AN: This is for you, djz17! Thanks for the motivation.
Chapter Eight: Suna
"Be ready, I'm not sure if I'll be able to pierce through his defenses." Yumi warned as he unsealed his new Mokuton bow from his wrist.
Unlike his old one, this was recurved, and the rich dark wood was incredibly dense, yet was still flexible. With enough force that is. A lot of force.
When he first tested it, the normal bowstring was too weak and it snapped under the force exerted on it. His alternative was ninja wire. With his first successful test, he had to enhance his body with his Raijin no Kei just to draw it back. The arrow though…
It had hit his desired target from nearly thirty kilometers away, and continued on for another fifty, before burrowing deep into the mountain that held the Hokage Monument.
"I'm sure you'll get him in one shot like always." Shisui shrugged from his position beside him.
They were in a tree seven kilometers away from the border of Kawa no Kuni, and Yumi had Akasuna no Sasori in his sights.
"I have to get through two heavily armored puppets, both of which are harder than steel, and chakra enhanced. I'm just being realistic." Yumi muttered as he drew back his bow, a knocked arrow unsealing itself with the action.
With a calm breath, Yumi channeled his chakra to form the spiraling tip around the head of the arrow. This time though, he applied what he had learned from the Rasengan.
Slowly, the white lavender chakra shrank to be like a needle, its color deepening to be a glowing purple with static zaps of lightning angrily arcing off of it.
Exhaling, he twisted the wire string and let it fly.
With a crack of thunder, the arrow was gone. Yumi followed the barely visible line that pierced through the scorpion-like puppet as it continued so fast that it left his maximum range of eighty-seven kilometers in less than a second.
With wide disbelieving eyes, Yumi scrutinized the downed form of the infamous puppeteer. More specifically, the charred and smoldering heart contained within.
"He's down." He said breathlessly. He doubted anyone could actually dodge this arrow. Perhaps the Yondaime stood a chance, but he was gone. His only rival had been the Raikage, so maybe he could… but he doubted it.
"See! What'd I tell you?" Shisui exclaimed happily. "Now let's hurry, we've got to be in Suna before nightfall." He ordered, before hopping in the vague direction of the body.
For this bounty, they were to report directly to the Kazekage to return Sasori's body and all of his possessions. This was also a political mission to inform the Kazekage of the coming Kage Summit, and to see if they were willing to change any parameters of their alliance. Specifically, if they wished to become sister villages.
Quickly sealing Sasori's body, they continued west and began using their superior speed to run toward Sunagakure.
Both were eternally thankful for the temperature regulation that was a part of their full body seal. With it, they could run in the steadily increasing heat of the desert without overheating. Yumi could even wear his usual thick, high collared mantle and black obi and not sweat at all.
After running for a continuous three hours, they were finally approaching the stepped sandstone cliffs of Suna's entrance, the narrow crevice flanked by two guards.
"Names and business." One of the Chunin said tiredly.
"Shisui Uchiha and Yumi Hyuga to report to the Kazekage." Shisui answered easily. The obviously bored chunin looked them over before letting them pass.
When they entered the village proper, they paused to take in the scenery.
It was so far removed from Konoha, where there were trees on every street corner and plants in nearly every crevasse.
Here, it was sand. That's it.
Thankfully, Suna was doing exponentially better since the Godaime stopped accepting missions from Kaze no Kuni, they even had fresh fish on cooling seals in the market. With the alliance between Konoha and Kiri, Mizu was able to transport their goods cheaply to Suna, which meant lower prices overall.
As they walked down the street toward the Kage building, Yumi's eyes squinted slightly, and he turned his head to see a young girl with a ball as red as her hair. She was looking longingly at the park a short distance away– and judging by the looks of the kids and parents alike, she wasn't welcome.
Activating his byakugan, he understood. She was the Ichibi Jinchuriki.
Naruto was lucky his father was a village hero, otherwise he would likely share the same fate as the young girl. She was so full of sadness and longing, he could practically see the emotion.
"Shisui-sensei." He started, catching the teen's attention as they stopped. "Continue without me, please." Not giving him any time to say no, Yumi made his way toward the playground.
"Okay…? I know he's still a kid, but I really didn't think he still liked that stuff." Shisui muttered as he watched Yumi walk toward the park. Shrugging, he continued on his journey.
. . .
Gaara just wanted to play, but looking at the faces of both the children and their parents in the park, she knew they wouldn't accept her.
Gripping the ball tightly, she frowned and moved to walk away– only to jump when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. How?! No one had ever been able to touch her!
Spinning around with wide eyes, she found a very pretty girl– no, boy, around her sister's age wearing clothes far too warm to be comfortable. Around his forehead was a unique black hitai-ate, signifying his position as a shinobi, but unlike the usual hourglass symbol, it was a weird pointed swirl.
"Hello, I'm Yumi Hyuga, would you like to play with me?" He asked with a small smile, making her eyes, if possible, widen even further. Their seafoam color bright on display, as a small hopeful smile spread on her face.
"Y-you want to play with me?" She asked, receiving a nod.
"If you would like to." He smiled, warmth filling his chest at the wide smile the girl showed him.
When he had approached, he felt sick at the looks he received from those around him, but ignored them easily. What he couldn't ignore was the appalling excuse of a seal containing a biju. It was a barely fortified level eight chakra storage seal, with the only protection between the chakra beast and freedom, being the little girl's mind. It was horrific.
"I would love to!" She exclaimed, desperation in her tone, shocking everyone nearby at the usually quiet girl's exuberance. Yumi simply smiled wider.
"What would you like to play?" He asked simply. This seemed to throw her off for a moment before she looked down at the ball and grinned.
"Wanna pass the ball to each other?" She asked hopefully while holding up the toy.
"Sure! Let's go over there, there's more space." Yumi said while pointing toward an empty area near the park. Shocking everyone further, the small jinchuriki grabbed Yumi's hand and tugged him toward the area. She instructed him to stand in a spot, which he did with a humorous smile as she bounded a short distance away.
Dutifully placing the ball on the ground, she kicked it to him and let out a giggle. Smiling at the happy sound, Yumi lightly kicked it back.
"So what's your name?" He asked.
"I'm Sabaku no Gaara, thank you for playing with me, Yumi-kun!" Gaara thanked with a smile.
"Of course, Gaara-chan. I don't get to play often, so it's nice to be able to do so." He smiled as he returned the ball with a light tap of his foot.
"I don't get to play because no one wants to play with me… why don't you get to play?" Gaara asked, sadness tinting her tone.
"Well, I'm a shinobi, and have been since I was five, so most of my time has been spent training to become stronger and more skilled. The remaining time I have is spent on missions." He explained.
"Why do you want to be a shinobi? Why not play like this instead?" Gaara asked curiously, making him smile with a nod.
"I am a shinobi so that other people can play like this. I sacrifice myself for the safety of others, for the safety of my precious people." Yumi answered easily as Gaara halted her kick with a contemplative look.
"Precious people?" She asked confusedly.
"Precious people are those that you hold close to your heart, that you love and care for no matter what. People that encourage you to do your best and never give up. They are the ones that you can go to and rely on when you feel everyone else is against you." Yumi explained, making the girl frown.
"I only have one person like that…" She said sadly.
"That's wonderful, Gaara-chan!" Yumi said happily, making the girl's eyes widen and look at him in shocked confusion. "It's not the number of people that matter, it's knowing that you're not alone. When you have precious people, even when they aren't around, or are few in number, you're never alone. They're always there with you, helping you move forward when you don't think you can go on." Yumi soothed.
"If you want, Gaara-chan, I'll be your precious person." He smiled, shocking the girl as the pain in her chest was pushed away by a new feeling.
"R-really?" She asked hoarsely.
"Of course. In Konoha, where I am from, there is a philosophy called the Will of Fire. It was created by the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and is the belief that everyone within our village is a family. That everyone is connected like branches and leaves on a tree." Yumi began as he approached the entranced Gaara and handed her the ball, before leading them to a nearby bench.
"But I think it's bigger than that." He began once they sat down. "I think that everyone, no matter where they are from, is connected. You, me, the people around us, Suna, Konoha… we're all connected. We're all people, different in many ways, but very much the same in others. What I mean, Gaara-chan, is that even though you feel you only have one precious person, now two, you have so much more." He smiled, before gesturing to the bustling people around them.
"You are a citizen of Sunagakure, a person in a connected group of people. A grain of sand in the hourglass, a leaf on the tree. If someone were to attack Suna, your village, your family… what would you do?" He asked.
"I would stop them." She said immediately.
"But why? You said that you only had one precious person." Yumi pointed out.
"Because! It's like you said, everyone is connected! Everyone is a family! And family protects each other!" She exclaimed, drawing looks from the nearby people as they listened in on their conversation.
"Exactly!" Yumi grinned, as he ruffled her hair, shocking those nearby when he didn't lose his arm. Why wasn't her sand attacking him?! Only the most observant noticed why, and felt guilt pool in their gut. He wasn't being antagonistic or fearful… he was treating her as an equal… as a human.
"But…" Gaara began hesitantly, sadness again in her voice. "If we're all family, why does nobody like me?" Immediately, everyone listening flinched as if struck.
"Tell me, Gaara-chan… do you have abilities related to sand?" He asked, receiving a nod as she raised her hand, a small spire of sand rising before them– making the people around them move away.
"I can control it, but it also has a mind of its own… it protects me. Saves me from things that would hurt me… sometimes it's people, and my sand hurts them or takes them away." She explained.
"I see, well that's an easy fix!" He said, causing the girl to look at him in hope. "Ask your sand to only protect you, and not hurt others." He said, Gaara seemed confused, but complied and called the sand into a round mound before them.
"Could you not hurt others when you protect me?" She asked, and astonishingly, the mound nodded, albeit hesitantly, before falling away. "Did it work?" She asked slowly.
Suddenly, a small ball impacted a wall of sand as it came soaring toward Gaara's head. All went silent as everyone waited in bated breath for the inevitable… but it never came.
With a smile, Gaara hopped off the bench and grabbed the ball. Looking toward its origin, she found an incredibly pale boy staring at her in fear. Slowly, she approached him and held out the ball. Shakily, he grabbed it with a stuttered thank you, making her smile before returning to the bench.
"See! So many things can be resolved just by being kind and asking nicely." Yumi said with a smile.
"Do you think that I can ask the scary sand to be nice too?" Gaara asked warily, she didn't like the scary sand…
Her question made Yumi pause. So the sand she just talked to wasn't the Ichibi… something or someone else was also in the seal.
"Before I answer, Gaara-chan, can you tell me about your sand and their differences?" He asked, she nodded and lifted her hand, causing a small tower of normal looking sand to rise up.
"This is my sand, the sand that I control completely." She began. "My father is teaching me how to use it, but he doesn't seem to like that I don't use the scary sand…" She said, slight fear in her tone at the mention of her father. A second later, the sand dropped before it rose again to form a rounded tower slightly lighter than the previous.
"This is the nice sand, it saves me from getting hurt and helps keep the scary sand away." Gaara smiled as she patted the sand affectionately. Slowly, the sand shrank and was replaced by a writhing angry spike, it's sand noticeably darker than both previously displayed.
"This is the scary sand…" Gaara began wariness in her voice. "It's stronger than my own sand, but it's harder to control. Sometimes it gets past the nice sand, and attacks people around me. It wants to hurt people and tells me to do the same whenever I use it. The nice sand keeps it away as best as it can, but when I sleep, and especially on nights with a full moon, the scary sand gets stronger, and I have to help the nice sand keep it back… we don't always win." Gaara explained.
"I'm learning to control it, but father says I need to get better and that I need to learn to control all of it… but I don't want to." She finished wetly. Yumi frowned and rested a hand on her shoulder consolingly.
"Who is your father, Gaara-chan?" He asked, already feeling sure of the answer.
"He's the Kazekage, Sabaku no Rasa." She said, making him sigh. What's with Yondaime Kage and burdening their children…
"Gaara-chan… I may be able to help you with the scary sand, if you wish." He said with a smile as the small girl whipped her head to face him hopefully.
"Really? Please! I don't like hurting people!" She said near frantically. Yumi simply patted her head to calm her down.
"Alright, but we have to speak to your father first." At his statement, Gaara seemed to shrink. The Kazekage was steadily becoming someone he disliked…
"Okay, let's go." She said in resignation as she grabbed his hand and hopped to her feet.
After a short walk that was made uncomfortably long by the numerous stares, they arrived.
Leading him to the top floor of the spherical building, Gaara didn't even glance at the secretary who shrank away from her, and opened the door with nary a knock.
Inside was the Kazekage, an elderly woman, and Shisui, all of whom turned to see who would just barge into the Kazekage's office.
"What is it, Gaara, I am busy." The Kazekage said sternly, eyes squinting at the boy she was holding hands with. For his part, Yumi met his stare through unflinching eyes and a tight brow.
"Yumi-kun says he can help me control the scary sand, but said he had to speak with you first."
Immediately at her statement, the Kazekage and elderly woman turned their suspicious glares on Yumi, their killing intent filling the room. Shisui sent a look at Yumi, and shifted his stance, but Yumi returned one that said 'let me handle it.'
"Gaara-chan, thank you for escorting me here, could you wait outside?" He asked with a smile. Gaara nodded slowly, before hesitantly releasing his hand and leaving the office.
As soon as the door latched, a seal spread from Yumi's foot onto every surface of the room.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Kazekage demanded dangerously as he glared at the boy, before he flinched at the sudden spike of killing intent he exuded. It was absolutely electric, like a storm created by Raijin himself.
"I simply didn't want to scare Gaara-chan because I have lost my temper." Yumi said with a frigidly calm voice. Shisui was eyeing him worriedly, Yumi had never used killing intent before…
"The seal containing the Ichibi is weak and does not have the power necessary to completely contain the biju." He began with a stern glare. "Whoever placed it never should have been allowed to seal something of such power. The only reason Gaara-chan is still alive, and Suna is still standing, is because whoever sealed the Ichibi also sealed another person's soul inside of her. The person sealed within Gaara is who controls her sand and protects her– not only from other people, but the Ichibi as well. If not for them, the tanuki would have escaped as soon as it was sealed." Yumi stated frigidly.
At his words, the Kazekage's eyes widened with realization while the elderly woman clenched her fist.
"Judging by your reactions, I assume you know who was sealed within Gaara." Yumi stated.
"My wife, Gaara's mother, Karura. She died after prematurely giving birth to Gaara after the sealing of the Ichibi." As soon as the words left his mouth, another static wave of killing intent washed over the office.
"You sealed a biju into an unborn baby?!" Yumi demanded, appalled. "Who is responsible for the sealing?" He continued dangerously.
"I am." The elderly woman said challengingly, before her breath hitched as all of Yumi's killing intent focused on her with a single glance of his glowing glare.
"You should be ashamed. Not only for considering sealing something into an unborn child, but for actually going through with it. Fuinjutsu is an incredibly dangerous art and should not be used on infants so carelessly, let alone an unborn baby! It can destroy the child's entire developing chakra network and kill them in an instant if you use the wrong seal or make even the slightest mistake. You're lucky Gaara-chan's chakra network was supported by her mothers, or the Ichibi would have escaped, and Suna would have had a rampaging biju to deal with." Yumi said, glaring at the incensed woman, but before she could reply, he continued.
"How can you be so arrogant to believe that you had the skill required to seal a biju, let alone with a level eight seal used to store barely enough chakra for an A rank jutsu? Because of your ineptitude, you killed a woman by sealing her soul into her own unborn daughter, forcing her to face the Ichibi for the rest of Gaara's life! You should be on your knees showering that woman with gratitude, for without her constantly keeping the biju at bay, it would have destroyed Gaara-chan's mind and broken out of the seal with the equal effort of swatting a fly!"
"Now that is enough, boy! I am a level nine Seal User-" The woman began hotly, flinching back at the sudden crackle of lightning that danced across Yumi's body.
"I am a level seventeen Seal Master! Learning from the Yondaime Hokage's personal writings! So sit down and listen. You had no authority to seal the biju, and had no right to seal it into an unborn child! You should have kept it in the teapot! Instead, you let innocent people die for your arrogance." Yumi finished, leaving the woman shocked. Level seventeen?!
"The council ordered it, we had no-" The Kazekage began before he was cut off by Yumi.
"You are the Kazekage, not the council! They listen to you, not the other way around!" Yumi snapped.
"And you…" He continued, anger now settled on the red-headed man. "Forcing your own daughter to use an unstable power she is terrified of, causing her to unintentionally kill others and make your village hate and fear her! She is three and she is afraid of you! All she wants is a family and attention, to be loved!
"But she's just a weapon to you isn't she? Tell me… if she didn't meet your standards, what would you do? Have her killed?" He demanded, the following silence spoke volumes.
"You are a horrible father." Yumi finished, glaring at the emotionless man.
"Being a Kage means taking care of an entire people, not just a single person." The man said.
"People are individuals, if you sacrifice one for the sake of all, what's stopping you from sacrificing all for the sake of yourself?" Yami snapped. "Had you left the Ichibi in its pot, your wife and countless of your people would be alive. You say it was the council, well they are there for council, not ordering you around. You are the Kazekage, act like it, and take control of your village." Yumi glared.
"I will be replacing Gaara-chan's seal before we leave. The one I place will completely contain the Ichibi's chakra, purify it, and give her access to it without harming her. The chakra will be hers to control." He said seriously before taking a deep breath, the killing intent receding.
"I am sorry for any disrespect, but Gaara-chan is suffering, and you are her father, yet you're not helping her at all. Fathers are supposed to be there and help their children, not force them to suffer." Yumi said, much calmer before turning toward the elderly woman. "As for you… I stand by everything I've said." He stated with a glare.
"I hope this does not negatively affect our alliance, Kazekage-ue, that was not my intention. I just want to help Gaara. Look at it this way. With her new seal, Gaara will have access to the Ichibi's chakra, all without the negative effects. Just know that if you continue to hurt her, and push her too far, you will lose her, and what remains of your wife, forever. Treat her as your daughter for once, not as a weapon…" With that, he left the room, removing his seal with nary a thought.
Once he was gone, Chiyo glared at Shisui. "Well? Aren't you going to apologize for your student?" She demanded, before flinching at the sharingan fueled glare she received.
"I agree with everything my student has said. He is second only to Jiraya of the Sannin in the art of Fuinjutsu, and will surpass him in less than a year. If he says your seal is shit, I stand by him." He said firmly.
Chiyo looked at the Kazekage for assistance, only to find him glaring levely at her. "You told me the sealing was safe for both parties… you said that Karura died because of complications giving birth, not the seal. Chiyo… leave, we will discuss this later. For now, get out of my sight." The man said coldly.
The woman simply glared and left the office, leaving Rasa and Shisui alone.
Rasa rubbed his temples and rested his elbows on his desk. That Hyuga boy was right, he was a bad father. Being Kazekage was difficult by itself but he was raising a family alone on top of it… the council had been overstepping lately, but he was too busy trying to save them from economic collapse to stop it. Only recently had his workload lessened with the alliance between Kiri and Konoha. He'd have to put the council in their place soon.
"Kazekage-sama." Shisui began, drawing his attention. "Before Yumi-kun entered, I was about to bring up the topic of Suna becoming sister villages with Konoha and Kiri." He revealed, shocking the man. "It would help all villages greatly. No taxes, aid when needed, open borders… We don't want tension or war, we want a world where children can grow up without being shipped off to their death before they even mature." He explained passionately.
"In a way, Suna, Konoha, and Kiri would be like one big village with three leaders. If Konoha or Kiri has a mission that none of our shinobi can accomplish, but Suna does, we would ask for assistance, and Suna would get the payment. Same goes for Suna. If you need help, just ask and we're there." Shisui continued with a smile.
"In fact, I'm kind of hoping you accept because I have this idea for an international team made up of shinobi from all three of our nations! The Mizukage liked the idea when I mentioned it and offered a young kunoichi to be on a test team. She's around Yumi-kun's age, and I was thinking of volunteering Yumi for the team, so it works great! Do you have anyone around that age?" Shisui asked.
"There is my eldest, she is seven, and my middle child is only a year younger. However, I'd like my children to be on their own team… I believe, if I were to join such a venture, I would recommend a boy a year older than my daughter. He is the grandson of the Sandaime Kazekage, and possesses Jiton as well." The man explained, making Shisui bounce excitedly.
"This team would be amazing! Grandson of the Sandaime Kazekage and wielder of the Magnet Release! Granddaughter of the famous swordsman, Jinjin Akebino, Junjun Akebino, newest wielder of Kabutowari! Then, the first S class Hyuga in known recorded history, Yumi Hyuga, wielder of the bow and byakugan!" Shisui said excitedly, before clearing his throat embarrassedly and standing straight.
"So what do you say, Kazekage-sama, will you join us?" He asked hopefully.
The man merely sighed and nodded. "Very well."
. . .
Leaving the office, Yumi took a deep breath to calm himself before turning and smiling at Gaara as she looked at him nervously. "Come on, Gaara-chan, I'm going to make it to where the scary sand will never be scary again, okay?" He said as he offered his hand.
"Okay, Yumi-kun." She said shyly while slowly gripping his open hand.
"Can you lead me to your home please? We will need some privacy." He explained as she led him down the stairs.
"Okay, it's a short walk away from here." And indeed it was a short walk, just behind the Kage building was a modest two story house in the Suna architectural style.
Entering the home, he found it much, much cooler than the outside had been. Scanning with his byakugan, he found the walls layered with surprisingly acceptable cooling seals made with iron dust. The Sandaime Kazekage must have been experienced in the art.
"Gaara-chan…?" Came a hesitant voice from the sitting room ahead of them. Following Gaara, they entered the spacious room to find a blonde girl around his age sitting on one of the sofas reading a futon scroll. She seemed to inch away from the red head when she entered, and eyed him warily.
"Yumi-kun, this is my sister Temari. Temari, this is my special person, Yumi Hyuga." Gaara introduced with a smile, shocking the girl.
"Hello, Temari-san. As Gaara-chan said, I am Yumi Hyuga, shinobi of Konohagakure." He bowed as the girl blushed.
"R-right. Does my father know you're here?" She asked.
"He does, I am going to replace Gaara-chan's seal and make the scary sand no longer scary." He smiled with a pat of the redhead's head, making Temari's eyes bulge.
"R-right, um, is it safe?" She asked hesitantly, with a hint of protectiveness leaking into her voice.
"It will be, the seal she currently has is a disgrace." Yumi sniffed before taking a calming breath, he'd already said his peace about that, no need to get riled up again. "Gaara's sand will be hers to control when I'm done." He reassured, receiving a relieved nod in return.
"Can I watch?" Temari asked hopefully, making him raise a brow.
"So long as Gaara-chan doesn't mind." Yumi said, turning to the aforementioned redhead. The girl stared at her sister with wide eyes. Temari had never been as afraid of her as their brother, but ever since her nice sand engulfed her in a hug, she had been avoiding her… with glistening eyes, Gaara nodded.
"Okay, Gaara-chan, I'm going to need you to remove your shirt." Yumi began as he unsealed a ceremonial blanket from his wrist. After placing it in the center of the room, he turned to find Gaara squinting at him, while Temari looked incensed.
"Uncle told me to kill people who want me to do that." Gaara began slowly, Temari nodding firmly beside her. Yumi smiled and nodded.
"He is not wrong, however, your seal is placed directly over your fourth gate, which is located in the center of your chest." He began while pointing toward his own sternum. "In order to stop the scary sand, I need to have access to your seal." He explained.
"Oh, okay." The redhead nodded before trying to remove her shirt, getting it stuck on her head. Temari gave him a look that promised pain before hesitantly helping her sister out of her tangled shirt.
"Okay, Gaara-chan, lay down on the blanket please." He requested. Once she was on her back, he examined her seal more closely, eternally thankful for his byakugan. If he had to examine the seal up close, he had a feeling Temari would be throwing him out of the house. As it was, he was still subjected to her penetrating stare that made him shudder.
But back to the task at hand. Her current seal thankfully didn't need to be removed, however, he did not want to seal the soul of her mother with the Ichibi. He needed to be perfect with his control, or he may end up destroying her soul entirely…
"Okay, Gaara-chan, I need you to ask your nice sand to join you as far away from the scary sand as possible, okay?" He began. At her frightened look, he smiled soothingly. "It'll be alright, trust me." After a moment, the girl nodded and closed her eyes, slowly falling asleep.
A moment later, a wave of pure malevolence flared out of the girl. Immediately, Yumi slapped a sealing tag on the girl's forehead, and the pressure was lifted. Hearing a choppy breath, he turned to see a teary Temari.
"I-is it done?" She asked shakily.
"No, all I did was separate Gaara from the Ichibi, ensuring that I will seal only the biju." He began. "It won't last long, however. My sealing tag wasn't designed for such corrosive chakra, so I must act quickly. Please remain quiet now." He ordered, before running through a long chain of hand seals.
"Hexagram Sealing Style: Gèn Kùn Kân!" He exclaimed.
With his fingers tipped with purple sealing flame, he quickly pressed them to Gaara's sternum, and with a sharp twist, a unicursal hexagram appeared on her chest, with three lined symbols held within.
"There, now it's done." Yumi smiled as he took a deep breath.
"So Gaara will be able to be a normal kid now?" Temari asked as she slowly reached out to run her fingers through the sleeping girl's hair.
"The Ichibi will no longer be able to interact with her, or manipulate her sand, so, yes. To anyone that doesn't know of her jinchuriki status, she will just be a normal girl with a lot of chakra." He assured.
"How does it work? What makes your seal different from her old one?" She asked while tracing the new seal with her free hand.
"That is like comparing a balloon to the tank that filled it." Yumi began. "Her former seal was too thin, too weak, to contain such potent chakra, and was constantly on the edge of popping. My seal is the tank, and will never pop." He continued confidently.
"How does it work?" Temari asked curiously, making Yumi smile. He loved talking about fuinjutsu.
"The seal creates a pocket of space within Gaara, and puts the Ichibi into an endless sleep while binding it at the bottom of an ocean. The ocean then acts as a filter with a direct link to Gaara-chan's chakra coils, giving her access to the Ichibi's chakra. She can summon it's power whenever she needs, and will have no risk of releasing the biju, or harming herself with the demonic chakra." He explained, leaving the blonde wide eyed.
"Wow… is that how your Yondaime Hokage sealed the Kyubi?" Temari asked, making him giggle a bit.
"No, I don't believe so." He began. "The Hexagram Sealing Style can theoretically seal any biju up to the Rokubi. Beyond that, it would be like Gaara's old seal, and be unable to handle the amount of chakra it's trying to contain." He continued.
"Why only theoretically?" She asked.
"The style was created by the Yondaime Hokage himself. Unfortunately, the only biju he was ever forced to seal was the Kyubi, something the Hexagram Style definitely cannot seal. It's only theoretical because it has never been used before today." He finished sadly.
"Do you think you could seal the Kyubi?" Temari asked after a minute of silence, again making him giggle.
"Absolutely not." He stated, making the girl's eyes widen. "The Yondaime was the world's greatest Fuinjutsu Master, even surpassing his wife, who was an Uzumaki. If he of all people died sealing the nine tails, then I have no chance, and probably never will." He finished simply.
. . .
The next day found Yumi and Shisui waving goodbye to Gaara and Temari at Suna's entrance. Before long they were making their way back home.
"Good job." Shisui said calmly as they sprinted east.
"I did what I believed was right, Shisui-sensei. That is all." Yumi returned.
"That's all we can do, Yumi-kun." Shisui smiled. "You saved Gaara from a fate worse than death, and likely breathed new life into the Kazekage's Will of Fire, well, wind. Being humble is a good quality to have, but don't let it take away from your achievements. So I'll say it again, good job." Shisui praised the now blushing boy.
"Moving on, how is your physical training coming along? As you know, the faster you become naturally, the faster your Raijin no Kei will be in-turn." Shisui said, with a smirking glance at his student.
With an arc of purple lightning dancing across his body, Yumi returned his sensei's smirk. "Why don't I show you instead?"
"Alright then. Last one to Konoha files the mission report!" Shisui exclaimed as he disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving a grumbling Yumi to chase after him yet again.
. . .
"How did you beat me?!" Yumi demanded as they entered Konoha's gate. Shisui simply continued to hum smugly with his hands clasped behind his head.
"You mean your all seeing eyes didn't see my new technique~?" Shisui cooed at the pouting Hyuga.
"I was a little busy trying to keep up with you! And when did you create a new technique?!" Yumi demanded again, making Shisui laugh knowingly.
"Last night." The teen shrugged nonchalantly, shocking his student to the core.
"So, do you want to know what it is?" He asked slyly, receiving only an irritated glare in return, making him sigh.
"Alright~ I suppose I can tell-"
"Just tell me!"
"Ma~ ma~ I'm working on it!" Shisui laughed with a poke of his pouting student's forehead.
"Well, since we were in Kaze no Kuni, I decided to ask the Kazekage about Fuuton, as it's my primary element." Shisui began. "After a thorough explanation, and a few loaned scrolls, I went to a training ground while you were having a sleepover with Gaara-chan." He continued with a smirk at Yumi's blush.
"In that time, I developed an enhancement technique like the Raikage. By wrapping myself in wind chakra, I lighten my body, reduce drag, and enhance my speed and agility. Pairing it with my shunshin just meant I left you in the dust. Literally." He finished smugly.
"Were you really that upset that I became the fastest leaf shinobi?" Yumi deadpanned.
"Absolutely." Shisui nodded with no hesitation.
"I will surpass you again, I promise." Yumi said with determination, making Shisui give him a proud smile.
"I'm counting on it." He said as they entered the Hokage building.
Climbing the stairs to Hokage's office, they found a fridgidly pale Akiko sitting at her desk, not even registering their approach.
"Akiko-san, what happened?" Shisui asked seriously, making the woman jump as she was snapped from her stupor.
"…Itachi." She whispered painfully, making their eyes widen.
With dread pooling in their guts, Shisui and Yumi shared a glance before moving toward the Hokage's office. Finding the doors locked, Shisui gestured Yumi forward.
Flying through a few seals, Yumi pressed his palm to the double doors, unlocking the sealing formula.
Entering the office, they found the stoic as ever Godaime with a nearly catatonic Itachi sitting before his desk. All was silent for a moment, before Yumi resealed the room.
"All teams sent to Iwa for this year's Chunin Exams were massacred. Itachi was the only survivor." Fugaku stated once the formula was in place, sending a meaningful glance toward Shisui who frowned painfully.
"Orochimaru was the perpetrator. He is likely trying to create tension between Iwa and Konoha by framing Iwa in the massacre, and would have succeeded had Itachi not been able to escape." Fugaku continued.
"Shisui." Fugaku began. "Please retrieve Obito." The man ordered, getting a salute from the teen before he disappeared in a gust of wind.
"Yumi." The Godaime continued, making the young shinobi straighten. "We will be discussing clan secrets once they return." He said, raising his hand haltingly when Yumi moved to speak. "I wish for you to stay." He stated, shocking the Hyuga.
"With Shisui as your sensei, you are bound to find out eventually, so it is better that you get a thorough explanation. Just know that what you will hear is an S rank secret." The Hokage warned, receiving a salute in return.
It was then that Shisui and Obito returned, with the addition of Kakashi Hatake. Fugaku simply nodded.
. . .
A next level to the sharingan… Yumi thought as he entered the Hyuga Compound. Chakra constructs, unbreakable genjutsu, eternal flame, space-time techniques… the Uchiha were scary.
Pausing on his way home, he turned and began making his way to the Main House.
"Yumi-kun!" Hinabi welcomed with a smile after opening the door. "Come in! Come in! How was your mission to Suna?" The woman asked happily while stepping aside to let him enter.
"The mission was successful and then some, thank you." Yumi bowed.
"That's what I like to hear! So what can I do for you? I doubt you're here for a visit. You don't visit nearly enough!" The woman pouted.
"We have dinner every weekend…" Yumi muttered awkwardly.
"Not nearly enough!" Hinabi said with a soft chop to his head, making him sigh.
"I was hoping to meet with Hiashi-san. I have a question I feel only he, as Clan Head, can answer." Yumi explained, receiving a curious stare from the woman.
"He just got home, but I'm sure he'll spare some time. He's in his study." Hinabi said before leading him to the aforementioned office.
"Yumi-san, what can I do for you?" Hiashi asked once they were both seated on either side of his traditional desk.
"Is there an evolution to the byakugan?" Yumi asked simply, not bothering to beat around the bush as Hiashi calmly took a sip of his tea.
"So you have learned of the Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan, then." The man stated in lieu of an answer, making Yumi's eyes widen.
"There is, indeed, a higher level to the byakugan. It's power is said to be on the same level as the fabled rinnegan." The man revealed with another sip, shocking his younger clansman to the bone.
"Unfortunately, it is unattainable by those of us on Earth." Hiashi stated. "In order to awaken it, you need a pure pair of powerful byakugan, untainted by those outside of the Hyuga Clan, and the Chakra of an Otsutsuki, our fathering clan that was diluted on Earth over a millennium ago." He explained to a slightly disappointed Yumi.
"What was this dojutsu called?" Yumi asked while locking eyes with Hiashi.
"Tenseigan."
. . .
AN: That's a wrap!
Sasori has joined his fellow akatsuki members in the grave!
Suna has joined Konoha and Kiri, and who is this grandson of the Kazekage? An international team????????
Oh, and Fem!Gaara. When I wrote this chapter, I had read Naruto Is Not A Teddy Bear by Yojimbraand wanted a fem!Gaara. I thought about pairing her with Yumi later on, but idk yet. We'll see. Let me know who you want Yumi paired with!
Lastly, Itachi and his team were attacked by Orochimaru, who did try to nab Itachi's body btw. Itachi was able to escape, but awakened his mangekyo after seeing his team, plus, like, five other teams, die, they were closer than canon, and he'd already awakened base sharingan.
Now, tenseigan... goin straight to the moon baby!
Next up, Iwa...