachi?" the youngest asked curious. By this time she was not blushing anymore.
"That was a decade ago" she said, "It was a kid's crush, but you can count it as a fist love"
They all smiled at that thinking about their first crushes while finishing eating.
"You will laugh about this" Toka anticipated "but my first crush was Tobirama" Izuna spat his water, and Hikari tried to help him not to choke by caressing his back, boy this man was altered.
"You like Tobirama?" he managed to say in-between his coughs.
"You're a very bad listener" she said crossing her arms "I said my first crush was Tobirama" she empathized the word was. "I was like six years old and I thought he was pretty cool. But then I realized he was pretty mean, and I didn't like him anymore" Hikari started laughing.
"He's not that mean" she defended him, Takato cleared his throat uncomfortable. "I mean, I think he just can't help being rude" she giggled. Both Uchiha nodded.
"Of course!" Toka agreed "But he isn't boyfriend material" she explained "not for me anyway." she looked at Izuna and filled his glass with water "hey drink some more water, you look like hell" she said.
"I think Tobirama needs to relax a little" Takato spoke now "I sort of understand what is going on his head. It's just difficult to be him"
"Aniki seems to find him boyfriend material then" his brother mocked but his joy didn't laugh because Takato hit her with a plate plain on his face.
"You really are an idiot" he said as if nothing happened "I'm just stating what I think of him." Izuna instead of being angry – Hikari was healing the bump on his forehead - smirked maliciously to him.
"I was just joking aniki" he said "I know as a fact that you like women…" his brother looked at him dangerously.
"Okay, enough you two!" Toka said. "Hikari-san the eating hour you gave us is over, what are we going to do now?" the other kunoichi suppressed a smile.
"We should make rounds and state guards" she said "while two stay alert with the other personnel the other two practice"
"Okay let's go guys!" The Senju said getting up "Let's follow Hikari Sensei!"
The sun had already set near the Uchiha Lake. "about the Hokage thing, have you ever thought of becoming it yourself?" Those words fell hard on Madara's mind. Did he want to?
"Hn…" he started "I don't know…" Sakura looked at him curious, didn't he wanted power? "I mean, I may have thought once to be the Village leader, but I actually don't think I am capable. Seeing the people coming and going, all working together, I realized they need a particular type of leadership. A person that can show them the path, walk with them and encourage them."
"And why do you think you're not like that?" the pinkette asked. "You're like that with your Clan"
"You have a good image of me and I thank you of that" he joked "but then again I am too serious to be that type of person. I am sure my people would love to have another leader" he sighed "I really want to be involved in the village's leadership, but not as a Hokage."
"I think that your people are proud of their leader. You just need to listen more" Sakura said, Madara looked at her with a mixed look "What's wrong?" she asked.
"You remember me something my mother used to say" he said "Madara-chan don't you ever misheard your people, make them follow you not out of fear but of pride. Don't be like your father, the people is more important than a council"
"Your mother was indeed a wise woman" the kunoichi said looking at the dark sky. "You should take her advice, even though you don't want to be a Hokage. You have a lot to do for your clan and the village."
"Yes" he looked at the sky too "I need to figure out a lot of things. I think Hashirama would make a good Hokage, of course with me and Tobirama next to him, because the idiot would mess everything up if we leave him alone"
"That's the Madara I like" Sakura laughed, and suddenly she realized the implications of what she had said because the man looked at her stunned. 'How can I get out of this?' she thought 'CHAAA JUST THINK QUICK! TELL HIM IT WAS BECAUSE OF MOCKING HASHIRAMA, I DON'T CARE BUT SPEAK NOW!' Inner intervened. "I mean, you are not yourself if you don't mock Hashirama-san" she said a bit forced but it did the trick. Madara relaxed and laughed too.
"You know me well already" he said compelling. 'Stupid of me to think she would like me. It's too soon' He inwardly lamented. 'DON'T GIVE UP MAN' his consciousness shouted. Matsu suddenly appeared from the other side of the lake and was coming towards them
"Good evening everybody" he greeted "Imouto-chan" he smirked.
"Komanwa Aniki" she said and bowed. "It's pretty late isn't it?"
"It's almost 9pm, you've been quite occupied today it seems" he said wisely.
"He's right, we should probably need to go" Madara said "Our sensei is very mean and she makes us wake up insanely early to train" Sakura laughed wholeheartedly with that. She got up and walked towards Ryuuji and Hashirama.
"Guys, it's pretty late!" she said "Tomorrow we will continue at the Hospital, let's finish it for today"
Hashirama complained like a child but accepted anyway. He thanked Ryuuji for all the training and then greeted Matsu.
"We shall leave now" Sakura said to Madara "I'll see you tomorrow very early. Behave with your sensei because she might triple your work if you don't." she smirked deviously "jaa ne!" she bid her goodbyes and left with her 'brother', Hashirama and Ryuuji out of the Uchiha compound.
Madara left to his home to wash up and eat something. It felt lonely without his siblings, but he could sleep peacefully because he knew that in this time, they were alright.
The night round was quiet; there was only three persons at the hospital at the moment. The workers had stopped their construction for today and didn't seem to have any more injuries. An elderly woman arrived with a massive headache and a bit hi blood pressure and Hikari showed her 'apprentices' how to do the first aids to this symptoms. With the correct treatment the woman was fine within half an hour, but the Takishima preferred to leave her on observation so she can be sure it will not repeat at home. Her daughter stayed with her and Toka and Izuna arrange the bed next to her so she could rest comfortable. They worked together so well that Hikari told them to keep the first watch while she trained with Takato.
The duo went to the building's roof because they didn't want to disturb anybody inside. After an hour of molding chakra, Takato finally could transform his making it last longer, but he couldn't mold it from scratch yet. They were resting at the roof's railing enjoying the night air and the view. There were some dimmed candle lights all over the main districts were most people lived.
"This is beautiful" The Uchiha said looking at the Village "I'm glad Aniki and Hashirama had this idea. This seems right"
"Yes, this is just breathtaking" Hikari said "It brings me back home" The man looked at her sympathetically.
"It is your home," he said "now I mean. It never ceased to be your home" she sighed and nodded still looking at the lights. The wind moved some lost hairs that were loose from her ponytail.
"Does this feel as lonely as your two year mission?" he suddenly asked. She looked at him now.
"Mmm… I don't think so" she answered "This is better, I think. I miss Naruto though and some of my friends, but at the end of the day I was always missing someone in the future."
"Those 'pictures' you talked about in your letters" the Uchiha said "Do you happen to have them here?" Hikari's eyes brightened as she remembered of that. She took a tiny scroll from her pouch and opened on the floor, released a seal and some few items came out. She took some small papers and the stored everything back. Takato didn't have to see what she was so jealously guarding.
"Here!" she moved her hand motioning him to come closer "Look this is Naruto when he was a Kid, and that's me"
"Whoah! So tiny!" he said "So this is a picture, this is awesome." He added amazed "how old were you both there?"
"He was six and I was 10" she smiled "Here you can see me with Ero-Sennin my master and godfather" she showed him another picture.
"Ha-ha, he seems a pretty cool teacher" Takato laughed "and he has kind of an Ero aura"
"He was the best and the worst. Always chasing ladies and spying them naked on the onsens" she sweat dropped "Look, these are my uncles, this picture is from when Kushina nee chan was pregnant. This is Minato Nii chan" That picture was very emotional for him. Those two people died protecting her and the blonde in the pictures, but they were so happy there. He wanted to know how everything had gone so wrong in her future, but this was not the time.
"This is a beautiful picture" he simply said. Hikari felt more meaning behind those five words.
"This one was taken half a year ago, when I met my parents again" she showed him.
"I'm impressed, your father and uncle are really alike" Takato observed "Your mother has more Uchiha-like features if you don't mind me saying." Hikari snorted.
"Relax! In spite of everything, I can recognize the Uchiha in her. Even if I don't like it" she teased. "This is the last one that I have. This is Naruto, Sakura and me some months after the war. We were celebrating her promotion. Naruto had just cut his hair – bad choice of looks I'd say"
"I thought he would look like his father when he grew up" the Uchiha smiled.
"We all did" she laughed. "After this picture I parted to my two year mission"
"You don't have any pictures with Uchiha Itachi?" he asked intrigued. He wanted to know him, he was very important to her.
"No, I don't have any" she sighed "just the pictures in my head and some of them are not pretty" she bitterly laughed.
"I'm sorry you couldn't be with him in the end" Takato said, and he felt really sorry, without voids or headaches or anything.
"Thank you" she said a bit down.
"I bet the Idiot didn't even fill his child shoes" he said lighting the mood. She smiled at that.
"You will win if you bet" she said "Oh Kami, I don't know what I was doing really" she laughed by now.
"As you said, you were in love of love" he explained simply "You're not guilty of that" she nodded "Do you miss him?"
"Who, the Idiot?" she asked curious.
"Yes, the Idiot" he said mockingly "It would be silly to even doubt that you miss Itachi-san" She didn't know why, but she liked the way he had called him Itachi-san.
"Nah, I don't miss him" she said firmly "I miss being in love though. The feeling of having someone that cares for you and stuff like that" she said.
"I know what you mean" he said.
"Were you in love?" she asked intrigued. He had never talked about that.
"I think so; it was a crush as you said. But she was in love with another one" he explained "not that meaningful though"
"It doesn't need to be meaningful" Hikari stated "It just have to be a feeling. Even the smallest feeling if it is the one, the meant to be might bloom into something awesome. You just didn't get there yet"
"I think you're right" he said leaning on the rail and looking to the city. "Let's see what this future brings"
"Yeah" she said looking at him almost in a whisper. She put her pictures back on the scroll and joined him relaxing on the rail 'we'll see' she thought.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Okay this took me forever! But it's 21 pages! Don't worry I have more from where this came from LOL. Isolation, as silly as it may sound, has kept me busy.
THANK YOU Ania980 for your wonderful reviews. Check my new description.
You can see Hikari's pictures draw here in my DA account: bellahikari/art/Precious-Memories-lineart-813944485
This is what Ryuuji did to Hashirama: Yokomen uchi Kokyunage, an Aikido technique. You can watch it here watch?v=hTsSKN2gwhg&pbjreload=10 i did my best to describe it. See you, be safe and stay at home. Love, Bella